Greenlist(tm) Bulletin 10/05/2007
This is the weekly bulletin of the TURI Library, reporting a selection of recently published titles we have acquired. Our pledge is to keep the bulletin relevant to your work and brief -- no more than 10 titles. You are welcome to send a message to jan@turi.org if you would like more information on any of the articles listed here.
Titles here, abstracts below:
- Formulating environmentally friendly flame retardants
- Climate change, human health, and the post-cautionary principle
- Nature leads the way for the next generation of paints, cosmetics and holograms
- The high price of beauty
- The promise and perils of taking green products mainstream
- Chemical regulation: comparison of U.S. and recently enacted European Union approaches to protect against the risks of toxic chemicals
- Ford introduces first automobile with soy-based seating
- The environmental burden of disease in Canada: respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and congenital affliction
- Census of U.S. manufacturers -- lean green and low cost
- Thinking green: implementing a sustainable construction process
1. Formulating environmentally friendly flame retardants
Author: Betts, Kellyn S.
Source: ES&T Online News, September 26, 2007
Abstract: Polyurethane foam is so flammable that people in the insurance industry sometimes call it "solid gasoline". Until a few years ago, manufacturers of the inexpensive plastic combined it with brominated flame retardants, typically a PBDE formulation known as Penta BDE, to ensure that it was safe for use in products such as upholstered furniture, mattresses, carpet padding, and automotive interiors. The situation changed significantly in 2004, when Penta BDE and another PBDE formulation, Octa BDE, were banned in Europe and discontinued in the U.S. because of concerns related to their persistence, bioavailability, and toxicity. Since then, the flame retardant industry has been under increasing pressure to move away from the use of environmentally persistent halogens, such as bromine and chlorine, according to the participants at a conference on environmentally friendly flame retardants organized in Baltimore by IntertechPira in July.
The industry is responding with new approaches for making flame retardants, and some design teams are actively adopting the tenets of green chemistry. In the long run, the work now under way could result in the development of materials that are inherently resistant to fire.
Legislation is driving some of the move away from halogenated flame retardants. The use of Deca BDE—the only PBDE formulation still used widely—is being challenged in the EU. Deca BDE was also recently banned in Washington and Maine, and legislatures in other states, including California, are also considering bills to ban the compound.
Link: http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2007/sept/
tech/kb_flameretard.html
2. Climate change, human health, and the post-cautionary principle
Author: Heinzerling, Lisa
Imprint: Georgetown University. O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law Scholarship, 2007
Abstract: In this article, I suggest two different but related ways of reframing the public discourse on climate change. First, I propose that we move further in the direction of characterizing climate change as a public health threat and not only as an environmental threat. Second, I argue that we should stop thinking of responses to climate change in terms of the precautionary principle, which counsels action even in the absence of scientific consensus about a threat. We should speak instead in terms of a "post-cautionary" principle for a post-cautionary world, in which some very bad effects of climate change are unavoidable and others are avoidable only if we take dramatic steps, and soon. These points are related insofar as they together create a moral imperative both to adapt to the changes we cannot prevent and to mitigate those we can. Without these efforts, people will fall ill and many will die, and we know now that this will occur. No fancy moral theory is required to condemn, and to make every attempt to avert, this large-scale knowing killing.
Link: http://lsr.nellco.org/georgetown/ois/papers/4/
3. Nature leads the way for the next generation of paints, cosmetics and holograms
Source: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, October 3, 2007
Abstract: A plant-like micro-organism mostly found in oceans could make the manufacture of products, from iridescent cosmetics, paints and fabrics to credit card holograms, cheaper and 'greener'.
The tiny single-celled 'diatom', which first evolved hundreds of millions of years ago, has a hard silica shell which is iridescent - in other words, the shell displays vivid colours that change depending on the angle at which it is observed. This effect is caused by a complex network of tiny holes in the shell which interfere with light waves.
