Reply #22: Long-term and short-term BPA Activism

[Goldstein1984]

I work as an environmental, health & safety engineer, and what I've seen over and over again in my career is that public awareness and activism drive both regulatory and industry change. Politically, I would not suggest sitting back and trusting the Bureaucracy to solve the problem--Power gives nothing without a demand.

Children are at greatest risk because their bodies are developing and because they have a lifetime during which environmental toxins can produce effects. Do what you can to limit their exposure. Substitute frozen vegetables for canned vegetables. Take a little time to soak and cook beans, rather than using them from a can. Look for food products in BPA-free containers. At home, use BPA-free containers and toys.

And get ready for the inevitable: In ten years, you will most likely learn that the materials you substituted contain their own environmental toxins.

Most important, send letters to manufacturers using BPA-containing materials telling them that you are avoiding there products.

My family had no trouble finding lots of BPA-free products to use. And there are plenty of BPA-containing products (e.g. CDs and DVDs) that pose no risk to human health the way they are used. From an environmental perspective, the BPA problem is completely integrated with other waste management problems. The more "stuff" we use, the more environmental toxins we generate.

Another link with some information. This site is definitely on the industry side regarding BPA use and safety, but over the years, regardless of the issue, I've found that the truth usually lies somewhere between the extremes:

http://www.bisphenol-a.org/about/faq.html#b