Toxic Incense In Religious Ceremonies
(Is nothing Sacred ? Please forward and post - TR)

Excerpt from the attached fwd;

temple workers may face health risks from exposure to
incense.
thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008...p-76/

From the above link

Guardian (UK): A two-year study of temple workers in
Bangladesh suggests that exposure to joss sticks, a type of
incense often used in Buddhist worship, might have health risks
similar to cigarette-smoke exposure (via Enviroblog).

_____________________________________________

www.guardian.co.uk/world/20...30/health
Guardian (UK):
A two-year study of temple workers in
Bangladesh suggests that exposure to joss sticks, a type of
incense often used in Buddhist worship, might have health risks
similar to cigarette-smoke exposure

VIA
www.enviroblog.org/2008/08/...ancer.htm
Enviroblog).

______________

Copy / paste from the www.guardian.co.uk/world/20...30/health
Guardian (UK) link:


Burning joss sticks 'as deadly as traffic fumes or cigarette smoke'

# Ian MacKinnon in Bangkok
# guardian.co.uk,
# Wednesday July 30 2008 12:51 BST
Guardian UK www.guardian.co.uk/


Worship is generally not a life-threatening pursuit. But devotees across Asia
could be taking their life into their hands every time they go to a temple to pray,
according to a study by a Thai doctor.

Burning joss sticks lit as an offering in shrines and temples fill the air with
cancer-causing toxins that are every bit as deadly as traffic fumes and
cigarette smoke, says Dr Manoon Leechawengwong.

Dr Manoon, who has just completed a two-year study of temple workers tasked
with clearing the smouldering sticks, found the cocktail of chemicals in the
smoke put them at risk of leukaemia, lung, blood and bladder cancers.

"One joss stick creates the same amount of cancer-causing chemicals at one
cigarette," said Dr Manoon, who led the research. "I knew there would be some
carcinogens, but I was surprised by the levels."

Joss sticks are a type of incense used in worship in many Asian countries. In
Buddhism they are believed to aid spiritual communication and serve as an
offering.

Dr Manoon's study was conducted among 40 workers in three temples at
Ayutthaya, Chachoengsao and Samut Prakan, sites chosen deliberately far
from Bangkok's traffic pollution. The findings were compared with another 25
people living in a joss-stick free environment.

Temple workers were exposed to high levels of benzene, also known as
petroleum ether, related to leukaemia; butadiene involved in blood cancer; and
benzo[a]pyrene that can cause lung, bladder and skin cancers.

The level of benzene in the temple workers was four times higher than normal,
butadiene was 260 times higher, and benzo[a]pyrene - the most dangerous
carcinogen - 63 times greater.

Analysis of the temple workers blood and urine samples discovered damage to
their DNA, with a correspondingly lower capacity of their bodies to repair that
damage.

"We know from our study that there's DNA damage," said Dr Manoon. "But
what we don't know is if they will develop cancer. Certainly they have a greater
risk. It's like smoking. Not all smokers get cancer, it's about 20% ."

But Dr Manoon urges worshippers to reduce the risks by extinguishing the
scented joss stick immediately after use, rather than leaving it standing pots of
sand as it burns down. Manufacturers could also produce sticks that burn for a
minute or less.

"It's not necessary as part of the ritual for these traditional joss sticks to burn
down," he said. "By putting them out after a minute or so the air pollution would
be cut by 30 to 40 times."


______________________________________________________
Copy / paste from the
www.enviroblog.org/2008/08/...ancer.htm
Enviroblog link:

Praying for an end to cancer?

Most people don’t think of going to a place of religious worship as a time when
they're exposing themselves to the danger. However, it really depends where
you worship.

A recent study by a Thai doctor found that burning insence in shrines and
temples fills the air with cancer-causing toxic chemicals. Dr Manoon
Leechawengwong, who completed the study, found that those chemicals are
as bad as traffic fumes and cigarette smoke.

Joss sticks are a type of incense used in many East Asian countries, often
burned as an offering. It is believed that their smoke carries prayers to the
deceased through its journey upward into the sky.

