It is a fascinating vector for undesirable chemicals to seep straight into the bloodstream. Ironic if consistent flossing lowers heart disease risk but increases cancer risk.
Off topic, but you can think of PFAS as micro plastics at the molecular level.
We humans can metabolize/excrete the shorter ones (common in food wrappers, cosmetics, fire fighting foam) over months to years, but the longer ones (mostly banned in the 2010's IIRC) are usually never metabolized and slowly build up in the body and mess things up. Like cancer rates near DuPont GenX factories or fire fighters having higher rates of testicular cancer.
TLDR: PFASes are bad, NZ is doing a good thing. Not sure if we have replacement chemicals for PFAS yet, but I hope so
Sometimes, we can't have nice things. PFAS seems to be one of those times.
There only seem to be application specific replacements, e.g. ceramic pan coatings and glass mouse skates. The properties of PFAS are in a class of their own. All the known replacements are other PFAS.
“Molecule is extremely durable” and “molecule does not accumulate in the body” are inherently at odds; the design space in which those properties arise lends itself naturally to insidious poisons.
"“International research suggests PFAS are only found in a small number of products, but we take a precautionary approach to potential risks from PFAS. Banning these chemicals in cosmetics is part of our ongoing response, which includes phasing out all PFAS-firefighting foams and testing for background levels of PFAS in the New Zealand environment.”"
Unfortunately this news is a positive consolation fronting a general backdrop of environmentally and socially regressive policies from the freshly elected right-wing New Zealand government coalition. Elected in the aftermath of Jacinda Ardern's globally acclaimed Covid management - acclaimed outside New Zealand that is! It did not go down so well with a proportion of the NZ population, who resented lockdown and control, and needed a scapegoat for all ills, feeling that her government's failure to simultaneously reform all of New Zealand's systems and economy was unforgivable.
As a result, New Zealand now has a new government of markedly different ilk, whose agenda includes new and increased mining and gas exploration, including conservation land [1] ; removal of fair pay legislation for workers; reinstating of tobacco sales to certain age groups formerly subject to upcoming bans; divisive race-based uproars; removal of sex education in schools; a shift of transport focus away from alternatives like walking, cycling and public transport, and back to cars and road-building; removal of a tax upon high-emission vehicles; removal of a clean car (EV) subsidy - after the new Prime Minister's wife has taken advantage of it, naturally; and so on.
Accordingly, while I laud the headline in and of itself, it does little to salve my current environmental and social shame in being a New Zealander today, all things considered.
I hate the National party as much as you and those are valid criticisms but you should take an honest look at what really happened here; The previous government lost rather than the new one winning. https://pastebin.com/91S1BQ2B
Labour failed on the things they campaigned on like house prices and child poverty. The covid hero mask can only last so long. People have had enough of the woke policy, money wasted on endless consultants and race based shake downs, sky high cost of living, broken healthcare and so on. Anyway the thread is about PFAS so this is all quite tangential!
It's ironic that almost everything in your long list of Labour's financial sins is equalled in $ by National's one single move of new tax-breaks for landlords. It puts into clear context the way that appearances trumped objectivity, when it came to the country's electoral fickleness. It's also ironic that what you're here lauding - the PFAS story - is an initiative which occurred under Ardern's government. It's not the kind of thing you'll be seeing in the results of the new one.
So yes, the thread is about PFAS, but its secondary framing is that of lauding New Zealand for an environmental positive. And, in that same light, its quite relevant to mention in the same breath that New Zealand is also taking several, arguably much larger, steps backwards environmentally - pulling back the country's environmental focus, in favour of business and commercial interests, due to having elected a right-wing government which stands in stark contrast to the "kind, positive" aspirational style that the world remembers from Ardern.
'New Zealand leads the way environmentally' is a style of story the world will be seeing less of, the more terms this new government has.
