TIP TALKS
The e-Newsletter of the
Toxics Information Project (TIP)
March 2011
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TIPS ON HEALTHY & AFFORDABLE LIVING, A WARNING & INFO
ABOUT FIRE RETARDANTS, TWO ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE TO
PROTECT YOUR OWN AND OTHER KIDS FROM ENVIRONMENTAL BADDIES.
It has been a while since I've sent out a TIP TALKS
- busy with the RI Flower & Garden Show & our new
Grounds & Gardens Guide creation, printing & distribution.
Now, I'm ready to share some of the good info I've been
collecting - and this issue is especially for parents
and others concerned about kids! Check out the items below.
FROM HEALTHY CHILD, HEALTHY WORLD, A GREAT KID-FRIENDLY RESOURCE,
COMES ITEMS 1 & 2, SOME VERY USEFUL INFORMATION.
3. DETAILS ON POSSIBLE SYMPTOMS FROM WI-FI EXPOSURE IN SCHOOL
AND ELSEWHERE ARE PROVIDED BY A LOCAL RI MOTHER, ALONG WITH
A WAY TO PROTECT RI KIDS.
4. WE ARE THINKING TO ARRANGE A MEETING WITH OUR SENATORS
ABOUT AN IMPORTANT EFFORT NOW IN CONGRESS TO PROTECT CHILDREN
& THE REST OF US FROM SOME OF THE 80,000 CHEMICALS IN EVERYDAY
LIFE BY REFORMING THE TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT (TSCA).
(Expertise not needed - just concern. If you live outside RI,
consider setting up a meeting with your own legislators).
Blessings,
Liberty G
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1. Want to Learn How to Make Organic Living Easy and Affordable?
http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/want_to_learn_how_to_make_organic_living_easy_and_affordable/
Healthy Child, 2-20-11: BabyCenter.com, Healthy Child Healthy World,
and Stonyfield Farm have created a new online community for moms to
connect, share stories, ask questions and engage with a panel of experts
to learn more about the growing trend of eating organic. The Easy
Organic Living site on BabyCenter, the #1 trafficked website for new
moms, will offer a discussion board, videos, articles, organic
challenges and Q&A sessions with experts. We’ll also be doing some fun
and easy challenges together!
* A simple label-reading challenge to encourage parents to
understand what they’re eating.
* A meal preparation challenge encouraging parents to use at least
one organic ingredient.
* A money-saving challenge to help parents make organic living
affordable.
* A snack invention challenge to inspire parents to think outside
the wrapper and create their own healthy snack using at least one
organic ingredient.
Join the group today! Share your experiences, ask experts questions, and
connect with other moms trying to eat healthy and provide the best foods
for their families. Read more:
http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/want_to_learn_how_to_make_organic_living_easy_and_affordable/#ixzz1HKkRq7W1
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2. What do You Know about Toxic Fire Retardants in Mattresses and
Couches?
Ask Us! Read more:
http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/what_do_you_know_about_toxic_fire_retardants_in_mattresses_and_couches/#ixzz1HKncbpKm
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3. Attention All Parents!!
Is your child suffering from any of the following symptoms during or
after school?
Headaches/Migraines Asthma/Shortness of Breath
Mood/Behavior Problems
Difficulty Concentrating Allergies
Anxiety or Depression
Hyperactivity Frequent/Chronic Illness Skin
Rashes
Learning Problems Blood Sugar Fluctuations
Numbness/Tingling
Dizziness/Nausea Muscle Spasms
Sleep Difficulties
Memory Loss Muscle Aches/Joint Pain Night Sweats
Erratic Heart Rate Distorted Hearing
Weakness/Fatigue
Microwave transmitters for wireless internet (WiFi) have been installed
in many area schools for several years now. These devices emit harmful
levels of radiation 24/7, 184 days per year. This radiation has been
confirmed through thousands of scientific studies to cause all of the
above symptoms and chronic exposure can lead to serious health problems
such as cancer, leukemia, brain tumors, and diabetes. WiFi is an
unregulated technology that has never been safety tested. FCC standards
do not apply to WiFi.
For more information and to join efforts in Rhode Island to stop this
unauthorized experimentation on our children, please call (401) 284-4530
or visit: www.citizensforsafetechnology.org
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4. From: "Sarah, MomsRising.org" <info@MomsRising.org>
Date: Mon, 21 Mar 2011 12:31:55 +0000
Subject: In all 50 states.
