Safer Alternatives to Prevent Harm from Toxic Chemicals
December 13, 2012
Hosted by Rob Moir
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Guest Information
Episode Description
Elizabeth Saunders talks with Rob about Clean Water Action’s work to prevent harm from toxic chemicals in consumer products by encouraging the use of safer alternatives to toxic chemicals. Elizabeth coordinates a broad coalition working to prevent harm to our health from toxic chemicals. There is concern for people being poisoned by cadmium, lead, mercury, pvc’s and flame retardant chemicals. The top priority is to create a groundbreaking program to systematically replace toxic chemicals with safer alternatives. The MA Safe Alternatives to Toxic Chemicals bill will set up a process where use of safer chemicals can be mandated to replace the use of a harmful chemical whenever a better alternative is established. This is an incentive that rewards development of alternative chemicals with a mandate for its use. With this bill, MA can become a national incubator for less toxic chemical compounds. Perhaps someday the region will become known as “Safer Chemical Valley.”
Moir’s Environmental Dialogues
Archives Available on VoiceAmerica Variety Channel
With the knowledge of Carson and the courage of Achilles, individuals are steadfastly going the distance to defend wildlife and ecosystems from assaults of environmental degradations and destructions. Join environmental studies scientist Dr. Rob Moir for lively dialogue and revealing narrative inquiry into how individuals are overcoming the obstacles turning forlorn hope into effective actions for oceans, rivers, watersheds, wildlife and ecosystems. Discover how listening to individuals, thinking locally, and acting in concert with other, you can act to save ecosystems. Got environmental stewardship? Become an Eco-steward. Act to bring about a greener and blue Planet Earth.
Rob Moir
Rob Moir is director and founder of the Ocean River Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Dr. Moir, an educator and scientist, has been a leader of citizen science and efforts to clean up Salem Sound and Boston Harbor, as founder of Salem Sound Harbor Monitors & Salem Sound 2000, later president of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, and through his appointment by the Secretary of Interior to the Boston Harbor Islands Partnership. He was formerly Curator of Natural History at the Peabody Essex Museum, Curator of Education at the New England Aquarium and Executive Director of the Discovery Museums in Acton, MA. Dr. Moir was awarded a Switzer Environmental Fellowship from the Robert & Patricia Switzer Foundation, and the James Centorino Award for Distinguished Performance in Marine Education by the National Marine Educators Association, which he later served as president. He was Sea Education Association’s first assistant scientist to work consecutive voyages of the R.V. Westward in 1979 and 1980, an advancement officer for his alma mater, Hampshire College and serves today on the boards of his alma mater, Cambridge School of Weston, Ocean Champions, and the Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters. Dr. Moir has a Ph.D. in Environmental Studies and a Masters of Science and Teaching from Antioch New England Graduate School in Keene, NH and certificate of studies from the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole.
