Forever Chemicals
Black-Footed Ferret Productions, LLC
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Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Forever Chemicals episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Forever Chemicals for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Forever Chemicals episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
9. PFAS as a Cautionary Tale
Forever Chemicals
04/22/24 • 30 min
Throughout this series, we’ve learned not only about how harmful PFAS is as a class of chemicals but also what the outdoor industry is doing to address the issue. While we may have started too late, we are on the right track now, but the work is far from over.
Guests featured in this episode:
Alex Lauver, Outdoor Research
James Pollock, Marten Law LLP
Mike Schade, Toxic Free Future
Ammi Borenstein, Snaplinc Consulting
Eva Karlsson, Houdini Sportswear
Regina Goller, Jack Wolfskin
Donna Bruns, Fjallraven
Martin Axelhed, Fjallraven
Kevin Myette, Bluesign
Gabriella Whittaker, PolyCore Solutions
Kirsten Blackburn, Keen Footwear
If you want to learn more about what PFAS are, where they are found, the proven health effects, how you can limit your exposure, up to date news on PFAS, and how to get involved in PFAS regulatory efforts visit
Toxicfreefuture.org
Foodandwaterwatch.org
Or
Fund the Forever Chemicals 10-Part Podcast: https://gofund.me/77aac225
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Snaplinc Consulting provided expert fact checking and guidance for the creation of this podcast.
Snaplinc Consulting provides corporate sustainability strategies and ESG support across a broad range of industries including apparel, footwear, home furnishings, software, cosmetics, professional services and more.
Head to snaplincconsulting.com to learn more and contact the experts to guide you through complex topics like CSRD, PFAS, greenhouse gas assessments, SBTi, CDP, EcoVadis, B Corp and many more compliance and certification frameworks.
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Sources
Toxic Free Future. PFAS in Stain & Water-Resistant Products Study: Toxic Convenience. Retrieved from https://toxicfreefuture.org/research/pfas-in-stain-water-resistant-products-study/toxic-convenience/#:~:text=Our%20testing%20found%20not%20just,water%20resistance%20are%20in%20use
Resources Mentioned
04/17/24 • 25 min
If you’ve listened to the Forever Chemicals podcast up until this point or followed the global contamination issue over the last few decades, then you’ll know the name Robert Bilott.
In this exclusive season one BONUS episode, we hear from Robert Bilott on the current state of the PFAS problem. He emphasizes the crucial role of litigation and advocacy in pushing for necessary regulation, making it clear that our involvement is not just important, but necessary.
The New York Times dubbed Robert Bilott, the “lawyer who became DuPont’s worst nightmare” for his 19-year lawsuit exposing the scientific coverups of chemical companies using PFAS and effectively polluting the planet.
In 1999, Robert Bilott was approached by a West Virginia farmer, Wilbur Tennant, regarding a mystery pollutant running off onto his farm, killing his cattle and making his family sick.
Flash forward 20+ years. After winning his initial lawsuit for the Tennants against DuPont and then representing 70,000 citizens in Parkersburg, West Virginia, Robert Bilott continues to forge a path ahead, protecting citizens in the United States and abroad from continued PFAS pollution and contamination.
Fund the Forever Chemicals 10-Part Podcast: https://gofund.me/77aac225
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Robert Bilott
Taft Law Firm: https://www.taftlaw.com/people/robert-a-bilott/
Exposure | Book by Robert Bilott: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Exposure/Robert-Bilott/9781501172823
The Devil We Know Documentary: https://youtu.be/7cCkADnhRqk?si=0cI4FWK0jMMBRp7b
Dark Waters Film: https://youtu.be/RvAOuhyunhY?si=5v4QJO_y__lztRDZ
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Resources
Recent EPA Ruling: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-finalizes-first-ever-national-drinking-water-standard
Hazardous Substances under Superfund: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-proposes-designating-certain-pfas-chemicals-hazardous-substances-under-superfund
CA AB 1817: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB1817
Environmental Working Group: https://www.ewg.org/areas-focus/toxic-chemicals/pfas-chemicals
Green Science Policy Institute: https://greensciencepolicy.org/our-work/pfas/
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If you want to learn more about what PFAS are, where they are found, the proven health effects, how you can limit your exposure, up to date news on PFAS, and how to get involved in PFAS regulatory efforts visit
Toxicfreefuture.org
Foodandwaterwatch.org
Or
Pfascentral.org
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...4. The Rise and Limitations of PFAS Regulations
Forever Chemicals
03/18/24 • 44 min
Regulatory efforts across the globe have been pushing for removing certain types of PFAS in specific product categories. Still, there are many limitations, and regulators often receive pushback from chemical companies.
