tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60344552993837951932024-03-14T00:43:55.807-07:00GreenerPennyDaily tips on good, easy green living.GreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.comBlogger136125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034455299383795193.post-57057242526919625912014-12-02T02:36:00.000-08:002014-12-02T02:36:37.825-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLreUtSw-X3OhFDhKgS0Q1UyDBdiL9Gjs9tt7B9Yrs2AFshJXaSk0x2f7nfdAhfBLqZVoYFgjvEauoyhAOh69xn8TBiZkQdFTxJwpyHVoIECCFxemaLjPZ8jVNA1Q-JG2xCzRhIayg4QE/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLreUtSw-X3OhFDhKgS0Q1UyDBdiL9Gjs9tt7B9Yrs2AFshJXaSk0x2f7nfdAhfBLqZVoYFgjvEauoyhAOh69xn8TBiZkQdFTxJwpyHVoIECCFxemaLjPZ8jVNA1Q-JG2xCzRhIayg4QE/s1600/photo.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Do" No Triclosan (L) vs. "Don't" With Triclosan (R)<br />
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TRICLOSAN: ENOUGH, ALREADY!</h2>
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<o:p> </o:p>It's time to wash our hands of triclosan, the active ingredient in most antibacterial liquid hand and dish soaps, as well as some toothpastes, deodorants and even children's bubble baths. Triclosan has been linked to a number of adverse health effects as well as to the growth of antibiotic resistant bacteria, which is a major global threat, according to the World Health Organization. If ingested, triclosan can cause nausea and vomiting. But most recently, on November 17, exposure to triclosan was linked to the growth of cancerous liver tumors in mice, in a <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2014/11/12/1419119111.abstract">study</a> published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. A nice summary for the layperson appears in <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141117154612.htm">Science Daily</a>.</div>
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For more than a decade, environmental and health advocates have
been urging that the FDA and EPA ban triclosan. Back in 2002, in a <a href="http://archderm.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=478930">report</a> for the Council on Scientific Affairs of the American Medical Association, doctors warned that triclosan had not been shown to be any more effective than plain soap in removing bacteria, while it carried the extra risk of contributing to the risk of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. Luckily, conscious consumers don't have to wait for government agencies. We can act on our own behalf by simply reading labels and buying products whose ingredients lists do not include triclosan.</div>
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Manufacturers have gotten the message, even if FDA and EPA apparently have not. Witness the Ajax dish soap in the photo above. It does not contain triclosan, and instead of making antibacterial claims, the label boasts: "Washes away bacteria from hands." That's a good truthful summary of what plain soap and water does, and that's all a body needs, unless you're in a hospital. The Dawn dish soap, on the other hand, still bears the "Antibacterial" claim and lists triclosan among its ingredients. Talk about outdated!</div>
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Triclosan has been on GreenerPenny's Top Chemicals to
Avoid Lists for <a href="http://greenerpenny.blogspot.com/2009/10/top-cosmetic-ingredients-to-avoid.html">personal care</a> and <a href="http://greenerpenny.blogspot.com/2010/05/green-vs-toxic-cleaning-ingredients.html">home cleaning products</a>, such as dish soaps, since I founded this blog in
20007. When I discovered it in<a href="http://greenerpenny.blogspot.com/2007/10/toothy-toxins.html"> Colgate toothpaste</a>, I was truly gobsmacked. Since then, EWG has done an<a href="http://www.ewg.org/testimony-official-correspondence/triclosan-containing-antibacterial-soaps-neither-safe-nor"> excellent summary</a> of various studies regarding triclosan's presence in the urine of 75 percent of Americans tested, and triclosan's contribution to worsening of asthma symptoms and other respiratory problems. A <a href="http://www.hopkinschildrens.org/Antibacterials-in-Personal-Care-Products-Linked-to-Allergy-Risk-in-Children.aspx">study</a> in June, 2014 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology found links between allergy risk and antimicrobial agents in children's urine. </div>
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For more information, check out the practical triclosan tips from the<a href="http://www.tufts.edu/med/apua/about_issue/agents.shtml#9"> Tufts Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics</a>. </div>
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For handy reference, see my <a href="http://greenerpenny.com/guides/dishwashing_guide.html">shopping guide</a> for liquid dish soaps that are free of triclosan and other toxic and irritating ingredients, and my evergreen <a href="http://greenerpenny.blogspot.com/2008/08/paraben-and-phthalate-free-skin-care.html">personal care products lis</a>t. </div>
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<br />GreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034455299383795193.post-82242180847714338222013-06-13T13:02:00.001-07:002013-06-16T12:14:11.917-07:00Best drinking water filters<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt;">A reader asks:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It was quite a schlepp to
haul bottles of water up 4 flights of stairs to our NYC apartment before Hurricane
Sandy. Now it’s storm season again, we’re looking for a faucet-mounted water
filter, so we can fill our own. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I also hate throwing used
Brita-type filters away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">What kind of filter is
best to protect our health and the environment?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Answer: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">You need a filter that removes everyday
contaminants so the drinking water you store will be pure.<span style="color: #2f3030;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">And you’ll also want your filter to remove any pathogens
carried by storm runoff into reservoirs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.brita.com/intl/"><span style="color: #3d72a2; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Brita</span></a><span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">, </span><a href="http://www.purwater.com/"><span style="color: #3d72a2; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Pur</span></a><span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">, and </span><a href="http://ww2.zerowater.com/"><span style="color: #3d72a2; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Zero Water</span></a><span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> carafes and faucet-mounted filters use activated carbon, which </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">removes
most microbes that can contaminate your water supply during storms. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">What are your everyday contaminants?
You can check your utility’s water quality report to find out what, if any, are
contaminants of concern. Renters can request one; the </span><a href="http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/qtap.asp%20then"><span style="color: #3d72a2; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Natural Resources
Defense Council </span></a><span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">provides helpful guidance. Then check</span><a href="http://www.nsf.org/certified/dwtu/"><span style="color: #3d72a2; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> NSF’s certification listings</span></a><span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> for filters that best remove those contaminants.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">But there’s drinking water and then
there’s your tap water.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Aside from your muncipality’s drinking
water supply, contaminants can leach into water from your building’s pipes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Old pipes are often lined with lead, the toxic heavy
metal which is the single greatest environmental health threat to the
developing brains and nervous systems of babies and children, and should be
strenuously avoided by pregnant women. <a href="http://www.childenvironment.org/">http://www.childenvironment.org</a>.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The only way to find out if there’s lead in your
water is to have it tested by an EPA-certified lab. <a href="http://water.epa.gov/drink/info/lead/lead1.cfm">http://water.epa.gov/drink/info/lead/lead1.cfm</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Tip: Warm
water will have more lead in it than cold water, so if you’re not sure, let
water run for 60 seconds to flush out pipes and chill out before drinking.
(Collect for plants or washing dishes.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">While carbon filters such as Pur
claim to remove 99 percent of lead, that doesn’t necessarily mean they meet new
lead reduction standards, according to Richard Andrew, general manager of the
Drinking Water Treatment Unit of National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), which certifies
water-filtration systems. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Standards for filtering lead in
drinking water were updated in July 2012 after the revised Safe Drinking Water
Act in 2011. <a href="http://www.shedthelead.com/">http://www.shedthelead.com</a>
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Andrew says that more complicated, expensive reverse
osmosis water filtration systems are best at removing heavy metals, such as
calcium, arsenic and lead. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The only carbon filter currently NSF certified for
lead removal by NSF is Zero Water’s, Andrew says.<span style="color: #2f3030;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">But you know what? I vote for being prepared for
storm surges with any filter rather than none, and a carbon-activated faucet
and/or carafe picher is the easiest way to do it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Recycling carbon filters<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Happily, recycling carbon filters is
a growing trend, Andrew says, and NSF has added “sustainability evaluations” to
its certifying criteria. “We continue to raise the bar over time,” he says.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">You can send Brita filters to be
recycled through the company’s partnership with Preserve, </span><a href="http://www.brita.com/filter-for-good"><span style="color: #3d72a2; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Filter for Good</span></a><span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">. You can
mail or drop off your Brita cartridges (along with yogurt containers and other
#5 plastics) at participating Whole Foods Markets and </span><a href="http://www.preserveproducts.com/recycling/gimme5locations.html"><span style="color: #3d72a2; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">other locations</span></a><span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">. Preserve makes the plastic into post-consumer food tools and
tableware, and the carbon is “regenerated for alternative use or converted into
energy,” according to Brita’s website. Participants also get discount coupons
for Preserve’s bright, durable, ultra green products.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Zero Water also has a </span><a href="http://ww2.zerowater.com/zero_eco_impact/"><span style="color: #3d72a2; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">recycling program</span></a><span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> for their
pitcher and faucet carbon cartridges. You mail them at your own expense, and
the company gives you a $10 coupon towards your next cartridge purchase.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">More About Reverse Osmosis (RO) </span></b><span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">RO systems are best at removing heavy
metals, such as calcium, arsenic, and especially lead, Andrew says. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">But because RO membranes collect dirt
and bacteria and can develop holes, RO systems need to be inspected annually,
and the membranes either cleaned or replaced, according to the green
homeowners’ bible, </span><a href="http://www.newsociety.com/Books/P/Prescriptions-for-a-Healthy-House-3rd-Edition"><i><span style="color: #3d72a2; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Prescriptions for a
Healthy House</span></i></a><span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">For more information, check out NSF’s </span><a href="http://www.nsf.org/consumer/drinking_water/dw_treatment.asp"><span style="color: #3d72a2; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">consumer home drinking
water treatment guide</span></a><span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
Green Bargain! For carefully researched and vetted lists of products, what to choose and what to lose when it comes to ingredients and labels, see my book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Do-One-Green-Thing-Everyday/dp/B005B1E9M8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371409237&sr=8-1&keywords=do+one+green+thing">Do One Green Thing: Saving the Earth through Simple, Everyday Choices</a>!<br />
<br />
Got a question? Post a comment on the blog or through our home page at <a href="http://greenerpenny.com/">GreenerPenny.com</a> . Or, if you like, like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GreenerPenny?fref=ts">GreenerPenny on Facebook</a> and ask me a question there.<br />
<br />
Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/greenerpenny">GreenerPenny on Twitter</a> for more tips.<br />
<br />
Thank you!<br />
Mindy<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->GreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034455299383795193.post-34363819069353273632013-04-16T21:13:00.003-07:002013-04-16T21:13:36.828-07:00What's greener, glass or recycled plastic?
