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We all are stakeholders when it comes to breathing.©

 

EHN's site -- www.ehnca.org -- is not a substitute for professional health care or legal advice. Please use only as a tool to assist you in gathering information, which you have a right to know. A health care practitioner should always be consulted for any health problem, and contact a lawyer to answer your legal questions.


September 11, 2001


WTC | Air | Donations

Thoughts in the Aftemath | Living With Chemical Injury

I do not define my patriotism by jingoism.
-- Barbara Wilkie, September 2001

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to
stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is
morally treasonable to the American public." -- Theodore Roosevelt (1918)
http://www.americanpresident.org/kotrain/courses/TR/TR_In_His_Own_Words.htm


A moment of silence. Please.
Daily. Forever.

September 11, 2001. Just the date speaks volumes.

EHN sends our deepest condolences to all who have suffered such horrific losses and trauma.

EHN is sincerely concerned about the immediate and long-term health effects for those who have breathed in the toxic fumes. We applaud the efforts of Cyndi Norman to shed light on the toxic aftermath and provide useful and timely information for those affected by the toxins.

EHN's focus is to help people who are already ill. However, it is our hope that all folks who use our site will have a better understanding of the hidden dangers in our commonly used consumer products. As we know, there ARE alternatives. Our purchases do make a difference in our health . . . and the health of others around us, including the wildlife with whom we share this planet.


The EPA saying the air was safe does not make it so! As we begin to learn more of the horrible health effects of September 11, 2001, we will discover that many of the affected people will have adverse reactions to commonly used consumer products -- those for personal care, as well as for household and janitorial cleaning and maintenance products. Most frequently problematic will be those containing fragrances and pesticides.


- - -

2003 -- September 11, 2001 stays with me. For me, that is just thoughts. Alas, for so many thousands others, that means not only the thoughts, but also the toxins will stay with them. It takes a while for the body to succumb to the effects of the toxins, for the body born healthy always trys to right itself. It wants to be well and healthy. The use of safer products will help your body process out the toxins, but more importantly, is it will reduce the daily assault of superfluous toxins. Your body does not need to breath in or absorb highly volatile toxins emanating from modern synthetic pesticides, flavors and fragrances.

Of course, WTC was so overwhelming, one can only wonder what the ultimate outcome will be for the folks who where thrust into harm's way by terrorists from outside. But what about the harm caused because the people were misinformed by the EPA about the air pollution as a result of burning planes, buildings, contents and dust from the collapsing structures. Secondly, one may wonder if there wasn't a very good reason for an early deadline for applying to the Victim Compensation Fund. In my opinion, that fund should go out 20 years, not two. Two takes care of the immediate: the burns, broken bones, the lacerations. Two years will not rightly take care of compensation due those who suffer from the effects of soft tissue damange to the lungs and other organs.

So, what can anyone of us do? We all can help our bodies -- and the bodies of others around us -- by purchasing safer, cleaner, fragrance-free products; by purchasing organic; by leaving synthetic pesticides on the store shelves. We can think of others -- and ourselves -- when we make our purchases. And, by making purchases of safer products, we will be giving a message to industry that they will listen to . . . or so I hope.

The Internet is home to information that is worth reading. It is also home to information by industry and its apologists. As you read and study, keep in mind just who has what vested interest. Take a look at the multibillion dollar flavors and fragrance industry and the pharmaceutical industry if you need help determining which side of the fragrance-free issue has the vested interest in money. Peruse sites like Steve Tvedten's and the site of my friend and colleague, Betty Bridges, RN and her renowned Fragranced Products Information Network at http://www.fpinva.org. Also, please explore EHN's site (homepage is www.ehnca.org) to see who has a vested interest in health for themselves, others AND our planet.

    Stop using pesticides -- there are safer alternatives! For a vast array of information, visit Steve Tvedten's Get IPM at http://www.getipm.com/

    Read the labels of your personal care products and cleaning and maintenance supplies before purchasing. If you see the word "fragrance" on the label, ask if you are purchasing a product with fragrance derived from petrochemicals. (Remember, according to the Dept. of the Interior, "green" products may not contain petrochemical dervived fragrances.) IF the sales assistant doesn't know the answer, do your own research.

    Look for products made without petrochemicals, look for organics -- this industry is growing and as it grows prices lower. Purchase fragrance-free products . . . a little harder to accomplish because the FDA allows products that carry synthetic scent derived from petrochemicals to carry the words "fragrance-free" or "unscented" on their labels. Look for alternatives to pesticides and disinfectants (classified as pesticides by the EPA).