The two year study of temple workers found that the workers are exposed to a
mix of chemicals from the smoke that put them on risk for numerous diseases,
including several different cancers. The study also found some DNA changes.

One way to reduce the chemical exposure would be to put the sticks out right
after use, instead of letting them burn down completely. This way, the ritual can
be preserved, and the pollution is reduced.

_____________________________________________

______________________

FYI; I might be taking a road trip for the next ten days or so ...... TR

Copy / paste :>

I am thinking of
volunteering at Sofest and camping there all
week.
So I might be gone for ten days or so. That
depends on if I decide to go to Harbin for a couple
of days, after Solfest.

FYI: Copy / paste from the WACCOObb

Enjoy volunteering, interested in environmental
education, unhappy with the current state of the world,
SolFest is the place for you. We have workshops ranging
from everything from straw bale construction to electric
vehicles to solar panels to the economics of solar. To
volunteer and gain free entrance to the festival's many
attractions, call 707-263-1510 or go to
http://solarliving. org/display. asp?catid=17&pageid=19. or

check out our website at www. solfest. org

End of copy / paste

TR

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: The Pump Handle
Date: Fri, Aug 8, 2008 at 8:42 AM
Subject: The Pump Handle Weekly Digest
To:


Here are links to items posted on The Pump Handle over the past week:

** "Chao's Priorities on Display in Postville" by Liz Borkowski
Reports of underage workers in the Postville, Iowa meatpacking plant
that immigration officials raided in May illustrate the Labor
Department's misplaced priorities.
thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008...ille/

** "Crandall Canyon 1st Anniversary" by Nathan Fetty
On the one-year anniversary of the Crandall Canyon mine disaster, the
New York Times points out that MSHA's aversion to enforcement has
deadly consequences – and it's time for a new approach.
thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008...sary/

** "Occupational Health News Roundup" by Liz Borkowski
A House committee hears testimony about sexual assault in the
military; an emergency room nurse lands in intensive care after being
exposed, via a patient's clothes, to fluid used in natural gas
extraction; and temple workers may face health risks from exposure to
incense.
thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008...p-76/

** "Connecting the dots: 'compliance assistance' to 'destined to fail'"
Tom Bethell of The Mountain Eagle urges us (and policymakers) to read
the independent investigation of MSHA and the Crandall Canyon disaster
to understand how the Secretary of Labor's demand for 'compliance
assistance' programs set the groundwork for the deadly workplace
conditions for our nation's mine workers.
thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008...fail/

** "Cancer registry cock up in Maryland" by revere
Cancer registries are a valuable resource for epidemiologists, so it's
distressing to find that a contractor has been tampering with the data
in Maryland's database.
thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008...land/

** "Crane Industry Pushes OMB for OSHA Rule" by Celeste Monforton
Representatives of the crane industry, including several who were
members of the OSHA Neg/Reg committee, met with OMB to press it to
complete its review of the agency's proposed rule on cranes and
derricks.
thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008...rule/

** "Savannah Newspaper Slams Imperial Sugar Executives" by Celeste Monforton
An editorial in the Savannah Morning News calls for tough penalties
for the executives of Imperial Sugar, after a sugar-dust explosion at
one of their plants killed 13 workers and injured many more.
thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008...ives/

** "OSHA Underground on Ed Foulke: Try harder" by Christina Morgan
OSHA Underground responds to a Senate committee hearing on combustible
dust explosions, which OSHA Administrator Ed Foulke has done too
little to prevent.
thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008...ulke/

** "Friday Blog Roundup" by Liz Borkowski
Bloggers update us about what's going on in Congress with consumer
protections, tobacco regulation, EPA oversight, and prescription
drugs; plus, they explore green jobs, the International AIDS
Conference, and "paralysis by analysis."
thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008...p-86/

** "The People and Prejudices Behind Chao's Secret Rule" by Liz Borkowski
In a follow-up to the news about the Department of Labor's secret
risk-assessment rule, which would create new barriers to protecting
workers from toxic substances, Effect Measure explores the players
behind the proposal.
thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008...rule/

********************************
You are currently subscribed to The Pump Handle Weekly Email Digest.
To unsubscribe, send an email to thepumphandle@gmail.com with
"unsubscribe" in the subject line.