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<span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt;">A reader asked: What’s the greener container: recycled plastic
or glass?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt;">For bottled drinks or preserved foods), I'd choose those
packaged in glass, which is almost infinitely recyclable. Eighty percent of
glass containers that are recycled are made into new ones, whereas plastic can
only be recycled 2-3 times before it loses its strength. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt;">Best of all, glass is free of the phthalates and bisphenol-A
that can leach from plastic. Acidic substances like tomatoes, colas and citrus,
or fatty foods, promote the leaching of plastic chemicals, which they absorb.
So does heating any food in plastic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt;">However, you might not want to use breakable glass bottles around
children. And even though plastic is made of fossil fuels, its light weight
requires fewer fossil fuels in shipping than glass. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2f3030; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.0pt;">Just be sure to choose plastic marked "post-consumer
recycled" (PCR) or "post-consumer waste" (PCW). Regular
"recycled" plastic is usually made from factory scraps, which only
encourages the continued production and waste of new plastic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->GreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034455299383795193.post-35662211211369146372013-04-16T01:02:00.002-07:002013-04-16T01:02:32.260-07:00D.I.Y. household cleaning ingredients<br />
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">
<strong>Shopping List</strong> </div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">
With these 15 items, you can clean just about anything.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">
■ Baking Soda: scrubbing, whitening<br />■ Beeswax: polishing wood<br />■ Borax (sodium borate): removing stains/disinfecting<br />■ Club Soda (or any unflavored fizzy water): lifting stains<br />■ Cornstarch: absorbing stains<br />■ Hydrogen Peroxide: disinfecting, removing stains<br />■ Lemon: removing stains and odors<br />■ Liquid Dish Soap: sudsing power<br />■ Olive Oil: polishing wood<br />■ Pine Oil: cleaning soft wood floors<br />■ Plant Essential Oils: chemical-free fragrance (do a sniff test before buying to make sure you’re not sensitive to the fumes)<br />■ Salt: scrubbing<br />■ Toothpaste: polishing metal<br />■ Washing Soda (sodium carbonate): scrubbing, removing stains and cutting grease<br />■ White Vinegar: disinfecting, removing stains</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
GreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034455299383795193.post-72381816652760282552013-04-15T03:04:00.001-07:002013-04-15T03:04:07.246-07:00D.I.Y. Green Cleaners <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;">Commercial cleaning products have been shown to trigger <a href="http://www.worldwatch.org/node/655">asthma, headaches</a> and more. Below are some task-specific recipes that won’t lead to teary disaster.</span></div>
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before flushing. Add white vinegar for a little extra stain-lifting fizz.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">All-Purpose Cleaner </span></b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"> Use on any non-wood surface.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">1/2 cup borax 1 gallon hot water<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Mix until borax is dissolved; mop or spray and wipe surfaces.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">1 cup white vinegar 1 gallon hot water 1 tablespoon to 1/4 cup liquid
soap (optional) 1 to 2 tablepoons pine or lemon oil (optional) For
extra cleaning power, add liquid soap. Add pine or lemon oil (essential oil of
lavender or rosemary are less-intense alternatives) to condition unlaminated
wood floors. Mix all ingredients and clean floor or walls with mop or damp rag.
Follow with a clean-water mop if you use soap.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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drops liquid soap (optional)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Mix and spray or wipe on; for the best shine, use old newspapers!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Encrusted Gunk Buster </span></b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"> Avoid chlorine-based scrubs by making your
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Baking soda, washing soda or salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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minutes, then scrub with a rag, sponge or brush.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Fume-Free Oven Cleaner </span></b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"> Avoid caustic lye-based products and still
make your oven sparkle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">1 cup baking soda 1/4 to 1/2 cup washing soda 1 tablespoon liquid soap
Hot water Few drops white vinegar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Make sure oven is off and totally cool. No need to disconnect power.
Wipe off surface soot and any fresh spills. Combine dry ingredients and
gradually add hot water until you have a thick but malleable paste. For greasy
ovens, add an additional 1/4 cup washing soda. Add vinegar (watch it
fizz!). Coat all oven surfaces and leave overnight. Wipe off with warm water.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Soft Scrub </span></b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"> Use this non-scratching, chlorine-free paste on enamel or
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">1 cup baking soda or borax Warm water 2 to 3 drops liquid soap<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Combine baking soda or borax with enough water to form a paste. Add
liquid soap. Apply to surfaces, let sit at least 5 minutes, and scrub with a
non-abrasive sponge. Rinse and wipe off residue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Grout Cleaner </span></b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"> Kill mildew and whiten grout without
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Baking soda White vinegar or hydrogen peroxide<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Combine ingredients to make a paste. Let stand 30 minutes or more,
then scrub.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Lye-Free Drain Cleaner </span></b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"> For a clogged drain, use a plumber’s snake
or an untwisted coat hanger to pull out as much gunk as possible. Pour 1/2
cup baking or washing soda down the drain; gradually add 1/2 cup white
vinegar. Let fizz and dissolve. Carefully pour in boiling water from a tea
kettle. Wait half an hour. Repeat as necessary. Before calling a plumber, let
things cool off and snake again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 21px;">Before you roll up your sleeves, remember, even all-natural cleaning ingredients can be irritating. Open windows to ventilate rooms while you clean, and wear gloves. Store all cleaning products, including homemade mixtures, in sealed containers in a cool, dry place.</span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->GreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034455299383795193.post-6784214701002957012013-04-15T01:13:00.002-07:002013-04-15T01:13:25.443-07:00Hello Green Mattress, Goodbye Toxic Hotbed<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Spring cleaning should include
our indoor air. A reader recently asked
me, “I’m looking for a green healthy mattress. What do you recommend?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Because we spend about half
our lives in bed, I recommend a mattress
made of natural materials and free of chemical treatments. Alas, most conventional mattresses are stuffed
with petroleum-based, polyurethane foam that can release, or “offgass,”
volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that have been linked to cancer, allergies,
asthma and harm to nervous systems and children’s development. These chemicals include toxic fire retardants
that migrate into the air we breathe. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Greener Penny has long
advocated against these synthetic chemicals. In 2010, we spoke with Heather
Stapleton, a professor of chemistry at Duke, who warned against the <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://greenerpenny.blogspot.com/2010/05/toxic-fire-retardants-lurking-in.html">health threats posed by widely used mattress fire retardants</a></span>,
such as tris, which a study led by Stapleton found in house dust. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">In March, California <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-03-27/news/chi-officials-vow-to-rid-flame-toxic-retardants-in-furniture-baby-products-20130326_1_flame-retardants-candlelike-flame-furniture-and-baby-products">proposed new rules</a></span> for fire retardancy in furniture and baby products that, if passed, will likely
render these chemicals obsolete. Recent tests commissioned by the Chicago
Tribune found that <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://media.apps.chicagotribune.com/flames/index.html">popular baby mattresses were hotbedsof toxic flame retardants</a></span>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">What to look for<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Choose mattresses made from
natural, renewable and untreated materials: wool, cotton (in either, certified organic is
greenest) and latex from rubber trees. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Mattresses wrapped in wool,
a naturally fire retardant material, can meet the current U.S. Consumer Safety Products Commission
(CPSC) “open flame” <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07220.html">flammability standard</a></span> (based on the California
standard that the state is now poised to change). standard without adding chemicals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">If you want a wool-free
mattress that’s untreated with fire retardant chemicals, you’ll have to provide
the retailer with a prescription from your doctor. Here’s a <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.eco-mattress-store.com/pages/prescription-bed.html">form you can download</a></span>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">There are now many companies selling
greener mattresses in adult and crib size. They also sell less expensive futons
or mattress toppers. All are available in a range of natural materials and
prices. <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://greenerpenny.blogspot.com/2010/01/avoiding-pbdes-in-mattresses.html">Here’s a lis</a>t</span>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">See <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://media.apps.chicagotribune.com/flames/index.html">Playing With Fire</a></span>, The Tribune’s excellent investigative series on the chemical and cigarette
