Inspiring the next generation to live an eco lifestyle

Teens Turning Green is a coalition led by dynamic and passionate teens working to:

• Educate about safe, healthy, and green lifestyle choices focusing on daily chemical exposures in our schools, home and communities that harm us.

• Advocate for policy change that protects our health

• Inspire teens across the country to sustain our earth

Since World War II, chemical production has increased more than twenty times in the US

Manufactured and mined chemicals are now everywhere in our environment :

• Air• Water• Food• Drinks• Cosmetics and personal care products• Everyday household items

Chemicals in the Environment

Why it Matters:

Biomonitoring studies conducted since 1976 have shown that nearly everyone has measurable amounts of chemicals in their bodies

An expanding body of evidence has linked these

pollutants and manmade chemicals to health threats

including:

CANCER ASTHMA

DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS ALLERGIES

INFERTILITY BIRTH DEFECTS

EARLY PUBERTY

Breast Cancer and Women

The incidence of breast cancer has increased at an alarming

rate over the past sixty years:

1940 - one in twenty women

1994 - one in nine women

2004 - one in seven women

Cancer

One third of all men and one half of all women will have cancer

in their lifetimes by the year 2050.

Damage to Males

Sperm count among men throughout the industrialized

world has decreased by 50% over the last 50 years.

Teen Chemical Exposure

The average teen uses 10-25 personal care and cosmetic products daily.

Products may contain more than 200 synthetic chemical compounds which can cause serious health hazards with repeated exposure.

Toxicity of Personal Care and Cosmetic Products

One in three personal care products contains one or more

ingredients classified as a possible human carcinogen,

endocrine-disrupting material, neuro or reproductive toxin.

Untested

89% of the 10,500 chemical ingredients used in personal care products have never been tested for safety.

Unprotected

• FDA does not regulate the cosmetics and personal care products industry

• Neither Testing nor adequate labeling are required

EU vs. US

• The European Union has banned over 1100 toxic chemicals.

• The U.S. has only banned 9

• EU uses the “Precautionary Principal”

EWG

The Environmental Working Group has compiled a database of products and ingredients to help educate consumers.

Skin Deep Report

www.cosmeticdatabase.com

Dirty Thirty

A resource of the most harmful chemicals found in the

majority of commercial daily use products

Helps consumers identify and understand the health

implications of the toxic ingredients in their products

Some Chemicals to

Avoid:

Parabens

Phthalates

Fragrance

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Talc

Toluene

Triclosan

Petrolatum

Formaldehyde

Greener Alternatives

A partial list of companies

that are creating safer and

healthier beauty and daily

use products and acting in

more responsible and

sustainable ways.

• Hand-selected by teens for teens for:

Safety, Sustainability, and Effectiveness

• Bringing a variety of companies together under one label

• Exclusive at Whole Foods Market nationwide- meets Premium Body

Care Standards

Introducing Teens Turing Green CollectionLaunched September 2008

Teens Turning Green

Collection

The next generation has the power to bring about change, so where better to begin than one’s own body! 

To raise awareness of the issue through public events, advocacy actions, stories and interviews on radio and television, articles in magazine and newspapers and school and community presentations like this one.

The following slides are a few examples of this…

Our Goals

SB 484 - The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2005The nation's first state law around cosmetics and chemical policy. Companies are required to notify the state of ingredients with known links to cancer and birth defects.

Campaign members were instrumental in the passage of SB484. Their 11th hour lobbying efforts in Sacramento contributed to Governor Schwarzenegger’s decision to sign the unprecedented bill into law.

Advocacy

AB 1108 - Toxic Toys Bill: January 2008This bill bans the use of six types of phthalates in toys. It is modeled on EU and other foreign legislation that is concerned about unnecessarily exposing our children to toxic chemicals.

SB 1712 - Lead in Lipstick Bill: July 2008The first bill in the nation banning lead in lipstick, a known neurotoxin.

Advocacy

NEW CAMPAIGN ACTION: October 2008• Visual Petition to ban Lead in Lipstick

• Lead has also been linked to miscarriages,

reduced fertility, hormonal changes and

delays in the onset of puberty.

• Schools across the country are participating

• Take Canvases to rally for passage of Lead

In Lipstick bill SB 1712 in January to help pass law

Lips Against Lead

Events

PROJECT PROM: April 2007

San Francisco

A rally on Union Square in San Francisco where hundreds came to demand healthier and safer products around prom time.

