Endangered Spaces blog

Concerned Visitors and valued friends

2013-04-19T16:23:00.003-05:00

Due to illness, this blog is not currently being updated. Please feel free to search for articles of interest or to read older post. Thank you for reading my blog all these years and I hope to be back up on my feet soon. Blessings, prayers and positive thoughts are appreciated.

Eileen aka CyberCelt

Renew Production Tax Credit for Alternative Energy

2012-12-31T12:39:00.001-06:00

Featured Action: Tell Congress to Renew the Production Tax Credit Now!

Congress is delaying renewing the Production Tax Credit, an important financing provision for wind energy. Every day of stalling means more American jobs are in jeopardy.

Could it be Big Oil & Gas that is persuading our electeds to do their bidding??

Tell Congress to support extending the Production Tax Credit, ensuring a job-creating industry continues to grow.

Save the Syrian Civilians from Oppression

2012-12-31T12:27:00.003-06:00

CLICK here to sign the Petition, Spread the Word, Donate

Global Warming, 1; Birds, 0

2012-12-29T22:57:00.001-06:00

According to National Audubon, pollution, habitat destruction and now global warming are hitting birds hard. They have published a list of the top 10 endangered, the 10 Under 10,000,

A Few Under Pressure

Piping Plover. An endearing shorebird, with an estimated 8,000 individuals remaining in the wild. The majority of Piping Plovers winter in the Bahamas, a fact that scientists did not discover until 2011.
Black Oystercatcher. This showy all-black Pacific shorebird has a bright red bill and red eyes, making them easy to spot. Population estimates hover around 8,900.
Kirtland’s Warbler. An adult Kirtland’s Warbler weighs less than half an ounce. Numbers fell as low as 200 birds in the late 1980s, but conservation efforts have helped the little songbird rebound to a still-precarious 2,800.
Gunnison Sage-Grouse. A dark and turkey-like grouse. Like the Greater Sage Grouse, males engage in memorably comedic courtship displays. Habitat loss has driven these birds to 2,000 to 5,000 individuals in Western Colorado.
Whooping Crane. America’s tallest bird. Fewer than 500 of these magnificent birds survive in the wild. Hunting drove the Whooping Cranes to the brink – in 1941 only 15 birds remained.

Click for more information or to donate to Audubon.

Holiday Greetings

2012-12-23T23:49:00.003-06:00

May all the Blessings of this Sacred Season

Be With You and Yours Throughout the Year.

Privacy: The many ways you are spied upon

2012-12-11T09:54:00.001-06:00

Privacy Update

Back in October of 2008, I wrote Big Brother Listening to your Telephone. I was shocked then at the access the government had to all our data. Nothing prepared me for the article, "Crosshairs," in the recent Popular Mechanics Magazine (January 13).

We live in advanced society, connected by cell phones, text, email, chat, social networks. However, I fear we have given away our privacy for convenience.

Avenues In and Out of Your Life

Banks

Banks and credit card companies routinely sell your shopping data to marketers.

Cable Companies

Cable companies are experimenting with tracking and targeted advertising using using cable boxes and game consoles already present in the home,

Cars

Cameras monitor cars from the outside but many cars have Internet connected telemetry systems on the inside that log location and driver behavior.

Modern license plate readers can process 1800 plates per minute and facial recognition systems such as the one used by the Pennsylvania justice network can automatically match faces from surveillance footage to mug shots in criminal databases.

Computers

Your personal computer can monitor your browsing habits, passwords, and banking information. A device called a keylogger can record every keystroke you make. A webcam can spy on you.
GPS

With the access to the global positioning system satellites, it is now possible to locate any enabled devices to within 25 feet.

Hackers

Of course, there are hackers who mine the Internet for your personal information using keyloggers and other devices. Other hackers just steal it from the government and data databases

Internet Service Providers

Online services provide a rich source of data for advertisers; weak password protection can also make personal online accounts prime targets.

Online Shopping

Online stores such as Amazon and Apple iTunes have made customer profiling part of their business strategy.

Smart Phones

Every time a mobile phone act assesses a cell tower, you leave a time coded trail of your movements.Smart phones have embedded GPS, our Internet connected, and run software. They allow location and behavior to be tracked through your cell service provider and by the applications you instal.

Social Networks

Social services such as Facebook, Google+ and Twitter follow you everywhere there is a "like, "tweet" or other recommendation button.

Reasonable Steps to Become More Secure

I wish I could wrap this up with some sage advice. However, we have given up the right to privacy, everywhere, including our homes. There are a few things, which remain effective IF YOU KEEP THEM UPDATED.

