This spring, I’m urging Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner to take action to end the pesticide and GMO companies’ assaults on human rights.

You can join me with your video telling her what human rights means to you, as a mother speaking in solidarity with Sofia Gatica. MOMS will send President Fernández all the videos and messages we receive by June 1^st.

A four-part investigative report this week in the Chicago Tribune exposes how the makers of chemicals marketed as fire retardants use deception, distorted science, phony front groups and straight up lies to mislead both regulators and the public.   The story also showcases the lack of fire safety benefits from California’s rule (called TB 117) that leads to the use of chemical fire retardants in furniture, baby products, and many other consumer goods. Everyone interested in safer products for their children and families, and those who want to know more about how the chemical companies use the tobacco industry’s tactics to continue profiting from harmful, ineffective products will want to read these four articles.

The first story in the Tribune series was particularly infuriating to those of us working for safer products. Last year, my colleague Kathryn Alcantar, CEH’s Policy Director, attended a California legislative hearing on a bill that would have updated the state’s furniture flammability standard to eliminate the need to use chemical retardants.  Speaking in opposition to the bill was   Dr. David Heimbach, a retired burn doctor, who told the assembled state lawmakers the heart-wrenching story of a 7-week old baby from Alaska who was severely burned from a candle that ignited her pillow. The reform bill was voted down.

But the Tribune report found that Heimbach lied to state legislators and the public in his testimony last year – and that he was paid by a flame retardant industry front group for his testimony of lies. The paper’s investigation showed that there was no such baby, no such pillow and no candle – and that Heimbach has repeatedly testified at official hearings by creating false scenarios of child burn victims for his fire retardant industry patrons .  Faced with the evidence of his lies,   Heimbach acknowledged that the story was untrue but explained, “I wasn’t under oath.” 

The other organization that testified against the California bill last year was the “Citizens for Fire Safety Institute.” As the Tribune showed, “Citizens for Fire Safety” (CFS) has nothing to do with citizens or fire safety. It is a trade association – a group of for-profit companies assembled to advance their interests (ie, corporate profits) at any cost.  The only members of CFS are the three largest manufactures of chemical retardants: Albemarle, Chemtura and ICL Industrial Products.  These chemical companies use this “nonprofit” front group for only one objective, promoting the use of their toxic and untested chemicals.  They regularly pay off a cadre of “experts” to testify against bills that would restrict the use of their chemicals.

The issue of flame retardants in consumer products is personal for me and whether you know it or not, probably for you too! You see, whether you live in California or not, almost all of nation’s furniture has been treated with toxic flame retardants. Many products, like couches and other furniture, contain not just a few ounces but up to two pounds of the harmful chemicals in the foam cushions.   Numerous recent studies have linked flame retardant chemicals to lower IQs, reduced fertility, hormonal changes, reproductive harm, impacts on the thyroid and metabolic function, and hindering neurological development in infants and children, among other health threats. What’s more, studies show that these chemicals are in our blood, our breast milk, in our kids, in our pets and in the environment.

When I had the foam in my couch tested for flame retardants last year as part of an ongoing study by the Green Science Policy Institute, I learned that my foam contains a chlorinated chemical that is known to cause cancer .  Yikes!  I’d love to go out and buy a new couch, but except for some high end couches, it is not possible to buy a couch in much of the United States that does not contain flame retardants.

Ultimately, we need to change California’s outdated flammability standard.  This is a national issue because even furniture manufacturers who produce outside of California typically make all of their furniture comply with California’s antiquated standard. The massive size of the state’s market and the distribution system for furniture makes it impractical for companies to make two separate product lines.

It is difficult to avoid flame retardants because they are in our most of our furniture, many of our electronics and in baby products containing foam.  Until California’s flammability standard is changed there are a few things you can do:

• Avoid products that contain polyurethane foam and that have a label stating the product meets, the California furniture flammability standard. Technical Bulletin 117 (TB117).   Flame retardants have been found in some products that do not have a TB 117 label so this is no guarantee.
• Opt for products made of polyester, wool, cotton or down as these materials are unlikely to contain added flame retardants.
• Wash your hands frequently.  Be sure to wash your hands after touching dryer lint as the lint can contain concentrated amounts of chemicals that migrate out of the products.
• Vacuum using a HEPA filter and use a wet mop to reduce dust that may contain toxic chemicals
• Select electronic products that are free of brominated and chlorinated flame retardants.  See CEH’s Electronics Shopping Guide.
• Try to use a minimum of carpeting and draperies in your home as these can be treated with flame retardants as well as with other potentially toxic chemicals such as stain repellants.
• Some baby product makers have reported that they do not use halogenated flame retardants.These companies include:
  • Baby Luxe Organic:  Polyester-filled and cotton-covered pads and mattresses
  • Baby Bjorn: Polyester-filled and cotton-covered baby carriers
  • Orbit Baby:   Strollers and car seats with Expanded Polypropylene foam that meets TB 117 without halogenated chemicals
  • Boppy:  Nursing pillows filled with polyester and no added flame retardant chemicals

One popular Mother’s Day gift idea meant to generate some TLC is a day at the spa, or for those more budget-conscious, an assortment of therapeutic beauty products. However, too many personal care products may contain chemical ingredients linked to cancer and hormone disruption, and even some products that claim to be “organic” are deceptively mislabeled.  A non-toxic and eco-friendly alternative is to make the products yourself!  Below is a list of very simple recipes for homemade beauty products that, if made with organic ingredients, are non-toxic. Give your mother a basketful as a gift, or make enough for the both of you and enjoy a rejuvenating and healthy day together!

Brown Sugar Body Scrub

The brown sugar in this classic DIY body scrub serves as a great skin exfoliant.  It is a very easy recipe and is much cheaper than the versions found in many cosmetics stores.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of raw organic brown sugar

• ½ cup of organic olive oil. Almond oil can also be used.

• A few drops of favorite essential oils for fragrance. Peppermint oil and vanilla work well.

Instructions:

Pour the brown sugar into a small bowl, and add in the olive oil until the sugar is fully moist. Mix the sugar and oil together.  Add in the drops of essential oils. Store the scrub in a reused jar with a lid or in another sealable container, and use it in the shower with warm water.

Coconut Oil Moisturizer

Pure organic coconut oil all by itself can serve as a fantastic moisturizer straight out of the jar. However, if you don’t want to just hand your mom a jar of coconut oil and claim that it’s a lotion, you can add in some fanciness with this recipe.

Ingredients:

•  1 cup of organic coconut oil.

• A few drops of favorite essential oils for fragrance. Lavender is a good choice.

Instructions:

Put the coconut oil and essential oils into an electric mixer or food processor. The coconut oil should be in a solid state and should not have melted too much. If it is melted, put the jar of coconut oil in the refrigerator before you try to blend it. Mix well until you achieve a light consistency similar to lotion, usually a few minutes.  Store in a reused jar with a lid or in another sealable container. Keep in a cool place so the oil doesn’t melt.

(Expired) Yogurt Facial Mask

This recipe works well for all skin types. The lactic acid in yogurt is great for smoothing and tightening skin, and the honey serves to soften and moisturize.  For extra green points, this is also a nice way to use up any expired yogurt sitting in your refrigerator, although it’s at your discretion if you want to tell mom about that part. Popular variations include adding in blended cucumber or cooked oatmeal in equal parts to the yogurt. The recipe makes enough for one facial mask.

Ingredients:

•  2 tablespoons of organic plain, whole fat yogurt.

•  1 tablespoon of local organic honey.

Instructions:

Combine the yogurt and honey in a small bowl. Spread the mixture onto the face, and rinse off with cold water after 15 minutes.

Avocado Hair Mask

Avocados are rich in essential fatty acids and vitamins that help hydrate and nourish the hair and can also stimulate hair growth. The olive oil and honey work to add extra moisturizing benefits. For shorter hair, use only half of the recipe.  And make sure to rinse well!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium organic avocado.

•  ½ cup of organic olive oil.

•  1 tablespoon of local organic honey.

Instructions:

Place all the ingredients into a small bowl and mash and mix together until blended well.  Apply to damp hair by massaging the mixture first into the scalp and then down to the ends. Leave on for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse out well with warm water.

I grew up at the Jersey shore, on a tiny barrier island called Ocean City. My father was a fireman; my mom a waitress, then later a factory worker for Lenox China, and later still for Wheaton Plastics.

I was six years old when my parents divorced. During those years my father struggled with alcoholism. As a result, the responsibility for raising us three landed heavily on my mom.

Looking back now, what strikes me most about my mother during this time is how hard she had worked. It couldn’t have been easy to work nights and take care of three kids mostly on your own. Except for more unrestricted “fun” time with our mom, I don’t think we ever wanted for anything.

One vivid memory of those days has stayed with me. I remember accompanying my mother to the food store and watching her hand over food stamps to pay for our groceries. I was eight years old at the time and I remember feeling my face flush with shame, looking around to make sure none of my classmates were within earshot. As an adult and mother myself, I feel ashamed now of my reaction to my mother needing—and being brave enough to seek out—help to get our family what it needed.

It wasn’t until I’d reached adulthood and gone through some difficult periods myself that I finally realized how remarkable it was that we made it through that time. And my mother never complained about it. She just did what she had to do.

It’s true, our mothers teach us lessons throughout our lives, through their actions, shining a light upon the path we should follow. The tender kisses placed upon our scraped knees; the warm embraces offered after a bad dream; the firm guidance to “keep at it” when we feel like giving up. But they also teach us vital lessons by their inactions—the opportunities they, in hindsight, wished they had taken to ask questions, challenge authority, protect themselves from any harm that might have come as a result of this inertia of unknowing.

When I was in high school my mother began working in a factory that made Lenox China. All those beautiful patterns on plates, bowls, cups you see on store shelves—and maybe even in your own cupboards—my mom might have placed them there. Painstakingly by hand, day in and day out, washing down the bisque plates, placing the decals in a solution of unknown chemical makeup and then gently affixing them to the dishware. The pace was brisk. Pay was determined by the piece, so workers were encouraged to work quickly. There wasn’t time to ask questions.

She experienced a similar pace and work environment at her next factory job, making bottles at Wheaton plastic. She would point to a squeeze bottle on a store shelf or hold up a pharmacy bottle and say, “I made that,” the pride clear on her face.

It wasn’t until after I had become a mother myself and co-founded MOMS (Making Our Milk Safe), and learned more about how toxic chemicals can cause health problems that I began to ask my mother more about her job. She had been suffering from recurring sinus problems. She often had headaches brought on by pressure and put up with near-constant nose-blowing for years. My mother had always been healthy, active; I had never known her to be so chronically sick. I asked once about the chemicals she used at the plastics factory and whether she knew anything about them. “No” was her reply. I then asked if the management at the factory had ever given them guidelines about working with the chemicals, or had implemented any safety precautions. Again, “No”.

Although I was new to the field of environmental health, it seemed possible to me that my mother’s health problems could be linked to her work environment. She told me stories of co-workers, several in fact, who had been diagnosed with cancer. A few years ago, my mother had surgery to remove benign polyps from her sinus cavity. While we were all understandably relieved that the polyps were not cancerous, their discovery makes me anxious about what other health problems might be lying in wait.

I’m already passing along to my own children the lessons my mother taught me: When you hit a rough patch, keep going. Do whatever you need to do to get yourself through to the other side. What you don’t know can hurt you, so ask questions. Don’t settle for silence. When you put your heart into it, you can create anything. And it feels really good when you can hold something up and say, “I did that.”

We need to pass The Safe Chemicals Act now. And we’re going to need help to do it. We’re going to need everyone reading, everyone in Congress, everyone working in factories without protections, everyone living in communities burdened by pollution—all of us working together to make it happen. Oh, but won’t it feel really good when we can join hands together and say, “WE did that.”

Please join us.

For example, you may be familiar with “Organix” brand personal care products. This line of more than 60 shampoos, conditioners, and other hair and body care products are sold widely at Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Walmart and other major drug store chains and retailers. Yet despite the organic branding, most “Organix” products contain virtually no organic ingredients.  Consumers who buy the products because they support organic personal care products that are better for their families and the environment are being scammed by a company that couldn’t care less about the integrity of the organic movement.

Don’t let Organix get away with it! If you have purchased Organix products and are concerned that these products are not actually made with organic ingredients, you can contact CEH (Charles@ceh.org) to learn more about a class action lawsuit that our attorneys are looking into.

Even more galling, Vogue International, the company that makes Organix products, acknowledges on its website that it is using organic marketing only to capitalize on the demand for products made with organic ingredients. Vogue says, “Seizing the opportunity of the public’s higher consciousness of organic ingredients, Vogue developed Organix® … a mass appeal brand designed for the consumer who is more aware of the integrity of ingredients.” Playing on the appeal of organics without taking any of the hard steps other companies take to produce actual organic products has worked out well for Vogue – since introducing Organix in 2006 they’ve made tens of millions of dollars from unsuspecting consumers.

Vogue says that its Organix products contain “organic active ingredients,” but none of their products display the name of a third-party organic certifier, and none of their products’ ingredient lists show even a single organic component. Without identifying any organic ingredients, consumers have no way to know if there is anything organic about the products. The ingredient lists on some Organix products do show potentially harmful chemical additives that should have no place in truly organic products, like methylchloroisothiazolinone, limonene, and DMDM hydantoin, substances that recent studies have linked to potential developmental harm, skin toxicity, and allergenicity.

With its fake organic products, the Organix brand undermines the entire organic movement, by confusing consumers and eroding confidence in the organic marketplace. Organix is also cheating responsible personal care companies who invest a great deal of time and money to produce products that meet the strict organic standards that consumers expect, and that the law demands.

Don’t let Organix get away with it! If you have purchased Organix products and are concerned that these products are not actually made with organic ingredients, you can contact CEH (Charles@ceh.org) to learn more about a class action lawsuit that our attorneys are looking into.

China has been known for prioritizing economic development above all and it is widely acknowledged that pollution around the country is now widespread and severe.  According to the World Bank, China is home to 16 of the world’s 20 most air polluted cities. As a journalist, Ma Jun traveled throughout China and had the opportunity to see the extent of environmental pollution and the impact that it has on the air, water, land, and people. Because China has a credibility gap, wherein information reported by the government is not trusted, Ma Jun set up IPE as an independent, third-party organization to audit and verify the data provided by the Chinese government. Through IPE, he has exposed over 90,000 air and water violations by local and multinational companies operating in China and is encouraging Chinese consumers to use their buying power to influence corporate sourcing and increase supply chain oversight.

In 2010, IPE and a coalition of public interest groups released a report exposing the IT industry’s contribution to heavy metal pollution in China. They found that the IT industry “has become a laggard in using information disclosure to promote environmental protection.” IPE’s aim is to use disclosure of environmental information as a way to promote public participation in environmental protection, and thereby place public pressure on companies to operate more responsibly. They have since released a series of reports and have successfully engaged 29 major IT brands, including Hewlett Packard, Alcatel-Lucent, Samsung, Sharp, and Toshiba, in dialogue around cleaning up their practices. To date, more than 500 companies from a variety of sectors have agreed to disclose to the public their plan and efforts to clean up their facilities.

But one company was a hold out. Apple, one of 29 IT companies named for its heavy metal pollution in China, refused to talk to IPE. Ma Jun led a “Poison Apple” campaign to protest Apple’s lack of supply chain oversight, and after a year and half of silence, in September 2011 Apple approached Chinese environmental groups and began to work to clean up their practices. Just last month, Apple agreed to conduct a joint environmental audit with IPE of one of their supplier factories in China. This new breakthrough monitoring agreement is significant because of Apple’s size, importance and potential to act as a leader to inspire other companies to do the same.

For more information about Ma Jun and IPE’s work, please check out the following links:

• IPE’s China Water Pollution Map
• The Other Side of Apple: Pollution Spreads through Apple’s Supply Chain report (II) 
• IPE’s Green Choice Alliance for Responsible Supply Chain Management
• Greening Supply Chains Paper

But for the rest of us, there’s another great way to get involved and watch the Toxies—host a viewing party!  In under 3 minutes, you can sign up to host a satellite viewing party—we’ll provide the livestream, party favors, and all the ways you help retire your favorite Toxies nominees.

Already, folks in over 10 U.S. states, Canada, and Australia will be hosting viewing parties.  All you need is a living room, a classroom, or office you can host friends, family or colleagues to view the livestream in.  The red carpet starts at 4pm PDT and the awards ceremony at 5pm.  Consider a pre- or post-reception to have refreshments.  We’ll send you a Viewing Party Kit to fill in the rest!

The Viewing Party Kit includes:

• Directions on accessing the 2012 Toxies livestream in June 24^th, 2012 (all you will need is an internet connection)
• Steps for planning and hosting your viewing party
• Adaptable, electronic and printable invitations
• Toxies glossy headshots, resumes and party favors
• Printable recommended resources and action

Sign up and get all your Viewing Party info. here!

I’m no athlete, but I can say that I am a connoisseur and overly-obsessed fan of sports.  That’s why I go to Cal Football Fan Appreciation Day every year (Go Bears!).  The only drawback of this, of course, is that I have to spend two hours standing in line for autographs on artificial turf.  I never liked the feeling of the crumb rubber pellets that get in my shoes simply from walking on it.

Little did I know, however, that this mere discomfort isn’t the only thing to be concerned about with artificial turf.  In 2008, CEH found high levels of lead in many companies’ older artificial turf installations – in the blades of “grass” themselves.  This poses an exposure risk to anyone who plays on turf – whether they are high school or college athletes who play sports on these fields, or young children and toddlers who crawl on turf patches installed at child care centers.

For the past 9 months, CEH has worked extensively to raise awareness of this issue, and has screened samples from over 500 different fields in CA and other parts of the nation.  While our screenings indicate that the majority of these fields have no detectable levels of lead, some fields still contain lead.

That’s why we’ve created this short informational video, which outlines ways that you can protect yourself and your children from lead exposure as a result of playing on artificial turf.  Please give it a quick viewing, and share it with anyone you know who might benefit from this information – particularly school administrators or child care directors who may have turf at their institutions that kids/athletes play on.

Watch the video below, or at www.ceh.org/turf.

While it may be disturbing to hear that older turf contains lead, the preventative measures you can take to avoid exposure are really quite simple.  Be sure to follow them to keep you and your children safe!

And I’ll be sure to continue hooting and hollering at my soccer teammates to take care of the slide-tackling, tripping, and falling themselves – I’ll pass on the bruises, soreness, and lead exposure.

If you answered yes to any of these questions, CEH has a new set of slides that can help. We call it ‘Ten Reasons Not to Use Pesticides.”  It has facts and figures to back up your concerns about pesticides and help you talk effectively to anyone about this important issue. DId you know (just as an example) that over 90% of strawberries are contaminated with at least one pesticide? And that it’s the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture who does those tests?

You can see the slides here or download the presentation. Use it as often as you want! And let us know if it’s been useful and how you’ve made use of it. Thanks!

What Are Pounds of Toxic Flame-Retardants Doing in my Furniture?

Featuring:
Michael Green, Executive Director, CEH
and Robin Guenther, Principal, Perkins+Will

Tuesday, April 24, 2012, 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Tucker Robbins Showroom
New York Design Center
200 Lexington Ave – btwn 32nd and 33rd
Suite 504 (5th Floor)
(212) 355-3383
http://tuckerrobbins.com/

Cost: $25 in advance, $35 at the door

Today’s industries use over 80,000 chemicals and release thousands more into the world each year without being required to prove their safety. Instead, we all wait to find out if these chemicals make us sick. One of the more well-known of these chemicals is bisphenol A (BPA), which has hormone-like properties and is linked to cancer and reproductive disorders. Seemingly overnight, baby bottles, sippy cups and hiker’s nalgene bottle were labeled BPA-free. But what are companies replacing it with?

A recent study showed that many “BPA-Free” products have the same hormone-mimicking properties that they had when made with BPA. In other words, it appears that industry has simply replaced BPA with other unregulated chemicals that may have the same harmful impacts on our children’s health. This same “toxic shell game” is being played out with the use of chemicals marketed as “flame retardants.”  When regulators banned one toxic “flame retardant” chemical that was linked to decreased fertility, lower IQ and endocrine disruption– the chemical industry simply replaced it with a new chemical linked to cancer and other health hazards.

BPA and flame retardants are just two examples of this toxic shell game, the chemical sleight-of-hand that puts our families at risk from thousands of potentially hazardous and almost completely unregulated substances.

Come find out more about who’s playing the toxic shell game and how you can avoid it.

Wine and light snacks are on Green Drinks! RSVP early as space is very limited for this event. See you there!

                                                      ————-

Michael Green founded CEH in 1996. He has been a leader in national efforts to protect children and families from lead and other toxic chemicals in consumer products and from illnesses related to pollution in our air, water, and food. Michael has done two stints in Washington, D.C. at the US Department of Energy and US Environmental Protection Agency and two in India where he designed a solid waste management plan for the Tibetan Government-in-Exile in Dharamsala and cared for the sick at Mother Teresa’s mission in Calcutta. He is a recipient of The California Wellness Foundation’s Leadership Award as well as the Compassion in Action Award presented jointly by the Dalai Lama Foundation and the Committee of 100 for Tibet.

Robin Guenther is a principal and an expert in green healthcare design, and a strong advocate for linking public health, regenerative design, and sustainability. Her work has helped shape healthier, more welcoming facilities for nearly every major medical institution in New York City. Robin was named the #1 Most Influential Person in 2009 by Healthcare Design magazine and was the first architect to receive the Changemaker Award from The Center for Health Design for her efforts in improving and supporting the environment. She was also named by Interiors & Sources magazine as a “Champion of the Environment” and works with a range of non-profit organizations focused on sustainable design practices in healthcare. Since 2002, she has served as a co-coordinator for the Green Guide for Health Care, the first and most commonly used tool for tracking sustainability in healthcare spaces today. Her book, Sustainable Healthcare Architecture, was released in 2008.