army air strikes are hitting back after pro-pro-russian fighters shoot down a transport plane. israel's army searching for three teenagers including an american who may have been kidnapped. >> and more state ahead on al jazeera america. >> i am lisa flechaer. you are in the stream. today, what you wash your face with may be contaminating the country's water and fish. why one state has banned products with micro beads piling up by the billions in the great lakes. how consumer pressure led one of the largest producers to abandoned a controversial practice that will confines pregnant pigs their entire lives. >> air pollution does more than damage hearts and hundreds. it has real impact. we discuss a new study that could link autism and skits phren i can't to toxic air particles.

>> digits al producer and co-host is bringing back your feedback throughout the show. it's great to know about these things as they emerge but it's a little bit scary. >> the air we breathe apparently is toxic. you want to wash it off? the water is toxic. if you want to eat food, the fish switch swimming in the water might be toxic. we does our community in one wofford how you describe the state of america's air, water and food. here is fransie: unstable. >> nulo sicken hing? >> endangered but we have to have hope. >> caroline writes i don't drive often these days. if i have air pure fires. i drink filtered water and eat as much organic as i can. i refuse to by factory farmed meat. if i can't buy humanly raised food, i don't eat it.

we should be more like caroline. >> you have seen them everywhere from soaps and sanitizers to face wash, micro beads in personal care products promising to ex fol 80 your skin. once they go down the drain, where do at the end up? according to environmental researchers, the non-bio degr e degradable plastic particles are by passing sewage system filters and piling up in our water ways, lakes and occasions. illinois became the first state to ban them in an effort to safeguard great lakes. four other states are considering legislation. what's the impact of it on our water and the impact of the consumption of those by fish and wildlife? joining us is heather white executive corrector of the environmental working group that specializes in environmental advocacy and corporate accountability and anna cummings, dedicated to researchingly the impact of

plastics plugs in the ocean. thank you for joining us. heather, micro beats are in an endless number of consumer products. how are they impacting wildlife? how are they impacting the environment? what are they made of that makes them so dangerous? they are little bits of plastim. they are used in facial scrubs and ex foliants and they down into the water. and what happens is that they are such a small scale, they look like fish eggs or plumpington and because of their plastic properties, they are like sponges so they end up collecting toxic chemicals whether it be motor oil or insect sides or toxics line bifenals. fish eat them and other fish eat those fish. what we have is basically a toxic chain that can impact not only wildlife but humidities who eat the fish. there is this issue of the water quality by having millions and potentially billions of these

small, little plastic pieces in our waterways. >> you were part of the great lakes study in 2012 and 2013. what did you cover about these micro beads? >> our organizations began doing research in 2012 and pepartnership and we found more plastic by count in samples from lake eerie than all of the occasions we have studied in four years. we discovered these beads resemble beads coming from personal care products. so this went to an investigation. we published those findings. this is, in our opinion, is an e egregio egregiousous design flaw. like plastic bins that are designed to go into the recycling or into the trash. these are designed, as heather explained to go directing from the consumer's face down the drain and you heard the impacts of that. so with these findings, we were able to take these to some large managers and engage a grassroots

campaign to demand producers eliminate these beads from their products. we have seen a rapid response really nationwide to ending the use of these plastic beads because there are alternatives that are harmless in the marine environment we informed the community about micro beads and that they are used in facial scrubs and we were asked will you give it up? >> in a blink of an eye, if i am healthier inside maybe i won't even need the scrub. jonathan, a loyal streamer said my answer is yes, because facial scrubs is a want. clean water, however, is a need. so heather, you talked about some of the eke logical he was, prevention but the existing damage that's been done, how is that going to affect our quality of life? is there anything we can do about these particles that are thousands of them in the water? >> that is a great question. we haven't done much work thanks to anna's work sounding the

alarm, we are just now identifying the extent of the problem. we hope technology will be there to deal with the after margaret. what we do know is that there is huge amounts of plastic pollution. one the size of texas and throughout our occasions and as a whole community, we have to get together and solve. >> did i read that there is something like 300,000 tiny beads that would fit into a test tube? >> yes. my husband actually spent a few nights counting how many beads are in asic test tube. it's roughly 350 or 360,000 plastic beats per tube of say, johnson and johnson cleaning clear or another brand. i wanted to speak to the possibility of removing these beads in the ocean. having seen what we have seen across all five occasions we can't remove what's out there. the best we can do is source prince to prevent more from winding up in the occasions. >> health earl, the illinois

