After David Koch Leaves NIH Board, NIH Hands Down Long-Delayed Classification Of Top Koch Pollutant

[tomm2thumbs]

Source: Think Progress Report

Large manufacturers and chemical producers have lobbied ferociously to stop the National Institutes of Health from classifying formaldehyde as a carcinogen. A wide body of research has linked the chemical to cancer, but industrial polluters have stymied regulators from action.

Last year, the New Yorker’s Jane Mayer reported that billionaire David Koch, whose company Georgia Pacific (a subsidiary of Koch Industries) is one of the country’s top producers of formaldehyde, was appointed to the NIH cancer board at a time when the NIH delayed action on the chemical. The news was met with protests from environmental groups. Faced with mounting pressure from Greenpeace and the scientific community, Koch left offered an early resignation from the board in October.

Yesterday, the NIH finally handed down a report officially classifying formaldehyde as a carcinogen

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/green/2011/06/11/242917/nih-carcinogen-koch-industries/

---

This hit the Koch's right in the kisser. (David Koch’s company, Georgia-Pacific, one of the largest manufacturers of Formaldehyde in the United States.) Thank god science finally trumps financial clout and politics.

more on the Koch fight against science linking cancer and formaldehyde:
http://www.desmogblog.com/koch-industries-funds-attack-science-linking-formaldehyde-and-cancer

[Kingofalldems]

1. The face of evil

[kestrel91316]

2. K&R. Pay some attention to THIS, folks, and not some guy's cock.

[Warpy]

3. I wish we could recommend individual posts

Yeah, what Kestrel said. +1,000,000,000

[tomm2thumbs]

4. ditto ditto

[SoapBox]

9. Super ditto what you said.

[madrchsod]

13. dam straight...it`s time to kick these guys out of wisconsin

[No Elephants]

32. +1

[RhodaA]

5. K&R & send to Maddow: [e-mail]

[onethatcares]

6. it's a great thing that his brand of science was shot down

but don't for a moment think the battle is over, oh no.

I wonder if the koch bros had anything to do with the trailers shipped to N.O.?

now that gives me something else to research.

[RhodaA]

7. If the MSM weren't wh@res, they'd focus on Inhoffe and

Vitter instead of Weiner.

[No Elephants]

33. Belated welcome to DU.

We generally try to avoid words like "bitch" and "whore," as gratuitously derogatory to females. I doubt you get banned for it, but alert would likely get your post deleted.

I think using "balls" to mean strength and/or courage and "pussy" to mean weakness and/or cowardice are just as bad, if not worse. I have a personal crusade against those (which, candidly meets with varying degrees of resistance or success).



On edit. After posting, I noticed you've been a DUer since July 2010, so I added "belated" to the subject line of my post. If I welcomed you before. well, then, welcome again.

[Bennyboy]

8. The trailers were made from Those products..

where formaldehyde is a MAIN ingredient. Fibreboard. Chip Board. the siding, any and all wood products that aren't actual wood are processed using formaldehyde.

I worked in a plant and the resin was formaldehyde and urea. every few years another group of people from that plant get a class action suit going and collect. Some of course are dead from cancer too.

[No Elephants]

37. Far from over. More like just beginning

For one thing, I watch a fair amount of PBS and one Koch brother or another, or one Koch corporation or another, is mentioned as a donor on may programs.

Also:

"Education
Koch contributed $7 million to the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) show Nova,<35> and is a contributer to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., including a $20 million gift to the American Museum of Natural History, creating the David H. Koch Dinosaur Wing and a contribution of $15 million to the National Museum of Natural History to create the new David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins, which opened on the museum's 100th anniversary of its location on the National Mall on March 17, 2010.<36>

Koch also financed the construction of Deerfield Academy's $68 million Koch Center for mathematics, science and technology,<37> and was named the first and only Lifetime Trustee.<37>

Koch gave $10 million to the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory<38> where he was honored with the Double Helix Medal for Corporate Leadership for supporting research that, "improves the health of people everywhere."<39>"


