It may be quite astonishing to learn what’s currently going on in the bisphenol A (BPA) industry. BPA is a chemical that disrupts the development of the reproductive system and the brain, among other health problems. Babies and fetuses, of course, are the most vulnerable. There’s so much evidence about the harmful effects of BPA that the government is finally acting to ban it from products meant for children under age 3.

BPA is found in polycarbonate plastic food and drink bottles, including baby bottles and sippy cups. It’s also in most dental sealants and in the lining of aluminum food and beverage cans, including baby formula.

If you haven’t yet heard, representatives from several big companies in the canned food and beverage industry recently held an emergency meeting to strategize how to stop a government ban on BPA and manipulate public opinion with fear tactics, specifically targeting young mothers. These companies are creating friends in the government and a running a major lobbying campaign to block the ban on the use of BPA in baby bottles, toddler cups, baby food and formula containers.

In this meeting, they discussed ways to persuade the public against choosing BPA-free packaging, including threatening consumers with limited access to affordable baby food. One of the strategies they discussed in this meeting was to get a young pregnant mother to be a spokesperson to talk about the benefits of eating from food cans lined with BPA as well as the benefits of feeding babies from BPA-tainted bottles!

Really now, how stupid do they think we are?

It’s truly disturbing, but not at all surprising to me. Sadly, this is business as usual in a world where the corporate bottom line and pleasing stockholders is the #1 goal. I’ve been following this stuff for decades and I fully know how industry manipulates the public and the government. Corporate greed will do anything to keep toxic products on the market, regardless of the harmful effects on human health. There’s nothing new about tainted research and multi-million dollar PR campaigns touting the benefits of dangerous products to keep them on the market. It happens all the time, especially in the food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries.

But the simple truth is – We moms have all the power!

Yes, we moms are the ones who do a lot of the spending that drives corporate profits. Since we are the consumers, we can decide which companies to support. Deceptive strategies fall flat on their face without consumer participation.

In a very short time after the BPA industry email was leaked to the press, mom bloggers were all over it, spreading the news rapidly through Twitter, Facebook and other social networks. The good news is that if you stay connected to sites like this, you can keep aware of issues affecting your families. The old systems of secrecy and manipulation are crumbling in this new open, aware culture.

We’ve entered a new age of corporate transparency that sheds the light on deception. As parents we are becoming aware of issues affecting the well-being of our children, and we can make empowered decisions. The internet is a tremendous tool and the social web is having a profound change on our society and culture.

Back when my daughter was little, there was not a lot of info out there and few alternatives available. Many times I felt like I was struggling against mainstream acceptance of mass-marketed parenting and my natural parenting ideas seemed radical. Now I’m thrilled to see a greater acceptance of natural alternatives, innovative ideas, and life-giving solutions coming from everywhere! I believe our planet is in a fast-moving shift into restoring a natural, sustainable, ecological balance and we as moms and consumers are playing a big part in this.

There are alternatives to toxic food, bottles, cans, toys, mattresses, skin care products, and every unhealthy product that’s marketed to us. Many of the new alternatives are currently expensive since quality, natural materials are not mass-produced the way the cheap toxics are. But there are also plenty of ways to maintain a natural, healthy lifestyle on a small budget. I’m happy to continue to find new alternatives and will continue to write about healthy products and materials and get this info out to as many parents as possible. Even if we don’t have it here at Healthy Child, we’ll tell you where to get it or how to make it yourself.

We live in an extraordinary time, and we now have an incredible opportunity to remake our society into a truly sustainable, compassionate and health-conscious culture that makes our children’s well-being a priority over corporate profits. Let’s shop responsibly with awareness and create a new future for our kids.

 

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