A Pat on the Back December 31, 2009

To those companies who actually Walk the Green Walk

Dell  One of the very first companies to take back hardware from consumers and recycle it for free

Motorola  One of the best companies for revealing environmental date…and it too takes back used equipment

Ikea  uses only woods that meets the Forest Stewardship Council’s criteria and avoid toxins in finishes, glues and paints

Phillips Electronics  a top innovator of energy saving appliances and lighting

Toshiba  on the cutting edge of eco-efficient products like fuel cells for notebook PC’s

Toyota  for manufacturing the most fuel efficent, and powerful, hybrid vehicle on the road, the Prius

Sony, Toshiba and Apple  for creating three of the most eco-friendly lap tops on the market today, The Sony VAIO W, the Toshiba Satellite U500 and the Apple Macbook Pro.

Think of these companies as you look to buy new products in 2010 .

How Safe is Your Baby ?? November 20, 2009

When you buy lotion, shampoo or powder for your baby, you assume that it is safe and good for your baby.  However infant’s and toddler’s blood have the highest concentrations of phthalates and other chemicals of anyone tested.  Phthalates are man made chmicals used in plastics, household items, cosmetics and pesticides.  Worldwide use is estimated at several MILLION TONS each year.   However research indicates that phthalates are mutagenic, cancer-causing and adversely affect human male sperm.   At first, researchers  thought that children were ingesting these chemicals from chewing or sucking on plastic toys, or playing on dusty floors contaminated with dust from vinyl household items such as shower curtains.

However recent studies, including one conducted at the University of Washington and published in the journal “Pediatrics”  suggest anouther source: baby care products.  Doctors and researchers have found that most personal care products manufactured and marketed for babies are laced with phthalates, parabens and other potentially toxic chemicals.

Researchers tested the urine from the diapers of 163 infants, 2 to 28 months, and all had detectable amounts of phthalates,  and more than 80% had 7 or more types of phthalates present.  The levels increased with the amount of grooming.  More than 50% of the infants had exposure to  a baby shampoo used withint 24 hours, 14% had exposure to baby powder and 33% had exposure to baby lotion.  So not only are our babies absorbing toxic chemicals from the mothers while still in the womb, the very products we rely on to protect our babies are toxic as well.

Studies have found that phthalates can alter children’s hormones, especially the human male reproductive system while a fetus is developing .  The science is clear that these chemicals  are dangersous and that infants and children are more vulnerable because they are still developing .  There are grave concerns that these chemicals could interfere with reproduction when exposed children reach puberty.   Scientists do not yet know for certain  the long-term health affects of accumulated phthalates in the human body.  However there is a large body of animal studies which document developmental and reproductive toxicity, and a few human studies thus far which document negative changes in health outcomes as well.

Currently California bans 6 types of phthalates, however there are NO Federals laws banning their use in cosmetics or personal care products.   In fact, cosmetic and personal care manufacturers are under no obligation to list ALL their ingredients, so there is no way of knowing which products contain these chemicals. 

The European Union has banned the use of phthalates in nail polish and certain other personal care products.  You should as well.  Many companies have been creating personal care and cosmetics products which do not contain harmful chemicals for years.   Companies such as BOD, Aubrey Organics, Earth Mama, Angel Baby and Burt’s Bees Mom and Baby have forged a path to chemical free products.  Vote with your dollars and support these and other companies which are striving to reduce the chemicals in our world.

 

Green Up Your Life for Under $25.00?? Yes You Can !! August 28, 2009

It used to be that buying “organic” or “green” products meant “expensive”.  But no more.  Many companies are finally creating products for the mass market that won’t bankrupt you.  And to be even more economical, you can raid your pantry shelves to create your own products.  Here are some great  ideas to get you started!!

1) Shop local.  It reduces the need for shipping, which reduces pollution.  It supports your community.  And in the case of fresh fruits and vegetables, it will save you money.   To find a list of local shops, farms and services in your area, go to  www.livingeconomies.org  then click on “find a network”.