    Listen to the people whose health has already been compromised by chemical injury. Chemical injury can result from a variety of exposures. For example: Chemical injury and fragrance sensitization could come from a dramatic exposure to a refinery malfunction or blowout or from a fire, or from a disaster such as WTC, or from clean-up of an environmental disaster such as that caused by the wreck of the Exxon Valdez. Chemical injury can result from long-term pharmaceutical use or as an adverse reaction to anesthesia, or from chronic exposure, which would be the result of working with plastics, or chemicals. Chemical injury can also be acquired from something seemingly mundane such as working in an office polluted by a variety of highly volatile scented products used by others for personal care and for cleaning and maintenance chores.

    If you are told that your "personal choice" product is making someone else ill, please believe that individual. Listen to the person and his/her explanation. Look for fragrance-free products and alternatives to your choice of pesticides for pest management. Stop wearing and using your scented products . . . "forgetting" isn't a viable excuse as you could cause untold others very serious reactions, even death. Remember, you can't accomplish clean, fresh or "green" by using air, water and body polluting chemical soups benignly labeled "fragrance."

    What's the personal payoff? Besides feeling good about yourself, you may ultimately be saving your own health, and/or the health of your youngest and oldest family members, friends and colleagues . . . and the wildlife downstream.


    Why do I write about this topic? As I sat resting upon a bench, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, with a rather stiff wind blowing from the ocean into my face, I was overcome by the fragrances of men and women passing behind me. One would reason that the wind from the ocean would blow everything away from me, but those chemical soups, benignly called fragrances, can outdo the wind off the Pacific. Now, tell me that an HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning) system -- in a school, a healthcare facility, a workplace or any other public venue -- will be able to handle air pollutants such as our modern petrochemically derived fragrances. My experiences in my former workplace and in my current healthcare facility prove otherwise. Perfumes pollute. As do pesticides. That is acknowledged by the The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in their "Common Indoor Air Pollutants" at http://www.niehs.nih.gov/external/faq/indoor.htm.

    Because I live with chemical injury, and have come to learn a little something about our modern scents released to market without true "thorough testing," I wonder more about the health of the users and their progeny. I'm concerned about the health and quantity of sperm of the men wearing thses chemical soups, about the developing fetuses of the women who did conceive but continue to wear and use "their" scented products. I also am concerned about the health of the children . . . I'm troubled by the fact that we expect our children to learn in an atmosphere polluted by fragrances that contain chemicals that are known or suspected neurotoxins -- brought to the attention of the 99th Congress back in 1986 and still ignored! (Neurotoxins: At Home and the Workplace at http://users.lmi.net/wilworks/ehnlinx/n.htm#Neurotoxins.)

    I'm concerned about our planet, for these chemicals are also found polluting the air in the cities as well as in remote areas, and they have been found polluting the water downstream where they affect fish and wildlife. (EHN's POPs at http://users.lmi.net/wilworks/ehnlinx/p.htm#Persistent

    So, stop, look and listen when someone who has been made ill by the WTC -- or other sources of chemical injury, including in your school or workplace -- asks you to change your use of products from scented to safer alternatives. It's a matter of their health and of access. Be courteous. Be accommodating. Your own health may depend upon it. -- barb


WTC
    Saturday, Aug. 23, 2003 -- NOW WE LEARN THE TRUTH . . .
    the very truth that I tried to get across to the public as soon as I heard the report from the
    US EPA back in September 2001 that the "Measured Levels [were] Safe." This morning,
    on my local KCBS radio station, I heard that the Bush White House had applied pressure to
    the EPA to give misleading reassurances about the WTC air quality. It is about time the truth
    comes out, but it is too late for all of those poor folks who put blind faith in this administration.
    To begin making amends, I suggest a nationwidex effort to take seriously the words of the already
    chemically injured. Hear us. Listen up, real good! For the health we save, might well be
    YOUR very own. -- barb

    (See Air, below.)

    September 11, 2002

    August 2004--Air Pollution (and Deception)
    at GROUND ZERO
    "How Our Government Allowed Hundreds of Civilians to
    Breathe Contaminated Air After 9/11" Sierra Club
    http://www.sierraclub.org/groundzero/

    Folks, the following story may seem like a departure from the topic at hand, September 11, 2001. But this story is about a firefighter who died of a brain tumor, which he believed was the result of smoke inhalation on the job. Mark Noble, via video played at his memorial service, warned: "There isn't an excuse to take off your air pack before your environment is perfectly clear." ... "If you're in there and don't have an air pack on, you are killing yourself. It's that simple." When I read this article, I immediately thought of all of our heros who were working with their respirators hanging on their chests -- a clear sign to me that their cartridges were in need of regular replacement. I also am concerned about all of the other people adversely affected by the smoke with its deadly mixtures of chemicals, who were told the air was OK and that they should get on with their lives. Now my teeth grind every time I hear someone marginalize the effects of the horrific events as "WTC cough." I fervently hope there won't be soaring rates of unexplained cancers, but if there are higher rates of cancers, they will be another facet of Environmental Illness. Whether or not that is admited. -- barb

