Excited Delirium

Stories about Excited Delirium, the Shock Economy and a little fiction here and there.

Monthly Archives: May 2010

ADHD Caused by Pesticides?

It looks like another blow to the manufacturers of pesticides and other oil-based derivatives to grow our food:

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/05/17/pesticides.adhd/index.html?hpt=T2

This is an extremely compelling argument to go local and buy organic.

Now, how long do you think it will be before dozens of ‘pundits’ start slamming the merits of the study?  It’s probably already happened.

Copy of story posted below:

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Is enough being done to protect us from chemicals that could harm us? Watch “Toxic America,” a special two-night investigative report with Sanjay Gupta M.D., June 2 & 3 at 8 p.m. ET on CNN.

(Health.com) — Children exposed to higher levels of a type of pesticide found in trace amounts on commercially grown fruit and vegetables are more likely to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder than children with less exposure, a nationwide study suggests.

Researchers measured the levels of pesticide byproducts in the urine of 1,139 children from across the United States. Children with above-average levels of one common byproduct had roughly twice the odds of getting a diagnosis of ADHD, according to the study, which appears in the journal Pediatrics.

Exposure to the pesticides, known as organophosphates, has been linked to behavioral and cognitive problems in children in the past, but previous studies have focused on communities of farm workers and other high-risk populations. This study is the first to examine the effects of exposure in the population at large.

Organophosphates are “designed” to have toxic effects on the nervous system, says the lead author of the study, Maryse Bouchard, Ph.D., a researcher in the department of environmental and occupational health at the University of Montreal. “That’s how they kill pests.”

The pesticides act on a set of brain chemicals closely related to those involved in ADHD, Bouchard explains, “so it seems plausible that exposure to organophosphates could be associated with ADHD-like symptoms.”

Health.com: Seven stars with ADHD

Environmental Protection Agency regulations have eliminated most residential uses for the pesticides (including lawn care and termite extermination), so the largest source of exposure for children is believed to be food, especially commercially grown produce. Adults are exposed to the pesticides as well, but young children appear to be especially sensitive to them, the researchers say.

Video: Study: ADHD linked to pesticides

RELATED TOPICS

Detectable levels of pesticides are present in a large number of fruits and vegetables sold in the U.S., according to a 2008 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited in the study. In a representative sample of produce tested by the agency, 28 percent of frozen blueberries, 20 percent of celery, and 25 percent of strawberries contained traces of one type of organophosphate. Other types of organophosphates were found in 27 percent of green beans, 17 percent of peaches, and 8 percent of broccoli.

Although kids should not stop eating fruits and vegetables, buying organic or local produce whenever possible is a good idea, says Bouchard.

Health.com: 5 reasons you can’t concentrate

“Organic fruits and vegetables contain much less pesticides, so I would certainly advise getting those for children,” she says. “National surveys have also shown that fruits and vegetables from farmers’ markets contain less pesticides even if they’re not organic. If you can buy local and from farmers’ markets, that’s a good way to go.”

A direct cause-and-effect link between pesticides and ADHD “is really hard to establish,” says Dana Boyd Barr, Ph.D., a professor of environmental and occupational health at Emory University. However, she says, “There appears to be some relation between organophosphate pesticide exposure and the development of ADHD.”

This is the largest study of its kind to date, according to Barr, who researched pesticides for more than 20 years in her previous job with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention but was not involved in the study.

Bouchard and her colleagues analyzed urine samples from children ages 8 to 15. The samples were collected during an annual, nationwide survey conducted by the CDC, known as the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Health.com: Do you have adult ADHD?

The researchers tested the samples for six chemical byproducts (known as metabolites) that result when the body breaks down more than 28 different pesticides. Nearly 95 percent of the children had at least one byproduct detected in their urine.

Just over 10 percent of the children in the study were diagnosed with ADHD. The kids were judged to have ADHD if their symptoms (as reported by parents) met established criteria for the disorder, or if they had taken ADHD medication regularly in the previous year.

