Territory Earth

Sun Chips® Introducing a Compostable Bag

2010-02-28T05:12:00.000-08:00

You may have seen the commercials for Sun Chip's® new compostable bag. In the works for over a year, they are launching their new packaging for Earth Day. Sun Chips® is a product of Frito Lay.

The bag can be composted because it's biodegradable, which means it will break down, reportedly over 14 -16 weeks, when it's in an active hot compost environment. This means it will probably not break down quickly in your local landfill, but since it's degradeable it will eventually decompose. I thought it was amusing they explain on their website that this material makes the bag louder. I guess that would throw some consumers off, wondering what the heck's going on with the bags.

The bag is made of "plants" according to their website, technically PLA. PLA stands for polylactic acid which is made of corn starch or sugar cane. When you see biodegradeable tableware "made from corn" or "made from sugar cane" it's made from PLA. PLA is a renewable alternative to petroleum based plastics.

Is there a down side? Potentially, as it depends on what additives might be used, as well as on the source of the corn or sugar cane used in a product. Clearly, if it's corn that has been genetically modified or pesticide treated (which frankly, it probably is) when it breaks down it's going to leave this residue in your compost as well. If you use your compost for organic vegetables, this would be of particular concern.

Once the product is out on the market, which we're told will be soon, I'm sure the packaging will be tested and analyzed by others. The critical analytical side of me says this could be the start of a new empire for the fungicide and pesticide based corn barons. That remains to be seen. In the meantime, it's a huge step and Frito Lay gets my approval for starting the commercial move toward sustainable packaging. I won't be composting the bags in my home composter however, not knowing the source of the corn or what additives they may have used.

Wasting Our Health

2010-02-22T06:57:00.000-08:00

Arguably the most important, but most difficult, goal of the environmental "movement" is the work to reduce waste. Successful waste reduction would save billions in resources, pollutants and health care costs. Indeed, the movement at the beginning of the 20th century emphasized the oft recited mantra to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Many have worked hard to reduce waste in their towns, homes and businesses. Yet it's clear most larger businesses such as catering facilities, groceries and hospitals haven't bothered to try and cut their costs through waste reduction alternatives.

Some days it seems everywhere you look there's a blatant lack of thought about how our waste habits affect our health. For example these days everyone provides water at their event locations - in one time use plastic bottles, and rarely with a recycling receptacle to dispose of them after use. They create toxins in their creation and end up in the garbage to go to a landfill or incinerator where they will decompose and pollute our water, our soil, or burn and pollute the air we breath. You can learn more about plastic waste concerns here.

Food and health care are two areas where the issue seems so clear cut it's hard to believe we've made so little progress. The simple notion of overpackaging has, for the most part, escaped the scrutiny of the marketing and packaging indutries. Instead of marketing to minimize waste to improve our lives, we are still surrounded by products encased in several layers of plastic with multiple sheets of printed material inside. Finally, just in the last couple of years we've begun to see some product's operating manuals and reference materials being published online.

It's still appallingly common to purchase food that's over wrapped. It's interesting, at least to those of us who like to observe consumer trends and behavior, to peek into garbage cans when out at the mall or in a public space. For the most part you see food or food wrapping. Thankfully our fast food restaurants have started to reduce their packaging . We've gone from styrofoam boxes that create poisons when burned to cardboard and paper wrap that will easily decompose. As someone who frequently takes leftover food home when eating out, it would also be nice to see more restaurants go from styrofoam containers to reusable, recyclable take home containers. It's unfortunate most retaurants are still resistant to letting a patron bring their own container for leftovers so reusable ones are the next best thing. My holiday leftovers find their way to my guests homes in reused take out containers. I make sure they know what restaurant they're from; thoughtful business practices lead to free PR.

The medical establishment is an area where the need to reduce waste for health would seem to be a natural concept. There's interesting piece on Earth.911.com on the environmental considerations, including waste reduction, in our health care system. It looks at the current version of the proposed health care bill. The plan gets credit for reducing paper through establishing centralized medical databases, something many health providers are moving toward already. This would eliminate the hundreds of files maintained in each doctors office; ideally giving a physician easy access to the information they need to treat a condition will eliminate unnecessary tests as well.

It points out however, that until we begin to base our heath care system on maintaining optimal health through healthy living and disease prevention instead of disease management, we won't see the reduction in waste or costs we could be experiencing. Since disease management through medication and medical procedures is currently more lucrative for many, including our pharmaceutical companies, a good health care plan needs to incorporate incentives to address the prevention alternatives.