  • Olympia Firefighter Issues Warning At His Own Funeral
    By Keith Eldridge; January 24, 2005 http://www.komotv.com/stories/34957.htm

    Alison Johnson's testimony regarding
    the World Trade Center disaster.
    "Dr. Steven Levin of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine noted the development of
    chemical sensitivity among some of the WTC disaster patients they have been seeing at
    their clinic: 'Some of our patients once away from Lower Manhattan have noticed a
    general improvement in their symptoms but find that exposure to cigarette smoke,
    vehicle exhaust, cleaning solutions, perfume, or other airborne irritants provokes
    reoccurrence of their symptoms in ways they never experienced before 9/11.' "
    http://www.chemicalsensitivityfoundation.org/wtc-disaster.html


    Folks who have chemical injury, whether due to major workplace exposures, exposures to
    scented products used by others on a daily basis, from clean-up efforts like the Exxon Valdez, or
    from horrific events like the WTC and GWS I and now II, should read the chemical industry's
    diatribe against the already chemically injured. It is in the industry's best interest to stultify
    the harbingers, and they've done just that. (See 1990: THE CHEMICAL MANUFACTURERS
    ASSOCIATION'S ENVIRONMENTAL ILLNESS BRIEFING PAPER
    http://www.ehnca.org/books/cmaeibri.htm

    Remember, the chemical industry is everywhere and linked very closely through pharmaceuticals
    with your mainstream medical doctor. Iatrogenesis (death or disease caused by doctors through
    medical treatment) is on the rise. Is that because mainstream medical doctors are not adequately
    trained to diagnose diseases related to chemical injury? If you feel your doctor isn't listening to you,
    then start investigating sites such as Alison's, as well as this site (EHN, www.ehnca.org) and
    that of Betty Bridges, RN (Fragranced Products Information Network at www.fpinva.org).
    If you can't educate your doctor, change doctors. -- barb

    The Toxic Aftermath
    Facts and Protection for Rescue Workers and Residents
    Cyndi Norman's great efforts. Crucial information -- a MUST read!
    http://www.immuneweb.org/911/


    9/11 ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION
    http://www.911ea.org/

    Catastrophe safety and health links
    New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH)
    This, too, is a must read ... includes:

    • U.S. Agency Not Protecting Public Health, Officials Say
    • WTC Cleanup Worker Died and Family Wants Facts In Death
    • Parents Vent Anger Over School Dust
    • EPA Official: Lower Manhattan Should Be a Superfund Site and
      Are EPA's Monitoring and Cleanup Efforts at WTC Effective?
    I took umbrage with that early report that stated "...Measured Levels Safe."
    See Air, below. -- barb
    http://www.nycosh.org/linktopics/WTC-catastrophe.html

    Health effects linger
    September 11 | Looking back. Moving ahead By MELISSA KLEIN; THE JOURNAL NEWS
    (Original publication: September 10, 2003)
    "John Graham breathed in the burning wreckage of the World Trade Center for 31
    straight hours immediately after the towers were attacked, then spent eight more
    months in the acrid air as a safety supervisor for the carpenters union on the site.
    Now, it's the scent of perfume that does him in." [Emphasis added.]"
    http://www.thejournalnews.com/newsroom/091003/a01p10wtchealth.html

    Printer friendly: http://www.thejournalnews.com/print_newsroom/091003/a01p10wtchealth.html

    Medical Problems From 9/11 Remain
    September 10, 2002
    http://www.body1.com/news/index.cfm/1/147/1

    NYCFD's Memorial Page
    http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/memorial/index.html

    NYEA's The Impact of the Destruction
    of the WTC on the Arts Community
    Arts Wire Coverage
    http://www.artswire.org/current/911.html

    The Ultimate Sick Building Syndrome
    Al Czap, Publisher
    Alternative Medicine Review - Volume 6, Number 5, October 2001
    http://www.thorne.com/altmedrev/edit1-6-5.html

    Women At Ground Zero
    http://www.womenatgroundzero.com

    World Trade Center Disaster
    Worker and Environmental Health Information
    http://www.qc.edu/CBNS/WTChealthinfo.html

    World Trade Center Fine Particulate Matter --
    Chemistry and Toxic Respiratory Effects     By Stephen H. Gavett
    http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2003/6278/abstract.html

    World Trade Center News & Resources
    http://www.asthmamoms.com/projects.htm

    WTC Health Registry
    Alison Johnson's site. -- barb
    If you would like to receive information about
    placing your name on our registry, please contact us:

    Imagine
    Photos of memorials from around the world, which appear one at a time. -- barb
    http://avalon-arts.com/imagine.html

