Caveat emptor . . .

— 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol —

CHECK THE LABELS on your household cleaning stuff, as well as toiletries like toothpaste, for Triclosan, because evidence is showing that it's nasty, dangerous stuff — and it's everywhere, it seems. According to Disinformation, new reports from front-line outfits like University of California-Davis and Johns Hopkins, among others show cause for concern:

“Triclosan is found in virtually everyone’s home and is pervasive in the environment,” said Isaac Pessah, professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Biosciences in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and principal investigator of the study. “These findings provide strong evidence that the chemical is of concern to both human and environmental health.”

Triclosan is commonly found in antibacterial personal-care products such as hand soaps as well as deodorants, mouthwashes, toothpaste, bedding, clothes, carpets, toys and trash bags. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1998 estimated that more than 1 million pounds of triclosan are produced annually in the United States, and that the chemical is detectable in waterways and aquatic organisms ranging from algae to fish to dolphins, as well as in human urine, blood and breast milk.

And according to the LA Times, Triclosan may not do that great a job:

Concerns about triclosan aren't new. According to a statement released by UC Davis, Pessah's team has previously linked the chemical to problems with reproductive hormones and brain activity. In a 2010 article from the Los Angeles Times, writer Jill U Adams reviewed the case against the chemical.  One big problem, she wrote, is that antibacterial soaps that contain triclosan don't do any better killing germs on your hands than plain old soap and water. 

To me, the scariest part is that it is an ingredient in toothpaste . . .

The UC Davis research team has previously linked triclosan to other potentially harmful health effects, including disruption of reproductive hormone activity and of cell signaling in the brain.
The team also found that triclosan impairs heart and skeletal muscle contractility in living animals. Anesthetized mice had up to a 25-percent reduction in heart function measures within 20 minutes of exposure to the chemical.

“The effects of triclosan on cardiac function were really dramatic,” said Nipavan Chiamvimonvat, professor of cardiovascular medicine at UC Davis and a study co-author. “Although triclosan is not regulated as a drug, this compound acts like a potent cardiac depressant in our models.”

Gimme some of that ole time "crop protection product"

So, Michelle Obama decides to grow a vegetable garden. On almost any plane one views it from, it makes sense, not the least of which is that it sets a good example, particularly since every effort is going to be made to grow the produce without the aid of unnecessary chemical crap.

But as Sabina points out, there ain't no tyranny like that of a good example, and now Michelle Obama has come into the sights of the pesticide and agro-chemical lobby.

In fact, the idea of the US First Lady engaging in organic gardening has the US big-agro lobby in a flat spin. The idea of encouraging people to grow their own food is abhorrent enough, (it will chew through their bottom line like a slug on a lettuce leaf), but to suggest that they do it without a bottle of domesticated agent orange?! Well, they're just not going to stand for it.

So... the Mid America CropLife Association sent Michelle Obama a letter. (Actually they sent it to Mrs. Barack Obama, as though she had somehow surrendered her first name in a convention which died in the latter half of the last century.) Amazingly, the contents of one of the most condescending letters you may ever read made it into the hands of Jill Richardson at La Vida Locavore. You have to read the whole thing, but here's a sample:

As you go about planning and planting the White House garden, we respectfully encourage you to recognize the role conventional agriculture plays in the U.S in feeding the ever-increasing population, contributing to the U.S. economy and providing a safe and economical food supply. America's farmers understand crop protection technologies are supported by sound scientific research and innovation.

Conventional agriculture?! Safe and economical?! Sound scientific research and innovation?! Who are these clowns trying to have on? Not even to mention the newest set of buzzwords designed to camouflage known carcinogens - "crop protection products".

After reading Jill's post, do check out the first comment where one of MACA's obfuscations is thoroughly dispatched.

After that, take the time to check out the officers and board of directors of Mid America CropLife Association. Chemicals anyone?