Archives for Health Alert category
(Drum roll.) Bisphenol-A IS bad for kids and human beings in general.
Que sorpresa!
I’m shocked!
Who knew?
Well, actually, most of us in the Green blogosphere had a clue about this way before DHHS. Europeans and Canadians knew it and banned it months ago. Of course, in Europe, unlike in the US, substances are banned if there’s evidence that they MAY pose a threat to human health, not AFTER they’ve been shown to cause harm. What a concept, eh?
The reason we don’t adopt that process in the US is because we’d lose jobs if we did that. Jobs, jobs, jobs, the Republican mantra that we hear so much about is the reason we don’t do a lot of things in the US to protect human health. But, pardon me for asking a stupid question here, are jobs worth harming our health? Will we look back on our career at the chemical plant and say with pride, “Well, my kid may have birth defects, but at least I kept my job and it sure was worth it.”?
Do the countries that make up the European Union seem to be suffering the downturn that the US is right now? Is there any proof that the European Union’s policy of chemical regulation is hurting their economy? Is there any proof that the US policy of letting Big Business influence the FDA and other regulatory agencies is helping our economy and making it competitive with the rest of the world?
The US needs to stop protecting corporations and start protecting its citizens from harmful substances in our food supply and consumer goods. Until it does, calling itself a world leader is just hollow rhetoric.
Summer is almost here. Time for grillin’ and chillin’ and calling the lawncare company or going down to the big box store to get fertilizer, weed killer and bug killer for your lawn, right? Wrong. There’s more than one way to green a lawn without putting your family, your pets and the planet in peril.
The folks at Safelawns.org have just about all the information anyone could need to have a beautiful lawn using natural methods. Their FAQ section is a good place to begin and will probably answer most of the general questions you have on lawn care. But if you’d like to delve into the nitty gritty of creating or maintaining an organic lawn, then their how-to videos are a must.
Paul Tukey, the founder of Safelawns.org publishes “People, Places and Plants” magazine, has appeared on “Good Morning, America” and other shows, and is a much sought-after speaker on the topic of organic lawns. There’s also SafeLawns Live Radio if you’d rather listen than read and all the latest news on lawncare.
I was delighted to see that there was a news item about a very popular product for grub control, which contains imidacloprid, a chemical that may have a harmful effect on bees. I hope everyone reads it and thinks twice before using the stuff. What with colony collapse and shrinking habitat, the bees need all the help they can get. One way we can help them is by not using products that are toxic to them or to other beneficial insects.
Here are some other useful links to sites that can help you have a healthy, organic lawn:
Soft, green grass is wonderful to walk on and the best place for kids to lie on their back and watch the clouds. It’s up to us to make sure that the only things that they get from cloud-watching on the lawn are daydreams not a nightmare of toxic chemicals and pesticides.
I don’t think there’s any question that plastic is losing its appeal with consumers. Like a lot of other things, plastic’s true cost on the environment and our bodies is making it look a lot more expensive when compared to natural materials. Bisphenol-A leaching from baby bottles and soft drink cans has recently been identified as a health threat and so have phthalates, which are used to soften plastic. Baby bibs made of polyvinylchloride were recalled because they contained lead.
Many of us are trying to eliminate or at least reduce the plastic items in our lives, but it’s not easy. When you look around your kitchen and bathroom, it may seem as though almost everything comes in plastic containers these days. Detergent, lotions, potions and food. For instance, where in the world can you find a bottle of ketchup that isn’t made from plastic? Or a bottle of shampoo?
If you’re under 45, you may not remember a world without plastic, but those of us who grew up in the 50′s and 60′s remember when plastic was the alternative rather than the first choice for many things that are made from plastic now. The most common materials in those days were glass and stainless steel. Maybe it’s time to reconsider those two materials, along with other natural substances, as you try to remove plastic and its chemicals from your environment.
Impossible, you say, to find substitutes for plastic? Difficult, maybe, but it can be done. Let’s start with kitchen plastics. Many people started to use plastic when the microwave oven became the most common way to cook. Not a good idea. Heating plastic releases bisphenol-A and other toxins. Much better to use glass or corning ware. If you’re addicted to frozen dinners, at least remove them from their plastic trays and cook them on a dinner plate. I use an old glass crockpot cover over the plate also, instead of a plastic microwave cover.