    Memorial photo essay from around the world
    This takes a long time to load if you use a modem, but it is worth waiting for. -- barb
    http://home.earthlink.net/~hankinhsd/thankyou.htm

    NYFD Relief Fund
    In answer to my query, Fire Chief Bob Sinnott, Larkspur Fire Department
    http://www.ci.larkspur.ca.us/206.html wrote:

    Below is information in regards to donating funds towards the families of
    the FDNY. Contributions are tax deductible. Those wishing to send donations
    should send checks payable to "The New York Fire 9-11 Relief Fund" to:

      IAFF General Secretary-Treasurer's Office
      Attn: New York Fire 9-11 Relief Fund
      1750 New York Ave., N.W.
      Washington, D.C. 20006-5395

      Suggestion: When you donate, inform them of Cyndi Norman's
      9-11: The Toxic Aftermath at http://www.immuneweb.org/sept11/.
      Thank you. -- barb

    Reacting to the Horror of a Day That Will be
    Etched in the Psyche of Every American
    OMB Watch
    http://www.ombwatch.org/reaction.html


Air

September 2001: If you don't think WTC will have lasting health effects suffered by the people
working and living in and around WTC, then please visit EHN's pages on the Valdez cleanup.
Keep in mind, time and again, no matter how folks become chemically injured, what you'll
learn is that they will list "fragrances" -- the synthetic chemcially concocted kind made to
fool-your-brain-scents -- among the substances that impair their health. Frankly, I'm appalled
that the
EPA didn't follow the PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE.


September 11, 2002 -- To honor the memory of those lost is to help those still living live a
healthier life despite the foul air they breathed in on that fateful and horrendous day in 2001.
And to help those who are living with breathing problems, may mean one must switch to more
eco-friendly, fragrance-free, pesticide-free cleaning and maintenance products and personal care
products. If you are requested to user fragrance-free products, and to find alternatives to
insect repellents, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, please do just that. By doing so, you may even
be helping your own body! -- barb

We ALL are stakeholders when it comes to breathing. -- barb


CT scans explain mysterious 9/11 cough
16:20 30 November 04l NewScientist.com news service
„These people had symptoms that just didn¼t fit the typical pattern. They weren¼t
treated at first because there wasn¼t any objective evidence of what was wrong,¾
says lead author David Mendelson at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, US.
Proving once again, if YOU do not fit the pattern that mainstream doctors know, you are
considered to be out of whack . . . not the medical system. Thank goodness Mendelson pursued
the mysterious cough and did something out of the ordinary to find an answer! -- barb
Printer Friendly: http://www.newscientist.com/news/print.jsp?id=ns99996741

Aug. 23, 2003 -- On my local KCBS radio station and in articles available by links, the word
has come out that the Bush White House directed the US EPA to give misleading information to
the public about the air quality following the horrific events of Sept. 11, 2001

  • White House swayed EPA after 9/11
    http://www.msnbc.com/news/956255.asp?pne=msntv&cp1=1

  • The Air Is Thick With Lies
    Jimmy Breslin; August 24, 2003
    "... I did not feel well for two months. I never said anything because I was
    too embarrassed. A couple of thousand had died. So many others were
    scorched and broken and maimed. I had no right to open my mouth, I
    thought. Besides, from the first day, the government's Environmental
    Protection Agency had announced that air was remarkably clean.
    Work on. Breathe on. You're fine. ..."
    http://www.newsday.com/news/columnists/ny-nybres243426639aug24,0,2409944.column

      Articles - MSNBC

    • Articles by Francesca Lyman, visit Your Environment
      http://www.msnbc.com/news/YOURENVIRONMENTH_Front.asp

    • Asthma plagues Ground Zero heroes
      "Many firefighters facing unknown medical consequences"
      By Robert Bazell; NBC NEWS; Jan. 8, 2002
      http://msnbc.com/news/684199.asp?0cb=-11552104&cp1=1

    • Cloud of acrid air haunts New Yorkers
      " Many concerned about potential health woes
      By Francesca Lyman; MSNB; Sept. 14, 2001
      http://msnbc.com/news/629104.asp?0cb=-51552104&cp1=1

      OR: http://www.immuneweb.org/911/news/sept01.html#NBC914-2

    • Dusting off Manhattan
      A year after 9/11, worries about toxic dust plague residents
      By Francesca Lyman
      http://www.msnbc.com/news/803400.asp
    • Lung ailments plague N.Y. firemen
      " Some ground zero workers may have to retire: union"
      MSNBC STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS; Dec. 21, 2001
      http://msnbc.com/news/676346.asp?0cb=-21552104&cp1=1

    • Uneasy breathing
      As the dust settles in New York, concerns linger about health risks in the air
      By Francesca Lyman; SPECIAL TO MSNBC; Sept. 26, 2001
      http://msnbc.com/news/634336.asp?0cb=-41552104&cp1=1

