TV Spots Urge Senators to Protect Unborn from Mercury Pollution The Evangelical Environmental Network announced the launch of multi-state TV spot campaign arguing that EPA mercury regulations are a pro-life issue. The TV spots target Senators in OH, PA, MO, and NH as well as running throughout the week in the DC media market. In the TV ads, Rev. Tracey Bianchi, an evangelical mom and pastor, describes the dangerous effects of mercury poisoning on the unborn, including permanent brain damage. "I believe every life is a precious gift from God. I expect members of Congress to protect the unborn," says Rev. Bianchi, "and Coal-burning power plants in our region have helped raise mercury levels in our waters, threatening the unborn with permanent brain damage.” Specifically, the ads are lifting up Senators Casey (D-PA), Brown (D-OH), McCaskill (D-MO), and Ayotte (R-NH). The ads are running during the Sunday morning talk shows and are also running regularly in the Washington DC market on cable news stations urging President Obama and all the Senate to protect our children. "One in six babies born in the U.S. have harmful levels of mercury in their blood. Pro-life members of Congress should be doing everything they can to protect the unborn from this threat. Medical research shows that unborn children’s mercury levels are twice the levels of their mothers. There is no known safe level of mercury for our unborn. Why would Congress or the American people not wish to have EPA protect our unborn children from mercury?” says the Rev. Mitch Hescox, President of the Evangelical Environmental Network. The TV spots follow up on a $250,000 media campaign that included TV and Christian radio ads that ran on across OH, PA, NH, ME, MI, AR, and MA. EEN has worked with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the National Association of Evangelicals, and over 120 evangelical pastors and leaders who signed An Evangelical Call to Stop the Mercury Poisoning of the Unborn to urge lawmakers to protect the EPA’s ability to reduce the impact of mercury on the unborn. Once emitted, mercury falls from the air into local water sources, becomes part of the food chain, is consumed by pregnant mothers when they eat contaminated fish, and can have devastating impacts on their unborn children. For more information: creationcare.org/mercury.

Posted on Thursday, March 22, 2012 (Archive on Thursday, April 12, 2012) Posted by Jym St. Pierre   Contributed by Jym St. Pierre