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activism alerts june
2007 |
- Time to Get the Lead Out of Toys
- Tell FDA Not to Weaken Labeling for Irradiated Foods
- PhD Candidate Seeks Mothers of Three Year Old Children
- Call For Nominations: Mothers in Action
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Time to Get the Lead Out of Toys
Toxic lead in a popular line of children's toys is a scary thing. Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends toys are now the subject of a major recall by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The CPSC has advised consumers to immediately stop using these toys. Check the recall notice so you can find out exactly what to avoid. Spread the word to friends with kids about these latest red-flagged toys. More and more imported toys are being recalled due to toxins, so after you tell your friends about the Thomas recall, please take action by signing this petition, from our allies at momsrising.org.
Exposure to lead isn't limited to Thomas the Tank Engine toys. Unhealthy levels of lead are being found in many children's products, from bibs to vinyl lunchboxes to candy. This is particularly dangerous because children under six years old are more likely to put things in their mouths, and because children's developing bodies and brains are more vulnerable to heavy metal exposures than adults. The Centers for Disease Control notes that lead poisoning can affect nearly every system in the body. Because lead poisoning often occurs with no obvious symptoms, it frequently goes unrecognized. Lead poisoning can cause learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and, at very high levels, seizures, coma, and even death. Help stop these unsafe toys and children's products. Stand up as a parent and demand CPSC oversight.
Tell FDA Not to Weaken Labeling for Irradiated Foods
What if the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed a rule that would intentionally hide information you rely on to make decisions about what to feed yourself and your family? Or if FDA proposed changing food labeling information to something the agency knows to be misleading to consumers?
Well, FDA has announced just such a rule to weaken labeling of irradiated foods.
Currently, irradiated food must be labeled as Treated with irradiation or Treated by radiation and have on them the irradiated symbol. But now, in yet another attempt to appease industry at the expense of the public, the FDA has proposed a new rule that would allow irradiated food to be marketed in some cases without any labeling at all. In other cases, the rule would allow the terms electronically pasteurized or cold pasteurized to replace the use of irradiated on labels. These terms are not used by scientists, but rather are designed to fool consumers about whats been done to their food.
Pasteurization involves heating liquids for the purpose of destroying harmful bacteria and other pathogens, and has been used safely for decades. Irradiation is a completely different process, using high-energy gamma rays, electron beams, or X-rays on meat, grains, and other foods.
Labeling irradiated foods as pasteurized is simply untruthful and misleading. Allowing the marketing of irradiated food without any labeling is equally misleading. Consumers have demanded irradiation labeling because they know that irradiation can create potentially dangerous chemical byproducts and reduce their foods' nutritional value.
In fact, FDAs own research found that the proposed change would confuse consumers, stating "Research indicates that many consumers regard substitute terms for irradiation to be misleading."
What is the FDA hiding? A lot...
Consumers have a right to truthful labeling in order to make informed choices for themselves and their families. A public comment period is open until July 3, 2007.
Protect Your Right to Know: Tell the FDA Not to Weaken the Rules for Labeling Irradiated Food! Take action here.
PhD Candidate Seeks Mothers of Three Year Old Children
Claire Winstone, a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at Santa Barbara Graduate Institute (and longtime Mothering subscriber) has been developing a dissertation research project for the past five years. It has culminated in an online survey of mothers of three year olds, looking at some contributing factors to young children's psychosocial functioning. In order for to have statistical validity, hundreds of mothers need to participate in the confidential survey. Click here for more information, and to see if you are eligible to take part. Please pass the invitation to all mothers you know who have three year old children.
Call For Nominations: Mothers in Action
Celebrating Mothers: Global Portraits to Inform and Inspire is a forthcoming illustrated book featuring mothers who are making the world a better place for women and children through their social advocacy. It will spotlight 20 mothers internationally who are working to address important issues in their community and mobilizing other mothers to get involved in social change. The book is a collaborative effort between international women's networks including Mothers Acting Up, the National Council for Research on Women, the Global Education Fund and others, and will benefit many nonprofit coalitions working to support women worldwide.
Please submit your organization's nomination(s) for exemplary women who are:
- mothers (birth or adoptive) to children under age 15,
- involved in advocacy for women's or children's issues at a local or national level, and are
- initiating positive change in their communities and inspiring other mothers to do the same
Mothers selected for profile in the book will come from diverse countries and continents, various socioeconomic backgrounds, and from rural and urban environments. They could be volunteers working for small local organizations that are addressing regional family issues like access to healthcare, gender equity or affordable childcare, or they might be policy-makers initiating change for women on a larger scale, like removing barriers to education or employment. The common theme will be their ability to blend their roles as mothers within a larger concept of social responsibility, inspiring other mothers and children to identify issues that are important to them and take action.
Celebrating Mothers will highlight global women's initiatives, so please forward this to individuals or organizations you work with overseas who will submit nominations and concurrently raise more awareness of their efforts. The emphasis on cultural diversity will serve as a window to the array of social issues affecting mothers worldwide, different approaches to balancing work/volunteerism and family, and the common threads that bind all caregivers, regardless of home or heritage.
Please submit nominations (limit 5 per organization) to celebratingmothers@gmail.com. Submissions should include:
- Name of individual
- Description of social activism- work or volunteer affiliations
- Country of origin and residence
- Number of children and ages
- Contact information (email, telephone, address, website) Deadline for submissions is August 1, 2007. Please direct all questions to Amie Brooke Nelson at (970)376-7608 or celebratingmothers@gmail.com
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