Environmental Dangers: What You Should Know

How You Can Make a Difference

Advocate for more research.

Write your congressmen, President Bush, and your favorite presidential candidate to tell them you support the National Children's Study, a long-term project that will follow 100,000 children and track their environmental exposures in order to search for causes of conditions like asthma, autism, dyslexia, birth defects, ADHD, and obesity. The study is ready to go (you can read about it at nationalchildrensstudy.gov), but funding is in jeopardy. We've made it easy for you to help: Click the link below to print out a form letter you can send to your senators to urge them to support the study.

Make your children's school safer.

You can make your home as environmentally friendly as possible, but kids are in school for a good part of the day. And schools can be big offenders in the overuse of pesticides and other dangerous chemicals. Make a difference by getting involved in your PTA and pushing your district to use nontoxic cleansers and pesticide alternatives. Go to beyondpesticides.org for suggestions on how to start a campaign in your own community.

Get educated.

Log on to these Web sites for more info on environmental issues:

Copyright © 2008 Meredith Corporation. Originally published in the March 2008 issue of Parents magazine.

All content on this Web site, including medical opinion and any other health-related information, is for informational purposes only and should not be considered to be a specific diagnosis or treatment plan for any individual situation. Use of this site and the information contained herein does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Always seek the direct advice of your own doctor in connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others.