1, You need to install virus, adware, malware, registry editor and an integrated solution like Norton 360, and set them to run periodically. Turn on the Windows firewall.

2. Set your browser to empty your cookies and delete your cache EACH time the browser closes.

3. Memorize your passwords, change them periodically.

4. If possible, use web mail. This will reduce the amount of viruses, adware and malware downloaded onto your machines.

Be careful out there..

Clean Green ~ For Health and Holidays

2012-11-25T09:44:00.000-06:00

Just a brief note to tell you that the blog, EarthEasy, has a wonderful blog post on making your own cleansers. These are safe, natural and they work.

Here are links to some articles I have written about green cleaning.

All Purpose Citrus Household Cleanser

http://endangeredspaces.blogspot.com/2011/07/all-purpose-citrus-household-cleanser.html

Green Clean Cleansers

http://endangeredspaces.blogspot.com/2009/01/green-clean-cleansers.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why do I emphasize green cleaners? Over the past few years, I have learned the ingredients of fracking runoff, toxic lakes and ocean dead zones. I started looking at ingredients on cleansers carefully and was frightened by what I knew were toxic substances.

According to the American Association of Poison Centers, children younger than 6 years old account for about half of the calls placed to poison centers (EPA).

Keep your child safe, your environment clean and your holidays worry-free.

Hall of Shame for Household Cleansers

2012-11-10T20:21:00.002-06:00

Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org/) provides information on cleaning product ingredients from the published scientific literature and from data available from companies and the government.

Below are some products from the HALL OF SHAME. Mainly, I want you to visit the website and find out information on products you use. Soon to come to the website is a database of cleaners, which you will be able to search and find better alternatives to your cleansers.

The best advice is buried in the list, so I have moved it up here:

Check your brands' labels and websites for ingredient lists. Avoid products containing nonylphenol ethoxylates (look for "nonylphen" or "nonoxynol" within the ingredient name) and 2-butoxyethanol, butoxydiglycol, ethylene- or diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether or methoxydiglycol.

Below are the worst of the bad cleansers and treatments.

Simple Green Concentrated All-Purpose Cleaner

It's labeled "non-toxic" and "biodegradable." It contains:

2-butoxyethanol, a solvent absorbed through the skin that damages red blood cells and irritates eyes;
A secret blend of alcohol ethoxylate surfactants. Some members of this chemical family are banned in the European Union.

Whink Rust Stain Remover

Advertised for cleaning white porcelain sinks, toilet bowls and colorfast fabrics and carpet, the fine print warns:

"May be fatal or cause permanent damage."
"Causes severe burns which may not be immediately painful or visible."
On technical information for workers, "will penetrate skin and attack underlying tissues and bone."

Citra-Solv Cleaner & Degreaser

These concentrated liquids and ready-to-use sprays contain d-limonene and orange oils from citrus peels. According to the company's worker safety disclosure, Citra-Solv concentrate is 85 to 95 percent d-limonene. That the oils are derived from citrus implies safety, but sprayed into the air, they can react with trace levels of ozone air pollution to form ultra-fine particles that penetrate deep into the lungs and formaldehyde, which the U.S. government classifies as a known human carcinogen. The California Air Resources Board advises people to limit the use of citrus- or pine oil-based cleaners on smoggy days to avoid exposure to particulates and formaldehyde.

Banned abroad-should be banned in USA

Spic and Span Multi-Surface and Floor Cleaner

This product contains nonylphenol ethoxylate, which the state of California has banned in cleaning products manufactured after 2012. Products containing this chemical cannot be sold in the European Union. Nonylphenol ethoxylate breaks down to nonylphenol, which can disrupt the hormone system, is toxic to aquatic life and persists in the environment.

Scrubbing Bubbles - Antibacterial Bathroom Cleaner & Extend-A-Clean Mega Shower Foamer

These products contain up to 10 percent DEGBE, also called butoxydiglycol, a solvent banned in the European Union at concentrations above 3 percent in aerosol cleaners. It can irritate and inflame the lungs.

Mop & Glo Multi-Surface Floor Cleaner

It contains DEGME, also called methoxydiglycol, at up to 15 times the concentration allowed in cleaners sold in the European Union. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe says DEGME is "suspected of damaging the unborn child." (This product is also sold as "Mop & Glo Triple Action Floor Shine.")

