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activism alerts july
2004 |
- Coffee, Tea, and Me: Breastfeeding at Starbucks
- Tap A Shoulder Campaign
- Latest Report Shows Steady Decline in Autism
- Direct Your School Toward Wellness
Coffee, Tea, and Me: Breastfeeding at Starbucks
Starbucks, the number one specialty coffee retailer in the world, currently operates over 7,500 stores in more than 30 countries. A consumer movement is currently afoot, urging the corporate coffeehouse to institute a pro-breastfeeding policy, in all of their US retail outlets. The action is a response to an incident in a Maryland shop, where a mother was asked by staff to nurse in the bathroom or under a blanket. Maryland law protects the right of a mother to breastfeed anywhere. For details on the campaign, click here: www.nurseatstarbucks.orgRanked number 45 on a "five year list of the best" businesses by Business Ethics magazine, Starbucks claims "Contributing positively to our communities and environment is so important - that it's a guiding principle of our mission statement." Help hold Starbucks accountable to their claims of social responsibility by partaking in the action alert at www.nurseatstarbucks.org Awareness is growing, and action to finally and completely remove the known neurotoxin mercury (in the form of thimerosal) from all childhood vaccines is increasing. Yet babies, kids, and adults are still being injected with it every day.
In an effort to educate more people to the hazards of injected mercury, the issue of informed consent, and vaccine exemptions, a grassroots campaign has been launched by the folks at Progressive Convergence. The Tap A Shoulder Campaign is comprised of business card sized, 2 sided messages that can be downloaded, printed, and kept at the ready to pass out to other parents and people who come into contact with parents.
Click here to print your own cards: www.33o.com/progressiveconvergence/momstapashoulder.htm
Source: www.progressiveconvergence.com
Latest Report Shows Steady Decline in Autism
"We were hopeful that the trend would continue after last April's report'Now we have a third consecutive quarter with the numbers going down '"-Lyn Redwood, RN, MSN, president of SafeMinds
Washington, D.C.-SafeMinds-America's leading scientific organization investigating the risks that mercury-containing medical products pose to children-is cautiously optimistic over a third consecutive report from the California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) showing a decline in new requests for autism related services. "We were hopeful that the trend would continue after last April's report showed the first ever two-quarter decline in 20 years. Now we have a third consecutive quarter with the numbers going down even further, which is a welcome relief for American families,"said Lyn Redwood, RN, MSN, president of SafeMinds."Even with this encouraging news, vigilance and continued research should be the course of continued action."
This latest report continues to bolster expectations that the removal of Thimerosal from infant vaccines and products administered to RH negative mothers during pregnancy would result in a decline in the number of cases of mercury-induced autism in children. "It has long been the scientifically supported belief of SafeMinds that such a trend would be witnessed following the decreased use of Thimerosal, and this trend seems to support our research,"continued Redwood.
"In 2002, the CDC told the Committee on Government Reform that they were waiting to see how the 'prevalence [of autism] may have been impacted based on the removal of Thimerosal from vaccines.' I guess now they have their answer,"said Redwood.
In response to the proposition that the decline is attributable to California's budget crisis, Redwood offered, "Such callous spin would be nothing more than a slap in the face to the families dealing with autism every day. The record clearly shows that budget issues, past or present, have no impact on these reports.
"This data amplifies the need to pass the legislation in Congress that will once and for all remove the threat to America's children from mercury-containing vaccines,"said Redwood in reference to HR.4169, the "Mercury-Free Vaccine Act of 2004", introduced in Congress by Rep. Dave Weldon, MD (R-Fla.). "While remaining cautious, this trend nonetheless renews our efforts to lead a grassroots campaign for support and passage of HR. 4169."
If you have not already done so, you can take action in support of HR.4169 by clicking HERE
Source: www.SafeMinds.org
Direct Your School Toward Wellness
Earlier this month, President Bush signed into law the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, which contained an amendment requiring local school boards to adopt wellness policies to promote health and reduce childhood obesity. The wellness policies must include nutrition guidelines for foods and beverages sold or served to children at school. School boards must adopt the wellness policies by the first day of the 2006-7 school year.This new law is a great opportunity to reduce junk food marketing and sales in schools across the country.
What you can do
1) Tell your local school board members to adopt a wellness policy based on
the Childhood Obesity Prevention Agenda (www.commercialalert.org/copa.pdf),
to improve child health and reduce the incidence of childhood obesity and
type 2 diabetes. At a minimum, any school wellness policy should include
a ban on junk food marketing and sales in schools, and a ban on Channel One,
which advertises for junk food and soda pop.
2) Thank U.S. Senator Tom Harkin for winning the school wellness policy amendment.
You can email Sen. Harkin's staffer, Derek Miller, at Derek_Miller@agriculture.senate.gov.
Background
Click the link below for the text of the new law (Sec. 204 of S. 2507):
www.commercialalert.org/wellnesslaw.pdf
Source:
www.commercialalert.org
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