Completing research on the effects of pollutants that affect our health and addressing those that are contributing to disease should be a cornerstone of health reform. While this would benefit everyone, those that resist the concept of health care for all might be intrigued to look at the studies showing that those who can afford health care the least are often the same souls who are exposed the most to cancer causing pollutants and cheap nutritionless food. Reducing medications would be healthier not only because of the direct results, but also in lieu of the pollution of our waterways.

We need to give folks a fighting chance to maintain their health on their own. We are so stuck on the cost and methods of providing health care to our country, it doesn't seem that our legislators could handle the additional consideration of disease prevention to reduce health care costs. It is hopeful though that the issues are being raised so they can become a part of the national conversation.

When we can agree to reduce the sources of pollutants that make us sick, that's when we will have a nation committed to true waste reduction, and our citizens can take back control of their health with control of the waste stream.

Reducing Our Footprint-Carbon Offsets

2010-02-17T07:29:00.000-08:00

If you've read my last two entrys on carbon measurements for a carbon footprint, you may wonder what to do if you want to be carbon neutral but there are activities you can't avoid. A final way of reducing your energy use, or carbon footprint, is to purchase carbon offsets. Carbon offsets can be purchased through services that plant trees or support businesses that reduce greenhouse effects, or develop cleaner energy. The idea is that these actions are cancelling out our energy use by reducing the effects of greenhouse gases in roughly equal amounts. Some folks like to purchase offsets to make their impact completely carbon neutral, others do it as a supplement. In either case, be sure you're taking other measures in your day to day life, such as those in my recent post Leave a Smaller Footprint, in addition to considering carbon offsets.

There are a couple of concerns with the business of selling carbon offsets. While solid in concept, there are unscrupulous businesses as in any specialty. Another concern is the motivation of individual’s purchasing them.

It’s important that a person or a business doesn’t just purchase offsets to “be green” or alleviate some unsettling feeling that it’s the right thing to do. A serious polluter could theoretically pollute to their hearts – or wallets – delight, and then purchase carbon offsets and claim they’re a green company. You see the problem. If offsets are purchased without also making a sincere effort to actually decrease emissions, then the impact is negligible.

Last year an article by NPR looked at concerns that there is no way to know if a company you’re buying offsets from is really investing your money in reducing carbons impact. There is also the possibility that you are paying for an offset that’s already been sold to someone else as an offset. Ask questions, research, and beware of tips that they might not be on the up and up. A comment to a Grist post noted that the person had bought offsets from a company on line that then turned around and used all kinds of energy to send her a thank you in the mail.

The Grist Article “A Guide to Offsetting Your Carbon Emissions” lists a number of offset companies to consider. There are also the well researched Be Green offsets available from Green Irene.

Compassionate Heart Health

2010-02-13T21:10:00.000-08:00

When I saw this lovely snow heart melting outside my window I thought of love, and hearts, and spring. Of course then I ran and got my camera. What a special gift in the cold of winter.

So in honor of Valentine's Day today's tips are for heart health.

Heart foods: Healthy heart foods include nuts, salmon, blueberries, beans, flaxseed, brown rice, fresh fruits & vegetables. Here's a a good resource, an here's another.

Heart Exercise: Exercise that gets you moving 20 to 30 minutes, at least three to four times a week works the heart muscles just as you would want to keep any other muscle in shape (after consulting with a doctor of course). Whether it be raking leaves, shoveling snow or jogging, be sure you warm up to it and don't just dive in. Regular exercise is the key to healthy exercise.

Deep Breathing exercises get oxygen into all your organs. You should do a series of a dozen or more deep breaths every day. Breathing exercises can lower blood pressure and even break down the salt we ingest. Some breathing exercises can be found here and here.

A Yoga practice includes great exercise for the body, soul and the heart. Since the practice of yoga includes a different way of thinking about movement, it helps you to connect with how your body and your emotional heart feel. It's non-competitive, even with yourself, so it allows you to experience the movement.

Anusara Yoga in particular, comes from a place of love. Founded by John Friend in 1977 one of it's fundamentals is to develop compassion - both for yourself and others. You learn to open your heart physically and spiritually so you can live your day to day life from a place of love and appreciation. To quote an excerpt from the website, "its uplifting philosophy, epitomized by a "celebration of the heart," ... looks for the good in all people and all things".

