Thanks to the generous support of you, our readers, we have hit our goal and raised $150,000 to fund Toxic America, a six-month series which will investigate the health risks from exposure to chemicals in our everyday lives.
We owe our readers an enormous thank you for helping us bring this ambitious project to life and supporting the Guardian’s fearless, independent journalism. While we’ve already hit our goal, the fundraiser officially closes on 30 June so it’s not too late to make a contribution.
We launched our Toxic America fundraiser on 22 May, just over a month ago, and since that date we have published more than 30 stories exploring the dangers posed by chemicals found in our food, water, cosmetics and household products. Over the same time period we received more than thousands of contributions that supported this work and will continue to help fund our coverage this year. The series also received a $25,000 grant to theguardian.org from the Broad Reach Fund.
The inspiration for this series came from you, our readers, and your interest in our past coverage of the toxic chemicals in our environment and the dangers of pollution.
And the stories in the series clearly resonated with you. Among the stories that garnered the greatest response from readers in our fundraiser were Emily Holden’s first-person piece, Is modern life poisoning me? I took the tests to find out, in which Emily was tested for her everyday chemical exposure, as well as stories about the concerning chemicals present in food and cosmetics.
Plastic pollution and its effect on our health were of utmost interest to supporters as well, including our investigation into plastic recycling, in which eight reporters across 11 countries showed what really happens when we throw plastic into a recycling bin in the US. The story involved months of expensive reporting around the world and demonstrates how vital your support truly is to the Guardian’s work.
Our practical guides to recycling and which groceries you should buy organic also resonated with you.
One of the most significant investigations in our project so far revealed the internal emails of the $640bn chemical lobby in the US, which is currently better funded than the NRA. The story showed how the lobby pushed back against tougher regulations and testing of chemicals in consumer products. Industry influence is part of the explanation for why the US allows chemicals that are banned in Europe.
We want to make sure that this series combines rigorous investigative reporting with accessible, practical information to help you make informed decisions in your everyday lives. One expert who gave us guidance in our series was Leonardo Trasande, a professor and vice-chair for research at the Department of Pediatrics at New York University, and the author of Sicker, Fatter, Poorer. Trasande helped us break down the terminology of toxins, argued for the economic benefit of banning toxins, and starting Thursday will answer reader questions about Toxic America.
Thank you again for helping to make this series a reality, and for continuing to support the Guardian in its commitment to reporting factually and fearlessly on the environment. And please do keep in touch – you can reach us with questions, comments or story ideas at ToxicAmerica@theguardian.com.