--
...-- End Of Forwarded Message -----

Tom Krohmer
Environmental Technologist
toxicreverend.blogspot.com/
aka
The Toxic Reverend
www.myspace.com/toxicreverend
aka
Justice Is Homeless
www.myspace.com/justiceishomeless

Database lists illnesses with toxic chemicals
that can cause them is now linked in with a
review and comments at :>
people.tribe.net/toxicreverend

Homicide Charges For Corporations
(Rough draft posted with active reference links)
www.angelfire.com/nm/redcollarcrime

Peer Reviewed Medical Journal on Chronic
Illnesses, cancers and Stealth Infections
from Bio-weapons of the non-lethal variety
www.immed.org
Note:
The Gulf War Vets have posted
"Beyond Treason"
www.gulfwarvets.com

Toxic Revelations; Censored information on
biological weapons and the health care
industry The censored rough draft has
been reposted
www.puppstheories.com/ToxicRe.../tr.html

From Information Clearing House at
www.informationclearinghouse.info/a...tm

*Death of Free Internet Is Imminent: Canada Will Become Test Case*
By Kevin Parkinson
21/07/08
www.globalresearch.ca/index.php

"Global Research" -- In the last 15 years or so, as a society we have had access to more information than ever before in modern history because of the Internet. There are approximately 1 billion Internet users in the world B and any one of these users can theoretically communicate in real time with any other on the planet. The Internet has been the greatest technological achievement of the 20th century by far, and has been recognized as such by the global community.

The free transfer of information, uncensored, unlimited and untainted, still seems to be a dream when you think about it. Whatever field that is mentioned -- education, commerce, government, news, entertainment, politics, and countless other areas -- have been radically affected by the introduction of the Internet. And mostly, it's good news, except when poor judgements are made and people are taken advantage of. Scrutiny and oversight are needed, especially where children are involved.

However, when there are potential profits open to a corporation, the needs of society don't count. Take the recent case in Canada with the behemoths, Telus and Rogers, rolling out a charge for text messaging without any warning to the public. It was an arrogant and risky move for the telecommunications giants because it backfired. People actually used Internet technology to deliver a loud and clear message to these companies and that was to scrap the extra charge. The people used the power of the Internet against the big boys and the little guys won.

However, the issue of text messaging is just a tiny blip on the radar screens of Telus and another company, Bell Canada, the two largest Internet Service Providers (I.S.P.'s) in Canada. Our country is being used as a test case to drastically change the delivery of Internet service forever. The change will be so radical that it has the potential to send us back to the horse and buggy days of information sharing and access.

In the upcoming weeks watch for a report in Time Magazine that will attempt to smooth over the rough edges of a diabolical plot by Bell Canada and Telus, to begin charging per site fees on most Internet sites. The plan is to convert the Internet into a cable-like system, where customers sign up for specific web sites, and then pay to visit sites beyond a cutoff point.

From my browsing (on the currently free Internet), I have discovered that the "demise" of the free Internet is slated for 2010 in Canada and, two years later, around the world. Canada is seen a good choice to implement such shameful and sinister changes, since Canadians are viewed as being laissez fair, politically uninformed and an easy target. The corporate marauders will iron out the wrinkles in Canada and then spring the new, castrated version of the Internet on the rest of the world, probably with little fanfare, except for some dire warnings about the "evil" of the Internet (free) and the C.E.O.'s spouting about "safety and security." These buzzwords usually work pretty well.

What will the Internet look like in Canada in 2010? I suspect that the I.S.P.'s will provide a "package" program as companies like Cogeco currently do. Customers will pay for a series of websites as they do now for their television stations. Television stations will be available on-line as part of these packages, which will make the networks happy since they have lost much of the younger market which are surfing and chatting on their computers in the evening. However, as is the case with cable television now, if you choose something that is not part of the package, you know what happens. You pay extra.

