Silent Spring Institute

10/09/2025

Tomorrow’s the big night!
We’re so excited to welcome guests to Silent Spring Institute’s Gala on Thursday, October 9 at the Museum of Science, Boston.
Featuring:
• Executive Director Dr. Mary Beth Terry
• Honorees: Peggy Shepard, Eniola Shokunbi & The Bailis Family
• Host: Katie Martell
• Live Auction with Jacqueline Towers-Perkins

Registration for this event has closed.

Our Silent Auction closes at 9:00 p.m. ET on October 9.
Open to all! Bid on unforgettable experiences, unique gifts, and more. Support our critical research while purchasing gifts for your friends and family to enjoy.

Get your bids in today: https://auctria.events/ssigala
Learn more about the gala: silentspring.org/gala

10/08/2025

Well said.

"A good pan is like a trusted friend: It improves with time, instead of slowly poisoning you. The industry, of course, doesn’t want you to know this. It’s spent many millions of dollars convincing Americans that nonstick is synonymous with modern tech."

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/opinion/nonstick-pans-cooking-chemicals-teflon.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

Listen to Silent Spring's Dr. Laurel Schaider explain, at a US Senate hearing, the harmful health effects of PFAS and why we need to turn off the tap on the unnecessary uses of these chemicals in our daily lives and focus on safer alternatives. (start: 00:28:30).

https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2024/12/examining-the-public-health-impacts-of-pfas-exposures

10/07/2025

Could our canine companions be the ideal environmental health sentinels?

A better understanding of how pollution affects pets could benefit humans and animals alike.

10/03/2025

Silent Spring’s 2025 Gala Silent Auction is now LIVE!

From unforgettable experiences to unique treasures, there’s something for everyone—and every bid helps fuel our mission to protect human health and the environment through cutting-edge research. Anyone can bid, so be sure to share this with your friends and family!

The auction will close at 9:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, October 9.

Get your bids in today: https://auctria.events/ssigala
Learn more about the gala: silentspring.org/gala

Bid high, bid often, and make an impact!

09/30/2025

On October 9, Silent Spring Institute is proud to celebrate three inspiring changemakers and visionary leaders at our annual Gala:

✨ Eniola Shokunbi – At just 12 years old, Eniola is leading an effort to improve air quality in schools. She helped secure an $11.5 million grant to bring DIY Corsi-Rosenthal air filters to classrooms across Connecticut. Her mission: to expand the initiative nationwide and inspire more young people to lead in STEAM and environmental health.

✨ The Bailis Family – In honor of Susan S. Bailis, we are presenting the inaugural Susan S. Bailis Champion Award to her family—Larry Bailis, Kathryn Bailis Phillips, and David Bailis. Susan’s legacy lives on through her family’s continued dedication to Silent Spring’s mission and through the Susan S. Bailis Research Fund, which has raised over $4.5 million to support research on the environmental causes of breast cancer.

✨ Peggy Shepard – A trailblazer in environmental justice, Peggy will be honored with the Rachel Carson Advocacy Award. As co-founder and executive director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Peggy has spent more nearly four decades mobilizing communities and breaking barriers nationally, serving on multiple advisory councils and earning some of the nation’s highest honors for her work.

Learn more at silentspring.org/gala

09/25/2025

Meet the voices behind the mic at our Gala Celebration!

🎤 Host: Katie Martell
A dynamic emcee and speaker, Katie has graced stages around the world- sparking conversations on marketing, social change, and the stories that shape our culture. With features in BBC, Forbes, WSJ, and more, she brings energy, insight, and inspiration to every event.

🔨 Auctioneer: Jacqueline Towers-Perkins
An international auctioneer and fundraising consultant, Jacqueline has raised millions for nonprofits, working with everyone from King Charles to Jay-Z and Beyoncé. With experience at Sotheby’s and Bonhams, she’s a pro at bringing excitement (and generosity!) to the auction floor.

We’re excited to have these two powerhouses back leading our gala stage!!

Find all event details at silentspring.org/gala

09/25/2025

Great article by Liza Gross about a new EWG study showing just how much people are exposed to pesticides from eating produce.

And a good reminder that buying organic when you can has broad benefits. As Silent Spring's Dr. Jennifer Kay put it: "Buying organic produce helps push markets and food producers to invest more in organic farming. That, in turn, protects farmworkers from being exposed to high levels of toxic chemicals in their jobs, and it reduces the amount of pesticides that end up in our food, drinking water and environment.”

Eating fruits and vegetables grown in the U.S. exposes consumers to classes of pesticides associated with serious health problems. New research helps show just how much.

09/24/2025

Great to see more scientists taking a precautionary approach when it comes to chemical exposures, modeling practices in their daily lives like "scrutinizing ingredients on shampoo bottles for questionable dyes, scanning cleaning products for chemicals known to disrupt hormones, and avoiding anything scented or labeled “antibacterial”."

These practices can also help shift markets toward safer products.

The article cites Silent Spring's study, which identified more than 900 chemicals that could influence the development of breast cancer risk.

Studies suggest modern life may be fueling the rise of cancer in younger adults, with factors like ultra-processed foods and chemicals under scrutiny.

09/20/2025

Thank you to our corporate sponsors for supporting Silent Spring’s Gala Celebration on October 9! We are grateful to have you join us in our mission to uncover the environmental causes of breast cancer.

The TJX Companies, Inc.
Eastern Bank
Marble Harbor Investment Counsel, LLC
The Village Bank
William Blair
Credo Beauty
Timber Creek Capital Management
Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition
Multipure
Baker Tilly
Katie Martell
Studio G Architects
Ilene Solomon Newton Real Estate , Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC

Join our sponsors in giving by visiting silentspring.org/gala

09/19/2025

This Sunday (9/21), Silent Spring’s Dr. Elissia Franklin will be talking about exposures to hazardous chemicals in beauty products at the 18th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities.

Her presentation is part of a plenary session focused on environmental health disparities, chaired by Dr. Mary Beth Terry, Executive Director of Silent Spring.

Explore the Sunday program for the 18th AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities, taking place September 18-21, 2025.

09/18/2025

Time is running out to RSVP for our Gala Celebration!

Just one day remains to secure your spot for our Gala taking place on October 9, 2025, at the Museum of Science, Boston. Join us for a remarkable evening celebrating and uplifting breast cancer prevention research. We hope to see you there!

Learn more and RSVP by visiting silentspring.org/gala