OPINION
4A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015
GUEST COLUMN
Founded in 1873
STEPHEN A. FORRESTER, Editor & Publisher
LAURA SELLERS, Managing Editor
BETTY SMITH, Advertising Manager
CARL EARL, Systems Manager
JOHN D. BRUIJN, Production Manager
DEBRA BLOOM, Business Manager
HEATHER RAMSDELL, Circulation Manager
I
We must take care
of ourselves
n countless ways, plastics remain one of the milestone in-
dustrial accomplishments of the post-World War II era. But
along with other manmade chemicals, they come with down-
sides we are only now coming to realize.
This is the message of re-
cent studies and cautionary arti-
cles, including one by Nicholas
Kristof in today’s Daily
Astorian. Kristof’s disturbing
warnings come at the same time
as news from the University
California-Davis that plastic
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invisible but rampant form of
water pollution.
Kristof’s report summariz-
es warnings by the Endocrine
Society and the International
Federation of Gynecology and
Obstetrics. In both cases, con-
cerns are most severe when it
comes to chemical exposures
for unborn babies, along with
expecting mothers and their
young children. But chemicals
are an “equal-opportunity” pol-
lutant, also causing adult can-
cers and disruptions of hormon-
al systems at all ages, resulting
in soaring rates of diabetes and
obesity.
Each year, toxic environmen-
tal chemicals result in millions
of premature deaths and billions
of dollars in damage, the IFGO
continues. (See www.tinyurl.
com/IFGOstatement.)
The main trust of Kristof’s
story is that the health impacts
of chemicals are being mini-
mized in the same way tobac-
co’s were. He notes chemical
lobbyists spent the equivalent
of $121,000 per member of
Congress last year.
0HDQZKLOH SODVWLF ¿EHUV
IURP V\QWKHWLF ÀHHFH LQ FORWK-
ing are being found in ap-
palling quantities in the en-
YLURQPHQW ² SDUWLFXODUO\ WKH
ocean. (See www.tinyurl.com/
FiberPollution.) Along with
plastic microbeads in prod-
ucts like cosmetics and tooth-
SDVWHWKH¿EHUVZRUNWKHLUZD\
through the food chain. Human
and animal health are harmed.
Living as we do at the in-
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and an enormous watershed,
we must be zealous advocates
for our own children on these
matters. Tell members of our
congressional delegation this is
an issue that will win or lose our
votes for them. Refer to www.
ewg.org/consumer-guides for
helpful advice about avoiding
dangerous chemicals in food
and products. Support efforts to
minimize the toxic effects of big
money in American politics.
We must take care of our-
selves. Clearly, the chemical in-
dustry won’t to it for us.
What do you associate
with party labels?
“spend,” “party,” “gov-
“conservative,” “govern-
ernment,” “tax,” “support”
PHQW´ ³SDUW\´ ³¿VFDO´
and “environment.” Dem-
and “responsible.” As for
WKH QRQDI¿OLDWHGRWKHUV
hat would you write if ocrats, that’s your party’s
the Top 5 associations
you were asked to re- image among all voters,
were
“conservative,”
but what about by par-
FRUG WKH ¿UVW WKLQJ QR PRUH ty registration? Are there
“business,” “right,” “par-
than 10 words) that comes to differences in how Demo-
ty” and “old.” That “old,”
ouch.
crats
see
themselves
com-
mind when you hear the words
Both parties might con-
pared
to
the
perceptions
of
“the media.” Or the words
sider some image triage
5HSXEOLFDQVDQGQRQDI¿OL-
Adam
“big business?” Or “teachers’ ated/others?
and recalibrating their
Davis
communications to better
unions?”
Let’s break it down.
