Introduced on December 13, 2009, the BPA-Free Kids Act seeks to ban Bisphenol-A (BPA) from food and beverage containers intended for children ages 3 years and under. The bill would ban companies from producing these products and making them available to consumers. It would also set requirements for testing, labeling and marketing products. The bill is comprehensive, and includes penalties for violations and funding for research on the effects of the chemical.

Senators Schumer (D-NY) and Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced the legislation. A similar bill (Senator Feinstein's Ban Poisonous Additives Act) was introduced in March of 2009. Senator Feinstein's bill is a complete and permanent ban on BPA, while the BPA-Free Kids Act only concerns children's food and beverage products.

View the complete bill
Learn more about BPA

Additional Resources:
Senator Schumer's Website
Senator Gillibrand's Website
Ban Poisonous Additives Act

Our health is based on the interaction between a variety of things including genetics, diet and exercise, emotional well-being, and environment. The connections between our environment and our health are often difficult to identify. Oftentimes, exposures take years or decades to manifest. Healthy Child recommends many simple steps for taking precautions to protect the health and development of children. Here, you can also learn a little about:

• The most common health conditions impacting children today, potential environmental links and some ways you can reduce your child's risk;
• How to discuss environmental health concerns with your doctor; and,
• Reliable resources to learn more.

Not all health professionals are aware of the growing body of evidence linking common chemicals in our environment and everyday products to health and development. Still, it’s a worrisome issue and you should feel comfortable talking with your child’s doctor about your concerns. Initiate the conversation using the resources below that have been developed specifically for health professionals.

• Physician’s for Social Responsibility Pediatric Environmental Health Toolkit is a combination of easy-to-use reference guides for health providers and user friendly health education materials on preventing exposures to toxic chemicals and other substances that affect infant and child health. The materials are visually appealing, practical and easy to use. The Toolkit is endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
• Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSUs) are coordinated by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The PEHSU's have been developed to provide education and consultation for medical professionals, public health professionals and others about the topic of children's environmental health. There are 10 regional clinics in the US, one in Canada, and one in Mexico.
• US EPA’s Children’s Environmental Health: Online Resources for Health Care Providers were developed as an informal starting point for health care providers to learn more about pediatric environmental health.

Is your doctor already “in the know?” Maybe she’d be interested in helping her clinic or hospital go green. Health Care Without Harm is an international coalition of hospitals and health care systems, medical professionals, community groups, health-affected constituencies, labor unions, environmental and health organizations, and religious groups. The mission is to transform the health care industry worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment.

Knowledge is power, so use the following resources to learn more about specific toxic substances or related health impacts. Just try not to get too overwhelmed or preoccupied with the details. Keep a balance between learning about life and living yours.

• Collaborative on Health and the Environment Toxicant and Disease Database is a searchable database that summarizes links between chemical contaminants and approximately 180 human diseases or conditions. Diseases and or toxicants can be viewed by clicking on the diseases listed or by utilizing the search engine.
• Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) is a monthly journal of peer-reviewed research and news on the impact of the environment on human health. EHP is published by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and its content is free online.
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's environmental health program covers health issues, specific toxic substances, community campaigns, educational tools, data and statistics, the latest reports, and more.

Allergies have become widespread over the past several decades. Allergic dermatitis (itchy rash) is the most common skin condition in children younger than eleven, and the percentage of children diagnosed with it increased more than 300% from the 1960s to the 1990s. (Read more.) Hay fever (allergic rhinitis) is believed to affect up to 40 percent of children. Each day approximately ten thousand American children miss school because of hay fever, for a total of 2 million lost school days a year. (Read more.) And roughly 6 percent of children suffer from food allergies, according to the CDC.

Learn more about allergies using the following resources:

• National Library of Medicine
• American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
• Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
• WebMD Allergies Health Center

Learn about potential environmental links and ways to reduce your child’s risk here.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2005 6.5 million children under age 18 had asthma, an increase of more than 200% since 1980. About one in 11 school-aged children suffers from asthma, and the rate is rising more rapidly in preschool-aged children than in any other age group. Indoor air quality is a big culprit. In addition to dust mites, mold, pet dander, and secondhand smoke, air contaminants that may impact asthma include certain insecticides and chemicals in plastic, especially formaldehyde. (Read more.)

Learn more about asthma using the following resources:

• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
• National Library of Medicine
• American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
• American Lung Association
• Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
• Collaborative on Health and the Environment
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Learn about potential environmental links and ways to reduce your child’s risk here.

Between 3-5% of children have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and diagnoses for ADHD have jumped almost 400%. (Read more.) While this increase is in part due to better recognition and diagnosis, the epidemic must also have something to do with changes in our environments and lifestyle.

Learn more about ADHD using the following resources:

• National Library of Medicine
• Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
• National Institute of Mental Health
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Learn about potential environmental links and ways to reduce your child’s risk here.

The causes of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are complex, obtuse, and remain largely a mystery. Yet the rates of diagnoses are sky-rocketing: over the past 20 years they have jumped 400%, according to a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. ASDs currently affect one in 150 babies and up to 1.5 million Americans. It is the fastest-growing developmental disability with an annual growth of 10-17%. (Read more.) While there is little consensus on the causes of ASDs (in fact, the debate is very heated and contentious), there is agreement that extensive research is required to better understand it.