Relaxation techniques support heart health. Here's a great site for a sampling relaxation techniques, including meditation and deep breathing.
Meditation for relaxation and stress relief is good for your heart and soul. It has been shown to reduce heart disease realted deaths. Here's an overview of meditation considerations and techniques.

Happy Valentine's Day

Leave a Smaller Footprint

2010-02-10T11:21:00.000-08:00

So how do we "reduce our footprint" ? Our actions actually create carbon dioxide emissions in two ways . Our primary footprint is the measurement of direct emissions we have some control over through our energy use. Our secondary footprint measures the emissions we indirectly contribute to through our purchases and service use.

Here are some ways to reduce your impact, you’ll get the idea.

Turn off anything not in use –tv, lights, computer, fan (including at work, in a hotel, leaving a public bathroom)

Don’t leave your car on when it’s not needed! …or your lawn mower, leaf blower, oven etc. Think of ways to use energy less. One day I’ll follow myself around and we can see how easy it is to overlook opportunities to cut our emissions.

Unplug-most electronics and household appliances continue to use some energy even when they’re “off’. Here's a great gadget that will help power down your appliances more easily.

Turn down your heat or air to the bare minimum you can tolerate

Use cold water rather than warm, warm rather than hot. Here's another great gadget - a shower head that slows to a trickle until your water heats up so you don't have to run it. Great for those slow to heat showers!

Coordinate errands to make less trips

Use public transportation, share rides, walk or bike whenever possible

Look for a green energy company in your area to purchase your electricity from. Many electric companies now have the option - go to your provider's online site to see what's available in your area.

Insulate your home, your heater and your pipes. Anything to reduce the energy used by your heating system

Reuse your water

Purchase energy efficient appliances when you need to replace

Regarding the secondary footprint, think of it this way. Say I buy a plastic tray of apples at the grocery (I don’t understand why some stores package fruit this way, but they do). Not only have I purchased apples that have apparently been shipped in trucks from a distance instead of purchasing locally grown fruit, I’ve just quadrupled the greenhouse gases I’m supporting. The plastic (and the little cardboard piece under it) was made with materials that were shipped to a processing plant, the plant added chemicals and used energy to create the plastic, then the plastic was likely shipped to another facility where the apples were wrapped.

I’ll be the first to admit I don’t live an emission free (or totally green) life. The point is not ot make yourself crazy or guilty over your lifestyle or purchases, but to be conscious of your choices and do your best to keep looking for better alternatives to energy use!

What’s a Carbon Footprint Anyway?

2010-02-06T06:33:00.000-08:00

Greenhouse gas, global warming, carbon footprint, carbon neutral, carbon offsets - what next? It’s a little hard to keep up with our new eco-speak! Well, we’ll decipher it a little at a time. Today we tackle carbon footprints.

We all contribute to the greenhouse gases that create, or I should say contribute to, global warming. I’m sure you already know global warming is being caused by greenhouse gases that cause heat energy to get absorbed and reflected back into our atmosphere, raising the temperature of the earth’s climate. The gases include methane and carbon dioxide, CO2. This warming is increasing at an alarming speed. This warming is causing the ice shelves to melt, warming our oceans, gradually raising the levels of our oceans, changing our weather patterns and has the potential to wreak serious havoc on our earth in a matter of years.

There are two perspectives on global warming. One says humans have primarily caused the problem, and we need to stop it. Those that don’t believe the theory feel it would be happening despite us and some of those folks believe the concept of global warming is just propaganda to further individual or group agendas.

I don't think there's any question some increase in global warming would be occurring naturally despite us, but our activities are certainly contributing significantly to the increased speed of the earth’s warming. One study indicates the average temperatures will actually plateau for the next 3-4 years, then the warming will increase much more quickly.

So, a carbon footprint is an estimate of the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide a person, business or an activity produces. Although carbon dioxide isn't the only greenhouse gas, as a major contibutor it's used for a gauge of greenhouse gas production. An estimate may look at a specific activity, such as driving, or overall lifestyle effects including all energy use. The idea is to estimate the impact on the climate and global warming.

Are you interested in seeing what your impact is? I’ve seen figures indicating the national average for someone in the U.S. is anywhere from 7.5 to 20 tons of carbon dioxide emitted a year. You can use one of the on-line carbon footprint calculators to determine your effect.