And this is where the Internet (free) as we know it will suffer almost immediate, economic strangulation. Thousands and thousands of Internet sites will not be part of the package, so users will have to pay extra to visit those sites! In just an hour or two, it is possible to easily visit 20~30 sites or more while looking for information. Just imagine how high these costs will be.

At present, the world condemns China because that country restricts certain websites. "They are undemocratic; they are removing people's freedom; they don't respect individual rights; they are censoring information," are some of the comments we hear. But, what Bell Canada and Telus have planned for Canadians is much worse than that. They are planning the death of the Internet (free) as we know it, and I expect they'll be hardly a whimper from Canadians. It's all part of the corporate plan for a New World Order and virtually a masterstroke that will lead to the creation of billions and billions of dollars of corporate profit at the expense of the working and middle classes.

There are so many other implications as a result of these changes, far too many to elaborate on here. Be aware that we will all lose our privacy because all websites will be tracked as part of the billing procedure, and we will be literally cut off from 90% of the information that we can access today. The little guys on the Net will fall likes flies; Bloggers and small website operators will die a quick death because people will not pay to go to their sites and read their pages.

Ironically, the only medium that can save us is the one we are trying to save -- the Internet (free). This article will be posted on my Blog: www.realitycheck.typepad.com
And I encourage people and groups to learn more about this issue. Canadians can keep the Internet free just as they kept text messaging free. Don't wait for the federal politicians. They will do nothing to help us.

I would welcome a letter to the editor of the Standard Freeholder from a spokesperson from Bell Canada or Telus telling me that I am absolutely wrong in what I have written, and that no such changes to the Internet are being planned, and that access to Internet sites will remain FREE in the years to come. In the meantime, I encourage all of you to write to the media, ask questions, phone the radio station, phone a friend, or think of something else to prevent what appears to me to be inevitable.

