Humans: The new lab rats

Illustration by Trevor Moore Photo credit: Trevor Moore

For years humans have been guinea pigs to the vast amount of unregulated chemicals that is put in food, water, plastics, cleaning materials and so much more.

Produced and narrated by Sean Penn and directed by Dana Nachman and Don Hardy Jr., “The Human Experiment” is an excellent documentary that speaks on the underlying correlation between the industrial chemical revolution and the rapid rise in health issues such as autism, polycystic ovarian syndrome, ADHD and various cancers.

Did you know that in today’s society, chemicals are deemed safe until otherwise proven wrong? This means corporations can put the newest chemicals into its products without knowledge if it’s safe for humans. More than 80,000 chemicals are available for purchase in the United States, but only 200 have been tested for safety and only five are FDA regulated.

This is completely absurd if you ask me. Every chemical should be tested for safety before it is put in the hands of the public.

After watching this documentary, I have lost faith in big corporations that put profit before our health. I learned about the dangers of chemicals, such as BPA and fluoride, and I hope you all watch it and learn something as well.

It’s available to watch on Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video and has multiple screenings throughout the country.

One of the big examples the documentary focused on was the influx on BPA, or Bisphenol A, in plastics. BPA was used as a synthetic estrogen product but was quickly picked up by the plastic industry because of its anti-shatter properties. BPA is in everything from Tupperware to baby bottles, and could possibly be in the water bottle you are drinking from right now.

People started noticing a problem with BPA when mice started developing cancers from drinking bottles that contained BPA. If mice were developing cancer, just imagine what it could be doing to the vulnerable bodies of babies.

Since watching the documentary, I am going to be more cautious about what products I use. For instance, I am only going to buy green cleaning supplies and make sure all my plastics are BPA free. With a few simple steps, it’s possible to cut down on our chemical consumption.

I encourage everyone to watch this documentary and spread the knowledge they learn to their loved ones.

Nick Bragg can be reached at [email protected] or @theorion_news on Twitter.