Posted on June 2, 2012 —
By Lindsay Dahl, Deputy Director
Last week we had an enormously successful event in the National Stroller Brigade. We highlighted the power that concerned mothers are having in the marketplace demanding safer products and how they are turning that concern to the political process, pushing for reform.
We also highlighted the science showing that many chronic diseases have roots in early life exposure to toxic chemicals. In particular, we highlighted flame retardant chemicals and the campaign of deception that chemical manufacturers engaged in to promote them, as highlighted by the Chicago Tribune.
Because a recent peer-reviewed study found that 80% of baby products, including nursing pillows, contained known toxic flame retardants, we used nursing pillows to get our message across. The message was that it is unacceptable that such an intimate product could be contaminated and consumers could have no way of knowing which ones were safe. Indeed, it is unacceptable.
But here is an irony, because the peer-reviewed study didn’t mention which brands had the chemicals and which didn’t, we made a point of not naming any particular brand at the press conference or in our materials. However, because the only pillows readily available were made by Boppy, we had Boppy products at the event.
We removed the packaging and made clear to participants that this wasn’t about any particular brand. But the Boppy folks recognized their products on TV and they were upset. They contacted us to tell us that in fact they meet the flammability standards WITHOUT the use of toxic flame retardants.
So, to correct the record, we want to make clear that Boppy is a success story. One of many firms around that country that- in the absence of a functioning federal chemical regulation- are doing what they can to avoid toxic chemicals while pursuing excellence in their product. We also ask you to spread the word, and if you can, take a moment to thank Boppy directly for not using toxic flame retardants.
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Posted on May 24, 2012 —
By Lindsay Dahl, Deputy Director
If there is one group you can’t mess with, it’s a group of moms. I learned that lesson early on, as a defiant kid trying to get out of my chores. My mom always won (and it was probably for the best). That message rang true at this week’s National Stroller Brigade, which brought together around 200 moms, cancer survivors and nurses in support of safer chemicals.
Lisa Allen, mom of two from Chesapeake, Virginia said it best in her interview with CNN, “As a mom, it’s overwhelming, we do the best we can but we still need help. We’re hoping that our Senators will help us to protect our children.”
Here are some highlights:
- The rally was a great success, featuring public health hero Senator Frank Lautenberg, Senator Dick Durbin, and Senator Chuck Schumer. Media outlets from across the country showed up to share the Stroller Brigade story.
- Polly Schlaff, a brave mom from Western Michigan, shared her story with crowd putting moral urgency on addressing toxic chemicals.
- Those who traveled as far as from Alaska and Idaho were rewarded with face-to-face meetings with their Senators. In all, we talked face-to-face with 22 Senators and had 53 meetings overall.
- Nurses from Maryland had a wonderful meeting with Senator Cardin’s office, and heard later in the day that he will co-sponsor the bill.
- Christine from Louisiana shared her story of living in “Cancer Alley” with Sen. Landrieu’s staff, who were warm and receptive.
- A group of dedicated Maine moms drove over 12 hours to attend the event and share their stories with Senators Snowe and Collins personally.
- The online participation during the day inspired three moms to organize local stroller brigades in their community.
- The following day, several Senators dedicated their floor speeches to the issue of toxic chemicals and mentioned the Stroller Brigade. View Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s speech here.
It was an incredible moment for me to meet so many of you face to face, but something else happened that I didn’t anticipate. Regardless of where you live, your political beliefs, or religious background, you all connected with each other and were energized in our collective quest to address toxic chemicals in this country. I think I underestimated the power of connecting with people who share a similar goal and passion.
Lori Alper, a Massachusetts mom and prominent blogger describes this well in her blog. In a world where we tweet, Facebook, and email each other everyday, you can’t put a price tag on the ability to sit down and connect face to face. The energy and enthusiasm that has transpired from the past few days was conveyed on Capitol Hill and will continue as you all travel back to your homes and communities.
Thanks for a wonderful few days. All of us at Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families look forward to working with all of you on our goal towards common sense limits on toxic chemicals.
Press highlights:
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Posted on May 15, 2012 —
by Anne Brock
Originally posted on http://FlourSackMama.com, May 13, 2012
I can still hear the shuffle of the little wooden drawers on my mother's vanity as she searched hastily for eye shadow and lipstick. She'd already arisen early to cook everyone pancakes and bacon, or biscuits and sausage gravy. Then she'd walked to the farrowing house to tend sows with newborn piglets. Back at home, she had time for a quick shower and an abbreviated beauty routine that included fluffing up her short, curly hair with a plastic, purple pick. She loved powders and creams with the sweet smells of roses and honeysuckle.