Maintaining Internet (free) access is the only way we have a chance at combating the global corporate takeover, the North American Union, and a long list of other deadly deeds that the elite in society have planned for us. Yesterday was too late in trying to protect our rights and freedoms. We must now redouble our efforts in order to give our children and grandchildren a fighting chance in the future.

~~~
Author's website:
realitycheck.typepad.com/




--
...-- End Of Forwarded Message -----

Tom Krohmer
Environmental Technologist
toxicreverend.blogspot.com/
aka
The Toxic Reverend
www.myspace.com/toxicreverend
aka
Justice Is Homeless
www.myspace.com/justiceishomeless

Database lists illnesses with toxic chemicals
that can cause them is now linked in with a
review and comments at :>
people.tribe.net/toxicreverend

Homicide Charges For Corporations
(Rough draft posted with active reference links)
www.angelfire.com/nm/redcollarcrime

Peer Reviewed Medical Journal on Chronic
Illnesses, cancers and Stealth Infections
from Bio-weapons of the non-lethal variety
www.immed.org
Note:
The Gulf War Vets have posted
"Beyond Treason"
www.gulfwarvets.com

Toxic Revelations; Censored information on
biological weapons and the health care
industry The censored rough draft has
been reposted
www.puppstheories.com/ToxicRe.../tr.html

With regard to the article;

Most Sunscreens Fail to Protect
By Christopher Wanjek
LiveScience's Bad Medicine Columnist
LiveScience.comTue Jul 8, 6:55 AM ET

Feel free to forward and post:
Comment / article posted at WACCBB
www.waccobb.net/forums .. www.waccobb.net/


Copy / paste of comment, added after your article that is posted;

Here is a copy / paste of the "Sunlight" article from
www.beyondhealth.com/articles.aspx

(Edit insert; The article on depression at the above index,
is used to teach students at a major medical school. End of insert).

There are too many other articles to list. Being
that the articles are free, you can get a basic
education on "censored health information", from
an expert, in every day terms. The authors
credentials are given after the article - Blessings,
The Toxic Reverend
......

REPRINTED FROM BEYOND HEALTH® News



Sunlight and Health


by Raymond Francis

In a number of BHN issues beginning in July/August of '96, we have told our readers

that, contrary to popular belief, sunlight does not cause cancer. In fact cancer rates

are much lower where there is more sunlight. I have recently come across an

excellent book by Zane Kime, MD titled Sunlight. Dr. Kime looks at the relationship of

sunlight and human health. He takes studies from the scientific literature and

demonstrates sunlight's beneficial effects in lowering cholesterol, blood pressure, and

blood sugar. He cites how sunlight increases endurance, sex hormone levels, and

immunity. The book also contains dietary suggestions on how to protect your skin

from sun damage the way nature intended.

It's easy to forget, in the midst of our cancer epidemic, that cancer was traditionally a

rare disease affecting less than 1% of the population. The healthy, long-lived

populations like the Hunzas and the Vilcabambas lived at high elevations where the

sun was more intense. They were out farming every day. Yet they lived to very old

ages without getting cancer. If the sun causes cancer, how did these people and

others like the Polynesians ever survive? Skin cancer is the end-result of many factors

of which inappropriate sun exposure is only one.

Like a lot of things, too much of a good thing can be bad for you. The sun is essential

to health, but too little or too much sun will damage health. The sun can do damage

if we use it improperly. And use it improperly is what most of us do. Studies show

that the incidence of all malignancy is 6 to 10 times lower closer to the equator

where there is more sunlight, and people who have chronic exposure to the sun are

less likely to develop melanoma than urbanized people who have intermittent

exposure.

One of the reasons for lower cancer rates may be that people who are out in the sun

all the time form pigments that protect them from the sun, and their sun exposure

makes them healthier in the first place. Urban dwellers don't get enough healthy sun

exposure. They often get intermittent tans that fade. Repeating this cycle may result

in damage because the skin is not protected during the tanning process. Also the

urban dweller is much more likely to burn during the tanning process. Some

researchers believe that burns are a key to skin cancer. Turning into a red lobster is

definitely not conducive to good health, as any lobster can attest.

No one is arguing that sunlight doesn't trigger free radical activity and that the

amount of free radicals doesn't increase with the intensity of the sunshine. These

free radicals can cause skin to age prematurely, wrinkle, and sunburn, and can

damage DNA and cause skin lesions. However, research shows that diets rich in

carotenes and other antioxidants protect the skin against the hazards of ultraviolet

sunlight. Carotenes are a class of compounds found in plants, fruits, and vegetables

that reduce the free radical activity that causes damage and premature aging of

cells. Research has shown that diets rich in carotenes reduce the risk of cancer and

prevent the damage to DNA that results in a number of degenerative diseases. In

fact carotenes are being called nature's "sun umbrella." Carotenes are used up during

exposure to sunlight, so one's dietary supply must be adequate to provide continuous

protection. Here's the problem. Very few Americans are getting adequate amounts of

fresh fruits and vegetables in their diet. We are blaming the sun for problems caused

by poor diets and excessive inappropriate exposures.

