KSCA to be Reintroduced — Help Make it Happen

After I wrote my post about the Kid Safe Chemicals Act (KSCA), Lisa Frack of the Environmental Working Group and Enviroblog stopped by and invited me to an open conference call on the KSCA and what we can do to help support the act.

The call was excellent and opened up a whole variety of possibilities on what we as parents and online social networkers (as it were) can do to help ensure the act will pass this time around.

The bill, when introduced in March of last year, stalled in committee. Some say it has no hope during this year, the 111th Congress, with the extent of new environmental issues being considered. However, as we all know, childrens’ safety is a vital issue and the time for the KSCA is now. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Henry Waxman (D-CA) have indicated that they will be reintroduce the bill in the coming weeks.

The overarching message of the conference call with the EWG, hosted by Janelle of Healthy Child Healthy World, was that every person, every constituent, truly makes a big difference with members of Congress in how they act on measures like this. So we need to really stir up some attention for this issue!

Some of the things we can do are things that can happen now, and some will be more relevant after the bill is re-introduced. So please subscribe to hippie dippie bébé to receive ongoing updates on the status of the bill and further you can actions you can take!

What We Can Do Now

• Sign the Declaration - stating that babies pre-polluted with chemicals is morally wrong. You’ll also sign up to receive more word on future activism to support the act.
• Get Your Blog Badge - or join EWG’s social networks.
• Write Your Representative - Explain that you’ve heard about the Kid Safe Chemicals Act and that it will be reintroduced this year. Ask your representative whether he or she was in support of the act last year. Tell them that you’re in support of the act and you believe that it will open the door to giving chemical companies an incentive to search for safe alternatives to some of the more dangerous chemicals in use today.

I’ll be composing a letter of my own in the next few days. When it’s finished I’ll post it here as a sample.

What’s Coming

The EWG will also be releasing a sample letter to write to your representative, once the bill has been introduced into the 111th Congress, as well as updates on how to blog on the act and instructions for hosting your own house parties for local grassroots action. As I get more information, I’ll be posting it here, you can also follow Lisa on twitter at @enviroblog or online at Enviroblog (tell her I sent you!).

As citizens of a democratic society, our voice does speak loudly to members of Congress. Let’s spread the world and speak up to protect our children!

Thanks and much love!

Mama Hope


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