Using the web for something useful...

There's absolutely no fintech angle or anything about Apple or Microsoft in this posting.

I was sent an email this morning asking me to sign an online petition on the Number 10 web site - this was set up to allow UK citizens to launch online petitions and is a really interesting use of the web.  It's still in beta despite being live since November 2006. Simple idea really and it works.

The petition in question was regarding breast cancer and basically to try and get the UK to look at taking prevention seriously.

If you're UK-based - you may like to read and sign the petition. I did give the people concerned a hand with their web site a couple of years ago - so I'm pretty convinced this is worth doing.

A few facts

Breast cancer cases have reached record levels and the disease is increasing across all age-ranges. In the UK a woman's lifetime risk of breast cancer is 1 in 9.

There is mounting evidence linking lifelong, low-level exposure to a toxic cocktail of carcinogens and endocrine disruptors in our homes, workplaces and environment to breast cancer.

The EU recently recognised the environmental causes of breast cancer which must be taken into account when considering any public health approach to this disease. But the UK cancer charities continue to refute environmental and occupational  exposures as a risk factor for breast cancer.

The historic approach of focusing on lifestyles factors alone, accounts for only 30-50% of breast cancer cases, leaving 50-70% of cases with no known cause.

The UK could lead the way in Europe by recognising environmental and occupational risk factors, taking inspiration from progressive initiatives by the US and New Zealand Governments and the Canadian Cancer Society.
 
For more information on environmental and occupational risk factors, check www.nomorebreastcancer.org.uk and www.hazards.org/cancer/