Learn more about ASDs using the following resources:

• National Library of Medicine
• Autism Collaboration
• Autism Society of America
• Autism Speaks
• Collaborative on Health and the Environment
• National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
• National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• National Institute of Mental Health
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• The Nemours Foundation

Learn about potential environmental links and ways to reduce your child’s risk here.

Every year, one in every 33 babies (about 120,000) born in the United States enters the world with a birth defect. (Read more.) Thousands of different birth defects have been identified and birth defects are the leading cause of death in the first year of life. (Read more.)

Learn more about birth defects using the following resources:

• National Library of Medicine
• Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction
• Children's Craniofacial Association
• Collaborative on Health and the Environment
• Cornelia de Lange Syndrome Foundation
• March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
• National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
• National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• National Newborn Screening and Genetics Resource Center
• Organization of Teratology Information Services
• Save Babies through Screening Foundation

Learn about potential environmental links and ways to reduce your child’s risk here.

The incidence of childhood cancers jumped almost 27% between 1975 and 2002. Even though survival rates have increased, preventing cancer genesis in children is the optimal goal. Post-diagnosis treatments can wreak havoc on a child’s developing body, causing complications from heart problems and liver failure to infertility. (Read more.) In fact, survivors of childhood cancer have a mortality rate more than 10 times higher than the general population’s due to the long term effects of treatment. The American Cancer Society estimates that 75% of cancer is due to environmental factors (including tobacco use, diet, infectious disease, chemicals and radiation).

Learn more about cancer using the following resources:

• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
• National Library of Medicine
• American Cancer Society
• CureSearch
• National Cancer Institute

Learn about potential environmental links and ways to reduce your child’s risk here.

One in six children deals with at least one developmental disability. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Developmental disabilities are a diverse group of severe chronic conditions that are due to mental and/or physical impairments. People with developmental disabilities have problems with major life activities such as language, mobility, learning, self-help, and independent living. Developmental disabilities begin anytime during development up to 22 years of age and usually last throughout a person’s lifetime.” Roughly 50% of these disabilities are due to environmental and social factors.

Learn more about developmental disorders using the following resources:

• Administration on Developmental Disabilities
• American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
• Collaborative on Health and the Environment
• Learning Disabilities Association of America
• National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
• National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Learn about potential environmental links and ways to reduce your child’s risk here.

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in children and adolescents; about 151,000 people below the age of 20 years have diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, once known as adult-onset diabetes, is increasing among children. (Read more.) And, Type 1 diabetes has been a medical mystery for some time. The majority of people who develop Type 1 diabetes have no history of diabetes in their family. Researchers are working to discover what environmental factors, when combined with a genetic predisposition, might begin the chain of events that leads to diabetes. No one has found conclusive results yet.

Learn more about diabetes using the following resources:

• National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP)
• National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• American Association of Diabetes Educators
• American Diabetes Association
• Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International

Learn about potential environmental links and ways to reduce your child’s risk here.

The obesity epidemic has occurred relatively quickly, just over three decades, an increase that correlates to the exponential growth in the production and use of synthetic chemicals. Many of these chemicals are better known for causing weight loss at high levels of exposure, but the very same chemicals can promote weight gain at low concentrations. (Read more.) It is certainly confusing, and we have only just begun to understand the implications.

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States and more than one in three American children between the ages of six and 19 are considered overweight or obese. This prevalence has nearly tripled for adolescents in the past two decades. (Read more.) Since overweight adolescents have a 70% chance of becoming overweight or obese adults (80% if even one parent is obese or overweight), the prognosis for the future health of Americans is declining.

Learn more about obesity using the following resources:

• National Library of Medicine
• The Nemours Foundation
• The Obesity Society
• US Department of Agriculture
• Weight-Control Information Network

Learn about potential environmental links and ways to reduce your child’s risk here.

Reproductive disorders encompass a wide range of health issues. Here’s just the tip of the iceberg of reproductive health impacts that are potentially linked to toxic exposures during critical moments of development.

• Girls get their first periods today, on average, a few months earlier than did girls 40 years ago, but they get their breasts one to two years earlier. Read more.
• The percentage of women with endometriosis reporting symptoms before the age of 15 has jumped from 15% during the early to mid-1980s to 38% in 1998. Read more.
• There has been a genuine decline in semen quality over the past 50 years as well as an increase in testicular cancer and hypospadias, suggesting a growing impact of factors with serious effects on male gonadal function. Read more.
• Approximately 10-15% of couples of reproductive age are battling infertility. Read more.

Learn more about reproductive disorders using the following resources:

• National Institute of Environmental Health Science
• National Library of Medicine
• American Society for Reproductive Medicine
• Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction
• National Women's Health Information Center
• Reproductive Health Technologies Project
• Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility

Learn about potential environmental links and ways to reduce your child’s risk here.

The Mount Sinai Medical Center is home to an extensive array of top-notch research centers and laboratories, where scientists and researchers work to translate the rapid advances in basic science into the innovative patient care for which they are known. The mission of the Children's Environmental Health Center is to protect children against environmental threats to health. The CEHC accomplishes this by guiding, supporting, and building the programs of the Department of Community and Preventive Medicine of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Critical Windows of Development is a timeline of how the human body develops in the womb, with animal research showing when low-dose exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals during development results in altered health outcomes. It’s an innovative tool from TEDX (The Endocrine Disruption Exchange, Inc.), the only organization that focuses primarily on the human health and environmental problems caused by low-dose and/or ambient exposure to chemicals that interfere with development and function, called endocrine disruptors. Learn more about TEDX and their other resources.

Additional Resources

• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
• Environmental Health Journal
• The Center for Environmental Oncology
• The Dierdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology
• Environmental Health Perspectives

Also check out Healthy Child's list of Research Tools on the Web: Where to Find In-depth Information About Children's Environmental Health.

In this legislation, a household cleaning product is defined as any substance which is produced for use in or around a home. For example: cleaning agents, pesticides, epoxy, paint, and stains are all household products. Currently, consumers are kept in the dark as to what these products truly contain. Harmful chemicals can cause asthma, skin irritations, respiratory ailments, and damage to the reproductive system and the nervous system. For example: ammonium quaternary compounds are disinfectants found in some disinfectant sprays and toilet cleaners that have been identified as inducers of occupational asthma; glycol ethers, such as 2-butoxyethanol, are solvents commonly found in glass cleaners and all-purpose spray cleaners that have been linked to reduced fertility and low birth weight in exposed mice.

Download the bill here.

What you can do:

• Get involved: contact your local Legislature and tell them how you feel about chemicals in household products. It's easy, just use the email form on The Breast Cancer Fund's website.
• Learn More: visit Senator Israel's website. There you can watch his video and take a look at who is endorsing his bill.
• Spread the word: share the video with your friends and family and ask them to contact their local Legislature.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.) and Rep. Edward Markey (Mass.) introduced legislation in March 2009 aimed at banning bisphenol A from food and beverage containers. BPA is used in hard plastic bottles, food can linings, dental sealants, CDs and other consumer products, and is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. It was originally developed as a synthetic estrogen, and is now one of the most widely-produced chemicals in the world.

Take action: Ask your legislators to co-sponsor the BPA Act »



Learn more about the bill »

Our nation’s chemical regulatory system, known as TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act) is outdated and ineffective. In the 30 years it’s been around, only 5 chemicals – out of the over 80,000 registered – have been restricted. TSCA doesn’t give the EPA the authority to do much of anything, which is why so many risky chemicals are in our everyday products – chemicals linked to health impacts like cancer, asthma, and learning disabilities.

SUPPORT REFORM NOW! Join the Million Baby Crawl!

Also, join us in support of Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families (http://www.saferchemicals.org/), a national coalition working to reform TSCA. From their website:

What we want

A reformed Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) would serve as the backbone of a sound and comprehensive chemicals policy that protects public health and the environment, while restoring the luster of safety to U.S. goods in the world market. Any effective reform of TSCA should:

• Take immediate action on the most dangerous chemicals. 
Current laws aren't protecting us from chemicals that are building up in our bodies and threatening our health. These persistent, bioaccumulative toxic chemicals should be phased out of commerce. Our exposure to other toxic chemicals that we know can cause serious health problems, should be reduced. Green chemistry research should be expanded, and safer chemicals favored over those with known health hazards.
• Hold industry responsible for the safety of their chemicals and products. 
Due to serious limitations of the current law, very little is known about the vast majority of the tens of thousands of chemicals produced and used in the US. Over the past three decades, the EPA has required testing on just 200 existing chemicals and restricted only five. Companies that make and use chemicals should be required to provide full information on the impact of all their chemicals on health and the environment. The public, workers, and businesses should have access to information about the safety of chemicals.
• Use the best science to protect all people and vulnerable groups
. Chemicals should meet a standard of safety for all people, including children, pregnant women, and workers. The extra burden of toxic chemical exposure on people of color, low-income, and indigenous communities must be reduced and more studies must be done to detect which chemicals are present in our bodies.

Additional Resources:

Momentum for Revamp of Toxins Law

We need to take action at a variety of levels and in a variety of areas to truly create a better future for children.  See what you can do in your community.

• Childcare Centers
• Schools
• Neighborhoods and Cities

Never underestimate your ability to make changes in the world around you. In fact, with all the new technologies that help us connect with one another and share information, it’s probably never been easier. Still, you’ll be much more successful if you remember a few key tips.

Play nice. No matter who you’re talking to, from a neighbor to a Senator, it pays to be diplomatic. Approach people with an open mind and be respectful of their opinions. Nobody likes a know-it-all, so offer your ideas with a bit of humility. Don’t judge, smile a lot, and be grateful for every little step that is made. Be a “helper” instead of a “nagger.” People will be much more apt to change if it feels positive. And, you’ll be more likely to create long-term allies who can continue to help make changes in your community.

Find solutions. It’s easy to complain about problems. It’s smart to find solutions. Whatever issue you want to address, before you do anything, research solutions. Find other people who have successfully addressed the problem you want to address. Look on-line for example policies that outline solutions. Do your best to find solutions that are economically feasible. The more research you do identifying solutions on the front end, the less friction you’ll receive when you go public with your requests.

Be patient. We live in a fast paced world, but it doesn’t mean things change overnight. Be prepared to push for what you want for a long time. Understand that people are busy and that elected officials and community leaders have a long, complicated list of priorities. It may take a while for yours to rise to the top. Don’t take it personally. Have patience, perseverance, and a positive attitude.

Resources:

Creating Healthy Environments for Children: Advocacy Toolkit This 8pg PDF outlines everything you need to know about contacting elected officials, writing letters to the editor for publishing your concerns in local newspapers, and many other easy ideas for spreading the word in your community. Don’t forget the companion DVD that can help you quickly educate others about children’s environmental health issues.

Research Tools on the Web Use this guide to find out about polluters in your community, health impacts of chemicals, and much more.

Community ToolBox promotes community health and development by connecting people, resources, and ideas. While they don’t address environmental health specifically, their tools and information is entirely relevant to anyone looking to start organizing for change in their community. For example, they have an on-line guide that includes nearly 300 different sections providing practical, step-by-step guidance in community-building skills.

Meet Up is the world's largest network of local groups. Meetup makes it easy for anyone to organize a local group or find one of the thousands already meeting up face-to-face. More than 2,000 groups get together in local communities each day, each one with the goal of improving themselves or their communities.

Some parents breathe a sigh of relief when they drop their baby off at a childcare center. Others breathe a small gasp as they stifle back tears. Either way, make sure you and your child can breathe easy by helping the facility create a healthy environment.

Creating Healthy Environments for Children: Easy Steps for Homes, Child Care Centers and Schools is a 20-minute educational DVD which includes an informational presentation on how to protect children's environmental health, fact sheets, and quizzes for child care centers and schools, a community action guide, and more.

Eco-Healthy Childcare program from the Oregon Environmental Council provides tips for childcare centers, a checklist, and a list of certified centers from across the nation.

Schools are our children’s second homes. The moment a parent sets foot in a school and realizes how important this place is to their child’s health and development is oftentimes the moment a community advocate is born. For parents who have taken every precaution at home, it can be a moment of culture shock. Luckily, parents and schools across the nation are blazing a green trail towards creating healthy environments for students to learn and grow in.

Healthy Schools Network is a national non-profit working to create healthier school environments for all children. They coordinate a coalition of over 400 partners, provide a wealth of information and referral services, and coordinate the National Healthy Schools Day every April. Host your own event to raise awareness of the issue and launch a local effort to improve school environments.

My Healthy School is dedicated to providing teachers, administrators, parents and students with resources on how to improve the health of schools across the country. Learn how to serve the most nutritious school food, choose the safest products inside the classroom and out, and teach students how to play an integral role in the future of their planet.

Creating Healthy Environments for Children: Easy Steps for Homes, Child Care Centers and Schools is a 20-minute educational DVD which includes an informational presentation on how to protect children's environmental health, fact sheets, and quizzes for child care centers and schools, a community action guide, and more.

The Green Flag Program is a student-led program to make schools healthier places to work and learn. This flexible three-step program will help you advance your schools environmental behaviors and become a shining example to others. Achieve recognition for all the good work your school already does, and improve your program with the support of teachers and field experts across the country.

The Green Schools Initiative works to catalyze and support “green” actions by kids, teachers, parents, and policymakers to eliminate toxics, use resources sustainably, create green spaces and buildings, serve healthy food, and teach stewardship. They are working to leverage the schools sector to transform the school environment – and the markets that supply schools – to improve health and sustainability. They advocate that school boards and state policymakers develop comprehensive action plans and build the local capacity to implement these plans. Begin with their Sample School Board Resolution: Blueprint for Healthy, Environmentally Sound Schools.

The Go Green Initiative is a simple, comprehensive program designed to create a culture of environmental responsibility on school campuses across the nation. Founded in 2002, the Go Green Initiative unites parents, students, teachers and school administrators in an effort to make real and lasting changes in their campus communities that will protect children and the environment for years to come.

Indoor Air Quality – Tools for Schools is the US Environmental Protection Agency’s program to show schools how to carry out a practical plan of action to improve indoor air problems at little or no cost using straightforward activities and in-house staff. Their Kit provides best practices, industry guidelines, sample policies, and a sample IAQ management plan. The voluntary guidance can save schools time and money so that resources can be directed toward educating children.

Minnesota Healthy Sustainable Schools is an interagency, cross-sector collaboration helping schools on a variety of issues, such as health, performance, and sustainability. Even if you don’t live in Minnesota, download the Guide for Change and Assessment Tool for Change for a wide variety of resources to help you plan, implement, and track your program.

Even if you don’t feel comfortable quite yet rocking your neighborhood boat or shaking up your city council, you can still start laying the groundwork for future changes by starting a neighborhood group, joining your neighborhood association, or sitting in on city council meetings. Get to know the people in your community and the issues they are concerned about. Once you’ve established yourself as a friend and committed citizen, introduce your own ideas.

Use MeetUp.com to find or start a group in your area. Just enter a topic and your zipcode to see if others are already meeting to discuss the issue or to invite others to meet. Meetup is the world's largest network of local groups. Meetup makes it easy for anyone to organize a local group or find one of the thousands already meeting up face-to-face. More than 2,000 groups get together in local communities each day, each one with the goal of improving themselves or their communities.

After you’ve made some allies, here are three ways to start creating a healthier community:

1. Reduce pesticide use by following the 10 Steps to Pesticide-Free Parks from the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, joining the National Coalition for Pesticide-Free Lawns, or by promoting a Model City-Wide IPM Policy.
2. Get your city (or Park and Rec or Libraries or any institution) to buy healthier, eco-friendly products by using the Responsible Purchasing Network, the US EPA’s Environmentally Preferable Purchasing program, or “Environmental Purchasing Policies 101.”
3. Promote green cleaning with tools from the Federal Office of the Environmental Executive. They also host The Green Cleaning Pollution Prevention Calculator which quantifies the projected environmental benefits of purchasing and using "green" janitorial services and products. It is designed to forecast the environmental benefits of reducing chemical use by doing some or all pollution prevention measures typically involved in the routine interior cleaning of an office building. This tool also enables users to identify which green cleaning measures will have the greatest impact in reducing their use of hazardous chemicals and in preventing pollution.

Legislators are not mind readers and they certainly don’t know everything. They rely on you to contact them with your concerns and help educate them about issues so they can make informed decisions. Try to get in the habit of knowing who your elected officials are and how to contact them. Send letters with your concerns and thank you notes when appropriate (adding a picture or hand written note from your child adds a compelling touch).

You can also get involved in existing efforts such as the following:

SaferStates is a network of diverse environmental and health organizations in states around the country working to change national chemical policy by promoting state-based reforms to protect citizens from toxic threats. Some of these champions include:

• Californians for a Healthy and Green Economy (CHANGE)
• The Campaign for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut
• The Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine
• The Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow (Massachusetts)
• The Michigan Network for Children’s Environmental Health
• Healthy Legacy Coalition (Minnesota)
• The Just Green Partnership (New York)
• Toxic Free Legacy Coalition (Washington)

Find your state elected representatives. Project Vote Smart gives you not only contact information, but also voting records, latest speeches, campaign contributors, and more.

Make a quick call. Democracy only works if people get involved in politics and that means more than just voting. Oftentimes, it only takes 30 seconds to make your voice count. When bills you are interested in are being considered, take a moment to call your representatives and tell them whether you want them to vote for or against the bill. Find out what types of environmental health legislation are being proposed in your state by using the National Conference of State Legislators database.

We are very lucky to live in a democracy, which means any person can get involved in any aspect of government. From the tiniest town hall to the great halls of Congress, our government not only leaves its doors open to the citizens, it actually functions best when we actively engage in it.

Find your federal elected representatives. Project Vote Smart  gives you not only contact information, but also voting records, latest speeches, campaign contributors, and more.

Get involved in what’s happening now:

TSCA Reform
Ban Poisonous Additives Act
Household Product Labeling Act of 2009
BPA-Free Kids Act
Endocrine Disruption Prevention Act of 2009

We live on a planet that is increasingly interconnected. Pollution from China is carried on ocean breezes to the shores of California. Likewise, pollution from the U.S. is carried up to Canada, the Arctic, and beyond. While Healthy Child Healthy World works in the United States, we recognize that for a truly healthy world, we all need to work together.

Great things are happening all over the world. And, often, we rely on the experiences and protective policies passed in other countries to bolster our own local efforts. Here are just a very few of the organizations and initiatives we’ve been keeping our eyes on:

Canada

• Toxic Nation Canadians are polluted with a toxic mix of harmful chemicals. Toxic Nation shows how your body is polluted. And what you can do to get the pollution out of you and all Canadians.
• The David Suzuki Foundation sees a future where Canadians won’t have to think twice about drinking a glass of tap water, eating food from their local grocery store, swimming in a local river or lake, or simply taking a deep breath of air.
• Ecojustice is Canada's largest and foremost non-profit environmental law organization. Much of the casework of Ecojustice aims to establish and expand healthy communities coast to coast to coast, connecting the dots that link environmental and public health and ensuring that all citizens enjoy their fundamental right to a healthy environment.
• Toxic Free Canada brings workers and environmentalists together in cooperative projects for toxics reduction and a green econom

European Union

• REACH is a new European Community Regulation on chemicals and their safe use. It deals with the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical substances. The new law entered into force on 1 June 2007. The aim of REACH is to improve the protection of human health and the environment through the better and earlier identification of the intrinsic properties of chemical substances.

India

• Toxics Link for a toxic free world

Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific

• National Toxics Network is a community based network working for pollution reduction, protection of environmental health and environmental justice for all.
• Safer Solutions keeping your home healthy and green.

Global

• World Health Organization Children’s Environmental Health Program
• United Nations Environment Program
• Using REACH Outside Europe

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Click on the pocket guides below to download a printable version

Partner Guides

Huddler's Collection of Green Guides (Pocket AND Mobile)

Mercury in Fish Guide - NRDC

Organic Essentials - The Organic Center

Organic Food Guide - Earthbound Farm

Seafood Watch Guide - Monterey Bay Aquarium

Sustainable Table - Learn good practices for sustainable and healthy eating - Sustainable Table

Healthy Pet Guide - NRDC

Guide to Home Tissue Products.  Shop Smart.  Save Forests. - NRDC

A Shopper's Guide to Pesticides - EWG

Nail Polish Guide - National Healthy Nail Salon Alliance

A user-friendly and practical lifestyle guide about how to reduce toxic exposure in our homes, our new book is a perfect resource of credible and easy steps to creating a healthier environment and lifestyle for all stages of parenting. It’s sure to be a hit on Earth Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and everyday - with information on pregnancy, cleaning, foods, toys, and even green baby showers, healthier air fresheners, gardening, beauty care, and much more!

Besides the up-to-date health content, what sets this book apart are the long list of health experts and notable parents contributing their essay. These contributing "voices" and stories are selectively added to the book to build on the approachable and fresh tone.

Special contributing folks include Meryl Streep (writing the foreword), Gwyneth Paltrow, Bill McDonough, Tom Hanks, Dr. Philip Landrigan, Tobey Maguire, Dr. Sandra Steingraber, Dr. Russell Long, Laura Dern, Dr. Alan Greene, Courteney Cox, Vanessa Williams, Erin Brockovich, Dr. Harvey Karp, Keri Russell, Brooke Shields, Dr. David Orr, Michelle Obama, Dr. Theo Colborn, Sheryl Crow, Gayle King and a quite a few more.

Buy the Book Now at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Better World Books.

Not Under My Roof!: Protecting Your Baby at Home is a 17-minute educational DVD, co-hosted by Olivia Newton-John and Kelly Preston. Speaking from personal experience, Olivia and Kelly highlight toxic exposures occurring in the home, unique health risks to children, and simple, healthier alternatives.

Purchase a copy for $12.

Creating Healthy Environments for Children: Easy Steps for Homes, Child Care Centers and Schools is a 20-minute educational DVD which includes informational presentations on how to protect children's environmental health, Tool Kits, fact sheets, and quizzes for child care centers and schools, community action guides, and effective ways to make your voice heard and spread awareness about children's health issues in your community.

Purchase a copy for $12.

 BONUS Downloadable Material:

• Safer Art and Hobby Supplies
• Children, Health and Toxins in our Environment
• Protecting Children from Arsenic
• Clean Safely
• Provide Healthy Food
• Help Children Breathe Easier
• Protecting Children from Lead
• Protecting Children from Mercury
• Avoid Using Pesticides
• Use Plastic Products Wisely
• Healthy Renovating
• Smart Shopping
• Providing Safe Drinking Water

Written by Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D.

ORGANIC VALLEY FAMILY OF FARMS

From the life of a gypsy biologist to an environmental writer with two kids, Sandra Steingraber writes on the benefits of being organic.

Download report.

New Science in the Debate Over Toxic Flame Retardants and Our Health

Written by: Yana Kucher and Meghan Purvis

U.S. PIRG Education Fund and ENVIRONMENT CALIFORNIA RESEARCH AND POLICY CENTER

New evidence indicates that the chemical flame retardant decabromodiphenyl ether (Deca) may threaten the health of Americans.

Manufacturers of common household products add Deca to plastics or fabrics to make them resist the spread of fire. A growing body of evidence shows that exposure to Deca may cause adverse health effects in developing children, including damage to the nervous system and impaired motor skills.

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Chemical Exposures and Increases in Developmental Disease

Written by: Travis Madsen, Yana Kucher, Teri Olle

ENVIRONMENT CALIFORNIA RESEARCH AND POLICY CENTER

This study focuses on the most recent science surrounding several emerging chemical hazards—a growing body of evidence showing that chemicals found in the home and in common consumer products may hinder normal development.

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Written by Alan Greene, M.D.

ORGANIC VALLEY FAMILY OF FARMS

Dr Greene's personal experience as a father and a husband adding to his understanding as a physician and being for organic foods.

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BY ENVIRONMENT CALIFORNIA RESEARCH AND POLICY CENTER

A child’s first few years are an exciting time for parents who hope, if for nothing else, that their child starts his or her life happy and healthy. Unfortunately, not all products marketed for children and babies are completely safe for their use. Many contain toxic chemicals that may have detrimental health impacts for children exposed during critical stages of development.

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Written by Brenda Platt, Tom Lent and Bill Walsh

Published by The Healthy Building Network

This Healthy Building Network report compares and evaluates different plastic lumber types from an environmental and public health perspective, and offers advice on how to choose a plastic lumber product based upon its health hazards and recycling impacts. The Healthy Building Network rates the environmental preferability of 55 plastic lumber products manufactured by 44 companies based on three criteria:

1. Materials used
2. Recycled content
3. Potential recyclability

This information is intended to inform those who are interested in understanding the range of environmental and public health impacts associated with different plastic lumber products.

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One Lunch Lady's Fight for Our Children's Future

Written by Chef Ann Cooper

ORGANIC VALLEY FAMILY OF FARMS

Read Ann Cooper's Journey from "white tablecloth" celeberty chef, never cooking for kids nor even knowing what they ate, to an unlikely advocate for childhood nuturition.

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Hundreds of man-made chemicals - in our air, our water, and our food - could be damaging the most basic building blocks of human development.

Written by Gay Daly

NRDC On Earth

A large, uncontrolled scientific experiment has been in progress for the last 60 years, and the questions now is: Can we figure out what the results are? And if those results show we are in danger, what we can do about it at this late date? 

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Scientific study finds leaching chemicals in clear plastic baby bottles 

Written by Rachel L. Gibson

ENVIRONMENT CALIFORNIA RESEARCH AND POLICY CENTER

This study analyzes the extent to which five popular brands of baby bottles leach bisphenol A, a developmental, neural, and reproductive toxicant, into liquids coming into contact with them.

They found that all five brands leach bisphenol A at dangerous levels found to cause harm in numerous laboratory animal studies.

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Potential Hazards of Home Cleaning Products

Written by Alexandra Gorman

WOMEN'S VOICES FOR THE EARTH

A look at the potential hazards of chemicals in household cleaning products and their association with asthma and reproductive harm.

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Understanding an Unexpected Threat.

Written by Charles W. Schmidt

Published by Environmental Health Perspectives

VOLUME 116 | NUMBER 2 | February 2008

Until March 2007, thousands of kids around the country could be found playing with toy trucks, helicopters, and soldiers sold under the Elite Operations brand name. The toys were fun, and they looked great with their thick coat of glossy paint. Trouble was, that paint was loaded with 5,000 ppm lead, a potent developmental neurotoxicant with no known safe exposure level.