In episode four of the Forever Chemicals ten-part podcast series, we break down the increase of PFAS regulation in the US and the EU, along with the limitations we face in the pursuit of cleaner chemistry.
Guests featured in this episode:
James Pollock, Marten Law LLP
Arlene Blum, Green Science Policy Institute
Kevin Myette, Bluesign
Kyla Bennett, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility
Natalie Balbuena, Food and Water Watch
Mike Schade, Toxic Free Future
Stefan Posner, textile and polymer chemist
Alex Lauver, Outdoor Research
Philippe Grandjean, environmental epidemiologist
Eva Karlsson, Houdini Sportswear
Scott Wilson, Regenesis Environmental Remediation
If you want to learn more about what PFAS are, where they are found, the proven health effects, how you can limit your exposure, up to date news on PFAS, and how to get involved in PFAS regulatory efforts visit
Or
Fund the Forever Chemicals 10-Part Podcast: https://gofund.me/77aac225
-----------------------
Snaplinc Consulting provided expert fact checking and guidance for the creation of this podcast.
Snaplinc Consulting provides corporate sustainability strategies and ESG support across a broad range of industries including apparel, footwear, home furnishings, software, cosmetics, professional services and more.
Head to snaplincconsulting.com to learn more and contact the experts to guide you through complex topics like CSRD, PFAS, greenhouse gas assessments, SBTi, CDP, EcoVadis, B Corp and many more compliance and certification frameworks.
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Sources
Food and Water Watch. (Nov 15, 2023). PFAS: The “Forever Chemicals” Contaminating Our Water [Livable Future LIVE] [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/27k7Tki5xsU?si=WqEA0W9b1E-0iyQ1
Greenpeace. (2012). Chemistry for Any Weather [PDF]. Greenpeace. Retrieved from https://wayback.archive-it.org/9650/20200429191052/http://p3-raw.greenpeace.org/romania/Global/romania/detox/Chemistry%20for%20any%20weather.pdf
Lerner, Sharon. The Intercept. (n.d.). The Teflon Toxin. Retrieved from https://theintercept.com/series/the-teflon-toxin/
3. PFAS in the Outdoor Industry: A Performance Chemistry
Forever Chemicals
03/11/24 • 31 min
In episode three of the Forever Chemicals ten-part podcast series, we give an overview of how PFAS is used in modern-day production, and get an inside look at why it became a performance chemistry in the outdoor industry.
Guests featured in this episode:
Mike Schade, Toxic Free Future
Ammi Borenstein, Snaplinc Consulting
Arlene Blum, Green Science Policy Institute
Stefan Posner, textile and polymer chemist
Alex Lauver, Outdoor Research
James Pollock, Marten Law LLP
Philippe Grandjean, environmental epidemiologist
If you want to learn more about what PFAS are, where they are found, the proven health effects, how you can limit your exposure, up to date news on PFAS, and how to get involved in PFAS regulatory efforts visit
Or
Fund the Forever Chemicals 10-Part Podcast: https://gofund.me/77aac225
-----------------------
Snaplinc Consulting provided expert fact checking and guidance for the creation of this podcast.
Snaplinc Consulting provides corporate sustainability strategies and ESG support across a broad range of industries including apparel, footwear, home furnishings, software, cosmetics, professional services and more.
Head to snaplincconsulting.com to learn more and contact the experts to guide you through complex topics like CSRD, PFAS, greenhouse gas assessments, SBTi, CDP, EcoVadis, B Corp and many more compliance and certification frameworks.
