Take time to learn of chemicals' impact

A few years back, I wrote some regretable words regarding the application of herbicides in our lake to control the milfoil problem. For anyone who felt offended or harmed by what I said, I offer my apologies. I have learned a lot about how strongly my emotions can come across in what I say.

In the hopes that I can offer something constructive in place of those destructive comments, I would like to point out an article I found this morning. A panel of government scientists, appointed by former President Bush, has issued a report on “environmental cancer,” i.e. cancer caused by chemicals in the environment. It confirms what I have felt in my bones to be true, which is that we really don’t know what we’re putting in our environment, and that the rise in cancer occurrences can be correlated to the rise in chemical use.

Here is the link to the executive summary of the President’s Cancer Panel Annual Report 2008-2009, titled “Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk, What We Can Do Now.” http://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/advisory/pcp/pcp08-09rpt/ExecutiveSummary.pdf

Please take the time to read this. Another good article on the same subject is from National Geographic magazine, titled “Chemicals Within Us.” It’s all online. I’m hoping for a healthy future for all of our children.

JON WALDRUP

Sagle