Why Should I Care About PFAS In Our Water?

Water Quality Spokespeople

Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.

-Proverbs 31:8-9

Not everyone has a voice that is heard. Those of us who do, should use it to protect those who do not. When it comes to water safety, many are at risk - right in our own backyards. PFAS contaminated water has the potential to hurt millions. Vote for representatives who care about water safety. Engage the water safety boards. Spread the message about water safety and water contamination. Here's what you need to know:

Click on the map to use the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) map of PFAS sites.

From CNBC, 

The Department of Defense had identified 401 military sites that could be contaminated with the toxic compounds, known as PFAS, as of August 2017. The Environmental Working Group and Northeastern University have mapped at least 712 documented cases of PFAS contamination across 49 states, as of July 2019. That map includes contamination on military bases along with industrial plants, commercial airports and firefighting training sites.

The Environmental Working Group estimates more than 100 million Americans could be drinking tap water contaminated with PFAS.

The Centers for Disease Control recognizes an array of health effects linked to PFAS exposure, such as lowering a woman's chance of getting pregnant, issues with childhood development, and even cancer.

Clearly the PFAS crisis is continuing to build. Many states have yet to begin testing ground water for PFAS and there is no federal regulation in place.  

What can we do to protect ourselves and our others?

The first line of defense is a good offense.

1. Investigate what you buy to see if it contains PFAS chemicals (Here is a list from TIME Magazine).

2. You may already have products treated with PFAS chemicals, so editing them from your home might be a crucial next step.

3. Be pro-active with your local water management and safety boards to ensure that PFAS is being tested for. Check out the current status of PFAS monitoring in your state.

4. Consider installing a water filter system. Bottled water still has PFAS in it. We found a company here in Michigan producing a ceramic type water filter cartridge (Made in the USA) that has been independently verified to remove over 99% of the PFAS chemicals from the sample water. Check them out: Aquacera - Cerametix (Note: Aquacera in no way endorses this article or has supported this website or its author in any way).

Tags

#loveyourneighbor #cleanwater #waterquality #PFAS #lead #mercury #AAF #chemicals #contamination #christians #environment #sustainability #safewater #christianlove

Am I The Reason No One Wants To Become A Christian?

There is a famous quote attributed to Mahatma Ghandi*, "I like your Christ. I don't like Christians. They are so unlike your Christ." I spent some time trying to find out whether this quote was real, thought about who else might think this way, searched my life to find out how I look different from Him, and how my life might be hindering the Gospel.

I found a forum that was discussing whether this quote was accurate. This is what it stated:

Even if the quote isn't totally accurate, I think that the overall sentiment remains. We, as Christians, are so different from Christ.

It has been suggested that Ghandi's experience with "Christians" during Apartheid and wars in South Africa may be the basis for his statement. It would be very understandable if this was so. "Christians" have an imperfect record when it comes to human rights, violence, sexual abuse, hoarding wealth, and many other issues.

Enough looking in to the past. I need to look at my life. Are there situations right now, systems that I am supporting, that others might consider wrong, an injustice, or evil? Is there anything I am doing that wouldn't be considered fair? Is there anyone who would look on my actions and say that I am harming others?

We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry. 2 Corinthians 6:3

It makes sense to me that someone who looks at my life, seeing an injustice or harm that I am supporting, would have a jaded view of the message I am trying to deliver. I could be the stumbling block that doesn't let another see Christ's power and deity because my life shows that I don't care about other's plight while claiming that Christ himself is alive within me, guiding my heart and my actions.

The Greatest Commands

And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question to test him. "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 22:35-40

This is why we at Love Your Neighbor Blog place such an emphasis on this command. We know that the passionate pursuit of loving our neighbor reflects our God's passionate love for us. In everyday ways, through our everyday purchases, or abstaining from purchases, we show how we care about our neighbors. All abuses and sins in my past (and yours) exist because we stopped loving God and others, choosing to act for selfish gain instead.

Atheist #1

Let's use an example of sharing the gospel with an atheist. This particular atheist has learned a lot about the fashion industry and now chooses to buy clothing that is fair trade or made in a developed country (USA, Canada, Australia, EU, etc.). When sharing the gospel, you start to talk about loving your neighbor as yourself. The atheist might then question whether you really do because of what you are wearing and what clothing you choose to buy. He or she might say, "There's no way you care about others as much as you do yourself. If you did, you would know the working conditions that your clothes were made in and there's no way you would buy them or feel good about wearing them." He or she might ask if we pray before doing things, to which we might answer "yes, we always want to know what God wants us to do in every situation." They might counter, "You mean to tell me that you prayed about whether or not to buy that shirt you are wearing and God told you to buy that one? No thank you. I want no part of a God like that."

