I am so honored to be part of the “THK Blog Tour” (schedule here), intended to publicize and open up to the blogosphere this year’s Conference on Women’s Health & the Environment, which will take place tomorrow in Teresa Heinz Kerry’s own beloved Pittsburgh, just a little over a month before the 100th anniversary of environmental activism pioneer Rachel Carson’s birth.  Although it is the first time in the conference’s history that it is being held there, Pittsburgh, home to the Heinz Family Philanthropies, has long known at first hand of Mrs. Heinz Kerry’s passion and hard work on the combined issues of the environment and health (particularly of women and children.)

I was very excited to see that tomorrow’s conference on the theme of “New Science, New Solutions” is filled to capacity and I can’t wait to see the speaker videos and podcasts which will be available here as of April 29, 2007.

Thanks to Meredith Efken for organizing the tour, and submitting my questions to THK.  My questions are basic in the extreme because I simply don’t know very much yet about the issues involved and I want to know a lot more.

When I was thinking of what I would like to ask Mrs. Heinz Kerry, I found myself thinking about how I, personally, see her, in interviews, and the few times I’ve been privileged to meet her.  My impression is that she is at the same time brilliant and politically savvy and also incredibly warm, human and direct.  Her politics, like those of her husband, are not those of partisan game-playing, but of grassroots communication, inspiration and an iron determination to set things to rights for the sake of those living now and the generations which will follow us.  She uses her principles and her influence to bring people together and create a space where they can interact and inform each other, a very practical and immediate brand of politics.  She is a wonderful mother and grandmother and deeply concerned about issues that affect women and children, so when I imagined sitting down to ask her a question, this was what first came to mind:

Kerryvisionary: What would be your advice to a new mother on the best way to protect the health of her child as it grows up?

THK: Two things — first, when you are pregnant think about everything you are eating or drinking and what impact that might have on the baby.  The Environmental Working Group (http://www.ewg.org/) did a study of the chemicals found in the umbilical cords of ten babies (the results are discussed on their website).  The single most important point was this: infants could be exposed to pollutants during gestation.

As your child is growing up there are simple steps you can take to best protect his or her health such as avoiding television for as long as you can, helping them learn good eating habits (avoiding fast food and junk food), emphasizing fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and following the advice of my old and dear friend Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers) — get down on the floor with your child and talk to them at eye level about everything.

 Many schools are starting to look at removing sodas and other unhealthy food products from the cafeteria, and replacing those with healthier choices.  You might check whether your child’s school has done that, and if not, try to join with other parents to lobby the school board to take action.  You can get more information on the issue of unhealthy foods in the schools, and take action to support federal legislation to improve it, at the websites Improve School Foods and Parents Against Junk Food.   

I believe this answer is the perfect illustration of the Teresa Heinz Kerry who marries an encyclopedic wealth of information and resources with an intuitive and loving empathy.

My other two questions come directly from the point of view of someone new to environmental activism and THK’s answers are sensible and down-to-earth:

Kerryvisionary: What are three things we can all do every day to promote environmental health and security?

THK: Probably the biggest impact you can make, and possibly the easiest, is to reduce your driving as much as possible.  Walk or car pool as much as you can, or use mass transit whenever possible.  If you can safely ride a bicycle for errands or commuting, that is a great way to stay in shape while reducing your driving.  Second, try to eat as much locally-grown food (within 250 miles) as possible.  not only will you reduce pollution by reducing the transporation needed to bring your food to you, you will be more likely to be able to influence the regulations governing the production of your food, and you will also be supporting your local economy.  Third, you can use your role as a voter to advocate for legislation that requires greater transparency in the ingredients and production practices of the food, household, cosmetics and personal care products we use every day.

Kerryvisionary: What would you suggest as first steps for a new activist working for policy reform?

THK: Begin by thoroughly educating yourself about the specific issue(s) you want to be involved with, and think of simple examples of how this connects to the average person or family  Next, identify local groups focusing on issues you care about, and see how you can help or effectively leverage your combined efforts.  Develop relationshiops with local elected officials with jurisdiction over your issues of concern, and try and bring others who share your concern and passion into the process.

Many thanks to Teresa Heinz Kerry for sharing her experience and insight in her replies to my questions and to everyone who is participating in this Blog Tour.  I look forward to the rest of the tour and I wish everyone at the conference a lively, useful and fun experience tomorrow. 

Tomorrow’s stop on the Blog Tour is The Democratic Daily.  Be sure to check in there for the thrilling post on the actual day of the conference!