Help us speak with Senators in all 50 states! Host a meeting
and ask your Senator to stand up for families across the country!
(Liberty G, TIP Director, is seeking folks to join in such a
meeting with one or both of our Senators in RI. A couple of
people have already indicated interest in coming. If just a
few more volunteer, we'll set up the meeting/s).
Take Action
Dear Liberty,
Like most moms, my stomach dropped when I found out last year that early
puberty for girls is rising, and that it's linked to everyday exposures
to toxic chemicals. (1) I watch what my kids eat, I watch what I buy,
but to protect my kids from toxic chemicals, I need more than lifestyle
changes, and so do you. Our families need legislation that would more
effectively regulate toxic chemicals in our foods, cosmetics, cleaning
supplies, and more.
It turns out that early puberty is just one of the many frightening
health effects which can be caused by exposure to toxic chemicals. Our
broken chemical screening system also puts our families at risk for
cancer, learning disabilities, infertility, and more. Updating the Toxic
Substances Control Act (TSCA) is crucial to the health of our kids. With
over 80,000 chemicals in commerce, its frightening to think that the EPA
has only required testing of less than one percent of those chemicals
since 1976! (2)
Moms are the push that Congress needs to reform TSCA. In the last three
years, 18 states have passed 71 chemical safety laws.(3) It’s the hard
work of people like you across the country that has made these changes
happen.
Let's tell our Senators that it’s time to take a lesson from our home
states who are passing toxic reforms, and also pass comprehensive
chemicals reform for the entire country.
Can you stand up for families by setting up a local, in-state meeting
with your U.S. Senator's office in the coming weeks?
***Yes, I'll set one up! Just click here to sign on to set up a meeting
and we'll get in touch to give you all the info you need:
http://action.momsrising.org/go/748?akid=2626.1791396.yjtl5f&t=4
Sure, loud pin-striped-suited-lobbyists may abound in Washington, DC but
those corporate lobbyists don’t hold a candle to moms when we organize.
A recent study polled Congressional staffers on what strategies might
influence their member of Congress: Almost 50% said that “in-person
constituent visits” would have “a lot” of influence, compared to a
measly 8% who said the same of a “lobbyist visit.” (4)
Setting up a meeting is easy. You can set the time and date that's best
for you and your community. You'll most likely be meeting with local
Senate policy staff. We'll help you out every step of the way, by
providing a How-To Meeting Guide, draft agendas, contact information, a
downloadable booklet of MomsRising member stories and more. We'll even
invite other MomsRising members in your area to your meeting.
Will it be fun and rewarding? Yes! Ask Monica, a single mom, who met
with her local U.S. Senate staff on fair pay in Washington State:
"Being there, I felt like I had a direct line to the issue and to what
was going on. I was amazed at how much our stories impacted the staff,
and it blew me away when the staff started sharing their own stories in
response to ours. This was one of the first times in my life that I
really felt my voice was being heard by someone with real influence."
These local U.S. Senate office meetings are often a short 10-20 minutes,
and kids are welcome!
Help us speak with U.S. Senators in all 50 states: These meetings are
important no matter where your Senator stands on reforming TSCA. Our
message to Senators is simple: "Our chemical safety legislation is
broken. We won't back down until it is fixed!"
Click here to sign on to set it up and we'll help you out every step of
the way!
http://action.momsrising.org/go/748?akid=2626.1791396.yjtl5f&t=6
And please send this link along to your family and friends! The more
voices, the stronger we are!
Thank you!
---Sarah, Claire, Kristin, and the whole MomsRising.org team
P.S. Tell us why you want toxins out of your family's life. The
personal experiences and thoughts of real moms and dads across this
country make a big impact on legislators and can help change the way our
country handles toxins. Share your experience today.
(1) Puberty in Second Grade??:
http://action.momsrising.org/go/742?akid=2626.1791396.yjtl5f&t=11
(2) What is TSCA?:
http://action.momsrising.org/go/684?akid=2626.1791396.yjtl5f&t=13
(3) Healthy States Report, from Safer Chemicals Healthy Families:
http://action.momsrising.org/go/548?akid=2626.1791396.yjtl5f&t=15
(4) Contrary to Popular Belief, Constituents Trump Lobbyists:
http://action.momsrising.org/go/743?akid=2626.1791396.yjtl5f&t=17
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Liberty Goodwin, Director
Toxics Information Project
P.O. Box 40572,
Providence, RI 02940
Tel. 401-351-9193
Website: www.toxicsinfo.org
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