The worst pinkwashing award goes to Baker Hughes, one of the largest oilfield companies, for painting their drill bits pink in honor of “Breast Cancer Awareness Month”.
“It’s like a tobacco company trying to help prevent lung cancer” Molly Brooksbank from the SierraRise, commented in an email.
A partnership between the Susan G. Komen foundation and oilfield services company Baker Hughes, which agreed to paint the hydraulic fracturing drill bits pink, was announced on Oct. 3.
Over 700 chemicals, including benzene, acrylamide, ethylene oxide, bisphenol A (BPA), and formaldehyde — all well-known carcinogens, are used in fracking according to a 2011 study by the House Committee on Energy.
Some of these fracking chemicals, like BPA, are listed as environmental risk factors for breast cancer on the Susan G. Komen website!
Baker Hughes says it plans to distribute 1,000 pink drill bits:
…to serve as a reminder of the importance of supporting research, treatment, screening, and education to help find the cures for this disease, which claims a life every 60 seconds.
The company also plans to include information packets about screening and risk factors.
Will poison go away if it is disguised and painted with the color pink?
Activist group Credo started an online petition calling on the Susan G. Komen breast cancer foundation to cut ties with Baker Hughes.
Leave a Reply