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_H._Koch


Awards
Koch has also received an Honorary Doctor of Science, from George Mason University, for his continued support of the economics program at GMU, an Honorary Doctor of Commerce from Washburn University, an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Babson College, a 2004 President's Medal from Wichita State University, The Adam Smith Award from the American Legislative Exchange Council, the 1999 Directors' Award for Global Vision in Energy from the New York Mercantile Exchange, the 1999 Governor's Arts Patrons Award from the Kansas Arts Commission, the 2000 National Distinguished Service Award from The Tax Foundation, the Spirit of Justice Award from The Heritage Foundation, The Entrepreneurial Leadership Award from the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, The Brotherhood/Sisterhood Award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews, the Distinguished Citizen Award from the Boy Scouts of America, the Free Enterprise Award from The Council for National Policy, The Herman W. Lay Memorial Award from The Association of Private Enterprise Education, The Distinguished Service Citation from the University of Kansas, Honorary Life Member in the Washburn Law School Association, the Distinguished Citizen Award from Kansas State University, Induction into the Kansas Oil and Gas Hall of Fame, Induction into the Wichita and Kansas Business Halls of Fame, Spirit of Excellence Award from The Urban League of Wichita, Outstanding Humanitarian Award from the Greater Wichita Chapter of the National Society of Fundraising Executives, Wichita City Medallion, Wichita State University Entrepreneur in Residence, Wichita District Minority Small Business Advocate of the Year, the Individual Recognition Award from the Wichita/Sedgwick County Arts and Humanities Council, and the Uncommon Citizen Award from the Wichita Chamber of Commerce.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_G._Koch

[onethatcares]

46. I guess that goes to show

money doesn't talk, it screams.

the koch foundation is currently trying to buy a financial education spot at Florida State University but they want to have complete control over who is hired, what is taught and who will be allowed to take the course.

[avebury]

10. K&R

[The Last Democratic]

11. Years ago the kids

were looking at buying a new mobile home and there were large
notices on the kitchen counter top about the formaldehyde and
it’s possible  link to cancer, that being the main reason they
passed on not buying one.  

[drm604]

12. So pressure does seem to work on these guys.

Faced with mounting pressure from Greenpeace and the scientific community, Koch left offered an early resignation from the board in October.

It's good to know that they can be pressured. We need lots more pressure.

[snagglepuss]

42. What a shot of good news. Kudos to those who never gave up. nt

[the_chinuk]

14. It still astounds me …

… that these guys don't occasionally sit up, look at each other and say "you know, what we're doing is kind of evil, isn't it?"

Even if they said afterwards "Yeah, but we're down wi'it". At least then I'd know they still had human hearts.

I take no position on the soul. That's outside my area of competence.

[Odin2005]

16. Sociopaths are incapable of guilt.

[Taverner]

17. They need skulls on their uniforms for that

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpZ8EkK3eWY

[the_chinuk]

20. Well played! That Mitchell and Webb bit is brilliant! n/t

[FraDon]

38. Speaking of profiting from misery, you might enjoy "Thank You for Smoking" (2005)

Here's the link to the IMDB summary: Satirical comedy follows the machinations of Big Tobacco's chief spokesman, Nick Naylor, who spins on behalf of cigarettes while trying to remain a role model for his twelve-year-old son.

There's a brilliantly scripted, drinking friendship with the spinmeisters from the axis of evil: alcohol, tobacco & firearms.

[the_chinuk]

15. Oh, yeah … you know the bright side?

At least this'll cut down on all that formaldehyde drinkin'.

You know how being called a carcinogen makes something unmarketable.

[defendandprotect]

18. Folks, we have government by gangsterism ... anyone still questioning that -- ???

[No Elephants]

36. Bingo! Bipartisan gangsterism to boot. Please see Reply 37.

[Dappleganger]

19. It's about damn time!

GP is dumping that crap into the St. Johns river and Rick Scott is helping them do it.

