In 1976, when the Toxic Substances Control Act was introduced, we had no idea how many chemicals were being manufactured, or their effects on people and the planet. Today, we manufacture over 82,000 chemicals and that number continues to grow. The EPA has restricted the production of only 5 chemicals since the introduction of the Toxic Substances Control Act, and one, asbestos, was overturned in 1991. Why are we having so much difficulty regulating the production of chemicals in this country and what effect has it had on us? Jon Strassner, Climate Activist, and passionate podcaster, discusses the impact of chemicals on the planet and our spaces. How can we, as a design industry, have an impact on removing toxic chemicals from society and making our places of work, schools, and homes safer and toxin free? We will learn about chemical regulation and the restrictions on chemicals today, the effects that these toxins have on people, animals, and planet and how designers can absolutely change their behavior to maximize industry impact on this issue. Finally, we will review steps that the industry can take to set the stage for a toxin free future. In summary, our country's regulators have failed to protect us and allowed the powerful chemical industry to self-regulate and audit what they put in our homes, our bodies and into our waterways and air. While fence line communities generally suffer first and the most, every single person has been exposed and affected by toxic chemicals. We spend almost 90% of our time indoors, it's imperative that we start understanding the chemical environment that surrounds us. As designers, you can make a difference.