All posts by wildcardenvironmentalist

Helen Lynn has worked on issues linking women, gender, health and the environment since 1995, initially at the Women’s Environmental Network where she was health co-ordinator for 12 years, then as a freelance consultant. She has worked internationally and at EU level with Women in Europe for a Common Future and is on their International Advisory Board. Her campaign work began with Putting Breast Cancer on the Map, which encouraged women to map local sources of pollution alongside incidence of breast cancer and she was one of the founders of the No More Breast Cancer Campaign. She is on the Soil Associations Health Products Standards Committee which develops and keeps under review standards for organic health and beauty care products. While at WEN she and the health team initiated the Getting Lippy campaign on harmful ingredients in cosmetics, the campaign covered all aspects of the issue including information on toxic ingredients, making your own cosmetics, misleading labelling and advertising of the products and which alternatives are available. Other campaigns Helen worked on included the Ban Lindane (a toxic pesticide used on crops) Campaign, Healthy Flooring, Enviromenstrual, and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. She currently facilitates the Alliance for Cancer Prevention which works with occupational and environmental health specialists and activists to challenge the existing emphasis on control and treatment of cancer as the only way forward and to get equal recognition for primary prevention, particularly in relation to environmental and occupational risk factors. In 2014 along with fellow breast cancer activists she began the From Pink to Prevention campaign which aims to move the agenda towards Stopping Breast Cancer before it Starts.

The Lives of Historic Women Demonstrate a Link between Mental Health and Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most prevalent kind of cancer in the world, and medical practitioners are keen to stress the role diet, exercise, and environmental pollution play in its development. However, there is an increasingly popular theory that anxiety, depression, and stress also contribute to breast cancer. Traumatic life events can lead to depression, which in turn increases the risk of developing breast cancer. This is the central premise of Foiled Creative Fire by Heather Goodare.

Continue reading The Lives of Historic Women Demonstrate a Link between Mental Health and Breast Cancer

From Pink to Prevention signs open letter to Cancer Research UK

FPTP joined a large group of academics, environmental and health and safety organisations in an open letter to Cancer Research UK.

The letter inquired about their plans for the primary prevention of cancer. Earlier this year, the European Cancer Leagues produced a position paper setting out core principles and a framework that should be at the heart of every cancer plan. Because of CRUK’s membership of the ECL we are interested to hear more about their plans.
Continue reading From Pink to Prevention signs open letter to Cancer Research UK

PLEASE JOIN US ON WEDNESDAY 17 OCTOBER UNISON London NW1

Join us on Wed 17 Oct 5pm.

An Invitation to ‘Make the Connection’ UNISON HQ 130 Euston Rd, Kings Cross, London NW1 2AY

An Exhibition of Original Work by Diana Ward, marking Breast Cancer ‘Prevention’ Month.   Exhibition, Reception, Speakers

We’re delighted that UNISON are hosting (with reception) a new exhibition of 25 original cartoon works by From Pink to Prevention co-founder Diana Ward. Diana’s art-work is a unique way into the subject of the politics of breast cancer and it reflects on the decades of scientific evidence linking environmental and occupational risk factors to breast cancer.

Continue reading PLEASE JOIN US ON WEDNESDAY 17 OCTOBER UNISON London NW1

New report from Breast Cancer Prevention Partners reveals the hidden toxic ingredients in fragrance products

BCPP CSC Right to Know

Ever think about what’s in the fragrances we use daily, you know the ones we liberally spray, and rub onto our bodies, or those we use to scent our hair and mask the smell of sweat? Do we give a second thought to those we use to ‘clean’ our homes and ‘freshener’ our indoor air or what about the ones we are repeatedly exposed to at work?

Today a new landmark report released by the Breast Cancer Prevention Partners – Right to Know: Exposing Toxic Fragrance Chemicals in Beauty, Personal Care and Cleaning Products – reveals the shocking truth. Unlabelled harmful fragrance chemicals linked to breast and other cancers, reproductive and neurological disorders and adverse impacts on the respiratory system are hidden in the personal care and cleaning products such as shampoos and deodorants.

Continue reading New report from Breast Cancer Prevention Partners reveals the hidden toxic ingredients in fragrance products

Don’t play hard Brexit with our health – House of Lords.

In light of the upcoming debate in the House of Lords on Monday 5th and Wednesday 7th March discussing what will happen to UK chemicals regulations after Brexit, From Pink to Prevention calls on the Lords not play hard Brexit with our health. For the sake of the health of current and future generations, we hope the Lords will ultimately vote to keep the UK under current and upcoming European pesticide and chemicals regulations. Continue reading Don’t play hard Brexit with our health – House of Lords.

Brexit – no excuse for playing politics with our health.

As the country stumbles towards a shambolic and increasingly disastrous Brexit and just when we thought things can’t get any worse, a leaked government impact assessment report reiterates how the UK will be worse off after Brexit under every scenario studied. The assessment, called the EU Exit Analysis – Cross Whitehall Briefing details the fact that almost every sector and UK region will be negatively impacted, with chemicals, clothing, manufacturing, food and drink being hardest hit, after we Brexit. Continue reading Brexit – no excuse for playing politics with our health.