2) A child’s birthday party with no strange gifts, no mounds of unrecyclable wrapping paper AND helps a charitable cause??  It’s true!!  Go to www.echoage.com .  Parents send out evites, then guests make an online contribution of  what they would normally spend on a gift.  Half the money goes to a cause that the party’s hosts support, such as Second Harvest,  and the other half  goes to buying one special gift for the party child.  The child still has a party and all the cake and ice cream he or she and friends can eat,  AND have  the special joy of sharing.

3)Don’t Dump..Recycle.   www.frecycle.com  can help get rid of your unwanted stuff.  No money changes hands and your stuff won’t get added to a landfill.  Also check out  Really Really Free Market for lists of events all over the world where you can get new stuff or just get rid of your old stuff !!

4) Flower Food??   Grow your own blooms to cut, or buy locally at the Farmer’s Market.  And to keep them looking great longer, you don’t need to buy Floralife or other commercial preparations.   To one quart of warm water, add 1 teaspoon of sugar, the juice of one half lemon and just a few drops of bleach.  The bleach has an added benefit….it prevents that nasty scum from forming on the sides of vases.    For houseplants, keep the water you boiled your eggs in.  The calcium in the shells leaches into the water and is a great booster for your plants.   But if you don’t like boiled eggs, try putting 2 tablespoons of Epsum Salt into one gallon of water and feed plants once a month.  Your plants will be bushier and flowering plants will bloom more often.

5) Pet Stains??  Spray Holy Cow all purpose cleaner on almost any surface to erase spots.  This contains no strong chemicals and is “pet-safe”  Go to www.holycowproducts.com

6) Pet Odors??  Place an Earth Care Odor Removal Bag near the offensive odors to absorb them, or sprinkle the non-toxic granules directly onto carpets, furniture …even on your pet to get rid of unpleasant odors.  Available at Petco for about $10.00

7) Skin Saver.  Olive Oil has been used as a moisturizer since ancient times and can still be used today to help a sunburn heal faster.  Olive Oil also contains skin-nourishing fatty acids and antioxidants.  You can find organic olive oil in a wide variety of moisturizers and body creams from LEPO, available at www.naturesownstore.com

8) Gentle Line Smoother. Rose Oil is an emollient and a potent source of antioxidant Vitamin C making it ideal as a wrinkle reducer.  Topically applied, rose oil can also help people relax and lower their blood pressure.  Find it in BOD Organic Moroccan Rose Oil, available at www.naturesownstore.com

9) Need an adhesive?  Try UGlu, a double sided, non-toxic adhesive you cut to size to stick to almost anything.  No messy spills, and the cap will never get stuck to the tube !!  Go to www.ugluit.com for store locations

10) Feed your face.  Raid your kitchen for some neat cleansers!!   Mix a tablespoon of plain yogurt with a drizzle of honey for a cooling and soothing cleanser which is especially good for sensitive or irritted skin.  An added benefit…the honey has antibacterial properties.    For anti-aging effects, splash cooled brewed green tea onto face, then rinse.   At bedtime, apply a thin layer of olive oil to face, then tissue it off.   Olive oil hydrates skin and plumps it’s outer layers.  For irritated or sunburned skin, soak a soft washcloth in cool buttermilk then rinse with cool water .  Buttermilk calms and soothes the skin.

Hello world! August 16, 2009

Here you will see information about natural products, about how to remove chemicals from your everyday life, get recyling tips and learn about other sites that can help you live a little greener.

Why should you care about greener living??   Because the CDC and other scientific institutes advise that we may all be living longer, but we are living SICKER.  Infertility rates are climbing, cancer cases are climbing,  autism diagnoses are increasing every day.  Asthma, Alzheimers, and more diseases and neurological problems than I can name here, all are increasing.  And science is pointing to the chemical loads we are all carrying in our bodies.  Even newborn babies, straight from the womb,  are carrying chemical loads they have absorbed from their mothers.

Except for  food additives, manufacturers are NOT REQUIRED to conduct safety tests on chemicals they add to their products.  They are NOT REQUIRED to do studies that determine long term effects of the chemicals they use, nor how they build up in the body.  

So stay tuned, and we’ll try to keep you updated on the latest findings about chemical additives and how you can substitute in more natural and healthy alternative.