BPA is an endocrine disruptor and can be found in water bottles, some baby bottles, in epoxy resins used to coat the inside food and drinks cans, dental fillings and sealants, and receipts. BPA has been linked to a variety of diseases including autism, attention disorder ADHD, erectile dysfunction, heart disease in women, depression, learning disorders, asthma, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and infertility. People exposed to BPA are reported to have a higher risk of developing prostate and breast cancers, and BPA has been found to decrease the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Babies and young children are especially sensitive to the harmful effects of BPA. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study found BPA in 95% of adult human urine samples and 93% of samples in children.

Over three years ago, the Natural Resources Defense Council filed a petition with the FDA asking them to ban the use of bisphenol A (BPA) as an additive. After many months of waiting, a decision date has been declared. March 31, 2012 is the last possible day that the FDA has to make a permanent decision about the usage of BPA in consumer products. The FDA has expressed concerned, scientists have expressed concern, organizations have expressed concerned, and relentless public mandate has created a serious shift in its usage within products. Not surprisingly, plastic industry lobbyists, and those benefit financially from the continued use of BPA, doubt its harm. In 2011,  Maine Governer Paul LePage went so far as to claim that there “hasn’t been any science” that identified BPA as a problem, but then made the claim that there was, in fact, some talk of BPA acting as an estrogen mimic that he’d heard about, but in a worst case scenario “women may have little beards” as a result of exposure. People like this are aggressively lobbying to keep this additive alive and they will be pushing hard on the FDA.

Luckily, smart and caring people are prevailing. Later that same year, Jeanne Rizzo, registered nurse, CEO and President of Breast Cancer Fund was quoted in Forbes saying, “If BPA were being studied as a pharmaceutical drug, it’s highly doubtful, given its interaction with animals, that it would make it into a clinical trial with humans. It wouldn’t make it into a clinical trial, and yet we’re already in a clinical trial and we’re all the subjects…”

A growing group of notable supports (see list below) have co-sponsored/co-signed a petition urging the FDA to ban BPA in the US.  Together we must urge the FDA to ban BPA from food and drink containers and packages as it has been shown to be harmful in numerous studies. We are asking that the FDA seriously consider their own concern they have over the dangerous effects of BPA and do what is right for the health and safety of the people of the United States.

FDA must ban BPA.

Sign our petition here:  http://ow.ly/9KVah

And join these wonderful supporters:

Addison Fischer,  Founder, Planet Heritage Foundation; Founder, Verisign

Amber Sakai, fashion designer

Amy Smart, actress

Ann K. Luskey, Ocean conservationist

Barbara Benish, UN Safe Planet

Beth Nielsen Chapman, musician

Bill McKibben, author and founder 350.org

Bobbi Chase Wilding, Clean & Healthy New York

Bonnie Raitt, musician

Chandra Jessee, philanthropist

Congressman Stephen Cohen (D-Tenn.)

Daniella Russo, Executive Director, Plastic Pollution Coalition

Dennis Grimaldi, Broadway playwright

Dianna Cohen, Artist & Creative Advocacy Director, Plastic Pollution Coalition

Dick Button, Olympic gold medalist & ABC sports commentator

Dr. Marty Goldstein, DVM

Ed Begley Jr., actor and environmentalist

Fran Drescher, actress/producer

Hilary Swank, actress

Jackson Browne, musician

Jeanne Rizzo, RN; President and CEO, Breast Cancer Fund

Jeff Bridges, actor

Jeff Franklin, writer, producer, director

Joan Fabry, architect

Joanna Moore, owner, AXE restaurant

Jodie Evans, co-founder CODEPINK

Keb’Mo, musician

Mario Batali, chef

Mark Christy, President, Hobie

Martha Stewart, founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia

Michelle Martin Coyne, artist and photographer

P. Dee Boersma, Ph.D, Department of Biology, University of Washington

Physicians for Social Responsibility – Los Angeles (PSR-LA)

