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Sonoma FACTS: Current Campaigns

Here are some current issues we’d like to raise awareness about and you can get involved in!  We are currently collaborating with various toxics awareness campaigns in Sonoma County and across California.  Please email us so we can promote your local efforts.
Environmental Health
Pesticides
Schools
EMF/WiFi/5G

Environmental Health


Webinar: Smoke & Ash: ​Air Quality & Children's Health
Join FACTS as we learn from and engage experts in the fields of air quality monitoring, children’s environmental and public health, and naturopathic holistic medicine
Featuring Tim Dye, MS; Jen Riegle, ND; Barbara Sattler, RN, MP, Dr PH, FAAN  and Nichole Warwick, MA.  


To watch please click here to go to Facebook.  
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How to reduce exposure from toxic smoke text on hazy sky over a road
How to reduce exposure from toxic smoke:

Avoid contaminated areas

  1. Monitor air quality at https://www.airnow.gov
  2. Keep children and pets indoors, keep windows closed when air quality is poor.
Protect body from exposure
  1. Protect Your Lungs with a properly fitted mask (N95 or N100).
  2. Cover your body fully and change clothes often.
Clean home inside & out
  1. An expert in emergency restoration services can help with smoke damage.
Hepa vacuum everything
  1. Wipe all hard surfaces (floors, walls, ceilings) with damp microfiber wipes.
  2. Pause and repeat cleaning as needed.
  3. Never use harsh chemicals or deodorizers, which make air quality worse.
  4. Wash off hard surfaces outside especially windows, porches & walkways.
Maintain indoor air quality

  1. Run multiple HEPA air purifiers or move single unit from room to room, change filters   often.
  2. Replace filter in HVAC system.
  3. Remove shoes and contaminated clothing outside.
  4. Bathe and wash hair before bed.
Support health:
Relieve exposure symptoms
  1. Soothe throat with herbal tea, throat spray, lozenges, honey.
  2. Open breathing passages and calm nerves with herbal teas, tinctures, and syrups.
Build natural immunity
  1. Eat healthy, fresh foods grown without pesticides.
  2. Take probiotic supplements and eat fermented foods.
  3. AVOID inflammatory foods like sugar, fried/processed foods, and alcohol.
  4. Boost immunity with Vitamin C, Zinc, B vitamins, and herbal preparations.
Detoxify gently
  1. Drink lots of water, take electrolytes.
  2. Pooping helps! Use magnesium, flax seed, or acacia fiber.
  3. Choose high fiber, fresh foods.
  4. Take warm baths with Epsom salts.
  5. Take safe herbal supplements like activated charcoal, chlorella, etc.
Enhance self-care practices
  1. Seek support from family, friends, and mental health care providers.
  2. Gentle self massage, yoga, and good posture promote good circulation and endorphins      for healing.
  3. Take time to rest & love yourself!

Special thanks to Dave Osborn, specialist in Emergency Restoration Services, (707-337-7878, daveoz50@yahoo.com), and John Banta (jbanta@restcon.com) CIH (Certified Industrial Hygienist), co-author of Prescriptions for a Healthy Home.
Full text on cleaning recommendations:
https://neilnathanmd.com/how-to-clean-effectively-by-john-banta-cih/
Special thanks to Sonoma County’s own Farmacopia (Lily Mazzarella, MS Herbal Medicine, Board Certified Nutrition Specialist) and Rosemary’s Garden (Lena Moffat).
**Recommendations are not intended to treat or cure any illness or disease. If you suspect that you have a medical problem consult with your physician. Some herbs may cause an allergic reaction.

(by Megan Kaun & Nichole Warwick, 2017)
Environmental health advocates Megan and Nichole put together this resource of information on how to reduce exposures from the toxic smoke and ash after they experienced the Tubbs Fire in Sonoma County.
They learned a lot from that horrible experience and want to share it with others. FACTS will be sharing these resources with you as most of California is affected by the smoke and precautions should be made to protect our health.​

Our Children’s Environmental Health Needs Protecting – Here’s What You Can Do  
​
An article by Lendri Purcell for San Francisco Bay Area Moms on easy ways to reduce toxins your children are exposed to at home. 

Purple Air
Purple air is an air quality monitoring network.  It's particularly useful during fire season.  

Ecosia
Ecosia is a search engine that uses the profit they make from your searches to plant trees where they are needed most. Get the free browser extension and plant trees with every search.

Endangering Generations Webinar
​A panel on how climate change affects children's environmental health.  From Future Coalition & Earth Day Live.

