rioters bloc
5th October 2006, 16:45
considered putting this in science and environments but thought people might throw a hissy fit.
written by a friend
Green Tampons
The average women uses once and then throws away approximately 10, 000 pads or tampons in her lifetime.
What's in a Tampon?
Tampons are made from cotton and contain Rayon for absorbency and Dioxin for whiteness.
Traditional tampons that are currently on the market are made from Rayon-cotton blends as well as 100% rayon and 100% cotton. Rayon is reconstituted wood pulp and its production involves the use of many chemicals. The traditional cotton used in tampons has been grown using as many as 35 different pesticides, herbicides and fungicides after which the cotton is washed and bleached. This manufacturing process has a certain level of harmful chemical usage, and after years of continued use, the residue from these chemicals adds considerably to the body's system. The chemicals do not just go away after they have been sprayed on the cotton. Some of the chemicals are even reactivated when moisture is applied.
rayon
Rayon is used because it is very absorbent. It is made from cellulose fibres derived from wood pulp. Artificial fibres like rayon are abrasive and can cause tiny cuts embedding pieces into cervical tissue and increasing the occurrence of ulcerations and peeling of mucous membrane. Tampons soak up more than just blood. They absorb vaginal mucus that is necessary to maintain a healthy pH balance in the vagina. Lack of balance can lead to yeast infection.
dioxin
Dioxin is a chemical that is used for bleaching products. Dioxin is a general term that describes a group of hundreds of chemicals that are highly persistent in the environment. Dioxin is well-known for its ability to damage the immune system and interfere with hormonal systems. However, reports conducted by some independent health organizations and also researchers hired by companies like Tampax that provide tampons for consumers, claim that levels of dioxide are minimal and that they are within government regulations.
Cotton in Australia
Cotton is the third most important agricultural export for Australia, generating approximately A-$ 1.5 billion (0.8 billion Euro) annually. Australia grows an average of 450000 ha or approximately 1 million acres of cotton. Obviously, both the Australian Government and also the cotton industry have a vested interest in any research conducted that involves pesticide (pest killer) or herbicide (plant/weed killer) use with cotton production.
Production of Cotton
Unless the production of the cotton is certified as organic it will contain traces of all the pesticides and herbicides used in cotton production. A pesticide or herbicide is any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest of weed. By their very nature, most pesticides or herbicides create some risk of harm to humans, animals, or the environment because they are designed to kill or otherwise adversely affect living organisms.
Monsanto justified the introduction of Roundup Ready into Australia cotton industry because it stated that when used on cotton production pesticides can have a potentially harmful effect on aquatic life, affecting plants that provide food and habitat for fish and other aquatic animals and sometimes being directly toxic to these animals.
In a joint program involving CSIRO and seed companies, Monsanto sold its INGARD cotton (also known as Bt cotton) to Australian growers with estimates that there would be a 90% drop in sprays. In fact, for the 1996-97 crop there was a 52% decrease (some claim as much as 60%). Although this was not evenly spread among producers, some argue this is still very good news.
However, Australian farmers generally found themselves worse off financially than they thought they would. Some had to spray just as much as usual, yields were variable and costs higher. The level of Bt toxin was not consistent throughout the plant, throughout the life of the plant, or under different weather conditions, and more insects survived than had been intended by the developer (some Australian researchers suspected the dose of toxin was not high enough for our pests). Critics argue this is typical of the 'imprecision' and lack of predictability of how gene technology works in the real world.
Bt ( bacillus thuringiensis ) cotton has been grown in Australia since 1996. Varieties have either one or two genetically modified inserts that provide separate proteins to kill off pests. A further loss for Australian cotton farmers is a $155/ha “technology fee” that ha s to be paid to Monsanto.
Other Options to Tampons
Organic Tampons: at least you know that they are not made with lots of bad stuff even though it still generates heaps of waste. (Eco Yarn Organic)
The Keeper: a tampon alternative that is reusable with a life of approximately 10 years. The Keeper is made of natural gum rubber, so it has a severely reduced impact on the environment when compared to traditional tampons.
Sea Sponge: occur naturally on the floor of the ocean. No chlorine, bleaching involved. Reusable, affordable, comfortable…fun to wash out in public wash rooms. You can buy it from any chemist and just wash it in warm water after you buy it, letting it soak a while perhaps using a little vinegar if you like.
