First, the controversy seems to center around whether sunblocks protect against UVA radiation, which the current labeling system doesn't take into account:

For the first time, manufacturers would have to test and label their products for protection against ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation, which does not cause sunburns but can damage collagen and cause wrinkles and sunspots. Research suggests that UVA is a cause of skin cancer.

The labeling upgrade was proposed by the FDA last August, but the changes have not been finalized.

The current sun protection factor (SPF) labeling system, which was implemented three decades ago, measures only protection from UVB rays - the ultraviolet rays that cause sunburns.

"You can buy a high SPF product and still have no assurance that you are being protected from UVA, as well as UVB rays," EWG research director Jane Houlihan tells WebMD.

The next issue concerns how long the protective ingredients last in sunblock. Here's where industry claims run up against the EWG's study, although the industry responses in this CBS News article are entirely devoid of factual arguments against the study's claims, which makes them sound an awful lot like spin.

The EWG analysis suggested that nearly half of the products contained ingredients known to become inactive in strong sunlight.

Finally, the EWG study raises the question of whether the chemicals used in many sunblocks are safe:

Many sunscreens contain nano-scale ingredients that raise potential concerns. Micronized and nano-scale zinc oxide and titanium dioxide in sunscreen provide strong UVA protection, and are contained in many of our top-rated products. Repeated studies have found that these ingredients do not penetrate healthy skin, indicating that consumers' exposures would be minimal. Powder and spray sunscreens with nano-scale ingredients raise greater concerns, since particles might absorb more easily through the lungs than the skin. Studies of other nano-scale materials have raised concerns about their unique, toxic properties. FDA has failed to approve effective UVA filters available in Europe that, if approved here, could replace nano-scale ingredients.

Some sunscreens absorb into the blood and raise safety concerns. Our review of the technical literature shows that some sunscreen ingredients absorb into the blood, and some are linked to toxic effects. Some release skin-damaging free radicals in sunlight, some could disrupt hormone systems, several are strongly linked to allergic reactions, and others may build up in the body or the environment. FDA has not established rigorous safety standards for sunscreen ingredients that fully examines these effects.

On a related note, and to make things more complicated, there was a widely circulated report earlier this year that certain chemicals used in some sunblock formulas may be killing off coral reefs, by waking dormant viruses within the symbiotic algae that lives within the coral. I know, crazy! Others, however, say this is an untested theory and that certain pertinent factors have been overlooked. At any rate, the possible reef-killing chemicals are:

• Butylparaben
• Methylparaben
• Ethylhexylmethoxycinnamate
• Benzophenone-3
• 4-methylbenzylidene camphor

Bottom line: if you really want the maximum protection against ultraviolet radiation, go with a broad-spectrum sunblock—the products suggested by the EWG are a good place to start. If you're in the store and don't have the list with you, look for something that contains zinc oxide and doesn't contain oxybenzone. If you're a real worrier, stick with creams and lotions over inhalable sprays.

Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database [Environmental Working Group]
"Many Sunscreens Ineffective, Group Says" [CBS News]

RELATED
"Swimmers' Sunscreen Killing Off Coral" [National Geographic]
"Are Sunscreens Bad for the Environment?" [BeautyBrains]
(Photo: Getty)

These things aren't cheap or makeshift, either.

Shortly before Thanksgiving, a furtive crew of workers for L.A. Outdoor Advertising poured a cement foundation next to the Harbor Freeway and anchored a huge metal structure into the wet cement. A few days and roughly $100,000 later, the crew had erected L.A.'s latest illegal billboard atop an equally illegal 10-ton superstructure that can be removed only with a wrecker.

for its crime, L.A. Outdoor was "cited" and "ordered" to take down the illegal billboard "immediately." Five months later, that billboard still looms large. City Hall has caved to outdoor advertisers for so many years that L.A. Outdoor is touting the illegal billboard in a photo array on its Web site — a bleak reminder that billboards run amuck here, and their owners enjoy impunity.

Clear Channel Outdoor, CBS Outdoor, Vista and others use the legal system as a delaying tactic, filing lawsuit upon lawsuit. City officials so badly fear the wrath of the billboard companies that they resisted giving L.A. Weekly basic, public facts about existing legal and illegal billboards. Plenty of U.S. cities have required the firms to hand over their inventory lists — a necessary step before activists, neighbors and inspectors can ID and dispute illegal billboards. Houston forced its billboard companies to hand over a list. So did Philadelphia and San Francisco. Florida''s Department of Transportation obtained its list — in 1972.

But in Los Angeles, the newspaper had to hire a First Amendment attorney to obtain simple information from quaking workers at the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, a taxpayer-funded agency that deals almost exclusively in public data. For months, department spokesman Robert Steinbach refused to talk, behaving as if he were protecting the national security.

"Billboards Gone Wild: 4,000 Illegal Billboards Choke L.A.'s Neighborhoods" [LA Weekly] (Thanks to Elliott!)
(Photo: r_neches)

A couple of our favorites:

Adventure Medical Kits S.O.L. Survival Pak — Made for wilderness survival in a time of emergency, so pray your friend or family member never employs this gift. The S.O.L. Pak puts several survival items in an ultralight waterproof bag. The 4.6-ounce kit includes a mirror, whistle, matches, tinder, space blanket, bilingual survival and first-aid instructions, fishing kit, duct tape and compass. $25

Big Agnes Mountain booties — Technical slippers are a reality. If you've ever winter camped, you know the pain of cold feet in a tent or snow cave. These PrimaLoft-insulated booties have an ankle drawstring to cinch securely on your feet. They pack down small to become all but unnoticeable in a pack. $40

Because many firewood dealers sell wood on an informal basis, they may not be aware of their responsibilities. Likewise, homeowners may not be aware that the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Law regulates firewood sales. I urge both buyers and sellers to be aware of the regulations to avoid problems after the sale."