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Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
| Hoosier United Methodists together |
May/June 2004 |
United Methodist Women take steps to fight deadly toxins
By Kelly C. Martini
NEW YORK - A portion of the one-million member United Methodist Women's organization are starting a new fight against environmental toxins that are suspected of causing breast cancer.
Sung-Ok Lee, community action executive for the United Methodist Women's Division, says that this is an ongoing effort of United Methodist Women. The goal is to stop cancer before it starts. And, one step in doing this is to rid the environment of toxins that potentially cause cancer.
"The most serious of these toxins is 'dioxin' - an umbrella term for a variety of chemicals that are unintended byproducts of the manufacturing or incineration process involving chlorine or bromine," says Lee.
One of the major culprits for producing dioxin is the bleaching of paper, she says.
Therefore, United Methodist Women members are requesting the Staples' office supply store chain to stock and promote chlorine-free (PCF) paper. Process chlorine-free paper has a recycled content and uses no chlorine in the papermaking process.
"Staples' promotional literature extols the company's environmental concerns. In fact, Staples is stocking this paper on a trial basis in selected stores to see how and if the general public understands the issues," says Lee. "We think this is a 'winnable' campaign that can make a difference in the world. United Methodist Women just have to visit a local Staples store, and report back to The Women's Division about what they find."
The Women's Division, in turn, will prove to the corporation that there is a national demand for process-chlorine-free (PCF) paper - urging the corporation to stock the paper in all its stores.
"It's a small, but important, step in ridding the environment of dioxin," says Lee. "Our goal is to have at least 1,000 report cards from United Methodist Women completed by April 30, which we can present to Staples' CEO."
Ridding the environment of toxins is not a new effort of United Methodist Women. Some local units and churches have totally switched to processed chlorine-free paper (PCF) because of the Division's ongoing work and education of members.
The quest to eliminate dioxins and prevent cancer started several years ago with a Kinko's Campaign that urged the store chain to carry process-chlorine free paper. United Methodist Women in 34 states plus the District of Columbia visited Kinko's stores around the nation to request process chlorine-free paper, to show a demand for it, and to ensure that Kinko's stores were adhering to the environmental concerns extolled by its literature. Because of the campaign, senior management of Kinko's agreed to ensure that all franchises stock process chlorine free (PCF) paper. The store also agreed to eliminate the price differential between standard white and process chlorine-free paper.
People who want to participate in the Staples Campaign can go gbgm-umc.org/umw for more information and a report card. The Women's Division represents United Methodist Women, the one-million member organization whose purpose is to foster spiritual growth, develop leaders and advocate for justice. Members raise approximately $20 million a year for programs and projects related to women, children and youth in the United States and in more than 100 countries around the world.
More information and a "report card" for those who want to visit Staples is available at gbgm-umc.org/umw, the organization's Web site.
Kelly C. Martini serves as executive secretary for communications of the General Board of Global Ministries in New York City.
Last updated on May 17, 2004