government was the first to sign a law banning it. this was driven by consumers. re detecting a different level of expectation on the part of consumers in terms of the companies they choose to support or not support? >> absolutely. i think now and i think we are seening it the social media response you have had on the show, consumers have an expectation that brands will protect the environment. consumers get that protecting the environment is protecting their health and eventually their children's health. so what we have seen in illinois and as you know, there is a real interest in california and movement in california and the new york state legislatures is that consumers are driving this. this combination of cutting-edge science and consumer activists really is putting consumers out front and companies and the legislate temperatures are following. it's an exciting new trend. it's important to understand that consumers are the activism. >> that barrier between the activists and the consumers seems to have disappeared.

now they are concerned consumers? >> a lot has to do with the mil enian generation. this new generation understands what they buy, starting to ask questions about the lifestyle-cycle of the products they buy. and identifying deeply with the brand. >> brand is strong but the social commitment that you need to help me be a good citizen is there, i think, as we are seeing with youth today. >> speaking of commitment, a shout out to anna's website five jars for a planet free of plastic pollution. check it out we need national legislation regulating all chemicals in our bath and beauty products. the major problem is the under funding of our deliver infrastructure. the epa estimated last year that $384,000,000,000 -- that's a b, in improvements would be needed in u.s. dripping water or the next two decades. >> number seems so astronnomical, what can citizens do, your average joe, to make sure we have safe drinking

water? >> there is a great need for public awareness. some of the time lines for these bills are fairly lengthy. for example, in illinois, the timeline until 2019, 2018. so what we need people to do is really read their labels, be conscious of the products they buy. with micro beads, it's easy to avoid. like jojoba beads and apricot kernels. and engage with local non-profits and really be aware of their impact and their foot print. >> all right. our thanks to our guest, anna couple ins. we will see you, heather, a little bit later in the show. consumers are outraged over the housing condition of pigs and factory farms. it's shaking up the pork industry. up next, why one of the largesting ara businesses caved to pressure vowing to end the practice of locking up hogs in crates barely larger than their

bodies. later, new break throughs in understanding potential environmental triggers for autism and schizophrenia. why the air we are breathing might be to blame. with joe burlinger only on al jazeera america

♪ ♪ >> this facility represents what gestation crate confinement is. open wounds, pressure sores, infections, bleeding gums from biting the bars so much. these animals aren't en being cared for with individualized veterinarian attention. >> talking about emerging issues affecting our water, air and food. cargill, one of the world's largest companies announced it would will ends gestation crates. this comes on the heels from similar announcements from others like mcdonald's, kraft and cost 0 who will no longer purchase pork from those who use them. >> farmal animal protection for the humane society of the united states and sell ebbrity chef and owner of restaurant nora, america's first certified organic restaurant.

paul, we saw you talking about the affirmative of the gestation crates. explain more specifically what they are, how long a pig spends in them throughout the course of her life and why cargill's announcement is so important? >> imagine taking a 500 pound animal and locking her inside of a came that's so small, she can barely move in it. she can't even turn around, not just for a couple of hours or days but for years on end prior to slaughter. this isn't just some sadistic animal abuser, a lone wolfe doing this. this is a standarding ari busy practice in the pork industry that represents one of the worst forms of animal cruelty in our society perpetrated against millions of pigs across the united states and in much of the world where these animals are essentially immobilized, suffering from muscle atrophy, develop pressure sores from laying in the same spot all the time. it is a horrendous practice. some in the pork industry like cargill are trying to show a new

way, in which they are not um mobilized but whether they can en gauge in some natural behaviors, walk around, be in an open housing setting where they have a better quality of life. cargill's announcement is an important milestone toward a better future, one in which the pork industry tries to enter the 21st history and leave these practices in the past. >> paul, a lot of people would say they are going to be slaughtered anyway. what difference does it make in they are here as part of the food production system and while it's unpleasant to look at, what difference does it make? >> there certainly is a legitimate key bate as to whether animals should be used for food but no legitimate debate on whether they should be tortured prior to being used for food. we wouldn't treat the worst criminal did in our society, murderers and rapists the way the pork industry treats pigs, wouldn't put them in a cell so small they couldn't turn around for years prior to killing them. this type of crueledty is out of