Health.com: The link between drugs, alcohol and ADHD

One group of pesticide byproducts was associated with a substantially increased risk of ADHD. Compared with kids who had the lowest levels, the kids whose levels were 10 times higher were 55 percent more likely to have ADHD. (Another group of byproducts did not appear to be linked to the disorder.)

In addition, children with higher-than-average levels of the most commonly detected byproduct — found in roughly 6 in 10 kids — were nearly twice as likely to have ADHD.

“It’s not a small effect,” says Bouchard. “This is 100 percent more risk.”

To isolate the effect of the pesticide exposure on ADHD symptoms, the researchers controlled for a variety of health and demographic factors that could have skewed the results.

Still, the study had some limitations and is not definitive, Bouchard says. Most notably, she and her colleagues measured only one urine sample for each child, and therefore weren’t able to track whether the levels of pesticide byproducts were constant, or whether the association between exposure and ADHD changed over time.

Health.com: What if my child begins showing ADHD symptoms?

Long-term studies including multiple urine samples from the same children are needed, Bouchard says. She suspects such studies would show an even stronger link between pesticide byproducts and ADHD.

EPA spokesman Dale Kemery said in a statement that the agency routinely reviews the safety of all pesticides, including organophosphates. “We are currently developing a framework to incorporate data from studies similar to this one into our risk assessment,” Kemery said. “We will look at this study and use the framework to decide how it fits into our overall risk assessment.”

Kemery recommended that parents try other pest-control tactics before resorting to pesticide use in the home or garden. Washing and peeling fruits and vegetables and eating “a varied diet” will also help reduce potential exposure to pesticides, he said.

“I would hope that this study raises awareness as to the risk associated with pesticide exposure,” Bouchard says. “There’s really only a handful of studies on this subject out there, so there’s room for more awareness.”

How Big is the BP Deepwater Horizon Spill? REALLY Big

I got the tip from Mike Soron about using Google Earth to compare the size of BP’s Deepwater Horizon spill and it’s BIG.

Here’s an overlay that I did for Ottawa (and region).

So I have a question:  we can toss a punk in jail for years for carrying a dime-bag of pot, but we can’t rack up the CEO and other stockholders of BP, Halliburton and other companies when they allow this kind of disaster to occur?

C’mon.

This is revolting.

MP Spending and The Call for A Clean Slate

Weeks ago, I posted some thoughts on the rationale and need to create a new party for Canadian federal politics, one which I tentatively called ‘The Progressive Party of Canada’.  Many of you posted comments, several of which bordered on derogatory, accusing me of wanting to fracture Canada’s already shitty environment for politics and the state of democracy that we ‘enjoy’.

Since then, our ‘opposition’ has done nothing but shrink away from any responsibility from actually challenging what I believe is Canada’s most corrupt government in history.  All they seem to care about is self-preservation while Canada goes down in flames.

To make things even worse, the NDP and Liberals have joined the Conservatives in closing the books on their expenses to any kind of official audit.

The total annual expense comes to more than $553 million.  For roughly 400+ representatives.

That works out to roughly $1.3 million per member.

No wonder they want to keep things under wraps.

What are these people afraid of?  That we’ll finally find out what they’re wasting taxpayer money on and we’ll turf the whole lot?

Boondoggles galore?

My guess is yes.

So here’s my suggestion:  we still proceed with a new party, but maybe we don’t proceed with a ‘Progressive party’.  Instead, we proceed with something called ‘The Clean Slate’ and literally start with a clean slate.

Here are a few top-level ideas for The Clean Slate:

  • No more Parliament.  It’s not necessary.  We have the technology and capacity to start fresh with something that is completely different than the putrid system we have now.  ‘Representation’ used to be a requirement when people didn’t have the resources to take things under their own wing.  Now we can.  And we should.
  • Instead, assign rotating groups of representatives made up of people picked from a hat, much like you’d get a jury selected for a trial.
  • Department heads would still exist (ie. we actually hire professionals that are qualified to head such departments instead of posting boneheads who know nothing about what’s being assigned).
  • Assign a rotating head of state or vote on the individual that would represent us as opposed to have to rely on antiquated party selection processes.
  • Eliminate all ties to the monarchy.  Enough with the Queen.  Enough with the Governnor General.  More institutions that waste everyone’s time and money.
  • A focus on decentralization.  Go local.