Carbon Calculators:

The Nature Conservancy

Carbon Fund

There’s a whole list of calculators to choose from on this squidoo site

Cool, isn’t it? Now that you’ve gotten your estimate, what can you do? There are a number of steps you can take to minimize your impact. One is to reduce and modify your activities that produce greenhouse gases. Another way is to purchase “carbon offsets” from services that decrease emissions elsewhere by planting trees or financing businesses that reduce greenhouse effects, or develop cleaner energy. Some folks like to purchase offsets to make their impact completely carbon neutral. Others do it as a supplement.

Upcoming posts will go into detail on these ways to reduce your carbon footprint.

Eco Tip of the Day

2010-01-30T12:59:00.000-08:00

I love this envirotip (yes, I think I made up that word). When filling out a reply or response card for a business or service, note on it any ideas you have for making the service healthier or more environmentally friendly. As more businesses try to accomodate their eco-conscious consumers, they may actually implement some of your suggestions.

FDA Says Bisphenol A (BPA) Exposure Is of 'Some Concern' for Infants and Children

2010-01-27T13:57:00.000-08:00

From ScienceDaily (Jan. 20, 2010)

The FDA has shifted its stance on bisphenol A (BPA) and said that exposure to the chemical is of "some concern" for infants and children. Previously, the agency's stance was the chemical posed no risk to humans; this stance was consistent with the chemical industry's stance.

FDA officials have now declared that more research was needed and suggested reasonable steps to reduce exposure to BPA. Frederick vom Saal, a University of Missouri scientist, says that this stance is a step forward but more steps need to be taken. Since 1997, research from vom Saal and other MU colleagues have shown adverse health effects of BPA at exposure levels below those currently considered safe by the FDA. Vom Saal has received more than $1 million of the $30 million that government agencies, including the NIH, have committed in the next 18 to 25 months to study the health risks of BPA exposure.

"The FDA formally acknowledging concern about BPA and working with NIH to incorporate research from outside of the chemical industry is a huge step forward," said vom Saal, who is a Curator's professor of biological sciences in MU's College of Arts and Science. "The FDA position presented today [January 19] is consistent with the position that the National Toxicology Program made two years ago. Since then, considerable published research reaffirmed the health dangers of BPA. The FDA says they want to respond more quickly. Now, we will see if they are really able to respond to the huge amount of new science showing dangers not recognized two years ago. They should move quickly to restrict the use of by BPA in products used by adults as well as infants."

BPA is a one of the world's highest production-volume chemicals and has been used for 40 years to make hard plastic items, such as, drinking glasses, baby bottles, food-storage containers, the lining of food and beverage containers, and dental sealants. Previous studies have shown adverse health effects of BPA on the brain and reproductive system, as well as metabolic diseases in laboratory animals. "The Japanese industry voluntarily removed BPA from can linings 10 years ago and thus, were able to reduce exposure to BPA by 50 percent," vom Saal said. "Last year, Congress asked companies in the United States to take similar actions; however, companies have made no move toward compliance. A huge problem facing the FDA is that it does not have the regulatory authority to even determine what products contain BPA, and Congress will have to pass new laws giving the FDA the authority it needs to regulate chemicals such as BPA."

Story Source: Adapted from materials provided by University of Missouri-Columbia.

Looking to October

2010-01-23T10:34:00.000-08:00

London was recently the site of an environmental gathering of government representatives from 54 countries, looking ahead to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in October in Nagoya, Japan. The organizers are working hard to ensure there's fundamental agreement on the purpose and issues to avoid a repeat of the discord that surfaced during the recent Copehagen Summit.

While attention to reversing damage to the world's natural environment has fallen behind economic issues over the past several years, the international community recognizes that attention needs to be refocused on these issues. Curbing global warming and maintaining diversity of species are crucial to our future physical and economic health.

We have to restore the damage we've done to our eco systems. Will our swamps be able to continue filtering water when they're full of toxins? At what point do we reach the tipping point where we no longer have enough remaining plants and trees to absorb significant amounts of CO2 or send water back into the atmosphere for our use? Now that the US Supreme Court has determined large corporations can spend unlimited amounts of money to pursue their money making goals the safety of our natural resources is even more at risk.

Research is suggesting that even the decline of honeybees seen in many countries may be due, at least in part, to reduced plant diversity. It's been found that bees that are able to collect pollen from a greater variety of plants have better immune systems. We know we need a variety of foods and supports to be healthy, why would it be any different for the non-human creatures.The more species of plants and animals, insects and fish that we loose, the more our own health is threatened.

It's refreshing to see the international community planning ahead for success. Hopefully it will result in meaningful dialogue and agreement in October.

2010 the Year of Biodiversity

2010-01-17T14:39:00.000-08:00

The UN has declared 2010 as The Year of Biodiversity. We are losing species of plants, amphibians, animals and insects at a frantic pace. In the US we're paving over 1.25 mill. acres of land that wasn't previously paved. That means less water permeability & less habitat for wildlife and plants.

According to an article by Richard Black, Environment correspondent on the BBC News website

"With species extinctions running at about 1,000 times the "natural" or "background" rate, some biologists contend that we are in the middle of the Earth's sixth great extinction - the previous five stemming from natural events such as asteroid impacts."

Most Indian plastic toys 'toxic'

2010-01-16T05:10:00.000-08:00

Many plastic toys sold in India may contain chemicals harmful to children, an environmental group says in a report. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) studied a sample of Indian toys and found that all of them contained high levels of phthalates. Most of the toys were from India, China and Taiwan.

Winter Feast for the Soul Jan. 15-Feb. 23

2010-01-15T04:18:00.000-08:00

Thank you to my cousin Kessiah for enlightening me about the Winter Feast for the Soul . It's a 40-day worldwide meditation practice for peace for people of all faiths. Starting today, as the world joins in meditation and prayer, we cultivate peace in ourselves and in turn bring more peace to the world, one of the highest intentions of yoga practice. We can all participate from home, for free, any time it's convenient. What a beautiful opportunity to celebrate and strengthen our interconnectedness in the worldwide kula (community of the heart).

It was started by a woman inspired by a Rumi poem. This is the second worldwide event."This winter, the world will come together in prayer and meditation. The vibration we create has great power to transform our personal lives ... and our planet. Imagine people around the world with a single purpose: to create peace in their lives that reaches everywhere."

Click here for a wonderful video about Winter Feast for the Soul. More info. is also available at http://www.winterfeastforthesoul.com/.

A Green Cell Phone?

2010-01-14T13:52:00.000-08:00

Renew, the world's first "green" phone is here. The January 2010 issue of Consumer Reports has a review of Motorola’s W233 Renew pre-paid cell phone (T-Mobile).

What makes it green? Well, Motorola says it's 100% recyclable-and the case is made from recycled soda bottles.It's also supposed to cut down on energy needed for recharging with a talk time of up to 9 hours.

The company claims the cell phone is “carbon neutral,” meaning Motorola invests in carbon offsets to compensate for the carbon dioxide required to manufacture, distribute and operate the phone. They purchase their ofsets through carbonfund.org.

So our next question is-how's the performance? I'd love to hear from anyone who has one.

Natural Hair Color Test

2010-01-07T04:14:00.000-08:00

Now that the holidays have passed I decided it was time to test out the Logona Naturkosmetik Herbal Hair Colors. I’ve wanted to switch to a chemical free brand for a while, but it took some time to find one that’s available in the US. I ordered some likely colors at the end of 2009, but decided to wait until after the holidays to try it so I wouldn’t feel pressured to rush the experimentation if a social event was looming.

Here’s my hair color before the Logona. I was using a product available from the health food store; it nevertheless had toxic ingredients.

Here’s my current color after using the Logona. You can see how well it blended into the undercolor. I used the powdered version of their hair color which allows you to mix to get a color you like.

This is a combination of the light brown and a darker blonde. It came out a little red, which they indicate is a result of the blonde. The neat thing is, since it’s not harmful I can keep mixing and coloring as often as I like without having to worry about the effect on my hair or my chemical load.

What was it like? Well, it’s a different experience. For one thing, the powders that you mix yourself are mixed with almost boiling water. That and the fact that you color after washing your hair require more planning than for a traditional hair color. I did the full treatment they recommend which involves first washing your hair and then applying Color Plus which is a deep cleaner. My hair really did feel clean after the treatment. It’s recommended you then dry your hair before applying the color, but I just let it partially dry to see if it would still be effective. For future use I wanted to know if it could all be done in under two hours.

The mixture of powders and water is pretty goopy, but it doesn’t stain like a traditional color. A bit that fell on my counter wiped up (immediately) without staining. Don’t expect pretty smells, since fragrance is one of the more dangerous additives Logona leaves it out. It smells like earth and dried herbs, as one would expect.

Since I have some grey hair coming in I applied it twice over two days. The first application did work, but I felt the very pale blond at my roots might fade to grey quickly. The second time it came out almost even with the other hair color. The recommended time is 30 minutes to 2 hours. I did it for 1 hour each time. Someday I’ll see if the full 2 hours would replace the 2 sessions.