step. it's so extreme, it's just out of step with mainstream septemberiments about how animals ought to be treated. >> nora, what role do consumers play in the shift that we are seeing right now? i think the consumers play an enormu.s.a. rule. because consumers demanding where does their food come from and how is it raised in that's why i think cargill changed the, you know, way of raising the pigs. i think it's really wonderful to see that actually consumers have the power to change the materialistic or the bottom line of all of the big food companies. i think that's how it should be. i think it's unfortunately not a government who does change it. it has to be consumer-driven. and i am happy that they do it. i think consumers understand also what they eat, what they put in their body, has an

enormous effect not only on the health of themselves but on the health of the environment, of the air, of water, of everything. so, i think that to have anganimal treated in such a way where it's anxious and scared and, you know, has this angst feeling and how can you think that this doesn't have an impact if it eats the flesh of this animal, if youeet the meat? i think it's all i am printed in the animal. when you eat eat the meat? i think it's all i am printed in the animal. when you eat. you eat meat that has been raised in such a terrible way, i think it has an effect not only on your body but also on your mind. i believe that. >> our community has responded that samara on twitter says i do not believe in an exploitation of animals for human luxury. it should be illegal. i usually do not buy any product that has more than 10 ingredients listed on it. >> that's not food anymore. we have victoria on facebook:

at this point, i am mostly buy my meat from the local farmer's market where it's all locally and ethically raised but at the end of the day, i will be on team pork chop. victoria loves her pork. americas love pork. they suggest the average person in america eats 45 pounds of pork per year. it's a huge booming industry. one of the good guys buying local farmer's meat, ethically raised, how would you respond to her and make her care about the welfare of the animal before it ends up on her plate? >> it sounds like she does care. i think she cares. i think it's important to recognize that americans eat on average three times more meat on a per-person basis than most of the rest of the world. >> we are a huge over consumers of meat. we have to ask is that good? is it good for the planet? is it good for our own health, to eat so much more meat than other nations around the world? and so i do think that there are

many con assumers like victoria who want to avoid these fact o farms. i say certainly good step. i am very much in favor of it. i applaud her for doing that. we need to think about how much meet we are eating and whether we can have a bit less of impact the planet. >> so paul, one industry leader making a big change like this, like cargill stepping up and saying we are going to phases phase out gestation crates or we are going to remove plastic beads from our facial have been or chemicals from food and drink, are you seeing a cascad cascading effect when these big names in the industry decide to make this kind of a shift? >> absolutely, lisa. the fact is that as americans learn more and more about the routine abuses that farm animals are subjected to, the greater the outrage is. >> outrage is heard by the companies, whether it be proctor & gamble or whether it be cargill or other big

agri-businesses and they don't want to be out of step with their customers. we are seeing these companies starting to take corporate associated responsibility more seriously and implementing the type of policies that mainstream americans want to see implemented to move in a better direction. >> it's about time, i think. it's about time. >> we have our community, there are a lot 10tives, eat less, grow a vigi garden. >> it does influence meet. until i look at organic food processes and realize i can't afford it. chef nora, we have so many community members who say i would love to get on board going organ i can but i can't afford it. give me some alternatives. give me some options. how would you respond to our community? >> first of all, i think you cannot afford it if you buy the quantity of food that you normally buy. i think paul said it correctly. if you have to think about reducing the sizes and the amount of food we eat. i mean

there is nothing wrong with having grains and vegetables as the main ingredient on the plate and like a three to four ounce pea piece of meat. we don't have to eat meat every day. i think if we eat seasonally, organic food, you can concentrate more on things that are not in the high price range, organic food is very axisible. i always say, i prefer to spend my money on food than on a doctor because eventually, eating all of this food full of additives and grown in an unfall way has an enormous impact on our health. it shows. this country has more hecht problem than any country in the world. i think the only way we can reduce that is to change the way we live and we eat. >> paul, we have got about a mint left. give us a sense of some of the large companies and corporation that your your organization