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Sources
Bloomberg Originals. (Nov 16, 2023). Why 'Forever Chemicals' Are Still Spreading [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/a-Hu4HQvA_U?si=LEfQeRCczWvAsgr3
Henry, B. J., Carlin, J. P., Hammerschmidt, J. A., Buck, R. C., Buxton, L. W., Fiedler, H., Seed, J., & Hernandez, O. (2018). A critical review of the application of polymer of low concern and regulatory criteria to fluoropolymers. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, 14(3), 301-306. https://doi.org/10.1002/ieam.4035
Interstate Technology & Regulatory Council (ITRC). (2020, August). Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): History and Use [PDF]. Retrieved from https://pfas-1.itrcweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/history_and_use_508_2020Aug_Final.pdf
Natural Resources Defense Council. (n.d.). PFAS Scorecard. Retrieved from https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/pfas_scorecard_r_22-04-b_03_locked.pdf
2. A Brief History of How PFAS Poisoned the World
Forever Chemicals
03/04/24 • 33 min
PFAS are a large class of chemicals that have been used since the late 1930s. What makes them particularly hazardous is that they are persistent and difficult to break down. That means all the PFAS that have even been created still exist today.
In the first episode of this ten-part series, we learned the history of how PFAS was created.
In episode two, we get a better understanding of just how dangerous PFAS chemicals are and how a series of lawsuits brought these health hazards to light.
Guests featured in this episode:
Arlene Blum, Green Science Policy Institute
Mike Schade, Toxic Free Future
Stefan Posner, textile and polymer chemist
Scott Wilson, Regenesis Environmental Remediation
James Pollock, Marten Law LLP
Philippe Grandjean, environmental epidemiologist
If you want to learn more about what PFAS are, where they are found, the proven health effects, how you can limit your exposure, up to date news on PFAS, and how to get involved in PFAS regulatory efforts visit
Or
Fund the Forever Chemicals 10-Part Podcast: https://gofund.me/77aac225
-----------------------
Snaplinc Consulting provided expert fact checking and guidance for the creation of this podcast.
Snaplinc Consulting provides corporate sustainability strategies and ESG support across a broad range of industries including apparel, footwear, home furnishings, software, cosmetics, professional services and more.
Head to snaplincconsulting.com to learn more and contact the experts to guide you through complex topics like CSRD, PFAS, greenhouse gas assessments, SBTi, CDP, EcoVadis, B Corp and many more compliance and certification frameworks.
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Sources
Belisle, John. 1978. Central Analytical Laboratory Report 6867. Contributed by Sharon Lerner (The Intercept). Retrieved from https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4575547-1978-PFOS-monkey-study
Environmental Working Group. (n.d.). For Decades, Polluters Knew PFAS Chemicals Were Dangerous But Hid Risks From Public. Retrieved from https://www.ewg.org/research/decades-polluters-knew-pfas-chemicals-were-dangerous-hid-risks-public
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. (n.d.). Industrial wastewater treatment technology. Retrieved from https://www.pca.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/gp3-06.pdf
The Intercept. (2015, August 11). The Teflon Toxin: DuPont and the Chemistry of Deception. Retrieved from https://theintercept.com/2015/08/11/dupont-chemistry-deception/
Toxic-Free Future. (n.d.). Breast Milk Study. Retrieved from https://toxicfreefuture.org/research/breast-milk-study/
1. From Atomic Bombs to Teflon Pans: How the PFAS Controversy Began
Forever Chemicals
03/04/24 • 24 min
In the first episode of this ten-part series, we explore where PFAS came from and how it became a prevalent part of our consumer products.
While the innovation of this class of chemicals has been astoundingly effective in applications like firefighting foams, waterproof rain jackets, and Teflon pans, our appetite for convenience created a toxic chemistry we may have to live with forever.
In the next episode of Forever Chemicals, we dive deeper into how the controversy surrounding PFAS grew into a global health crisis and how it has persisted in manufacturing to this day.
