Guest blogger: Suzanne Roberts, Westport Showroom Manager
When we were invited to participate in the Mount Sinai Children’s Environmental Health Center “Greening Our Children” luncheon, we were immediately struck by the similarities of our missions: theirs, to discover the causes of childhood diseases induced by the environment and ours, to assist in cleaning up the environment surrounding those kids, especially in the room where they spend such a large portion of their time – the bedroom.
As the chosen representative for The Clean Bedroom, on the appointed day I eagerly set out for the The Hyatt Regency Hotel in Greenwich, CT, found my way to the Green Expo area where all the vendors were set up, and the professional networking began!
From a green kitchen renovator, a water filtration & purification system, an organic bed bug remover and a lovely smelling laundry detergent, the products were amazing There were companies from across the country as well as many who were local. The general consensus between us was that we could be doing better to educate the public and should be working together to direct customers to the products that best suit their healthy living needs. Teamwork in greening our world is the way to go!
The main discussion point at the luncheon was chemicals and the fact that, out of 80,000 known chemicals, only 200 are tested for toxicity - yet pesticides and pharmaceuticals are tested. Senior Senator Frank Lautenberg of NJ spoke about the ban on smoking on airlines and raising the drinking age (both championed by him), and how in NJ 1 in 49 males are autistic. Last year, he introduced The Safe Chemicals Act of 2011 (S. 847), aimed at taking meaningful steps to protect American families from harmful chemicals. Dr Philip Landrigan, a renowned pediatrician and epidemiologist at Mt. Sinai then spoke regarding the 78% rise in autism in the last 10 years - 1 in 88 children are autistic on a national level! He then went on to discuss how chemicals affect the learning process of our children and potentially cause infertility in women.
All in all, this was a fascinating learning experience for the hundreds of people attending, as well as for me. I was thrilled to be able to network with other businesses who share the same vision, meet people trying to green up their lives and, back at work, share all the information with my co-workers at The Clean Bedroom.
Looking forward to the next opportunity we have to partner with CEHC. Also, a sincere congratulations goes out to Senator Lautenberg’s daughter, Ellen, who won the Naturepedic organic mattress we donated to the cause!
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