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Responsibilities: Birth Stories, Climate Change and Mother’s Day

Monday, May 6th, 2013


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As I write this post the sun is beaming through the window in my office, lighting up my desk and placing spotlights on pictures of my children, which surround me. The pictures capture “moments in time;” freezing memories of special days spent with my children that now live on and on. In a similar way, as if by spotlight, images and feelings from the moments of my children’s births, also are vividly locked forever in my mind and heart.

Photo Credit: Save the Children

As Mother’s day approaches, I am thrilled to be part of an awareness campaign on newborn survival rate and what can be done to improve this, illuminated by Save the Children, and coordinated by Mom Bloggers for Social Good. According to Save the Children’s, State of the World Mother’s Report 2013, a baby’s birth day is the most dangerous day of it’s life, with more then 1 million babies dying the day they are born.

As part of my participation in this awareness campaign, I am allowing myself some real time to reflect, to relive and remember those moments again and to sit back and think deeply on what it means to me personally to be a mother; how that very moment of my children’s birth forever changed me in large ways and small.

Photo credit: ClimateMama

I have two children who are now teens, Alana 13 and Elliot 15, both of whom where born in hospitals in New York City. Elliot came several days earlier then his due date and as he was my first, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I worked until 36 hours before he was born, and left my office as I was beginning to feel the first twinges of labor. With Elliot, I went to the hospital with these first labor pains, only to be sent home to wait, as I was told that it could be a day or two before he made his entrance into the world. My husband and I were both off from work so we passed the time being “tourists” in our city. We went on a “back stage tour” of the Metropolitan Opera house, caught a movie and walked in Central Park. At 4:30pm that afternoon we went back to the hospital and this time they told me to stay. The next 12 hours seemed long and hard for me, but I was constantly under excellent care and monitored at all times. Elliot arrived at 4am, healthy and happy.

Alana’s birth was a different story. The date was fixed and planned. We had family in place to care for Elliot, the doctor had organized everything at the hospital and we felt completely prepared. We were ready for almost everything, except the weather as it turned out in the end. (Perhaps an omen and a sign that a few years later I would train with Al Gore and The Climate Reality Project and make fighting climate change my life’s passion and work!)

Alana and Mom coming home from the hospital

The day Alana was born was one of the wettest in New York City’s history, with multiple inches of rain falling in a very short time, flooding streets and also stopping the subway in it’s tracks. We were able to flag a cab who navigated the flooded streets and got us to the hospital safely. Our doctor was coming into the city from Westchester County, so while a little late getting to us, she made her way into the city, driving herself to be sure she could get to us. I was in labor only 3 hours, and Alana came out with bright eyes and already smiling, a happy child then and now.

Two things now stand out to me amongst the strong memories from both of my children’s births.

First is the fact that I felt completely safe and in the most capable hands, not only on the day of their births but throughout both of my pregnancies. I never doubted that I and my children would survive and flourish, and I was certain that if there were any problems, I had a medical team who would make sure that all problems were addressed and taken care of. This feeling of security and the care I had throughout my pregnancies and during my children’s births is a luxury that many mothers in developing countries and even many mothers in my own country, do not have. In fact according to a new Birth Day Risk Index found in the 2013 State of the World’s Mothers Report, based on data from 186 countries the chances a baby will die on the first day of life places the US behind 68 other countries. An eye opening statistic for me.

Second, while I felt incredible joy and unconditional love holding my children for the first time, I also felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility wash over and through me. It was now my responsibility to make sure that the world that my children would be growing up in was a safe and secure one.

As I learn more and more about the realities of climate change, and the crash course we are on with our environment as we head full steam for the climate cliff in front of us, I feel that it is MY JOB as a mother to help everyone I meet, via my blog, on line and in person, to understand more about the climate crisis. I feel a sense of urgency, for my children’s future and now, to help as many people as I can become equipped with the proper toolkit we will each need to draw from to slow down the damages we are doing and to put the breaks on while we work to transform our world to one which is safe, clean, renewable and truly sustainable….

