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sunscreen

Sunscreen ban
#1
I read an article online the other day that said a few countries have banned the sale of sunscreen because a chemical in it is supposedly damaged their underwater reefs.
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#2
(07-11-2018, 12:24 AM)TamaraEnLaPlaya Wrote: I read an article online the other day that said a few countries have banned the sale of sunscreen because a chemical in it is supposedly damaged their underwater reefs.

Hawaii has introduced legislation banning sale and distribution on the islands of sunscreen products containing oxybenzone and octinoxate.  They say these chemicals can wash off the skin and potentially cause damage to coral.

But healthcare organisations are critical of the claims.  The Consumer Healthcare Products Association said "Oxybenzone and octinoxate, found in the majority of sunscreens, are safe and effective over-the-counter (OTC) active ingredients recognized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as important aides in decreasing the risk of developing skin cancer, the most common cancer in the U.S."

It seems a rather extreme piece of legislation, with potentially dire results for the future incidence of skin cancer.
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#3
(07-11-2018, 12:24 AM)TamaraEnLaPlaya Wrote: I read an article online the other day that said a few countries have banned the sale of sunscreen because a chemical in it is supposedly damaged their underwater reefs.

Yes, in Palau. They passed the law a couple of weeks ago which will take effect in 2020.

According to the law, sunscreens containing oxybenzone, octinoxate, octocrylene, 4-methyl-benzylidene camphor, methyl paraben, ethyl paraben, butyl paraben, benzyl paraben, triclosan, or phenoxyethanol will be confiscated and businesses, residents, and tourists found using them will be subject to a fine of up to $1,000 per violation. These chemicals are killing the coral reef as well as damaging the environment.

It has been estimated that 14,000 tons of sunscreen are deposited in the world’s oceans each year. The number is pretty scary if you think about it for a moment.
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#4
(07-11-2018, 10:08 AM)Sam Wrote: It has been estimated that 14,000 tons of sunscreen are deposited in the world’s oceans each year. The number is pretty scary if you think about it for a moment.

The world's oceans are estimated to weigh 1,300,000,000,000,000 tons, so that 14,000 tons is, literally, a drop in the ocean!
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#5
(07-11-2018, 10:15 AM)bedouin Wrote:
(07-11-2018, 10:08 AM)Sam Wrote: It has been estimated that 14,000 tons of sunscreen are deposited in the world’s oceans each year. The number is pretty scary if you think about it for a moment.

The world's oceans are estimated to weigh 1,300,000,000,000,000 tons, so that 14,000 tons is, literally, a drop in the ocean!

I'm sure I'll sleep much better now knowing that. Big Grin Tongue 

We just don't realise how we are damaging the environment with simple things like a sunscreen or plastic bags. I'm as guilty of using them both as the other person, it just makes me worry about the future.
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#6
(07-11-2018, 10:33 AM)Sam Wrote: We just don't realise how we are damaging the environment with simple things like a sunscreen or plastic bags. I'm as guilty of using them both as the other person, it just makes me worry about the future.

But there's nothing particularly rational about these bans.  Do the places banning sunscreen also ban motorised boats, as exhaust emissions in the water are harmful too?  Or do they ban contraceptive pills, as hormones passing through the sewage process into the sea are harming aquatic life?  And have they banned all plastic packaging?  Just cherry-picking whatever the conservationists have decided is the latest bogeyman isn't the answer - if they genuinely want to safeguard the environment they need to use joined-up thinking.
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#7
I got your point, there's much bigger fish to fry. But even the "cherry picking" helped us (and the new generations) quite a bit in the past. Like the ban on pesticides, whale hunting, getting the lead out of gas, ban on chemicals destroying the ozone, ban on asbestos...

I guess we have to handle each issue separately (to understand it better) but we might be here long enough to see the results.

Good news about the Ozone, BTW.
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