industries <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->GreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034455299383795193.post-75694213303706643052013-04-14T23:36:00.002-07:002013-04-14T23:39:25.415-07:00Green Memory Foam, Really?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;">I like a firm latex or cotton mattress, but
lots of sleepers swear by softer, more cushy memory foam, which started off as all-synthetic. Now many
companies</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">are promoting</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">“eco friendly” memory foam.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> Is it for real? </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">The green claim is primarily based on two
things:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">*The use of renewable
botanical extracts, rather than nonrenewable petroleum, to make the foam.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">*Freedom from toxic VOCs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;">I spoke with representatives of two leading green memory foam
mattress companies, both of which have stores in New York City, San Francisco
and elsewhere in the U.S.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Essentia, a Toronto-based
company, has developed the “world’s only natural memory foam,” made from hevea
milk (the sap of rubber trees) and plant essential oils, says Dylan McCall in
the Berkeley store. It is a point of pride that the foam is petroleum-free. But
why essential oils? “Along with water, during the processing, they add moisture
and lubrication that turns latex into more spongey memory foam,” McCall says,
adding, “There is no offgassing from the mattress at all.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Instead of chemical fire
retardants, a thin layer of Kevlar, “a nontoxic, fireproof, synthetic fiber,” is woven into the organic
cotton mattress cover, McCall explains. Another plus: “They’re fair trade. The latex comes from a
sustainable forest in Indonesia, the foam is made in Italy, the memory foam and
assemblage is in Montreal.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.myessentia.com/" style="font-size: 21px;">Essentia</a> <span style="font-size: 16pt;">models range
from a futon six inches of organic cotton filling topped with two inches of
memory foam,</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">at $1779 (queen size), or
six inches of latex foam topped with different densities of memory foam for
$2640 (queen) and up. Higher density memory foam is more expensive, with
quicker springback to its original shape, more support, “and it wraps around
you a little bit more,” McCall says.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">In the puffy world of</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">unregulated “eco-friendly” claims, it is
refreshing to encounter Keetsa, a mattress company that freely admits its
high-density memory foam is only 12 percent botanical-based, and the rest is
derived from petroleum. Although Keetsa keeps trying to “lessen our reliance on
petroleum, whenever we go beyond 12 percent plant-based, it starts to lose its
memory foam characteristics,” says Andy Babkes, a salesperson and sleep
consultant in Keetsa’s San Francisco store. The plant-based Biofoam is derived
from green tea leaves and castor oil beans.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">From a health standpoint,
Keetsa mattresses are certified low-VOC by <a href="http://certipur.us/pages/about-our-seal/about-certipur-us/">Certi-PUR</a>, which is an industry promulgated seal ensuring that
the most harmful VOCs are absent from the finished product. As a rule, seals verified by independent third parties are more reliable. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Low-VOC isn't no-VOC, however, so “before a mattress is packaged for shipping, we let it air out,”
Babkes says. A sensible precaution.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">To reduce their eco
footprint, Keetsa’s premium mattress covers use hemp, which requires less water
than cotton. Hemp also “feels softer and more luxurious,” Babkes says. Their
“Tea Leaf” supreme model, combining memory foam and hemp, costs $1599. <a href="http://www.keetsa.com/">Keetsa</a> also makes natural latex mattresses with innersprings, encased in organic
cotton and wool, starting at $999, queen size.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">It’s a point of pride that
“we can make it affordable and still have something healthy,” Babkes says. We won’t argue with that! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">For non-foam green mattress companies, see our blog featuring this <a href="http://greenerpenny.blogspot.com/2010/01/avoiding-pbdes-in-mattresses.html">GreenerPenny list</a>.</span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->GreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034455299383795193.post-85113545805990933692013-04-14T01:01:00.003-07:002013-04-14T10:19:22.095-07:00Top green cleaning productsA botanically- rather than petroleum-derived dish soap, laundry detergent or all-purpose cleaner is gentler on hands, eyes and lungs, and aquatic life it eventually touches after going down the drain. The cleaning products made by the companies below are free of the "Lose It" ingredients one should most avoid in liquid soaps: APEs and NPEs, fragrance, sodium laureth sulfate and other ethoxylated ingredients, and the antibacterial chemical triclosan.
If a product line has received meaningful third-party certifications, this is noted. Most of these manufacturers' products have received the Environmental Protection Agency's Design for the Environment (DfE) seal.<br /><br /><a href="
<a href="http://www.greenworkscleaners.com/?gclid=CJK41cGQybYCFa9eQgod6F4A0Q">CLOROX GREENWORKS</a>: is DfE; and, in tests by the Organic Consumers Association, it had no detectable traces of 1, 4, dioxane, a suspected carcinogen.
<a href="http://www.drbronners.com">DR. BRONNER'S MAGIC SOAPS</a> certified fair trade, USDA certified organic plant ingredients, 100% post consumer recycled packaging. No detectable dioxane in OCA tests.
<a href="http://www.ecos.com/">ECOS (EARTH FRIENDLY PRODUCTS)</a> is DfE.
<a href="http://www.greendepot.com/greendepot/product.asp?dept_id=&pf_id=GDCPLDD32&">GREEN DEPOT</a> is Dfe. <a href="http://www.marthastewartclean.com/index.php">MARTHA STEWART CLEAN DISH & HAND SOAP</a> is DfE and Leaping Bunny (certified as not tested on animals).
<a href="http://methodhome.com">METHOD</a> Its laundry soap is 8x concentrated, reducing packaging wastes and energy used to ship it.
<a href="http://www.mionegroup.com/product/16310 ">MIESSENCE MIENVIRON DISHWASHING CONCENTRATE</a> (with certified organic plant ingredients, ranked a top 10 for health by <a href="http://www.goodguide.com/products/263896-miessence-biodegradable-dishwashing-concentrate">GoodGuide</a>. <a href="http://www.seventhgeneration.com">SEVENTH GENERATION</a> is Leaping Bunny, and uses the greenest bottles after Dr. Bronner's, with up to 90% PCW for the dish soap bottle and aiming for 100%.
More information on choose it/lose it ingredients for ever category of home product can be found in my book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Do-One-Green-Thing-Everyday/dp/B005B1E9M8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1365926839&sr=1-1&keywords=do+one+green+thing">DO ONE GREEN THING: SAVING THE EARTH THROUGH SIMPLE, EVERYDAY CHOICES.</a>
Get updates on new enviro studies and green products at this blog's home page, <a href="greenerpenny.com">GreenerPenny.com</a>.GreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034455299383795193.post-43631364872128896482012-03-10T14:36:00.005-08:002012-03-10T16:30:51.126-08:00Spider control without pesticidesA humane reader asks, "How can I get rid of spiders in my house w/o using chemicals?"<br /> <br />Indeed. There is no need to fear or kill spiders, which are mostly beneficial insects, as any child can tell you thanks to <span style="font-style:italic;">Charlotte’s Web</span>. In addition to being natural artists, spiders eat insect pests such as mosquitoes and flies.<br /><br />As for our health, incomparably worse than insects are synthetic chemical insecticides used in homes have been <a href="http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.0901226">linked to cancer</a>,and can harm children’s development as well as provoke headaches, asthma and other ill health effects in all of us.<br /><br />By contrast, “Most spiders pose no threat to humans,” biting, like most animals, only when provoked, according to <a href="http://beyondpesticides.org/">Beyond Pesticides</a>, a respected non-profit organization specializing in Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which relies on least-toxic removal methods and treatments in home, garden and farming, and allows synthetic chemicals only as a last resort. That said, no one likes waking up with a bite on sensitive areas from active hunting spiders like the brown recluse who can crawl under, and up into, a bed.<br /> <br />The answer? Here are some tips from Beyond Pesticides and my own experience.<br /> <br />Remove.<br /> <br />*Dust (use a long-handled dustmop for ceiling corners) or vacuum to remove webs and egg cases. Remember to clean under furniture and in closets.<br /> <br />*Keep clothing and shoes off the floor and shake them out—carefully, and outdoors. Most spider bites happen when cleaning out closets or storage areas. Place in sealed plastic bags.<br /> <br />*Capture and release (outside). Trap spiders with a wide-mouth jar, sliding stiff paper or cardboard underneath. Invert jar so spider drops in. Or sweep the spider into a grocery bag.<br /> <br />Kill without chemicals.<br /> <br />*Swat hard with a magazine or shoe.<br />* The tax-time solution: Freeze, for 48 hours, boxes/ files/ containers filled with old papers & receipts you need but suspect spiders may be hiding in. Ditto old clothes and other stuff from cleaning out the closet.<br />*Or put things in sealed plastic bags and spiders will die for lack of oxygen (although freezing is kinder).<br /> <br />Keep spiders out.<br /> <br />*Seal openings, which also weatherizes and saves on energy bills. Think: door sweeps, caulking gaps around electric openings, windows and vents; make sure screens are intact.<br /> <br />*Keep 2 feet of clearance between shrubs and the walls of your home. This also helps keep termites out.<br /> <br />*Draw curtains or shades at night so spiders (and other insects) won’t be attracted to windows.<br /> <br />*Ventilate and dry out moist, humid areas, where spiders like to lurk.<br /> <br />*Cut down on clutter, which will also discourage roach infestations.<br /> <br />There! Spider monitoring is also a good way to get your spring cleaning underway.