Sun screen lotion threatens coral: study

[ckramer]

Source: yn

PARIS (AFP) - Sun screen lotions used by beach-going tourists worldwide are a major cause of coral bleaching, according to a new study commissioned by the European Commission.

In experiments, the cream-based ultra-violet (UV) filters -- used to protect skin from the harmful effects of sun exposure -- caused bleaching of coral reefs even in small quantities, the study found.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080523/ts_afp/environmentpollutionspeciescoral

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Humans have done much damage to the environment.

[TomInTib]

1. Another good reason not to put that crap on my skin.

I have never used any of that stuff.

And I have spent my life in the sun (Texas and California).

[shanti]

6. really...

so - how's your skin?

[TomInTib]

8. Perfect

I have naturally olive skin and have never suffered a serious sunburn. I am pretty much mahogany-toned.

Heck, I don't even use moisturizer or lotion on my skin and my hide looks like that of someone 30 years younger (I am on the wrong side of 50 by quite a shot).

My liver, however, is another issue entirely.

But thanks for asking.

[shanti]

9. ok, so you don't "need" it

everybody isn't so lucky. why so quick to call it crap if it helps others prevent skin cancer?

regarding the coral tho, i have no answer to that, but as we destroy the coral, so goes the ocean. scary stuff.

[TomInTib]

10. Maybe I shouldn't have called it "crap".

But I just hate the stuff - the texture, smell, you name it.

I know a lot of people need to use it - a woman I date is so fair-skinned that I don't think she could survive without the stuff. Hell, she is a world-class skier and gets snowburns, for goodness sakes.

Snowburns.

If I offended you, I apologize. That would never be my intent.

Tom

[shanti]

12. accepted

and thank you for that.

[alarimer]

18. I think the answer is to remove it before swimming.

especially near coral reefs.

[shanti]

20. true

but that would be difficult to enforce. on a side note, i was watching man vs. wild last nite and heard something interesting. bear grylls was on a desert island and picked up a piece of coral. as he did so, the "mucous" from the coral dripped into his hands, and he spread it on his shoulders, saying that this was natural sun block from the coral. apparently, they produce their own "sunblock". i wonder if synthesization has ever been tried with this substance...

[IndyOp]

2. Important. We are all interconnected, all the time. (n/t)

[Vincardog]

3. and it has nothing to do with Acidification or fertilizer run off or anything else.

[Judi Lynn]

4. In a related story, people who swim with porpoises at marine parks should NEVER

wear lotions or cologne, perfume, etc. when they plow into the water the creatures have to stay in, can't escape. It's really destructive to their well-being.

[iamjoy]

5. Great - Now What Do I Do

I'm fair skinned - what am I supposed to do if I want to go to the beach?

I guess I'm just not meant to be an outdoors girl - I'm allergic to insect bites and stings, making bug repellent a necessity. I'm prone to burn, meaning I need sunscreen.

All the stuff that isn't good for our environment.

[shanti]

7. totally understand

as someone who's also pigmentally challenged ;). had some basals removed too, the price paid for a childhood in southern cali. our ancestors were probably from colder northerly climes where people didn't do a lot of swimming and heavy sunning. however, migration patterns have put us there anyway. :shrug: i don't know the answer...

[iamjoy]

11. I Guess We Pasty White Folks

have to stay indoors...
our ancestors were mutants, you know. The early humans had dark skin.

[shanti]

13. well, some would say we were mutants, lol

however, i prefer to look at it as what happened when we migrated from africa. we're all african, from the same cradle of civilization., imo.

[bean fidhleir]

17. Yep, we're the children of mutants, if we're not melanin-rich

As our dark-brown African ancestors moved into Europe and Asia, the paler-skinned did better under the colder, reduced-light conditions.

It'd be interesting to see what the new conditions will do to us, if our species doesn't reverse the climate change in time, yet survives. Will we palefaces all re-develop the large African buttocks that help cool the rest of the body? Will we re-develop the ability to keep going in spite of being weakened by disease that our brothers and sisters in Africa have, or will we use our technology to prevent the diseases, as we should be doing in Africa on humanitarian grounds but aren't and won't.

[Xenotime]

15. "pigmentally challenged " HA! A new term.

[shanti]

21. yes:)

and we weren't meant to be frolicking in the surf near the equator :hi:

[pop goes the weasel]

14. Cover your skin

I have had basal cell cancer, and ever since, I have worn long sleeves in the sun. And I live in Texas, so don't tell me it is too hot. The truth is that you will feel cooler with your skin protected from the sun. You can even buy swim wear that not only covers your arms, but your entire back, neck, and the back of your hands. You probably can't avoid wearing some sunscreen, but you can reduce the amount you use and actually give yourself much better protection.

Here's one online store that sells gear for sun-sensitive folks like ourselves: http://www.solartex.com/. There are others, too.

[alarimer]

19. Just wash it off before swimming, with soap I suppose.

Then put it back on when you get out.

[bean fidhleir]

16. It's a "cleft stick" effect, and we're going to face more and more of them

until we either wise up or die. And I'm not betting on our wising up.