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Scare flares over fire retardant in polar bears
Sydney Morning Herald ^ | June 2, 2004 | By Alister Doyle, in Oslo

Posted on 06/01/2004 7:54:50 AM PDT by dead

Chemicals widely used as flame retardants in homes have been discovered in Arctic polar bears and birds, and could pose a health hazard, Norwegian scientists say.

Now the Government is to seek a European Union review of the chemicals, which are used in everything from computers to clothes.

"Traces of the compounds were found in studies of polar bears and in glaucous gulls," said Geir Wing Gabrielsen, head of a toxicology research program at the Norwegian Polar Institute. "This is the first time that this flame retardant has been found in the Arctic."

Traces of the so-called deca-BDE flame retardant, commonly used in car upholstery and televisions, had previously been found in falcons in Sweden and samples of human blood further south.

But the discovery in Arctic animals, far from sources of pollution and swept north by prevailing winds and ocean currents, was a sign that they might not break down as quickly into harmless units as previously thought, Dr Gabrielsen said.

The European Union will ban two other types of brominated flame retardant, penta-BDE and octa-BDE, this year because of health worries. Norway, a non-member, will ban them, too.

The environmental group WWF called for a ban on deca-BDE, even though it said little was known about its toxicity.

"The fact that it travels long distances, accumulates in wildlife and potentially breaks down into other harmful compounds is, in WWF's view, enough to justify a ban," it said.

Brominated flame retardants save thousands of lives every year by slowing the spread of fires, manufacturers say.

Reuters


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: environment
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To: dead

"Once they’re impervious to fire, they’ll be no stopping the polar bears from ruling the world."

LOL
Yup, I've been saying it for years; they are after our oil!


21 posted on 06/01/2004 8:16:09 AM PDT by GottaLuvAkitas1 (Bush plays CHESS not checkers)
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To: dead
The environmental group WWF called for a ban on deca-BDE, even though it said little was known about its toxicity.

Of course, the WWF feels that if humans were to die in a fire because they didn't use the flame retardant in their home that would be okay as long as we didn't find a trace of it polar bears.

22 posted on 06/01/2004 8:19:38 AM PDT by Reagan is King (The modern definition of 'racist' is someone who is winning an argument with a liberal.)
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To: dead

Yeah! "Hung butchers" was my fave headline from yesterday!


23 posted on 06/01/2004 8:25:30 AM PDT by EggsAckley (............Al Gore: I rant, therefore I am............)
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To: Reagan is King

Is there some way we could extract that material from polar bears? (snicker)


24 posted on 06/01/2004 8:27:02 AM PDT by Rick.Donaldson
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To: martin_fierro
There's a limerick in here somewhere.

Oh, there once was a bear white as snow,
With magnificent fur, don't you know.
He would sit on the porch,
Light his paw for a torch,
And read lots of good books by the glow.

But one day the polar bear found
He'd absorbed chemicals from the ground.
He kept flicking his BIC,
But the flame wouldn't stick,
Now he sits in the dark, makes no sound.

There's a lesson that's here to be learned,
Not one to be casually spurned.
Sometimes for an animal,
It pays to be flammable.
And the bear, though he's flameless, got burned.

25 posted on 06/01/2004 8:31:21 AM PDT by Sender (To know what is right and not do it is the worst cowardice. -Confucius)
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To: dead

Yes, but will this flame retardant in any way effct the required cooking time for the Arctic birds or polar bears?


26 posted on 06/01/2004 8:34:56 AM PDT by Tacis (,)
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To: Sender

Very good.


27 posted on 06/01/2004 8:38:34 AM PDT by wita (truthspeaks@freerepublic.com)
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To: dead

No way they'll spontaneously combust!


28 posted on 06/01/2004 8:39:38 AM PDT by sheik yerbouty
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To: dead

No way they'll spontaneously combust!


29 posted on 06/01/2004 8:39:40 AM PDT by sheik yerbouty
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To: dead

Wouldn't it be easier to teach the Bears and the Gulls not to eat garbage at the dump sites?


30 posted on 06/01/2004 8:45:23 AM PDT by fish hawk
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To: fish hawk

This opens up a whole new career field for polar bears. Now they may be flaming stunt movie doubles for Ed Asner.


31 posted on 06/01/2004 9:20:46 AM PDT by alloysteel (Live well and prosper. Beam me up, Scottie....)
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To: dighton; dead; general_re; BlueLancer; Poohbah; hellinahandcart; Constitution Day; AnnaZ
What's next drunken elephants?
32 posted on 06/01/2004 10:13:30 AM PDT by aculeus
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To: dead

We'll see who's laughing once mean Republicans melt the polar ice caps. Being flame retardant won't help the polar bears tread water.


33 posted on 06/01/2004 10:22:01 AM PDT by TC Rider (The United States Constitution © 1791. All Rights Reserved.)
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To: aculeus; dighton; dead
There is a myth that African elephants can get drunk on Marula fruit, but it's never been proven.

However, there is a liqueur which is made from the fruit of the Marula tree:

It's very good and tastes somewhat like Bailey's.

34 posted on 06/01/2004 10:24:59 AM PDT by Constitution Day
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To: dead

Does this make their hides more valuable as area rugs? If I were in the market for a polar bear rug, I would insist on one of the newer models.


35 posted on 06/01/2004 10:30:21 AM PDT by Fifth Business
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To: dead

One thing is for certain, there is no stopping them; the bears will soon be here. And I, for one, welcome our new polar overlords.


36 posted on 06/01/2004 10:35:33 AM PDT by avg_freeper (Gunga galunga. Gunga, gunga galunga)
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To: dead

Brings a new depth of meaning to the term "chilling out".
37 posted on 06/01/2004 11:01:11 AM PDT by NewRomeTacitus
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

Was that what I heard outside the gate last night? Are the damn fireproof polar bears at it again? Those guys NEVER sleep.


38 posted on 06/01/2004 11:02:17 AM PDT by Xenalyte (It was nearly midnight before we scraped Uncle Harry off the dining-room table.)
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To: Bacon Man; humblegunner; Hap; Allegra

Ping to a thought-provoking headline!


39 posted on 06/01/2004 11:02:40 AM PDT by Xenalyte (It was nearly midnight before we scraped Uncle Harry off the dining-room table.)
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To: Xenalyte
LMAO!!

Just playing games with us. Bidingtheirtime. Grouping up to inflict their final assault on the infidels. Polar Bearrorists. The bas*ards have a plan.

40 posted on 06/01/2004 11:12:08 AM PDT by small voice in the wilderness (Quick, act casual. If they sense scorn and ridicule, they'll flee..)
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