​Guidelines on safer disinfectant use from the Western States Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit
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​Collaborative on Health and the Environment

Series Launch: Multifactorial Origins of Cancer, Case Studies of Environmental Chemicals and Cancer Risks, and a Systems Approach to Prevention

​There is robust scientific evidence of increased risk of cancer associated with chemical exposures in the environment, which highlights the critical need for a systems approach to cancer prevention. Dr. Ted Schettler will open this webinar with a discussion of the multifactorial, multi-level origins of cancer, highlighting the importance of considering the entire cancer-related exposome, across the life-course and identifying opportunities to reduce cancer risk not only through individual behavioral changes, but also through public policy interventions.
​Dr. Barbara Cohn will then review some of the evidence for effects of environmental chemicals in pregnancy on cancer and cancer risk. Dr. Cohn will discuss the intersection between health disparities and environmental chemical exposure, as well as the importance of windows of susceptibility for exposures during development, and proof of concept studies for 3-generation effects of environmental exposures to pregnant women. Emerging evidence on current chemicals of concern, including per and poly per-fluorinated substances (PFAS) and the promise of new big data and ’omics will also be discussed with examples given. To conclude her presentation, Dr. Cohn will address opportunities for transdisciplinary collaboration to speed finding evidence needed for public health action.
​Dr. Polly Hoppin will conclude presenting an overview of how cancer prevention research and practice largely focuses on three overlapping areas that envision the individual patient and her provider as the agents of change: precision prevention (e.g., genetic, social and other factors specific to an individual patient); genetics; and health behaviors. She will then discuss a fourth realm of prevention research and practice, targeting environmental and social factors over which the individual has little control, while governments, businesses, and communities do. These include environmental carcinogens in consumer products, workplaces, and air, water, and soil pollution. Dr. Hoppin will discuss what actions impede and hold promise for reducing exposure to environmental carcinogens at the scale needed and how a systems approach informs cancer prevention research and practice.

Pesticides

GASP Graton Against Synthetic Pesticides- Families Advocating for Chemical & Toxics Safety
GASP ​
Graton Against Synthetic Pesticides (GASP) is a coalition of concerned Graton, CA residents working together to eliminate the threat of pesticide exposure to our families, laborers and children who attend Oak Grove Elementary.

Pesticides Free Petaluma- Families Advocating for Chemical & Toxics Safety

Pesticide Free Petaluma

Pesticide-Free Petaluma
Pesticide-Free Petaluma is a growing grassroots organization to urge our local officials to stop using pesticides in our local parks, fields, and public spaces. ​
Pesticides out of schools toolkit
File Size: 164 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


SASS
 Safe Ag Safe Schools (SASS) is a coalition of over 50 organizations and individuals working together to reduce the threat of pesticide exposure in the Monterey Bay area. SASS is focused on increasing grassroots pressure on policy-makers to reduce hazardous pesticide use in and around schools and residential communities. ​

Schools

Collaborative on Health and the Environment
​
As childcare facilities and schools gear up for reopening, safer use of disinfectants and water quality in dormant facilities are issues that affect children, teachers, caregivers, and staff. These toolkits summarize best practices from the CDC, EPA, and other environmental health scientists and experts in an easy to understand and easy to share format.

If you are a parent who is concerned about safe and best practices when schools are reopened, please download our toolkit to send to your childcare provider or school administrator. We even have a sample email that you can use to write your school administrator or childcare director and attach these materials. Or if you work as a childcare provider or at a school, we have made this resource for you. We hope that it is helpful.
Safer Cleaning and Disinfectant Use During Coronavirus for Early Childcare Providers and Schools
File Size: 493 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Water Quality During Coronavirus for Childcare Facilities and Schools
File Size: 156 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


Toxic-Free Future Logo- Families Advocating for Chemical & Toxics Safety
Toxic-Free Future​
This collaborative is spearheaded by Sonoma County Conservation Action and includes local school representatives, government leaders, and community members.
​
  • Nichole Warwick and Megan Kaun spoke on Women’s Spaces KPPF Radio program about their path to becoming activists in removing toxic pesticides from the schools and public spaces, where they got their strength to speak out against the use of pesticides linked to causing cancer, and persist against the resistance of entrenched establishments, and how folks can join their organizations in addressing this issue at the local level.  (click on Women’s Spaces above to listen to their talk)
  • In support of Toxic Free Futures, we successfully gathered allies and advocates and worked with the cities of Santa Rosa and Windsor to ban all synthetic pesticides and herbicides in municipal areas (public held lands such as city parks, trails, etc.)
  • Nichole Warwick, spoke on a panel presentation to the No Name Women's Group, addressing children's health outcomes related to the use of glyphosate and other synthetic herbicides and pesticides in Sonoma County.