Whether you are a parent or not, I hope will join me on this transformational path. As super storm Sandy showed those of us living in the northeastern US, we are ALL in the path of climate change. We are ALL vulnerable to extreme weather and changing climate conditions through our reliance on fossil fuels and our thoughtless dominance over our natural world – regardless of race, creed, political persuasion or color. To me, our responsibility to our children has never been clearer. How we treat and tend our natural world has far reaching ramifications for our children’s health directly and for the health, welfare and future of all mothers and children around the world.

Yours,

Climate Mama

As part of the Global Team of 200 and Mom Bloggers for Social Good, bloggers around the country collectively support a cause or action to bring attention to an important issue. This month we are thrilled to bring attention to Save the Children and their Saving Newborn Lives program which is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Newborn Lives program works in partnership with countries to reduce newborn mortality and improve newborn health. As part of the Global Team of 200 I also am honored to have the opportunity and play a role in helping others “connect the dots” between our climate crisis and social issues impacting us all.

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Posted in Climate Mama News, Global Team of 200, Health & Fitness, Take a Stand: Action & Advocacy | 1 Comment »

Radon gas in your Kitchen, Exploding Pipelines in NYC: Terrorism and Climate Change!

Friday, May 3rd, 2013


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Radon gas in your kitchen, exploding pipelines in Greenwich Village, terrorism you ask? Yes, but not the kind of terrorism we have been sadly awakened to recently in our country. This “terrorism” comes to us from many big companies doing business around our country, using us as experiments as untried and untested chemicals and infrastructure make their way into our bodies, our homes and our neighborhoods. Sandra Steingraber has called this invasion of our bodies, toxic “trespass.”

Special thanks to our friend Ronnie for bringing this video from Occupy the Pipeline to our attention, and to people like our friend Angela at The Mothers Project for making us more aware of this serious yet still “under the radar” issue. We want to bring this to YOUR attention so you can share it carefully with the kids in your life. Take 2 minutes and watch this video, you will find it hard to believe.

The sad truth is that in our rush for “cheap energy” we are ignoring growing concerns that scientists are raising about the potential for terrible long term health impacts and the potential for deadly accidents from fossil fuels and in particular natural gas, never mind the climate impacts, which are very real and sobering. On this note and as a quick refresher, methane, which is the main component in natural gas, is around 100 times more potent as a greenhouse gas then carbon dioxide over a 20 year period and 20 times more potent over 100 years; thereby working to trap solar energy and heat up our planet at an unnatural pace. The sobering part of this story is that, with the natural gas gold rush we are experiencing – if allowed to continue unchecked – it may be enough to push us over the “climate cliff” and to a point of runaway climate change..Truly a horror movie in the making.

All eyes on New York City. Can New Yorkers make this an issue in their November Mayoral race, such that it can’t be ignored? As many New York city buildings rush to convert from oil to “clean gas,” politicians and building owners are putting blinders on as to where and how this gas is getting to NYC buildings and whether or not it is really safe. They are drinking the “koolaide” the gas companies are serving. We need public hearings, in New York City and nationally on this. We need more health studies. There is NO rush for this gas except the artificial one being created by gas and oil companies to shore up their stock prices. We need to slow down the gas explosion before it really does “explode” in our kitchens, neighborhoods, playgrounds or backyards.

Something to think about today…

Yours,

Climate Mama

P.S. If you live in the NYC metro area and are interested in learning more about this, sign up for this free event: Lung Cancer and New York City Kitchens, on Tuesday evening, May 14th. See you there….

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Posted in Climate Mama News, Construction, Disasters, Health & Fitness, In The News, Renewable Energy, Take a Stand: Action & Advocacy, fracking and pipelines | No Comments »

Autism, ADHD, Climate Change and our Environment: Connecting the Dots

Wednesday, May 1st, 2013


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I had an opportunity recently to sit down and talk to Dr. Robert Melillo, an internationally recognized author, professor and researcher with an expertise in neurology, rehabilitation, neuropsychology, neuroscience and nutrition, parenting and childhood developmental disorders.