What about sunscreens? A few decades of increasing sunscreen use has done nothing

to stop the increasing rate of skin cancer. In fact, the chemicals in sunscreens may

even become carcinogenic when exposed to sunlight. Researchers at the University of

Pennsylvania say that broad-spectrum sunscreens still aren't broad enough to cover

the full spectrum of potentially harmful light. Ultraviolet radiation consists of over 100

separate frequencies. Sunscreens don't protect against all, and we don't know which

are harmful and which beneficial. We may even be blocking the wrong ones. In

addition, using a sunscreen can create a false sense of security and cause people to

spend excessive amounts of time in the sun. Researchers at the M.D. Anderson

Cancer Center in Houston say, "There is no substantial evidence that sunscreen

protects against any of the three forms of skin cancer. Dr. Robin Marks, a

dermatologist and a professor at the University of Melbourne says, "Relying on

synthetic chemicals to prevent cancer is laughable." Arthur Rhodes, a University of

Pittsburgh dermatologist, told a 1994 meeting of the American Cancer Society that

sunscreens "appear weakly effective or ineffective" at preventing cancer.

The fact is we were designed to be out in the sun. Sunlight is absolutely essential for

good health in so many ways that we don't even begin to understand them. Unless

you do something foolish, the sun won't damage healthy people who have adequate

amounts of nutrients like carotenes, lycopene, essential fatty acids, and vitamins A,

C, E, and zinc and selenium. Our need for the sun is exemplified by the fact that

nature intended we get most of our vitamin D from the sun. Vitamin D is almost

totally absent in vegetable foods.

When sunlight strikes the skin it sets off a multi-staged process whereby cholesterol

is ultimately changed into vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential to the absorption of

calcium from the intestines and for the production of enzymes involved in collagen

formation in the bones. Staying out of the sun is partially responsible for our

epidemic of osteoporosis, especially in our elderly. One study found that 36% of

elderly men and 47% of elderly women were vitamin D deficient. Even moderate sun

exposure would help to alleviate this problem. However, sunlight through window

glass will not activate vitamin D synthesis.

Sunlight is absolutely essential to good health. Its only been in recent times that the

sun has been cast as our enemy. If getting too little or too much sun is bad for us,

how can the average person get what they need without harming themselves? First

of all get the sun slowly. Secondly, stay out of the midday sun. Timing sun exposures

to avoid the hours of 10 to 2 PM will cut ultraviolet exposure by 60% because the sun

is less intense. Most everyone should try to get at least ten minutes in the sun on a

daily basis and longer on weekends. If you do it this way, your skin will adapt

through skin pigmentation and you won't get sunburned. Some experts claim at least

one hour of unfiltered sunlight per day is essential to health. This doesn't have to be

in direct sun, indirect sunlight is acceptable but it should not be filtered through

glass. Sunlight into the retina is a very important nutrient. Retinas need the whole

spectrum of solar radiation, and wearing glasses or contacts could screen out

important frequencies that are critical to long-term health. When you are in direct

sun for long periods, cover up. Wear a broad brimmed hat and suitable clothing.

We need to protect against skin cancer both from the outside and the inside. Getting

an optimal amount of nutrients is essential. Eat a diet that is rich in fresh, unrefined,

essential fatty acids such as those contained in Udo's Choice. A diet rich in carotenes

is essential. Supplementation with products like Caroplete should be considered.

Caroplete contains a natural mixture of carotenes including lycopene. In addition,

vitamins A, C, and E along with minerals like zinc and selenium will help to both

protect and repair skin.

How much sun is right for you depends on your biochemical individuality. With a bit

of awareness and following the above suggestions, you should be able to develop a

healthy golden tan and reap the benefits of the sun without doing harm. Health is a

choice, and by developing good habits and making sensible choices, the sun will be

your friend and not your enemy.


Raymond Francis is an M.I.T.-trained scientist, a registered nutrition consultant,

author of Never Be Sick Again and Never Be Fat Again, host of the Beyond Health

Show, Chairman of the The Project to End Disease and an internationally recognized

leader in the field of optimal health maintenance.

Reprinted with permission from:


Beyond Health® News

Subscriptions: Call 800-250-3063

website: www.beyondhealth.com


email: mail@beyondhealth.com

Copyright 1997, Beyond Health


--
...-- End Of Forwarded Message -----

Tom Krohmer
Environmental Technologist
toxicreverend.blogspot.com/
aka
The Toxic Reverend
www.myspace.com/toxicreverend
aka
Justice Is Homeless
www.myspace.com/justiceishomeless

Database lists illnesses with toxic chemicals
that can cause them is now linked in with a
review and comments at :>
people.tribe.net/toxicreverend

Homicide Charges For Corporations
(Rough draft posted with active reference links)
www.angelfire.com/nm/redcollarcrime

Peer Reviewed Medical Journal on Chronic
Illnesses, cancers and Stealth Infections
from Bio-weapons of the non-lethal variety
www.immed.org
Note:
The Gulf War Vets have posted
"Beyond Treason"
www.gulfwarvets.com

Toxic Revelations; Censored information on
biological weapons and the health care
industry The censored rough draft has
been reposted
www.puppstheories.com/ToxicRe.../tr.html