<br /><br />Got eco-questions? Ask away on my home page, <a href="greenerpenny.com"></a>. More green living facts and tips can be found there and in my book, <a href="stmartins.com/doonegreenthing"></a>.GreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034455299383795193.post-6140106096018067022012-01-29T13:45:00.000-08:002012-01-29T19:09:27.387-08:00Risks of nonstick & water-stainproof "Teflon" chemicals<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8HZpKGPt0Q8ZmZle8Efus42tZu2DTdSKtxurOtAq8FbBmshsudMKKokpfJc0P5PXPNNlgFz0S9_4SY69YnR40kfVRm2cFKVpcyh8UVKUxbiO9Zwq45HL2gCznskbEbwadYz_WwxOQek/s1600/raincoat+child.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8HZpKGPt0Q8ZmZle8Efus42tZu2DTdSKtxurOtAq8FbBmshsudMKKokpfJc0P5PXPNNlgFz0S9_4SY69YnR40kfVRm2cFKVpcyh8UVKUxbiO9Zwq45HL2gCznskbEbwadYz_WwxOQek/s200/raincoat+child.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703256840026346898" /></a><br />Polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, or PFCs, used in nonstick,water/stain-repellant coatings such as Teflon, Gore-tex and Scotchgard, are found in cookware, clothing, and many other daily consumer products--as well as in our bodies. One especially worrisome PFC, known as perfluorooctanaoic acid (PFOA), is found in more than 99 percent of Americans, according to <a href="http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.1002346">findings by the Centers for Disease Control</a>.<br /><br />Below is a summary of the science finding possible risks of PFCs, followed by how to choose PFC-free products.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">RISKS OF PFCS</span> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Weakening children's immune systems</span><br />A startling new study finds that children exposed to PFOA and PFOS may have weakened immune systems, making it more difficult for their bodies to fight off infection and disease. Researchers tested for the PFCs in the blood of 587 children in Scotland's Faroe Islands from pre-birth to age seven, and discovered that those exposed to the chemicals had built up lower levels of antibodies to tetanus/diphtheria vaccines, reducing their immunity by up to one-half. Lead researcher Philip Grandjean, MD, DSc, told the Harvard Gazette that PFCs <a href="http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2012/01/pfcs-may-hinder-vaccine-response/">may pose a greater threat to the body's immune systems</a> than the very toxic chemicals known as <a href="http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/CFM/nceaQFind.cfm?keyword=Dioxin">dioxins</a>, which are classified as "likely human carcinogens" by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). And, chillingly, he noted that American women and children have higher levels of PFCs in our bodies than the Faroe Islanders have. The <a href="http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/307/4/391.short">study</a> is in the January, 2012 Journal of the American Medical Association. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Learning deficits in children</span><br />Children with higher blood serum levels of PFCs also have higher odds of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), according to a <a href="http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.1001898">2010 study</a> of 571 adolescents ages 12-15 published in Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP).<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Infertility in Women</span><br />Women with higher levels of PFCs in their blood had a harder time getting pregnant, researchers at the UCLA School of Public Health <a href="http://www.ph.ucla.edu/pr/newsitem012809.html">reported in 2009</a>.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Cancer?</span><br />EPA has not yet completed a risk assessment of PFOA, but the agency’s Scientific Advisory Board has said that PFOA cancer data were consistent with its guidelines for <a href="http://www.epa.gov/oppt/pfoa/pubs/faq.html">likely human carcinogens</a>. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />HOW ARE WE EXPOSED?</span><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Food and food packaging</span><br />Researchers in the Harvard study think that the mother's and children's PFC exposures came mostly from consumption of fish, which is a staple in the islanders’ diet. PFCs are released in the environment during manufacture and accumulate in animals' bodies, rising in the food chain.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">House dust and leaching</span><br />Two studies released in 2011, conducted in <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22208757">Catalonia, Spain</a> and <a href="found PFCs in house dust and indoor air. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21332198">Vancouver, Canada</a>. Like many other toxic chemicals, such as phthalates in PVC plastic, PFCs can leach/migrate out of fabric finishes and nonstick coatings as these surfaces erode and break down in light, heat, and wear and tear. The EPA refers to how PFOA, specifically, <a href="http://www.epa.gov/oppt/pfoa/pubs/faq.html">can be released by breakdown</a> of coatings made with it. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">CHOOSING PFC-FREE PRODUCTS</span><br />These findings underscore the importance of removing PFCs from manufacture, which is the source of contamination of our waterways and food. By stopping our purchase of products coated with these chemicals, such as nonstick cookware and rain/stain repellant clothing, bedding, upholstered furniture, carpeting, and even dental floss, we send a clear message to manufacturers, who respond to reduced demand.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Avoid nonstick-coated cookware</span><br />For what to choose, see my <a href="http://greenerpenny.blogspot.com/2011/02/green-cookware-list.html">Green Cookware List</a>. For how to safely use nonstick cookware to avoid "Teflon flu" and bird-killing fumes, click <a href=" http://greenerpenny.blogspot.com/2008/10/sticky-toxins-and-nonstick-pans.html">here</a>.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Fabric finishes</span><br />For a rundown on fabric finishes to avoid in clothing, furnishings and bedding, with some greener bedding choices, see my <a href="http://wholelivingdaily.wholeliving.com/2011/02/home-detox-are-nonstick-cookware-and-stain-repellent-fabrics-dangerous.html">Whole Living Econundrums blog</a>.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Personal Care</span><br />Steer clear of Teflon nail polishes and curling irons; do keep flossing your teeth :), but try to use unwaxed rather than "Glide" type coated floss, <a href="http://www.ewg.org/node/21837">EWG advises</a>.<br /><br />For more on "Lose It" toxic chemicals in daily products, and "Choose It" greener, healthier products and ingredients, check out my book, <a href="http://stmartins.com/doonegreenthing">Do One Green Thing: Saving the Earth Through Simple, Everyday Choices</a>. And do visit my home page for seasonal green living choices at <a href="http://greenerpenny.com">GreenerPenny.com</a>. Got an econundrum? Just ask me at GreenerPenny@gmail.com. I promise to reply.GreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034455299383795193.post-61652584874045461312012-01-29T11:22:00.001-08:002012-02-12T13:12:59.818-08:00Best green bouquets nowWho's the fairest? The Valentine who picks certified fair-trade, organic or locally grown flowers. That's because conventionally grown blooms are so unfair: 70 percent of U.S. flowers are flown from abroad, where workers often do not receive fair wages and laws do not restrict the use of dangerous pesticides. A 2006 Harvard study found that children born to women working in the Ecuadorian flower industry had <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1551999/">impaired brain development</a> due to prenatal exposure to pesticides. So have a heart! Give your loved one better blooms and invest in safer conditions for workers, ecosystems and consumers alike.<br /><br />Then there are the wasteful carbon emissions from all the fuel miles those flower shipments consume!<br /><br />A big green bonus: Fair trade, organic bouquets are now priced competitively with regular ones! Here are some fair floral tips.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />1. Buy Local</span><br /><br />Talk to the flower farmers: Your best bet is a farmers' market. Buy local fresh or dried flowers from growers who, if not certified organic, can assure you that they don't use pesticides and treat workers fairly. Ask your florist shop for contact info for growers. Search your zip code for the nearest growers and farmers' markets at <a href="localharvest.org">Local Harvest</a>. <br /><br />When shipping flowers, order through your local florist shop, and ask them to choose a shop in your recipient's zip code that sells locally grown blooms. That way, you support two locales!<br /><br />2. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Look for verified green/fair trade labels</span> In a rush? Who isn't. Look no farther than your nearest Costco (hint, hint, Valentine!) See below.<br /><br />*<a href="http://transfairusa.org/products-partners">Certified Fair-Trade flowers</a> are grown on farms that receive financial incentives for providing fair wages, safe, clean housing and workplaces, and protecting rainforests by farming sustainably.<br />*<a href="http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal if/usda/usdahome?navid=ORGANIC_CERTIFICATIO">Certified USDA Organic flowers</a> are grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers (a boon to farm community health as well as ecosystems). <br /><a href="http://www.veriflora.com/makediff.php">Veriflora</a> uses third-party certifier Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) to make sure that workers and natural resources are protected.<br />*<a href="http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/agriculture/crops/ferns-http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifflowers">Rainforest Alliance Certified</a> follows Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) standards limiting pesticides and ensuring farm families health care and education.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Retailers</span><br /><br />Costco sells gorgeous long-stemmed <a href="http://reviews.costco.com/2070/11466565/space-floral-rainforest-alliance-white-roses-75-stems-reviews/reviews.htm">Rainforest Alliance certified roses</a> in a tropical sunset's worth of shades, from yellow and orange to pink and red.<br /><br />FTD offers Fair-Trade Certified roses and lilies in its <a href="FTD Eco Flowers http://flowers.ftd.com/search?p=Q&lbc=ftd&uid=765016372&ts=2008&w=Eco%2http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif0Flowers&af=ftdct1:gogreen&isort=score&method=and&scode=522&sli_jump=1&view=list">Eco Flowers</a> line.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.oneworldflowers.orghttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif/product_description.html?products_ID=175">One World Flowers</a> sells fair trade bouquets at fair prices. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.organicbouquet.com/p_4/EcoBlooms/Flowers/Roses/red-roses-dozen.html?subCatId=10&src=AFF_BUYAT">Organic Bouquet</a> carries a great variety of flowers, all certified organic. <br /><br />California Organic Flowers grow year-round domestic blooms, available through <a href="http://www.localharvest.org/organic-flowers.jsp">Local Harvest</a>. <br /><br />Texas growers <a href="http://www.texascolor.com/">Arnosky's Specialty Flowers</a>. supply Central Market, Whole Foods and HEB (Texas' own grocery chain) with beautiful cut flowers grown with environmentally sensitive practices.<br /><br />Want to add some organic, fair-trade chocolates to your sweet package? Use GreenerPenny's mobile-friendly <a href="http://greenerpenny.com/guides/chocolate_guide.html">Chocolate Shopping List</a>.<br /><br />More practical green, healthy solutions for your daily life, from food and water to cleaning, energy, cosmetics and more, can be found in my book, <a href="stmartins.com/doonegreenthing">Do One Green Thing: Saving the Earth Through Simple, Everyday Choices</a>. For more info and tips, see our home page, <a href="http://greenerpenny.com/guides/chocolate_guide.html">GreenerPenny.com</a>!GreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034455299383795193.post-73297287029424600202011-10-14T08:17:00.000-07:002011-10-15T13:25:14.419-07:00Best bedside book: The Sound of a Wild Snail EatingAlthough summer officially ended last month, it hangs on for a little while yet in these golden autumn days. One Indian Summer, in the Vermont forest, my child found a newt red as flame--a long-forgotten moment that returned to mind as I read Elisabeth Tova Bailey's The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating. Early on in Bailey's struggle with a debilitating illness, a visiting friend, walking in the woods, sees a small brown snail, picks it up with some wild violets, and presents it to the bedwritten writer. The resulting memoir reminds us of how very much a small but thoughtful gift can mean. The book itself is such a gift to the reader. If you’ve been wanting to slow down and rediscover quiet, illuminated moments in your own life, look no farther than Bailey’s wonderful story about her long, confining illness and the busy, intrepid and, yes, audibly chewing creature that lifted her spirits by sustaining her connection to the forests and fields where she couldn’t wander anymore. <br /><br />The diverting snail, which could hang upside down from a fern frond and, when Bailey watered the violets on her bedside table,“...would glide to the rim of the pot and look over, slowly waving its tentacles in apparent delight...”, kept her company during a very lonely time when, Bailey writes, “...my friends were golden threads randomly appearing in the monotonous fabric of my days.” Although she couldn’t move her body, Bailey’s imagination journeyed far and wide as she studied her snail.<br /><br />She reads Darwin, who was fascinated by Molluska and the hitchiking propensities that enabled them to be carried by birds or logs across oceans. “Stuck to an autumn leaf, a snail may blow along in a storm, its magic carpet eventually landing in faraway terrain.” She learned, in confirmation of her own observations of her pet, that snails have brains, and romance, too. Gerald Durrell and others watched the mating of snails–some of which, like Cupid, literally shoot a dart into the flesh of a paramour. Bailey contributes to the literature: “Eventually I would learn that I may be the first person to have recorded observations of a snail tending its eggs.”<br /><br />An illness can change a life for a long time, sometimes forever. For more than two decades, since she collapsed with a high fever on a visit to Switzerland, Bailey has been periodically laid low with a weakened immune system, pain and chronic fatigue. During the year spent with a snail and its progeny, considerable healing began, as so often happens when genuine interest in other beings frees us from feelings of isolation and depression. <br /><br />Over time, Bailey wrote in an email, she has become sensitized to many synthetic chemicals, such as the pesticides that also harm amphibians and snails, and the phthalates that offgass from polyvinyl (PVC) plastic and have been linked to asthma and hormone disruption. She writes in her email of how chemicals offgassing from a PVC shower curtain produced a reaction--coughing, eye irritation, headaches, and collapse--that led to her hospitalization. Not content with removing her shower curtain, Bailey spoke with her state’s poison control center and, joining the Center for Health, Environment and Justice's campaign, convinced her local stores to stop selling the curtains, which were also treated with a toxic fungicide.<br /><br />Thinking of other invalids and homebound people, Bailey writes in her book, “I felt a connection to all of them. We, too, were a colony of hermits.” Clearly, she feels and acts on a sense of responsibility to the planet and the rest of us, and it was her generosity of spirit that got me to finally reach for her book, which had received glowing reviews and a recommendation from my beloved aunt in Vermont.<br /><br />As it happened, I turned to Bailey's book when I was recuperating from a blackout and fall, caused by a sudden mysterious fever, that had severely curtailed my normally active life. The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating helped me to recognize the resulting stillness as an opportunity. Bailey's warmth, wit and energy changed my life by reaffirming my connection to what matters most to me--friends, family, the natural world--and reminding me to spend much more time with them. I highly recommend this marvellous book.<br /><br />You can hear the snail eating, and watch it go with the flow, at <a href="http://www.elisabethtovabailey.net/">ElisabethTovaBailey.ne</a>t.GreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034455299383795193.post-82339066359071952322011-08-22T13:26:00.000-07:002011-08-22T14:04:10.028-07:00Greener less toxic computers and computing tipsA new computer for back to school. Do or don't? In tech purchasing, as in nearly everything these days, it's possible to spend your pennies more wisely for your sake and the planet's, now that companies are being vetted for energy efficiency and reduced pollutants. On the other hand, given the hazardous e-waste released by <a href="http://www.tufts.edu/tuftsrecycles/electronics.html#article1">improper "recycling"</a> (read, dumping) of 50-80% of our <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/campaigns/toxics/hi-tech-highly-toxic/e-waste-goes">e-waste abroad</a>, you might want to hold onto your old machine, <a href="http://upgradedetect.com/">upgrading its memory </a>(and saving your money) for as long as possible.
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<br />If you really want or need to buy new, ask the company if they'll take your old machine for free recycling.
<br />In a nutshell, here's <strong>what to look for new, and what to avoid</strong>:
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Choose It:</span> Energy Star computers with least toxic contents
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Lose It:</span> Computers that waste energy and contain hazardous chemicals
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<br /><strong>Did You Know?</strong> If all computers sold in the U.S. met the <a href="http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.ShowProductGroup&pgw_code=CO">U.S. EPA</a> Energy Star standards, we’d save about $2 billion in electricity each year, and reduce as many greenhouse gases as taking 2 million cars off the road.
<br />Toxic brominated fire retardants (BFRs)can migrate out of computers [casings] into house dust, according to a 2004 Environmental Working Group <a href="http://www.ewg.org/reports/inthedust">study</a>. Learn about other hazardous chemicals in computers from the <a href="http://www.etoxics.org/site/PageServer?pagename=svtc_toxics_and_health">Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition</a>.
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<br /><strong>4 things to demand from a new green computer:
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<br />*</strong> It should be energy efficient/ <a href="http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.ShowProductGroup&pgw_code=CO">Energy Star</a> compliant.For lists of Energy Star desktops and laptops, click <a href="http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.ShowProductGroup&pgw_code=CO">here</a>.
<br />* It should minimize the use of hazardous chemicals. The Environmental Working Group has a <a href="http://www.ewg.org/pbdefree">list of PDBE-free (toxic fire retardants) computers</a> with links to manufacturers’ websites, while Greenpeace (below)also examines PVC, arsenic, lead and other toxic components.
<br />* Its maker should have a responsible takeback/ recycling program
<br />* The company should be significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
<br />* The company should receive a high rating from the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (<a href="http://www.epeat.net/">EPEAT</a>) and from Greenpeace's annual electronics guide (see below).
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<br />Here are the computer companies who scored among the top ten greenest in Greenpeace’s most recent, 2010 <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/toxics/electronics/">Guide to Greener Electronics</a>.
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<br />1. Nokia
<br />2. Sony Ericsson
<br />3. Philips
<br />4. HP
<br />5. Samsung
<br />6. Motorola, Panasonic and Sony in 3-way tie
<br />9. Apple
<br />10. Dell
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<br />For the details, see Greenpeace's <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/toxics/electronics/Guide-to-Greener-Electronics/">rankings page</a>.
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<br />If your student can wait till Xmas, or better yet, the post-Xmas sales, Greenpeace's new guide comes out in November 2011 and I'll keep you posted.
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<br /><strong>Old or New: Energy saving tips</strong>
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<br />Whether you keep chugging along with your old computer or buy a new one, you can always improve on its performance and your energy savings by smart usage.
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<br />*Use your machine's built-in power-saving features. To learn what they are, how to activate them, and calculate how much you would save, check out the EPA IT Calculator and other tools featured on the <a href="http://www.climatesaverscomputing.org/tools/applicationshttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif/">Climate Savers Computing website</a>.
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<br />Turn off your computer <em>and the power strip</em> when it's not in use. See more tips from the <a href="http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/actionsteps.html">EPA</a>.
