Showing posts with label action. Show all posts
Showing posts with label action. Show all posts
1.11.2009
Unintended Consequences of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act
After last year's scare over contaminated toys made in China, Congress responded with a new law to require all products aimed at children under 12 years old to be certified as safe and virtually lead-free by independent testing. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) was passed in August, 2008. This law requires testing and certification for ALL toys, books, clothing, art, educational supplies, materials for the learning disabled, bicycles, and more. Any uncertified item intended for children under the age of 12 will be considered contraband after February 10, 2009. The burden may be manageable for big manufacturers and retailers that can absorb the costs. Less likely to survive are hundreds and hundreds of small businesses and craftspeople.
While we applaud the CPSIA for responding, in their haste they simply forgot to exclude the class of children's goods that have earned and kept the public's trust: toys, clothes, books and accessories made in the US, Canada, Australia and Europe. As a result, unless the law is modified, is that handmade and used children's products will no longer be legal in the US. You won’t be able to sell or give away any children's products that have not been independently tested by a third-party lab and certified compliant with this law. Further more, this over reaching law will impact our schools and public libraries. Existing (safe) items will be required to be needlessly destroyed.
To anyone who has not READ the entire text of the law, and to those who have merely "skimmed" it: READ the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 before dismissing the very real concerns and issues raised.
The Act is very confusing and we want to be mindful that others need to be given enough context to understand the issues. It is not about being anti-child-safety or anti-testing. It’s not about politics. It is about dealing with the fact that this over reaching law is far too vague and neglects to consider the impact of its words. For small American, Canadian, Australian and European toy-makers, and manufacturers of all children's products the costs of mandatory testing will probably force them out of business. That said, even larger companies are demanding more clarification.
Please read this excellent article written by Holly Jahangiri. I was touched by her elegance in making her points and her appeal to all people who will be impacted to unify their efforts.
I have no doubt the law will be amended, but how long will it take? And will it go far enough? During that time, how many independent designer and small business we have grown to love will be forced to closed their doors? As a crafts person, small business owner, children's product designer, book reader, consumer, etc, etc- I feel VERY deeply about changing this law. It impacts all of us. Please make your voice heard by signing a petition, writing or calling your congress representative, send a letter to talk show hosts like Oprah, Ellen, Rachel Ray, Martha Stewart, contact your local news stations - anything to get the word out. You help is GREATLY needed.
Sign the petitions!
Here are some sample letters:
To learn more:
While we applaud the CPSIA for responding, in their haste they simply forgot to exclude the class of children's goods that have earned and kept the public's trust: toys, clothes, books and accessories made in the US, Canada, Australia and Europe. As a result, unless the law is modified, is that handmade and used children's products will no longer be legal in the US. You won’t be able to sell or give away any children's products that have not been independently tested by a third-party lab and certified compliant with this law. Further more, this over reaching law will impact our schools and public libraries. Existing (safe) items will be required to be needlessly destroyed.
To anyone who has not READ the entire text of the law, and to those who have merely "skimmed" it: READ the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 before dismissing the very real concerns and issues raised.
The Act is very confusing and we want to be mindful that others need to be given enough context to understand the issues. It is not about being anti-child-safety or anti-testing. It’s not about politics. It is about dealing with the fact that this over reaching law is far too vague and neglects to consider the impact of its words. For small American, Canadian, Australian and European toy-makers, and manufacturers of all children's products the costs of mandatory testing will probably force them out of business. That said, even larger companies are demanding more clarification.
Please read this excellent article written by Holly Jahangiri. I was touched by her elegance in making her points and her appeal to all people who will be impacted to unify their efforts.
I have no doubt the law will be amended, but how long will it take? And will it go far enough? During that time, how many independent designer and small business we have grown to love will be forced to closed their doors? As a crafts person, small business owner, children's product designer, book reader, consumer, etc, etc- I feel VERY deeply about changing this law. It impacts all of us. Please make your voice heard by signing a petition, writing or calling your congress representative, send a letter to talk show hosts like Oprah, Ellen, Rachel Ray, Martha Stewart, contact your local news stations - anything to get the word out. You help is GREATLY needed.
Sign the petitions!
- http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/economicimpactsofCPSIA/index.html
- http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/RepealCPSIA/
- http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/reform-cpsia-hr4040.html
Here are some sample letters:
- http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/how-you-can-help
- http://capwiz.com/toyassociation/issues/alert/?alertid=12265226
- http://www.learningresources.com/category/id/104605.do
To learn more:
- CPSIA regulation
- This great article on ETSY with updated info & links.
- Handmade Toy Alliance
- National Bankruptcy Day
- updated info on Buy Handmade
12.30.2008
The Peace Symbol
Ever wonder about the origin of the peace symbol? If you are like me, it has just “always been there” - like one of the the letters of the alphabet. This year the peace symbol turned 50 and I found its story inspiring.
First hand painted on banners and ceramic badges as a symbol to protest against nuclear armament in 1958. Quickly, it spread around the world and within ten years had become the international symbol of peace. To read more about the peace symbol's history, click here and here.
Around the globe, regardless of race or religious beliefs, millions have looked to the peace symbol to unite them. Becoming a cultural icon, the symbol is probably the most commonly used non-religious symbol of hope around the world - instantly recognized anywhere as the universal sign for PEACE.
Quite an impressive accomplishment for a little stick-figure image. Peace.
Around the globe, regardless of race or religious beliefs, millions have looked to the peace symbol to unite them. Becoming a cultural icon, the symbol is probably the most commonly used non-religious symbol of hope around the world - instantly recognized anywhere as the universal sign for PEACE.Quite an impressive accomplishment for a little stick-figure image. Peace.
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