--- title: "8 Chemicals Quotes By Sandra Steingraber" description: "8 Chemicals quotes by Sandra Steingraber. Plus more from Sandra Steingraber and more Chemicals sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/sandra-steingraber-26626_agriculture_we-can-change-our-thinking-rather-than-v_569269.jpg" --- > [We can change our thinking. Rather than viewing the chemical adulteration of our environment and our bodies as the inevitable practice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/we-can-change-our-thinking-rather-than-viewing-the-chemical/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/sandra-steingraber-26626_agriculture_we-can-change-our-thinking-rather-than-v_569269.jpg) > [The study of how substances alter gene expression is part of the field of epigenetics. Some chemical exposures appear to turn on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/the-study-of-how-substances-alter-gene-expression-is-part-of-the/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca9/sandra-steingraber-26626_cancer_the-study-of-how-substances-alter-gene-e_1483896.jpg) > [By 1990, the EPA had tallied up 32,645 sites of past chemical waste dumping in need of cleanup. Some of these are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/by-1990-the-epa-had-tallied-up-32-645-sites-of-past-chemical-waste/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5de/sandra-steingraber-26626_abandoned_by-1990-the-epa-had-tallied-up-32-645-si_1761566.jpg) > [Besides, the sense of safety offered by bottled water is a mirage. It turns out that breathing, not drinking, constitutes our main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/besides-the-sense-of-safety-offered-by-bottled-water-is-a-mirage-it/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f00/sandra-steingraber-26626_air_besides-the-sense-of-safety-offered-by-b_2142734.jpg) > [Between the late 1950s and the late 1980s, more than 750 million tons of chemical wastes were discarded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/between-the-late-1950s-and-the-late-1980s-more-than-750-million-tons/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18d/sandra-steingraber-26626_chemicals_between-the-late-1950s-and-the-late-1980_2287075.jpg) > [We can decide that the presence of cancer-causing substances in our air, water, and food is too expensive. A 2009 study, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/we-can-decide-that-the-presence-of-cancer-causing-substances-in-our/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae2/sandra-steingraber-26626_air_we-can-decide-that-the-presence-of-cance_2856434.jpg) > [As currently written, the laws require certain manufacturers and users of such chemicals to report any and all environmental releases-either accidental or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/as-currently-written-the-laws-require-certain-manufacturers-and-users/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14c/sandra-steingraber-26626_accounts_as-currently-written-the-laws-require-ce_3092616.jpg) > [... we find ourselves facing a rising tide of biologically active, synthetic organic chemicals. Some tinker with our hormones. Some attach themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/we-find-ourselves-facing-a-rising-tide-of-biologically-active/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bf/sandra-steingraber-26626_active_we-find-ourselves-facing-a-rising-tide-o_3173130.jpg) ## Other authors on Chemicals ## More by Sandra Steingraber > [In the world outside this glass room, songbirds are feeding and resting in the trees. Some will take off tonight and not land until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/in-the-world-outside-this-glass-room-songbirds-are-feeding-and/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) > [We can change our thinking. Rather than viewing the chemical adulteration of our environment and our bodies as the inevitable practice of convenience and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/we-can-change-our-thinking-rather-than-viewing-the-chemical/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) > [I have come to believe that extracting natural gas from shale using the newish technique called hydrofracking is the environmental issue of our time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/i-have-come-to-believe-that-extracting-natural-gas-from-shale-using/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) > [I have always been a big advocate of tap water-not because I think it harmless but because the idea of purchasing water extracted from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/i-have-always-been-a-big-advocate-of-tap-water-not-because-i-think-it/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) > [Here in the United States, a study of nearly 700 women in California showed an increased risk of fetal death among babies whose mothers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/here-in-the-united-states-a-study-of-nearly-700-women-in-california/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) > [Drink a bottle of French water and then step into the shower for ten minutes and you've just received the exposure equivalent of drinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/drink-a-bottle-of-french-water-and-then-step-into-the-shower-for-ten/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) > [The study of how substances alter gene expression is part of the field of epigenetics. Some chemical exposures appear to turn on and turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/the-study-of-how-substances-alter-gene-expression-is-part-of-the/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) > [“Prenatal care means taking care of water, fish, and glaciers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/prenatal-care-means-taking-care-of-water-fish-and-glaciers/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) > [From the right to know and the duty to inquire flows the obligation to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/from-the-right-to-know-and-the-duty-to-inquire-flows-the-obligation/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) > [By 1990, the EPA had tallied up 32,645 sites of past chemical waste dumping in need of cleanup. Some of these are actual waste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/by-1990-the-epa-had-tallied-up-32-645-sites-of-past-chemical-waste/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) > [Industrialized countries have disproportionately more cancers than countries with little or no industry (after adjusting for age and population size). One half of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/industrialized-countries-have-disproportionately-more-cancers-than/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) > [We are all musicians in a great human orchestra, and it is now time to play the Save the World Symphony. You are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/we-are-all-musicians-in-a-great-human-orchestra-and-it-is-now-time-to/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) > [“birth defects, as well as congenital heart problems, were elevated in communities served by a drinking water reservoir that had been contaminated with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/birth-defects-as-well-as-congenital-heart-problems-were-elevated-in/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) > [Besides, the