The Dominion - Germany

Cosmetics Industry Under Fire

Mon, 28 Mar 2005 06:39:57 +0000

Health effects of chemicals, endocrine disruptors, "penetration enhancers" questioned

Women and men in Berlin marked International Women's day by drawing attention to the relationship between women and chemicals -- X is the symbol for toxic chemicals. Photo: Beatrice Vohler, wecf.org

On March 8th, women around the world acted to acknowledge their struggle for equality and justice. For some, this year's International Women's Day served as a platform from which to draw attention to a range of issues typically not identified as affecting women in particular- including chemical contamination.

"Women are particularly at risk from dangerous chemicals, through their work, at home, in the family or when shopping," said Sascha Gabizon, Director of Women in Europe for a Common Future (WECF). As research continues to reveal how chemicals such as endocrine disruptors act to affect fetal development, while others bioaccumulate and can be passed on through breast milk, chemical hazards has come to be understood as a women's issue. WECF was one of several organizations which came together to organize the Women and Chemicals March 8th action where over a hundred women and men gathered in Berlin to form a massive X out of cloth -- the symbol for toxic chemicals.

The action was coordinated by a coalition of environmental and women's organization, and was a show of support for REACH, a draft law in the European Union that requires the registration, evaluation and authorization of all chemicals. Should REACH be approved in its strongest form, REACH could lead to the identification and phasing out of many harmful chemicals within three years of its implementation. The task remains a daunting one, particularly given the paucity of information on toxicity and health effects on most chemicals.

Women are particularly at risk of being exposed to chemicals whose short and long-term health effects are unknown though the use of cosmetics, shampoos, creams and other personal care products. Exposure to chemicals found in personal care products can occur through absorption through the skin, or through being ingested after application. Some companies, such as L'Oreal and Estee Lauder, are now adding nanoparticles to their products to act as "penetration enhancers" -- to deliver ingredients even deeper into the skin. Some worry that these particles ability to breech the skin - whose purpose is to keep harmful substances out -- may have unintended consequences for user's health.

In the United States, only 11 percent of the 10,500 cosmetic ingredients on the market have been reviewed at all -- and those evaluations have been conducted by the industry-sponsored Cosmetic Ingredient Review. Although the US FDA does not require safety testing on cosmetics, they do require companies to post a warning label on personal care products that have not been safety tested. After pressure from the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the US EPA warned companies to comply with the law or face persecution. Should companies comply, EWG estimates that over 99% of cosmetic products could be labeled.

According to Health Canada's Cosmetics Programme, "only ingredients that do not pose an unreasonable health and safety risk to the Canadian public, when used according to directions, are allowed in cosmetic products." Like the US, cosmetic companies are not required to submit information on product safety to Health Canada. Industry is only required to notify Health Canada of the full ingredients in cosmetics. However, Health Canada can request that the manufacture provided safety information. With recent changes to the Cosmetics Regulation, companies will be required to notify consumers of the full ingredients of cosmetic products by 2006. It is hoped that this labeling will enable consumers to avoid products that are of concern to them, and assist individuals to identify ingredients to which they have sensitivities.

But it is likely that labeling alone will be no match for the million-dollar cosmetics industry's advertising campaigns. Long-time recipient of criticism, the cosmetic industry has faced accusations of marketing an image of youth and whiteness -- a physical image few resemble yet damaging to the physical and social well being of many. And as the events of this International Women's Day suggest, it is likely that potential health hazards from chemical exposure will be added to the list.

Activists in Europe are questioning the health effects of chemicals, endocrine disruptors, and "penetration enhancers" in cosmetics, writes Andrea Smith

International News: January

Tue, 13 Jan 2004 05:30:00 +0000

Climate Change Could Wipe Out One Million Species: Study

Monarch butterflies are among thousands of species that scientists say could be endangered by climate change.

Between 15 and 37 per cent of the earth's life forms - over one million species - could be wiped out by climate change by 2050. This, according to the most comprehensive study to date on the effects of climate change on animal and plant life.

The results of the study, headed up by researchers at the University of Leeds in England, were published in the most recent issue of Nature. Scientists examined the habitats of more than 1,100 species, in light of changes in global temperature as predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The range of results leaves room for the possibility that some species could migrate to follow temperature changes or adapt to new conditions. But scientists also warn that climate change can interact with human-caused habitat destruction in unpredictable ways.

Independent:

Nature Magazine:

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British Whistleblower Faces Trial

In early 2003 the UN Security Council was debating a resolution sought by the US and UK to authorize the use of force on Iraq. On March 2nd the British Observer reported on a US-UK "dirty tricks" surveillance campaign aimed at six non-committed UN Security Council members.

British intelligence employee Katherine Gun admits that she was the person responsible for leaking the memo on the surveillance plot. She claims to have acted according to her conscience and now faces imprisonment on charges of contravening the Official Secrets Act.

Said Gun, "I intend to plead not guilty to the charge that I face under the Official Secrets Act. I will defend the charge against me on the basis that my actions were necessary to prevent an illegal war in which thousands of Iraqi civilians and British soldiers would be killed or maimed."

The UN Security Council resolution approving the use of force on Iraq was abandoned.

Kim Petersen

Google search for "Katherine Gun"

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China Restricts TV Advertising

The Chinese government instated new rules released yesterday which prohibit more than nine minutes of commercials per hour during prime time, according to the Los Angeles Times. Many television viewers and producers are positive about the change. Advertising industry representatives, however, are concerned that the rules may hamper market development.

"Too many restrictions could hurt society," Ye Lingyun of the Beijing Qianhuo Advertising Agency told the Times. "People do more than sit around watching television. They need to consume things. And without ads, they won't know what to buy."

The New Standard:

Germany Refuses to Apologize for Namibian "Genocide"; UK Compensates Families of Dead Iraqis

The Society of Threatened Peoples, a Berlin-based human rights group, has called on the German government to officially apologize for the "genocide" dating to the German colonization of Namibia. Between 1904 and 1907, an estimated 75,000 members of the 120,000-strong Herero tribe were killed during an uprising against the German colonial forces.

Berlin has repeated refused to officially apologize for its occupation of Namibia, which began in 1884 and ended in 1915. The Herero tribe has filed a lawsuit in the United States, in an attempt to gain reparations from the German government and from companies that allegedly benefited from the occupation.

The British Ministry of Defense (MoD) has paid thousands of pounds in compensation to the families of Iraqis allegedly killed by British troops, and is considering 13 other cases. The MoD has said that the payments are "ex gratia," meaning a favour not compelled by the legal right of the victims. "We do not accept admission of guilt. That is the policy," said a MoD spokesperson.

Adam Price, a Member of Parliament, was quoted as saying that "it is simply not acceptable for the military to be investigating themselves and deciding on an ad hoc basis whether or not to award ex gratia payments to the families of the deceased."

"We need an independent and fully impartial investigation into all of these allegations," said Price.

Guardian:

Mail and Guardian: