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The Children’s Health Environmental Coalition (CHEC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating awareness and preventive action through educating parents, caregivers, and the general public about environmental toxins and the importance of living a sustainable existence. Focusing on our youth, the CHEC hopes to minimize unnecessary exposure to man-made toxins that exist in our homes and public spaces, thereby preventing risk and generating grassroots action.
The CHEC is supported by a diverse group of board members who span vast sectors of the environmental spectrum. Some of these members are: Erin Brockovich-Ellis, the Director of Environmental Research at the Masry & Vititoe law firm in Los Angeles, Olivia Newton-John, Tessa Hill, whose son Clinton Hill founded Kids for Saving Earth before he died of cancer, and James and Nancy Chuda, who founded the CHEC after losing their daughter Colette, at five years old, to a form of environmentally derived cancer that was preventable.
The Chudas have been prominent in the realm of environmental education and reform. After losing their daughter at such a tragically young age, they began a foundation in her name that became the CHEC. Legislation has passed, including the Healthy Schools Act of 2000 that was signed into law in September of that year, in large part due to their passion and commitment to creating a healthier world for our children, and the CHEC is an organization that pays homage to their cause in a myriad of ways. With public representatives such as Laura Dern, Amy Brenneman, Leo DiCaprio, Myra Goodman of Earthbound Farms, Jeffrey Hollender of 7th Generation, and Meryl Streep, as well as professors, scientists and administrators from Yale, UCLA, Harvard, and the National Institute of Health Sciences, the CHEC is a prominent voice for environmentalism in the international community.
The CHEC has a new blog that focuses on precaution, prevention and self-empowerment when it comes to making our homes and the surrounding environment as safe as possible for ourselves and our children. The blog is sharp looking and well-written – highly recommended for anyone interested in living organically.
Great Post! You should check out this recent article in the NYT. It connects pollution, hormones & chemicals within household products, and foods which leads to the acceleration of puberty within young children. It is quite alarming.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/17/science/17puberty.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1161540033-U0lo2r+/KNsOzH11SJ1n3g
Yeah, I’ve always been suspicious that something was clearly going on when it comes to lowering ages of puberty. The show Nip/Tuck dealt with this in creative ways in an episode, in which young girls had a “Menses Party.”
Poison in your pool!
I purchased a new home about 18 months ago. It was our first pool home. I quickly realized that I was allergic to chlorine. After just 15-20 minutes in the pool I started to feel sinus pressure. At first I really didn’t relate it to anything. After several times of feeling like hell after a half hour swim, I started to put it all together. After doing some research I found that chlorine is BAD. Chlorine was invented in the late 1700’s. It was first used as a chemical weapon in WWI. I thought “a chemical weapon”? And we readily dump it into our pools on a regular basis. Just the thought of poisoning the family made me look for chlorine free alternatives. I found one with ECOsmarte Central Florida. I purchased the product and now I have the cleanest, non chlorinated water one could ask for. While it was getting installed the technician told me how much chlorine was in the city water that my family drinks. I was disturbed. As soon as I get enough money together I will be getting a system for our house water also. I researched more about chlorine only to find that the World Health Organization’s studies have linked chlorine to cancer. Yet, we are still drinking it in our city water systems.
The whole house systems are great. They contain no salt and don’t need monthly maintenance like other systems. Check out both http://www.liveecosmarte.com and http://www.ecosmarteflorida.com are good spots to get some info on the ECOSmarte products in Central Florida.
I am considering an ECOsmarte Pool system for my family. My daughter has asthma and the chlorine irritates her breathing. We plan on going Chlorine Free. I found the site http://www.swiminbottledwater.com. I am thinking about the fully automated CO2 pool system. Has anyone else used the automated? Its more money but it looks like it make it simple.
Great Post about the CHEC! They are a great organization for awareness!