Earth Day never used to be a day when reproductive health organizations were particularly busy. But on this April 22nd, 2009, things are looking very different.  

Reproductive health, rights and justice organizations across the country are doing extraordinary things to improve the health and lives of women and men by fighting for a greener, cleaner planet.  Consider the following: 

• The California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative is sponsoring a research meeting in Oakland, California to improve the health and safety of salon workers exposed to chemicals that may harm their reproductive health and fertility. 
• In the Pajaro Valley of California, Planned Parenthood of Mar Monte is organizing a community-based collaborative for farm workers and their families who are exposed to pesticides that may be contributing to high rates of miscarriage, infertility and early puberty.
• The Reproductive Health Technologies Project (RHTP), the D.C.-based organization where we work, is advocating for passage of the Kid Safe Chemicals Act - the first real effort to regulate chemicals in the U.S. in more than 30 years.
• Planned Parenthood of Northern New England recently launched a new website and is hosting a myriad of green events (Where is my Recycled Prom Dress?...)

It may seem surprising that reproductive health and justice organizations are spending time and resources on these "environmental" issues.  But with evidence mounting that chemicals in our everyday environment - from the food we eat, to cleaners we use - are having an impact on our reproductive health, such efforts are vital.  As pro-choice individuals and organizations who believe in enabling people to decide when the time is right (and when it is not) to have children, these environmental efforts are not just nice "add-ons" but a fundamental part of our mission.  

Take nail polish, for example, which typically contains dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene, and formaldehyde. All of these chemicals are known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals -- chemicals that interfere with some aspect of our endocrine system, the system that controls our metabolism and reproduction. These chemicals can exert their effects by mimicking hormones, preventing harmful substances from leaving the body, and tricking the body into ignoring its natural protective signals. It is no surprise, then, that a chemical like toluene has been linked to reduced fertility, miscarriages and menstrual irregularities. Then consider the salon workers and owners who often spend 10 plus hours a day in close proximity to such chemicals. The cumulative effect of exposure to these chemicals at work and at home on these women, their families and their community can be devastating.  It is ironic that some of the very things we use to express and celebrate our femininity are actually compromising what makes us biologically female.  

Although the facts are clear, taking up the call for a greener, cleaner planet isn't always easy or straightforward.  Take Gretchen Raffa, the Community Organizer for Planned Parenthood of Connecticut.  She realized the potential impact of toxicants on the clients at Planned Parenthood so when the Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut approached Planned Parenthood to join the coalition, she agreed.  She even agreed to testify in favor of a bill banning Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical that has been linked to reproductive health problems including harm to a pregnant woman and her developing fetus. 

Likewise, when Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice started digesting the work that they had been doing with the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative and their POLISH initiative, they decided to take their advocacy a step further and broaden the lens.  They have just finished a thought provoking report on climate change and reproductive justice, focusing on the mid-sized industries such as the nail salon industry, where women of color and immigrant women tend to be employed. They realized that cleaning up the nail salons was important but so was the larger community where these industries sit.  The report builds the case for how climate justice solutions cannot succeed without advancing worker health and safety and reproductive justice. (The report will be available by May 15 - email info@reproductivejustice.org for more information.)

Similarly at RHTP, we have been following the impact of chemicals on reproductive health for several years.  We initially looked at these issues from a bird's eye view - tracking policy developments and trying to wrap our heads around the science.  So how did the Kid Safe Chemicals Act become one of our highest organizational priorities?  Like Gretchen, like ACRJ, we have taken a somewhat winding path.  We realized that we couldn't approach this issue with a chemical by chemical ban - nor could we or should we put the onus on people - usually women - to buy products free of harmful chemicals.  We need a paradigm shift in how we regulate chemicals in this country - and the Kid Safe Chemicals Act is a critical leap in the right direction. 

So on this Earth Day we celebrate and applaud the amazing work of reproductive health and justice organizations who are working for a greener, cleaner planet.