July 2021 – Page 2 – Consumers Association Penang

THE STORY BEHIND CHEMICALS IN COSMETICS

Admin July 23, 2021 0 Comments

Open your bathroom cupboard: how many cosmetics and personal care products can you count? Some of us can use many different products on a daily basis, some of which we even re-apply throughout the day. But these cosmetics can be a significant source of our daily exposure to harmful chemicals, especially known and potential endocrine disruptors. In fact, a recent study found that women may use...

EVERYBODY BENEFITS, IF LEAD IN PAINT IS BANNED A Systems Thinking Perspective

Admin July 22, 2021 0 Comments

Economic activity drives the demand for paint. In many developing countries, including Malaysia, lead paint is still widely used. Presently in Malaysia there is no law to ban the use of lead in paints. This adversely impacts human health and subsequently has a detrimental effect on the economy. The introduction of lead paint laws will eliminate the use of lead in paint. This will break the cycle...

13 Principles to guide agriculture and food systems transformation

Admin July 19, 2021 0 Comments

by iPES FOOD (International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems) et al. 1. RECYLING. Preferentially use local renewable resources and close as far as possible resource cycles of nutrients and biomass. 2. INPUT REDUCTION. Reduce or eliminate dependency on purchased inputs and increase self-sufficiency. 3. SOIL HEALTH. Secure and enhance soil health and functioning for improved plant...

DEMOCRACY?

Admin July 16, 2021 0 Comments

“The cardinal features of this culture were acquisition and consumption as the means of achieving happiness; the cult of the new; the democratization of desire; and money value as the predominant measure of all value in society,” — William Leach, in “Land of Desire: Merchants, Power, and the Rise of a New American Culture”

More than “BREAD AND CIRCUSES”

Admin July 16, 2021 0 Comments

“If greed were not the master of modern man - ably assisted by envy - how could it be that the frenzy of economism does not abate as higher "standards of living" are attained, and that it is precisely the richest societies which pursue their economic advantage with the greatest ruthlessness? How could we explain the almost universal refusal on the part of the rulers of the rich societies -...

Leading a Plastic-Free Life through reuse economy!

Admin July 14, 2021 0 Comments

The month of July is marked as Plastic Free July. It is a global movement where people worldwide take part in refusing single-use plastics. As the amount of plastic consumption is set to double by 2040, research and development on single-use alternatives have been increasing1. Plastic industries particularly have introduced false solutions calling them “eco-friendly” single-use...

Leave no one behind during this pandemic

Admin July 13, 2021 0 Comments

The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) urges the government not to ignore the plight of two important community segments – undocumented migrant workers and stateless Malaysians – on humanitarian grounds as well as a concern for their access to health care in dire times like this. It was reported that more than 1,000 thousand of undocumented migrant workers were arrested in May 2020 by the...

PROGRESS DEFINED

Admin July 13, 2021 0 Comments

"Today, the notion of progress in a single line without goal or limit seems perhaps the most parochial notion of a very parochial century." －Lewis Mumford

CAP: Ban the sale of sugary drinks at public places

Admin July 9, 2021 0 Comments

The Consumers Association of Penang calls on the authorities to ban the sale of sugary drinks from vending machines at hospitals, schools and other public places. The call is made following the actions taken by Western Australian authorities to ban the sale of sugary drinks as part of measures to combat obesity. Under the policy, all vending machines and retail outlets including cafes, gift...

Cars are Enemy #1 for the nature of cities