Published 10-14-08
Submitted by Seventh Generation
BOSTON, MA. "“ October 14, 2008 "“ This evening, Seventh Generation, in partnership with the Environmental Working Group, will host an engaging and educational panel discussion at the Boston Children's Museum billed as "A Conversation About Chemicals & Our Children," in observation of National Children's Health Month. The panel is moderated by EMMY award-winning journalist, Simran Sethi and features Dr. Alan Greene, renowned pediatrician and author, Jane Houlihan, Vice President of Research for the Environmental Working Group, and Courtney Loveman, Brand Mother at Seventh Generation. The event has received an overwhelming response from families throughout the Boston area and is expected to reach full capacity with more than 200 attendees.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) tested newborn babies at the moment of birth and found 200 man-made chemicals that nature did not intend. This is the result of laws that do not require companies to prove their chemicals are safe to get on the market. Seventh Generation partnered with EWG, the leading organization seeking to pass the Kid-Safe Chemical Act, to overhaul the current chemical regulatory laws and make products safer for children.
The panel discussion will focus on the impact of those chemicals on our children, the importance of consumer product ingredient disclosure and the long overdue need for improved legislation. Parents will receive practical information about creating a healthy home for their children and will be able to take action by signing a "Citizen Declaration." Seventh Generation and EWG will take the signed declarations from the Boston event, along with those gathered nationwide, and deliver them to the Oval Office and legislators in Washington D.C. in early 2009.
The interactive discussion also officially launches Seventh Generation's "Show the World What's Inside" campaign designed to educate and inspire consumers about the importance of knowing what's inside their household cleaning and personal care products and how these ingredients impact the health and well-being of their families and the environment.
The digital campaign includes a unique Label Reading Guide available via the Web site and a mobile application that helps consumers navigate the cleaning aisle at the grocery store by providing an interactive glossary of commonly used terms and ingredients. There is also a new organic line of Ingredient shirts for babies, children and adults featuring a do-it-yourself ingredient label on the front. The clothing comes with a non-toxic marker, allowing consumers to list their personal "ingredients" and show the world what's inside of them.
"While our name talks about the next seven generations, for most parents it's the next generation that matters the most," said Jeffrey Hollender, President and Chief Inspired Protagonist for Seventh Generation. "The subject of conventional household chemicals looms largest where the smallest members of our families are concerned. The fact is that conventional cleaning products are filled with all kinds of hazardous chemicals. Very loose regulations more concerned with protecting trade secrets than public health largely allow manufacturers to put any combination of chemicals in a conventional cleaning product without meaningful safety testing. When we use these products, they pollute our indoor air and contaminate household surfaces with substances that have been shown to cause or are strongly suspected of causing cancer, reproductive and developmental disorders, asthma and allergies, neurological and behavioral problems, organ damage, and hormonal disruption. And that's just the tip of the iceberg."
About Seventh Generation
Seventh Generation is committed to being the most trusted brand of household and personal-care products for your living home. Our products are healthy and safe for the air, the surfaces, the fabrics, the pets, and the people within your home - and for the community and environment outside of it. Seventh Generation also offers products for baby that are safe for your children and the planet. From chlorine free diapers and wipes to specially formulated Baby Laundry Detergent, Seventh Generation provides you with baby products you can trust.
For information on Seventh Generation cleaning, paper, baby and feminine personal care products, to find store locations, and explore the company's website visit www.seventhgeneration.com. To read more about Seventh Generation's corporate responsibility, visit the Corporate Consciousness Report at: www.seventhgeneration.com/corporate-responsibility/2007.
About the Environmental Working Group
The mission of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment. EWG is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded in 1993 by Ken Cook and Richard Wiles.
In 2002, we founded the EWG Action Fund, a 501(c)(4) organization that advocates on Capitol Hill for health-protective and subsidy-shifting policies.
EWG specializes in providing useful resources (like Skin Deep and the Shoppers' Guide to Pesticides in Produce) to consumers while simultaneously pushing for national policy change.
Seventh Generation is committed to becoming the world's most trusted brand of authentic, safe, and environmentally-responsible products for a healthy home. For 20 years, the Burlington, Vermont-based company has been at the forefront of a cultural change in consumer behavior and business ethics.
The company derives its name from the Great Law of the Iroquois that states, "In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations." Every time you use a Seventh Generation product you are making a difference by saving natural resources, reducing pollution, keeping toxic chemicals out of the environment and making the world a safer place for this and the next seven generations.
Seventh Generation products can be found by visiting: www.seventhgeneration.com.
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