Artist: Dr Gemma O’Brien

Lead-safety Message: Since 2023, this plug-in hybrid car has been getting me around on way less petrol than my previous vehicle. It plugs in to charge in my garage using electricity from 100% renewable energy. Fully charged I can travel 50kms – which covers most of my local trips – without reverting to burning dead fossils (petrol). It feels so good to be able to make this move towards climate safety.

Description of Work: Selfie sticker made on iphone13. Smart phone photos collaged in Powerpoint and Paint.

Artist: Grandma Lead

Lead-safety Message: I actually feel joyful now that I’ve had solar panels and a battery installed and replaced my gas hot water and stove with an electric heat pump and electric stove. Fairy lights and an electric plane lightshade in the lounge really top off the feeling of doing something to protect our planet from lead in fossil fuels and help avert a climate crisis. Having a $300 credit for my electricity bill over the 6 months since the battery went in, instead of paying $600 in that time, is icing on the elation cake!

Description of Work: iPhone13 photos collaged in Powerpoint and Paint.

Artist/Photographer: Joseph Lee

Lead-safety Message: Because my house has solar panels on the roof and a storage battery on the wall (inset), my default mode is now ebike to get to pickleball and tennis and I can even extend my journey by taking it on ferry, light rail and bus trips. Way to go to NOT contribute to climate change or burn fossil fuels that all emit some lead. Go SOLAR!

Description of Work: “Sticker” of ebike created on iPhone13. Smart phone photos and sticker collaged in Powerpoint and Paint.

Artist: James Brando

Age: 4

Lead-safety Message: My city of Manila is ranked the 11^th worst city in the world for air pollution. Wearing a mask protects me from some of the air pollution and from COVID19 too. If my parents take me to the local health program, I could get a blood lead test and then they’d know if I need to start lead detox with oral EDTA.

Description of Work: Message from Pure Earth’s https://www.pureearth.org/philippines/ – Working to Solve Pollution in the Philippines Since 2008; Progress in Blood Lead Level (BLL) Testing in the Philippines (2021-Present) and www.leadtox.blog by Dr Ulrich Mack. “Lead” pencil drawing with lead-free pencil.

Artist: Paulo Castro

Age: 6

Lead-safety Message: My family will be happy for life if my parents take me to Philippines General Hospital for a blood lead test to find out if I should be treated for lead poisoning. EDTA in food can lower my blood lead level and supercharge my learning at home and at school.

Description of Work: Message from Pure Earth’s Mitigating Lead Exposure in the Philippines: Integrating Lead Detection Into National and Local Health Systems, and www.leadtox.blog by Dr Ulrich Mack. Texta drawings on coloured paper, cut-out and glued to paper.

Artist: Ella Mae Castro

Age: 4

Lead-safety Message: When there’s too much heavy metal dust and smog in the air in Manila, the rainbow is greyer and less vivid. Lucky for me, Pure Earth has collaborated with local governments to include blood lead testing in to local health programs in the Philippines.

Description of Work: Message from Pure Earth’s Mitigating Lead Exposure in Low- and Middle-Income Countries – A Project to Reduce Lead Exposure in 7 Countries [Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Peru, and the Philippines]. Texta line drawing coloured in with pencils.

Artist: Prince

Age: 8

Lead-safety Message: Rizal Monument in Manila includes a sculpture of Philippines national hero Jose Rizal, that was cast, in 1912, from molten bronze containing possibly up to 20% lead. Occupational exposure to lead fumes back then would have been massive and would certainly have contributed to the early death of the bronze workers.

Description of Work: Pen and coloured textas on paper.

Artist: Khai

Age: 7

Lead-safety Message: Trees, flowers, vegetables and herbs will all grow better if there’s no available lead in your soil. Apply 4mL of RC3 Yard N Garden Activated Humate Foliar spray per sq metre of soil because it promotes plant growth and binds the lead safely.

Description of Work: Lead-Safety Message from https://rc3.info/ and Dr Ulrich Mack. Pen and coloured texta drawing.

Artist: Paula Jacobe

Age: 10

Lead-safety Message: Thankfully, since the Philippines banned lead in children’s paints in 2013, the EcoWaste Coalition and UN/WHO Lead Paint Alliance has achieved a government ban on decorative (house) paints with lead – phased in from 2013 to 2016 – and a ban on lead-containing industrial paints by December 31, 2019.

Description of Work: Lead free children’s paints painting of a lion stencil.

Artist: Grandma Lead

Lead-safety Message: Wonderful volunteers like Ferdy and 15-year old Alex helped me talk to attendees and handed out hundreds of copies of dozens of different LEAD Group lead-safety information handouts at Expos like this between 1997 and 2014 – whenever we had government funding to pay for the stall to raise lead poisoning awareness.

Description of Work: Photo of The LEAD Group’s Lead Advisory Service Australia (LASA) stall in the Parents, Babies and Children’s Expo 2000 brochure.