With Autism Month just behind us many are still reeling from the release in early 2013 of staggering statistics that point to seemingly epidemic numbers of children with neurological brain disorders, including data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that tells us 1 in 50 American kids are within the autism spectrum, three times the rate of only ten years ago. As well, according to the CDC 1 in 5 school age boys and 11% of school-age kids over all have an ADHD diagnosis. As a reminder and according to studies by the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, we know that we cannot treat and look at children as “little adults” when it comes to patterns of illness. We know that children have unique patterns of environmental exposure and developmentally determined susceptibilities that increase their risk of disease following toxic environmental exposure relative to that of adults.

Getting at the root of and understanding the causes behind these disorders is more important than ever. As Dr. Melillo pointed out to me, this it is not only important so that we can help our children who are being diagnosed in record numbers, but it is also necessary so that we can be better prepared to help all these children as they become adults and we are confronted with an entire generation in significant numbers who will be living with these disorders.

My interest is personal, as my son has ADHD, and while undiagnosed by a professional, I am sure that I am also on the ADHD spectrum. My interest is also professional, as my awakening on the pervasiveness of chemicals in our lives, through my involvement with Safer Chemicals Healthy Families and their current Mind the Store Campaign, as well as with Women’s Voices for the Earth has helped me “connect the dots” between the FACT that there have been over 80,000 chemicals introduced into our environment since the 1976 Toxic Substance Control Act few if any of which are monitored for their linkages to health issues. In fact, only 200 of these 80,000 chemicals have been looked at in relation to their negative and pervasive health impacts, with only 5 of these 80,000 chemicals now regulated in the United States. In other countries, where new chemicals have to be proven safe before they can be used, we in the US need to PROVE they cause harm before they are taken off the market.

Dr. Melillo confirmed for me that in his opinion, we are not seeing these huge increases of diagnosis of children with neurological brain disorders because of over diagnosis, nor has genetics had enough time to play a significant role. Rather, he and many others are coming to the conclusion that environmental factors must be a significant cause and do have a clear correlation. We have a childhood epidemic on our hands, and the beginning of an adult one.

Some exciting and positive news I heard from Dr. Melillo was that there are a variety of studies being peered reviewed and tests that soon will be coming to the market that will help us identify the wide range of chemicals in our bodies and then help us determine what are in fact safe levels so that we can then figure out how to “detox” and lessen our exposure; unfortunately immature organs and developing bodies of our children make detoxifying and eliminating certain toxins much more difficult.

Another interesting insight from Dr. Melillo: as you go up the social economic scale, there appears to be an increase in autism and ADHD. According to Dr. Melillo, in Silicon Valley, the number of children on the autism spectrum is 1 in 15. Dr. Melillo tells me this is being linked to something called the “Geek trait.” Simply, that as more extreme dominate left brain people connect (ie engineers, software developers etc) and have kids and as these people are exposed to a variety of environmental stressors, studies are showing an increase in ADHD and Autism in their offspring…interesting…

So, what can we do to help our kids that have these disorders and to perhaps lower our chances in the future of having a child with autism or ADHD, outside of trying to choose a “more creative type” of partner if we tend to be on the “geek side”…? A few pointers from Dr. Melillo:

1. Start the conversation with peers and health care professionals.
2. Eat organic when you can and stay away from the dirty dozen, as pesticides are likely a real part of the problem.
3. “Get in training” before you have a child just like you would in preparing for any type of challenge. Detox your body, males and females, a year in advance of trying to have a child.
4. Modify the risk factors by eating healthy and lowering exposure to chemicals that you wear, breath, ingest and touch.
5. Educate yourself and educate your elected officials. Education and understanding, as well as the development of proper assessment tools and policies are key.
6. We need more Government funding to support studies that look aggressively at the linkages between environmental stressors, chemicals and neurological disorders, with a spot light on children.

As we don’t address these issues and as these disorders become more prevalent, not only are there costs to us as individuals and families – both emotionally and financially – but there are also real costs to society; as educating and creating accommodations for this increasing segment of our population grows. These costs are real and from what scientists are telling us, likely avoidable with knowledge and adequate policies in place.

Connecting the dots to climate change? Many of these chemicals are derivatives of petrochemicals, as the industry has looked to diversify and create growing markets for it’s products. The proliferation of plastics as well as many fertilizers, that have at their base, petrochemical derivatives, are two areas which allow petrochemical based toxins to enter our bodies, the air we breath, the water we drink and our food supply.