        My two bits worth: This statement is beyond description:
        "Louise Leavitt of the American Lung Association's New York office feels that residents walking
        around with dust masks are being a little self-indulgent. 'It may make them feel better but it's
        not necessary or even recommended.' "

        "[A] little self-indulgent." Reality check: The people with sense enough to protect their health
        by using masks may well be years ahead by taking that PRECAUTION now. They are to
        be commended. Not ridiculed!!!! For others interested in using masks and respirators,
        information is available from EHN's site under Masks at
        http://users.lmi.net/~wilworks/ehnlinx/r.htm#Respirators -- barb

      The Ultimate Sick Building Syndrome
      Al Czap, Publisher
      Alternative Medicine Review - Volume 6, Number 5, October 2001
      http://www.thorne.com/altmedrev/edit1-6-5.html

    • WTC workers test positive for toxin
      "Although officals can¼t be certain whether working at ground zero is linked to four
      cases of elevated mercury levels, those workers have reassigned.
      "Those involved in rescue efforts at the World Trade Center may be at risk for
      respiratory complications later in life, experts say.
      MSNBC STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS; Jan. 4, 2002
      http://msnbc.com/news/682065.asp?0cb=-31552104&cp1=1

        NO doubt!
        But, judging by my experience with my body over many, many years, I'd say these folks can
        do much to prevent further disabling symptoms, if they begin removing superfluous toxins,
        including all fragrance products and pesticides, from their personal use. Eat organic; use non-toxic
        methods to control pests or learn to live with some of them!; use truly eco-friendly fragrance-free
        products . . . but here you must be vigilant, for products can be legally marked unscented or
        fragrance-free and still carry synthetic scents. To learn more about the toxins in our
        commonly and unwittingly used fragrance products, please see the FDA Petition
        http://users.lmi.net/~wilworks/FDApetition/bkgrinfo.htm -- barb

    • Your Environment
      • Yearning to breathe in a toxic zone
        By Francesca Lyman; SPECIAL TO MSNB; Jan 11, 2002
        "Four months on, WTC attacks still haunting New Yorkers -- and their health
        "Half of the occupants of Battery Park City have moved out. Its sprawling playgrounds
        teem with debris, not children.
        http://www.msnbc.com/news/686072.asp 

      • Uneasy Breathing
        By Francesca Lyman; SPECIAL TO MSNB; Jan 11, 2002
        "As the dust settles in New York, concerns linger about health risks in the air."
        http://stacks.msnbc.com/news/634336.asp

    Asbestos Safety Information for the World Trade Center New York City
    by Paul Safchuck
    http://www.whitelung.org/wtc.html

    Firefighters WTC Cough

    Fouled Air? Health Officials Stress Caution, But Say Measured Levels Safe
    By Michael S. James; ABC News;
    "Sept. 13 -- Despite fires and a pungent odor at the wreckage of the World Trade
    Center, most tests for contaminants in New York's air have not triggered alarm,
    health officials say.

    "A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency spokeswoman said Wednesday that EPA
    officials 'really don't detect any real danger' in air and dust tests. And New York Mayor
    Rudolph Giuliani echoed the sentiments this morning...."
    Search for ABCNEWS.com : Most WTC Air Tests Don't Show Danger. -- barb
    http://abcnews.go.com/sections/living/DailyNews/wtc_healthhazards010911.html

      Heavens! to state they "really don't detect any real danger" ...
      Oh, yeah? Look what EPA also has to say about tests . . .       -- barb
      The EPA's Indoor Air Facts No. 4
      "...Contaminant concentration levels rarely exceed existing standards and guidelines..."
      Barb's two bits' worth: Air indoors or out, that's the catch folks: "existing standards
      and guidelines."
      http://users.lmi.net/~wilworks/ehnglinx.htm#EPA

    How Dangerous Was That Dark Cloud Hanging Over Manhattan?
    The Dust May Never Settle
    by Erik BaardThe Village Voice
    http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0139/baard.php

    What's ailing school near World Trade Center?
    "NEW YORK (AP) - October 19, 2001-- Dozens of teachers and students at a high school
    next to the World Trade Center site are having trouble breathing and school officials
    have brought in an epidemiology team to find out why. About 80 of the Stuyvesant
    High School's 3,200 students and teachers have complained of respiratory problems,
    headaches and nausea since returning to classes October 9. A few students are wearing
    respirator masks to school, four blocks north of where the twin towers once
    stood. "It smells bad and I know there are other things in the air that are harmful to
    my health," said Joseph Lew, 16, who left school Thursday with a white mask over his
    nose and mouth. ..."
    http://fyi.cnn.com/2001/fyi/teachers.ednews/10/19/attacks.highschool.ap/index.html

