Plastic Pollution - This fall we conducted a national webinar for local municipal officials to discuss how villages, towns and cities can reduce their use of plastic. The webinar featured guest speakers from four cities across the country who have developed innovative ways of reducing plastic use and waste. This was part of our How Green Is My Town program, coordinated by Grassroots' project manager Amanda McCabe. Learn more at HowGreenIsMyTown.org
PFAS in Lawn Fertilizer - We continue to meet with elected officials and push
for legislation regarding high levels of nitrogen and PFAS in lawn fertilizers
sold and used on Long Island and Westchester County, but we are facing
strong opposition from the fertilizer industry. In the meantime, Grassroots’
project manager Lauren Krueger is conducting in-person meetings with groups
all over Long Island to build public support. More information at LIWater.org.
The International Declaration on the Human Rights of Children in the Digital Age
continues to make its way around the world and has now been signed by
thousands of medical and scientific professionals and advocates. The ICD calls for
reasonable protections for children, including the right to be free from addictive
platforms and apps; the right to be free from hazardous radiation from wireless
devices; and the right to be free from commercial exploitation of private
information. See the complete list of signatories at TheChildrensDeclaration.org
Artificial Turf - Our collaboration with Mount Sinai's Icahn School of
Medicine on the issues of micro- and nanoplastics and chemical toxins
in artificial turf allowed us to take advantage of summer interns who
mapped artificial turf in counties all over New York State, and also
collected samples of crumb rubber and artificial grass blades from
multiple fields. The data is now being analyzed and will be included in
the final study results submitted to the National Institutes of Health.
More information at www.Grassrootsinfo.org/artificial-turf.
Energy - We are continuing our work pushing back against the expansion of natural gas pipelines, advocating for stricter guidelines for the disposal of toxic fracking waste, and working to inform elected officials of the hazards associated with nuclear power and waste, including the decommissioning of the Indian Point facility. We’ve also developed a graphic poster for high school students showing the cumulative public health costs associated with burning fossil fuels. Grassroots’ Educational Outreach Coordinator Ellen Weininger has been instrumental in keeping Grassroots at the forefront on these critical issues.
Green Street - Our weekly New York radio show and podcast has been
picked up for re-broadcast by Pacifica network stations KPFA in Berkeley
(2:00 Mondays) and KPFK in Los Angeles (2:30 pm Tuesdays). The show
is also syndicated to many smaller stations through the Pacifica and PRX
distribution platforms. Green Street continues to attract new listeners as
we cover a range of current environmental health issues with experts
from around the world. Listen to our current and past shows at
Helping to Heal - Patti Wood’s gentle and informative book, written for the parents of
young children with cancer, is in its sixth edition, and continues to be in demand at partner hospitals and clinics across the country. To date, more than 75,000 copies of the book have been distributed, providing a much needed guide for parents seeking to become partners in their child’s healing process by creating a healthy home environment and nutritious meals. Learn more at Helping2Heal.org.
Taking the FDA to Court - In a few weeks, Americans for Responsible
Technology (“ART”) will file a lawsuit against the Food and Drug
Administration for its failure to follow the law (21 USC 360 ii) regarding the
public's exposure to RF radiation from wireless devices. With a focus on
children in schools, the lawsuit asks the court to order the FDA to advise
school personnel about how to reduce levels of radiation in classrooms
without impacting system performance. Follow the news at Americans4rt.org