DampRid Mildew Stain Remover Plus Blocker

It may contain up to 10 percent of a hazardous solvent called 2-butoxyethanol. Canada caps this chemical's use in non-aerosol cleaners at 6 percent. It also contains nonylphenol ethoxylate, prohibited in cleaners sold in the E.U.

EASY-OFF Fume Free Oven Cleaner

This spray contains 5 to 10 percent DEGBE. The E.U. bars concentrations of DEGBE greater than 3 percent because it can harm the lungs.

Drain cleaners that can burn and blind

Drano Professional Strength Kitchen Crystals Clog Remover

The label says this product can severely burn eyes and skin and cause blindness or even death. Drano Kitchen Crystals may remain in the drain after use, creating an extreme hazard. Using a plunger could cause caustic splashback. Pouring any other product down the drain might trigger a dangerous chemical reaction. The label warns purchasers to "keep water out of can at all times to prevent contents from violently erupting or boiling out." Yet unsuspecting consumers have been known to store it under the sink.

Oven cleaners that emit toxic fumes

Conventional oven cleaners can contain substantial amounts of sodium or potassium hydroxide, meant to dissolve crusty, baked-on gunk. These chemicals can also burn skin, lungs and eyes.

Walmart Great Value Heavy Duty Oven & Grill Cleaner

The label warns: "Will burn skin and eyes. Avoid contact with skin, eyes, mucous membranes and clothing. Harmful if swallowed. Avoid inhaling spray mist. Wear long rubber gloves while using…"

CVS/pharmacy Fume-Free Oven Cleaner

Though claiming to be "fume-free," the label warns: "Vapor harmful… open windows and doors or use other means to ensure fresh air entry during application and drying." The label says the product contains an unidentified substance "known to the state of California to cause cancer."

EASY-OFF Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner Aerosol Spray

The label warns: "Warning: …DANGER: CORROSIVE…WILL BURN EYES AND SKIN. HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED. Avoid contact with eyes, skin, mucous membranes and clothing. DO NOT ingest. Use only with adequate ventilation. Avoid breathing spray mist. Wear long rubber gloves when using…"

Mystery mixtures

Ingredient labels are mandatory for food, cosmetics and drugs - but not for cleaners. Bowing to pressure from customers and to the threat of federal regulation, most companies list some ingredients on labels and websites or in worker safety information. But a few companies disclose nothing. Others may list one or a few ingredients or use vague terms like "surfactant" or "solvent."

Target's Up & Up

This brand's Toilet Bowl Cleaner and Glass and Surface Wipes do not list any ingredients on the product packaging. Other products sold under the Up & Up label list only one or two ingredients or use vague terms.

LA's Totally Awesome

This brand divulges few ingredients. It lists just one ingredient for its Orange All Purpose Degreaser & Spot Remover, the hazardous solvent 2-butoxyethanol.

Walmart's Great Value

This store brand does not list ingredients in its Heavy Duty Oven & Grill Cleaner and lemon-scented Furniture Polish, despite the company's commitment "to sell products that sustain people and the environment." Other items sold under the Great Value brand list few ingredients or use general terms for them.

Fatal if inhaled

Some popular cleaning products contain addictive inhalants. Inhalants generally have been abused by 1 in 5 American teens and are considered "gateway drugs" that lead to drug and alcohol abuse (www.inhalent.org). They are potentially fatal in concentrated form. A few of the many inhalant products EWG found:

Glade Air Freshener Sprays, Air Wick automatic air fresheners, and Old English furniture polish

These products warn that "intentional misuse by deliberately concentrating and inhaling the contents can be harmful or fatal."

Spot Shot Carpet Stain Remover

This product warns that "inhalation abuse of aerosol products may be harmful or fatal."

Fatal if swallowed

When is a clean house worth this risk?

Lysol Disinfectant Power Toilet Bowl Cleaner with Lime & Rust Remover

This corrosive acid concoction kills bacteria but is also labeled "harmful or fatal if swallowed." The cleaner's child-proof cap is an important safety feature. The label warns not to squeeze the container when opening and to wear safety goggles. A bit of this acid in the eye can cause "irreversible damage."

2000 Flushes and X-14 toilet bowl cleaners

These chlorine-laden discs don't harm plumbing or septic systems, but according to the label they "may be fatal if swallowed." The boxes warn customers to wear rubber gloves when handling, hold the disc away from the face and avoid inhaling the fumes. A pet could confuse a disc with a plastic chew toy.