School Bus for Healthy Schools Sonoma County- Families Advocating for Chemical & Toxics Safety
Healthy Schools Sonoma County​​​
This is a partnership between FACTS and Daily Acts.
  • We share resources with local schools, day care facilities, and preschools about best practices for healthy learning environments.
    • Sonoma County First Five
  • As part of Sonoma County Conservation Actions’ Toxic Free Futures Campaign, we successfully advocated Santa Rosa City Schools to revise their Integrative Pest Management Plan to eliminate the use of RoundUp and all other synthetic pesticides and herbicides for their 25 school campuses.
  • FACTS engaged local families at a city-wide maker's faire hosted by River Montessori School in Petaluma.  We shared resources on non-toxic best practices and demonstrated principles of green chemistry through making all-natural lip balm.
  • FACTS Executive Director, Nichole Warwick, is a guest lecturer in the California Global Education Program through Sonoma State University’s School of Education.  She educates teachers about environmental health, intersectional variables such as environmental and social justice, and how to create a non-toxic learning environment.

EMF/WiFi/5G

Ethernet cable with the Environmental Health Trust logo and FACTS logo
​Safe Tech for Kids: What to do about children's increased use of technology during COVID-19
​
This webinar was brought to you by FACTS: Families Advocating for Chemical & Toxics Safety and Environmental Health Trust with funding from Jonas Children's Environmental Health Fund.
Here are the resources we discussed and promised to share with you.  The webinar recording can be accessed on YouTube and FACTS Facebook 
This webinar featured: 
Lendri Purcell, Co-Founding President of FACTS: Families Advocating for Chemical and Toxics Safety, Vice-President of Jonas Fund, children’s environmental health advocate
Dr. Cindy Russell, Executive Director of Physicians for Safe Technology and Chair of the Santa Clara County Medical Association Environmental Health Committee 
Theodora Scarato, Executive Director of Environmental Health Trust and educational social worker

Nichole Warwick, Co-Founding Executive Director of FACTS: Families Advocating for Chemical and Toxics Safety and Environmental Health Programs Manager for Daily Acts
Resources shared by Dr. Cindy Russell:
Physicians for Safe Technology Home Page 
PST Executive Summary 
PST Links and Resources (Books) 
PST Scientific Literature on Eye Effects and Blue Light 
PST  Scientific Literature on Nervous System Effects 
PST Scientific Literature on Electrosensitivity 
PST Scientific Literature on Cancer
PST Scientific Literature on Reproductive Health
PST Scientific Literature on military and Government Reports
Book recommendation- "Screen Schooled" by Clement and Miles

Resources shared by Theodora Scarato:Physicians for Safe Technology Safety Tips 
Science
Book Recommendations 
Dr. Moskowitz at University of California Berkeley.
Environmental Health Trust Resources on Safe Technology 
EHT How To Set Up A Low EMF Computer WorkStation 
Harvard Press Investigation on Cell Phone Radiation 
Film Recommendations
Resources shared by Lendri Purcell:
Jonas Philanthropies Children's Environmental Health Grantees

Resources shared by Nichole Warwick:
American Psychological Association Recommendations Promoting Healthy Technology Use for Children
Psychology Today 9 Important Technology Rules for Children

We appreciate your participation. Please feel free to share these resources with your family, friends, educators, and professional networks. Please reach out should you have any questions. 

Baby in a diaper- Families Advocating for Chemical & Toxics Safety
Petition Pampers against "Smart Diapers" 
Companies including Pampers are launching "smart high tech diapers" with sensors attached to diapers to sense wetness and track urine. The sensors work in concert with a Wi-Fi baby monitor and an app that lets parents keep track of their baby's diaper situation indicating when the baby needs to be changed.  Parents need to know about safety considerations from electromagnetic exposure when buying wireless tech devices.

Physicians for Safe Technology Logo- Families Advocating for Chemical & Toxics Safety
Cell Towers and City Ordinances
Read to see some recent City Urgency Wireless Facilities Ordinances and also their Ordinances at-a-Glance. 
Environmental Health Trust Safe Technology Flyer- Families Advocating for Chemical & Toxics Safety
Environmental Health Trust Safe Technology Flyer- Families Advocating for Chemical & Toxics Safety
FACTS Logo- Families Advocating for Chemical & Toxics Safety
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  • Home
    • The Need
    • Common Exposures
    • Toxics Crash Course
    • The Science
    • Toxics-Free Living
  • Tools for Action
  • Current Campaigns
    • Pesticide-Free Communities
    • Contact your representatives
  • About FACTS
    • Our Team
    • Contact Us
    • Donate