You get the idea.

Who’s with me?

Conservatives Cave to Speaker’s Request

The Stephen Harper Conservatives finally caved to the will of the people and allowed the opposition parties to have some level of access to documents related to the Afghan detainee issue.

More can be read here about this update.

Still at issue is how long the opposition will allow this regime to maintain its grip on power in Canada.  Will they read the documents and shrink away from this victory, guided only by polls and pundits as opposed to the will of the people of Canada?  Increasingly, Canadians would like to see an election held, if only to be given an opportunity to vote against these crooks (including the opposition parties who’s spinelessness needs to be addressed).

However, the odds are also pretty good that if Stephen Harper approves of the arrangement, there’s a loophole the size of Grand Canyon that will allow him to back out and be slippery as always.  Tragically, this decision will also give the Harper Cons another few months to pilfer the treasury, hand out money to the religious wingnut friends, appoint more lackies to the top tiers of Canadian policy institutions and trash Canada’s reputation on the international scene.

Please make it end and give us a party that cares!

Why Britain’s Bad Election Will Be Good For The Commonwealth

The British election exemplifies that consistent thread of cynicism and contempt that Conservatives exhibit to all voters, be they in Britain, Scotland, Ireland or as far away as little Canada.

Minorities rules.  Majorities drool.

If the ‘Labour’ party (which to me is a bit of a misnomer given that there’s nothing Labour about them) are interested in retaining their position as official government, they will have to negotiate with the Liberal Democrats and form a coalition.

They actually have that right as the current ruling party.  I hope they exercise this right.

However, such a step may also motivate them to finally lead the Commonwealth by making Proportional Representation (PR) a major requirement and possibly a referendum question for the voters of the UK.

Another point of instigation in this respect is the first time ever election of a Member of Parliament representing the Green Party.  Not only is this possibly the biggest news item that the media world missed out on, but it will ultimately push PR to the top of the list of policy decisions that any government need to agree on.

Action on the part of the majority of seats will be a real and genuine win for the voting public and will likely be a watershed moment for democracy around the world.

Ultimately, this begs the question:  if the root of Parliamentary democracy (Britain) turns to PR, do Commonwealth countries even have a choice about staying stuck in the past.

My answer:  NO.  Many will, including Canada, but ultimately, we won’t have a choice.

For the record, I like the idea of coalitions.  I like the idea of negotiating for everyone that we represent and I like the idea of finding consensus.  I also like the idea of policies taking time to develop as opposed to being driven by one party that’s obsessed with their view and their view only and making things happen as quickly as possible before their tenuous hold on power slips through their fingers.

This is why I think the central platform of any progressive party in Canada should focus on democratic reform and REAL institutional change when it comes to getting Canadians engaged.

How about it folks?

Progressive Platform: Tax Policy, I

Author’s Note:

I’ve decided that I’m going to air my suggestions about what I’d like to see in a progressive platform.

I believe that the space defined as ‘progressive’ voters is WIDE open in this country, as neither the Liberals or NDP seem capable of claiming this vital territory and owning it.

Regardless, I’ve become party agnostic.  Neither the Liberals or NDP cater to my interests, but by posting my thoughts on what a progressive platform should look like, maybe both of them will snatch snippets of it, making me (and presumable all of us) better off and happier.

Progressive Platform:  Tax Policy, I

Don’t Raise Taxes (Yet), but Reduce Deductions

Much of the economic platform of the Conservative Party of Canada relies on tax cuts, reducing the size of government and a philosophy that in the kindest of words would be ‘regressive’.

Tax cuts offer no benefit to those who have lower incomes or who don’t own a business.  Tax cuts don’t benefit the Jane and Joe Six-Pack that punch the clock at Wal-Mart.  Tax cuts don’t return the money that we’ve spent at Wal-Mart and just act to enrich other treasuries around the globe.

Tax cuts bring nothing to our economy.