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<br />If you turn off your PC when it's not in use, you can save 188 kilograms of CO2 and 437 kilowatt hours (kwh)a year. Significant savings, with the average national cost of a kwh topping <a href="http://205.254.135.24/cneaf/electricity/epm/epm_sum.html">12 cents in 2011</a>.
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<br /><strong>Finding more products</strong>
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<br />Want more simple green living tips? Subscribe to my free monthly e- newsletter by emailing <a href="mailto:GreenerPenny@gmail.com">GreenerPenny@gmail.com</a>. And, for Choose It/ Lose It lists with brand names in everything from cookware to cosmetics, see my book, <a href="http://stmartins.com/doonegreenthing">Do One Green Thing</a>. Thanks!GreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034455299383795193.post-28713002008215270632011-08-22T01:49:00.000-07:002011-08-22T18:02:21.661-07:00Green, Nontoxic Back to School Supplies, Lunch Kits 2011<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3RzmAjh1BREH_d60oK7gkJ4kzPUKGsa5vBKKYlPLQ6pWnFLcNuqdO28FY9iApVDbJkvAl7ddBOEt9d1w0RifIucBAYKveqX3UX1BGvcqEmAnTBvRl24I2S5kdKpxDiCmvFLu-fNfcxf8/s1600/oct2010-march2011+200.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3RzmAjh1BREH_d60oK7gkJ4kzPUKGsa5vBKKYlPLQ6pWnFLcNuqdO28FY9iApVDbJkvAl7ddBOEt9d1w0RifIucBAYKveqX3UX1BGvcqEmAnTBvRl24I2S5kdKpxDiCmvFLu-fNfcxf8/s200/oct2010-march2011+200.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643601209063555602" /></a>
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<br />What I love most about back-to-school shopping is slipping some new green office supplies and lunch totables for myself into the cart. American families are expected to spend about <a href="http://blog.nrf.com/2011/07/21/a-quick-look-back-to-school-by-the-numbers">$68 billion on back-to-school shopping </a>this year, so green choices can help stimulate marketplace change. You’ll find lots of planet-friendly, personally healthier products below, plus ideas for lightening the impact on your wallet.
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<br />* “Shop” your closets and bins.</strong> Make it a treasure hunt for the kids, giving reward points applicable to new stuff on their wish list. Still-good pencils with worn-down erasers can be renewed with fun <a href="http://www.pencilthings.com/Pencil-Top-Erasers-p/bcm%2038091.htm">eraser caps </a>such as IWAKO’s PVC-free dolphins and monkeys<strong>* </strong>.Sell old books at <a href="http://www.cash4books.net">cash4books</a>.
<br /><strong> *Buy textbooks second-hand.</strong> Ask about used book sales at your school or library, or compare prices for titles at <a href="http://www.bookfinder.com">Bookfinder.com</a>.
<br />*Drive less. Sparing your car just 10 miles per week can cut your CO2 emissions by <a href="http://www.greenerchoices.org/energysavingsavecarbon.cfm ">340 pounds </a>per year.Walk, bike, take public transport, combine shopping errands into one trip, and carpool to local stores.
<br /><strong>*Roll orders into one.</strong> Order green supplies with other families in your neighborhood and have it sent in one shipment to one address.
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<br /><strong>Pencils and Pens</strong>
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<br /><a href="http://pilotbegreen.us/products/index.php ">Pilot’s BeGreen pens</a> are made with 89% PCR recycled plastic bottles, with recycled ink, and refillable.
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<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Earthzone-Special-Premium-Recycled-Pencils/dp/B004A7DIMG/ref=pd_sbs_op_1#2">Earth Zone </a> pencils, which come with a recycled metal sharpener, <a href="http://www.greenciles.com">Greenciles</a> /,in 60 percent PCR packaging, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Colored-12-Packs-Wildlife-Recycled-Newspaper/dp/B003U46Q1U/ref=pd_sbs_op_2">O’Bon’s</a> wildlife-pattern pencils pencils are all made from recycled newspapers, not wood fresh from trees.
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<br />For least toxic, VOC-free art supplies, markers and glues, choose water-based, washable items and look for the Arts & Creative Materials Institute <a href="http://www.acminet.org/">(ACMI) seal</a>. You’ll find it on Faber-Castelli Watercolor <a href="http://www.simonsaysstamp.com/servlet/the-20485/Faber-dsh-Castell-faber-castell-GRIP/Detail ">EcoPencils</a> made from reforested wood.
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<br />Crayons and water-soluble glue made with soy wax, minerals and plant pigments are at <a href="http://www.kidzsafetystore.com">Kidzone</a>. And a reader recommends synthetic-free <a href="http://www.bouldersbestorganics.com/content/clementine-arts-markers">Clementine markers</a>.
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<br /><strong>Paper</strong>
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<br />Choose products with the highest percentage of post-consumer-recycled (PCR) content you can find. On paper goods, look for Forest Stewardship Council or <a href="http://www.environmentalleader.com/2011/03/04/staples-launches-rainforest-alliance-paper/">Rainforest Alliance Certified </a> seals, availabe at Staples and other office stores.
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<br />Look for tree-free papers, such as <a href="http://newleafpaper.com ">New Leaf’s </a>Farm Fiber Collection. Their 100% PCR banana paper is gorgeous
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<br />To hold green paper, <a href="http://www.earthbinder.com/?gclid=CPCVhcjG2aoCFRA5gwod7X_j6Q">Earthbinders</a> are made from 96 percent post-consumer content.
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<br /><strong>One-stop-shops for recycled paper products, binders, staples, clips, pencils and pens:</strong>
<br />The <a href="http://www.theultimategreenstore.com/s-59-eco-school-supplies.aspx ">Ultimate Green Store </a>
<br /><a href="http://www.staples.com/sbd/cre/marketing/ecoeasy/index.html?cmSearchKeyword=eco++easy">Staples Eco-Easy directory </a>
<br /><a href="http://www.officedepot.com/a/browse/greeneroffice/N=5+11332/ ">Home Depot’s Green Pages</a>
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<br /><strong>Backpacks: PVC-free, recycled fabric</strong>
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<br /><a href="http://www.chicobag.com/p-40-chicobag-daypack20-repete.aspx">Chico Bags’ RePete daypack</a> is made from recycled plastics and aluminum.
<br /><a href="http://www.baginspiration.com/products/Ecogear-Palila-Backpack.html">Ecogear Palila backpack </a>made from RPET (recycled soda bottles), as well as hemp and recycled
<br />cotton ones, can be found at <a href="http://www.pristineplanet.com/backpacks-eco-friendly-solar-fair-trade-organic-hemp/backpacks/8359_a_0.html">Pristine Planet</a>.
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<br /><strong>Lunch and drink containers without BPA, Lead and Phthalates</strong>
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<br /><a href="http://reuseit.com ">Reuseit.com</a>,includes a 16-oz. Thermos King <a href="http://www.reuseit.com/store/thermos-king-stainless-steel-food-with-spoon-p-2660.html">insulated stainless </a>food jar with spoon; also, organic cotton cloth or mesh <a href="http://www.reuseit.com/store/Sandwich+%26+Snack+Bags-c-248_250.htm">sandwich/snack bags </a>and cleanable wrapping mats.
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<br /><a href="http://www.greenfeet.com/Default.asp">Greenfeet.com’s<http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif/a> back to school page features a frigoverre tempered glass sandwich box, PVC free plastic wrap and soy-wax sandwich bags.
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<br /><a href="http://gogreenlunchbox.com/products/products.html">Go Green Lunchbox</a> kits come with a BPA-free covered bento tray, a stainless drink bottle that fits inside, a white board inside the lid for notes to your child, and an insulated, PVC-free bag to carry it all.
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<br />Our reader also highly recommends the nontoxic bento boxes, insulated covers and stainless food jars at <a href="http://www.laptoplunches.com/">Laptop Lunches</a>.
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<br />For more products, see my lists of <a href="http://greenerpenny.com/guides/foodstorage_guide.html ">BPA-free food containers </a>and <a href="http://greenerpenny.com/guides/bottle_guide.html">drink bottles</a>. For green, healthy product and action tips in every category of daily life, please heck out my home page, <a href="http://greenerpenny.com/guides/bottle_guide.html">GreenerPenny.com</a>, and my green living book, <a href="http://stmartins.com/doonegreenthing">Do One Green Thing</a>!
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<br />Thanks all of you for your input and suggestions--just add below to Comment section of this blog!
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<br /><strong>*</strong>Younger Sibling Safety Alert: Erasers, staples, paper clips and other small items are choking risks and should be kept out of the reach of children younger than three.
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<br />GreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034455299383795193.post-26618585379912487032011-08-13T20:38:00.000-07:002011-08-13T21:11:39.304-07:00Mango & yogurt cake recipe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWj8L-TJXHsx1lHXMT91LdIu8STKpDuaRPZikhqxBfKaiBIT649VOSo9KGWbuPGNCfGymIaQKthZf7DoPYjXA6bznPtGSGUoKmUgrvTIYigF30xY41RDBmimm05VFIJZneW_H_wTTJNrM/s1600/mango+freezer+2.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWj8L-TJXHsx1lHXMT91LdIu8STKpDuaRPZikhqxBfKaiBIT649VOSo9KGWbuPGNCfGymIaQKthZf7DoPYjXA6bznPtGSGUoKmUgrvTIYigF30xY41RDBmimm05VFIJZneW_H_wTTJNrM/s200/mango+freezer+2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640553168114238034" /></a>
<br />This recipe is a tropical--and lighter--adaptation of the traditional pear or blackberry butter cakes I learned to bake in Brittany, France. Our mango tree had a bumper crop earlier this summer so we cut up and froze (see freezer photo, left) what we didn't eat fresh or give away. You can substitute any fruit you like, fresh or frozen! But remember to let fruit thaw before you add it!