Manufacturing consumer products with these properties currently requires energy-intensive, high-temperature, high-pressure industrial processes that create tiny artificial reflectors. But farming diatom shells, which essentially harnesses a natural growth process, could provide an alternative that takes place at normal room temperature and pressure, dramatically reducing energy needs and so cutting carbon dioxide emissions. The process is also extremely rapid - in the right conditions, one diatom can give rise to 100 million descendants in a month.
This ground-breaking advance has been achieved by scientists at the Natural History Museum and the University of Oxford, with funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The project involved a range of experts from disciplines including biology, chemistry, physics, engineering and materials science.
Link: http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/PressReleases/
NatureLeadsTheWayForNextGenerationOfPaintsCosmeticsHolograms.htm
4. The high price of beauty
Author: Sole-Smith, Virginia
Source: The Nation, October 8, 2007
Abstract: The cosmetology industry uses more than 10,000 chemicals in its products, 89 percent of which have not been evaluated for safety, according to the nonprofit Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, which corrals available evidence in its Skin Deep database (cosmeticsdatabase.com). The polishes, acrylics and other products used in nail salons contain some twenty chemicals flagged as having "potential symptoms and health effects" by the Environmental Protection Agency. The list includes solvents like acetone, which may cause central nervous system depression, and ethyl methacrylate, linked to eye, skin and respiratory tract irritation. It also highlights chemicals banned by the European Union and since removed by international brands like OPI, Sally Hansen and Revlon. Those include formalin, which may cause asthma-like respiratory problems and cancer in high or prolonged doses, and toluene, a solvent with the potential to cause dizziness, headaches and liver and kidney damage. Perhaps most contentious of all is dibutyl phthalate, a plasticizer that makes nail polish more flexible. It has been linked to eye and upper respiratory system irritation and may be toxic to the reproductive system.
"Most kinds of house paint are less toxic than what you find in nail polish," says Cora Roelofs, ScD, an assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, whose research has documented acute health problems like skin irritations and asthma among nail salon workers in the Boston area. "Yet we still know very little about more serious health effects, nor do we understand how these chemicals interact with each other in the salon environment."
It's the lack of knowledge about nail polish's potential reproductive toxicity that's most chilling for advocates and salon workers. "We're seeing a substantial number of folks from the beauty industry who are concerned about whether they can work during their pregnancies," says John Meyer, MD, an assistant professor in the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center. He responds to queries on a risk line run by the Connecticut Department of Health and estimates that the center receives seventy to 140 calls a year from concerned workers or their physicians. An analysis of a California occupational health hot line found that manicurists and cosmetologists were the third-largest occupational sector to call with pregnancy-related inquiries.
Link: http://www.thenation.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20071008&s=sole-smith
5. The promise and perils of taking green products mainstream
Author: Wheeland, Matthew
Source: GreenBiz Radio, 2007
Abstract: A little over two years ago, Columbia Forest Products, the country's biggest manufacturer of hardwood plywoods and veneers, launched a new, forward-looking green product. Their PureBond line of plywood products are manufactured using a formaldehyde-free adhesive. Green products are nothing new in the building world, but what makes PureBond stand out is that it's cost-neutral with similar, formaldehyde-based products.
A green building product that performs as well or better than a conventional product for the same cost is still a remarkably rare occurence; so Columbia should have had a gold mine on its hands. But in the "notoriously conservative" forest products industry, as Columbia's John McIsaac describes it, marketing and selling PureBond outside the green building industry was anything but easy.
