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Dear GreenYesers, As I am sure you know, medical waste incineration is a significant source of toxic pollution, including dioxin and mercury. Medical waste incineration is being replaced the world over with safer technologies. (See <http://www.noharm.org> www.noharm.org and <http://www.medwastecontest.org> www.medwastecontest.org for details). In the US, for example, there were over 6,000 medical waste incinerators at the beginning of the 1990's, and only 111 remain today. Yet, some people continue to promote medical waste incinerators in developing countries. Surprisingly UNICEF is currently promoting medical waste incinerators around the world. This is especially ironic since UNICEF is dedicated to protecting children's health and, at the same time, children are especially vulnerable to the pollutants emited from incinerators. My daughter just brought home her little orange UNICEF trick or treating box, which made me think that we should take advantage of the tradition of raising money for UNICEF on halloween to raise the issue with UNICEF. If you're child is trick-or-treating for UNICEF, or even if not, please print and sign and mail the letter below to UNICEF to urge them to stop promoting medical waste incinerators. Feel free to change any parts of the letter or draft an entirely new one. If anyone does get a response from UNICEF, please let me know. Thanks very much everyone! A concerned parent, Annie Leonard PLEASE PRINT AND SEND: October 31, 2004, Halloween Carol Bellamy, Executive Director UNICEF 3 United Nations Plaza New York, New York 10017 Dear Carol Bellamy, As a parent of children who are collecting money for UNICEF this Halloween, I commend you for UNICEF's excellent work to protect the health and welfare of children in developing countries around the world. However, I am also concerned about UNICEF inadvertently adding to environmental pollution loads in these same countries. I understand that UNICEF is actively promoting medical waste incineration in developing countries. As I am sure you know, medical waste incineration is a primary source of extremely serious toxic pollution, including emissions of dioxin and mercury. Children and women of child-bearing age are especially vulnerable to these pollutants. There are many proven, safer, cleaner methods for treating medical waste including autoclaving, microwaving, and even secure burial. Incineration is increasingly unncessary and obsolete as health care institutes, national governments and international agencies reject incineration for safer alternatives.The World Health Organization has recently called for more alternatives to incineration to safely treat medical waste without adding to the planet's toxic pollution load. We would like to see UNICEF follow WHO's lead in finding solutions that don't trade one health threat for another. We urge UNICEF to stop promoting medical waste incinerators and, instead, promote medical waste treatment systems that actually do protect children's health. Then, our families can be truly proud to be collecting money for UNICEF next Halloween. Sincereley, |
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