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Environmental Health

On Being a Toxic Avenger

May 12, 2009
I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the campy, B-movie, The Toxic Avenger , but the plot line is eerily analogous to many modern moms. The movie in a nutshell: weakling janitor is taunted and falls into a vat of toxic waste, which turns him into a radioactive monster with superhuman strength who...

Autism Linked to Schools Built Near Toxic Waste Sites

April 16, 2009
I still can’t get over that there are so few and no federal law preventing the building of schools on or near sources of pollution no matter how many times I say it out loud or write it down.
Renee Blanchard's picture

Autism Linked to Schools Built Near Toxic Waste Sites

April 10, 2009
I still can’'t get over that there are so few and no federal law preventing the building of schools on or near sources of pollution no matter how many times I say it out loud or write it down. And to add to all the rational and simple explanations that come to mind to why there should be laws and...
Renee Blanchard's picture

Why is the CPSC Denying the Risks of Chemical Exposure for Kids?

April 3, 2009
When I became a mother, I always thought that I could trust products that I purchased for my children. Now, every day, it seems, a new scientific study emerges showing chemical exposure in products we once thought to be safe. How did this happen?

Rocket fuel in powdered infant formula: Let's ask for change

April 2, 2009
I'd love to feed my kids knowing that the food and water I give them are safe. You? But I can't. Why? Because the safeguards in this country are so weak that there's rocket fuel in infant formula. I mean, how bad can it get?
Lisa Frack's picture

The Mental and Economic Benefit of Open, Flexible Work for Moms

April 1, 2009
Open Flexible work gives parents the ability to decide how, when and where they work, regardless of their level in an organization. Examples of Open Flexible work are: flexible scheduling; telecommuting/virtual work; job sharing; career customization; taking babies to work; part-time work options and quality on-ramps for parents who take time away from work.

Roses are Red, and Lipstick (Still) has Lead

February 16, 2009
Any day now, President Obama will name the head of the Food and Drug Administration, and the question is: Will the new FDA revive its passion for the public interest, or continue giving consumers the toxic kiss off?

Beyond the CPSIA: Two chemicals down, thousands to go

February 13, 2009
February 10th was a big day if you’ve got toxics on the brain - as I do. Why? Because, as Ariana Kelly wrote here that day , it was the day the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) went into effect. And while this new law has some kinks to work out on the road to implementation, it is indeed something to celebrate.
Lisa Frack's picture

Devil's in the Details: Toxic Toys vs. Sock Puppets

February 10, 2009
Today we celebrate the implementation of a bi-partisan triumph! It is now illegal to sell toys with dangerous lead and chemical content to children. And millions of American parents and children can breathe a bit easier.
Ariana Kelly's picture

Consumer Protection Smackdown: Happy Meal Toys vs. Sock Puppets?

January 29, 2009
We said we’d never do it, but of course we do. Like millions of Americans, we sometimes feed fast food to the kids. And yes, we do let the kids keep the toys! As the parent of a toddler who will chew on anything, I fear these toys. Remember the dangerous lead levels found in toys from China, leading to massive recalls in 2007?
Ariana Kelly's picture

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