Environmental Threats to Healthy Aging Protecting Health through Personal Actions and through Policy Change

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Environmental Threats to Healthy AgingProtecting
Health through Personal Actions and through
Policy Change
Sarah Uhl, Clean Water Action Coordinator of the
Coalition for a Safe Healthy Connecticut
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The Coalition for a Safe Healthy Connecticut
The Coalition is a growing alliance of over 50
organizations health, labor, faith, scientific,
environmental, and community groups. Toget
her we are working to prevent harm to human
health and the environment from toxic chemicals.
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CSHC continued

• Science has Sounded the Alarm
• Over 180 diseases and disorders linked to toxic
  chemicals, including many diseases of the aging
• Newborns cord blood contains on average 200
  synthetic chemicals
• Aging begins at conception

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The Environment

• Exposure to environmental chemicals and
  infectious materials
• Physical activity
• Social interactions
• Nutrition
• Education
• Intellectual stimulation
• Socioeconomic circumstances
• Stress

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Time to Modernize our Safety Standards

• Our federal law is outdated
• U.S. is falling behind other countries
• Safer alternatives approach

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Chemicals of Concern

• Pesticides
• Mercury
• Dioxin
• PCBs
• Flame Retardants
• Bisphenol-A
• Phthalates
• Perflurocarbons
• (etc.)

(routes of exposure)
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Toxins linked to diseases of the aging

• Neorodegenerative disorders
• Alzheimers (air pollution, solvents, heavy
  metals, and other oxidative-stressors)
• Parkinsons (pesticides, oxidative-stressors)
• The Western disease cluster
• Diabetes (PCBs, pesticides, endocrine disruptors)
• Cardiovascular disease (endocrine disruptors, air
  pollution)
• Metabolic syndrome (endocrine disruptors, PCBs
  and other persistent organic pollutants)
• Obesity (obesogens, endocrine disruptors,
  mutagens)

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Some Good News Safer Chemicals

• Green chemistry takes human and environmental
  health into consideration when designing new
  molecules
• Leading companies are finding
• innovative new approaches and
• shifting to safer alternatives

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Our Campaign Goals

• Immediate action on the worst chemicals
• Require basic information for all chemicals
• Protect the most vulnerable
• Use the best science and methods
• Hold industry responsible for demonstrating
  chemical safety
• Ensure environmental justice
• Promote safer alternatives
• Ensure the right to know

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Out Strategies

• Municipal Resolutions
• State Policies
• Executive Orders
• Legislation
• Corporate Policies
• And ultimatelyfederal policies and international
  agreements

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• 2009 Chemical Policy Legislation
• Phase out Bisphenol A from food and beverage
  containers (HB 6572)
• --passed!
• Phase out Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers from
  Consumer Products (SB 919) did not pass
• Require Green Cleaning in Schools (HB 6496)
  --passed!

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• 2010 Chemical Policy Legislation
• Establish Chemical Innovations Institute
• (HB 5126) --passed!
• Enable our state agencies to phase out the
  worst-of-the-worst chemicals from childrens
  products (HB 5130) ) did not pass
• Phase out cadmium from childrens jewelry (HB
  5314) --passed!

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What is happening at the federal level?

• The Coalition for a Safe Healthy Connecticut is
  part of a new national campaign to reform federal
  chemical policy!
• (help by sending postcards to your members of
  Congress)

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Recent Fun Tactics
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Tactics Continued
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Tactics Continued
Study finds toxic chemicals in health-care
workers
Posted 8 October 2009 MERIDEN A study
released Thursday shows that, of 20 doctors and
nurses tested across the nation, all of them have
toxic chemicals in their bodies. Advocates say
the results show theres a need for more
stringent regulation of chemicals found in
everyday products...
Blood Tests Show High Toxin Levels Doctors From
Across Country Reveal High Levels Of
Toxins POSTED 323 pm EDT October 8, 2009
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Tactics Continued
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Tactics Continued
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How are People Getting Involved?

• Inviting speakers to tea talks, luncheons, and
  forums
• Sharing information with others in their
  community
• Submitting letters to the editor
• Writing and calling their legislators
• Attending events
• Providing testimony at public hearings
• Giving Presentations
• Speaking to the media
• Telling their stories
• Recruiting others to get involved

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Safe products, made safely
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• Program Contact
• Sarah Uhl
• 860-232-6232