Upstairs in our white stucco farmhouse, I always took far too long primping for church. Mom would start the warning calls at something like an hour, then 20 minutes, then her voice echoed up the boxed stairwell that I had just a few minutes until we really needed to go. I don't know where she found the patience, but she never left me behind, even on mornings when she was supposed to teach Sunday school. Finally, we'd be driving down the dirt road, my juvenile delays making us at least five or ten minutes late.
One of the few things I felt I could do for Mom after her death was to lock myself in her bathroom, away from the din of mourners, and locate her favorite makeup. I carefully opened every wooden drawer to determine which eye shadow she'd been using regularly, which foundation color, what she'd used to brighten her cheeks. I picked through the not-quite-right lipstick colors that hadn't been touched to find the pink one with the soft curve that showed she'd been applying it day after day. I zipped the little cosmetics bag and readied it for a visit to the funeral home, ahead of the open casket service we'd be having. I was a young, married adult at the time and it would be years before my children were born.
More than a decade after her death to cancer, I'm still having new realizations about what Mom taught me. Of course, she loved me and all of her family with the fiercest, sweetest kind of unconditional love. Her relentlessness in getting me to the First Baptist Church on Sunday mornings must be why I still call myself Christian. Her work ethic on the family farm, her devotion to my father, and her commitment to community were all unquestionable.
Mom's relationship to cancer was complicated, her exposures to possible carcinogens were many (no, she never smoked), and it will never be clear exactly what caused her death. The perspective of time has helped me see that Ruth Ann Brock's death at 65, grievous as it was, is not the real tragedy here. She would say that she lived a blessed life. Her love for children, evident as she reared four of her own plus taught others in 4-H and church, would prompt her to say those youngest lives lost and those parents who died leaving young children behind -- those are the tragedies. I would add that a half-million lives lost in our country every year to cancer is a number so large most of us can't process it. We're numb to the reality that we all know a relative, friend or colleague who's had cancer.
In recent years we've all had access to more health and wellness information than ever, including findings from unprecedented research about cancer. It's now common knowledge that most cancers are a product, not of genetics, but of environment, which means lifestyle factors as well as everything that surrounds us, including the very air we breathe. I think my mother would be astounded to learn that I scan everything in the ingredient list of a cosmetic product and try to match it against a list of chemicals of concern. She'd be amazed at how much money I've spent on a simple bottle of shampoo in my effort to keep my daughters from breaking out in hives today or developing cancer years down the road. She'd understand our goal to reduce some fats and sugars in our diets, but she'd probably be shocked to learn about Bisphenol-A (BPA) concerns with canned vegetables and pesticide residue concerns with fresh fruits. She'd be puzzled to learn that cleaning products she thought were good to use in the house could possibly contribute to illness.
The saddest lessons I've learned from my mother's cancer death are the things she didn't say and do. She didn't have enough access to information, she didn't question authority, and she didn't set aside time to care for herself. With the internet and respected groups like Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, I'm thankful for today's access to the latest information about preventing cancer and other serious illnesses. I'm willing to politely question what those in positions of authority are doing to improve the status quo. And I admit that as a busy mother of two young kids, I'm still struggling to find time for myself, despite having a supportive husband.
Mom was a clean-living sort of person living in a beautiful rural setting, yet she was surrounded by potentially cancer-causing substances and didn't know any better. We know better. We have the chance with the Safe Chemicals Act to set a higher standard for safety in thousands of everyday substances and to eliminate the worst toxic chemicals of concern from our household environments. I owe it to the grandchildren my mother never met to promote a healthier future for them.
Please find out more for yourself about the Safe Chemicals Act and how it could help save lives. Please consider how you can support the National Stroller Brigade for Safe Chemicals that's headed to the the US Capitol on May 22. Hundreds of people, including nurses, cancer survivors and concerned parents, will be asking Congress for common sense limits on toxic chemicals. I'm honored that through a sponsored trip with the Safer Chemicals coalition, I can have a small part in this historic event. I'll make an extra effort to be on time, and I hope my mother would be proud.
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