Guests featured in this episode:
Arlene Blum, Green Science Policy Institute
Mike Schade, Toxic Free Future
Stefan Posner, textile and polymer chemist
Scott Wilson, Regenesis Environmental Remediation
James Pollock, Marten Law LLP
If you want to learn more about what PFAS are, where they are found, the proven health effects, how you can limit your exposure, up to date news on PFAS, and how to get involved in PFAS regulatory efforts, visit
Or
Fund the Forever Chemicals 10-Part Podcast: https://gofund.me/77aac225
-----------------------
Snaplinc Consulting provided expert fact checking and guidance for the creation of this podcast.
Snaplinc Consulting provides corporate sustainability strategies and ESG support across a broad range of industries including apparel, footwear, home furnishings, software, cosmetics, professional services and more.
Head to snaplincconsulting.com to learn more and contact the experts to guide you through complex topics like CSRD, PFAS, greenhouse gas assessments, SBTi, CDP, EcoVadis, B Corp and many more compliance and certification frameworks.
-------------------------
Sources
1. Manufacturing Dive. (n.d.). The history behind 'forever chemicals': PFAS. Retrieved from https://www.manufacturingdive.com/news/the-history-behind-forever-chemicals-pfas-3m-dupont-pfte-pfoa-pfos/698254/
2. Plunkett, R.J. (1986). The History of Polytetrafluoroethylene: Discovery and Development. In: Seymour, R.B., Kirshenbaum, G.S. (eds) High Performance Polymers: Their Origin and Development. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-7073-4_25
3. Teflon II commercials: Historical Reel 2, 1960-70, FILM_1995300_FC43, FC 43, DuPont Company films and commercials (Accession 1995.300), Audiovisual Collections and Digital Initiatives Department, Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, DE 19807
http://findingaids.hagley.org/xtf/view?docId=ead/1995_300.xml
4. W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. (n.d.). The Gore Story. Retrieved from https://www.gore.com/about/the-gore-story#section2
The Poison Detectives
Forever Chemicals
05/01/24 • 4 min
A new podcast from Canada's National Observer tells the story of a firefighter’s wife and a corporate lawyer in different parts of the U.S. who get pulled into solving separate mysteries.
Something was making cows die and deer haemorrhage to death in West Virginia. That same something could also be giving firefighters cancer – all over the country.
When the lawyer and the firefighter’s wife met, they found out they were working on the same mystery. The mystery was caused by a man-made chemical that environmental regulators should have known about but didn’t.
A chemical that is said to be so toxic it is unclear if any contact with it is safe.
The chemical was created by a corporate giant, and then another corporate giant began using it to provide the world with so-called revolutionary products. Products, it turns out, come with a very steep price.
This is a fascinating story of two people unravelling a ball of yarn that would reveal the poisoning of the world.
Listen to all five episodes now: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-poison-detectives/id1730547253
Trailer
Forever Chemicals
05/27/24 • 3 min
In this new ten-part series, we sat down with countless experts from brands like Fjallraven and Outdoor Research along with scientists, lawyers, and law makers that all have a stake in how PFAS is used, and how it is now being eliminated.
Over the course of ten episodes, we’ll investigate the origins, rise, and now phase out of the forever chemicals PFAS (previously known as PFCs). With more companies beginning to understand the dangers of these commonly used chemicals, they’re being phased out to keep up with new laws and to ensure company ethos aligns with production.
However, many consumers still don’t know what they are or why they should care about them. That’s where we come in– to be a direct line to people in and outside the industry and help everyone understand what PFAS are and why we should stop using them.
If you’re wondering how we can make a difference in the fight against PFAS pollution and keep our planet and our health on the forefront of producers minds, tune into Forever Chemicals, coming March 2024.
Fund the Forever Chemicals 10-Part Podcast: https://gofund.me/77aac225
10. The Path Ahead: Remediation and Clean-Up
Forever Chemicals
04/29/24 • 35 min
Throughout this ten-part series, scientists, lawyers, advocates, and product producers all weighed in on our worldwide PFAS problem. While, yes, we have come a long way in understanding the scope of the issue and began moving away from PFAS, at least in the outdoor industry, many questions still remain.
One of the primary questions is, what should we do with all the old PFAS already in the environment?