It’s Do Something Wednesday here at ClimateMama. Check out the Mind the Store Campaign and learn about easy steps you can take to get the Hazardous Hundred Plus chemicals off of store shelves and away from our children’s growing bodies.

Dr. Melillo latest book, “Autism Explained, What the Science Reveals About the Autism Epidemic — How We Got Here, and What Parents Can Do Now” was released in early 2013.

Yours,

Climate Mama

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Posted in Do Something Wednesdays, Food, Health & Fitness, In The News, Plastics & Plastic Free | No Comments »

Environmental Challenge Day 6: Waste & YERDLE

Saturday, April 27th, 2013


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Photo Credit: Suzy Skye

On Earth Day, we launched our first Earth Day Challenge, a full week of “daily” challenges, that gets us thinking about things we use, buy and eat – where it all comes from – and why we need to be mindful about many of the things we in the developed world often take for granted. Check in with ClimateMama each morning to see what the next day’s challenge will be. Remember to have a quick family meeting at breakfast or dinner to discuss the daily challenge and see what the kids in your life have to say about it.

What did the kids in your life think about “Meatless Monday” “Take Care of Yourself Tuesday” “Water Wednesday?” “Try a New Recipe Thursday?” and “Foodie Friday?”

Today is Satisfied Saturday

Photo credit: Shutterstock

When we consume things, be it products we buy or foods we eat, we generate waste. Waste comes from wrappers, packaging, things we no longer want or feel we need and leftover food. If you’re feeling like going the extra mile, carry a garbage bag with you throughout the day and see how much you accumulate; a challenge for the kids in your life today? At the very least, ask them to consider these facts today every time they throw something away – on food waste alone:

• 1 billion dollars is spent a year just to dispose of food waste in the U.S.
• The Environmental Protection Agency says food leftovers are the single-largest component of the waste stream by weight in the United States.

While we are talking about waste, let’s talk about all the “stuff” we each accumulate every day, week and year and all the “new stuff” that you and the kids in your life buy that we may or likely may not really need. Stuff for a day at the beach, for one season of soccer or lacrosse, clothes for that “special party,” a new costume for Halloween, or decorations for your table for a dinner party you are giving. Did you know that for every pound of new goods produced, 71 pounds of waste are generated during manufacturing? This Earth Week, NBCUniversal is partnering with the sharing site Yerdle to help you minimize your impact on the planet by sharing your stuff. One person’s stuff is another person’s story! We thought we would share this fun program with you, as we challenge ourselves to be more mindful and carrying for our planet Earth.

Here’s how it works.


Our friends at Yerdle, a new mission-driven California Benefit corporation, are out to help people share with their friends rather than buying things new. On Yerdle, Facebook friends post items they’re willing to give away or loan, search for items they’re looking to get, and nab the things they want. Simple. Are you up for the challenge? Introduce your friends to Yerdle, have some fun and help do something good for our planet.

1) Join or host a Share & Tell Party
2) Post your stuff to share with friends. Discover other items that are up for grabs.
3) Tell the story of your sharing experiences on your favorite social media site using the hashtag #ShareandTell, and make sure to share your story with us at ClimateMama so we can share it with others too.

The decomposition of waste in landfills produces methane, a greenhouse gas that traps heat in our atmosphere, which accelerates climate change. According to the EPA, pound for pound, the comparative impact of methane on climate change is over 20 times greater than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period.

Remember, our challenge ends tomorrow with, Slow Down Sunday, so tune in!

Yours,

Climate Mama

Eating with the Environment in Mind was developed by Michelle Aboodi.

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Posted in Climate Mama News, Earth Day is Every Day, Food, Health & Fitness, Lifestyle & Fun, Recycling | No Comments »

Eating with the Enviroment (and Climate) in Mind: Day 5

Friday, April 26th, 2013


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On Earth Day, we launched our first Earth Day Challenge, a full week of “daily” challenges, that gets us thinking about what we eat, where it comes from and why we need to be mindful about many of the things we in the developed world often take for granted. Check in with ClimateMama each morning to see what the next day’s challenge will be. Remember to have a quick family meeting at breakfast or dinner to discuss the daily challenge and see what the kids in your life have to say about it.

