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Healthy World Watch - July 4th

Friday, July 04, 2008
Posted by Janelle Sorensen
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Does your sunscreen work? Probably not. An investigation of nearly 1,000 brand-name sunscreen products finds that 4 out of 5 contain chemicals that may pose health hazards or don't adequately protect skin from the sun's damaging rays. Some of the worst offenders are leading brands like Coppertone, Banana Boat, and Neutrogena. The Environmental Working Group offers their top ten sunscreen picks.
Fireworks are fun, but those lingering clouds of smoke are bad for the Earth and us. Scientists are finding new ways to make the rockets' red glare and bombs bursting in air more eco-friendly.
Popcorn bags face possible new rules. A state senator is proposing that California become the first state to ban a class of potential carcinogens used in some popcorn bags, pizza boxes and other grease-resistant food packaging.
Believe it or not, Chicken is Dunked in Chlorine. You’d better know where your meat comes from if you want to avoid unwanted chemicals.
Save The Planet, Lose The Guilt. Just because we all sin against the environment doesn't mean we should believe every "green" idea.
Your Laptop’s Dirty Little Secret. Phones and computers contain dangerous metals like lead, cadmium and mercury, which can contaminate the air and water when those products are dumped. The U.S. is by far the world's top producer of e-waste, but much of it ends up elsewhere — specifically, in developing nations where the poor, often including children, dismantle dumped PCs and phones, stripping the components for the valuable — and toxic — metals contained inside.
A look back at the last 50 years of studies reveals how phthalates in PVC can lead to asthma and allergies.
After years of denying there was anything even resembling an issue of concern here, the Food and Drug Administration has had an abrupt change of heart on mercury dental fillings.
The US EPA just launched a new website exploring how Climate Change may impact the Health of Children.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Posted by Healthy Child
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Tim Smith - Senior Director Sustainable Development - Shaklee Corporation

We had a moment to ask Tim about his work with Shaklee and what inspires him to work towards sustainability.

HC: What is your job description?

TS: As the Senior Director of Sustainable Development for Shaklee Corporation I’m responsible for the planning and implementation of innovative sustainability programs. This includes working with non-governmental, non-profit, for-profit, and philanthropic organizations to advance ecologically sound and sustainable business practices that benefit our planet.

HC: What motivates you to do the sustainable development work you are doing?

TS: I have always gravitated to companies with social and philanthropic values. This includes Levi Strauss & Co. early in my career and over 20 years with the Shaklee Corporation. My motivation comes from a deep appreciation for the shared values among my colleagues and Shaklee Independent Distributors. The philosophy of “Living in Harmony With Nature” has been a part of the company’s culture since its founding by Dr. Forrest C. Shaklee in 1956. My personal mission statement was derived from an acronym for SHAKLEE: Sharing, Helping And Keeping Lives Enriched Everyday. If you spend any time with the “Shaklee family” of distributors you will quickly understand the source of my values and motivation.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Posted by Christopher Gavigan
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Send a letter of your strong support for including the Feinstein Amendment before June 4th - restricting the use of six toxic phthalates in children’s toys! It’s critical we get as many as our members and supports as possible to express that this is an issue people care deeply about and we're depending on Congress to do it's job and protect kids everywhere from phthalates in toys!

Send your letter now! Download the template - with everything you need including a draft action, constituent letter and contact information for the key targets.

Our compliments to the Breast Cancer Fund for their strong support and help on this matter.

Our many thanks.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Posted by Christopher Gavigan
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Healthy Child is proud to be supporting the 'The Kid Safe Chemicals Act'.

CONTACT:
Lautenberg Press Office (202) 224-3224
Sonia Melendez (Solis) (202) 225-5464
Karen Lightfoot (Waxman) (202) 225-5051

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Representatives Hilda L. Solis (D- CA) and Henry Waxman (D-CA) introduced major legislation to protect Americans, especially children, from toxic chemicals in everyday consumer products. The bill would ensure for the first time that all the chemicals used in baby bottles, children’s toys and other products are proven to be safe before they are put on the market.

“Every day, consumers rely on household products that contain hundreds of chemicals. The American public expects the federal government to keep families safe by testing chemicals—but the government is letting them down,” Lautenberg said. “We already have strong regulations for pesticides and pharmaceuticals—it’s common sense that we do the same for chemicals that end up in household items such as bottles and toys.”

Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Posted by Healthy Child
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Eliminating Toxic Chemicals in Children
Bill in Congress aims for “Kid-Safe” chemicals

(Washington) ”Senator Frank Lautenberg (NJ), together with Representatives Hilda Solis (CA) and Henry Waxman (CA) have proposed sweeping legislation that would overhaul the nation’s regulatory system for industrial chemicals - the Kid Safe Chemicals Act of 2008 (KSCA).” Environmental health advocates, scientists, parents, and consumers are paying close attention to this historic legislation that will require companies that make or import chemicals in the United States to demonstrate the safety of their products, backed up with scientific data.