Atheist #2

How about a similar example with an environmentalist? During the course of sharing about your faith, you share that you love your neighbor as yourself. They stop you, "There's absolutely no way that you love your neighbor as yourself. Look at what you buy and how you consume! Those things are polluting our water, which is harming our kids. You buy things that emit chemicals which cause developmental issues in infants. I haven't once heard you talk about reducing your impact on the environment. What we do to the environment affect all of us."

The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable. -Brennan Manning

I often wonder what people in countries like China, Bangladesh, India, or Vietnam think when Christian missionaries, or just Christians in general, show up wearing clothes that they or someone they know produced. How do our clothes and consumption color the gospel and their view of Christ? Is our witness elevated by what we choose to wear and consume or is it damaged? Check out this designer's reaction when he learns how and where the clothes he designed were being made:

It makes me sad to think that what I've done in the past has negatively portrayed Almighty God. From this day forward, I want to never be considered a stumbling block. We, as Christians, should be on the forefront of fighting for safe working conditions, fair pay, protecting the environment, and supporting the companies who are doing business the right way. Then, even though non-Christians might not want a god other than themselves, they will at least not be able to fault us for not loving our neighbors. They might even say, "I like your Christ, and I like you Christians, you are just like Christ."

#loveyourneighbor #bible #christians #environment #fairtrade #sharingthegospel #evangelism

*Chances are that Ghandi is referring to the teachings of Jesus and His lifestyle rather than His claim of deity and His necessary death for anyone to be forgiven (Author's opinion).

Once Thought To Be Helpful, Now Known To Be Harmful

I hardly ever set an alarm. I didn't need to. I had been up to almost 1am last night after the game. It was always a little harder to sleep on the nights I pitched. I lay in bed for a little while, but eventually rolled out and headed to the kitchen for some cereal.

We had to be at the field around 2pm, so I decided to walk to get some lunch around 12:30. Sometimes I ate at the little restaurant below our apartment, but often I walked to the 7-eleven. This time, I chose to walk. It was only a few blocks.

I opened the refrigerator door and grabbed a package of hot pockets. A few refrigerators down were the smoothies. I grabbed the Green Smoothie that said it had lots of vegetables in it. I thought it was a pretty healthy meal compared to what a lot of the guys on the team were eating.

Looking back on it, you're probably thinking what I think now: "Are you crazy? You are a professional athlete. You need the highest quality food, not junk food."

At the time though, I thought it was pretty good. As a minor leaguer, you don't usually

have a full kitchen with all of the pots and pans you need. You go on week-long road trips, so stocking the refrigerator leads to waste. It wasn't too bad, right? Basically a couple of pieces of pizza and smoothie.

These days, when I look at the ingredients, I see things that jump out so blatantly. Pizza is supposed to be bread (flour, yeast, egg, maybe a touch of butter), tomato sauce, topping, and cheese. What are all these extra ingredients in the pizza pockets?

As Americans, there have been tons of chemicals introduced which at first seemed good, but later we realized were harmful. They may look convenient like my pizza pockets. They solved a problem we had.

America has banned very few chemicals when we compare ourselves to the European Union.

"In cosmetics alone, the European Union has banned or restricted 1,300 chemicals while the US has outlawed or curbed only 11" - Oliver Milman, The Guardian

Let's take a look at a 5 compounds that when first introduced were considered wonderful, but were later proven to be harmful. 

We used these chemicals a lot. Do we now regret it?

BPA - Bisphenol A

From The Environmental Working Group,

"In September 2008 the National Toxicology Program of NIH determined that BPA may pose risks to human development, raising concerns for early puberty, prostate effects, breast cancer, and behavioral impacts from early-life exposures. Pregnant women, infants and young children are most vulnerable to the harmful effects of BPA, although a recent study linked BPA exposures to risk of heart disease, diabetes, and liver toxicity."

Asbestos

From The Royal Society of Chemistry,

"Asbestos causes cancers of the lung, ovaries and larynx and is suspected to cause others, including gastrointestinal cancer. Once inhaled, asbestos fibres may stay in the body and cause asbestosis, a progressive inflammatory disease that scars the lungs. Medical experts say there is no evidence for a threshold of exposure for cancer: any amount of airborne asbestos fibre poses a risk."

