Earth Day Network Policy Initiatives
Earth Day Network is working at the forefront of the policy debate, from climate change legislation to giving every child a healthy school environment and the opportunity to learn about the world around them.
Green Schools
Green schools are part of our global effort to fight climate change. While approximately 39% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions originate from buildings, a green school can lead to annual emission reductions of 585,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) – the principal greenhouse gas. In addition to saving energy and helping the environment, green schools are healthier for the students and teachers that inhabit them.
21st Century High Performing Public School Facilities Act
In June, the House of Representatives passed The 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act to provide nearly $7 billion in grants to help our nations' K-12 schools go green. This bill targets low-income schools where children are most at risk from unhealthy facilities, as well as schools that still suffer from the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. Funding can be used for asbestos removal, energy efficiency, lead abatement, and technology updates. Earth Day Network played a crucial role in helping to ensure passage of this bill, but we need your help now to guarantee success in the Senate during the spring 2009 legislative calendar. Sign up to receive our alerts and stay tuned for upcoming actions!
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Environmental Education
Environmental education and outdoor play is important for our children’s personal and academic growth. With students now spending 90% of their time indoors, “nature deficit disorder” is on the rise. A recent study found that children spend less than four minutes a day in “unstructured outdoor play.” This secluded lifestyle is causing emotional, educational, and physical consequences, including obesity. Getting kids outside teaches them about the world around them and gives them an appreciation for nature while providing an opportunity for sunshine and exercise.
Leave No Child Inside
Earth Day Network has been working with more than 600 groups, representing 42 million Americans, to pass the No Child Left Inside Act. This piece of legislation would get kids outside during the school day by providing new funding for environmental education. The funds would ensure that teachers are trained to provide high-quality, engaging lessons and would expand environmental learning opportunities across the country. The act passed in the House of Representatives with strong bipartisan support, but the bill may face a tougher fight in the Senate. You can take action and help us push the bill; send a letter to your senators now!!
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Healthy Food
A healthy environment is an essential part of our children’s education, and this includes safe and nutritious food. Children get up to 50% of their daily food intake at school, and unfortunately it’s not always the best kind. Earth Day Network seeks to remove the barriers to serving high-quality school food, including more fresh fruits and vegetables.
2009 Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization
The school lunch and breakfast programs are vital to the health and well-being of many of our nation’s children. In the 2005-2006 school year, 30.1 million children ate at least one meal at school. However, such meals often lack nutritional quality and many are distinctly unappetizing. Budget constraints force cafeterias to fall back on low-cost items such as hot dogs, chicken nuggets, and pizza. Numerous studies show that school lunches provide children with too much fat, too much salt, and not enough fresh fruits and vegetables to support a healthy diet.
Fortunately, there is an opportunity to improve school meals nationwide. In 2009, Congress will review The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 that is set to expire in September 2009. This legislation includes every federal child nutrition program, including the school lunch and breakfast programs. Earth Day Network has prompted the USDA to increase school meal subsidies to help them serve better food, strengthen nutrition standards, and increase funding for nutrition education. You can support these measures by sending this letter to the USDA, participating in one of the public sessions, or writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper.
Food Safety Modernization Act
Over the summer we have been warned of salmonella contamination, first in tomatoes, then jalapeño peppers. Last spring, contaminated meat from sick cows was distributed to schools. To address this crisis, the Senate has introduced the Food Safety Modernization Act. Although it does not solve all the problems in our food system, this bill is an important step in ensuring that our food is safe and healthy. It gives the FDA the much-needed authority to recall contaminated food, allows for more oversight of food production facilities, and establishes safety standards for fresh produce.
Earth Day Network applauds the Senate’s effort to ensure the safety of our food: this bill is an exciting step in the right direction. However, when establishing food safety guidelines Congress must consider the unique needs of small farms and ensure that regulation is not burdensome. A comprehensive plan for food safety must support locally based food systems and ecologically sound farming practices.
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Kid-Safe Chemicals Act
This bill, introduced in the House (H.R. 6100) and Senate (S. 3040) in May, is an important step to ensuring the safety of consumer products, especially for children. The youngest generation is the most vulnerable to toxins as babies are born with over 300 industrial chemicals already in their bodies. As kids grow up, exposure to toxins can affect their ability to learn. Our schools are seeing an increase of students with autism and other learning disabilities, which emerging research links to toxin exposure. This bill protects children by requiring every commercially distributed chemical, such as those found in school supplies and other every-day items, to be tested for safety. It also allows the EPA to stop the distribution of unsafe chemicals.
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These measures provide crucial updates to the Toxic Substances Control Act, which Congress hasn’t revisited since it was passed in the 1970s as a response to toxic waste in Love Canal. Over the years, we have become more aware of chemicals’ impact on our health. For example, it was recently discovered that Bisphenol A (BPA), a common plastic found in things like baby bottles, alters our bodies’ hormone balance. Manufacturers must be held accountable for their products’ effect on public health. This legislation is a crucial step forward to protect our children from harmful chemicals.
Recently, President Bush responded to the demands from millions, including Earth Day Network activists, and signed a ban on six toxic phthalates, bringing Americans one step closer to toxin-free toys.
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