Tuesday, December 15, 2009

"Bla Bla Bla. We Need Action."

Cal Dooley, President of American Chemistry Council, was just listed on ICIS's Top 40 Players in the chemical industry as 35, just below Lisa Jackson, US EPA Administrator.

Last week EPA announced that greenhouse gas emissions posed a hazard to human health, which puts the country in a good position to pass some real climate legislation. You know, if that was something that congress would ever want to do.

Today Cal Dooley did a little ditty about how this ruling was going to stall our economy and ruin the chemical industry. Oh Cal, you're so . . . out of touch.

I found it a little odd that he didn't mention the communities that have been ruined by toxic pollution or how bulching, dirty and out of date chemical facilities with poor infrastructure cause lowered IQ scores, escalated rates of attention deficit disorders, and reproductive disorders to name just a few other things that hurt local and national economies. But hey, this guy is known for missing the details. He stated not too long ago that the only thing he sees upsetting about the fact that one in four children are on food stamps is because it's a signal that families are no longer purchasing plastic products as often or in the same quantity as before.


"Wall Street may be paying out $bns in bonuses. But in the rest of the USA, rising unemployment and foreclosure are having a major impact.

In a new analysis, the New York Times reveals that the Federal food stamp programme "now helps feed one in eight Americans and one in four children".

Renamed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, it enables families and individuals to buy groceries, and averages $130 per recipient each month. Around 90% of those helped live below the poverty line ($22k for a family of 4). Blacks are worst hit, with 25% receiving aid. 15% of Latinos are being helped, and 8% of whites.

These are worrying statistics for chemical companies. Many products that we produce are discretionary rather than essential. And people who need help to buy food are focused on 'needs' rather than 'wants'. This will hold back the recent recovery in industry sales."

Don't guys like him ever need a little quiet time?

Ciao,
Renee Claire

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