By Black-Footed Ferret Productions, LLC
4.8
2626 ratings
The podcast currently has 13 episodes available.
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.
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/
WEBSITE: https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist
Fund the Forever Chemicals 10-Part Podcast: https://gofund.me/77aac225
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
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
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/
WEBSITE: https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist
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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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
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
Pfascentral.org
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/
WEBSITE: https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist
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
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
https://greenthemetech.com/
https://www.chemforward.org/
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.
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/
WEBSITE: https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist
Fund the Forever Chemicals 10-Part Podcast: https://gofund.me/77aac225
-----------------------
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
RCRA: https://www.epa.gov/hw/proposal-list-nine-and-polyfluoroalkyl-compounds-resource-conservation-and-recovery-act
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
-----------------------
Sources
Birsch, S., & Konsmo, M. (Directors). (2018). The Devil We Know [Documentary film]. Atlas Films.
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
Pfascentral.org
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/
WEBSITE: https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist
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/
As we learned in earlier episodes, phase-out and regulatory efforts for PFAS were not swift, and they certainly are not complete.
However, because of the recent regulatory changes on consumer goods, specifically in California, many US-based outdoor brands and chemical companies have finally committed to removing PFAS from their products.
Guests featured in this episode:
- Greg Brietmier, Mystery Ranch
- Mike Schade, Toxic Free Future
- Ammi Borenstein, Snaplinc Consulting
- Alex Lauver, Outdoor Research
- Kevin Myette, Bluesign
- Theresa Mckenney, Nemo Equipment
- Kirsten Blackburn, Keen Footwear
- Matthew Eshed, Research Fellow
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
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/
WEBSITE: https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist
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
"Balancing Fabric Performance and Sustainability" by Black-Footed Ferret Productions, Outdoor Minimalist, [July 24, 2023], https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/96-balancing-fabric-performance-and-sustainability/id1586174667?i=1000622162915
Bergen, Sujatha. "Columbia Sportswear Eliminate PFAS Campaign Launched Today," NRDC, available at: https://www.nrdc.org/bio/sujatha-bergen/columbia-sportswear-eliminate-pfas-campaign-launched-today
Bergen, Sujatha. "North Face and Timberland Recognize PFAS Threat in Apparel," NRDC, available at: https://www.nrdc.org/bio/sujatha-bergen/north-face-and-timberland-recognize-pfas-threat-apparel
Patagonia. "Say Goodbye to Forever Chemicals," Patagonia, available at: https://www.patagonia.com/stories/say-goodbye-to-forever-chemicals/story-133800.html
The goal of this series is to provide useful information for consumers regarding PFAS, specifically within the outdoor industry, but also for those of us working in the industry. I learned from every single person that I interviewed and talked to about the topic of PFAS, and one of the patterns I noticed during production was that most of the European brands like Jack Wolfskin, Fjallraven, and Houdini Sportswear were early adopters of phasing PFAS out of their products.
As early as 2009, some of these brands had already begun or, at the very least, made the decision to remove harmful chemicals from their product line.
This begs the question, what took the rest of the industry so long to catch up when there were several examples of success just across the ocean?
Guests featured in this episode:
- Eva Karlsson, Houdini Sportswear
- Kevin Myette, Bluesign
- Regina Goller, Jack Wolfskin
- Donna Bruns, Fjallraven
- Martin Axelhed, Fjallraven
- Arlene Blum, Green Science Policy Institute
- 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
Pfascentral.org
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/
WEBSITE: https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist
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
Greenpeace Romania. (n.d.). Chemistry for any weather (Wayback Machine Archive No. 9650). Retrieved from https://wayback.archive-it.org/9650/20200429191052/http://p3-raw.greenpeace.org/romania/Global/romania/detox/Chemistry%20for%20any%20weather.pdf
Stockholm Resilience Centre. (n.d.). Planetary boundaries. Retrieved from https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/planetary-boundaries.html
As more regulations come into play, many outdoor brands have moved the needle and promised to phase PFAS out of their products and apparel by 2025.
While this is great news, what’s curious as a consumer is that alternative chemistry has existed for quite some time. Brands like Nikwax never needed to use harmful chemicals to achieve waterproof capabilities, and now Nikwax is one brand leading the charge with industry-wide innovations with cleaner chemistry.
In later episodes, we will explore how both European and US brands have moved to phase out PFAS in their product lines, but before we get to that, it is worth noting that there have always been alternatives.
Guests featured in this episode:
- Kevin Myette, Bluesign
- Brian Davidson, Nikwax
- Alex Lauver, Outdoor Research
- Kris Cody, PAKA Apparel
- 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
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/
WEBSITE: https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist
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.
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
Toxicfreefuture.org
Foodandwaterwatch.org
Or
Pfascentral.org
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/
WEBSITE: https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist
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
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/
The podcast currently has 13 episodes available.
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