[tsuki]

21. Doesn't he have cancer? Or is it the other one? nt

[999998th word]

22. Why do you think Wi gov walker

and his rubber stamp legislators were so anxious to pass all those 'bills' removing state provisions that were in place for testing

for possible contaminants in our water supply.They also removed or gutted all of the state gov't agencies regulating pollution

from corporations .

They have been replaced by representatives 'chosen' from the private business community.

Were working for the recalls here,because if we don't ,this state will be 'Open for Business' as an open sewer.

The Koch bro's -ALEC model legislation HARD at work here

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: to anyone else who helps spread the word about these vultures.

[Sonoman]

23. It won't make any difference.

Plywood and particleboard are here to stay.

This is much like the Chinese gypboard (sheetrock) deal under *.

Fuck Koch, but the product is generic and vital to business.

It ain't gonna stop, because a ban has to start with our bought-and-sold Congress.

Sonoman

[diane in sf]

27. You can make plywood and particle board without using formaldehyde.

[Sonoman]

30. Really? At a profit?

I cannot remember the name (toluene?) but hasn't everything else been outlawed?

Whatever, fuck the Kochs.

Sonoman

[gejohnston]

24. Do these guys have any kids or grandkids?

Do they ever ask themselves if money having to wear a gas mask to go to the corner store?
Or are they confirmed bachelors because even the most greedy gold diggers could stand these guys?

[999998th word]

28. They have enough money to insulate their own family from any ill effects

of anything their greedy ilk produces.

They don't give a shit about anyone else.

The old phrase 'they'd steal the pennies from a dead man's eyes' comes to mind.

[Zoeisright]

25. The Koch brothers are proof of the saying "only the good die young".

And proof that there is no justice in the world. Justice would mean both of those assholes would die penniless on the street, suffering from the worst diseases imaginable.

I just want to punch that cocksucker right in his fake teeth.

[JDPriestly]

26. Formaldehyde. Watch this flimsy furniture, carpets, lots of things we use on

a daily basis.

[radhika]

29. So he rules both the government and it's opposition?

Here he is extracting servile obedience from agency boards, scientists and researchers. At the same time, he is funding massive movements to unthrone them and create a world where there will be NO research or restrictions on the crap he peddles.

I just don't get it. They could have chipped away at his evil empire step by step. Instead these wonks and geeks just fell to their knees in front of money.

[Enthusiast]

31. These Kochs live a life free of want.

But, as in the fables of old, they are forever grabbing greedily to obtain more. Don't they understand their remaining life is short and they are doing much harm?

"All your money won't another minute buy"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0zSB2WEtwU

[nightscanner59]

34. Greed and the early Skinner box monkeys

Unsure whether it was B.F. Skinner himself or someone else doing his skinner-box model research: Two monkeys, side by side cages and a food pellet dispensary only one had. Pellets dispensed at regular intervals at the push of a lever were readily shared with the hungry monkey next door who had none.
Now comes the scary part. Same monkey now on token economy: Lever push dispenses wooden coin, in turn to "buy" food pellets from the chimp-o-mat. Monkey #1 allows neighbor monkey to starve to death, hoarding the coins.
Until the likes of the MSM are willing to expose the Kock's and other "Let them eat Cake" bastards for what they are...

[snagglepuss]

43. That is astounding. It certainly sheds some light on otherwise mystifying behavior of

wealthy scum like Koch. Thanks for posting. Welcome for DU. :hi:

[No Elephants]

35. This is way bigger than even the Koch brothers. Fuck the NIH! Call for Collins' resignation!

Whether Koch is one of several members of the board of directors or not, why was formaldehyde not on the list of known carcinogens long ago, even before Koch got appointed? How does one director keep a known carcinogen off the list? How does someone responsible for manufacturing formaldehyde get appointed anyway? Did the Senate confirm him? Why did no one ask for his resignation, esp. after the Mayer article came out? (It was Mayer's comments re: formaldehyde that motivated a change in my sig line.)





