New Book Linking Pollution to Health Hazards

[the.greenbase@green2.greenpeace.org]

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Original-TO:      World Press (Green2:Green2:Gnl:INET)
Original-Cc:      The Greenbase (Green2:Green2:Gnl:Main)
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                   GREENPEACE PRESS ADVISORY
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U.S. POLITICIAN AND VIETNAM WAR HERO COMMENT ON NEW BOOK
LINKING POLLUTION TO HUMAN HEALTH HAZARDS  
 
WASHINGTON,March 11, 1996 -- (GP) On Thursday, March 14th a
major new book entitled, "Our Stolen Future" by Dr. Theo
Colborn and others will be released.  Vice President Al Gore,
who wrote the forward for the book, and leading scientists
will participate in the book's release and explain the ominous
health implications to humans and wildlife.  The book
documents the link between human exposure to hormone
disrupting pollutants and increasing rates of breast,
testicular, prostate cancer, endometriosis and declining sperm
counts. 
 
1) Gordon Durnil, the author of "The Making of a Conservative
Environmentalist" will also be available for comment on this
important book.  After chairing the Indiana Republican Party
he was appointed by President Bush to chair the International
Joint Commission (U.S./Canada) which has called for a phase
out of these substances, including the use of chlorine in
plastics, paper and industrial solvents.
 
2) Admiral Elmo Zumwalt (Ret.) commanded U.S. naval forces in
Vietnam and ordered the use of Agent Orange, a herbicide, in
Vietnam will also be avalable for comment.  He also co-
authored "My Father, My Son" about the tragic effects of Agent
Orange on his son, a Vietnam combat veteran who died of cancer
and the learning disabilities of his grandson.
 
3) Greenpeace recently helped win consideration of a phase out
of vinyl plastics (PVC) in Sweden and Denmark based on the
hazards posed by hormone pollutants released throughout the
life cycle of these very widely used plastics.  PVC and its
toxic plasticizer DEHP are also cited in "Our Stolen Future."
Greenpeace representatives in the U.S. and Europe will also be
available for comment.
 
Important themes repeated throughout this book are:
 
*** "Children have the right to be born chemicalfree." (p.
212)   
*** "Phasing out hormonedisrupting chemicals should be just
the first step, in our view.  We must then move to slow down
the larger experiment with synthetic chemicals."  (p. 247)
 
*** "In some instances, chemicals released into the
environment can break down into substances [Dioxin] that pose
a greater hazard than the original chemical." (p. 227)  
 
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WHAT:  Release of "Our Common Future," by Dr. Theo Colborn and
others with a forward by U.S. Vice President Al Gore. 
 

WHERE:  Franklin Pierce Room, Willard Hotel, 1401 Pennsylvania
Ave. NW, (Susanne Turner +1-202-483-0664)
 
WHEN:  10 a.m., Thursday, March 14, 1996
 
Contact:
Rick Hind/Greenpeace +1(202) 3192505  
Gordon Durnil +1(317) 8460401 
Admiral Elmo Zumwalt +1(703) 5275380
 
 
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