Sorry I couldn't relocate the original thread. Anyhow, some food for thought.

Although we are lead to believe affluence is the cause -not unlike the obvious correlation in the decline of piracy and the rise in global warming- I would suggest consideration of other manmade causes such as biologically active plastics that emit endocrine disruptors and other hormonal mimics that leach from "specific" widely used plastics. Also when "some" plastics are heated cumulative toxins are said to be released as well.

Searchables: bisphenol-a or BPA, phthalates, Triclosan

http://discovermagazine.com/2008/may/18-the-dirty-truth-about-plastic/article_view? b_start:int=0&-C=

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=plastic-not-fantastic-with-bisphenol-a

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/nature/interviews/vomsaal.html

Infertility and EnvironmentalChemicals—Is There a Connection? by Linda C. Giudice, MD, PhD http://www.healthandenvironment.org/?module=uploads&func=download&fileId= 185

Diabetes from a plastic? Estrogen mimic provokes insulin resistance.(bisphenol-A, Miguel Hernandez University finding)

Chemicals that Mimic Hormones Explain Birth Defects and 8 year-olds Reaching Puberty