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Are There Toxic Chemicals in Your Garden Hose Water?
Spring is here, summer is just around the corner, and perhaps that means that your attention is turning to your vegetable garden, flower beds, or lawn; or that visions of children running through the sprinklers sqealing with glee are dancing in your head. As you drag those garden hoses, work gloves and tools out of the garage or basement, fresh air, moist soil and sunshine are probably on your mind, not toxic chemicals--especially if you keep a pesticide free yard.
Unfortunately, in this as in so many other corners of our homes, we might need to think twice about what toxic chemicals are lurking. Our friends at HealthyStuff.org have released a new study which found lead, cadmium, phthalates and hazardous flame retardants in gardening products, as part of their ongoing research of hazardous substances in common consumer items.
How Dry Cleaning is Affecting Your Health and Neighborhood
For the last fifty years, dry cleaners have used the chemical perchloroethylene (perc) as their most common cleaning solvent. There are more than 550 dry cleaning facilities that use perc in Massachusetts.
Perc is a probable human carcinogen. It can cause nervous system, liver and kidney damage. Dry cleaning workers are at most risk, but when we take dry cleaned clothes home, perc evaporates into the air in our homes. Perc also can pollute the soil and groundwater around dry cleaning stores.
The map on the right shows every dry cleaner that uses perc in Massachusetts. Click to search for your home, workplace, and child's school to see whether a facility that uses perc is nearby.
22 Senators Call for Safer Alternatives Bill
Senator Katherine Clark is a mother, Senator Sal DiDomenico is a father, Senator Ken Donnelly is a former firefighter, Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz is concerned about the damaging effects that toxic chemicals can have on low-income communities in her district. These senators have very personal reasons to support the Safer Alternatives Bill. They all want to vote for it.
Watch and share the Safer Alternatives Bill Video
"My grandfather passed away from cancer using similar products that we use [in our autobody shop] on a daily basis."
"My younger sister has Aspergers."
Green Justice Coalition
2008 was a banner year for clean energy in Massachusetts. Clean Water Action, our members and local partners helped lead the charge for three new laws that bring great promise to the development of clean energy in our state: the Global Warming Solutions Act, the Green Communities Act, and the Massachusetts Green Jobs Act.
Protecting Our Health from Toxic Chemicals
In Massachusetts, Clean Water Action is a founding member of the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow (AHT), a coalition of citizens, scientists, health professionals, workers, and educators seeking preventive action on toxic hazards. Our goal is to correct fundamental flaws in government policies that allow harm to our health and environment.
The Massachusetts Campaign to Protect Drinking Water
A starting definition of sustainable infrastructure includes systems that use, treat, store, and reuse water efficiently at a small scale andthat blend designs into restorative water hydrologies. These would include rain gardens and green roofs, water-efficient appliances and landscaping, decentralized wastewater systems, digestors to recover energy and nutrients from wastewater, and others that conserve resourcesand restore ecosystems and healthy communities. This work is funded in part by the Massachusetts Environmental Trust.
Electing pro-environment candidates
Clean Water Action endorses candidates for office who we believe will be
champions for the environment based on candidate's record and endorsement questionnaires.
Massachusetts Diesel Campaign
The fine particle pollution from diesel emissions shortens the lives of an estimated 21,000 people nationwide and 2 million worldwide every year. The Massachusetts Diesel Coalition is committed to reducing the health risks and global warming impacts from diesel pollution, calling on government and private institutions like hospitals and universities to create plans for reducing emissions from owned and contracted diesel vehicles. This goal would extend and save thousands of lives, improve the health and well being of Massachusetts residents, help mitigate global warming, and yield large economic benefits.