GreenBiz Radio sat down with John McIsaac to learn about Columbia's experiences, and to share the lessons they learned in the process. [podcast and transcript available]
Link: http://greenbiz.com/news/reviews_third.cfm?NewsID=35975
6. Chemical regulation: comparison of U.S. and recently enacted European Union approaches to protect against the risks of toxic chemicals
Source: United States Government Accountability Office (GAO), 2007
Abstract: REACH requires companies to develop information on chemicals’ effects on human health and the environment, while TSCA does not require companies to develop such information absent EPA rule-making requiring them to do so. While TSCA does not require companies to develop information on chemicals before they enter commerce (new chemicals), companies are required to provide EPA any information that may already exist on a chemical’s impact on human health or the environment. Companies do not have to develop information on the health or environmental impacts of chemicals already in commerce (existing chemicals) unless EPA formally promulgates a rule requiring them to do so. Partly because of the resources and difficulties the agency faces in order to require testing to develop information on existing chemicals, EPA has moved toward using voluntary programs as an alternative means of gathering information from chemical companies in order to assess and control the chemicals under TSCA. While these programs are noteworthy, data collection has been slow in some cases, and it is unclear if the programs will provide EPA enough information to identify and control chemical risks.
Link: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07825.pdf
7. Ford introduces first automobile with soy-based seating
Source: Biobased Solutions, September 2007
Abstract: Ford Motor Company announced that soybased polyurethane foam will be used in seats in the 2008 Ford Mustang. Ford spent seven years researching biomaterials with various industry representatives. Partnerships among the soybean checkoff, Urethane Soy Systems Company (USSC) and Lear Corporation made flexible foam technology a reality in Ford vehicles.
"Consumers may not realize that petroleum is a major ingredient in auto applications such as seating," says Todd Allen, USB New Uses chair and a soybean farmer from West Memphis, Ark. "The move by Ford to replace petroleum in auto interiors with soybean oil is revolutionary, for the automotive industry."
The foam uses a 5 percent soy-based polyol and was incorporated into seat backs and cushions in the new Mustangs in August, without compromising the durability, stiffness or performance of the foam. Ford and Lear plan to increase the percentage of soy in vehicle seats in the near future.
Soy polyols have proven to perform as well or better than their petroleum counterparts when it comes to total weight, strength and durability. The versatility and cost-saving aspects of soy polyols also make it a popular alternative.
Ford researchers aim to eventually replace up to 40 percent of the standard petroleum-based polyol with soy-based material. Using the soy polyurethane at this level could save Ford as much as $26 million in annual costs, while providing an environmental benefit. The National Institute of Standards and Technology says soy polyols have only one-quarter the environmental impact of petroleum-based ingredients.
Link: http://www.biobasednews.com/list2.php?storyid=14844
8. The environmental burden of disease in Canada: respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and congenital affliction
Author: Boyd, David R.; Genuis, Stephen J.
Source: Environmental Research, In press, online September 29, 2007
Abstract: Background: Exposure to environmental hazards contributes to many chronic diseases, yet the magnitude of their contribution to the total disease burden in Canada is not well understood.
Objectives: To estimate the environmental burden of disease (EBD) in Canada for respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and congenital affliction. Quantifying the contribution of environmental exposures to the overall burden of disease could play an important role in shaping public health and environmental policy priorities.
Methods: The World Health Organization (WHO) recently estimated the environmental burden of disease globally by using a combination of comparative risk assessment data and expert judgment to develop environmentally attributable fractions (EAFs) of mortality and morbidity for 85 categories of disease. We use the EAFs developed by the WHO, EAFs developed by other researchers, and data from Canadian public health institutions to provide an initial estimate of the environmental burden of disease in Canada for four major categories of disease.
Results: Our results indicate that: 10,000–25,000 deaths; 78,000–194,000 hospitalizations; 600,000–1.5 million days spent in hospital; 1.1 million–1.8 million restricted activity days for asthma sufferers; 8000–24,000 new cases of cancer; 500–2500 low birth weight babies; and between $3.6 billion and $9.1 billion in costs occur in Canada each year due to respiratory disease, cardiovascular illness, cancer, and congenital affliction associated with adverse environmental exposures.
