Do you know the story from the Matrix starring Keanu Reeves?
“You take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.” - says Morpheus to Neo
The term red pilll is defined as a human that is aware of the true nature of the Matrix (our world). I took the red pill. I am now in this with my eyes wide open. Before Oct 2013, I cleaned my house with regular chemicals and didn’t think twice, I sat on my couch and cuddled with my kids and didn’t think twice, and I sent my kids to school thinking they were in a safe environment and I didn’t think twice. Fast forward, just 6 months later and my eyes are wide open. I took the red pill. I check the labels on my cleaning products, I wonder if my couch has PBDEs and I know our school is filled with cancerous chemical contaminants called PCBs and they need to be removed from our schools to ensure our children are in a safe environment.
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No one told me that if I take the red pill there is no way out. That red pill must be connected to our moral compass and now I am in it for the long hall. I see opportunities to make our world healthier and safer. Someone told me that it is my turn to become a steward of the earth. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but for my kids; all of our kids, I was ready to find out.
PCBs are in many of our schools across the county built between 1950 and 1979. PCBs are classified by the IARC as group 1 carcinogens, meaning they cause cancer anywhere in our bodies. The EPA has known about PCBs in schools since the 1990's and has done very little to alert schools and parents that our children, the future leaders of America, were being exposed to cancerous toxicants that could alter their health for the rest of their lives.
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The mission of the EPA is to: to ensure that all Americans are protected from significant risks to human health and the environment where they live, learn and work.
So why has the EPA neglected their responsibility to all Americans, especially the children of America? Money, Politics, Fear? The EPA's own health experts state PCBs must be removed from schools. EPA expert, Dr. Lehmann says, "We know enough about PCBs to know that inhaling them is probably not good. So I think that leaving them in place is probably not the course that we (the EPA) want to follow." Dr. Johansson of the Swedish EPA adds, "I would certainly not recommend to leave PCBs in these buildings (schools) because clearly not only do they contaminate the indoor air, but PCBs are escaping into the environment." Dr Ludewig says, "remove the (PCB) sources where possible and try and be as vigilant as possible." With all of the EPA health experts stating that PCBs must be removed from schools, why would the EPA or anyone else not do everything possible to remove them and protect our children?
EPA's policy on PCBs in schools must be changed. Schools should be required to test for PCBs and other chemical contaminants and immediately disclose the results to parents and staff. Parents have a right to know what their children are being exposed to and only they should be the ones who decide what is acceptable for their child.
Recently, a fellow parent recently asked me if I had any regrets about getting involved with this issue because it has become such an important part of my life. (Of course I said no right away :)) As I thought about it I realized, I really don’t regret it at all; you never know when or who will call on you to join something that matters, that expands your thinking, that you can't turn away from, and for me this is one of those times. Amazing people have given their expertise and effort to this cause, many well before I even knew it existed. Compared to the Matrix, I am not sure how deep the rabbit hole goes… but for better or for worse, I am in. And I know that through collaboration and united efforts, it will be for the better; not just for my children's schools in Malibu, but I hope for all children in all schools across the Country.
Who’s Ready to Take the Red Pill?
Please Sign Malibu Unites Change.org Petition to Rid Schools of Cancerous Contaminants and PCBs! goo.gl/sKR30F
By: Jennifer deNicola, Malibu Unites, President
