Sofia Gatica, this year’s recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize for South & Central America, is fighting the battle of her life in Argentina against some of the most powerful forces imaginable: corporate greed and desperate poverty. Sofia’s village of Ituzaingó is at heart of soy country, surrounded by soy plantations saturated with toxic pesticides [...]
Crossposted from Safer States blog 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 [...]
Crossposted from Making Our Milk Safe (MOMS) blog Reading Michael Tortorello’s recent piece published March 14th in the New York Times (“Is It Safe to Play Yet? Going to Extreme Lengths to Purge Household Toxins”), evoked in me the same reaction the writer insinuates that reports of environmental toxins evoke in many mothers: crazed anger. Or [...]
By Mary Brune, crossposted from the Making Our Milk Safe (MOMS) blog A few weeks back I wrote about MOMS member Penelope Jagessar-Chaffer joining dozens of other concerned citizens at a press conference on the steps of NY City Hall to urge the NY City Council to pass legislation that would force disclosure of PCBs [...]
Yesterday, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson announced historic nationwide protections from mercury and other toxins from dirty power plants. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that poisons the air we breathe, the fish we eat and presents great risks to pregnant women and young children. The new standard will mark the first time that the federal government [...]
Crossposted from Making Our Milk Safe (MOMS) blog. When she first set out to learn what chemicals might be lurking in her body, mother-of-two Penelope Jagessar-Chaffer had no idea what she would discover. She was horrified to learn that PCBs, a group of flame retardant chemicals banned in the 1970s because of links to various [...]
Crossposted from Making Our Milk Safe (MOMS) blog. Even though my son is now three years old, I can still recall how nervous I was around his sleep habits when he was a newborn. If he slept longer than the expected 3-4 hours at a stretch, I would hover over his crib, sending him subliminal [...]
Tomorrow, August 11th, is my daughter Olivia’s birthday. My almost second-grader, who just finished reading the second Harry Potter book, is turning seven. It’s hard to believe. Tomorrow we’ll celebrate this milestone in the presence of family, give her gifts, and enjoy the Brune birthday staple: ice cream cake. But today, while the rest of [...]
Since last week was full of celebrations in honor of Memorial Day, and the “unofficial beginning of summer” (although you’d never know it from where I’m sitting; it hailed this morning), you might have missed another cause for celebration: The passage of AB 1319 last week by the California State Assembly. The bill, once passed [...]
Last night I saw something on television that made my jaw just about drop into my lap. And no, it wasn’t the season premiere of Dancing with the Stars. Although, to confess, I did catch a glimpse of 49-year-old Ralph Macchio in action while flipping channels—he’s the original Karate Kid—and can report he looks pretty [...]
The mounting evidence can't be denied: toxic chemicals we're exposed to everyday can significantly increase the risk of developing a myriad of health problems including infertility, learning and developmental disabilities, and even cancer. Congress has an obligation to pass a law that will protect our families from harmful chemicals.
Monsanto's new experimental GMO corn contains a toxic pesticide in every bite, intended for the frozen and/or canned corn market. This experimental corn will not be labeled, so consumers cannot know when they may be eating a GMO food. As the nation’s largest retailer and a major provider of frozen and canned corn, Walmart has the responsibility to take action to protect consumers from this risky new corn.
More than 300,000 Americans have already signed a petition urging Walmart to make a commitment to reject the new Monsanto GMO variety by April 1. Petitions will be delivered to Walmart this week, so take action today to have your voice heard!
Urge Congress that GMO food must be labeled. These could be the most important clicks your mouse makes today!
Electronic cards that play songs and/or light up cannot be recycled or even thrown in the trash in California. Instead, they create massive amounts of completely unnecessary toxic e-waste.
Hallmark has been a leader in the greeting card industry for more than a century—shouldn’t they be a leader in the sustainable future too? Tell Hallmark: No More Toxic E-Waste Cards!
This week, a California State Assembly committee will vote on a bill (AB 88) to require labeling of genetically modified (GMO) fish. In response to the potential FDA approval of GMO salmon, California must take this opportunity to protect state consumers' right to know what is in our food.
California must take the lead. Urge your Assembly Member to say "YES" to labels on GMO fish.
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