  • Yearning to breathe in a toxic zone By Francesca Lyman; SPECIAL TO MSNBC; Jan 11, 2002
    "Four months on, WTC attacks still haunting New Yorkers -- and their health
    "Half of the occupants of Battery Park City have moved out. Its sprawling playgrounds teem with debris, not children. "
    http://www.msnbc.com/news/686072.asp 

 


Friday, August 26th, 2005

New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com

Fury over loss of 9/11 heroes' health program
By MICHAEL McAULIFF; DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU
"WASHINGTON ã A program supposed to monitor the health of thousands of federal
workers who answered the call of 9/11 has been lost for more than two years, the
Daily News has learned. ..."
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/340740p-290928c.html

printer friendly: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/v-pfriendly/story/340740p-290928c.html



Donations

  • 9-11: NYFD Relief Fund
    In answer to my query, Fire Chief Bob Sinnott, Larkspur Fire Department
    http://www.ci.larkspur.ca.us/206.html wrote:

      Below is information in regards to donating funds towards the families of
      the FDNY. Contributions are tax deductible. Those wishing to send donations
      should send checks payable to "The New York Fire 9-11 Relief Fund" to:
      IAFF General Secretary-Treasurer's Office
      Attn: New York Fire 9-11 Relief Fund
      1750 New York Ave., N.W.
      Washington, D.C. 20006-5395

    Suggestion: When you donate, inform them of Cyndi Norman's
    September 11, 2001: The Toxic Aftermath
    http://www.immuneweb.org/911/.
    Thank you. -- barb

  • Give blood
    To find your local chapter of the American Red Cross
    http://www.redcross.org/where/where.html


Thoughts in the Aftermath

    Strength To Love, 1963
    Darkness cannot drive out darkness;
    only light can do that.
    Hate cannot drive out hate;
    only love can do that.

    Hate multiplies hate,
    violence multiplies violence,
    and toughness multiplies toughness
    in a descending spiral of destruction...

    The chain reaction of evil --
    hate begetting hate,
    wars producing more wars --
    must be broken, or we shall be plunged
    into the darkness of annihilation.

    -- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
    http://www.drmartinlutherkingjr.com/mlkquotes.htm

    .
    Alameda County's (CA) Representative Barbara Lee
    The one red light, shown next to the name of the one thinking, courageous Representative -- barbara wilkie
    http://www.house.gov/lee

    • A courageous stand by one lone woman: Representative Barbara Lee
      Alone on the Hill
      MotherJones.com
      http://www.motherjones.com/web_exclusives/features/news/lee.html

      An Open E-mail from Sierra Club President Jennifer Ferenstein
      http://www.sierraclub.org/update.asp

      As we grieve, let us remember that vengeance offers no relief
      Statement by Global Exchange
      September 11, 2001
      http://www.globalexchange.org/about/statement091101.html

      Alameda County's Keith Carson brings you
      Peoples' Non Violent Response Coalition
      http://www.co.alameda.ca.us/board/carson/initiative_091101.shtml

      PNVRC.net - new site
      http://www.pnvrc.net/

      Berkeley City Council's Resolution - Council Member Dona Spring
      http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/council4/

      These are the actions that the Council passed by a 5-4 vote:
      1) condemn the mass murder of thousands of people on September 11, 2001, and express our profound grief at the atrocities last month that killed thousands of innocent people in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania, and acknowledge, honor, and support the heroic rescue efforts on the part of dedicated police and fire departments, and the city, state, and federal governments; and
      2) ask our representatives to help break the cycle of violence, bringing the bombing to a conclusion as soon as possible, avoiding actions that can endanger of the lives of innocent people in Afghanistan, and minimizing the risk to American military personnel; and
      3) urge our representatives to concentrate all available resources on bringing to justice all of those who were complicit in last month¼s violent attack, and work with international organizations toward the same end; and
      4) urge our representatives to devote our government¼s best efforts in collaboration with governments throughout the world, to addressing and overcoming those conditions such as poverty, malnutrition, disease, oppression, and subjugation that tend to drive some people to acts of terrorism; and
      5) request that we engage in a national campaign to lessen our dependence on oil from the Middle East and to commit to a nation-wide conversion to renewable energy sources such as solar and fuel cells, within five years.

        I know people who are coming to Berkeley to shop BECAUSE of this resolution.

        To my mind, there is a huge difference between patriotism and jingoism. One who stands with pride in not having to follow the party line is also a patriot . . . for afterall, this nation affords us the opportunity to have AND express differing opinions.

        Also, when you read comments about the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce and their worry about this resolution having adverse effects on business, remember that was their same whine when residents of Berkeley were requesting fragrance-free accommodation for civic meetings. Berkeley's Commission on Disability proferred a kindly-worded statement asking residents to attend civic meetings fragrance-free. It read: "OUT OF RESPECT FOR CITIZENS WITH CHEMICAL SENSITIVITIES, WE ASK THAT YOU REFRAIN FROM WEARING SCENTED PRODUCTS."