High-hazard ingredients

Hagerty Liquid Jewel Clean

It contains perchloroethylene, a toxic solvent classified as "probably carcinogenic to humans" by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Tarn-X Tarnish Remover

This "Wipe & Rinse" product contains up to 7 percent thiourea, a chemical classified as a carcinogen by the state of California. The company's technical information for workers says "prolonged or repeated exposure may cause reproductive and fetal effects."

Ajax, Dynamo and Fab Ultra liquid laundry detergents (Phoenix Brands)

These contain formaldehyde, also known as formalin, classified as a known human carcinogen by the U.S. government and World Health Organization. Formaldehyde can cause asthma and allergies. The company divulges the presence of formaldehyde in the product only on technical disclosures for workers.

Combatting static with toxic chemicals

Dryer sheets and anti-static sprays may free clinging fabrics and stop static sparks, but they usually do it with quaternary ammonium compounds that can irritate lungs and cause asthma as well as allergic contact dermatitis.

Static Guard

This product contains the chemical DTDMAC, or ditallow dimethyl ammonium chloride, which is so persistent in the environment that it can't be used as a cleaning ingredient in the European Union.

Final Touch Ultra Liquid Fabric Softener

This brand contains quaternium-18 (dihydrogenated tallow dimethyl ammonium chloride or DHTDMAC), which also cannot be used in cleaning products sold in the European Union because of its persistence in the environment.

Spray cleaners with asthma-causing ingredients

Even though 1 in 10 U.S. children suffers from asthma, some companies make spray cleaners that fill the air with asthmagens, meaning ingredients that cause asthma.

Clorox, Fantastik, Febreze, Formula 409, Easy-Off, Lysol, Mr. Clean and Spic and Span.

Many of the spray cleaners sold under these brand names are laced with quaternary ammonium compounds or ethanolamine, ingredients classified as asthmagens by the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics, a professional association of clinics and health experts. These chemicals can trigger asthma attacks and can cause new cases of the disease in people who are asthma-free. Ingredients classified as asthmagens don't belong in spray products.

100+ hidden chemicals

EWG's 2009 state-of-the-art air pollution tests of 21 common school cleaning products turned up a wide range of air contaminants linked to asthma, cancer, reproductive toxicity, hormone disruption and neurotoxicity. Some of the worst offenders are in products also commonly used in the home.

Comet Disinfectant Cleanser Powder

This product emitted 146 different chemicals, including some thought to cause cancer, asthma and reproductive disorders. The most toxic chemicals detected - formaldehyde, benzene, chloroform and toluene - are not listed on the label. Little is known about the health risks of most of the contaminants found.

Febreze Air Effects

This product released 89 air contaminants.

Undisclosed chemicals in the air

Air fresheners do not clean or purify the air. They merely cover up odors by releasing undisclosed mixtures of fragrance chemicals. Common fragrance components include chemicals that spur allergies, trigger asthma attacks or impair reproduction.

Lysol Neutra Air Freshmatic

This product boasts that "your home will always smell fresh and clean" but cautions that the device should be placed "in well-ventilated rooms away from sleeping areas." Among the label's warnings:may be harmful if directly inhaled, may cause allergic reaction in some individuals, DO NOT spray towards face or body, DO NOT get in eyes, avoid content with skin, DO NOT spray directly onto surfaces.

Air Wick Freshmatic Compact

This product cautions to "use in well-ventilated rooms away from sleeping areas."

Febreze and Glade automatic air fresheners

These products warn, "Do not use in small confined pet areas without adequate ventilation."

Dead Zone Cleansers

Most detergents claim they are "phosphate free." And that's a good thing, because phosphate compounds, formerly a mainstay for cleaning dishes and clothing, wash into waterways and spur rampant algae growth that leads to massive "Dead Zones" in the Gulf of Mexico, Chesapeake Bay and other water bodies. Twenty-five states and the District of Columbia prohibit phosphates in household dishwashing and laundry detergents. But some companies exploit a legal loophole by selling phosphate-laden additives that are as harmful as banned detergents.

FINISH Glass Magic Hardwater Performance Booster

This product contains up to 21 percent phosphate by weight, according to the label.

Source: http://www.ewg.org/release/ewg-s-online-guide-healthy-cleaning

dona nobis pacem

2012-11-03T21:20:00.000-05:00

November 4
BlogBlastforPeace

Get Your Peace Globe in 4 Easy Steps

Blog Blast for Peace

2012-10-27T21:15:00.000-05:00

Dona Nobis Pacem

Clear Cutting the Boreal Forest

2012-10-22T13:57:00.000-05:00

Shell's Tar Sands Mine Threatens Boreal Forest

The Shell oil company has announced plans to expand its Jackpine tar sands strip mine in Alberta, Canada. The project would fuel more global warming pollution, hasten the destruction of the boreal forest and imperil wildlife, including caribou, songbirds, owls and lynx -- all to extract the world's dirtiest fuel and supply dangerous pipelines like the proposed Keystone XL. Tell Shell to withdraw its application for the mine and to focus instead on cleaner sources of energy.

