(I wholeheartedly agree with Momsrising that we need to update the Toxic Substances Control Act! If you've been reading this blog long, you know I have been advocating for this for years. Thankfully, Momsrising has organized this activism action to send a letter to Congress supporting this reform. Please take action below. The time is now!)
If a seven year old girl from 1976 could meet a seven year old girl from 2010, they would notice that life in the second grade has changed a lot. Their clothes, hobbies, and cultural references would be completely different. And with 1 in 10 girls now showing early signs of puberty by age seven, a 1976 girl could still be in the thick of her childhood, while a 2010 girl may be starting her teen years too soon.
Pop culture and clothing change over time; but the average age of puberty shouldn’t. And though a 1976 girl and a 2010 girl may come from completely different worlds, they still have one thing in common: toxics legislation. That's right: Thirty four years later, the chemicals we come in contact with every day are still being regulated by the same outdated legislation that was written in 1976.
No child should have to sacrifice their childhood. We know it, and so do you.
Recently, MomsRising members took record action on TSCA Reform! Now lets show Congress that we’re not stopping until all kids are safe from toxics.
What does updating the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) have to do with preventing early onset of puberty?
Updating the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is crucial to the health of our kids because TSCA currently lacks a requirement that chemicals be tested to assess their ability to disrupt hormones. With over 80,000 chemicals in commerce, it's frightening to think that the EPA has only required testing of less than one percent of those chemicals since 1976!
Studies are showing that one of the many contributing factors to the rise in early puberty is that young children are exposed to dozens of potentially toxic chemicals on a daily basis. In fact, endocrine disruptors, which are chemicals that mimic and interfere with hormones, show up in a wide variety of everyday items including: household cleaners, canned foods, and school supplies. These endocrine disruptors can cause the early onset of puberty in girls, as well as boys. [2]
Obesity, another contributor to early puberty, is also connected to toxics exposure. Although obesity has long been attributed to excessive eating and too little exercise, a number of studies now show that chemical exposures can add to the risk. [3]
The TSCA update would require chemical manufacturers to provide basic health and safety information for all chemicals as a condition for staying in or entering the marketplace. It would also, for the first time, make that information public. [3]
Our children deserve better. That’s why as parents we need to be even louder!
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.
But to fix this, we need your help. We can’t protect our kids and families from toxics without updating legislation like the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Congress needs to hear from parents just like you how important it is to update TSCA and keep our kids safe from toxic chemicals.
Please forward this email message on to your friends and families so they can take action too.
Here's that action link again so you have it handy: http://action.momsrising.org/go/NewTSCA1/360?ak_proof=1&akid=.1785315.dVbSLq&t=6&akid=2322.198352.tCXEEV
Together we are a powerful force for families,
Kristin, Claire, Joan, Anita, Mary, and the whole MomsRising Team
[1] "Some girls' puberty age still falling, study suggests": http://action.momsrising.org/go/361?ak_proof=1&akid=.1785315.dVbSLq&t=8&akid=2322.198352.tCXEEV
[2] "Pubertal Assessment Method and Baseline Characteristics in a Mixed Longitudinal Study of Girls": http://action.momsrising.org/go/362?ak_proof=1&akid=.1785315.dVbSLq&t=10&akid=2322.198352.tCXEEV
[3] "Recent Findings on Early Puberty in Girls Highlight Urgent Need for New Chemicals Policy": http://action.momsrising.org/go/363?ak_proof=1&akid=.1785315.dVbSLq&t=12&akid=2322.198352.tCXEEV
4 comments:
Thanks for sharing Momsrising's call to action. This is such an important issue, and one that I'm blogging about too.
http://vitamama.blogspot.com/search/label/xenoestrogens
I hope that we can make enough NOISE together to make a real difference!
Great post! Certainly a great and important issue to talk about.
Jane,
Teaching Toddlers
DONE! thank you for the easy way to get involved!
The potential for TSCA reform is quite exciting, but it should be done in a way that doesn’t sacrifice millions of animals (for toxicity testing) in the name of better protection for human health and the environment. The revised bill needs to mandate and create market incentives to use nonanimal methods and tests.
I agree that we should use the latest science to assess chemicals. Instead of poisoning animals and attempting to apply that data to humans — which hasn’t worked out so far — we need to make sure a reformed TSCA relies on modern human cell and computer-based methods that provide more accurate data on how a chemical acts on cells and what the impact on human health may be.
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