        The Chamber of Commerce, however, was sympathetic to the unregulated, and trade secret- protected, fragrance industry. It rounded up local members of the scent industry to speak out against fragrance-free accommodation. And out of all of this was developed an obfuscating message, developed with the Acting City Manager. In fact, that very night, there was a last-minute change in wording, from "scents" to "odors." The approved message, which brought smiles to the faces of the fragrance industry reps -- including those flown in for the occasion -- reads:

        "ATTENDEES AT PUBLIC MEETINGS ARE REMINDED THAT OTHER ATTENDEES MAY BE SENSITIVE TO VARIOUS ODORS, WHETHER NATURAL OR MANUFACTURED, IN PRODUCTS AND MATERIALS. PLEASE HELP THE CITY RESPECT THESE NEEDS."

        Note: Change can happen!

        On Jan. 15, 2002, the Berkeley City Council voted unanimously to change the wording adopted under pressure from the fragrance industry in 1996. Mayor Shirley Dean wrote a friend on Jan. 15, 2002:

        "I am pleased to inform you that at the Council meeting of January 15, 2002, the following language was moved by Councilmember Betty Olds and approved unanimously by the Council:
        The City Council requests that people refrain from wearing scented products to the meetings.
        "This new language will start appearing immediately on all notices of meetings held by the City."
        Please re-read Berkeley's resolution (printed out and linked to, above), which passed by a squeaky-tight vote of 5-4. And then, shop IN Berkeley!

        And now, should you care to take the time, you may wish to read The War Prayer by Mark Twain. I'm providing two links ... one to the prayer itself and the other to background information, which includes this paragraph: "Twain submitted The War Prayer for publication in Harper's Bazaar but it was rejected as 'not quite suited to a woman's magazine.' Because he had an exclusive contract with Harper and Brothers, he had few other options for publishing the story. 'I don't think the prayer will be published in my time,' he wrote to his friend Dan Beard a few days later. 'None but the dead are permitted to tell the truth.' "

        Also, flying the USA flag or displaying an emblem on one's vehicle does not give one the right to drive rudely, dangerously, or stupidly. When I see such a driver in action, I cannot help but think of Samuel Johnson's line: "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel."   -- barb
        http://www.samueljohnson.com/patrioti.html


      • CodePINK
         "This is a time for a loud voice, open speech, and fealess thinking.
        I rejoice that I live in such a splendedly distrubing time." -- Helen Keller
        "We call on women around the world to rise up and oppose the war in Iraq. We call on
        mothers, grandmothers, sisters and daughters, on workers, students, teachers, healers,
        artists, writers, singers, poets, and every ordinary outraged woman willing to be
        outrageous for peace. ..."
        http://www.codepink4peace.org/

      • Conscientious Objector in the House
        By Ruth Conniff; The Progressive
        http://www.progressive.org/conniff9905.htm

      • Rep. Lee Gains Hero Status on Left
        Story from AP / MARTHA MENDOZA, AP National; Monday, 01-Jul-2002 8:10AM
        http://quickstart.clari.net/cgi-bin/qss/cban/story/wed/cw/Ahero-of-the-left.RVWm_Cl1.html

      • Lee: Terrorism fight shouldn¼t erode liberties
        By BRIAN SEALS; SENTINEL STAFF WRITER, June 30, 2002
        http://www.santa-cruz.com/archive/2002/June/30/local/stories/05local.htm

        Hate-free zone
        Global Exchange
        http://www.globalexchange.org/september11/ap101201.html

        Military Toxics Project
        MTP Statement on the Continuing International Crisis
        http://www.miltoxproj.org/911statement.html

        There IS A Difference Between Dissent And Treason
        By Richard Reeves - 12-10-1
        http://www.rense.com/general17/thereISadifference.htm

        Think about the air you breathe . . .
        By Barb Wilkie
        http://users.lmi.net/wilworks/ehnhompg/thinkair.htm

        United for Peace
        http://www.unitedforpeace.org/

        Unreasonable Women
        " 'A reasonable woman adapts to the World,
        an Unreasonable Woman makes the World adapt to her.
        What this World needs is more Unreasonable Women!' -Diane Wilson

        "Her statement is a revision of a quote from George Bernard Shaw, who said:

        'The reasonable man adapts himself to the world.
        The unreasonable one persists to adapt the world to himself.
        Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. '         "
        http://www.unreasonablewomen.org/

        The War Prayer
        by Mark Twain
        http://www.lone-star.net/mall/literature/warpray.htm

        On a War and a Prayer
        By Jim Zwick
        http://www.boondocksnet.com/twain/on_war_prayer.html