Clear Cut Boreal Forest

A Great Forest Once Stood Here

Leatherback Turles Endangered by Drift Nets

2012-10-15T21:41:00.001-05:00

Today marks California’s first Pacific Leatherback Turtle Conservation Day. But while leatherbacks are being honored on land, they’re being drowned under the water.

Along the coast, mile-long fishing nets called “drift gillnets” are catching and suffocating some members of California’s most endangered turtle species. The gillnet fishery is set to expand in the next year – which means more turtles could die in these lethal nets. We’ve got to make state and federal officials think twice before signing a death warrant on a state symbol.

Sign petition to ban deadly drift gill nets and help protect endangered sea turtles from drowning

via Oceana

Blog Action Day : The Power of We

2012-10-15T00:44:00.000-05:00

National Resource Defense Council

National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) is one of the most effective environmental action group in the USA. Active members like Robert Redford and Robert F. Kennedy add panache to what many consider a "ho-hum" topic--the environment. Over one million online activist members bring the power of the Internet to bear on recalcitrant companies, politicians and agencies. Add the knowledge and expertise of a seasoned cadre of lawyers, scientists and other professionals and you have a formidable block that demonstrates the Power of We.

Do you want more information? On the NRDC website, you will find

Research Reports
Legislative Analyses
Issue Briefs
Fact Sheets
Excellent blogs

Priority issues include:

Curbing Global Warming and Creating the Clean Energy Future
Reviving the World's Oceans
Defending Endangered Wildlife and Wild Places
Protecting Our Health by Preventing Pollution
Ensuring Safe and Sufficient Water
Fostering Sustainable Communities

Bio-Gems

(push-button activism)

NRDC has an initiative, BioGems, that defends wildlife and wild places. BioGems . . .

, , , harnesses the power of online citizen activism to help save our continent’s most endangered natural treasures — our BioGems — for the sake of a sustainable planet and all future generations.

NRDC uses social media, email, mobile, blogs and push-button websites to coordinate one of the nation's largest network of grass-roots activists. The Power of We in action is assisted by technology that covers all the bases.

This post written for Blog Action Day, October 15, 2012 http://blogactionday.org/

#powerofwe #BAD12

Bristol Bay Endangered by Mining Giants

2012-10-05T23:41:00.002-05:00

Anglo American and Rio Tinto mining corporations are determined to gouge out a huge open pit mine out of the Bristol Bay wilderness in Alaska.

The Pebble Mine is an environmental disaster waiting to happen. Imagine a 2,000-foot deep open pit mine for gold and silver stretching two miles in this pristine area. If that is not bad enough, the mine would be situated in a known earthquake zone.

The mining giants will extract 70 million gallons of freshwater DAILY and store billions of tons of mining waste, complete with cyanide, sulfuric acid, arsenic and other toxins behind earthen dams, one larger than the Three Gorges Dam in China.

The largest sockeye salmon streams in the world run through this paradise. Millions of salmon support Native communities that have thrived here since the last ice age. Bristol Bay is home to orcas and beluga whales, bears, eagles, wild moose and caribou and one of two population of freshwater harbor seals left in the world.

Make a difference today. Visit the NRDC site and take action or donate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Check out prior posts on Pebble Mine on Endangered Spaces blog:

Endangered Spaces blog: Hard Rock Mine Poison Grizzly Bears

Aug 11, 2012

The following message, urging Americans to tell mining giant Anglo American to abandon its plans for digging the disastrous Pebble Mine in Alaska's wildlife Eden of Bristol Bay, was sent by http://www.SaveBioGems.org...

Endangered Spaces blog: Save Bristol Bay from Polluting Mining ...

May 04, 2011

Planned Pebble Mine Operation. Water would constantly have to be drained away from the mine to prevent copper and acid mine pollutants from seeping into the watershed that drains into streams where salmon, by the ...

Endangered Spaces blog: Robert Redford Says, "Take Action on ...

Apr 04, 2011

I thought you might want to see the following message from Robert Redford, urging people to send a message to mining giant Rio Tinto in opposition to its disastrous Pebble Mine. Dear Friend, You should care about Rio Tinto ...

