Search Results for 'EWG'

  • When Policymakers Ignore Science

    Check out my latest op-ed for The Hill. There aren’t many American lawmakers with advanced science degrees, and it’s a safe bet that very few of them curl up at night with the latest issue of a peer-reviewed medical journal. But lawmakers don’t actually have to be scientific experts themselves to pass sound, science-based public policy. […]

  • Sunburned Consumers Criticize Jessica Alba’s Organic Sunscreen as ‘Useless’

    Jessica Alba’s Honest Company prides itself on creating “nontoxic,” organic products for consumers and their children. But apparently at least one of these “chemical-free products” doesn’t actually serve its intended purpose. In recent days, a growing number of Honest Company customers have uploaded videos and pictures showing horrible sunburns developed after using the brand’s sunscreen. […]

  • Should you avoid canned food?

    The Environmental Working Group (EWG)—the same group that publishes a scaremongering annual report on sunscreen safety—is now trying to discourage the consumption of canned foods. In a new report, EWG argues that since a large amount of the canned items on consumer shelves use bisphenol A (BPA) in can linings, consumers should “limit or avoid […]

  • Are there ‘Worrisome’ Ingredients in Sunscreens?

    Memorial Day is just around the corner, which for many Americans signals the opening of swimming pools and the beginning of beach vacations. For the Environmental Working Group (EWG), it’s the opportunity to release its scary annual report about the “danger” posed by most sunscreens on the market. This year, EWG’s splashy new finding is […]

  • Bill Nye Sides with Science on GMOs

    It’s always heartening to see a public figure willing to change his or her mind after examining scientific evidence. Last week, Bill Nye (Yes, the “Science Guy”) announced he was joining the 88 percent of scientists who believe genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are safe. After spending time with scientists at Monsanto, Nye visited Bill Maher’s […]

  • What’s a Paraben, Anyway?

    You may have noticed that more and more companies touting their products as “paraben-free.” But what exactly are parabens and should you care whether they’re in your shampoos or lotions? As a recent post on Jezebel points out, most people don’t know what parabens are, but they assume they’re dangerous. Parabens are used as preservatives in […]

  • 108 Hazards in 80 Seconds: What Can’t Kill You?

    The world is full of hazards, and a new video from the Risk Science Center at the University of Michigan lists 108 things could be hazardous to your health (it’s pretty catchy—it’s set to the tune of Tom Lehrer’s Elements Song). But as Dr. Andrew Maynard, head of the center, explains: “Of course, while anything […]

  • Chefs Scramble Facts as they Pressure Congress to Mandate GMO Labeling

    This week, hundreds of gourmet chefs delivered a petition to Congress urging lawmakers to mandate the labeling of genetically modified foods, claiming “when it comes to whether our ingredients contain genetically modified organisms, we’re in the dark.” But are they really? GMO-free labels already exist. If chefs want to avoid genetically modified foods, they can […]

  • Feed Your Brain with Fish

    It’s pretty easy to scare Americans away from eating healthy foods—even when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says those foods are perfectly safe. We’ve seen various activists and crackpots needlessly scare the public into cutting their consumption of healthy diet staples such as apples, fluoridated water, fish, and countless others. The fear is […]

  • No, taking a receipt isn’t going to hurt you.

    No matter how many scientists and government agencies insist that the low levels of bisphenol-A (BPA) people are exposed to are safe, activists and journalists continue to needlessly scare the public about BPA exposure. This week, the Washington Post published a rather ridiculous article about the risk of exposure to BPA from store receipts. The […]