10 Ways to Protect Children From Pesticides
- We are all concerned for the wellbeing of both our children, others'
children and the future of life on Earth. Working together we can lay
precedents to assuage the onslaught of environmental toxins upon children,
*Tantra Psychology <http://tantrapsychology.org/>*
They are "educated" who have learned much, remembered much,
and make use of their knowledge in everyday life.
And of these lessons integrated into their life,
moral conscience is the most imperative to learn
and convey to others.
Their virtues give true meaning to education.
Today�s children are sicker than children were two generations ago.
From learning disabilities and autism to childhood cancers and more, a
startling number of diseases and disorders are on the rise. And the
little room for doubt: pesticides and other toxic chemicals are
contributing to our kids getting sick, and these chemicals can have
cascading effects that last for generations.
The good news is, this is a problem we can do something about. From
kitchen tables to state capitals, from school districts to family farms,
people are finding ways to better protect children's health. It's time to
roll up our sleeves and get to work. See our Top
below to find out how you can help protect kids from pesticides. Today.
Children are in harm's way
Pediatricians have understood for decades that children interact with their
environment much differently than adults. Infants and children have
speedier metabolic rates, which means they take in more water, food and
air. Their bodies are also less able to detoxify and expel harmful
In short, a child is absorbing a higher load of pesticides at a time when
his or her body is least equipped to protect itself.
Here are just some of the many pathways of exposure putting our children
in harm's way:
*In the womb: *When a fetus is
certain chemicals at particular times � as the architecture of the brain is
under construction, or the reproductive organs taking shape � the normal
process of development can be derailed, sometimes with irreversible
*Home & daycare:* If pesticides are used in homes, lawns or gardens where
an infant or toddler is exploring the world, exposure is a near certainty.
And eating foods coated with pesticides � even when residues are scant �
has been linked to lower IQs and neurodevelopmental
*Schools & playgrounds:* Use of toxic chemicals to control pests in
schools and on playing fields make the school
safe for growing bodies and developing minds. Students in rural areas face
additional risk, as pesticides may drift onto school grounds and seep into
water supplies from nearby fields.
Way back in 1993, scientists at the National Research Council pointed to a
fundamental maxim of pediatric medicine � that children are not, in fact,
�little adults� � to make the urgent case that children's small and growing
bodies need special protection from pesticide exposure.
Twenty years later, childhood diseases linked to pesticides are still
climbing, and our children continue to be at risk. The American Academy of
out in 2012, urging policymakers to do more *now* to protect children from
pesticides and promote safer pest control alternatives.
Solutions within reach
Parents can make immediate changes in how they control pests at home and
what foods they feed their children, and this will help.
But truly protecting our children requires getting harmful pesticides off
our food and out of the places children live, learn and play � which will
take major shifts in our national approach to both pests and pesticides.
This kind of change doesn�t come easy.
Yet we�re confident that together, we can do it. Here are the Top 10
things we recommend � *right now*� to get us started.
Top 10 ways to protect kids from pesticides
1. *Choose kid-safe foods**.* Whenever possible, shop for fruits and
veggies free of pesticides <http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/> that harm
children�s health. More and more families across the country are choosing
pesticide-free or organic produce, joining local
shopping at farmers� markets or planting their own backyard gardens!
1. *Keep homes kid-safe. * Use safer, alternative
control pests in homes, on your pets, and on your lawns and gardens.
1. *Create safer child care. * Daycare centers should be free of
pesticides known to harm children. Ask your daycare facility about the
pesticides they use, and urge them to join the Eco-Healthy Child
run by our partners at the Children's Environmental Health Network.
1. *Make schools pesticide-free, inside & out.* Pesticides that harm
children � and especially those known to harm developing minds � have no
place in our schools. Learn what communities across the country are
create school environments free of neurotoxic pesticides.
1. *Link local farms to school plates. * Urge your school district to
link with a pesticide-free farm-to-school
to protect children from pesticide residues *and* build the family farm
1. *Support green & healthy farming.* Our policies should better
support farmers who grow healthy, pest-free
relying on pesticides that can harm children. Let's make financial help
and on-farm technical support for these growers a national priority.
1. *Spread the word about pesticides & health**.* Follow and share the
science on pesticides
kids health with friends, family, parent-teacher groups and neighbors.
Download our 2-page Conversation
help get the discussion going.
1. *Press policymakers to put children�s health first. * Overall,
current rules protect the interests of the pesticide corporations much
better than they protect our children. Pesticides stay on the market long
after science shows they harm children�s health, and new pesticides are
approved that may increase the risk. Find out how you can help press
put children�s health first.
1. *Vote for kids� health.* From local to state to national elections,
hold politicians accountable to vote for kids� health, not pesticide
1. *Join the PAN
*. *We will keep you informed, plug you into smart actions and help you
spread the word. Find us on
and Twitter <https://twitter.com/pesticideaction>, too!
This article originally appeared
*Intuitional Training for Professionals
, and Young People
Making a difference for the psychic, moral and physical development of
youth, make a difference through and for our *Youth Intuitional Development
*Longevity: Is It In Your Future?* <http://bit.ly/14AIExs>
Posted By Blogger to Tantra
4/07/2013 09:53:00 PM
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]