In spite of the 1976 passage of Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), tens of thousands of industrial chemicals have been allowed to remain in the marketplace today even though they have not been tested or scrutinized for their health and environmental impacts.
The bill is in response to a growing number of studies demonstrating rising rates of children’s illnesses linked to toxic chemical exposure, including obesity, asthma, autism, thyroid disease, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and reproductive illness, as well as in utero contamination from bisphenol A, flame retardants, phthalates, and other pervasive chemicals.
Due to the failure of EPA regulatory policy on chemicals, and concern over chemical industry influence on decisions made by both the FDA and EPA, state legislatures and agencies across the nation have developed aggressive regulatory initiatives, following the examples of Canada and Europe in adopting more precaution-based chemical policies.

Retailers, investors, and entrepreneurs are seeking companies that can meet higher public expectations, helping to spur the growth of safer, greener products.

“After years of apathy and inaction by the U.S. government, Congress is awakening to the pervasive health impacts from dangerous chemicals,“ according to Daryl Ditz, at the nonpartisan Center for International Environmental Law. “The Kid Safe Chemicals Act would help weed out the worst chemicals, reward companies that offer safer products, and help to regain U.S. leadership on this global problem.”

“Chemical reform in the U.S. is long overdue. This is a very important first step in finally putting our public health in front of corporate profits. The recent poll of EPA scientists indicates that many harmful chemicals have been approved for the marketplace without regard to their impact upon children’s health. It’s time to put a stop to this lack of accountability with the chemical manufacturers, and make them responsible for their products,” says Christopher Gavigan from Healthy Child Healthy World.

"You shouldn't need a degree in chemistry to keep your kids safe and healthy," said MomsRising.org Executive Director Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner. ”The Kid Safe Chemicals Act would put the responsibility for ensuring that products are safe where it belongs — with the companies that make products as well as those that market chemicals."

Friday, May 09, 2008
Posted by Healthy Child
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The Whole Children, Whole Planet Expo is the premier natural parenting and family expo to introduce and educate families, professionals and friends about the benefits of sustainable living practices, holistic medicine, non-toxic products, organic foods, better nutrition, enrichment learning programs; and important environmental issues for protecting our children and the planet.

On Sunday Healthy Child will be testing ONE toy or household item per person using a Thermo Scientific Niton XL3t 700 series XRF analyzer. The portable x-ray fluorescence analyzer is used by the EPA, the CPSC, and other regulatory agencies to screen toys and household goods for lead, cadmium, chromium and other elements. It provides a fast, non-destructive analysis in the parts per million range for lead, cadmium, chromium and other elements in virtually any substrate.

Thursday, May 08, 2008
Posted by Healthy Child
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Think you know a lot about keeping your family safe from potentially dangerous chemicals in the foods and products in your home? Take our Healthy Child Healthy World Quiz and find out!

Get all the answers correct, and you’ll win twice: First, you'll receive $1.75 in Earthbound Farm coupons and their 2008 Pocket Guide to Choosing Organic and secondly, $1 for each quiz taken will come to us!

Get started!

Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Posted by Tasneem Motala
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Great news – out of several thousand entrants, Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, and Safer Home by Christopher Gavigan has been selected as a winner for the iParenting Media Award for the 2008 Excellent Products Call!

“We are really excited and grateful to be recognized with this special award from iParenting. As we have been witnessing, parents acknowledge the high value, peace of mind, and sense of empowerment from Healthy Child Healthy World. This award further establishes the importance of every parent’s need to have and use this book,” said Christopher Gavigan, author of the book and Executive Director of Healthy Child.

iParenting uses a panel of three independent reviewers consisting of a parent, an expert, and a childcare facility. After reading the book they filled out extensive surveys on their thoughts. Through the rigorous review process, they unanimously chose Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, and Safer Home for the award. Check out some of the great feedback on the book:

Thursday, April 24, 2008
Posted by Natalie Cadranel
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This is one of my favorite things to do in Los Angeles and this year we are excited because our organization will be participating!

Christopher Gavigan, Executive Director of Healthy Child and Author of our new book Healthy Child Healthy World will be speaking at the LA Times Festival of Books at UCLA. Come meet the Healthy Child Healthy World staff and pick our brains on how best to detoxify your home environments. Talk to the author and pick up your own signed copy of the book!

Where: UCLA Campus: 325 Westwood Plz Los Angeles, CA

When: Saturday, April 26th, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

We hope to see you there!

Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Posted by Healthy Child
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Please join founder Anna Getty and Cookie Magazine to kick-off the inaugural year of Pregnancy Awareness Month with the “Motherhood Begins Now” event.