PCBs - Polychlorinated Biphenyls

From the EPA,

"Products that may contain PCBs include: Transformers and capacitors, electrical equipment including voltage regulators, switches, re-closers, bushings, and electromagnets, oil used in motors and hydraulic systems, old electrical devices or appliances containing PCB capacitors, fluorescent light ballasts, cable insulation, thermal insulation material including fiberglass, felt, foam, and cork, adhesives and tapes, oil-based paint, caulking, plastics, carbonless copy paper, and floor finish.

Based on extensive studies conducted using environmentally relevant doses, EPA found clear evidence that PCBs have significant toxic effects in animals, including non-human primates. PCBs can affect an animal’s immune system, reproductive system, nervous system and endocrine system."

PFAS - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances

PFAS can be found in food packaging, commercial household products (especially stain repellent fabrics, non-stick products i.e. Teflon, polishes, waxes, paints, etc.), at the workplace as a result of manufacturing processes such as chrome plating, and in local drinking water as a result of contaminated water from manufacturing.

From the EPA,

"Studies indicate that PFOA and PFOS can cause reproductive and developmental, liver and kidney, and immunological effects in laboratory animals. Both chemicals have caused tumors in animals. The most consistent findings are increased cholesterol levels among exposed populations, with more limited findings related to: low infant birth weights, effects on the immune system, cancer (for PFOA), and thyroid hormone disruption (for PFOS)."

Michigan alone has over 58 sites with a PFAS contamination level over 70 ppt in groundwater. According to the Michigan Environmental Council, "the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) estimates there could be as many as 11,300 potential sites where PFAS may have been used."

Sunscreens - oxybenzone, octinoxate, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate and avobenzone

From Environmental Working Group,

[The] "FDA raised concerns about the substantial skin absorption of oxybenzone, its potential to affect hormone levels and the increased absorption susceptibility of children (FDA 2019). Lab studies shows that some chemical UV filters may mimic hormones, ... which raises important questions about unintended human health consequences from frequent sunscreen application."

"The most worrisome is oxybenzone, ... In lab studies, it is a weak estrogen and has potent anti-androgenic effects (Krause 2012, Ghazipura 2017)."

Why Did We Not Know Sooner?

American agencies attempt to verify that chemicals are okay by using a self-certification system.  The company that wishes to introduce a new chemical will conduct its own study, with its own procedures, and then supply the results for review.  There is no governmental verification of their findings, the studies, or their conclusions.  There is no independent certification. 

"It’s possible to find formaldehyde, a known carcinogen banned in EU-sold cosmetics, in US hair-straightening treatments and nail polish. Parabens, linked to reproductive problems, are ruled out in the EU but not the US, where they lurk in skin and hair products. Coal tar dyes can be found in Americans’ eyeshadow, years after they were banned in the EU and Canada." writes Oliver Milman.

The chemicals and compounds that made the list above were not banned because the government found out that they were harmful as a result of testing. They were banned because the public, us, were suffering from the diseases they caused.  In many cases, it was public demand that finally pushed these chemicals onto a banned list, not the government reacting to research. 

Maybe we should be approaching new chemicals with an attitude of guilty until proven innocent, rather than the current strategy which is innocent until proven harmful to the public?

This damage may have included someone you know, a family member, a friend. 

The damage we have taken might be hidden under other names like thyroid disease or strange metabolism or cancer or infertility.

The system is set up as innocent under self-certification, until proven guilty. As a parent, this seems like an extremely dangerous strategy. I could be trying my best to protect the health of my daughter only to be undermined by companies who aren't willing to admit their products are unsafe.

What Is Going To Be Added To This List?

A question we must think through together is: what chemicals are being widely used today that will eventually end up on this list? 

Looking at labels, thinking about each product and what makes it capable of the amazing features it has, makes me think there are tons of chemicals out there right now that are going to be added to this list.

I regret eating pizza pockets. I wonder what sort of pitching performance I would have been able to give if I had eaten better. What if I had eaten in such a way that my body was given the very best fuel instead of fuel that very likely made me worse. I imagine that not only was my body having to recover from the rigors of pitching, but also from the chemicals that I ingested.

I don't want to have the same regret for myself as I get older or for my daughter. I don't want to look back and think, what if I had been a little more rigorous with my acceptance criteria? Maybe my daughter might not have this struggle. Maybe I wouldn't have this body that seems to be breaking down.

PFAS - Fish consumption warning in the Huron River, Michigan

#loveyourneighbor #Bible #chemicals #PFAS #sunscreen #BPA