2009-2010 Environmental Health Initiative
Sustainable Novato would like to improve environmental health in our community by focusing on two areas over the next two years.
First, we would like to reduce pesticide and herbicide use in Novato by 50% by a) asking the city to establish an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Resolution (much like the City of San Rafael has already done) and b) requesting stringent implementation of the Novato Unified School District’s IPM policy, including full data disclosure.
Secondly, we would like to educate the community about the hazards of endocrine disruptors and build support for their reduction in our daily environment. We intend to hold a Sustainable Novato Community Forum to that end in the fall of 2009. Both of these two focus areas will require extensive networking and collaboration with other organizations with similar interests.
What is the significance of endocrine disruptors and what are they? Many pesticides, herbicides, food packaging, and personal care products expose us and our environment to biologically active levels of endocrine disruptors—chemicals that mimic, but are often much more potent than the naturally occurring hormones in our bodies and that of the animals and fish in our environment. When we are overexposed at the most vulnerable windows of development—prenatal, infancy, adolescence—or when our immune systems are already weakened, serious adverse health effects can occur which often cannot be reversed. Endocrine disruptors are now tied to problems as diverse as infertility, reproductive disorders, Alzheimer’s, asthma, allergies, ADHD, and Western Metabolic Syndrome, among others. They can be ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through our skin.
We are exposed through bisphenyl-A (BPA) in baby bottles, the lining of food cans, and polycarbonate plastics (recycling code #7). BPA is linked to scores of adverse health effects—including cancer. We are exposed to endocrine disruptors through phthalate esters used to bind fragrances to personal care products like lotions and cosmetics and to soften plastics like polyvinylchloride (PVC-code #3) and cling wraps for food. Unlike our traditional concept of toxins where the higher the dose, the more poisonous it is, endocrine disruptors do not follow that rule. They are quite potent at every day low levels of concentration, but in combination with other endocrine disruptors, their negative health effects are cumulative and magnified.
Unwanted personal care products and cosmetics are such a serious environmental health concern that they should not be dumped down the drain or thrown in the garbage to potentially end up in our waterways, where they have similar effects on fish and wildlife. Novato Disposal is now directing customers to bring them to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility for safe disposal. When some pesticides and herbicides run off into our waterways, they can also have negative impacts on the fish and wildlife in our food chain.
Finally, Sustainable Novato is always concerned about the social justice implications of environmental issues. Those who are the most vulnerable often are the least aware of the health hazards of their daily choices. Our Community Forums are a major public education component that is a prerequisite for our public advocacy.