| Tens of thousands of untested industrial chemicals are used in products we touch and consume every day. It's wrong. And there's an effort to fix it in Congress. But we have to act now to make sure this change is driven by science, not corporate greed. Chip in now to power this fight. | Dear UCS supporter, America found out the hard way that formaldehyde is deadly. A lax chemical "safety" law passed in the 1970s exempted it from safety testing, much to the relief of manufacturers. Companies kept using it in carpets, makeup, medicines, and cigarettes1. Only years later did we find out it was giving people cancer.2 Formaldehyde is just one of 62,000 chemicals that Congress exempted from testing.3 Only 250 have been tested since.4 Imagine the health impacts from tens of thousands of chemicals we know almost nothing about. It's wrong. And we're fighting to change it. As we speak, a chemical safety reform bill is moving quickly through Congress. You can help make sure it's driven by science and truly protects our families' health by pitching in with a gift to support our campaign to make sure that bill is as strong and effective as possible. Defend science. Fight for chemical safety. Make a tax-deductible gift to the Union of Concerned Scientists now. Of the 62,000 unregulated chemicals, fewer than one percent have been tested for safety. We're fighting for a strong bill that would require chemical companies to prove their products are safe before they can sell them as additives to stuff we touch and smell all day—food packaging, car seats, carpets, and more. Our biggest single obstacle is the American Chemistry Council, a major trade group representing giants like Dow, Dupont, and Proctor & Gamble. The Council has been protecting lax chemical safety laws for years, and we are using this history to discredit the Council as a reliable source in the media. We're organizing scientists to pressure the Council's member companies to reject underhanded, anti-science tactics. We're also meeting with key lawmakers and their staff to warn them about loopholes buried in the bill. And we'll back up all of these efforts with grassroots pressure from UCS supporters like you. We've already delivered nearly 22,000 letters from UCS activists to Congress, and we're helping scientists prepare to meet with lawmakers—all to ensure the Council isn't the only voice in the room. Pitch in now to help ensure science prevails—and keep toxic chemicals out of our homes. We pride ourselves on using only the most solid science to guide our work. Because of that, corporations, industry groups, and politicians find it hard to refute us. When we combine our expertise with grassroots support from hundreds of thousands of UCS activists, we make big things happen. Together, we pressured Pfizer to drop its membership in the anti-science Heartland Institute. We did the same convincing Facebook and British Petroleum (BP) to leave the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)—a group that goes all around the country lobbying against laws that protect our health and environment. Our work sends a message that everyday Americans will no longer tolerate corporate support for science denial. And we've secured major policy changes to clean up auto pollution, promote renewable energy development, stop tropical deforestation, and more. Please don't delay—we need your gift right now to build an even stronger movement for science-based change. UCS members won't let corporate lobbyists put profits over safety. We never have. We never will. Thank you for fighting for science, and for you generous support.  | Sincerely,
Ken Kimmell
President
Union of Concerned Scientists |
1. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/phs/phs.asp?id=218&tid=39
2. Ibid
3. http://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2015/04/how-american-industry-skips-some-chemical-safety-checks
4. http://www.foreffectivegov.org/node/13411 | 
No comments:
Post a Comment
Keep a civil tongue.