Rosanna Arquette, actor

Roz Savage, ocean rower and environmental campaigner

Sergio Arau, film director, musician, visual artist

Shari Sant Plummer, President, Code Blue Foundation

Sue Rockefeller, filmmaker

Sylvia Earle, Ph.D., oceanographer and explorer

The Ditty Bops, musicians

Wallace J Nichols Ph.D., marine biologist

Wavy Gravy, clown poet, SEVA

Werner Boote, filmmaker/director of “Plastic Planet”

Yareli Arizmendi, actor, writer

(list current as of 8:20 pm PST, March 20, 2012)

Please sign the petition   http://ow.ly/9KVah

Our hosts, David and Theresa Wernery, founders of PNSF Expedition shared with us their work to raise awareness of the plight of animals in the desert, exposed to plastic pollution.   As David points out, it is difficult to get away from plastic pollution in the desert -” it blows with the wind, penetrating the remote desert, clinging to trees and shrubs, lying covered by a veneer of sand…” Young camels are curious. Attracted to plastic bags,colorful  plastic ropes and other plastic debris polluting the desert floor, they ingest them and their stomachs fill with calcified mass. Before long there is no space for food or drink.  Here’s the contents of the stomach of a young camel.  The plastic cap and blue rope is recognizable, just like in the belly of the Laysan albatross. David and Theresa are launching a world-wide expedition to raise awareness about plastic pollution and we will track and report on their progress.

In a meeting with Sabine Bremme and Tatiana Antonelli Abella from Goumbook.com, we understood how groups here seek and find solutions to the plastic pollution crisis; how they educate children and college students on new behaviors; and how we can work together.  Goumbook.com has created a directory of local products and services, and uses its website to educate and inform the public on why alternatives to plastic are important. We heard about schools that have already installed filtration stations and eliminated plastic bottles, and we are eager to learn more.  We look forward to collaborating on several initiatives, including Plastic Free Campuses.

Perhaps the most interesting find of the day was the existence and popularity of “Atmospheric Water Generation” systems, converting air into water.  These systems are in existence outside of the UAE as well, but here they provide a much needed access to fresh water, one of the most precious resources.  The main source of water here is through extensive use of desalination.   We had a detailed discussion of these systems with Susan Tabler, the founder of “Recycle for a Cause”,  a local campaign encouraging people to collect plastic which then gets converted into beautiful items for everyday use, proceeds to benefits children of the Philippines. Here, encouraging recycling is hugely important as a first step to personal behavior modification.

Our last meeting was with Reema Al Abbas, from the Emirates Diving Association. The inspirational Reema and her organization are entirely dedicated to eradicating plastic pollution.   Through outreach and education, through beach and dive cleanups,  Emirates Diving Association raises awareness of the sources of plastic pollution and advocate source  reduction at the source – by simply using less disposable plastic to start with. For a country who has announced plan to eliminate plastic bags by 2013, this is a very important endeavor. One that Plastic Pollution Coalition will wholeheartedly support. We are excited about all the opportunities the future holds, and look forward to a very fruitful collaboration.

Tomorrow we are on our way to Abu Dhabi, to meet with groups working with the Municipality of Abu Dhabi; with Oliver Cameron, working to protect camels from plastic pollution and for another very exciting meeting waiting for a confirmation. Here’s the BBC video about Oliver’s work. Stay tuned!

It is imperative that groups supporting sustainable packaging comment on this report, as the US EPA will be use it as the foundation of their future approach to packaging issues. So far, comments from environmentally-conscious actors and citizens are outnumbered by those from industry insiders. Comments on this report are due February 9th. The focus of comments should be on the need for source reduction and industry responsibility for packaging waste they generate.