I never said I was a National fan but I'm just providing you a perspective on why the country didn't like them because you seem very partisan. That list is how the swing voters see Labour. Labour had a majority and should have done a bunch of anti-landlord things while they could like capital gains tax or land tax. They have absolutely failed on housing and now it's sad to see a party of rent seekers in power.
"New Zealand leads the way environmentally" - has been bullshit ever since Helen wanted sell dairy to China. Ardern's government were promoting tourism and excluding it from our carbon footprint. I did enjoy the tank drivers bitching about the ute tax as they call it.
There was no workable housing solution, under the circumstances. That's something the populace probably cannot accept. Disparate governments the world over face the same - for example, Australia just voted out their version of National, in favour of their version of Labour, based upon all the same resentments! a political mirror image, proving beyond doubt the fallacy of NZ's partisan blame - and they are finding they cannot policy-it-away. So yes, I am annoyed that we resentfully voted to make it actively worse. If that makes me partisan, then so-be-it. But I acknowledge that I am somewhat preaching to the choir with you, Sir Anders.
As you described, "anti-woke" (among other things) won the day, and unfortunately, regressive large-scale environmental policy is one result of that, because the whole green movement is cast as an aspect of wokeness. There is no "shift to anti-wokeness" that doesn't also involve a net loss for the environment. And that is far more pertinent than PFAS in makeup, where New Zealand's environmental work is concerned. But I accept that I am unpopular for believing and speaking so.
Unfortunately politics comes in sausage format only and each sausage contains something nasty. I'd like to have strong environmental policy while also not having wokeness shoved down my throat and my kids' throats. I'd like to support neither redneck ute drivers nor woke 'progressives'.
As someone who dislikes the sausage format the right-wing user-pays argument is appealing to me. It takes all the spicy bits out of the sausage and let's people add their own sauces as they see fit. That all works great until you find out that right-wing's daddy owns a bunch of sauce companies that spill sauce everywhere. You're stuck with the same few awful sausages because the supermarket won't sell any new sausages unless they get 5% market share. Good chat.
> because the whole green movement is cast as an aspect of wokeness
The "Green movement" is the quintessential example of what people consider wokeness because the "Green movement" is arguably the single handed worst thing to happen to the environment. Rejection of nuclear energy in favor of gas and goal (i.e the only other alternatives until a decade ago, and still the only other alternative until we develop better battery tech) is bananas, but that's somehow considered environmental in the eyes of the "Green movement." Moving to plastics to "save the trees" was an extension of that nonsense.
> There is no "shift to anti-wokeness" that doesn't also involve a net loss for the environment
You'll find that the most anti-woke people are the only pro-nuclear voices in Australasia.
Every product (and packaging) needs a list of ingredients just like food. It's insane that tea bags, pizza boxes and popcorn bags are coated in this toxic PFAS!
Not to sound like a jerk, but why is NZ concerned about PFAs in cosmetics when they were so forceful about getting their population jabbed with the mRNA injections?
[OP] crescit_eundo | 2 years ago
soperj | 2 years ago
bdcravens | 2 years ago
hammock | 2 years ago
reilly3000 | 2 years ago
andrewstuart | 2 years ago
The surprise is that this is allowed in the first place.
dylan604 | 2 years ago
bethekind | 2 years ago
We humans can metabolize/excrete the shorter ones (common in food wrappers, cosmetics, fire fighting foam) over months to years, but the longer ones (mostly banned in the 2010's IIRC) are usually never metabolized and slowly build up in the body and mess things up. Like cancer rates near DuPont GenX factories or fire fighters having higher rates of testicular cancer.
