'Eco-mom' shares ideas for families

A deep concern about reducing the negative impact of pollution on the earth has motivated a mom to take action: Meghan Breen of Albany started Eco-Mamas and Papas to share ideas about how parents can create a safer environment for their children.

"We want to raise awareness in the community about the dangers of pesticides and toxic cleaners in the environment. We want to educate people on what they can do," noted Mrs. Breen.

Eco-Mamas and Papas, which meets Mondays at 10 a.m. at the Pastoral Center in Albany, talks about eating locally grown organic foods, cloth diapers, safe cleaning products, family ecological "footprints," eco-prayers for the family and the Catholic Church's response to current environmental issues.

Awareness

Mrs. Breen, a member of the Albany diocesan Peace and Justice Commission, told The Evangelist that her concern for the environment is long-standing but deepened after her daughter Nuala, now 16 months old, was born.

"I've done research on environmental health for a very long time," Mrs. Breen explained. "I've always wanted to share what I've learned with others. Once my daughter was born, I began to think of others with babies and young children, the marginalized, the poor. Often, they can't control the environment that they live in. Many have no idea that they live in a daily toxic environment polluted by chemicals in food, drinking water, even the walls in their houses.

"There are many toxins that we live with, and I wanted to let people know that they can make small changes in the home to improve the quality of their lives. There are many simple but practical changes we can make now that will be beneficial to all of us in the future."

Changes

One simple change that parents of young children can make is to choose cloth diapers over disposable ones, she said. Another choice would be to use compact fluorescent lights instead of light bulbs; to recycle bottles, cans and glass; and to compost organic waste for use in gardens.

Mrs. Breen noted that her background as a Third Order Franciscan and former employee of the Sisters of the Third Franciscan Order in Syracuse helped her form a life-long commitment to improving the environment.

"I believe that we as Catholics should be educating people about the effects of pollution on our environment," she said. "One of our goals in this group is to raise the awareness of everyone in all walks of life about the long-term effects of pollution."

Catholics called

Mrs. Breen, a parishioner of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Albany, cited the Catholic Church's interest in environmental issues for the past three decades as a call to action for all Catholics.

"Since the 1970s, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Vatican have been publishing documents on environmental issues, she noted. "People know about these issues, but few seem to want to do anything about making the environment a safer place for all people to live.

"Within the Catholic Church, we have a rich tradition of family life. We can start right there; we don't have to go outside of the home to make healthy changes. Of course, there is a lot to be done, but we have to start somewhere and this is what I hope the group will be able to do: educate parents on how to reduce our impact upon the earth by making small changes for ourselves and our children."

(Says Mrs. Breen: "Our lives, our environment will never be perfect; but, if each of us does a little bit, we can achieve results. Care for our environment is not a political issue; it's personal because it affects each and every one of us." To learn more about the Eco-Mamas and Papas, call the diocesan Commission on Peace and Justice at 453-6650.)

(11/29/07)