My hair feels great, much softer than with the regular hair color. I am also beginning to use an all natural shampoo. The natural shampoo makes a difference in the shine, my hair is subtly less shiny, but it confirms the additives in regular shampoos and conditioners will coat the hair “like polyurethane”. The directions say the hair texture will improve after several uses, after the old chemical deposits are completely gone.

I’m looking forward to seeing how it grows out as I continue to use these products.

So here’s my synopsis:

Pros

~All natural, minimal toxins

~Soft Healthy hair

Cons

~Mixing the powders is a little cumbersome-The pre-mixed is probably a cinch
~Requires two showers, one to wash and one after coloring

My conclusion? It's worth the effort to reduce the toxins in your body. I'll be naturally coloring for now on.

Artist Safety & Precautions

2009-12-31T09:38:00.000-08:00

This is for all the talented artists out there. As I was researching hazardous products I came across this guide put together for the EPA by the Pratt Institue entitled Environmental Health & Safety in the Arts:A Guide for K-12 Schools, Colleges and Artisans Proper Management of Waste and Residuals from Art Studios and Shop Practices. While it's geared toward disposal it also does a thorough job of including safety precautions you can take in your art room or studio.

Recycling your Holiday Cards

2009-12-29T17:52:00.000-08:00

Many people are moving to e-greeting cards, but I believe there will always be a form of mailed holiday greetings. Don't let them be wasted paper. Holiday cards are great for cutting up for decoupage or putting aside for children or adult projects later in the year. One of my post holidays traditions is to cut the cards into gift tags. You won't ever have to buy tags again, as there's always a wide array of colors and patterns for next years gifts!

Buy Cancer Free Products

2009-12-28T12:27:00.000-08:00

Did I get your attention? My regular readers know I feel strongly about the lack of integrity on the part of corporations that sell products full of dangerous additives. One of my holiday gifts was a book I've been wanting to read for a while, Not Just a Pretty Face; the Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry by Stacy Malkan. Malkan shares her conversion from a cosmetics obsessed teenager to a chemical free activist, and what she discovered along the way.

This book's a nice read, 153 paperback pages of mind blowing information on the arrogance of the cosmetics industry. For example, many of the large companies such as L'Oreal , Proctor & Gamble, Revlon and Estee Lauder have reduced the number of cancer causing additives from their products in the European Union but refuse to do the same in the US. The book manages to share the history of the US movement toward safe cosmetics and body products without being too dry to read.

Did you ever wonder why so much money goes to cancer research and we don't seem to see any real progress in reducing the incidence? I have. It became clear reading this book. People are living longer with cancer, but we have not reduced the numbers of people getting it. There is a huge investment on the part of many large corporations in keeping cancer alive.

Cancer treatment is big business. In 1985 the chemical company Zeneca created National Breast Cancer Awareness month. They also bought many cancer clinics. They later became AstraZenega. They run cancer clinics & cancer studies & manufacture the primary cancer drug tamoxifin. Can you say conflict of interest?

Think about breast cancer awareness. Companies create Pink Ribbon products, it doesn't matter if it may be a product that contains cancer causing ingredients. Pink power is big business. No wonder the call is for early detection & a cure once one has it, instead of prevention by identifying & eliminating cancer causing additives. No one's going to make money on treatment & a cure if people aren't getting it in the first place. Check out Think before You Pink to determine the credibility of breast cancer related marketing - http://www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org/

Over 200 chemicals have been identified that cause breast cancer in animals. They include chemicals commonly found in soaps, cosmetics, detergents, and shampoos.

Only 11% of our cosmetics are screened for safety. Most cosmetics and other body products contain carcinogenic or estrogenic (hormone disrupting) additives. These products can not only cause illness but could affect reproduction and the health of our children many years later. In 2004 when the Environmental Working Group's Cosmetics database was activated scary things were discovered. Among them, a diaper rash cream contained an ingredient that was not to be used on an infants skin and a blemish cream was using an ingredient that's supposed to have a warning to avoid skin contact! Many of these companies are unconscionable.

Read the book and support the companies that care enough not to try to poison us, the ones that carry safe natural products. Check your products at the Environmental Working Group's Cosmetics Data Base.