TLDR: PFASes are bad, NZ is doing a good thing. Not sure if we have replacement chemicals for PFAS yet, but I hope so
Hugsun | 2 years ago
There only seem to be application specific replacements, e.g. ceramic pan coatings and glass mouse skates. The properties of PFAS are in a class of their own. All the known replacements are other PFAS.
danielheath | 2 years ago
aplummer | 2 years ago
totetsu | 2 years ago
“Carnival of Toxicity” held at the site of the former Fruitgrowers Chemical Company,
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/301034373/extreme-p...
refurb | 2 years ago
"“International research suggests PFAS are only found in a small number of products, but we take a precautionary approach to potential risks from PFAS. Banning these chemicals in cosmetics is part of our ongoing response, which includes phasing out all PFAS-firefighting foams and testing for background levels of PFAS in the New Zealand environment.”"
https://www.epa.govt.nz/news-and-alerts/latest-news/epa-bans...
throwaway290 | 2 years ago
Doesn't it like accumulate in body?
hparadiz | 2 years ago
emptybits | 2 years ago
The FDA lists 35 PFAS apparently used in cosmetics here: (near end of doc) https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredients/and-polyf...
crtified | 2 years ago
As a result, New Zealand now has a new government of markedly different ilk, whose agenda includes new and increased mining and gas exploration, including conservation land [1] ; removal of fair pay legislation for workers; reinstating of tobacco sales to certain age groups formerly subject to upcoming bans; divisive race-based uproars; removal of sex education in schools; a shift of transport focus away from alternatives like walking, cycling and public transport, and back to cars and road-building; removal of a tax upon high-emission vehicles; removal of a clean car (EV) subsidy - after the new Prime Minister's wife has taken advantage of it, naturally; and so on.
Accordingly, while I laud the headline in and of itself, it does little to salve my current environmental and social shame in being a New Zealander today, all things considered.
[1] https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2023/12/shane-jones-...
andersrs | 2 years ago
Labour failed on the things they campaigned on like house prices and child poverty. The covid hero mask can only last so long. People have had enough of the woke policy, money wasted on endless consultants and race based shake downs, sky high cost of living, broken healthcare and so on. Anyway the thread is about PFAS so this is all quite tangential!
crtified | 2 years ago
So yes, the thread is about PFAS, but its secondary framing is that of lauding New Zealand for an environmental positive. And, in that same light, its quite relevant to mention in the same breath that New Zealand is also taking several, arguably much larger, steps backwards environmentally - pulling back the country's environmental focus, in favour of business and commercial interests, due to having elected a right-wing government which stands in stark contrast to the "kind, positive" aspirational style that the world remembers from Ardern.
'New Zealand leads the way environmentally' is a style of story the world will be seeing less of, the more terms this new government has.
andersrs | 2 years ago
"New Zealand leads the way environmentally" - has been bullshit ever since Helen wanted sell dairy to China. Ardern's government were promoting tourism and excluding it from our carbon footprint. I did enjoy the tank drivers bitching about the ute tax as they call it.
crtified | 2 years ago
As you described, "anti-woke" (among other things) won the day, and unfortunately, regressive large-scale environmental policy is one result of that, because the whole green movement is cast as an aspect of wokeness. There is no "shift to anti-wokeness" that doesn't also involve a net loss for the environment. And that is far more pertinent than PFAS in makeup, where New Zealand's environmental work is concerned. But I accept that I am unpopular for believing and speaking so.
andersrs | 2 years ago
someotherperson | 2 years ago
The "Green movement" is the quintessential example of what people consider wokeness because the "Green movement" is arguably the single handed worst thing to happen to the environment. Rejection of nuclear energy in favor of gas and goal (i.e the only other alternatives until a decade ago, and still the only other alternative until we develop better battery tech) is bananas, but that's somehow considered environmental in the eyes of the "Green movement." Moving to plastics to "save the trees" was an extension of that nonsense.
> There is no "shift to anti-wokeness" that doesn't also involve a net loss for the environment
You'll find that the most anti-woke people are the only pro-nuclear voices in Australasia.
ztetranz | 2 years ago
andersrs | 2 years ago
smallmouth | 2 years ago
someotherperson | 2 years ago
lm28469 | 2 years ago