An interview with Dr. Lynn Goldman

Published in the Fall, 1999 edition of The Green Report

What advice do you have for people who think many environmental issues are beyond their control?

People need to see how these issues fit into their lives and to recognize what they can do.  If you say, "I can write one letter a week" on a particular issue, that's a huge contribution.  Or, "I'm going to educate myself about chemicals in toys," that's great. Get into a specific area. Focus on that.

How did you come to focus on children's environmental issues?

In medical school, I felt a lot of attention was being given to the "healthy worker," but that insufficient attention was focused on making the environment safe for children. I had volunteered for the Coalition on Infant Mortality in Oakland, which was trying to bring attention to the fact that the conditions some children were being born into are very different than the conditions others enjoy. And then I worked with Dr. Beverly Pagan, who'd done a study of children at a school literally built on top of Love Canal. The study showed that the growth of children was impacted by their proximity to Love Canal, and that children in the areas with the highest levels of exposure suffered the greatest impact. 

Did working at the EPA change your perception of environmental issues?

Working at the EPA gave me the opportunity to take environmental health issues into the national policy arena.  I worked on the re-authorization of pesticide laws and helped pass FQPA [the Food Quality Protection Act]. I saw firsthand what a tremendous effort was required to build the consensus to pass FQPA.  I also saw the tremendous amount of science that was required to re-orient the pesticide issue around children.

Have you been disillusioned by the slow implementation of FQPA?

No.  The industry impacted by FQPA is focused on it every single day, because they have a great deal of money at stake.  But families also have something at stake -- their health and their communities -- and they need to be involved to make sure the EPA handles it properly.  That's where Generation Green can help.

How can Generation Green help?

Generation Green brings information to people in a way that's relevant to their lives.  It shows people how they can take action, whether that means writing a letter or buying a safer product.  Generation Green focuses attention on the doable.

And what do you think is doable at this time?

Implementing FQPA.  It's a good act, but we need grassroots support to see it through.  Families need to understand how important it is.  I also think there is a whole range of issues surrounding children's products that we need to focus on.  We need to be sure a substance is safe before we allow it into a product. That is very important, and I believe achievable.

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