Here are some related links:

http://www.notjustaprettyface.org/- A quote from a current cover story on their site

...ranking a 7-10 (with 10 being the worst). The most toxic hair relaxer in Skin Deep is called Africa’s Best “Organic” relaxer for kids! — which goes to show, you can’t trust labels on these unregulated products.

http://www.safecosmetics.org/- Currently on their site -Study: Chemicals, pollutants found in newborns

http://www.lesstoxicguide.ca/ A quote from their site

“Chemicals have replaced bacteria and viruses as the main threat to health. The diseases we are beginning to see as the major causes of death in the latter part of (the 1900's) and into the 21st century are diseases of chemical origin.”
-Dr. Dick Irwin, Toxicologist, Texas A&M University

http://www.thenakedtruthproject.org/ - The Naked Truth Project is committed to telling you the truth about the products you put in your body, on your body, and in your home everyday. There are over 80,000 chemicals currently used in consumer products, with little to no testing done on the vast majority of them.

Belonging

2009-12-23T15:08:00.000-08:00

Someone in my other job, which is working with individuals with disabilities, shared the website Appartenance- Belonging with me. This Canadian based site is a place that ponders creating a world where everyone belongs. It’s a beautifully done and thought provoking site. It looks at belonging as a basis for action and a basis for change.

Here’s one of many illustrations of the idea from the site, this one taken from Ivan Illich’s book, Energy and Equity:

“That which is first experienced as liberation – e.g., no longer having to draw water from wells – quickly becomes alienating: We believe that we no longer need one another; we isolate ourselves and become strangers to others and then to ourselves. “

The site’s about fighting our tendency toward alienation and dehumanization, as they state, “all forms of life are connected, for they are elements of the same ecosystem.” The site looks at social and environmental issues affected by the concept, such as urban planning, chemicals and toxins and even slow food.

The post on the UN Summit in Copenhagen drew my attention, but if you take a look, you will probably be drawn deeper into the site as I was. Take a few minutes when you have some time to breath in the fresh air of Belonging.

Happy Solstice

2009-12-21T14:17:00.000-08:00

Today starts the lengthening of days for those of us in the northern hemisphere; for those in the southern hemisphere, the days begin to get shorter. Around the time of the December solstice many countries in the northern hemisphere have celebrations that include fire or light. We bring light into our homes on Christmas trees or in Hanukkah Menorahs, Yule or Juul logs. European traditions include bonfires and torch lit processions.

To my fellow northerners I wish you the light of family and friends, love and forgiveness to warm the long nights of winter as we seek wisdom and inspiration for the New Year to come.

UN Summit a Bust

2009-12-21T04:23:00.000-08:00

The UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen is over, with an accord that's generally agreed on, but no binding agreement. Next year another attempt will be made in Mexico City. Here's part of the recap from Time :

Some of the poorer developing countries kept the proceedings frozen with procedural objection after procedural objection, while major economies like the U.S. and China brought little new to the summit and barely budged from their negotiation positions. In the end, all that was produced was an interim accord barely worth the name. It was bitterly attacked by many environmentalists, and even its chief architect, President Barack Obama, admitted the pact was "not enough" and that "we have a long way to go."

The accord keeps the objective to keep the maximum temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius. It also includes plans to create emission reduction targets for developed countries and mitigation action by developing countries for 2020. It includes 30 billion (USD) short-term funding for immediate action till 2012 and 100 billion (USD) annually by 2020 in long-term financing, as well as mechanisms to support technology transfer.

One good thing to come out of this years talks is that the Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD), originally dicussed at the Kyoto talks, was reintroduced. This plan sets up a system where rainforest countries are reimbursed by wealthier countries to preserve their trees. The logging and burning of tropical rainforests accounts for around 15% of global carbon emissions.

Will We Get a Climate Agreement?

2009-12-17T17:27:00.000-08:00

If you've been following the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen you know it's been quite a soap opera, as are most news events these days.

The short version: It opened with the controversy of the leaked e-mails hanging over them. Global warming disbelievers naturally tried to hang onto the controversy to discredit the concept. Then news of a proposal being surreptitiously shared by the Danish hosts caused representatives that weren't included to suspect a coup was being planned without including eveyone.

Yesterday riots caused a temporary halt of the proceedings and disagreement over how to handle the fund being developed threatened to end in a stalemate.

Today China agreed to join the negotiations and the issues of the funding are being discussed more reasonably. There are concerns that the agreements will not result in the desired 2 C (3.6 F) reduction however.

Here's some detail on the latest on the BBC. President Obama stops in tomorrow. Stay tuned for the next episode - and cross your fingers it's a positive one!

