A World without Moms: Happy Mother's Day

Here is the winning video from "Save A life”:   “Moms Matter. Make it Obvious,” a project that asked people to tap into the power of social media and viral marketing to challenge people to creatively show the world that maternal health and childbirth is hardly safer today than it was 100 years ago.

We just learned that YouTube is going to be featuring the winning video on its homepage on Mother’s Day! And at least one penny for each view during the entire month of May is going to benefit Christy Turlington’s organization, Every Mother Counts, an advocacy and mobilization campaign to increase education and support for maternal and child health.

Please help us spread the word about this amazing challenge, the video, and make sure you take a look at the winning entries.  They are truly amazing.  

Please look at the winning tweets, too.  Yours truly had 2 of the top tweets.  :)

And you can send this hysterical video out to all your mama friends from Momsrising. It's a movie trailer for a film about---- YOU!  The World's Greatest Mom.  Yes, you.  You've got to check it out, it's laugh out loud funny (especially the Toy Story comment).  Enjoy!

Calling on the Power of Moms

(Here's a guest post from our friends at Food and Water Watch. I have been down and out with a nasty stomach flu all week! Wishing you all a very happy and restful Mother's Day.)

Dear Mom,

We realize that we probably should have gotten you something nice for Mother’s Day, being that you’re a mom and everything, but we actually have a favor to ask of you. You might think we have some nerve, asking you to do something for us on YOUR day — the one day out of the year that you’re supposed to be appreciated for your endless emotional commitment and unconditional love. We know. Like you, the work of a consumer advocate is never done. Since we’re all caretakers in that regard, we hope you consider the following request.

Mom, please don’t use anything with triclosan in it. This might seem like a big ask, but it’s really important for our health, your health and the health of the environment. Both the FDA and the EPA are currently investigating triclosan’s negative impact on public health and the environment.


Why shouldn’t you use triclosan?


Triclosan is an endocrine disruptor. Remember all the fuss about BPA and how you shouldn’t use bottles made with it? Well, triclosan is a pretty similar story. If you look around the house, you might find lots of things that have triclosan in them.

Triclosan is in so many products that it’s really challenging to avoid it. As a result, it gets into our water supply where it contaminates our water and kills marine life. It is found in high concentrations in women who are pregnant, where it accumulates in blood, breast milk, umbilical cord blood and urine. It’s also linked to allergies, hay fever and the growing problem of antibiotic resistance.

Triclosan is mostly used as an antibiotic agent, though it has not been proven to be any more effective than good old-fashioned soap and water. So,  it’s not a necessary tool in fighting bacteria. When it is incorporated into other materials, it is usually known by a brand name called Microban®, which you’ll find in many household items and outdoor adventure-type clothing.

What kinds of things contain triclosan?


*In the bathroom… cleaning supplies, hand soap, deodorant, cosmetics, toothpaste, etc.
*In the bedroom… pillow cases, mattresses, covers, etc.
*In the closet… clothing, shoes, etc.
*Pet supplies… food and water dishes, toys, etc.
*Laundry room… washing machine and dryer.
*Kitchen… reusable lunch bags.
*In school… rulers and protractors, etc.

So, mom… we know you’re exhausted doing things for the people who are most important in your life. But making a point to avoid triclosan is important for the entire family. You’ll have to just add it to your list of ten thousand other things you do everyday.

Have a fantastic Mother’s Day and thank you to all of our activist moms and care takers who keep fighting the good fight!

Love,
The Staff at Food & Water Watch

 

Calling all moms! Take the triclosan pledge and then sign our petition to ban the use of triclosan for non-medical purposes!

All I Want for Mother's Day Is....

It's simple, really.  Not flowers, or dark chocolate.

Action.  

I'm really not sure why it is so hard for our country to act in the best interest of its most vulnerable-- our children.  

Maybe it is because they don't vote.  They don't have any money.  They don't have a lobby.  They don't make large donations to PACs and they don't run multi-national corporations.

But they will.  And they will be the ones taking care of us when we are old and in need.  They will be the ones dealing with the problems we as a generation could not solve. Global warming and the extreme weather that results.  The diminishing middle class.  Poverty, fractured families, and poisoned air, water and soil (the list goes on).

We will need them. And now, our nation's children need us to stop putting corporate interests in front of precaution.  When babies are born pre-polluted with industrial chemicals from the air, water, and products we use, we are disrespecting our collective future.  

So all I am asking is for two things:

1.  That we keep the EPA strong in its ability to protect families. We need to preserve the new Mercury/Air Toxics Rule which will save lives, lessen illnesses and hospital visits, and improve school attendance and student learning. Our nation's children deserve to go to schools where the air does not poison them, and where they can thrive, learn and grow. 

2. That Congress passes the Safe Chemicals Act of 2011, finally acting to update the permissive Toxic Substances Control Act.  Chemicals need to be tested for safety BEFORE they are put in products to be sold.  Sounds like common sense, but in America, it is still not true.  We need to follow the precautionary principal in how we regulate chemicals, food, water, and pharmaceuticals.  

I want for my daughters to not have to fight like this to protect their children.  It should be common sense, a village taking care of their children.  I hope that my girls do not have to worry that the air is poisoning their children, that the products and food they buy will harm their families.  I hope they don't ever have to consider these issues-- I hope they can focus on spending time together: reading, singing, dancing, living.... instead.  

What about you?

This post is part of the Moms Clean Air Force Mother's Day Carnival.  Please join us!  Follow this link to see how you can be involved in the carnival.