TURNING GREEN: April 2008New York City

An Eco-Lifestyle Show featuring a day in the life of a teen turning green

Events

GREEN SPA: October 2008

Marin County

An opportunity to educate

as well as to demonstrate

the effectiveness of healthy

products, those made

without toxic ingredients.

Events

Events

4th Annual Teens Turning Green National Summit

February 6-7, 2009

Marin County, California • Join students, teachers, and community members from across the

country

• Learn from Experts

• Panel discussions, workshops, Brainstorming with visionary leaders

• Moderated by Teens

• RSVP at teensturninggreen.org

THS is led by high school students who are committed to preserving the health of their generation

By focusing their research on their school campuses as the palette for exploration

This project inspires awareness about the daily toxic exposures in all aspects of the school environment and taking action to eliminate them and identify greener, less toxic alternatives

Who

How

Why

Teens for Healthy Schools

Indentify products in four key areas

ClassroomSpace

Food Service

Maintenance & Janitorial

School Grounds

Marin County Schools

Dry Erase Markers:

Ingredients

Impact onEnvironment

No harmreduction

Significant harm reduced

• Inhalation: irritation to nose, throat, and respiratory tract

• Ingestion: nausea, damage to lungs & other tissues

• Skin contact: causes irritation (redness, itching, and pain), prolonged or repeated contact causes dermatitis

• Chronic exposure may affect liver or kidneys

• Non-toxic, non-irritating• Safe to use in classroom space

Level of Exposure

• Daily contact in every classroom w/whiteboard

• Students write with markers when doing problems on the board

Harm reduction rating:

• Ingredients from MSDS

Health risks

• Ingredients from MSDS

This score is based on the toxicity of ingredients as well as the level of

exposure—advisory panel of scientists should be consulted

Dry Erase Markers

Currently in use:Expo Dry

Erase Markers

Nontoxic Alternative:AusPen Markers

IngredientsMethyl isobutyl ketone, butyl acetate, n-propanol, xylene (responsible for the awful smell), colors

Methyl isobutyl ketone: harmful if swallowed or inhaled; irritant; may cause dermatitis; may lead to liver damage with prolonged exposuren-propanol: very hazardous eye and skin irritant; harmful if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through skin; prolonged exposure can cause CNS depression, aspiration pneumonia, renal failureXylene: CNS depression; irritates eyes, nose, throat; liver harm

• Xylene-free; uses safe ink• Eliminates the numerous health

effects listed to the left• Safe to breathe and touch

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Price

1 2 3 4 5

Year

Economic Benefits of the Auspen Marker

Expo Markers

Auspen Markers

Over 5 years, an estimated $218.67 will be saved per classroom by replacing Expo Markers with AusPen Markers

Hygiene

Ingredients

Ethyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cyclomethicone, Alkyl Benzoate, Cetyl Lactate, Chloride Phosphate, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Fragrance, Diazolidinyl Urea, Aminomethyl Propanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben

Health Effects/

Ingredient Toxicity

• Carcinogenic• Organ system toxicity• Immunotoxicity• Neurotoxicity• Developmental/reproductive toxicity• Endocrine disruption• Irritation (eyes, skin, lungs)

Organic Ethanol, Vegetable Glycerin, Organic Lavender Essential Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Carbomer (thickening agent), Dimethicone (silica-derived moisturizer), Aminomethyl Propanol (pH adjuster)

• Plant-based alternative to chemical-laden traditional hand sanitizers

• Non-irritating to all skin types• No negative short- or long-term health

effects

Currently in use:Purell Instant

Hand Sanitizer

Nontoxic Alternative:EO Products

Hand Sanitizer

• When choosing personal care products, simpler is better

• Read labels for potentially harmful ingredients

• Talk to your families about green lifestyle changes you can make

• Visit websites to get more detail on specific products, as many offer

more disclosure than labels. Email companies for further info.

• Research on CosmeticsDataBase.com which has more than

22,000 products with ratings on chemical ingredients.

Steps You Can Take

Ongoing Efforts

• Political Lobbying

• Actions / Advocacy: Lips Against Lead

• National Chapter Building

• Events: Green Spas, TTG Concerts, Panel Dialogues, Project

Green Prom

• Weekly Meetings

• Letter Writing Campaigns

• Blog on websites

Sign up to be part of the change in your world

Teensturninggreen.org

You can make a difference!