worked with changing practices because of the consumer push to do so. >> in the last two years, there has been an earthquake in the pork industry because of announcements, cargill was the latest. prior to that, companies like mcdonald's burger king, denny's and more have sent clear signals to their pork suppliers that enough is enough, that they don't want pigs to be kept in these cramped, squalid conditions. we are seeing a change. the write hing is on the wall clearer than before. we don't farm the way we did 10 years ago today. and 10 years from now, we are not going to be farming the way that we are today. change is the only constant in the agricultural industry and every industry and change that is coming is going to be better for animals, better conditions than they have had in the past we will use fewer as more and more americans decide to eat less meet meat. >> thank you for being on the program today. still ahead, what's the state of

your air? we will tell you how to find out using your zip code and what you don't know about what you are breathing every day. we speak with a new study possibly linking oughtism and schizophrenia i can't see. techknow. we're here in the vortex. only on al jazeera america. >> this, is what we do.

>> al jazeera america. . >> well, back. we are talking about the latest affecting our food, water and air. back with us is heather white executive director of the environmental working group and deborah who published a study. the thing with air pollution, sometimes you can't detect that the air is bad. >> we need it to live. we need it to survive. we need to breathe it. the american lung association

did something great. the state of the air 2014. they have a website. input your zip code and tehey will tell you the state of your air. myo zone is an s, awesome. particle pollution is an a. nice. >> guess action lisa. how about you? i did your zip code, also. >> i am in the district. so, it's probably not as good as yours. >> you are an f a d. >> wonden, uplifting. the american lung association, we read their 2014 state of the air report and based upon epa data, here are three important facts you should know. top facts. here we go, number 38 out the top 10 areas with the most polluted ozones are in my state. a nation with over 300 million people, encouraged 148 million live in areas where air quality is unhealthy. the state of the air quality

worsened, it hames over all much clean earn just a decade ago. there is that lisa. >> getting somewhere, i guess. so dib rat you are a university of rochester professor, the lead researcher on that study that may link pollution to autism and schizophrenia. were you surprised to find that this could be causing changes in our brain? >> we were surprised to find that. we didn't expect it in these studies. we are using the smallest particles of air pollution. basically we pull them in from the outside. we actually concentrate them, so it's not the rochester level of air pollution. it would be more consistent with what you would have if you were driving through los angeles or atlanta on the freeways kind of thing. yes, we were surprised to find that. >> what were the similarities that you found between the brains of the myself that had damage from air pollution and to

the types of damage that you see in brains that have autism and schizophrenia? >> really, three things, i would say. first of all, we see these effects only in males, not in females, which is interesting because both autism and schizophrenia o prefrincially in males to females. what we saw were two things. were were enlarged haven't trickqual. >>s, something called ventriculomegaly. this is a less extreme form, if you will, of hydrocephalus but they are part of the issue is lat tory system of the brain, and when you have an enlarged ventricle, that has a poor prognosis for developmental outcome. in addition to those enlarged ventricles and those lasted throughout the lifetime in the animal, there is what we call a white matter trek, the corpus colossom, a connector of the two

sides of the brain. >> connection is very important for some behavioral functions, pour social behaviors, things like that. >> connection was very ragged and large parts of it appear to be missing or never have developed. >> such -- such an interesting study. who knows what it may lead to? heather, consumers are trying to drive change on this issue, not just from a climate change perspective but from deborah's p perspective, a health perspective. you are on the hill a lot. do you see lawmakers responding to this? >> it's hit or miss when it comes to lawmakers but when it comes to companies, there is a clear message that this generation is sending to them that we expect clean air and clean energy when we are talking about our future. and more and more americas are connecting the dots between their health, their personal health and the environment and one of our missions at ewg is to know the environment isn't just where you go on vacation.

it's the air you breathe, the water you drink, the chemicals that you buy and bring into your home on to put on your home or put on your skin. absolutely, we are seeing this change. congress has seen the consumers are out front, state legislators are behind. unfortunately congress is taking a little longer. >> there is no question in your mind this is being driven by consumers? >> yes. absolutely. >> all right. doing something pro-active. natalie said i ride the bus as much as i can but until we have great, convenient and cheap options, not sure what people can do. we need more investment en masse public transportation. it requires all of us. >> thanks to our guests. until next time, waj and i will see you online.

this is al jazeera america. i am thomas drayton in new york. closer to iraq, the violence grows. the iraqi army says it is making gains against the opposition. de voters in afghanistan risked lives to cast their ballots in the run-off election. dozens are dead after a military transport is sot down in eastern ukraine. the certainlying intention