1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910798283803321

Autore

Cordner Alissa

Titolo

Toxic safety : flame retardants, chemical controversies, and environmental health / / Dr. Alissa Cordner ; cover design, Diane Lugar

Pubbl/distr/stampa

New York, [New York] : , : Columbia University Press, , 2016

©2016

ISBN

0-231-54138-4

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (347 p.)

Disciplina

363.17/91

Soggetti

Fireproofing agents - Environmental aspects

Fireproofing agents - Toxicology

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Abbreviations -- 1. Uncertain Science and The Fight for Environmental Health -- 2. Hot Topics: Flame Retardants in The Public Sphere -- 3. Defending Risk and Defining Safety -- 4. Strategic Science Translation -- 5. Negotiating Science, Politicizing Science -- 6. Science for Advocacy -- Conclusion: The Pursuit of Chemical Justice -- Appendix. Playing the Field: Methodological Reflections -- Notes -- References -- Index

Sommario/riassunto

Initially marketed as a life-saving advancement, flame retardants are now mired in controversy. Some argue that data show the chemicals are unsafe while others continue to support their use. The tactics of each side have far-reaching consequences for how we interpret new scientific discoveries.An experienced environmental sociologist, Alissa Cordner conducts more than a hundred interviews with activists, scientists, regulators, and industry professionals to isolate the social, scientific, economic, and political forces influencing environmental health policy today. Introducing "strategic science translation," she describes how stakeholders use scientific evidence to support nonscientific goals and construct "conceptual risk formulas" to shape risk assessment and the interpretation of empirical evidence. A revelatory text for public-health advocates, Toxic Safety demonstrates that while all parties interested in health issues use science to support their claims, they do not compete on a level playing field and even



good intentions can have deleterious effects.