Sippy Cups and Burgers
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GoogleWe moms do our best to keep our families safe. But in light of recent safety news, I think we're going to go find Saddam Hussein's worm hole and take up residence there.
Not that I have to worry about toxic chemicals leaching out of sippy cups anymore. PunditGirl is way past that stage.
When she was a toddler, I thought I was being a conscientious mom by providing her with chlorinated water, sugar-free fruit juices and organic, low-fat milk. But apparently, there's a good chance all those drinks were contaminated with toxic chemicals that have been linked to diabetes, breast cancer, and a whole host of other diseases I really can't think about right now.
At least the food we're eating isn't contaminated, right?
Unless I'm getting the ground beef directly from my dad's farm, it looks like burgers are off the menu here at Chez PunditMom-- almost 150 million pounds of beef have been recalled today because of possible contamination. I might feel like we had dodged a bullet, except that MSNBC is reporting that the beef from these cows has been in the food chain since February 2006.
Yeah, you heard me -- for TWO YEARS.
Sippy cups and ground beef are two staples of motherhood as we know it. If we can't rely on regulators to demand that plastic manufacturers make sure that synthetic hormones aren't going to leech out of sippy cups after a few times in the dishwasher or that family summertime barbecues won't result in death from E. coli, mad cow, or salmonella poisoning, then what's the point of having them there? May as well close them down and let us keep the tax money that funds them. I bet we'd be getting more back than the much touted stimulus package.
The tainted beef could still be in our freezers. News reports say that 37 million pounds of the potentially tainted beef went to school lunch programs. And we wouldn't know about the potentially deadly meat if not for an undercover video showing cows who were too sick to stand at a California slaughterhouse.
I think I'm going to be sick.
What's next? I know in my gut it's not going to stop there. Maybe it's time to go all Gilligan's Island. At least I know the tropical fruit would be safe.
Or maybe it's time to become an EcoMom?
Women shouldn't be discriminated against simply because they are mothers... but they are! Read about true experiences of American mothers, and learn how shared problems can be solved. Members can download the first chapter of the book today.
Help us get Toxins out of Baby Products and Cosmetics!
We Need Your Help!
Help Ban Toxins and Carcinogens in Cosmetics and Children’s Products
Did you know that some lipsticks contain lead—a powerful neurotoxin that builds up in the body over time? Or that many seemingly innocent children’s products—pacifiers, bibs, and baby bottles, just for starters—often contain lead, phthalates and bisphenol A, toxins that have been linked to brain damage, cancer and reproductive health disorders?
In response to escalating reports of environmental toxins in children’s products and women’s cosmetics, State Senator Carole Migden introduced Senate Bill 1712 and Senate Bill 1713 to clean up poisonous products sold in California.
“Senator Migden’s bill is a direct response to recent news that there is lead paint on our children's toys, BPA in our baby bottles and formula cans and phthalates in our babies,” said Charlotte Brody, RN and Executive Director of Commonweal, a nonprofit health and environmental research institute in California.
“This is a reminder that government should act to protect the health of its people, especially the most vulnerable. Every parent, every grandparent, and every person who ever wants to be a parent, should work for this bill to become law.”
If you agree that there’s no acceptable excuse for playing Russian Roulette with women’s and children’s health by allowing known hazardous chemicals in everyday products, you can make a difference by emailing your support to the California State Senate’s Environmental Quality Committee today. Senate Bills 1712 and 1713 face strong opposition from industry, so every email will make a difference. The Committee will vote on this legislation on Monday, April 7, 2008.
All you need to say is:
“I support Senator Migden’s SB 1712 and SB 1713 to remove hazardous chemicals from children’s products and lipstick. Please pass them today!”
Send your message no later than April 4, 2008 to senator.migden@sen.ca.gov
Read on for more information about SB 1712 and SB 1713:
Senate Bill 1712—Lead in Lipstick: SB 1712 would ban lead in lipstick. A recent survey of 33 lipsticks in four U.S. cities by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found that 20 of the tested lipsticks contained detectable levels of lead, though none had lead—a powerful neurotoxin—listed as an ingredient. In addition, one-third of the tested lipsticks exceeded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's 0.1 ppm limit for lead in candy -- a standard established to protect children from directly ingesting lead. Lipstick, like candy, is ingested directly. The average woman ingests about four pounds of lipstick in her lifetime. The latest science shows that no level of lead is safe.
Senate Bill 1713—The “Toxin-Free Toddlers & Babies Act”
SB 1713 expands the prohibition against phthalates in children’s products and bans any detectable level of bisphenol A (BPA) and lead from all toys and child-care articles. Several states in addition to California have introduced legislation that phases out or prohibits BPA and phthalates in children’s products.
If you would like more information about these bills, log on to www.sen.ca.gov/migden
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