Desertlily's Journals

said a comment, "dinosaurs come to mind"

this is good journalism.

children as test subjects

PLEASE READ: A NEW REGULATION TO ALLOW LOWER INCOME, MENTALLY HANDICAPPED AND ORPHANED INFANTS TO BE USED AS TEST SUBJECTS FOR CHEMICAL AND PESTICIDE STUDIES.

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY: ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION.

READ COMPLETE TEXT HERE. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

a mentally handicapped child or infant orphan could be tested on without assent. This violates the Nuremberg Code, an international treaty that mandates assent of test subjects is "absolutely essential," and that the test subject must have "legal capacity to give consent" and must be "so situated as to exercise free power of choice." This loophole in the rule must be completely removed.
Under the general rule, the EPA is saying it's okay to test chemicals on children if their parents or institutional guardians consent to it. This clause says that neglected or abused children have unfit guardians, so no consent would be required to test on those children. This loophole in the rule must be completely removed.

Public comments are now being accepted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on its newly proposed federal regulation regarding the testing of chemicals and pesticides on human subjects. On August 2, 2005, Congress had mandated the EPA create a rule that permanently bans chemical testing on pregnant women and children, without exception. But the EPA's newly proposed rule, is ridden with exceptions where chemical studies may be performed on children in certain situations like the following:

Children who "cannot be reasonably consulted," such as those that are mentally handicapped or orphaned newborns, may be tested on. With permission from the institution or guardian in charge of the individual, the child may be exposed to chemicals for the sake of research.

Parental consent forms are not necessary for testing on children who have been neglected or abused.

Chemical studies on any children outside of the U.S. are acceptable.

Send a letter to EPA here!

OCA's focal concerns with this proposed rule specifically involve the following portions of text within the EPA document (Read the full EPA proposed rule here: PDF --- HTML):

70 FR 53865 26.408(a) "The IRB (Independent Review Board) shall determine that adequate provisions are made for soliciting the assent of the children, when in the judgment of the IRB the children are capable of providing assent...If the IRB determines that the capability of some or all of the children is so limited that they cannot reasonably be consulted, the assent of the children is not a necessary condition for proceeding with the research. Even where the IRB determines that the subjects are capable of assenting, the IRB may still waive the assent requirement..."

(OCA NOTE: Under this clause, a mentally handicapped child or infant orphan could be tested on without assent. This violates the Nuremberg Code, an international treaty that mandates assent of test subjects is "absolutely essential," and that the test subject must have "legal capacity to give consent" and must be "so situated as to exercise free power of choice." This loophole in the rule must be completely removed.)

70 FR 53865 26.408(c) "If the IRB determines that a research protocol is designed for conditions or for a subject population for which parental or guardian permission is not a reasonable requirement to protect the subjects (for example, neglected or abused children), it may waive the consent requirements..."

(OCA NOTE: Under the general rule, the EPA is saying it's okay to test chemicals on children if their parents or institutional guardians consent to it. This clause says that neglected or abused children have unfit guardians, so no consent would be required to test on those children. This loophole in the rule must be completely removed.)

70 FR 53864 26.401 (a)(2) "To What Do These Regulations Apply? It also includes research conducted or supported by EPA outside the United States, but in appropriate circumstances, the Administrator may, under Â§ 26.101(e), waive the applicability of some or all of the requirements of these regulations for research..."

(OCA NOTE: This clause is stating that the Administrator of the EPA has the power to completely waive regulations on human testing, if the testing is done outside of the U.S. This will allow chemical companies to do human testing in other countries where these types of laws are less strict. This loophole in the rule must be completely removed.)

70 FR 53857 "EPA proposes an extraordinary procedure applicable if scientifically sound but ethically deficient human research is found to be crucial to EPAâ�™s fulfilling its mission to protect public health. This procedure would also apply if a scientifically sound study covered by proposed Â§ 26.221 or Â§ 26.421--i.e., an intentional dosing study involving pregnant women or children as subjects..."