Endangered Spaces blog: Stop Open Pit Mine in Alaska

Oct 22, 2010

Be BAD on October 15, 2012

2012-09-25T19:26:00.001-05:00

We the People * VOTE * SHARE *

2012-09-25T19:24:00.004-05:00

Dear Eileen:

Today is National Voter Registration Day and, as such, I wanted to take this opportunity to encourage all of you to make sure you're registered to vote in your state this November.

If you're already registered, great! However, please read on to find out how you can help spread the word.

If you're not yet registered, or if you're just not sure, please use this simple & convenient online registration form created by our good friends at OurTime.org. Note, you do not need to have a Facebook account to use this tool.

Once you've completed your registration, please be sure to either forward this email to all of your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers, or click on the following link to share Our Time's registration tool on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=www.facebook.com/OurTimeOrg/app_339209582820444
Democracy only works when We The People actively take part in electing our leaders. Make sure your voice is heard!

Sincerely,

Rob

REMEMBER 9/11/2001

2012-09-11T03:36:00.001-05:00

Poison Free Wasp Traps Work

2012-09-09T21:36:00.000-05:00

Make a homemade wasp trap to eliminate wasps from your home. All you need is a 2-liter soda bottle, a utility knife and duct tape.

Placing 6-8 traps near the hive should wipe out the colony. These traps can be used for several days and weeks, or until the wasp problem has been completely eliminated.

Wash out a 2-liter soda bottle and allow the bottle to air dry. Cut off the top 1/3 of the bottle and remove cap. Place the top of the bottle upside down into the bottom section of the bottle, secure with duct tape. Pour water into the bottom of the bottle. There must be room for the wasps to move inside the trap. Place 1 tsp of liquid dish detergent, 1 tbsp of vinegar and 2 oz of liquid laundry soap into the water. Hang the trap near the wasps' nest. Hang the trap after the sun goes down because this is when wasps are less active. The wasps will be attracted to the scent of the water and fly inside. Once there, they will be killed by the ingredients in the water. When the wasps are dead, strain and use it to treat crawling bugs around your home.

Pesticide Use Can Hurt Family and Animals

2012-08-16T21:12:00.000-05:00

Watch the video about what pesticides do to you animals on PAN. Find alternatives to pesticides and learn to identify pests versus beneficial insects. Learn to live in harmony with spiders and dandelions. Below are the references for the article cited helow. This is an excellent resource for when critters come crawling or a vine takes over your wall.

Focused on insects and other animal interlopers, the Pesticide Action Network offers a helpful page of pest-by-pest resources to help resolve your issues.
You'll find strategies for banishing additional kinds of pests at Beyond Pesticides, which also offers dozens of useful how-to factsheetsfilled with pest control wisdom.
When it comes to pest and weed control out in the yard, the National Coalition for Pesticide-Free Lawns offers a fairly exhaustive set of links to detailed solutions and advice.
If you can't find what you're looking for there, head over to SafeLawns.org for everything from an organic lawn manual and an eco-friendly yard product guide to how-to videos and a Q&A forum with experts on non-toxic lawn care.
Greenscapes is another great resource blooming with information on creating and maintaining a safe and healthy lawn.
Finally, the Northwest Coalition for Pesticide Alternatives has two very generous pages of factsheets, one on weeds and related outdoor issues and another on ways to safely remove invertebrate and mammalian pests alike.

http://www.seventhgeneration.com/learn/blog/setting-aside-pesticides

Hard Rock Mine Poison Grizzly Bears

2012-08-11T23:04:00.000-05:00

REPOSTED August 11, 2012

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Stop Hard Rock Mines from Poisoning Alaska's Grizzlies

Right now, grizzly bears in Bristol Bay, Alaska, are at risk from the proposed Pebble gold and copper mine--which threatens to poison the rivers and streams on which they depend.

With a simple rule change, the Environmental Protection Agency can close two loopholes to prevent this mining company--and many others--from using the waters on which wildlife depend as waste dumps.

Protect Alaska's grizzlies from toxic mining by sending a message to the EPA today.

Is this the same Pebble mine that . . . ???

Endangered Spaces blog: Stop Open Pit Mine in Alaska

Oct 22, 2010

Endangered Spaces blog: Robert Redford Says, "Take Action on ...

Apr 04, 2011

Endangered Spaces blog: Save Bristol Bay from Polluting Mining ...

