| Greenpeace slammed by flame retardant manufacturers |
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| by Stuart Corner | |
| Tuesday, 04 December 2007 | |
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According to the Bromine Science and Environmental Forum (BSEF), an international organisation of the bromine chemical industry, "the substances Greenpeace seeks to eliminate are all approved for use, and provide critical performance and safety functions in a wide range of electronic products." BSEF argues that, in Europe and the US, thousands of people are killed every year as a result of domestic fires, many of which are started by or involve consumer electronics. "Recent incidents with music players, computer batteries and game consoles bursting into flames illustrate the dangers." To press its point, BSEF recalls Microsoft's massive X Box power cord recall. "In 2005, Microsoft, one of the companies under attack in the Greenpeace report, was forced to recall 14.1 million power cords for its Xbox game console because they were thought to be a fire hazard. The company reported that 30 customers reported fire damage, seven Xbox users suffered burned hands, and 23 reported other damages from fires." "It is critical that consumer electronics be fire safe, and brominated flame retardants are a very effective, proven way to provide that protection," said BSEF chairman Michael Spiegelstein. "It is irresponsible and dangerous for Greenpeace to simply propose eliminating these products without proposing equally safe and proven replacements." However, despite BSEF's claims that BFRs are safe, many reputable bodies, other than Greenpeace, have raised serious concerns and at least one major manufacturer, Dell has publicly stated that it will not use BFRs. |
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