Passion into Action! Support the Work of SEHN and the Women's Congress

Science & Environmental Health Network Networker Volume 22 (3) Spring Appeal, 2017. 'I'm a futurist, so let me foretell: Trump trashing Paris will enrage and inspire a new, radically ambitious American climate movement. And when we come, we're not going to be coming looking for a few gestures - some subsidies, a little cap-and-trade, a few weak regulations. Nope, this movement's going to demand the building of a carbon-zero nation, starting now.

So, don't mourn Paris, ready yourself - gather your allies, ready your tools, hone your thinking. The most important political fight of your life has begun.'       Quote By Alex Steffen

Dear Reader,

Whew! What a wild ride we've had in the environmental world since last November.  As I write this, the United States is being pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement by the president. We face unprecedented peril and at the same time we have real strategic openings and possibilities that we can use to protect the natural world in the months and years ahead.

The most important possibility is YOU! As Alex Steffen says, we are in for the fight of our lives and these moves by the Administration are fueling a powerful movement that WILL demand a carbon neutral, green economy NOW.

We at SEHN have been hard at work to find those openings and make end runs around bad policies that threaten our public lands, waterways, wildlife and climate. We challenge the environmentally bankrupt ideas of what government is for, and we work with grassroots groups to give them the power tools forged out of law and science that they need to protect their communities. We also work in coalitions to affect the marketplace, in industries like health care and agriculture. Market - based campaigns are especially critical when governments have been captured by anti - environmental forces.

We ask that you join us and make a donation today to support our work.

Given the state of the political scene in our country right now, the future might seem bleak. But it is crucial that we stop bad policies anywhere we can and actively promote clean energy and non-toxic environments- especially at state and local levels where so many key decisions are made. The new story of a green economy is being created now. We invite you to be part of writing it!

Here's a taste of what your gift will support:

**A third (!!) Women's Congress for Future Generations that will be held November 3-5th in Minneapolis,MN. Planning for the Congress is underway under the deft direction of Ann Manning, SEHN's Associate Director. This year we are living into the challenge of being the "Beloved Community" as described by Dr. King: "a global vision, in which all people can share in the wealth of the earth." We will highlight the amazing talent, dedication and vision in the frontline communities. We are eager to hear from the women leading the environmental justice movements as we do the double-duty work of bringing about justice and environmental wholeness. Visit our website here: www.wcffg.org

**A market-based campaign to get triclosan/triclocarban out of hand soaps in health care. These are endocrine disrupting chemicals to humans, found widely in the environment and toxic to aquatic organisms. A paper on this topic coauthored by SEHN's Science Director, Ted Schettler, will soon be published in Environmental Health Perspective.

  **A new Guardianship Network of individuals providing ideas and contributing to the discussion on the 10-year update of the "Comprehensive Plans" that will chart the course for their community's future, is an exciting venture we launched in February. -You can download a short white paper on how to include the Precautionary Principle and other sentinel ideas in plans HERE. -We are also meeting with legislators in Minnesota in a long-term legislative campaign to protect the rights of future generations.

**A Handbook on How to Stop a Pipeline currently being written by SEHN's Executive Director, Carolyn Raffensperger.

**Ongoing Lawyer and Doctor-on-call services to the environmental movement.

At SEHN, we believe that government has a sacred duty to care for the common wealth and public health, and that each one of us has a duty to withhold our consent to anything that violates that, and to give our consent to "a global vision in which all people can share in the wealth of the earth."

If you share our view that we have an obligation to future generations, we welcome your participation and support. Be part of the movement to create a world where our descendants will call us 'beloved ancestors.'

Thank you so much,

Carolyn Raffensperger Executive Director

P.S. The Women's Congress is one of the most important ways SEHN's work gets carried into the larger community to be used by other environmental and justice organizations. Your donation to SEHN also supports our work of the Women's Congress.