6 • The Southwest Portland Post
Dear EarthTalk: How can we keep
our kids safe from environmental
hazards all around us in our every-
day lives?
– Jennifer Nichols, Wareham, MA
Children are affected by the same
environmental hazards as adults,
only they’re more vulnerable given
their smaller size and the fact that
their bodies are still developing.
According to the World Health Or-
ganization, harmful exposures can
start as early as in utero.
“Proportionate to their size, chil-
dren ingest more food, drink more
water and breathe more air than
adults,” reports the organization.
“Additionally, certain modes of
behavior, such as putting hands and
objects into the mouth and playing
outdoors can increase children’s
exposure to environmental contami-
nants.”
Some of the most common con-
taminants we should be vigilant
about avoiding include pesticides (in
foods), lead (in old paint), asbestos
(in insulation and construction ma-
SOUTHWEST CORRIDOR PLAN
(Continued from Page 3)
Recommendations also include
supporting community and hous-
ing organizations to work together
to champion and implement the
housing strategy. The city will also
prioritize early opportunities to
identify housing sites.
After the formal presentation, this
reporter asked Cupid Alexander, a
senior policy advisor on housing
initiatives for Mayor Wheeler, about
the mayor’s thoughts on preventing
gentrification in Southwest Portland.
“We’re coming up with strategies
for older residents with assistance
in home repairs and grants to make
improvements and being intentional
on the front end,” Alexander said.
Small groups of participants met
to discuss solutions for the city to
consider. Some of the ideas included
trainings for future city planning
managers, avoiding displacement,
and increasing communication
between the cities of Portland and
Tigard.
Another idea described using
undesirable locations of a property,
such as at the end of a freeway off
ramp or where vehicles may idle
for long periods of time, to be used
for utilities, parking, or stormwater
treatment.
Other solutions listed providing
tax credits for developers who pro-
vide more affordable housing units
and having employers play a more
dominant role.
“We need more representation
of low-income renters at the table
where decisions and polices are
made,” said one participant. “They
need to sit on committees.”
FEATURES
terials), BPA (in plastic food/drink
containers and the lining of cans),
PFCs (in non-stick cookware, carpet-
ing and mattresses) and flame retar-
dants (in furniture and drapery).
And, of course, many branded
household cleaners contain poten-
tially hazardous ingredients (bleach,
ammonia, diethanolamine, trietha-
nolamine) as well.
Given how common these ele-
ments are in today’s world, keep-
ing kids safe isn’t easy. For starters,
choose organic food and drink
whenever possible to cut down on
the pesticides your kids ingest.
While pesticides work well to keep
away the bugs that can ruin harvests,
they also can cause neurological and
reproductive problems for humans
who ingest traces of them.
Apples, celery, strawberries,
peaches, spinach, nectarines, grapes,
bell peppers, potatoes, blueberries,
lettuce and kale/collard greens are
the worst offenders in the produce
aisle, according to the Environmen-
tal Working Group, so definitely
spring for organic versions of these
particular fruits and veggies.
Packaged and processed foods
likely contain plenty of pesticide
residues, too, unless they are marked
as certified organic.
To avoid household cleaners, the
Organic Consumers Association
recommends ditching the expensive
specialized products that likely con-
tain harmful chemical additives.
“A few safe, simple ingredients
like soap, water, baking soda, vin-
“Developers should meet quotas
for affordable housing before build-
ing out the rest of their properties.”
Nura Elmagbari, of the Portland
Refugee Support Group, spoke
about the plight of recently arrived
immigrants who come to the U.S.
for asylum.
“Many of these individuals have
post traumatic stress disorders,
depression, and mental or physical
health issues,” she said. “Many can’t
work and some don’t understand the
process of sustaining their benefits
once they expire or run out.”
According to Elmagbari, “Our
program helps them navigate the
system. They want to become inde-
pendent and not rely on government
support.”
In February 2016, the Inclusion-
ary Housing Zoning Code Project
was adopted by the Portland City
Council.
It was a collaborative effort be-
tween the Bureau of Planning and
Sustainability and the Portland
Housing Bureau to meet the need for
affordable housing in the city.
This code requires that all devel-
opment projects with 20 or more
dwelling units in one building par-
ticipate in the inclusionary housing
program.
It sets the percentage or share of
units in a development that must be
affordable at different income levels
to meet the terms of the program.
A meeting summary will be sent
to all in attendance. The city encour-
aged all to remain involved.
The next Southwest Corridor Com-
munity Advisory Committee meeting
will be held on Nov. 6 from 6:15 to 8:45
p.m. at the Multnomah Arts Center,
room 30, 7688 SW Capitol Highway.
November 2017
Children are affected by the same environmental hazards as adults, only they’re more
vulnerable given their smaller size and the fact that their bodies are still developing.
(Photo by Roddy Scheer)
egar, lemon juice and borax, aided
by a little elbow grease and a coarse
sponge for scrubbing, can take care
of most household cleaning needs.”
Look for specific formulations
on organicconsumers.org, as well
as links to some environmentally
friendly name-brand household
cleaners.
While there is less we can do
individually about air pollution
if we want our kids to spend time
outdoors, at the macro level we can
all help by driving our cars less and
turning down our thermostats (to
reduce the emissions we cause) and
ordering less stuff online (to cut
down on air pollution from ship-
ping).
Parents, teachers and caregivers
should educate themselves about
what to avoid and become expert
label readers so they can make
health-smart choices.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control & Prevention is urg-
ing pediatricians to take a greater in-
terest in the environmental impacts
on the health of their patients and
discuss with parents how to keep
kids safe in and around the home,
the neighborhood, and at school.
EarthTalk® is produced by Roddy
Scheer & Doug Moss and is a registered
trademark of the nonprofit Earth Action
Network. To donate, visit www.earth-
talk.org. Send questions to: question@
earthtalk.org.
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