Welcome to the new MOMS website! We are so excited about the potential for using this site to create big changes! If you are new to the MOMS community, spend some time in the About and Issues sections. If you’re a partner organization, create a profile in the Partners directory, then upload events, actions, or resources. As a member of MOMS, you can now find other members more easily through the site’s Groups feature and use the Discussion forums to connect around the issues that matter most to you.
The site is still undergoing development, so we welcome any feedback you have at email hidden; JavaScript is required.
News
Kids’ Safe Chemicals Art Contest
Calling all budding artists—the Earth needs YOU! Help show through your art what’s worth protecting form toxic chemicals. Maybe it’s your pet, your brother, or the sky up above. Let your creative imaginations run wild. The purpose of this art contest is to show our national leaders and lawmakers how our world could be safer for the next generation. Artwork will be hand-delivered to Senators on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. by the Safer Chemicals/Healthy Families Coalition.
Read on for complete art contest rules and submission guidelines
Recent Blogs
A Lesson in Toxics – Why Banned PCBs are Cause for Concern in Schools
in Children’s Health, Green Schools, and Fertility & Reproduction,by Mary Brune
When she first set out to learn what chemicals might be lurking in her body, mother-of-two Penelope Jagessar-Chaffer had no idea what she would discover. She was horrified to learn that PCBs, a group of flame retardant chemicals banned in the 1970s because of links to various health effects, were found in her body in greater amounts than any other type of chemical.
Almost 40 years after being banned, not only are PCBs still being found in people’s bodies, but they are present in some of the most unlikely places: our nation’s schools. Last week MOMS member Jagessar-Chaffer spoke at press conference on Women’s Reproductive Health joining other advocates in a call for the immediate removal of the PCB lighting fixtures found in nearly 700 NYC schools.
Tags: PCBs, green schools
Toxins in the Womb? Take It Personally
in Body Burden, Fertility & Reproduction by Mary Brune
On my way into work last Friday I heard a story on NPR about a UCSF study that found dozens of toxic chemicals in the bodies of pregnant women. I’ve written before about the vulnerable environment of the womb, and while I’m not surprised by the findings of this latest report, its release struck a nerve nonetheless. You see, until the previous day, I had been a pregnant woman. In the first trimester with what would have been my third child. Losses happen and they occur far too frequently and impact far too many women.
The worst part, perhaps, is not having an answer as to why they happen. I took all the necessary precautions: cut out alcohol, coffee, ate well, exercised, and took prenatal vitamins. As far as monitoring what went into my body, I did everything right. What I couldn’t control, however, was the likely presence of toxic chemicals already in my body. Chemicals like pesticides, flame retardants, BPA, all of which are known to affect reproduction. Chemicals that could have interfered with my pregnancy.
Tags: body burden,, miscarriage, pregnancy, toxins.
Engage
Join Healthy Legacy at the Minnesota State Capitol on Valentine’s Day!
Do you want toxic chemicals out of children’s toys, shampoo and other products? Join our partners Healthy Legacy on Valentine’s Day at the Minnesota Capitol!
Members of the Healthy Legacy Coalition will be talking to state lawmakers about how they can protect children’s health by supporting state policy that identifies toxic chemicals in children’s bubble bath, toys, and other products. Help us make this a day to remember by joining us on Valentine’s Day and asking MN state legislators to protect children’s health by reducing exposure to toxic chemicals!
Click here to RSVP.