What did the kids in your life think about “Meatless Monday” “Take Care of Yourself Tuesday” “Water Wednesday?” and “Try a New Recipe Thursday?”

Foodie Friday
When you stop by the grocery store today, make a point to pick up foods that are produced and supplied locally or within 500 miles of your home; if you aren’t sure ask the store clerk, grocer, butcher or baker. Maybe you know or have heard about a local restaurant that grows its own vegetables or prides itself in sourcing “locally.” If you don’t have time to grocery shop consider eating out at one of these special restaurants this weekend.

A concept we don’t think about often or talk about enough is “food miles.” How did the food that is on your table make it’s way to your home? Did your fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy ge to you via air, rail, truck or ship that traveled 40 or 4000 miles? And just to complicate matters more, even if your beef came from a farmer in your town or state, did the cow, pig or lamb that she is raising travel from across the country to get to her, or was it born and raised on that farm? What goes into creating or growing your food and how far IT traveled is as important in deriving the true carbon footprint of what you are eating as is where it was grown or put together. Discuss this with the kids in your life, help them understand that many things aren’t as simple as they seem.

Do try to eat foods that are “in season” and “local” to your area. Be aware that fertilizers used to grow our food and pesticides that facilitate the growing of many crops are often derived from petrochemicals and not only harm our climate, but our bodies, air and water as well. Check out the Environmental Working Groups “Dirty Dozen plus” list of fruits and vegetables with the worst pesticide residue in them. Try to buy organic if you can, especially when it comes to these Dirty Dozen pus.

Take the kids in your life to a farmers market this weekend. Talk to the farmer and learn more about locally grown food. More often then not, even when considering the inputs that go into getting it to the market, locally grown food, in season, is better for our air, water and climate then foods that have to travel a long distance to get to us. As well, you are supporting small local farms that are quickly becoming a thing of the past.

To produce, transport, and distribute food is a long and systematic process. We put things into our bodies, often without questioning what it will do for us, good or bad, in the long term. Today, engage the kids in your life and take the time to raise questions (even if you don’t have the answers) about where your food is coming from, how the food is produced and how long it may have taken to get to your table or how long it has been on the shelf before you bought it.

Tune in tomorrow for “Satisfied Saturday” where we look at the issue of waste in the foods we eat and the products we use everyday.

Yours,

Climate Mama

Eating with the Environment in Mind was developed by Michelle Aboodi.

Produce photo credit: Elizabeth Thomsen via photopin cc

Farm photo credit: kevin dooley via photopin cc

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Posted in Climate Mama News, Earth Day is Every Day, Food, Health & Fitness, Lifestyle & Fun | No Comments »

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Welcome to Climate Mama

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You are a mother, a father, a grandparent, an uncle, an aunt, a teacher or a child at heart. When you hear the Native American saying, “We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children”, it makes you stop for a moment and think. You love nature, travel, adventure and believing in a world that is special and unique. Climate change and global warming are words that alarm you, that often seem too big to get your arms around. You care about what’s happening to the world and notice small changes in your own life that seem to point in the direction of a threatened environment. But you wonder if these changes are real, and if they are you can’t imagine what you can do to help change what is happening.

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Climate Mamas and Papas

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Climate Change so often seems too big to get our hands around. We wonder where we can start and how we can actually make a difference. Each one of us has a different path that we will follow. Some of us cut a wider swath than others, but each of us has a role to play. We would like to introduce you to some amazing individuals, Climate Mamas and Papas who are making a difference, who are, through their daily lives, affecting the lives of all of us. They inspire us, empower us, and challenge us to reach for the stars, to strive to do the best we can to help change the crash course we are currently on with our environment. Lets meet some of these amazing people and find out what inspires them. Meet our featured Climate Mama, Desiree Di Mauro today!

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Featured Partner & Campaigns

 

The Climate Reality Project is one of the world’s leading organizations dedicated to mobilizing action around climate change. With a global movement that is more than 2 million strong and a grassroots network of trained Climate Leaders, Climate Reality is "spreading the truth and unleashing the cultural momentum to solve the climate crisis."

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