7KH WRS ¿YH ZRUGV DVVRFLDWHG connect with members of their par-
Think about it. Give yourself a
by Republicans with the Demo- W\DQGQRQDI¿OLDWHGRWKHUV%RWKWKH
couple of seconds with each one.
cratic Party were: “liberal,” “tax,” Democratic and Republican parties
In the world of opinion research, “spend,” “social” and “govern- are associated by Oregon voters
this exercise is a form of qualitative ment” compared to Democrats’ ZLWK SROLWLFV DQG JRYHUQPHQW²QRW
research. It can be done through “progressive,” “liberal,” “people,” surprising since they’re both polit-
open-ended questions in surveys or “party” and “environment.” The ical parties and part of governance,
written exercises in focus groups, 7RS ZRUGV DPRQJ QRQDI¿OLDWHG but unfortunate in that voters feel so
and the results teach us not only RWKHUV²DJURXSLPSRUWDQWWRERWK negatively about these items. Other
how people feel about something, parties in Oregon as traditional negative associations these days in-
but also why they
party registrations cludes “spending” and “taxes” for
feel that way. The se-
GZLQGOH ² ZHUH WKH'HPRFUDWVDQG³VHO¿VK´³ULFK´
‘Gun’ was “liberal,” “govern- and “big” for Republicans.
mantics and imagery
The parties may want to consid-
“freely” associated
ment,” “big,” “so-
No.29 for
er doing more to be associated with
with the name of an
cial” and “party.”
organization or in-
As for the Re- what Oregon voters feel is import-
Democrats publican
dividual are invalu-
Party, a ant and/or feel positive about.
Education, for instance, is a top
able in formulating
randomly selected
and No.
public relations and
listing of associ- issue that Oregon voters want their
12 for
advertising.
ations among all JRYHUQPHQW RI¿FLDOV WR GR VRPH-
What would we
voters yields: “Most thing about. For the Democrats,
learn if Oregonians Republicans. harmful,” “business “education” was word No.63 and it
were asked to free
for their friends,” wasn’t even on the list for Repub-
associate with the Democratic and “pro-life,” “big believers in low licans.
The environment is what Orego-
Republican, parties? This is exact- taxes for business,” “mainly in-
ly what DHM Research explored in sane” and a couple of longer ones nians value most about living in the
a recent statewide survey of regis- ²³UDFLVPIRUULFKSHRSOHELJRWV state, including clean air, clean wa-
WHUHG YRWHUV 3DUW\ RI¿FLDOV FDP- anti-gay, anti-immigrant, hypocriti- ter and natural beauty. Where’s the
paign managers, and candidates cal, noncompromising, self-serving, association with the environment?
should perhaps consider what we UHOLJLRXVXQ$PHULFDQ´DQG¿QDOO\ For the Republicans, it was No. 36
IRXQG²WKHJRRGWKHEDGDQGWKH one also with a political scientist and for Democrats No.10.
Some other tidbits. “Gun” was
GRZQULJKWXJO\²DVDQHDUO\KRO- EHQW WR LW ³WU\LQJ WR UHÀHFW PRUH
iday gift to help with communica- true and traditional Constitutional No.29 for Democrats and No. 12
tions going into 2016.
governance such as limited role of for Republicans; “women” was
Starting with the Democratic federal government, greater state’s No. 47 for Democratic Party and
Party, representative associations rights and person freedoms, but do- No. 42 for Republicans; and “mon-
recorded by over 600 Oregon voters ing a terrible job of communicating H\´ZDVDQHDUWLH²1RIRUWKH
Democratic Party and No. 13 for
included: “Least harmful,” “Lib- that message.”
erally leaning,” “Raise minimum
Random selection! The Top 10 Republicans.
7KHUHLWLV²DORRNLQWKHPLU-
wage,” “Freedom,” “Spending words associated with the party
money,” “Progressive, concerned by all voters were: “conservative,” URUIRU\RXSDUW\RI¿FLDOVFDPSDLJQ
about people of all classes” and a “party,” “right,” “business,” “gov- managers and candidates. And
little longer than 10 words, “Lib- ernment,” “people,” “religious,” hopefully food for thought for com-
munications … and an early holiday
eral, progressive, rational, compas- ³ULFK´³VHO¿VK´DQG³ELJ´
sionate, reasonable, compromising,
There you are Republicans. As gift.
