wfn.org | NCC applauds cancer panel warning on chemicals

["Philip Jenks" <pjenks@ncccusa.org>]

NCC applauds President's cancer panel for highlighting links to chemical 
exposure

Washington, May 7, 2010 --The National Council of Churches (NCC)  Washington 
Office Director Cassandra Carmichael today applauded  President Obama's Cancer 
Panel for highlighting the connections between  chemical exposure and cancer.

"We have been helping to educate religious leaders and people in the  pews 
about the hazards of chemical exposure in everyday products such as  food, 
toys, and personal care products," said Carmichael.

"We have a particular Biblical call to protect vulnerable populations  such as 
women and children as well as disproportionately impacted  communities of color 
and low-income communities. Many of these chemicals  such as bisphenol-A can 
have harmful effects on these communities in  particular," Carmichael said.

>The full text of Carmichael's statement:

"We applaud the President's Cancer Panel for emphasizing the connections  
between chemical exposure and cancer in a report released Thursday. As  people 
of faith we are called to protect vulnerable populations such as  women, people 
of color, the elderly and children. Our congregations are  already working to 
educate people of faith about safer alternatives to  everyday chemicals found 
in the food we eat and products we use. We hope  that this report will help 
highlight the need to change the way we  regulate chemicals."

The NCC launched its environmental health program in 1999 with an  education 
and worship resource on children's environmental health.  Today, the program 
educates and empowers congregations across the county  with resources such as a 
Healthy Spa Toolkit, which enables individuals  to make their own healthier 
alternatives to common personal care  products.

"Our environmental health education, worship, and action resources  remain our 
most popular," said Carmichael. "We are made in the image of  God and it is 
important that we care for our bodies in ways that are  healthy."

The President's Cancer Panel, established in 1971 by President Richard  Nixon, 
is normally comprised of three distinguished experts who review  America's 
cancer program and report directly to the  President. Currently there are two 
members: Dr. LaSalle D. Leffall Jr.  of Howard University and Dr. Margaret L. 
Kripke, a professor emerita  from the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. 
Both were appointed by  President George W. Bush.                               
     

NCC News contact:  Philip E. Jenks, 212-870-2228 (office),  646-853-4212 
(cell), pjenks@ncccusa.org