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<br />INGREDIENTS (I use organic and local whenever possible)
<br />1/2 cup whole wheat flour
<br />1 and 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
<br />1 tsp baking soda
<br />1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
<br />3/4 cup turbinado (raw) sugar
<br />1 tsp vanilla
<br />3 eggs, beaten
<br />1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
<br />1 and 1/2 cups diced fresh or frozen/thawed mango or other fruit, such as blackberries, blueberries, or a mix.
<br />1/2 cup chopped walnuts, almonds or macadamia nuts (optional).
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<br />PROCEDURE: Let butter soften at room temp and beat with sugar till creamy. Add vanilla, beaten eggs, yogurt, blend well. Sift/blend flours and baking soda. Gradually add to butter mixture. Stir in fruit, nuts. Pour into 8 x 8 inch cake pan. Bake in 325 degree oven for 50-60 minutes until golden brown on top and fork inserted comes out clean.
<br />Delicious with ice cream or more yogurt!
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<br />For more information about healthy eating choices and organic and other food, personal care and cleaning labels, please visit my home page and blogs at <a href="greenerpenny.com">GreenerPenny.com</a>, and, if you like, sign up for my free monthly (if that) e-newsletter of green living tips! GreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034455299383795193.post-69252251299118350392011-07-29T15:53:00.000-07:002011-07-29T17:44:54.043-07:00How to fix leaking toilets before your household savings go down the drain<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9BHqaNOsUJ_tt6rAO53GVmP7BJ63-Bb1Q8Ng9sNqj-Z9aD4PTXOZl4TXuvXVpnxySOlgKB-lJtsjCliN4TT1YPMnXyd6dYqEWVXXg38uApv95FAHpco9xygU9r-y3J7pw5BrYNS_Mbc0/s1600/toiletBlog+005.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9BHqaNOsUJ_tt6rAO53GVmP7BJ63-Bb1Q8Ng9sNqj-Z9aD4PTXOZl4TXuvXVpnxySOlgKB-lJtsjCliN4TT1YPMnXyd6dYqEWVXXg38uApv95FAHpco9xygU9r-y3J7pw5BrYNS_Mbc0/s200/toiletBlog+005.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634914648565609794" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8iOdu9MN6c8FoBKdOI24LfkWJX-AJQuwSwt0fLvy_PTx6zQMaP7bNOru08bFgeUE_QtjlH6WBJYTn7oX420LZ5sOpfrapm6cuHMb7nqa1erNZyVazKoHvutscsvYE7HO5qzAW7PMG3M/s1600/ripple+effect+cover.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8iOdu9MN6c8FoBKdOI24LfkWJX-AJQuwSwt0fLvy_PTx6zQMaP7bNOru08bFgeUE_QtjlH6WBJYTn7oX420LZ5sOpfrapm6cuHMb7nqa1erNZyVazKoHvutscsvYE7HO5qzAW7PMG3M/s200/ripple+effect+cover.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634914645112065314" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HIoAVs5kJEHNFrKpaI8N2450gaO0opy4DW5u9zg7V7nr_BnHToAoUspmBLFzxYQAs9kwuPjCBmkedk8BA8LUf-BbsekCB6IzGKoLfLQMvgFEmaTFb80LPOVS5nWWHUtJUWOHghqD35g/s1600/toiletBlog+001.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HIoAVs5kJEHNFrKpaI8N2450gaO0opy4DW5u9zg7V7nr_BnHToAoUspmBLFzxYQAs9kwuPjCBmkedk8BA8LUf-BbsekCB6IzGKoLfLQMvgFEmaTFb80LPOVS5nWWHUtJUWOHghqD35g/s200/toiletBlog+001.jpg" border=http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif"0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634914651818051282" /></a><br />Never go on vacation without checking your toilets, first! We did, and boy, do we regret it! Did you know that the average American goes through <a href="http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/qahome.html#HDR3">80-100 gallons</a> of water per day, and our greatest use comes from flushing the toilet? And, a leaking toilet can <a href="http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/water_efficiency/what_you_can_do.html">waste up to 200</a> gallons of water a day, according to the U.S. EPA . In our four-person household, we have three toilets, and two of them sprang leaks while we were gone! <br /><br />We returned from a three-week vacation to gurgling toilets and a call from the Board of Water Supply–-they’d just read our meter and the dial was moving, which i<a href="http://www.hbws.org/cssweb/display.cfm?sid=1091o">ndicated a leak</a>. Plus, our water consumption had spiked <span style="font-style:italic;">six times higher</span> than normal. <br /><br />I got that sinking feeling. Up until we left, our two toilets had shown an occasional tendency to keep trickling, post-flush, until we’d lifted the tank lid and adjusted the rubber flapper valve to stop water flowing out. Just before leaving, we checked to make sure the toilets weren’t running.<br /><br />But things can happen while you’re gone. Plumbing is unpredictable and spontaneous flushes. Well-meaning family members who stopped by to check on things in our absence didn’t check the toilets after flushing. Leaks get worse, fast. <br /><br />“Exactly how much higher was our water use?” I asked. <br /><br />There was a pause as she checked, followed by a half-strangled cry: “Your average water use in each two-month billing cycle is 27,000 gallons, but this time, you used 176,00 gallons!” <br /><br />If you have ever fallen flat from the top of the jungle gym and knocked out all your air, you will know how I felt. Twenty-seven thousand gallons was bad enough–-we’d been trying to conserve by taking shorter showers (second highest indoor water use), but we should have tackled the toilets first! Our plumbing had been leaking four gallons a minute, the water rep said.<br /><br />I did the math. Indeed, four gallons a minute added up to over 170,000 gallons in just 30 days, and ours was a 60 day bill. “Er, does that mean my water bill will be seven times higher?” I asked.<br /><br />The answer was yes. Hello to the $1,350 water bill! Goodbye, in one fell blow, to our painstakingly accumulated household savings! Worse, all that precious clean drinking water had gone down the toilet!<br /><br />“You’re not alone, this happens all the time,” the water rep said. “We had an old toilet out back we never used. Turned out it was leaking for three weeks, and our water bill tripled!”<br /><br />Misery doesn’t love company in this case. Americans use 410 billion gallons of water a day, according to <a href="http://books.simonandschuster.com/Ripple-Effect/Alex-Prud%27homme/9781439168493">The Ripple Effect</a>: The Fate of Freshwater in the Twenty-First Century. In his compelling new book, Alex Prud’homme reports on water science and politics, with stories of people and neighborhoods faced with clean water shortages due to pollution, privatization, droughts and waste.<br /><br />While industry and agriculture are the biggest culprits by far, an estimated <a href="http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/pubs/fixleak.html">trillion gallons</a> of water are lost in U.S. home leaks every day. This, at a time when global clean drinking water supplies are shrinking due to industry, agriculture, urbanization, and drought and sea level rise linked to climate change, as Prud’homme reports in harrowing detail. “Borrowing from the notion of peak oil–a point at which the supply of oil is outstripped by human consumption--academics worry that the earth could be reaching a point of ‘peak water,” he warns.<br /><br />I’m worried, too! But at least, now that we’ve fixed our leaks, I don’t have to worry about being such a huge part of the problem.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What You Can Do</span><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />*Be on the alert for trickles and drips.</span> <br /><br />If your toilet keeps flowing for longer than a minute after a flush, it means the flapper valve is not closing, so the tank never fills.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">*Fix leaks right away.</span> Here's how: <br /><br />Step 1. Both our toilets had worn-out rubber flappers (see round red cap in photos, above) which no longer sealed the drain, so the tank kept filling...<br /><br />Note the model number on inside wall of tank, go to hardware store and buy new flapper.<br /><br />Step 2. One toilet also had a worn-out gasket inside the float. The result: The float didn’t rise with the water level, so the flapper, at the other end of the lever, never fully closed. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">*Reduce tank capacity.</span><br /><br />In our 1.6 gpf toilet, we moved the lever on the float down so that the tank only fills half full. <br /><br />In the old 3.5 gpf tank, I set two filled glass quart bottles (a total half-gallon), which will save 4,000 gallons a year until we replace that toilet. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">*Consider buying an efficient toilet.</span><br /><br />If your toilet is older than 1992, it’s likely using <a href="http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/water_efficiency/what_you_can_do.html">3.5 gallons per flush (gpf)</a>. Since 1995, the federal standard is 1.6 gpf.<br />An EPA-approved <a href="http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/pubs/toilets.html">Water Sense toilet uses an average 1.24</a> gpf. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />*When you go on vacation, shut the water off.</span> The exception: If you've got a garden that needs watering. And note, if you turn off your household water valve but if you leave the electricity on, remember to turn off the hot water heater!