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Project radio has posted a wonderful news report on the circumstance of chemicals involved in salons located in the San Francisco Bay Area. The story follows several nail salon owners and employees and their struggles with their health as a result of working with such toxic cosmetic products.
As a result of this class we've been encouraged to start being conscientious consumers and question the nature (or lack thereof) of the ingredients used in the products we purchase and use. This story involves this and takes us another step further by being aware of individuals who are not necessarily using the products themselves, but handling them through a means of employment.
This is overwhelmingly reminiscent of Nick Chiles' blog/article titled '8 Horrifying Examples of Corporations Mistreating Black Communities With Environmental Racism'. He shares several examples where Black communities were systematically forced to exist on and/or next to toxic areas. Ranging from hazardous waste from manufacturing facilities in Pennsylvania, to oil production in Richmond, all the way to disposing of waste in third world countries, there exist obvious examples of environmental racism in literal broad daylight.
Just like the situations Chiles described, over 50% of San Francisco's 1800 salon employees are immigrants who have very little options outside of working in these salons. As a result, they touch, inhale, and absorb all sorts of critically dangerous toxins.
The noncompliance of the United States astounds me. They seem completely aware and unresponsive as a result of corporation interests. It is incredible that two and half pages that are over seventy years old are the entirety of regulations on cosmetics. The US has banned just 10 chemicals when Europe has banned over 1,000.
Sometimes it's hard to be optimistic.
As a result of this class we've been encouraged to start being conscientious consumers and question the nature (or lack thereof) of the ingredients used in the products we purchase and use. This story involves this and takes us another step further by being aware of individuals who are not necessarily using the products themselves, but handling them through a means of employment.
This is overwhelmingly reminiscent of Nick Chiles' blog/article titled '8 Horrifying Examples of Corporations Mistreating Black Communities With Environmental Racism'. He shares several examples where Black communities were systematically forced to exist on and/or next to toxic areas. Ranging from hazardous waste from manufacturing facilities in Pennsylvania, to oil production in Richmond, all the way to disposing of waste in third world countries, there exist obvious examples of environmental racism in literal broad daylight.
Just like the situations Chiles described, over 50% of San Francisco's 1800 salon employees are immigrants who have very little options outside of working in these salons. As a result, they touch, inhale, and absorb all sorts of critically dangerous toxins.
The noncompliance of the United States astounds me. They seem completely aware and unresponsive as a result of corporation interests. It is incredible that two and half pages that are over seventy years old are the entirety of regulations on cosmetics. The US has banned just 10 chemicals when Europe has banned over 1,000.
Sometimes it's hard to be optimistic.
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