Of course, the Conservative ‘platform’ is also in conflict with what we’re seeing as a reality:  massive and unprecedented spending;  mortgaging the future of our economy, environment and society by slashing public services for those who can’t afford to sustain themselves; and, of course, making the assumption that consumption is a bottomless pit that will save us all economically (and politically for the Cons).

Pushing an economic platform that blindly slashes at taxes and social infrastructure ignores the reality of our current global crisis, most of which is rooted in over-consumption.

Having just finished my annual taxes, the wounds are still deep, but the inspiration has been catapulted to a new level.

Tax Shaping, Not Tax Cuts (or Increases)

I recommend a very simple approach to tax policy that I call ‘Tax Shaping”.

Instead of worrying about which taxes we’d raise, a progressive platform would slowly eliminate specific deductions that do nothing but encourage over-indulgence with our expenses.

We would shape taxes to reflect the policy directions that we want to encourage.

Let’s think about deductions related to your car, something that’s allowed for all businesses, including small businesses, but not individuals.

Here are just a few expenses related to cars and transportation that are deductible as a business:

  • Gas.  Gas and most other car-related expenses are not deductible by individual taxpayers, so why we make it deductible for businesses does not make for solid social and progressive policy.
  • Regular car payments, including interest on car payments and leases
  • Insurance
  • Maintenance and repairs
  • License and registration fees
  • Etc.

In 2009, these expenses wound up being about 15% of my overall deductions.  I believe that there are more than a million businesses registered in this country and altering the tax structure in this respect would like result in billions of dollars per year in new revenue for the federal coffers.

Please note that I know I’m a hypocrite, but I’m also an economic animal:  I make these deductions because I can.

If they were not deductible, and other forms of transportation were, like bus and rail passes, I’d change my economic behaviour to favour those options.

Or if we proceeded with this kind of tax shaping, me and only myself would be responsible for bearing the cost of putting another car on the road, something that our planet really can’t sustain any more.

Tax Shaping Example #2: Entertainment

When you start picking apart the deductions that we’ve made available to the business world, it becomes really easy to identify ways that we can encourage specific directions in economic decision making without implementing policy as a government.

The second obvious example is the deduction related to “Meals and Entertainment”.  How many claims have been made with strip clubs or other ‘suspicious vendors’ as a significant line item?

How many people have submitted bottles of wine bought at the LCBO and claimed that they were related to a party for an employee, only to tuck them away in their cellar?

Or the deduction of season’s tickets with a hockey team or baseball team that might be used a few times and that rarely actually lead to new business being struck.

This time, I’m happy to say that I’m not guilty of any of these activities, but I know people who flaunt these angles related to “Meals and Entertainment” and it has to end.
Once “Meals and Entertainment” becomes less of a priority from the perspective of a business deduction, perhaps they’ll become less of a priority for society at large.

The simplest approach is to reduce what people can claim on an annual basis in the process of earning income.

Other Examples

Looking at the tax code, it’s easy to come up with other examples of deductions that could be shaped to reflect a progressive platform:

  • Subscriptions and memberships:  this category is similar to Meals and Entertainment, but includes stuff like conferences and seminars that are grossly over-inflated in price and value.
  • Interest on loans.  This one is debatable and vast financial models have been created to justify some leverage that comes from borrowing.
  • Travel.  In an age of digital communications and Skype calls, do we really need to hop on a plane when a client calls or can we encourage a lower frequency of jet-setting?

Summary: Tax Policy, I

The act of discouraging certain consumption patterns has tremendously positive implications with our societal and economic structure.

By making certain activities less attractive because we’re forced to treat them differently financially, we will make better choices.

More energy will be devoted to building a car that will last for 20 years, but will also go 1,000 km on a single litre of gas.  Such tactics will shatter demand for fuel and force an explosion in demand for renewable energies.

Of course, there’s the whole other side of this discussion that I haven’t even begun to dive into:  deductions that are perceived to be GOOD for our economy, environment and society at large.

If you have ideas or suggestions, please post them in the comments.

Thanks!
Liam.