DOUBT IS REASONABLE. Question what you know and why you know it. Scrutinize official narratives. Collect and synthesize your own information to form your own opinions. A functional democracy requires active participation. Take personal responsibility and get involved.

Thursday, January 08, 2009


I have been emailing the Canadian Breast Cancer Society and the Cancer Society of Canada repeatedly, and I have still not heard from the Breast Cancer Society, however I did hear back from the Cancer Society of Canada:

Dear Taylor,
Thank you for contacting the Canadian Cancer Society's Cancer Information Service.
I understand from your email and the link that you have provided that you have concerns regarding Teflon/non-stick cookware and wonder what the Canadian Cancer Society's position is regarding these products. Please follow the link below to a webpage of our website that discusses our position on this issue. If you have any further questions or comments, don't hesitate to contact us again.
Teflon and non-stick cookware and cancer risk
A questionnaire about the quality of our service is also included, and we would be pleased to receive your feedback.
Sincerely,
Audrie, Information Specialist

I followed up on the email with this:

Audrie,

I am familiar with the Canadian Cancer Society's position on Teflon cookware. It is my understanding that Teflon and PTFE is a known carcinogen, however when used 'safely' it poses no risk, or has not yet been proven to pose a significant enough risk to affect policy. What is the definition of 'safely' when considering the entire lifespan of the product? It is my concern that PTFE, along with many others like PVC, are known toxins and at some point in their life-cycle (manufacturing, use, or disposal) they persist in the environment and become infused in our food webs and water cycles and do indeed cause cancer. Perhaps there is not a direct link between using a Teflon non-stick cookware product 'safely' and breast cancer, but what is known for a fact is that persistent chemicals like PVC, BPA, and PTFE will have negative impact on human health, regardless of how they get there.
I think that it is in very poor taste to have the Breast Cancer Society of Canada partner with Teflon products and encourage the sale of the product through promises of 10% donations. This is a very ugly contradiction and should be put under a certain amount of scrutiny. The Think Pink movement should not be used to sell cancer causing chemicals, nor unknown but likely carcinogenic products. This issue should be looked at by the CCS as it has a responsibility to inform the public of health risks. From my point of view the BCSC and its affiliated "Think Pink" marketing campaign, in the specific case of pink Teflon cookware, is posing a health risk when it is being falsely advertised as a help to the cancer movement, when in fact it is a hindrance. I think it would be a nice gesture, and fair, if the Tobacco industry chose to donate a percentage of their profits towards finding a cure for that which their products cause. However, when considering the smoking/cancer risk, one would normally, and rationally, come to the conclusion that eradicating the root of the problem (smoking) would be more effective than trying to fix the problem that it creates (cancer).

It is appalling that HBC/Zeller's, and the BCSC can get away with doing this. I have been into Zeller's many times and spoken with two managers who have pledged to get back to me, and have not done so for months. I have emailed the BCSC numerous times about this issue, and their association with HBC/Zeller's and the Think Pink campaign, and have not received one response. I thank you for your response and would encourage you to put me in contact with someone within your organization who may be able to help get more information about the stance of the BCSC's position on this issue. Thanks again for getting back to me and hope to hear from you again soon,


-Taylor Davis.

I then received this email in response:

Hi Taylor,
Thanks for your reply. I have forwarded your emails to our National office for a response. You should receive a reply from a Canadian Cancer Society representative in the near future.
Take care,
Audrie, Information Specialist

I don't exactly know when the near future is, but in the mean time, I found some breast cancer ribbon stickers made of vinyl (vinyl chloride is highly carcinogenic), with the stamp of the Breast Cancer Society on the sticker.
Here is ChromaColor a PlasticColor company's product line of other Vinyl stickers
(see picture at top)

Its really interesting how companies such as Volkswagen, Honda, Ikea, on and on and on have been phasing out the use of Vinyl, yet some how the one institution that should be the most aware and show the greatest level of concern for human and environmental health has managed to endorse, encourage and brand the very product that causes what they are fighting.
I am astonished every single day how hard we work against ourselves.

1 comment:

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