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4 reviews for:
Lead Wars: The Politics of Science and the Fate of America's Children
David Rosner, Gerald Markowitz
4.07 AVERAGE
4 reviews for:
Lead Wars: The Politics of Science and the Fate of America's Children
David Rosner, Gerald Markowitz
4.07 AVERAGE
Dense and very detailed, but worth it. In addition to digging into ways in which the lead industry and corporations put profit before public health and safety and marshal their significant resources to undermine science and convince policy makers and the public that the dangers aren't real or, at least, can't be attributed to them (which has also been well documented for examples other than lead such as global warming and tobacco), this book also looks at compromises made by well-intentioned public health researchers and policy makers in the face of disinvestment in the government agencies and programs that would be able to tackle the very expensive problem of thoroughly removing lead paint in housing. Devastating to read in that respect, to see the degree to which agendas to shrink government and reduce spending have undercut the powerful work of communities, doctors, and researchers to highlight the problem of lead exposure and its disproportionate impact on poor Black and Brown children and work to eradicate the problem for all people.
How did Johns Hopkins and 2 of the most prominent lead researchers in the scientific community design a study that led to the poisoning of previously healthy children? A thorough and detailed account of the politics of environmental pollution and poisoning of the poor by the (fully aware of the toxicity of its product) lead industry. Easily understood by someone without a policy analysis background. Highly recommended for all parents, political scientists, environmental activists, and frankly, anyone who cares about justice in the United States.
challenging
informative
slow-paced
This is a very detailed look at the struggle to get lead paint and leaded gas away from children. It starts in the 1920s, and is a continuation of "Deceit and Denial: The Deadly Politics of Industrial Pollution" by the same author. At times the level of detail is a bit overwhelming. It seems like EVERY paper ever written about the dangers of lead is addressed. But even in small doses this book is illumination. It makes it very clear that even a small amount of lead is extremely damaging to the mental development of a child. Meanwhile the lead industry was determined to base the legal level of "safe" lead on the amount that it takes to actually kill an adult. We are given specific numbers on the number of homes containing lead paint, and the cost of completely cleaning them. The research that the Kennedy Krieger Institute of John Hopkins University did on the development of children in homes with varying degrees of lead cleanup is a primary focus.