Friday, February 01, 2008

Environmental Health: A Human Rights issue, not just a personal one

Sandra Steingraber, ecologist and professor at Ithaca College says it so much better, so check out her full article here. But if you don't have time, here is the basic gist:

Individual action to better the earth and our lives is important. But it's not enough. Environmental health issues are public health issues. We can not just insulate ourselves and believe we are living in a 'toxic-free' environment. Changes have to happen all around us. A goal of EM&P is to educate ourselves about changes we can make in our lives, but that is just the beginning. Change needs to spread into the community. Political action will be needed. Campaigns and citizen action will be needed.

I see this not as a discouragement but as a call to action.

Overview of the group

Eco-Mamas and Papas is a group that writes online and meets in person (if you live in or near Albany, NY). We will share ideas about how to parent sustainably and reduce our impact on the earth. We will work together to educate/raise awareness about the dangers of pesticides, toxic cleaners, run-off, etc. And we will incorporate our faith and the Catholic Church’s call to Care for Creation and translate that into relevant daily practice for family life.

Our group meets once a week and will discuss such topics as:

-Eating locally
-Cloth diapering
-Buying sustainable, fair trade products
-Household changes – compact fluorescent lights, recycling, composting, etc.
-Community supported agriculture (CSA)
-Local environmental justice issues and our response as families
-Eco-spirituality in everyday life
-Alternative energy use
-Environmental health Safe household cleaning products
-Consumerism and resource depletion
-The Catholic church’s response to current environmental issues
-Activism/campaigning around issues such as pesticides
-Our family’s ecological footprint
-Eco-prayers and prayer services to do with the family
-Learning from each other – tips and ideas for a greener home

Group members will contribute their ideas, musings and tips about green parenting on this blog. We hope to be a resource to you and to learn from you. So please feel free to leave comments and suggestions (or constructive criticism!)

If you do live in Albany (or nearby) and want to attend a group, please leave a comment. (Still gifureing out how to set-up a 'contact me' section!)