We cannot let this opportunity pass to steer the EPA away from adopting the plastic industry’s reversal of the sustainability model to prefer recycling over reduction and reuse. Recycling will never solve all the problems associatedwith plastic packaging including: human health concerns, impacts on the environment and wildlife, and costs to local governments that are burdened with pollution control.  Please see the attached sample comments submitted by Legal Policy Director Lisa Kaas Boyle on behalf of Plastic Pollution Coalition and Leslie Tamminen submitted on behalf of Seventh Generation.

Steps to Comment:

1. Click on this link.
2. Click on the link in the search results which says “Memorandum to open docket for public access”.
3. In the top right corner, click on the “Submit Comment” button.
4. Fill out the information fields on the comment page. Be sure to both paste your comment in the large and attach a document file with the comment in it.
5. Click submit.

Shortly after the PSA was posted online, we received a letter from 19 Entertainment’s parent company, demanding that we pull the PSA down. The stated reason was that we did not have appropriate permissions. We were threatened that if we did not comply by pulling the PSA down, they would contact You Tube directly and our YouTube channel may be shut down.

We refused to pull down the PSA.

Here’s why.

This PSA is an eight-month collaborative project between Plastic Pollution Coalition, 19 Entertainment management, and all of Season 10 Top 11 finalists.  We have exchanged hundreds of email communications with this team, brainstorming ideas on  how to make the project even better. We sought and have obtained written approvals to launch the PSA.  In fact, Haley’s Wish was recorded by 19 Entertainment themselves.

Every Top 11 contestant has recorded a statement on their own free will and contributed their unique talent to the message; they all deeply care about the fate of our planet and our role and contribution towards that. Plastic Pollution Coalition has similar video statements from artists such as Ed Begley, Jr, Jeff Bridges, Jack Johnson, Daphne Zuniga, Jackson Browne, Benicio del Toro, Bonnie Raitt, Martin Sheen and others.

Clearly, as Forbes magazine stated today, this is not an issue of permission not obtained; but of permission withdrawn through pressure.

Who might be afraid that you would REFUSE single use and disposable plastic?

For a possible clue, check out the sponsors of the American Idol show.

“Every bit of plastic that has ever been created still exists in some form,” says Lauren Alaina, the runner-up from Idol’s tenth season.  Ms. Alaina further urges people to, “refuse single-use and disposable plastics,” an ethos emphatically reiterated by Haley Reinhart, who goes on to say, “Single-use plastics and disposable plastics are the main source of plastic pollution.”

The Idol contestants have all donated their time and efforts to the REFUSE disposable plastic campaign and will be running a Facebook “Wish” spanning several months, to raise $50,000 for Plastic Pollution Coalition.  Included in the fundraising event will be a prize for one lucky fan – an autographed guitar signed by all of the Top 11.  Go to www.facebook.com/PlasticPollution for more information.

Hundreds of communities in California have banned plastic bags, because of the massive environmental and economic damage they represent. Many more are working towards this goal, right now. Hundreds of thousands of people are engaged in this movement.

The plastics industry had over 100 years to demonstrate to us the merits of plastic. And the results are evident: plastic is everywhere. In our air; on our beaches; in our rivers, dams and oceans; in the desert; in every community from China, to Kenya, to Bulgaria, to the US. There is hardly any place on the planet not polluted by plastic. Our bodies are polluted by toxic chemicals leaching from plastic. Our babies are born with toxic chemicals in their blood.

And now, they are trying to get in the classrooms, into our children’s minds.

It is a travesty to allow classrooms to promote an industry that is engaged in a shameless cover-up of the damage it cases to these very children.

Many coalition members have aleady responded by actively engaging in this issue. Amongst them are the Clean Seas Coalition, Heal The Bay, Environment California, Californians Against Waste and others.
We encourage you to support them and their efforts, and also to address your comments to:
California Senator Fran Pavley, whose email contact is Debora Hoffman, Deborah.Hoffman@sen.ca.gov
and
California Superintendent Tom Torlakson, whose email contact is: Tina Jing, communications@cde.ca.gov, 916-319-0818

Let your voices be heard! Together, we will stop the plastics industry from rewriting the California school books.