Buying Organic

2009-12-09T12:58:00.000-08:00

If you buy organic produce you know how annoying it is when the pile of organic apples has spilled over and mixed with the non-organic varieties. Here's a simple guide for produce stickers - 4 digits is just regular old produce, 5 digits that starts with a 9 is organic, 5 digits that starts with an 8 is genetically modified.

Check out this great little video for help in prioritizing what to buy organic. You can also check out the Dirty Dozen at the Environmental Working Group to see which fruits and vegetables have the most pesticides on them.

Natural Living Gift Ideas

2009-12-08T15:15:00.000-08:00

Gift Giving Holidays! Here's your chance to share your love by giving those you care about gifts that will improve their health. I love giving little sets of things. It's fun for the giver to shop for and fun for the receiver to open.

Healthy Food Package -How about one of these great books about quality food in a basket with organic (or homemade?) pastas and sauces:

Diet for a Small Planet
In Defense of Food
Raw Juices Can Save Your Life
The Moosewood Cookbook
The Vegetarian Epicure
Love Soup

Recently I was juggling a pile of magazines and a book to read while waiting for service at my mechanics. I can't entertain the thought of running out of things to read and having to stare at the walls in a waiting room. My waiting room companion showed me how his portable Kindle worked. What a great gadget for those who want to read but are always on the go! The books can be downloaded via computer and they're ready to read anywhere.

A Spa Package -All natural skin products with a cushy robe. Of course I have suggestions:

The Truth About Beauty - A great book to include with several little all natural cosmetic or skin care items.
Devita Natural Moisturizer 30 SPF - Have I mentioned it enough? The best facial sunscreen in my book.
Devita Lip Volumizer - Kinder to your lips than the popular petroleum based brands and so moisturizing!
Luxury? Anything from The Nature of Beauty store!

A Gift Certificate to your local health food store or farm market with a small box of dark chocolate or raw fruit nut candy. My personal favorite- Jocolat!

A Bundle of Bamboo - I really love the array of products from Think Bamboo. From serving utensils to canisters to cutting boards. Be sure to add a bottle of their great smelling food safe wood oil preservative.

Make Your Own natural product &create your own personalized label. You can print out a special label or decorate a regular address label. Tie a pretty ribbon or a strand of raffia around the neck.

Natural Glass Cleaner

Natural Perfume Oil

Flavored Cooking Oils- Reuse an attractive bottle with a narrow neck. Fill with olive oil and your choice of flavoring. I like to add several cloves of peeled garlic. Other possibilities are rosemary or oregano. Flavored oils are best if they sit for several weeks before using.

Hope this sparks some ideas for natural gift giving!

Before You Buy for Kids

2009-12-05T11:01:00.000-08:00

We're all alarmed when we hear of the children's toys found to contain lead, toxic chemicals or dangerous components. Two resources to check a product are at the Healthy Stuff's children's product guide for safety and Consumer Reports toy guide.

Help Fight Genetically Modified Foods

2009-12-03T12:34:00.000-08:00

The Center for Food Safety is putting out a fund raising plea to help their fight against Genetically Modified Organisms. Keep them in mind if you can help any time throughout the year. Here's what they have to say about their accomplishments so far:

"Over the past few years, the Center for Food Safety (CFS) has used groundbreaking legal victories and grassroots campaigns to protect your food by putting a halt on the sale and plantings of many GMO crops. With the support of individuals such as you, we've successfully stopped the commercialization of genetically engineered wheat, rice, alfalfa, and biopharm crops (crops that have been engineered to produce pharmaceuticals). And we're on our way to stopping other crops - such as a recent federal court victory that called the government's approval of Monsanto's pesticide promoting GMO sugar beets "illegal." And for years we've helped fend off the approval of genetically engineered salmon.

Imagine if these GMO crops had not been stopped. Think of all the foods using wheat, for example that would have been contaminated had Roundup Ready wheat been commercialized. Or the threat to organic dairy if alfalfa was contaminated by Monsanto's genetically engineered variety. We know that nearly 400 million pounds of additional herbicides have been used because of the use of GMO crops designed to withstand massive doses of toxic weed killing chemicals. Imagine the pesticide pollution of our croplands, waterways, wildlife and air that would have occurred if GMO wheat, rice and alfalfa had been commercialized. And independent scientists have shown that the release of even a few genetically engineered salmon into a native population could lead to extinction."