Guests featured in this episode:
Scott Wilson, Regenesis
Philippe Grandjean, Environmental Epidemiologist
Matthew Eshed, Research Fellow
Stefan Posner, Polymer and Textile Chemist
Kevin Myette, Bluesign
Greg Breitmaier, Mystery Ranch
Alex Lauver, Outdoor Research
Regina Goller, Jack Wolfskin
Ammi Borenstein, Snaplinc Consulting
Mike Schade, Toxic Free Future
If you want to learn more about what PFAS are, where they are found, the proven health effects, how you can limit your exposure, up to date news on PFAS, and how to get involved in PFAS regulatory efforts visit
Toxicfreefuture.org
Foodandwaterwatch.org
Or
Pfascentral.org
Fund the Forever Chemicals 10-Part Podcast: https://gofund.me/77aac225
-----------------------
Snaplinc Consulting provided expert fact checking and guidance for the creation of this podcast.
Snaplinc Consulting provides corporate sustainability strategies and ESG support across a broad range of industries including apparel, footwear, home furnishings, software, cosmetics, professional services and more.
Head to snaplincconsulting.com to learn more and contact the experts to guide you through complex topics like CSRD, PFAS, greenhouse gas assessments, SBTi, CDP, EcoVadis, B Corp and many more compliance and certification frameworks.
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Episode Resources
Safer States: https://www.saferstates.org/priorities/pfas/
EPA Drinking Water Standards: https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas
CERCLA: https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024-04/pfas-enforcement-discretion-settlement-policy-cercla.pdf
8. Are PFAS-Free Products Possible?
Forever Chemicals
04/15/24 • 33 min
It seems that many brands are moving in the right direction in terms of phasing PFAS out of their products, but one of the many aspects complicating this process is the potential for contamination.
In this episode, we hear directly from leading outdoor industry brands like Keen, Outdoor Research, Fjallraven, and Houdini Sportswear alongside scientists and environmental epidemiologists about how and why PFAS spreads and contaminates products so easily.
Guests featured in this episode:
Stefan Posner, textile and polymer chemist
Alex Lauver, Outdoor Research
Kirsten Blackburn, Keen Footwear
Ammi Borenstein, Snaplinc Consulting
Kevin Myette, Bluesign
Eva Karlsson, Houdini Sportswear
Mike Schade, Toxic Free Future
James Pollock, Marten Law LLP
Arlene Blum, Green Science Policy Institute
Philippe Grandjean, environmental epidemiologist
Donna Bruns, Fjallraven
Martin Axelhed, Fjallraven
If you want to learn more about what PFAS are, where they are found, the proven health effects, how you can limit your exposure, up to date news on PFAS, and how to get involved in PFAS regulatory efforts visit
Toxicfreefuture.org
Foodandwaterwatch.org
Or
Fund the Forever Chemicals 10-Part Podcast: https://gofund.me/77aac225
-----------------------
Snaplinc Consulting provided expert fact checking and guidance for the creation of this podcast.
Snaplinc Consulting provides corporate sustainability strategies and ESG support across a broad range of industries including apparel, footwear, home furnishings, software, cosmetics, professional services and more.
Head to snaplincconsulting.com to learn more and contact the experts to guide you through complex topics like CSRD, PFAS, greenhouse gas assessments, SBTi, CDP, EcoVadis, B Corp and many more compliance and certification frameworks.
-----------------------
Sources
Outdoor Footwear: The PFAS Challenge. Retrieved from: https://www.keenfootwear.com/blogs/keen-blog/outdoor-footwear-pfas-challenge
SixClasses. Retrieved from: https://www.sixclasses.org/
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FAQ
How many episodes does Forever Chemicals have?
Forever Chemicals currently has 13 episodes available.
What topics does Forever Chemicals cover?
The podcast is about Chemistry, Podcasts and Science.
What is the most popular episode on Forever Chemicals?
The episode title 'Trailer' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Forever Chemicals?
The average episode length on Forever Chemicals is 27 minutes.
How often are episodes of Forever Chemicals released?
Episodes of Forever Chemicals are typically released every 6 days, 23 hours.
When was the first episode of Forever Chemicals?
The first episode of Forever Chemicals was released on Mar 4, 2024.
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