Toxic PVC plastic is coming out of packaging!  In recent months, Johnson & Johnson, Procter &Gamble, and Clorox have all announced progress in phasing out the poison plastic PVC from their packaging. Johnson & Johnson reported in their most recent report that they have "eliminated 84 percent of our secondary and tertiary PVC packaging across the company." Procter and Gamble announced they're committed to "entirely eliminating PVC packaging within two years." Clorox announced they're identifying "alternatives to PVC for all packaging."

You can avoid PVC packaging by looking for the 3 inside the recycling symbol and/or the letters "v" or "PVC" underneath the symbol.  If you see this, that means it contains PVC. Go to CHEJ’s PVC Products In Your Home webpage for more info.

Two sites on Vinyl or PVC plastics and health effects: HealthyStuff.org and This Vinyl School have released the largest-ever study of harmful chemicals in flooring materials. They report that vinyl building materials like flooring and wallpaper often contain unacceptable levels of chemicals, lead and cadmium.

National media outlets in Canada recently reported that concerned parents believe the WiFi wireless internet technology, currently being deployed in schools, might be damaging their children‚s health. A growing population wants the rapid proliferation of this technology to be halted until it is properly tested, especially on children. To address these concerns the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (OAHPP) reviewed the literature related to the health effects of WiFi and released their report last week (September 16, 2010).

This is an important document!

Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment's (CPCHE) new environmental health Checklist for child care settings was recently featured on the Today's Parent editor's blog:

http://blogs.todaysparent.com/inthenews/great-earth-day-resrouce/

University of Calgary's Healthy Schools Day in Canada 2010 event photos and media coverage:

http://www.ucalgary.ca/news/utoday/april27-2010/solarenergy

Center for Health Environment & Justice's (CHEJ) PVC-free schools toolkit:

www.chej.org/pvcfreeuniversity

Visit the Healthy Building News website for more information on healthy building for homes, schools and more: www.healthybuilding.net/

 Visit CPCHE's Tools page for extensive information on schools and children's health: http://www.healthyenvironmentforkids.ca/collections/tools-schools

Toxic Trespass: a celebrated NFB film on taking action to protect children's health.  http://www.toxictrespass.com

Groups compile data showing products containing the antibacterial chemical triclosan do not work any better than plain soap and water, are linked to adverse impacts on health and the environment, and may actually be doing more harm than good.

Washington, DC, August 19, 2009 – As children return to school, health and environmental groups are encouraging parents to protect their children from harmful germs without using hazardous chemicals in lunch bags, school supplies, soaps and sanitizers. The dangers of and alternatives to using triclosan (often marketed as Microban) and the related compound triclocarban, are documented in new educational materials for parents.

In an invited, peer-reviewed journal article on how prenatal exposure to toxic substances are linked to a host of diseases in later life -- from atherosclerosis to cancer -- a Cornell toxicologist calls for changing how safety testing is done to better protect infants and children.

January 20th, 2009 By Susan Lang

Johns Hopkins scientists report that high levels of a noxious gas from stoves can be added to the list of indoor pollutants that aggravate asthma symptoms of inner city children, especially preschoolers.

Sick school syndrome

Teachers are complaining, children are suffering, even Health Canada admits that mould is 'toxic' – but the schools of Lambton Kent District still haven't been able to get anyone to clean up their classrooms
JESSICA LEEDER

From the Globe and Mail, June 7, 2008

Teachers are complaining, children are suffering, even Health Canada admits that mould is 'toxic'

A bill to create more High Performance Schools in the USA passed the US House of Representatives June 4, 2008, and is a big step in the right direction for student and staff health. Visit CHPS at http://www.chps.net.

Nova Scotian Organization is awarded a national award for children's health and safety in schools.

Nova Scotia's Citizens for A Safe Learning Environment (CASLE) has been awarded the HEALTH PROMOTION AND INNOVATION AWARD OF EXCELLENCE from the Canadian Institute of Child Health (CICH).   CASLE received the award at the CICH 8th annual gala dinner held in the Ottawa Congress Centre on National Child Day, 2005.