"Of the nearly 25,000 workers the National Cancer Institute (part of the NIH) had tracked for 30 years, those exposed to higher amounts of formaldehyde had a 37 percent greater risk of death from blood and lymphatic cancers and a 78 percent greater risk of leukemia than those exposed to lower amounts."

http://www.propublica.org/article/how-senator-david-vitter-battled-formaldehyde-link-to-cancer








About the NIH:

"The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research.


<snip>

As of 2003, the NIH was responsible for 28%—about US$26.4 billion—of the total biomedical research funding spent annually in the U.S., with most of the rest coming from industry. The NIH is divided into two parts: the "Extramural" parts of NIH are responsible for the funding of biomedical research outside of NIH, while the "Intramural" parts of NIH conduct research. Intramural research is primarily conducted at the main campus in Bethesda, Maryland and the surrounding communities.

<snip>

The NIH mission is to uncover new knowledge that will lead to better health for everyone. NIH works toward that mission by conducting research in its own laboratories, supporting the research of non-Federal scientists (in universities, medical schools, hospitals, and research institutions throughout the country and abroad), helping in the training of research investigators, and fostering communication of medical and health sciences information.

<snip>

National Cancer Institute NCI Research and training aimed to eliminate the suffering and death due to cancer. The 2010 United States federal budget invests over $6 billion for cancer research at the National Institutes of Health as part of the multi-year commitment to double cancer research funding.<14>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Institutes_of_Health





About the current head of the NIH:

(The very first paragraph of his wiki) "Francis Sellers Collins (born April 14, 1950), is an American physician-geneticist, noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and his leadership of the Human Genome Project (HGP) and described by the Endocrine Society as "one of the most accomplished scientists of our time".<1><2> He currently serves as Director of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Collins has written a book about his Christian faith. He founded and was president of the BioLogos Foundation before accepting the nomination to lead the NIH. On October 14, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Francis Collins to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.<3>

<snip>

Collins' accomplishments have been recognized by numerous awards and honors, including election to the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences. He was a Kilby International Awards recipient in 1993. In 2007, he was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.<12> And, in 2008, he was awarded the National Medal of Science.<13> (IOW, we can assume he's beloved by Bush and/or Republicans.)

On July 8, 2009 President Barack Obama nominated him to the position of Director of the National Institutes of Health.<14> The US Senate unanimously confirmed him for this post, announced by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on August 7, 2009.<15>

According to Science, Collins "is known as a skilled administrator and excellent communicator" and President Obama's nomination of him to lead the NIH "did not come as a big surprise". However, a discussion about whether his very public religious views would influence his leadership of the NIH played out on blogs.<16> His appointment was welcomed by the CEO of the AAAS<17> and by Bernadine Healy.<18>"


Some criticism and praise of the Kochs from the Obama Administration:



Criticism by Obama administration
Charles, along with his brother, David, have been criticised by members of the Obama administration for their political spending. In August of 2010, economist Austan Goolsbee, an administration official, falsely accused Koch Industries of paying no corporate income tax during a background briefing he delivered to reporters.<14> In a September 23, 2010 op-ed in The Washington Post, Obama senior adviser David Axelrod accused Americans for Prosperity of being a "front group" that was "hijacking our elections" by "promot Republican candidates who support their right-wing agenda and corporate interests."<33> The article also compared the brothers unfavorably to past robber barons.

Praise by Obama administration
With the criticism has also come praise from the Obama administration for companies owned by the Koch Brothers. In Fall of 2010, Koch-owned Flint Hills Resources built an agreement between the EPA and Texas Commission on Environmental Equality in a regulation dispute.<34>. "The EPA under President Obama has also praised Koch subsidiaries Georgia-Pacific and Invista for their cooperation with the agency. Georgia-Pacific even won an award from the EPA in 2009."<35>.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_G._Koch (David's wiki is scrubbed much cleaner than Charles's wiki)





Is it soup yet? Wake up, America.