For storing food, why not use glass jars? I use large pickle jars to store flour, grains and coffee. They make good cookie jars also. You can often find them or something similar at yard sales, where I find a lot of natural material containers. For drinking bottles, we use stainless steel bottles from Kleen Kanteen. Ditto for travel mugs for coffee. And for making the coffee, we use a stainless steel percolator that makes much better coffee – and keeps it hotter – than those drip coffeemakers with the plastic baskets and water reservoirs.
For dish soap, I use liquid glycerine soap. I bring it home from the local natural products store, where I fill my own glass container from a bulk barrel. At home, I use a funnel to pour it into stainless steel bottles with small tops. It’s easy to pour out a little at a time that way. One goes to each bathroom sink and tub to be used like any liquid soap, while one stays at the kitchen sink for dishwashing. I do the same for natural laundry soap, which I also buy in bulk.
Toiletries are a real problem when you’re trying to cut down on plastic, because almost everything comes in a plastic bottle, and glass isn’t practical in bathrooms, where it could be a safety hazard. One approach is to buy plastic bottles, but then pour everything into stainless steel bottles. Another approach is to cut down on unnecessary products by using dual purpose things.
Do you know that you can use one bar as a shampoo and a bath soap? Burt’s Bees Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar With Oat Protein and Pro Vitamin B5 smells divine, lathers amazingly and cleans hair and skin without drying or irritation. There are other brands out there also. Shampoo bars don’t need preservatives because they don’t have water in them and they don’t need plastic packaging. They’re great for traveling and last just as long as a bottle of shampoo, if not longer.
But what about all those lotions and potions that we slather on our skin everyday? They’re all in plastic bottles and we need them, don’t we? Well, maybe not, but we sure do like them. So instead of giving up skin softeners, why not go natural and soften your skin at the same time? Olive oil, coconut oil (which is solid at room temperature and smells really nice), jojoba oil, almond oil, cocoa butter and shea butter are all wonderful for softening and conditioning skin and many of them come in non-plastic containers.
Buy them in large containers and put them into smaller containers that you can stash where you need them. I keep a container of jojoba oil in my shower, so that I can pour a couple of drops into my wet hands and apply it to my face. I have Rosacea and jojoba oil is very soothing. It moisturizes without making my skin oily. I have coconut oil in a little tin next to the sink, so that we can apply it after we wash dishes. My daughter, who gets chapped skin in the winter, has a small glass bottle of olive oil next to her bed, so that she can put it on her lips and cheeks at night.
These are just some of the ways you can reduce the plastic stuff in your life. As you add more naturally derived materials to your world, you’ll find that it’s easier to think of ways to do without plastic. The human race has only had plastic for about a hundred years, and it’s only in the last forty or so years that it’s become so much a part of our lives. Almost everything that’s made of plastic has a better, more natural counterpart. We just have to use our ingenuity and find it.
Posted on 2008 under Green Consumer, Health Alert |
8
Feb
We all know the importance of staying hydrated. The method of choice for most people these days is to carry around a trendy, colorful plastic sports bottle filled with water. You know, the tough, hard plastic ones that everyone from bikers and hikers to active business folks to on-the-go moms tote around – not to mention students ranging from elementary to college. They’re perfect for an active lifestyle – light, durable and available in a rainbow of colors. However, new research has shown that these plastic sports bottles may pose serious health hazards.
The irony is that the hazard may actually come from the material that makes these bottles so attractive. Lexan polycarbonate resin, a plastic polymer accidentally developed by General Electric in 1953, was and still is a revolutionary material. It’s been used in a variety of products over the last four decades including compact discs and DVDs, bulletproof windows, mobile phones, computers, baby bottles and water bottles. Lexan is a perfect choice for water and baby bottles as it’s durable, doesn’t hold flavors or odors nor delivers any taste from the bottle material itself to the fluids it holds.
The Problem:
This is where the confusion begins.
Many folks assume that because it doesn’t impart flavor to the liquid it holds that it’s safer than other types of plastic bottles. Research findings published in 2003 by the journal Current Biology, show otherwise. These findings were the result of a study by Dr. Patricia Hunt of Case Western University in Ohio that questioned the use of polycarbonate plastics such as Lexan.
In1998, Hunt discovered that plastics made from polycarbonate resin can leach bisphenol-A (BPA), a potent hormone disruptor. BPA, a chemical found in epoxy resin and polycarbonate plastics, may impair the reproductive organs and have adverse effects on tumors, breast tissue development and prostate development by reducing sperm count.