Adam Davis, who has been con-
team oriented, encompassing will- for analysis by party registration,
ing to grow and evolve.”
among Democrats the Top 5 words ducting opinion research in Oregon
Doing a word count, the Top 10 for the Republican Party were: for more than 35 years, is a found-
words associated with the Demo- “conservative, “party,” “right,” ing principal in DHM Research, an
cratic Party were “liberal,” “pro- “people” and “business,” compared independent, nonpartisan ¿rm 9isit
gressive,” “social,” “people,” to Republicans about themselves: wwwdhmresearchcom
By ADAM DAVIS
For Oregon Capital Insider
W
Polluting our bodies with toxic chemicals
Our goal should be
reduce the uninsured I
W
e say we live in an
Information Age. Yet we
are awash in misinformation.
At times it seems there is an
imitation of Gresham’s Law
(bad money drives out good). In
21st century America it seems
like bad information drives out
good.
Science is typically the best
example of this phenomenon.
Among the things America has
unlearned or forgotten is public
health. The great, widespread
positive effects that vaccination
created in the 20th century are
being undone in the 21st.
When an electorate votes
against its personal welfare, it
is a head-scratcher. Prior to the
November election, Kentucky,
the only Southern state to fully
embrace Obamacare, had the
lowest level of uninsured cit-
izens among those states. But
Matt Bevin, the Republican
who won the race for gover-
nor has vowed to roll back the
expansion of Medicaid that his
Democratic predecessor engi-
neered.
The New York Times re-
ported Friday that low-income
Kentuckians are hurrying to
health clinics before Bevin can
WDNHDZD\WKHLUEHQH¿WV
One of the startling details
that Abby Goodnough of the
Times provides is that Bevin
won the Kentucky counties with
the highest percentage of citi-
zens on Medicaid. Voter turnout
statewide was 31 percent.
The Affordable Care Act, or
Obamacare, needs retooling.
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.,
is among those who are ready to
put together adjustments. But in
the Republican obsession with
all things Obama, The GOP has
backed itself and people, such as
those who live in Kentucky, into
a corner. Will the new governor,
Mr. Bevin, say: “Now I must
take away the access to health
care you have under Medicaid.”
It really is a good thing to
diminish the number of unin-
sured Americans. Those gains
can be seen in Oregon and oth-
er states that have embraced the
Affordable Care Act.
Editorials that appear on this page are written by
Publisher Steve Forrester and Matt Winters, editor
of the Chinook Observer and Coast River
Business Journal, or staff members from the
EO Media *roup¶s sister newspapers
This warning now rep-
safe before they go on the
resents the medical main-
marketplace.” In fact, most
are assumed to be safe un-
stream. It was drafted by
less proved otherwise.
n recent weeks, two major med- experts from the American
Of the 80,000 or more
College
of
Obstetricians
and
ical organizations have issued
chemicals in global com-
Gynecologists, the American
independent warnings about toxic Society for Reproductive
merce today, only a tiny
chemicals in products all around Medicine, the World Health
share have been rigorously
screened for safety. Even
Organization, Britain’s Roy-
us.
when a substance is retired
al
College
of
Obstetricians
Unregulated substances, they say,
because of health concerns,
and Gynecologists, and sim-
Nicholas
are sometimes linked to breast and ilar groups.
the replacement chemical
Kristof
prostate cancer, genital deformities,
may be just as bad.
Such medical profession-
obesity, diabetes and infertility.