May 04, 2011

Environmental Progress!! Earth-4, Polluters 0

2012-07-01T15:33:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago the Senate rejected the assault on clean air pushed by Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), the Senate's leading climate denier, which would have permanently blocked the life-saving Mercury and Air Toxics clean air protections.

Monday was the end to the public comment period on the EPA's proposed climate pollution limits for American power plants. 2.25 million comments were collected. The Dirty Energy Lobby will fight this rule, but all this grassroots support will take them aback.

Tuesday, a federal appeals court upheld EPA's climate pollution emission standards, rejecting four legal challenges that had been filed by industry groups and several states' attorneys general.

Late Friday, just before breaking for the July 4th Recess, Congress once and for all passed the RESTORE Act as part of the Surface Transportation Extension Act. The RESTORE Act dedicates 80 percent of the Clean Water Act fines from BP and other parties responsible for the 2010 gulf oil spill where they are needed most to restoring the fragile Gulf Coast environment and local economy.

via Environmental Defense Fund

High fructose corn syrup, fructose, glucose, sucrose

2012-06-30T10:18:00.003-05:00

Sweeteners - What to Use?

There has been much debate on high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Of course, the corn industry wants you to believe that HFCS is a good as mother's milk. Is that right? The video below will explain the different types of sweeteners and what they do to our bodies.

So, what is the big deal about HFCS?

No one is saying eat sugar or use HFCS. I am just trying to present facts for a topic about which I know nothing.

Science Says:

In addition to causing significant weight gain in lab animals, long-term consumption of high-fructose corn syrup also led to abnormal increases in body fat, especially in the abdomen, and a rise in circulating blood fats called triglycerides (http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/).

So what is the answer?

Do not buy any product where the first ingredient is a type of sweetener: sugar, honey, agave nectar, HFCS, etc. Teach your children to make wise choices on drinks and food. Stay tuned. I am still looking for the definitive answer. Please share what you know in the comments. Thank you!

More Poisons in Your Home

2012-06-27T23:00:00.002-05:00

Every parent should read Playing With Fire, a series on toxic flame retardants in the Chicago Tribune. Chemicals in flame retardants have been linked to cancer, endocrine disruption and neurological deficiency. According to the writers,

The average American baby is born with . . . the highest recorded levels of flame retardants among infants in the world.

A common flame retardant is Firemaster 550, which contains TBPH, which is structurally similar to a phthalate called DEHP that is linked to health problems.

This series exposes how flame retardant manufacturers deliberately misrepresent the "science" of flame retardant chemicals, emphasizing their effectiveness and downplaying the health risks of use. For examples of this whitewashing, see American Chemistry website.

We need stricter oversight of toxic chemicals. Last month, hundreds of moms, nurses, labor leaders, and other concerned citizens rolled on the national capitol for the National Stroller Brigade for Safer Chemicals.

Here's the link to the action! http://bit.ly/TribuneAction

Hotspot of Rising Sea Levels in NE USA

2012-06-25T19:43:00.000-05:00

A report titled Hotspot of accelerated sea-level rise on the Atlantic coast of North America, released by the USGS, was published in Nature Climate Change this month.

A surprise was uncovered by the study. Evidently, the sea level on the Atlantic coast from Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras, which includes New York, Norfolk and Boston, has risen by 2 to 3.7 millimeters (0.08 to 0.15 inches) per year. This is up to four times faster than the global average (between 0.6 and one millimeter per year).

Source: Figure 2: SLRDs for 60-yr time series at gauge locations across North America from Hotspot of accelerated sea-level rise on the Atlantic coast of North America

The report presents

. . . evidence of recently accelerated SLR in a unique 1,000-km-long hotspot on the highly populated North American Atlantic coast north of Cape Hatteras and show that it is consistent with a modelled fingerprint of dynamic SLR. Between 1950–1979 and 1980–2009, SLR rate increases in this northeast hotspot were ~ 3–4 times higher than the global average

The melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet is dumping freshwater into the ocean, which disrupts the Atlantic current circulation. As the current stalls, the surface water warms and expands, backing up water behind it, causing sea levels to rise.

The USGS report is based on actual tide level measurement. Other studies have shown a similar hotspot using climate models.

Another concern is that even if we stopped releasing greenhouse gases today, it will take years for any impact to be felt. In the meantime, low-lying delta areas, barrier islands and entire island nations will disappear from sight.

Global warming is real and is causing visible changes in sea levels. Despite claims that global warming is a myth, the truth is out.

