The Million Baby Crawl

If you’re sick of chemical cleaners that pollute the planet and our bodies, then Seventh Generation would like your help to crack down for stronger standards on toxic chemicals. Seventh Generation’s new initiative, the Million Baby Crawl is one way you can help make sure that America’s sadly outdated chemical law become tougher, in order to make the world safer for your children.

Why you should get involved:

• 33 years ago Congress passed that nation’s chemical regulatory law, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TCSA). To date the Environmental Protection Agency has tested just 200 of the more than 80,000 chemical compounds developed for products used in the home.
• Right now, EPA does not even have the authority to gather (or demand) the information it needs to evaluate a chemical’s risk.
• No-one; not product manufacturers nor the EPA are required by law to prove a chemical’s safety as a condition of use.
• 1.25 million kids younger than six years of age are unintentionally poisoned in the home each year by things like cosmetics and personal care products, cleaning substances, pain relievers and cough and cold medicines (American Association of Poison Control Centers) that contain harmful chemicals.
• Studies by the Environmental Working Group show that nearly 200 industrial chemicals and pollutants have been found in the umbilical cord blood of newborns.
• Your friends and family don’t know how dangerous chemicals are. Recent studies show that most people think toxic cleaners are pretty darn safe.
• Why should your kids be exposed to dangerous chemicals in basic household items?

How you can help…

• Visit Million Baby Crawl and create a crawler that represents why you want chemical reform. The Million Baby Crawl will help to present the Kids Safe Chemical Act to Washington by collecting signatures from Americans who support toxic chemical reform.
• Post about the Million Baby Crawl at your own blog.
• Follow the Million Baby Crawl discussion on Twitter #mbcrawl.

Hopefully the end result of your support will be the Kids Safe Chemical Act, which will require chemical manufacturers to conduct safety testing before a chemical is used in products.