“It’s frustrating to see the same
als are on the front lines. They are the
“Widespread exposure to toxic envi- ones confronting rising cases of hypo- story over and over,” Woodruff said.
ronmental chemicals threatens healthy spadias, a birth defect in which boys are “Animal studies, in vitro tests or early
human reproduction,” the International born with a urethra opening on the side human studies show that chemical A
Federation of Gynecology and Obstet- of the penis rather than at the tip. They causes adverse effects. The chemical
rics warned in a landmark statement are the ones treating women with breast industry says, ‘Those are bad studies,
last month.
cancer. Both are conditions linked to show me the human evidence.’ The hu-
The warnings are a reminder that the early exposure to endocrine disrupters. man evidence takes years and requires
chemical industry has
The other major that people get sick. We should not have
inherited the mantle
organization that re- to use the public as guinea pigs.”
The
Europe is moving toward testing
of Big Tobacco, min-
cently issued a warn-
imizing science and
ing is the Endocrine chemicals before they go on the mar-
chemical
resisting regulation in
Society, the interna- ket, but the United States is a laggard
ways that cause dev-
tional association of because of the power of the chemical
lobby
astating harm to un-
doctors and scientists lobby. Chemical safety legislation now
suspecting citizens.
spent the
who deal with the before the Senate would require the En-
vironmental Protection Agency to start
In the 1950s, re-
hormone system.
equivalent
VHDUFKHUV ZHUH ¿QG-
“Emerging ev- a safety assessment of only 25 chemi-
ing that cigarettes
ties endo- FDOVLQWKH¿UVW¿YH\HDUV²DQG+RXVH
of $121,000 idence
caused cancer, but
crine-disrupting legislation isn’t much better.
the political system
per member chemical exposure “There are almost endless parallels
lagged in responding.
to two of the biggest with the tobacco industry,” says An-
of Congress public health threats drea Gore, a professor of pharmacolo-
Now the same thing
is happening with
IDFLQJVRFLHW\²GL- gy at the University of Texas at Austin
last year.
toxic chemicals.
abetes and obesity,” and editor of the journal Endocrinol-
The gynecolo-
the Endocrine So- ogy.
For now, experts say the best ap-
gy federation’s focus is on endocrine ciety said in announcing its 150-page
disrupters, chemicals that imitate sex ³VFLHQWL¿F VWDWHPHQW´ ,W DGGHG WKDW proach is for people to try to protect
hormones and often confuse the body. “mounting evidence” also ties endo- themselves. Especially for women who
Endocrine disrupters are found in pes- crine disrupters to infertility, prostate are pregnant or may become pregnant,
ticides, plastics, shampoos and cos- cancer, undescended testicles, testicular and for young children, try to eat organ-
metics, cash register receipts, food can cancer, breast cancer, uterine cancer, ic, reduce the use of plastics, touch cash
OLQLQJVÀDPHUHWDUGDQWVDQGFRXQWOHVV ovarian cancer and neurological issues. register receipts as little as possible, try
other products.
Sometimes these problems apparently WR DYRLG ÀDPHUHWDUGDQW FRXFKHV DQG
“Exposure to toxic chemicals during arise in adults because of exposures de- consult the consumer guides at www.
ewg.org.
pregnancy and lactation is ubiquitous,” cades earlier in fetal stages.
The chemical lobby spent the equiv-
the organization cautioned, adding that
“The threat is particularly great
virtually every pregnant woman in when unborn children are exposed,” the alent of $121,000 per member of Con-
gress last year, so expect chemical com-
America has at least 43 different chem- Endocrine Society warned.
ical contaminants in her body. It cited a
Tracey J. Woodruff of the Univer- SDQLHVWRHQMR\VWURQJTXDUWHUO\SUR¿WV
1DWLRQDO&DQFHU,QVWLWXWHUHSRUW¿QGLQJ sity of California, San Francisco notes, more boys to be born with hypospadias
that “to a disturbing extent babies are “One myth about chemicals is that the and more women to die unnecessarily
born ‘pre-polluted.’”
U.S. government makes sure they’re of breast cancer.
By NICHOLAS KRISTOF
New York Times News Service