US Lags Behind Europe in Regulating Toxicity of Everyday Products

Developing a “green economy” has been one of President Obama’s central promises while on the campaign trail and since taking office last month. My next guest believes that tightening environmental and consumer-safety regulations on the American chemical and manufacturing industry is not only necessary for the health of the environment, but is also good for the economy.

Do you know what’s in the mascara you wear or the toys your children play with? Has the American chemical industry blocked regulation of products that may be linked to cancer, infertility, neurological and hormonal disorders? And do these lax environmental standards mean that US companies are losing out on one of the world’s most affluent markets: Europe

Europe’s stringent regulations require companies seeking access to their lucrative market to eliminate these toxic substances and manufacture safer and greener electronics, automobiles, toys, and cosmetics.

Award-winning investigative journalist Mark Schapiro is the author of “Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What’s At Stake for American Power,” just out in paperback. He writes “the European-led revolution in chemical regulation requires that thousands of chemicals finally be assessed for their potentially toxic effects on human beings and signals the end of American industry’s ability to withhold critical data from the public.”

Mark Schapiro is the Editorial Director of the Center for Investigative Reporting.

Mark Schapiro, Editorial Director of the Center for Investigative Reporting in San Francisco and author of Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What’s at Stake for American Power.

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