Action Alert: Help the U.S. Win the Chemical Olympics
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Help the U.S. Win the Chemical Olympics
You can take action on this alert by reading the information below and following the
directions at the bottom.
Our athletes may be winning in China, but the U.S. chemical safety system is at the back of the pack in the race to protect children and adults from dangerous chemicals in everyday products.
Scientific studies show that many toxic chemicals are building up in our bodies, environment and wildlife. Some have been linked to serious health problems like learning disabilities, immune dysfunction, reproductive problems and even cancer. They can come from surprising sources: electronics, cosmetics, furniture and other common household items, even toys. These chemicals escape from the products they're added to and wind up in our air, water, food and bodies.
But it doesn't have to be this way. Many nations are taking action to identify and phase out dangerous chemicals in consumer products. The winners of the Chemical Olympics have learned that the key to lowering health costs is to prevent diseases before they occur and that good health and a strong economy go hand in hand.
Watch the Chemical Olympics, then keep reading and Take Action!
Unfortunately, in the United States, our chemical safety system is broken. Chemical corporations are not required to test chemicals for health and safety before they bring them to market, and under the current system, EPA will only act to restrict a chemical after people and wildlife have already been harmed and our environment polluted. Our kids are at risk and parents and consumers can't get good information. We've got some serious work to do.
That's why were asking you to send a message to Maine's Congressional Delegation to get the United States on a four-point Workout Routine to help us catch up and give Europe a run for its money in the next Chemical Olympics. It includes creating strong laws, replacing dangerous chemicals with safer alternatives, asking the chemical industry to prove their products are safe, and investing in the development of safer products that create jobs and open new markets.
Please send your message right now!
NOTE - be sure to enter your home address (where you are registered to vote) below so that your message reaches the correct representatives.
Your message will be sent to each of the following targets:
Your U.S. Representative
Your U.S. Senator
A sample message appears below, which you may edit before sending.
Help the U.S. Win the Chemical Olympics
Dear Representative,
Scientific studies show that many toxic chemicals are building up in our bodies, environment and wildlife. Some have been linked to serious health problems like learning disabilities, immune dysfunction, reproductive problems and even cancer. They can come from surprising sources: electronics, cosmetics, furniture and other common household items, even toys. These chemicals escape from the products they're added to and wind up in our air, water, food and bodies.
But it doesn't have to be this way. Many nations, including Canada, Norway and all the member states of the European Union, are taking action to identify and phase out dangerous chemicals in consumer products. They're winning the Chemical Olympics, and the U.S. is falling behind.
Please help the United States catch up and make progress toward a strong chemical safety system and new economic development through green chemistry. Actions to advance this plan include the following:
- PREVENT HARM Speed efforts to replace dangerous chemicals with safer alternatives and expand consumer information about which chemicals are added to everyday products and materials.
- PROTECT OUR KIDS Protect the health of our nation's children by acting on the latest scientific evidence identifying which chemicals should be prioritized for action due to their impact on children's health.
- SHARE RESPONSIBILITY Ask industry to prove that their products are safe for people and the environment, and share in the costs of protecting our health from hazardous chemicals in their products.
- BUILD A GREEN ECONOMY Create good jobs and open new markets for business by investing in expanded use of available green technology and in research and development of safer, environmentally friendly products, such as plastics from potatoes.
Getting dangerous chemicals out of everyday consumer products is essential to protecting health, preventing disease, and saving money on health costs. In the future, more of the world will be looking for solutions that lead to better living and improved health and forward-thinking countries will be well-positioned to deliver them.
Please help the United States once again become a world leader through policies which promote safer products, healthy people and a green economy.