Conclusions: The burden of illness in Canada resulting from adverse environmental exposures is significant. Stronger efforts to prevent adverse environmental exposures are warranted, including research, education, and regulation.
9. Census of U.S. manufacturers -- lean green and low cost
Author: Blanchard, David
Source: Industry Week, October 1, 2007
Abstract: The lean revolution is clearly underway within U.S. manufacturing companies, although the jury is still out on what exactly the end result of a lean initiative ought to be. According to the 2007 IW/MPI Census of Manufacturers, nearly 70% (69.6%) of all plants have adopted lean manufacturing as an improvement methodology. What's more, lean is more than twice as popular as the next closest improvement method, Total Quality Management (34.2%).
Nevertheless, just because something is popular doesn't necessarily mean it's working according to plan, and part of the reason is that manufacturers have a wide variety of expectations when it comes to lean. Most companies believe that lean's main benefits come from cutting costs, but that's a mistaken perception, observes James Womack, founder of the Lean Enterprise Institute. "Lean management is not a quick solution for cost reduction," he points out. "It's a fundamentally different system than traditional management for organizing and managing employees, suppliers, customer relationships, product development, production and the overall enterprise."
Be that as it may, cost reduction strategies are on the rise, with the number of companies focusing on "low cost" up 1.9% from last year. The only other area seeing a bigger gain is "high quality." Conversely, product development strategies are somewhat on the wane, with focus on "product variety" down 2.8%, "customization" off 2.3% and "innovation" down 0.3%.
Continuous improvement programs continue to be the most frequently cited strategic practice, with 76.9% of the respondents, up 4% from a year ago. Not surprisingly, given the increasing awareness of "green manufacturing," environmental management practices saw the biggest percentage increase, up 11.2% from 2006. Energy management also saw a sizable increase in usage, being up 9.4%. A new option this year, recycling and reuse programs, finished comfortably in second place, at 56.1%. The percentage of companies saying they have either made "significant progress" toward or have "fully achieved" world-class status remains unchanged from last year -- 26.1%.
Link: http://www.industryweek.com/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=15009
10. Thinking green: implementing a sustainable construction process
Author: Zimmerman, Greg
Source: Building Operating Management, September 2007
Abstract: Facility executives building green for the first time may find that the process requires as much unlearning of old ways as it does learning of new ones. The process of building green forces facility executives to think about the design and construction process in non-traditional ways. It helps facility executives forge relationships with members of a design team with whom they may never have interacted before. And it helps root out potential problems throughout the process before they become major, costly headaches.
From integrated design to commissioning, almost every step of the green building process is heavily focused on how building elements fit together to optimize efficiency and sustainability.
The catch is that the process requires more front-end work, and thus, at least the first time through, a little more cost. Facility executives will have to learn how to justify the added expense of longer design time, additional processes and non-standard equipment. While the strategies used may be similar to justifying expenditures in equipment upgrades, justifying processes may be a bit trickier. It’s more difficult to pinpoint specific costs for more hours of design time, for example, than it is for a fixed-cost item like a chiller or roof.
Key to justifying some of these ostensible add-ons is not to view them as add-ons in the first place. Commissioning, for instance, is a critical step in the green building process and a requirement for facility executives planning to certify their buildings with LEED. On traditional construction projects, commissioning may be considered a luxury. But, according to a study by the National Institute of Building Sciences, commissioning a building can mean it will cost 8 to 20 percent less to operate than a non-commissioned building.
Energy savings and other benefits of green buildings have been well documented. Still, researching these non-traditional features and processes and knowing their benefits early may smooth the justification process.
Link: http://www.facilitiesnet.com/bom/article.asp?id=7357
You are welcome to send a message to jan@turi.org if you would like more information on any of these resources. Also, please tell us what topics you are particularly interested in monitoring, and who else should see Greenlist. An online search of the TURI Library catalog can be done at http://slk060.liberty3.net/turi for greater topic coverage.
This page updated Friday October 12 2007