(OCA NOTE: This clause allows the EPA to accept or conduct "ethically deficient" studies of chemical tests on humans if the agency deems it necessary to fulfull its mission. Unfortunately, the EPA report sets up no criteria for making such an exception with any particular study. This ambiguity leaves a gaping loophole in the rule. Without specific and detailed criteria, it could be argued that any and every study of chemical testing on humans is "necessary." This loophole in the rule must be removed, based on this inadequacy of criteria and definition.)

Send an email to EPA here!

Forward this alert to friends and colleagues

By mail: Send two copies of your comments to:
Public Information and Records Integrity Branch (PIRIB)
Office of Pesticide Programs
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Mail Code: 7502C
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC, 20460-0001
Attention: Docket ID Number OPP-2003-0132

brain flu

If youâ�™ve been paying attention, you know that Bush is warning about a potential flu pandemic that could affect millions. Heâ�™s mapped out $3 billion for vaccine production and has also proposed a strategy that would allow the nation and the military to handle such an outbreak (Nov. 2, 2005 NPR). Now, before you rush out for your yearly flu shot or stock up on Tamiflu, have a read. These are just some of the things that Iâ�™ve been researching and have come across.

How to Catch Bird Flu:

Strains of avian influenza may infect various types of animals, including birds, pigs, horses, seals, whales and humans. However, wild fowl act as natural asymptomatic carriers, spreading it to more susceptible domestic stocks. Avian influenza spreads in the air and in manure. It can also be transmitted by contaminated feed, water, equipment and clothing; however, there is no evidence that the virus can survive in well cooked meat.

Issue 1. Quarantine

In April, Bush authorized government quarantine powers for Bird Flu. This means the military and executive powers could enforce quarantine â�œcampsâ� and isolate states, cities, towns, communities and individuals. Researchers note person-to-person quarantine does not work; instead environmental and water safety regulations should be enforced.

Also, quarantine is a violation of civil liberties. President Bush is asking Congress to supersede the American traditional possee comitatus (the common law power of the sherriff to compel people to assist law enforcement in unusual circumstances. In United States Military Law, the Posse Comitatus Act regulates the use of military forces for non-military purposes). Basically, this permits federal use of armed troops to perform the police function of controlling the population. More to ponder here.

Issue 2: Whereâ�™s the money going?

Does this surprise you? (yes, please do hit this link.)

Tamiflu is being pushed by the government as the medicine of choice to combat the bird flu epidemic.

Guess who sits on the board of Gilead, maker of the flu-symptom-reliever Tamiflu?

If you didnâ�™t hit the link above or this one or this one, Iâ�™ll let you in on the dirty secret:

Rumsfeld served as Gilead (Research)'s chairman from 1997 until he joined the Bush administration in 2001, and he still holds a Gilead stake valued at between $5 million and $25 million, according to federal financial disclosures filed by Rumsfeld. The forms don't reveal the exact number of shares Rumsfeld owns, but in the past six months fears of a pandemic and the ensuing scramble for Tamiflu have sent Gilead's stock from $35 to $47. That's made the Pentagon chief, already one of the wealthiest members of the Bush cabinet, at least $1 million richer.

Rumsfeld isn't the only political heavyweight benefiting from demand for Tamiflu, which is manufactured and marketed by Swiss pharma giant Roche. (Gilead receives a royalty from Roche equaling about 10 percent of sales.) Former Secretary of State George Shultz, who is on Gilead's board, has sold more than $7 million worth of Gilead since the beginning of 2005.

Issue 3: The REAL EPIDEMIC

Hint: When a study revealed that mercury in childhood vaccines may have caused autism in thousands of kids, the government rushed to conceal the data -- and to prevent parents from suing drug companies for their role in the epidemic. Hereâ�™s where it beginsâ�¦.

compared to what

This week's thrift store scores have been somewhat disappointing. The shelves are stock piled with empty vinyl covers, as well as Christmas and Barbara Streisand LPs. But last night, at the Goodwill on 32^nd Street, I found a new record that I'm excited to own. A record that I want to play as I'm ironing my work attire and whitening my teeth with those wicked tasting gel strips. Now, it's not the Killing Me Softly Roberta Flack, but an earlier less-refined one who debuted in a 1969 album called "First Take." There's a song on the album called Compared to What, which created the intention for today's journal rambling.