Singer-songwriter and guitarist Keb’ Mo’s music is a living link to the seminal Delta blues that traveled up the Mississippi River and across the expanse of America–informing all of its musical roots—before evolving into a universally celebrated art form. Born Kevin Moore in South Los Angeles to parents originally from the deep South, he adopted his better known stage name when he was a young player who became inspired by the force of this essential African-American legacy. In the storied tradition of bluesmen before him including Muddy Waters—formerly McKinley Morganfield—and Taj Mahal, who began his days as Henry St. Clair Fredericks, Moore became known as Keb’ Mo’. His acclaimed self-titled 1994 debut album introduced that now famous appellation to the world, and his new release “The Reflection“ represents another musical experience to be savored.

Mo’s music is also a purely post-modern expression of the artistic and cultural journey that has transformed the blues, and his own point of view, over time. His distinctive sound embraces multiple eras and genres, including pop, rock folk and jazz, in which he is well-versed. In total, it owes as much to contemporary music’s singer-songwriter movement, encompassing his longtime friends and collaborators Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne, as to the spirit of blues godfather Robert Johnson that dwells in his work. For Keb’ Mo’, the common bond between these influences is the underlying storytelling ethic, the power of song to convey human experience and emotional weight.

Keb’ Mo’ is a three time Grammy winner for Contemporary Blues Album and was Grammy nominated for Country Song of the Year for ‘I Hope’ a co-write with the Dixie Chicks that appears on their latest album. His songs have also been covered by such artists as BB King, Wynonna, Joe Cocker, Buddy Guy, Robert Palmer and Tom Jones! He has been a featured guest on other artist recordings including India.Aire, Marcus Miller, Natalie Cole, Bonnie Raitt, Solomon Burke, Ray Charles, BB King, Buddy Guy, The Dixie Chicks, Amy Grant, Willie Nelson, and the global musical movement of Playing for Change.

On camera he has appeared and performed music for several television and motion pictures including playing himself, singing “America The Beautiful” during the inauguration scene of the moving series finale of the award-winning show The West Wing. He also appeared in John Sayles latest film ‘Honeydripper’ and in Martin Scorcese’s PBS special ‘Feel Like Going Home and concert documentary ‘Lightning in a Bottle’. In June 2010 Keb’ Mo’ was honored to participate by personal invitation of Eric Clapton on his Crossroads Guitar Festival and subsequent theatrical, television and DVD releases. Currently he performs the theme song and original music on the TNT drama ‘Memphis Beat’ starring Jason Lee and Alfre Woodard. Keb’ Mo’ also has written and performed the theme song for producer Chuck Lorre’s new sitcom ‘Mike & Molly’.

Keb’ Mo’s new CD ‘The Reflection’ will be released August 2 on his own label Yolabelle International in partnership with Ryko / Warner Music Group.

La Ruta de los Conquistadores is a unique and demanding adventure for competitors and spectators. For 19 years, the event has brought together the best mountain bikers in the world for an extreme event that challenges the best skills of each. For more information about the event, you may contact info@adventurerace.com or visit their web site www.AdventureRace.com

Since its inception, La Ruta has been dedicated to the spirit of conservation of biodiversity, and preservation of the fragile eco-system of Costa Rica. In support of the growing movement to reduce plastic pollution, La Ruta is making the commitment to REFUSE all disposable plastics at the event.

La Ruta and Plastic Pollution Coalition are excited to collaborate on an important effort to keep Costa Rica free of plastic pollution.

Below is the press announcement in Spanish.

The Foundation’s purpose is to engage the worldwide public in its mission of restoring and protecting the world’s ocean by dramatically changing the way people see and value their oceans through multi-platform media and social action initiatives with the goals of:

1) increasing the number of Marine Protected Areas around the globe to at least 10% of the ocean,

2) to promote responsible, sustainable seafood consumption, and

3) to promote the refusal of disposable plastics.