Scientists have issued an urgent warning that some of the synthetic chemicals that help underpin the current food system are driving increased rates of cancer, neurodevelopmental conditions and infertility, while degrading the foundations of global agriculture.
The health burden from phthalates, bisphenols, pesticides and Pfas “forever chemicals” amounts to up to $2.2tn a year – roughly as much as the profits of the world’s 100 largest publicly listed companies, according to the report published on Wednesday.
Most ecosystem damage remains unpriced, they say, but even a narrow accounting of ecological impacts, taking into account agricultural losses and meeting water safety standards for Pfas and pesticides, implies a further cost of $640bn. There are also potential consequences for human demographics, with the report concluding that if exposure to endocrine disruptors such as bisphenols and phthalates persists at current rates, there could be between 200 million and 700 million fewer births between 2025 and 2100.
You see, that’s not a problem because that burden is not on the ones causing these problems! So this doesn’t affect the profit line moving up! On the contrary, it creates opportunities for more profit!
So all is fine people!
Thanks Nestle, Monsanto, the other fucking bastard mega corps.
We should be thanking ourselves because we voted for people who support this.
I think in this case it’s more like fuck you DuPont, Dow, ICI and BASF. But fuck Nestle everyday.
Fuck the capitalist dictatorships we live in, where corporations are free to pollute and murder without ever facing criminal charges when they poison everything… because they’re also free to poison our political, legal, and judicial systems.
Wait, what’re those last two?
ICI is UK/Aus/NZ - Imperial Chemical Industries
BASF is Germany. I also forgot IG Farben.
I wish we would use a better measure than money to describe the societal impact of health problems.
Especially the ones we inflict upon ourselves and each other.
Money is just an abstract of human effort.
There is no amount of effort or money that can correct some of the harms done.
The fertility problem always surprises me. Synthetic estrogens and latex are responsible for low birth rates in almost every developed country, but only religious nuts really ever complain about that.
Globally, infertility impacts about 14% of people. It gets higher with age, and in developed countries, more people are trying to get pregnant at older ages.
“Let’s Have Some Phthalates” was an earlier working title to FEAR’s Let’s Have A War.