Lately, I've had a hunger for music that affects the inner consciousness and speaks of humankind. Perhaps that is why classical music is becoming more meaningful and fascinating than say the latest Beck album.

Aside from a handful of musicians who are unsigned or on independent labels and never to be heard by mainstream ears, what is going on with today's music? These days, musicians only need a couple of chords to become rock stars, while the solo one sitting in a studio memorizing scales and mastering his craft will probably never make money from his art. Song lyrics like the whiney pity-me-poor-me-she-left-me-I'm-nothing are over abundant, but music that grabs people by the gut and wakes them from their comatose existence are just as rare as a sincere folk singer in Los Angles.

Where has all the good music gone?

I thought about the things that have happened lately in my life:

GAS is at $3.21

World War III

Children Obesity

Catastrophe in New Orleans

Five Weeks Vacation for the President

Joan Baez Sings at Camp Crawford.

And this fun side note

And then this comment afterward:

Hell yes. Its about time. These are the same two guys who praised Bush last month. Unbelievable. They say nothing about their support for the Bush/Cheney/Bolton/Wolfowitz tagteam assault taking place that they have both campaigned for

I live in a society that uses Marvin Gaye's What's Going On in commercials and a pop singer who revamps Roberta's song for a Coca-Cola ad. Who allowed this all to happen, to make a mockery of human values and its fight?

And, where are the rock stars to remind us that this is all a big mess?

Someone please tell the artists lurking underground to come out for a bit and sing us a song about selflessness and truth. And, while we wait, the lyrics to Compared to What. I wish I had the song for you.

Compared to What

(by Eugene McDaniels)

1. Love the lie and lie the love
Hangin' on, with a push and shove
Possession is the motivation
that is hangin' up the God-damn nation
Looks like we always end up in a rut
Tryin' to make it real - compared to what?

2. Slaughterhouse is killin' hogs
Twisted children killin' frogs
Poor dumb rednecks rollin' logs
Tired old ladies kissin' dogs
Hate the human, love that stinking mutt
Try to make it real - compared to what?

3. The President, he's got his war
Folks don't know just what it's for
Nobody gives us rhyme or reason
Have one doubt, they call it treason
We're chicken-feathers, all without one gut
Tryin' to make it real - compared to what?

4. Church on Sunday, sleep and nod
Tryin' to duck the wrath of God
Preacher's fillin' us with fright
Tryin' to tell us what he thinks is right
He really got to be some kind of nut
Tryin' to make it real - compared to what?

5. Where's that bee and where's that honey?
Where's my God and where's my money
Unreal values, crass distortion
Unwed mothers need abortion
Kind of brings to mind ol' young King Tut
Tried to make it real - compared to what?!

food for thought.

Biblical in its uncontrolled rage and scope, Hurricane Katrina has left millions of Americans to scavenge for food and shelter and hundreds to thousands reportedly dead. With its main levee broken, the evacuated city of New Orleans has become part of the Gulf of Mexico. But the damage wrought by the hurricane may not entirely be the result of an act of nature.

A year ago the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposed to study how New Orleans could be protected from a catastrophic hurricane, but the Bush administration ordered that the research not be undertaken. After a flood killed six people in 1995, Congress created the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project, in which the Corps of Engineers strengthened and renovated levees and pumping stations. In early 2001, the Federal Emergency Management Agency issued a report stating that a hurricane striking New Orleans was one of the three most likely disasters in the U.S., including a terrorist attack on New York City. But by 2003 the federal funding for the flood control project essentially dried up as it was drained into the Iraq war. In 2004, the Bush administration cut funding requested by the New Orleans district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for holding back the waters of Lake Pontchartrain by more than 80 percent. Additional cuts at the beginning of this year (for a total reduction in funding of 44.2 percent since 2001) forced the New Orleans district of the Corps to impose a hiring freeze. The Senate had debated adding funds for fixing New Orleans' levees, but it was too late.

On the day the levees burst in New Orleans, Bush delivered a speech in Colorado comparing the Iraq war to World War II and himself to Franklin D. Roosevelt: "And he knew that the best way to bring peace and stability to the region was by bringing freedom to Japan." Bush had boarded his very own "Streetcar Named Desire."

http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,372455,00.html