YAC to Testify at Takoma Park Meeting (Video)

The Young Activist Club will be giving public testimony at the Takoma Park City Council Meeting on Monday, Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m. The students in the Young Activist Club are concerned about the health of people when they are exposed to polystyrene, a toxic product. They would like a ban of all polystyrene at all Takoma Park festivals, and for foodservice ware city wide.

“We are hurting our health and the environment; what could be more important than stopping this?” says Mira Diamond Berman, a 5^th grader at Piney Branch ES and member of the Young Activist Club.

BACKGROUND on the Pilot Dishwasher Proposal–8 minute video on the Young Activist Club  by Heather DeMocker and Dio Cramer (TPMS 8th Graders, Spring 2012)

“This is too important to be ignored. There HAS to be an end to this!” says Willa Falvey, another 5^th grader at PBES and member of the YAC.

“When polystyrene, a toxic chemical that is a neurotoxicant and can cause cancer, is on our food and in our streets, we know that there has to be a solution. That is what we are fighting for.” says Lily Kirsch, a 6^th grader at Eastern Middle School, who is also a member of the YAC.

Following successes with both the Takoma Park City Council and the Montgomery County Council banning the use of municipal funds to purchase the toxic polystyrene food service ware, the Young Activist Club is now requesting a complete City wide ban on using styrofoam and #6 plastics for food.

“We have broad support from local businesses, about 25 of them have signed the YAC business pledge not to use #6 plastics for food. When we have our fun street and folk festivals, we can make sure we do right for our health and the environment by NOT using the poison plastic, “ continued Margot Bloch, 7th grader at Takoma Middle.

“Until the FDA changes its regulations and bans the polystyrene from contact with food for the whole country, we need to protect school kids and our communities ourselves” continued Anna Brookes, 6th grade TMS.

Join the Young Activists tonite at the TP City Council hearing.

Visit the Young Activist Club website for more information.

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