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Written by WORK GROUP FOR SAFE MARKETS

The test results of this study indicates that the United States’ current lack of regulation of bisphenol A exposes infants and children to potentially dangerous levels of this unnecessary toxic chemical. The study confirms the findings of the 2007 Environment California study that tested Avent, Dr. Brown’s, Evenflo, Gerber and Playtex baby bottles. All five brands of the popular polycarbonate bottles tested in Environment California’s study leached bisphenol A the range of 5–10 ppb.3 This report is the first dual-nation study to measure BPA leaching from baby bottles purchased from U.S. and Canadian retailers.

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Protecting Infant and Children from Toxic Exposure

Written by Sara Schedler

FRIENDS OF THE EARTH

New data collected by Friends of the Earth demonstrates that a high percentage of California’s furniture contains toxic chemicals called halogenated fire retardants.* In hundreds of peer-reviewed studies and animal experiments, halogenated fire retardants have been linked to serious health disorders such as cancer, birth defects, hormone disruption, neurological and reproductive dysfunction and learning disabilities such as ADHD, mental retardation, and hyperactivity. Today, Californians who undergo testing are finding halogenated fire retardants stored in their bodies at increasing rates, with babies and children showing the highest levels.

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Protecting Infants and Children from Toxic Exposures

Written by Sara Schedler with contributions from Russell Long Ph.D., Arlene Blum Ph.D., Jen Holzer, Bob Badgley, Bart Broome and Mary Brune.

Friends of the Earth

This report demonstrates that commonly used baby and children’s products, and upholstered household furniture, contain dangerous levels of toxic chemicals called halogenated fire retardants.
In hundreds of peer-reviewed studies and animal experiments, halogenated fire retardants have been linked to serious health disorders such as cancer, birth defects, hormone disruption, neurological and reproductive dysfunction and learning disabilities such as ADHD, mental retardation, and hyperactivity. Human testing suggests that most Americans now have halogenated fire retardants in their bodies, with babies and children showing the highest levels.

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Written by Environment & Human Health, Inc.

The plastics problem is growing in scale and complexity due to a collision of factors, including government neglect of the importance of endocrine disruption; the explosive growth of the U.S. and international plastics industry; the absence of any plastic ingredient and source labeling requirements; nearly complete recycling failure for PVC and polycarbonate plastics; environmental contamination of air, water, soils, oceans, fish and wildlife; nearly universal human exposure to BPA and DEHP from food and beverages in high income nations; the dependence of the plastics industry on petroleum; and government failure to require health and environmental testing prior to chemical production, sale, and disposal. Collectively, these pose a serious challenge to the environment and human health.

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Download report part 2.

New laboratory tests reveal the familiar “new shower curtain smell” may be toxic to our health. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic shower curtains purchased at Bed Bath & Beyond, Kmart, Sears,
Target, and Wal-Mart all contain avoidable toxic chemicals including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), phthalates, organotins and metals.

The release of this report is sponsored by the Center for Health, Environment and Justice’s (CHEJ) PVC Campaign and the Work Group for Safe Markets.

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Published by International Chemical Secretariat

During the last years ChemSec has actively pushed the new EU legislation on chemicals, REACH, to protect health and the environment by raising the requirements on chemical manufactures and importers to deliver safer products. When REACH is now in place the REACH SIN List helps spurring its implementation. But REACH can also be used in NGO campaigning to help strengthening chemicals regulation in other parts of the world. To inspire and facilitate the work of other NGOs ChemSec has compiled this guide. It includes the basics principles of the new regulation, how to access substance data available through REACH, and how REACH can be used as a model to enhance national regulations.

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Written by Jill Stein MD, Ted Schettler MD MPH, Ben Rohrer, Maria Valenti

Published by Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility and Science and Environmental Health Network

This report examines the lifetime influences of environmental factors on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases and their underlying pathologic mechanisms. The close look into the science of these diseases shows they are related to a number of features of modern society and that Alzheimer’s disease especially is linked to other serious health problems of modern times, called the "western disease cluster."

Downloadable version is available on GBPSR's website.

An End to Lead Wheel Balancing Weights in California.

Written by Caroline Cox

Published by Center for Environmental Health.

This report announces a ground-breaking agreement to end the use of a common but not well-known lead product in California — wheel balancing weights.

Lead is a stunningly toxic metal. A long list of problems has been linked to lead exposure: lowered intelligence, behavior problems, cancer, strokes, high blood pressure, kidney problems, anemia, cavities, and delayed puberty. Children are particularly susceptible to lead’s toxic effects.

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A Report on the Women's Reproductive Health and the Environment Workshop

Written by Julia Barrett, Shelby Gonzalez, Heather Saranties MS and Julia Varshavsky

Produced by the Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE)

Chemicals can impact female reprodcutive healthy by interfering with hormones that regulate reproductive system development.

A woman’s body goes through a wide range of changes throughout her lifetime. Each stage of her life, from fetal development through her post-menopause years, involves a direct relationship between her hormones and how her body develops and functions. When this relationship is in balance, it helps create the conditions for good health. When this relationship is out of balance, it can lead to a range of health problems that can be painful and devastating.