The obliteration of Lohachara island, in India's part of the Sundarbans where the Ganges and the Brahmaputra rivers empty into the Bay of Bengal, marks the moment when one of the most apocalyptic predictions of environmentalists and climate scientists has started coming true . . . (The Independent, Sunday 24 December 2006).

The blog, Posing Facts, posted an interesting article about 15 places under threat due to global warming (May 2010).

You may be interested in viewing the glaciers past and present in One Consequence of Global Warming (October 2009).

Save the Bees, Please

2012-06-23T00:21:00.003-05:00

In the next week, the EPA is expected to issue a decision on the pesticide Clothianidin -- which scientists believe is a major factor in the alarming decline in U.S honey bee populations, known as Colony Collapse Disorder.

Since 2006, one third of U.S honey bee populations have been dying off. One third. Every year. That's a terrible rate of species destruction on its own, but it's also a serious threat to our food supply. Honey bees play a crucial role by pollinating 71 of the 100 most common crops, which account for 90% of the world's food supply.

The EPA will be issuing a decision soon. If the agency doesn't act, it won't review Clothianidin again until 2018 -- and by then it could be too late for the bees.

I just signed a petition to the EPA, and I thought you would want to add your name, too.

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/bee_decision/?r_by=42128-2128771-_bcQIgx&rc=paste1

PLEASE!

Endangered Spaces blog

Concerned Visitors and valued friends

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Global Warming, 1; Birds, 0

A Few Under Pressure

Holiday Greetings

Privacy: The many ways you are spied upon

Privacy Update

Avenues In and Out of Your Life

Clean Green ~ For Health and Holidays

Hall of Shame for Household Cleansers

Simple Green Concentrated All-Purpose Cleaner

Whink Rust Stain Remover

Citra-Solv Cleaner & Degreaser

Banned abroad-should be banned in USA

Spic and Span Multi-Surface and Floor Cleaner

Scrubbing Bubbles - Antibacterial Bathroom Cleaner & Extend-A-Clean Mega Shower Foamer

Mop & Glo Multi-Surface Floor Cleaner

DampRid Mildew Stain Remover Plus Blocker

EASY-OFF Fume Free Oven Cleaner

Drain cleaners that can burn and blind

Drano Professional Strength Kitchen Crystals Clog Remover

Oven cleaners that emit toxic fumes

Walmart Great Value Heavy Duty Oven & Grill Cleaner

CVS/pharmacy Fume-Free Oven Cleaner

EASY-OFF Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner Aerosol Spray

Mystery mixtures

Target's Up & Up

LA's Totally Awesome

Walmart's Great Value

Fatal if inhaled

Glade Air Freshener Sprays, Air Wick automatic air fresheners, and Old English furniture polish

Spot Shot Carpet Stain Remover

Fatal if swallowed

Lysol Disinfectant Power Toilet Bowl Cleaner with Lime & Rust Remover

2000 Flushes and X-14 toilet bowl cleaners

High-hazard ingredients

Hagerty Liquid Jewel Clean

Tarn-X Tarnish Remover

Ajax, Dynamo and Fab Ultra liquid laundry detergents (Phoenix Brands)

Combatting static with toxic chemicals

Static Guard

Final Touch Ultra Liquid Fabric Softener

Spray cleaners with asthma-causing ingredients

Clorox, Fantastik, Febreze, Formula 409, Easy-Off, Lysol, Mr. Clean and Spic and Span.

100+ hidden chemicals

Comet Disinfectant Cleanser Powder

Febreze Air Effects

Undisclosed chemicals in the air

Lysol Neutra Air Freshmatic

Air Wick Freshmatic Compact

Febreze and Glade automatic air fresheners

Dead Zone Cleansers

FINISH Glass Magic Hardwater Performance Booster

dona nobis pacem

November 4 BlogBlastforPeace

Get Your Peace Globe in 4 Easy Steps

Blog Blast for Peace

Dona Nobis Pacem

Clear Cutting the Boreal Forest

Leatherback Turles Endangered by Drift Nets

Blog Action Day : The Power of We

National Resource Defense Council

Do you want more information? On the NRDC website, you will find

Priority issues include:

Bio-Gems

(push-button activism)

NRDC has an initiative, BioGems, that defends wildlife and wild places. BioGems . . .

Bristol Bay Endangered by Mining Giants

Be BAD on October 15, 2012

We the People * VOTE * SHARE *

REMEMBER 9/11/2001

Poison Free Wasp Traps Work

Pesticide Use Can Hurt Family and Animals

Hard Rock Mine Poison Grizzly Bears

REPOSTED August 11, 2012

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November 4
BlogBlastforPeace