        YES, "WE" KNOW!
        By M M Carson MacRaven
        http://macraven.freeshell.org/RavenRising/RavensWords/yesWEknow.html


        Chemical Injury Awareness pin
        http://ebb.freeshell.org/

        September 11, 2002

        Remembering 9/11: Reflections from Well-Known Men and Women

        Deepak Chopra
        "Make use of every moment"
        http://magazines.ivillage.com/goodhousekeeping/myhome/friends/articles/0,12873,287164_531179-7,00.html


        MICHAEL C. RUPPERT
        FromTheWilderness.com
        "I RECOMMEND THESE SOURCES FOR REASON AND RELIABLE INFORMATION:"
        http://www.fromthewilderness.com/links.shtml


        Michael Ruppert's list starts with . . . Center for Cooperative Research ‚
        The Most Comprehensive 9-11 timeline of all. A research bonanza.
        http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/project.jsp?project=911_project

        If you would like to learn more about MCS
        (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity), please visit the following links.
        These are just a few of the many sources of information available through EHN.

          Cancer-Cosmetic Connection?
          http://users.lmi.net/~wilworks/ehnlinx/c.htm#Connection

          EHN's MCS Links:
          http://www.ehnca.org/ehnlinx/mcs.htm

          FDA Petition
          http://www.ehnca.org/FDApetition/bkgrinfo.htm

          Fragrance Info
          http://www.ehnca.org/ehnlinx/f.htm#Fragrance

          Fragrance-free . . . It's better for you and for me
          http://www.ehnca.org/ehnlinx/f.htm#Fragrance-free

          Fragranced Products Information Network
          Betty Bridges, RN -- an excellent researcher and published writer of articles
          http://www.fpinva.org

          Press Release Index
          http://users.lmi.net/wilworks/PressReleases/prsrelin.htm

          Take Heart! Contains ACCESS info
          http://www.ehnca.org/ehnhompg/takheart.htm

          Trouble with scented mail? See Leaking Scent Strips
          http://www.ehnca.org/ehnlinx/l.htm#Leaking

          United States Access Board's
          "Board Adopts Policy to Promote Fragrance-Free Environments"
          http://www.access-board.gov/news/fragrance.htm

          [U.S. Access]Board to Undertake Research on Indoor Air Quality
          Solicitation for Bids Issued (9/17/01)
          Closed: October 30, 2001, 2:00 p.m but still available for viewing
          http://www.access-board.gov/news/indoorair-notice.htm

          [U.S. Access] Board Issues New Accessibility Guidelines for Recreation Facilities
          http://www.access-board.gov/recreation/final.htm

            "Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and Electromagnetic Sensitivities

            "Individuals with multiple chemical sensitivities and electromagnetic sensitivities
            submitted a substantial number of written comments and attended the public
            information meetings on the draft final rule. They reported that chemicals used in
            recreation facilities, such as chlorine used in swimming pools and spas, and pesticides
            and synthetic fertilizers used on golf courses, are barriers that deny them access to
            those facilities. They requested the Board to include provisions in the final rule to make
            recreation facilities accessible for them.

            "The Board recognizes that multiple chemical sensitivities and electromagnetic
            sensitivities may be considered disabilities under the ADA if they so severely
            impair the neurological, respiratory or other functions of an individual that it
            substantially limits one or more of the individual's major life activities. The Board
            plans to closely examine the needs of this population, and undertake activities that
            address accessibility issues for these individuals.

            "The Board plans to develop technical assistance materials on best practices for
            accommodating individuals with multiple chemical sensitivities and electromagnetic
            sensitivities. The Board also plans to sponsor a project on indoor environmental quality.
            In this project, the Board will bring together building owners, architects, building
            product manufacturers, model code and standard-setting organizations, individuals
            with multiple chemical sensitivities and electromagnetic sensitivities, and other
            individuals. This group will examine building design and construction issues that
            affect the indoor environment, and develop an action plan that can be used to reduce
            the level of chemicals and electromagnetic fields in the built environment.

            "Neither the proposed rule nor the draft final rule included provisions for multiple
            chemical sensitivities or electromagnetic sensitivities. The Board believes these
            issues require a thorough examination and public review before they are addressed
            through rulemaking. The Board does not address these issues in the final rule."


          Reach us by e-mail:

          Betty Bridges, RN; EHN Advisory Board and FPIN
          bcb56@ix.netcom.com

          Barb Wilkie, EHN president, 2000 - 2001
          wilworks@lmi.net


          Return to EHN's HomePage
          http://www.ehnca.org


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The Environmental Health Network (EHN) [of California] is a 501 (c) (3) non profit agency and offers support and information for the chemically injured. EHN brings you topics on this page that need your immediate attention The URL for this page is http://users.lmi.net/~wilworks/aboutbw.htm