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Getting Contaminants Out of Children's Bath & Personal Care Products

Published by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

Despite marketing claims like “gentle” and “pure,” dozens of top-selling children’s bath products are contaminated with the cancer-causing chemicals formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, according to the March 2009 Campaign for Safe Cosmetics report, "No More Toxic Tub."

This study is the first to document the widespread presence of both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane in bath products for children, including baby shampoos, bubble baths and baby lotions. Many products tested contained both chemicals.

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Toxic Chemicals in Flea and Tick Collars.

Written by Miriam Rotkin-Ellman, MPH and Gina Solomon, MD, MPH

Published by NRDC

Americans spend more than $1 billion each year on products designed to kill fleas and ticks on household pets, especially dogs and cats. While some of these products are safe, others leave harmful chemical residues on our pets’ fur and in our homes. These chemicals are highly hazardous to animals and humans, can damage the brain and nervous system, and cause cancer. A first-of-its-kind study by NRDC shows that high levels of pesticide residue can remain on a dog’s or cat’s fur for weeks after a flea collar is put on an animal. Residue levels produced by some flea collars are so high that they pose a risk of cancer and damage to the neurological system of children up to 1,000 times higher than the EPA’s acceptable levels.

Children are particularly at risk from these pesticides because their neurological and metabolic systems are still developing. They are also more likely than adults to put their hands in their mouths after petting an animal, and so are more likely to ingest the hazardous residues. We found that residues from two pesticides used in flea collars—tetrachlorvinphos and propoxur, among the most dangerous pesticides still legally on the market—were high enough to pose a risk to both children and adults who play with their pets.

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Download appendix.

Ranking Packaged Food Companies on BPA

Authored by Green Century Capital Management and As You Sow.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used in the epoxy lining of canned foods and beverages and in polycarbonate, a hard, clear plastic. The chemical mimics estrogen in the body and researchers have found links between BPA and numerous health problems including heart disease, diabetes, cancer and metabolic disorders.

A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found BPA in the urine of over 90% of Americans tested.

Consumers are paying close attention to BPA and many are advocating for the use of alternatives. State and local governments have moved to ban the chemical from certain products, and federal legislators have introduced bills to regulate or ban BPA. Alternatives to the chemical exist for plastic products and, on a more limited basis, for can linings. The baby bottle industry and packaged food companies such as Eden Foods and Heinz have already begun transitioning to these alternatives. The continued use of BPA in products where a feasible alternative exists presents both financial and reputational risks to companies in the packaged food industry.

Seeking Safer Packaging is a project of Green Century Capital Management, Inc. (Green Century) and As You Sow. The authors sent letters to 20 companies in the packaged food industry to identify the actions the companies are taking to address concerns regarding BPA. Fourteen companies replied. Company scores are based entirely on their responses to these letters.

This scorecard reviews how leading packaged food companies are responding to increased consumer and investor concern about BPA. Seeking Safer Packaging ranks companies on three factors: 1) efforts to find and implement alternatives to BPA, 2) plans to phase out BPA in products for which alternatives exist, and 3) transparency on the issue.

The scorecard is accompanied by an introduction to health concerns linked to BPA exposure, the changing regulatory climate related to BPA, and studies of companies that have voluntarily removed the chemical from their products.

Green Century and As You Sow recommend that each of the companies featured in this scorecard switch to BPA-free technologies in every product line for which they are available and actively pursue a broader range of alternatives so as to protect public health and reduce their exposure to risks associated with BPA.

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How Too Clean May Be Hazardous To Our Healthy

A Report by Women's Voices for the Earth.

A new report from Women's Voices for the Earth argues that it is unnecessary to disinfect one’s homes to the degree that advertisers and manufacturers would have consumers believe.

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We are at an incredible turning point in understanding how the environment impacts children's health and development. A groundbreaking endeavor launched on January 13, 2009, The National Children's Study will follow 100,000 American children from preconception until the age of 21 to deepen our understanding of illnesses and diseases such as allergies, asthma, ADHD, childhood cancer, autism, diabetes and obesity.

The study is funded annually by Congress and will be carried out in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as a host of universities, hospitals, research centers and NGOs.

105 Study Centers have been set up across the country, guaranteeing that the children studied will reflect diverse backgrounds and situations, and thus highlight the differences that exist between groups of people in terms of health care access and disease occurrence. Overall, the National Children's Study will be one of the richest research efforts on children's health and long-term development.

1. Kawasaki Disease, How to Clean Carpets
2. Orange Cleaners, Homemade Cleaners, Disinfectants
3. Paints
4. Flea Control
5. Insect Repellent
6. Wood Decks and Playsets
7. Beauty Products and Breastfeeding
8. Storing and Heating Food in Plastic Containers
9. Pesticide Spraying Policies in Your Neighborhood
10. Indoor Air Pollution
11. Resources for Sick Children
12. Identifying Toxic Substances?
13. Identifying Pesticides
14. Harmful Household Products
15. Accidental Exposure
16. Using and Storing Household Chemicals and Pesticides

Your children can’t stay in the safety of your home, under your watchful eye forever. In order to create a healthy environment, no matter where they are, we have to take action, together, to make the world a healthier place — not just our homes.

We want you to have the tools to make bigger changes. And, trust us, you can – just like our inspiring Moms on a Mission. We’ve been empowering people for years, and they have done some pretty amazing things. What are you waiting for?

ALERT! Help us reform the nation’s outdated chemical regulations! It’s one of the most important things you can do. Act now.

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