Recently Asked Questions

How did the idea for this book first come up?

The Environmental Health Fund (EHF) was interested in having someone look at Dow Chemical in depth. They wanted to look at this huge company through the prism of toxic trespass and body burden.

What are ‘toxic trespass’ and ‘body burden’?

Toxic trespass is the idea that since the synthetic chemical revolution, which has been going on in earnest since the 1930s, toxic chemicals have been crossing the domain into human health, including our blood, the womb and women's breast milk. The terms ‘toxic trespass’ and ‘body burden’ are sometimes used interchangeably. But toxic trespass is really a broader concept because it embraces air and water pollution; body burden is more the internal invasive part of that. These terms have been around for a couple of years now, but the way we’re trying to frame it around Dow is new.

Does the concept of ‘toxic trespass’ have legal implications?

There’s an evolving body of tort law that has roots in common trespass law. It’s a concept that’s not difficult to grasp. Most folks are acquainted with ‘No Trespassing’ signs. You can be prosecuted for invading personal property. But trespassing is also occurring on a regular basis by commercial substances that we can’t see. They are invading our personal and biological space. Dow chemicals are in our blood and body tissues. Violations are occurring whether they’re recognized on a legal basis or not. We’re trying to elevate the visibility of these intrusions on public health and safety.

Why did you decide to focus on Dow Chemical?

Dow is the largest chemical company in the world. That should not be lost on the readers out there. Dow has 32 billion dollars in annual sales, with over 200 manufacturing locations in 170 countries. Some people may have heard about Dow and napalm, but they may not have realized the extent that Dow is involved in silicone breast implants or their pesticide history. In this book, hopefully you get to see the whole company and all of its facets.

How do you think Dow will respond to the book?

Dow will do everything they can to dismiss the book saying it’s not worth reading and it’s not worth your time. But I think they’ll find it’s well credited. An awful lot of the citations come from Dow’s own official history and their documents, so I’m pretty confident in the substantiation for this. This is a corporate resume in its entirety, and it’s quite a story.

Who do you see as the target audience for this book?

I tried to write this for the popular audience, whether it’s concerned parents, college students trying to understand the chemical arena, or people on Wall Street looking to evaluate this company and where it’s going.

Who should be responsible for changing the way chemicals are introduced into the environment ñ the government or corporations?

I think companies need to step up to the plate. There are obvious things they can do. Dow could immediately back off of its most persistent chemicals, for example. The business community will say that’s not a realistic proposition. But Dow could set a timetable for developing safer substitutes for the most problematic chemicals. They’re not going to back down easily though. It will take mounting activism and legal action. Dow has been very obstinate. It fights tooth and nail to preserve its position.

What would you tell parents who read this book about how to keep their family safe?

Try to be as educated as you can be about the products you buy, and become attentive in the political sense by supporting important legislation as it comes up. Parents can also get involved in local campaigns to eliminate dangerous pesticides, clean up their children's schools from toxic cleaners, and get poisons out of daily life.

What is the central idea you hope readers will take away from the book?

There’s a slow invisible poisoning taking place that’s a gross trespass on personal health, and it should be stopped. We’re trying to sound the alarm. This concept reaches beyond Dow, but since Dow is such a big player, and at the headwaters of a lot of the most toxic and persistent chemistry, we’re striking at them first.