Our Programs
Bright Cities
works with local nonprofit groups and city governments to adopt customized policies and programs that help protect residents by reducing their exposures to neurotoxic chemicals. Since its inception in 2016, the Bright Cities of Dearborn, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City and Seattle have begun work on limiting pesticide use, increasing lead abatement, tackling vehicle and woodstove contributions to air pollution, purchasing fewer chemical-laden products and eliminating smoking in multifamily housing. In 2018, Anchorage, Columbia and Missoula joined the program. These new Bright Cities will soon complete assessments and begin their own initiatives to reduce exposures.
Bright Choices
collaborates with partner organizations to manage and support strategic campaigns that result in measurable protections from exposures to neurotoxic chemicals. Bright Choices’ cornerstone campaign is systematically eliminating the unnecessary use of toxic flame retardants in furniture, children’s products and electronics. In addition, Bright Choices co-leads a campaign to reduce exposures to phthalates in dairy products.
Science Into Action
helps groups power up their work to protect children from neurotoxic chemicals. We equip parents and partner organizations with original online action tools, sharable original research and change-inspiring science. Science into Action is tackling the tragedy of lead poisoning and helping companies find solutions to get harmful pollutants and additives like arsenic and phthalates out of their products.
Communications
spearheads quantitative message testing to enable powerful, common messaging, teaming with HBBF alliance partners in study design. Communications also provides hands-on communication support and strategy expertise for partner initiatives that align with HBBF priorities. That takes many forms, from providing big picture strategic guidance to creating social media toolkits to developing customized messaging and lists of digital influencers and media outlets who can help make campaigns successful.
Impact
At Healthy Babies Bright Futures (HBBF), we design our work to measurably reduce the largest sources of babies’ exposures to toxic chemicals that harm brain development. We target chemicals with the strongest body of evidence showing developmental harm.
Our portfolio aims to reduce early-life exposures to arsenic, phthalates, flame retardants, lead, organophosphate pesticides (OPs), and air pollutants called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). We are also supporting efforts to decrease the levels of mercury, perchlorate, PCBs and emerging neurotoxins like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS chemicals).
Our work will help decrease the prevalence of learning and behavioral problems like autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.