Super Eco

Photo credit: chego101

Created by an act of Congress in 1971, the President's Cancer Panel is charged with monitoring the National Cancer Program and reports directly to the President in a report every year. This year the 240-page report was primarily focused on the environmental causes of cancer.

The two-member panel is comprised of LaSalle D. Leffall, Jr., M.D., F.A.C.S. and Margaret L. Kripke, Ph.D, both were appointed by former President George W. Bush during his tenure.

The report opens with "Dear Mr. President, Though overall cancer incidence and mortality have continued to decline in recent years, the disease continues to devastate the lives of far too many Americans. In 2009 alone, approximately 1.5 million American men, women, and children were diagnosed with cancer, and 562,000 died from the disease. With the growing body of evidence linking environmental exposures to cancer, the public is becoming increasingly aware of the unacceptable burden of cancer resulting from environmental and occupational exposures that could have been prevented through appropriate national action."

The panel also states that "the true burden of environmentally induced cancers has been grossly underestimated" and strongly urged action to reduce people's widespread exposure to carcinogens. The in depth report deals specifically with contaminants related to Industrial and Manufacturing Sources, Agricultural sources, exposures related to Modern Lifestyles, hazards from Medical Sources, hazards from Military Sources and hazards from Natural Sources.

According to an article in the New York Times, the report blames "weak laws, lax enforcement and fragmented authority, as well as the existing regulatory presumption that chemicals are safe unless strong evidence emerges to the contrary."

In its overview the report strongly urges President Obama: "to use the power of your office to remove the carcinogens and other toxins from our food, water, and air that needlessly increase health care costs, cripple our nation's productivity, and devastate American lives."

This is a watershed, consciousness raising report with gravitas, that will not only inform the public but will also, no doubt, cause a great hue and cry from the commercial and industrial sector. It's about time.