For the love of your kids and grandkids, demand Collins be accountable for this.

[defendandprotect]

41. +1000% --

[Enthusiast]

45. PLUS ONE...............nt

[fascisthunter]

39. Hope the Koch's the Worst

they deserve misery.

[Hubert Flottz]

40. Killer Kochroach is a soulless looking bastid.

The kind that can grin while they murder thousands for money.

[Rex]

44. So when can we start dunking the Koch brothers in formaldehyde?

Since it is perfectly safe...it would just be a college prank!

[blackdem76]

47. Koch should change his name to Weiner. nt

[MaeScott]

48. K and R. Koch causes cancer. Got it. nt

[Hubert Flottz]

51. Then after he causes cancer he wants to steal your medicare and

Social Security. How is his KochCo's ideology that different from the Fuhrer's way of thinking? Count every calorie it takes to tote that barge and lift that bale, subtract 200 calories a day and then work that inmate/voiceless vote-less employee 16 hours a day, until the inmate drops in his tracks, then burn the body and ship in a new inmate.

[suffragette]

49. The info on Vitter and Inhofe's ties to Koch is also interesting.

Pretty clear they are acting on Koch's behalf rather than that of their constituents.

http://thinkprogress.org/green/2011/06/11/242917/nih-carcinogen-koch-industries/
An investigation by ProPublica found that Sens. David Vitter (R-LA) and James Inhofe (R-OK) had used their power to add years of delay to the report. The piece linked Vitter to lobbying from Koch’s Georgia Pacific company, which has plywood plants in Louisiana.

http://www.propublica.org/article/how-senator-david-vitter-battled-formaldehyde-link-to-cancer



Sen. David Vitter, R-La., has pushed the EPA to slow its process of updating its 20-year-old health assessment of formaldehyde. After Hurricane Katrina, thousands of his state's residents said they suffered respiratory problems after being housed in government trailers contaminated with formaldehyde. (Left: A child looks out of a FEMA trailer in Port Sulphur, La. May 2008 photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)


Koch Industries, a large chemical manufacturer and one of Inhofe’s biggest campaign contributors, gave Inhofe $6,000 that year. That same year Koch bought two pulp mills from Georgia-Pacific, a major formaldehyde producer and one of the world’s largest plywood manufacturers. The next year Koch bought all of Georgia-Pacific.


~~~

In November, a political action committee created by the American Chemistry Council, whose members include formaldehyde producers Hexion Specialty Chemicals and DuPont, gave Vitter a $2,500 campaign contribution, in addition to the $1,500 it had given him earlier in the year. On Dec. 2, Koch Industries gave Vitter’s political action committee a check for $5,000. On Dec. 7, Grizzle gave Vitter (PDF) $200. On Dec. 17, the Society of the Plastics Industry, which represents formaldehyde manufacturers BASF and DuPont, hosted a fundraiser for Vitter at its headquarters, recommending donations of $1,000 per person.

[Jack Rabbit]

50. Like we really needed to be told that formaldehyde is a carcinogen

I thought everybody has known that for 40 years, at least.

The late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who came to politics from a career as an academic, once said, "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but no one is entitled to his own facts." By this point is American history, people like Koch can buy their own facts. Did Dr. Moynihan, who died in 2003, underestimate the corrupting influence of money in politics?

The Koch brothers and other right wing billionaires have shown how they can effectively buy their own facts. I don't think for a minute Mr. Koch doesn't believe formaldehyde is a carcinogen; in fact, I don't think for a minute he believes anthropogenic climate change is a scientific hoax. He's just trying to squeeze every dollar he can out of unhealthy consumer goods before government regulation reins his ability to manufacture and market that crap. In the end, he believes we unwashed masses are of no consequence, and he, who inherited his money, is just better than we are.

French and Russian revolutionaries had a very good answer to people who thought they were better than the common man.