Show Notes
In the first episode of this ten-part series, we explore where PFAS came from and how it became a prevalent part of our consumer products.
While the innovation of this class of chemicals has been astoundingly effective in applications like firefighting foams, waterproof rain jackets, and Teflon pans, our appetite for convenience created a toxic chemistry we may have to live with forever.
In the next episode of Forever Chemicals, we dive deeper into how the controversy surrounding PFAS grew into a global health crisis and how it has persisted in manufacturing to this day.
Guests featured in this episode:
- Arlene Blum, Green Science Policy Institute
- Mike Schade, Toxic Free Future
- Stefan Posner, textile and polymer chemist
- Scott Wilson, Regenesis Environmental Remediation
- James Pollock, Marten Law LLP
If you want to learn more about what PFAS are, where they are found, the proven health effects, how you can limit your exposure, up to date news on PFAS, and how to get involved in PFAS regulatory efforts, visit
Toxicfreefuture.org
Foodandwaterwatch.org
Or
Pfascentral.org
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/
WEBSITE: https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist
Fund the Forever Chemicals 10-Part Podcast: https://gofund.me/77aac225
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Snaplinc Consulting provided expert fact checking and guidance for the creation of this podcast.
Snaplinc Consulting provides corporate sustainability strategies and ESG support across a broad range of industries including apparel, footwear, home furnishings, software, cosmetics, professional services and more.
Head to snaplincconsulting.com to learn more and contact the experts to guide you through complex topics like CSRD, PFAS, greenhouse gas assessments, SBTi, CDP, EcoVadis, B Corp and many more compliance and certification frameworks.
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Sources
1. Manufacturing Dive. (n.d.). The history behind 'forever chemicals': PFAS. Retrieved from https://www.manufacturingdive.com/news/the-history-behind-forever-chemicals-pfas-3m-dupont-pfte-pfoa-pfos/698254/
2. Plunkett, R.J. (1986). The History of Polytetrafluoroethylene: Discovery and Development. In: Seymour, R.B., Kirshenbaum, G.S. (eds) High Performance Polymers: Their Origin and Development. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-7073-4_25
3. Teflon II commercials: Historical Reel 2, 1960-70, FILM_1995300_FC43, FC 43, DuPont Company films and commercials (Accession 1995.300), Audiovisual Collections and Digital Initiatives Department, Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, DE 19807
http://findingaids.hagley.org/xtf/view?docId=ead/1995_300.xml
4. W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. (n.d.). The Gore Story. Retrieved from https://www.gore.com/about/the-gore-story#section2
More from Forever Chemicals
In this new ten-part series, we sat down with countless experts from brands like Fjallraven and Outdoor Research along with scientists, lawyers, and law makers that all have a stake in how PFAS is used, and how it is now being eliminated.
A new podcast from Canada's National Observer tells the story of a firefighter’s wife and a corporate lawyer in different parts of the U.S. who get pulled into solving separate mysteries.
Throughout this ten-part series, scientists, lawyers, advocates, and product producers all weighed in on our worldwide PFAS problem. While, yes, we have come a long way in understanding the scope of the issue and began moving away from PFAS, at least in the outdoor industry, many questions still remain.
Throughout this series, we’ve learned not only about how harmful PFAS is as a class of chemicals but also what the outdoor industry is doing to address the issue. While we may have started too late, we are on the right track now, but the work is far from over.
If you’ve listened to the Forever Chemicals podcast up until this point or followed the global contamination issue over the last few decades, then you’ll know the name Robert Bilott.