BPA can be leached into the water bottles contents through normal wear and tear, exposure to heat and cleaning agents. This includes leaving your plastic water bottle in your car during errands, in your back pack during hikes and running it through your dishwasher and using harsh detergents. And, a 2003 study conducted by the University of Missouri published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives confirmed Dr. Hunts’ study conclusions but also found that detectable levels of BPA leached into liquids at room temperature. This means just having your plastic water bottle sitting on your desk can be potentially harmful. In this author’s humble opinion, the best thing to do is to avoid plastic altogether. (Side note: baby bottles made from polycarbonate plastics have quietly disappeared from the market despite industry assurances that polycarbonate plastics are safe)
The Solution:
There are two approaches to take to avoid exposure to BPA. First, if you are active and take water with you, switch to a stainless steel water bottle. But, be careful. Many products on the market are lined with an epoxy finish. This defeats the purpose. Make sure that the bottle is stainless steel both inside and out. Stainless steel water bottles are light, durable and hold both hot and cold liquids well. There’s a wonderful stainless steel water bottle called the Klean Kanteen. It’s available in a 27oz and a 40oz size and is available at www.greenfeet.com.
The second approach is to reuse glass containers such as quart sized juice bottles. Yes, they are a bit heavier but are good solutions if you’re in an office environment where mobility isn’t an issue.
Either way, to avoid bacteria build up, wash out your containers with warm water and biodegradable dish soap. Be sure to wipe the mouth of the container and the lids. And most importantly, let the container completely dry before refilling. Keeping any container continually filled with liquid can lead to bacteria developing and potential illness.
Keeping hydrated is extremely important year round – but especially during the summer. It keeps our systems functioning properly and is important in sustaining good health. Here’s a tip on how much water you should be consuming daily based on a formula provided by the Mayo Clinic: Simply take your body weight and divide in half. For example, if you weighed 150 pounds, you need 75 oz (9-10 8oz glasses) daily. Caffeinated and alcoholic beverages are dehydrating so for every glass of these beverages you drink, add an extra glass of water.
So, while you take care to only fuel your body with plenty of pure, filtered water, take the next step and ensure the container holding your water is safe.
Bottom’s up!
Posted on 2008 under Health Alert |
5
Feb
What is Bisphenol-A and why should you be concerned about it?
Bisphenol A is a hormone disruptor. It mimics estrogen in the human body and can have an estrogenizing effect on animals and humans when it’s absorbed into their bodies. In animal studies, it causes diabetes and disrupts the endocrine system. It leaches from polycarbonate, which is what most baby bottles are made from. All 5 of the major brands -Avent, Dr. Brown’s, Evenflo, Gerber and Playtex – leach Bisphenol-A, according to a recent government study.
Scientists and researchers warn that Bisphenol-A could have dangerous health problems like cancer, developmental delays and immune and neural system disorders. Because it’s used in so many products, it’s one of the top fifty products that the chemical industry produces and generates several million dollars a day in profits in Europe, Asia and the United States.
What are some other products that you might not want in your baby’s bottles?
Phthalates, which cause cancer and early puberty in animal studies are added to plastic to make it flexible. Heavy metals such as lead and cadmium often find their way into plastic as part of the molding process, and many chemicals are used to un-mold the products.
Is it possible to live without plastic and what are some alternatives?
Glass is a good alternative to plastic. For those of us over fifty, glass baby bottles were the norm and we managed to survive babyhood just fine. Breastfeeding, of course, is the best option for babies, but even so, bottles are needed sometimes. And for many reasons, breastfeeding isn’t always an option. Surely, your baby’s health is worth a try with using glass bottles.
If you can’t bring yourself to give up the light weight and shatterproof plastic, there are plastic bottles that are Bisphenol-A and phthalate-free. There are also safer sippy cups available for toddlers. And while you’re eliminating these plastic toxins from your baby, you might want to think about getting rid of plastic entirely, at least as much as possible.
Our planet is clogged with plastic. Our landfills are overflowing with plastic bags and junk that won’t go away for generations. Our oceans have more plastic than plankton in them. Sea creatures and fish choke to death from plastic six-pack rings and from eating plastic bags and packaging that looks like food to them. It’s not only our babies and children who are being harmed by plastic toxins. It’s our earth and our future that’s at stake.
If you’d like to look at some glass bottles from Green Nest, here’s a link:
Safe Baby Bottles. No Bisphenol-A. Vented to help prevent colic.