We’ll be getting these other options in our UTS food co-op very soon….
written by a friend
Green Tampons
The average women uses once and then throws away approximately 10, 000 pads or tampons in her lifetime.
What's in a Tampon?
Tampons are made from cotton and contain Rayon for absorbency and Dioxin for whiteness.
Traditional tampons that are currently on the market are made from Rayon-cotton blends as well as 100% rayon and 100% cotton. Rayon is reconstituted wood pulp and its production involves the use of many chemicals. The traditional cotton used in tampons has been grown using as many as 35 different pesticides, herbicides and fungicides after which the cotton is washed and bleached. This manufacturing process has a certain level of harmful chemical usage, and after years of continued use, the residue from these chemicals adds considerably to the body's system. The chemicals do not just go away after they have been sprayed on the cotton. Some of the chemicals are even reactivated when moisture is applied.
rayon
Rayon is used because it is very absorbent. It is made from cellulose fibres derived from wood pulp. Artificial fibres like rayon are abrasive and can cause tiny cuts embedding pieces into cervical tissue and increasing the occurrence of ulcerations and peeling of mucous membrane. Tampons soak up more than just blood. They absorb vaginal mucus that is necessary to maintain a healthy pH balance in the vagina. Lack of balance can lead to yeast infection.
dioxin
Dioxin is a chemical that is used for bleaching products. Dioxin is a general term that describes a group of hundreds of chemicals that are highly persistent in the environment. Dioxin is well-known for its ability to damage the immune system and interfere with hormonal systems. However, reports conducted by some independent health organizations and also researchers hired by companies like Tampax that provide tampons for consumers, claim that levels of dioxide are minimal and that they are within government regulations.
Cotton in Australia
Cotton is the third most important agricultural export for Australia, generating approximately A-$ 1.5 billion (0.8 billion Euro) annually. Australia grows an average of 450000 ha or approximately 1 million acres of cotton. Obviously, both the Australian Government and also the cotton industry have a vested interest in any research conducted that involves pesticide (pest killer) or herbicide (plant/weed killer) use with cotton production.
Production of Cotton
Unless the production of the cotton is certified as organic it will contain traces of all the pesticides and herbicides used in cotton production. A pesticide or herbicide is any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest of weed. By their very nature, most pesticides or herbicides create some risk of harm to humans, animals, or the environment because they are designed to kill or otherwise adversely affect living organisms.
Monsanto justified the introduction of Roundup Ready into Australia cotton industry because it stated that when used on cotton production pesticides can have a potentially harmful effect on aquatic life, affecting plants that provide food and habitat for fish and other aquatic animals and sometimes being directly toxic to these animals.
In a joint program involving CSIRO and seed companies, Monsanto sold its INGARD cotton (also known as Bt cotton) to Australian growers with estimates that there would be a 90% drop in sprays. In fact, for the 1996-97 crop there was a 52% decrease (some claim as much as 60%). Although this was not evenly spread among producers, some argue this is still very good news.
However, Australian farmers generally found themselves worse off financially than they thought they would. Some had to spray just as much as usual, yields were variable and costs higher. The level of Bt toxin was not consistent throughout the plant, throughout the life of the plant, or under different weather conditions, and more insects survived than had been intended by the developer (some Australian researchers suspected the dose of toxin was not high enough for our pests). Critics argue this is typical of the 'imprecision' and lack of predictability of how gene technology works in the real world.
Bt ( bacillus thuringiensis ) cotton has been grown in Australia since 1996. Varieties have either one or two genetically modified inserts that provide separate proteins to kill off pests. A further loss for Australian cotton farmers is a $155/ha “technology fee” that ha s to be paid to Monsanto.
Other Options to Tampons
Organic Tampons: at least you know that they are not made with lots of bad stuff even though it still generates heaps of waste. (Eco Yarn Organic)
The Keeper: a tampon alternative that is reusable with a life of approximately 10 years. The Keeper is made of natural gum rubber, so it has a severely reduced impact on the environment when compared to traditional tampons.
Sea Sponge: occur naturally on the floor of the ocean. No chlorine, bleaching involved. Reusable, affordable, comfortable…fun to wash out in public wash rooms. You can buy it from any chemist and just wash it in warm water after you buy it, letting it soak a while perhaps using a little vinegar if you like.
We’ll be getting these other options in our UTS food co-op very soon….