How a Chemical Defense Attorney Became DuPont’s Greatest Nemesis on Teflon Dangers

If you’re still using non-stick cookware, you may want to seriously reconsider. Ditto for using stain- and water-repellant clothing, and opting for stain-resistant carpets and fabrics. All of these products — and many more — contain perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, also known as C8), which has been revealed to be far more dangerous than previously thought. For 50 years, DuPont used PFOA to make Teflon. Throughout that time, the company has defended the safety of PFOA, and still resists accountability for health problems resulting from exposure to this day. However, the truth has finally come to light. I started warning people about the potential hazards of Teflon over 15 years ago. As a result, I was legally threatened by DuPont many times. The evidence is now crystal clear for everyone to see, just as I have warned of for the last decade and a half. The dangers have become undeniable, and DuPont’s connection to this pernicious poison is starting to receive attention in the mainstream media. The New York Times recently published an in-depth exposé on the legal battle fought against DuPont for the past 15 years over PFOA contamination and its toxic effects. I highly recommend reading through it; it’s an excellent read. Last year, The Intercept also published a three-part exposé titled “The Teflon Toxin: Dupont and the Chemistry of Deception,” detailing DuPont’s history of covering up the facts.

DuPont and Teflon: Masters of Deception

Deceptive and manipulative public relations strategies are the standard approach of the chemical industry. People may believe chemical companies would strive to create chemicals that are as harmless as possible, and to provide strict safety instructions for use when they're not, but history has shown that this isn't the case. Instead, the industry promotes chemicals as harmless even when they are well aware of the risks. What's worse, companies have been repeatedly found to have lied to federal and local regulators, consumers, and even their own employees about the toxicity of various chemicals. DuPont is one such company, which has recently seen a slew of negative press following the filing of thousands of personal injury claims in what The Intercept1 calls "an epic legal battle" against the company — a battle that has been waged for the last 15 years, with little media coverage. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, also known as C8), was an essential ingredient in DuPont's non-stick cookware for decades. PFOA is now the subject of about 3,500 personal injury claims against DuPont, including 37 claims for wrongful death.

Science Is No Longer Truth: Death of Democracy and Knowledge

Our society is largely built on the idea that science can help us make good, solid decisions. But now we're facing a world so rife with problems caused by the very sciences that were supposed to keep us healthy, safe, and productive, it's quite clear that we're heading toward more than one proverbial brick wall. In a sense, the fundamental role of science itself has been hijacked for selfish gain. Looking back, you can now see that the preferred business model of an industry was created first, followed by "scientific evidence" that supports the established business model. When the science doesn’t support the company’s economic gains, it’s swept under the rug, even if people are dying and the planet is becoming irreparably poisoned as a result. Today we live in a world where chemical companies and biotech giants can easily buy and pay for their own research studies, as well as the lobbying to support whatever legislation they need passed in their favor. Conflicts of interest have become the norm within virtually all fields of science, which creates a completely unworkable – and dangerous – situation in the long run.