sense of safety offered by bottled water is a mirage. It turns out that breathing, not drinking, constitutes our main route of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/besides-the-sense-of-safety-offered-by-bottled-water-is-a-mirage-it/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) > [Between the late 1950s and the late 1980s, more than 750 million tons of chemical wastes were discarded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/between-the-late-1950s-and-the-late-1980s-more-than-750-million-tons/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chemicals/sandra-steingraber/#itemlist", "name": "8 Chemicals Quotes By Sandra Steingraber", "numberOfItems": 8, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We can change our thinking. Rather than viewing the chemical adulteration of our environment and our bodies as the inevitable practice of convenience and progress, we can decide that cancer is inconvenient and toxic pollution archaic and primitive. We can start seeing the creation of carcinogens as the result of outmoded technologies. We can demand green engineering and green chemistry. 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From this perspective, our genes are less the command-and-control masters of our cells and more like the keys of piano, with the environment as the hands of the pianist.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sandra Steingraber" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/the-study-of-how-substances-alter-gene-expression-is-part-of-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca9/sandra-steingraber-26626_cancer_the-study-of-how-substances-alter-gene-e_1483896.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca9/sandra-steingraber-26626_cancer_the-study-of-how-substances-alter-gene-e_1483896.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca9/sandra-steingraber-26626_cancer_the-study-of-how-substances-alter-gene-e_1483896.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The study of how substances alter gene expression is part of the field of epigenetics. 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In 2009, the Superfund list contained 1,331 sites.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sandra Steingraber" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/by-1990-the-epa-had-tallied-up-32-645-sites-of-past-chemical-waste/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5de/sandra-steingraber-26626_abandoned_by-1990-the-epa-had-tallied-up-32-645-si_1761566.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5de/sandra-steingraber-26626_abandoned_by-1990-the-epa-had-tallied-up-32-645-si_1761566.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5de/sandra-steingraber-26626_abandoned_by-1990-the-epa-had-tallied-up-32-645-si_1761566.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“By 1990, the EPA had tallied up 32,645 sites of past chemical waste dumping in need of cleanup. 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A recent study shows that the most efficient way of exposing yourself to chemical contaminants in tap water is to turn on a dishwasher.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sandra Steingraber" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/besides-the-sense-of-safety-offered-by-bottled-water-is-a-mirage-it/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f00/sandra-steingraber-26626_air_besides-the-sense-of-safety-offered-by-b_2142734.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f00/sandra-steingraber-26626_air_besides-the-sense-of-safety-offered-by-b_2142734.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f00/sandra-steingraber-26626_air_besides-the-sense-of-safety-offered-by-b_2142734.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Besides, the sense of safety offered by bottled water is a mirage. 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A 2009 study, for example, has found that coal miners in Appalachia costs the region five times more in premature deaths, including from cancer, than it provides to the region in jobs, taxes, and economic benefits. In California, the production and use of hazardous chemicals cost the state $2.6 billion in 2004 alone in lost wages and health-care expenses to treat workers and children with pollution-linked diseases.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sandra Steingraber" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/we-can-decide-that-the-presence-of-cancer-causing-substances-in-our/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae2/sandra-steingraber-26626_air_we-can-decide-that-the-presence-of-cance_2856434.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae2/sandra-steingraber-26626_air_we-can-decide-that-the-presence-of-cance_2856434.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae2/sandra-steingraber-26626_air_we-can-decide-that-the-presence-of-cance_2856434.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We can decide that the presence of cancer-causing substances in our air, water, and food is too expensive. 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Toxic emissions reported to the federal government are thought to account for only 5 percent of all chemical releases.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sandra Steingraber" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/as-currently-written-the-laws-require-certain-manufacturers-and-users/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14c/sandra-steingraber-26626_accounts_as-currently-written-the-laws-require-ce_3092616.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14c/sandra-steingraber-26626_accounts_as-currently-written-the-laws-require-ce_3092616.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14c/sandra-steingraber-26626_accounts_as-currently-written-the-laws-require-ce_3092616.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As currently written, the laws require certain manufacturers and users of such chemicals to report any and…” — Sandra Steingraber", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "... we find ourselves facing a rising tide of biologically active, synthetic organic chemicals. Some tinker with our hormones. Some attach themselves to our chromosomes and trigger mutations. Some cripple the immune system. Some light up our genes and so enhance the production of certain enzymes. If we could metabolize these chemicals into completely benign breakdown products and excrete them, they would pose less of a hazard. Instead, a good many of them accumulate.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sandra Steingraber" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/we-find-ourselves-facing-a-rising-tide-of-biologically-active/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bf/sandra-steingraber-26626_active_we-find-ourselves-facing-a-rising-tide-o_3173130.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bf/sandra-steingraber-26626_active_we-find-ourselves-facing-a-rising-tide-o_3173130.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bf/sandra-steingraber-26626_active_we-find-ourselves-facing-a-rising-tide-o_3173130.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“... we find ourselves facing a rising tide of biologically active, synthetic organic chemicals. 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