<br /><br />For more information: <br /><br />*<a href="http://www.wholeliving.com/photogallery/12-ways-to-go-green?lpart=1¤tslide=3¤tChapter=1">“Fix http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifYour Flow”</a> tips from WholeLiving.com <br /><br />*<a href="http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/sc4.html">Calculate</a> how much water your dripping faucet wastes. <br /><br />*<a href="http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/sc4.html">Simple water-saving tips</a>: http://www.boardofwatersupply.com/cssweb/display.cfm?storyID=1222<br /><br />For more on our water footprints and other green living and product tips, please see my book, <a href="stmartins.com/doonegreenthing">Do One Green Thing: Saving the Earth Through Simple, Everyday Choices</a>.<br /><br />Visit my home page at <a href="greenerpenny.com">GreenerPenny.com</a> for seasonal info and to subscribe to my free monthly e-newsletter! Pass it on. Thanks!GreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034455299383795193.post-40707670213301037062011-07-22T15:07:00.000-07:002011-07-22T15:25:48.146-07:00How to chill with efficient a.c. in heat wave<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOaFG1f-V9VoShg0ReNFK5A8pG6Wl6WqjndYd8-3V3loKiiIfn4X0Rr9DZKhGXJyNlWpXziV_kz83laip4i4jGt9Gm0rWltWV9_08tpvtKqCHVBf8RPFrOOFwMrQmrqspevTt-zf3nVsg/s1600/oct2010-march2011+240.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOaFG1f-V9VoShg0ReNFK5A8pG6Wl6WqjndYd8-3V3loKiiIfn4X0Rr9DZKhGXJyNlWpXziV_kz83laip4i4jGt9Gm0rWltWV9_08tpvtKqCHVBf8RPFrOOFwMrQmrqspevTt-zf3nVsg/s200/oct2010-march2011+240.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632262270001269058" /></a><br />Horrible heat! Across the country, 132 million Americans are suffering heat advisory conditions. What to do to beat the heat? First, give yourself a break! Take it easy; it's important not to exert yourself, as our cat, aptly named Penguin, demonstrates on a cool tile floor. Second, don't make your air conditioner overexert. For efficiency's (and your budget's) sake, <span style="font-weight:bold;">turn it off</span> when you leave for more than a couple hours, and, if you leave the a.c. running, <span style="font-weight:bold;">turn it up</span> to at least 80 degrees until you come back. Pull shades and curtains, too, to keep out solar heat. When it's a record-breaking hundred-plus, 80 indoors is sweet relief, and you can always turn down the thermostat when you return.<br /><br />But don't turn it down too far! The more power we burn, the more greenhouse gases we contribute to global warming, not to mention brown-outs and no a.c. for anyone. Plus, cooling is responsible for <a href="http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_where_money">17-22 percent</a> of the average residential electricity bill . Every degree you go <a href="http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/tips/summer.html">above 72 increases your savings</a> by one to three percent, says the California Energy Commission. And, with every degree you lower it, cooling costs increase by about 7 percent. As Mayor Bloomberg, ever the cool head, advised New Yorkers this morning, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/23/nyregion/heat-wave-envelops-the-northeast.html?hp">keep your a.c. at about 79 degrees</a>, the most efficient setting that still feels cool. <br /><br />If you've got a programmable thermostat, set it to turn the a.c. on half an hour before you get home.<br /><br />For more a.c. info, see my "Econundrums" column in the August issue of Whole Living Magazine, and this helpful <a href="http://www.wholeliving.com/photogallery/summer-home-cooling">summer energy slide show </a>at wholeliving.com. <br /><br />Please visit my home page at <a href="greenerpenny.com">GreenerPenny.com</a> for tips on green, nontoxic sunscreens and cosmetics, updates on the toxic plastic chemical BPA in drink bottle linings, and info on my book, <a href="stmartins.com/doonegreenthing">Do One Green Thing</a>. Sign up for my free monthly e-newsletter, and don't forget to ask me questions or comment on this blog!GreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034455299383795193.post-52807606668774257262011-07-14T23:04:00.000-07:002011-07-14T23:36:46.287-07:00How to D.I.Y. clean green shampoo<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0drJgIffpD4w90dW7PiU38AYKeQCdjTo556ADwnZNOpAfGSpdqJPpMw-oc8AtE-dH3YMMjeKseax20h5INUrCBX-z3TY00c8Pr9h423xl9omuT9kLVEhmtgbgubgOh27p1e6JHAh4J5g/s1600/shampoo.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 68px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0drJgIffpD4w90dW7PiU38AYKeQCdjTo556ADwnZNOpAfGSpdqJPpMw-oc8AtE-dH3YMMjeKseax20h5INUrCBX-z3TY00c8Pr9h423xl9omuT9kLVEhmtgbgubgOh27p1e6JHAh4J5g/s200/shampoo.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629456250463347058" /></a><br /><br />DJR in Detroit asks: "Do you know of a make-it-yourself shampoo base?"<br /><br />Answer: Good question. While there are many good green commercial shampoos on the market, made without synthetic fragrances that can harbor hormone-disrupting <a href="http://greenmangreenerpenny.blogspot.com/2009/12/did-my-shampoo-just-change-my-sex.html">phthalates</a>, nothing is purer and simpler than one you make yourself. As a short cut, I recommend starting with a pure, unscented liquid soap, such as <a href="http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/BAB.htm">Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild Liquid Soap</a>, made with certified organic, fair trade botanical ingredients and no synthetic surfactants (foaming agents). That way, you can add the plant-based fragrance of your choice, or none at all (fragrances can be irritating, so do a patch test first). <br /><br />Exception: If you want a rose, lavender or orange essential oil scent, Dr. Bronner's makes liquid soaps with these ingredients, so buy these for an even shorter short cut!<br /><br />Caution: Although the essential oils will help preserve your shampoo, it won't last as long as off-the-shelf remedies, so use it up within a couple months. Should be easy to do!<br /><br />Shampoo Recipe<br /><br />One ounce Liquid soap<br />1/4 tsp vegetable oil (olive, coconut) to moisturize and deep cleansehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif<br />Three drops essential oil to give the fragrance you want. <br /><br />Mix this base with eight ounces water & shake to make shampoo. Keep out of eyes.<br /><br />For readymade shampoos, see <a href="http://greenerpenny.blogspot.com/2010/06/greenest-soap-shampoo-brands.html">my list</a>.<br /><br />Be sure to check out our home page, <a href="http://www.greenerpenny.com">GreenerPenny.com </a>, for seasonal green living tips, environmental health and product news. Sign up for our free monthly newsletter!GreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034455299383795193.post-19033195681852102212011-04-22T12:00:00.000-07:002011-04-22T12:42:32.308-07:0012 big Earth Day Steps to save water & energy, protect species, eat healthy, protect habitats<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKlpR0r2J51Cj1oekfGrfX1MuWadHT99QCPnzT1omlC2jKG_D5ErxGnMiql45o6RA7NAiy62BoPGAUNG08gxByOn_jIQD5vzJjZXpxllA34mh9Hc8mx0J7BUp6USP4MZKDohIXX4Qj9SY/s1600/april_cover.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 154px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKlpR0r2J51Cj1oekfGrfX1MuWadHT99QCPnzT1omlC2jKG_D5ErxGnMiql45o6RA7NAiy62BoPGAUNG08gxByOn_jIQD5vzJjZXpxllA34mh9Hc8mx0J7BUp6USP4MZKDohIXX4Qj9SY/s200/april_cover.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598485639532924434" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRwGyfPSJYilSPYo4d_ah4BHaJkukw5S_x96FkfH4WRDzQI_E5F4eE6W90nMSS2aTD0JI80vA-5MyZFmWLRh5Z-UPiezP1BJnsuPed8s4eNGRHOMZTMIUg5-jgrF1oq8g4M2EaI4Ef6cs/s1600/aquarium+panel.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRwGyfPSJYilSPYo4d_ah4BHaJkukw5S_x96FkfH4WRDzQI_E5F4eE6W90nMSS2aTD0JI80vA-5MyZFmWLRh5Z-UPiezP1BJnsuPed8s4eNGRHOMZTMIUg5-jgrF1oq8g4M2EaI4Ef6cs/s200/aquarium+panel.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598485534052084354" /></a>
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<br />Happy Earth Day! 12 Tips Plus
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<br />This is the year I'll...catch rainwater in barrels to irrigate the garden. All I need is a hacksaw to shorten a downspout from the roof gutter, and a jolly big rainbarrel like this one, from my Whole Living Earth Day article, <a href="http://www.wholeliving.com/photogallery/12-ways-to-go-green?lpgStart=1¤tslide=12¤tChapter=1">12 Ways to Go Green This Year</a>. Two big green impacts: I’ll save the average 1,300 gallons of drinking water splurged on a thirsty garden each season, and reduce stormwater runoff, which washes garbage, toxic chemicals and pathogens out to sea. Case in point: Last week, surfing after a heavy rain, I caught a virus and wound up in the emergency room! Another big plus: Reducing our water bill.
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<br />By now, you’ve probably made many small steps into good green habits, from recycling and reusing to choosing (or <a href="http://greenerpenny.blogspot.com/2010/10/diy-green-glass-cleaner.html">mixing your own</a> )green cleaners. Are you ready to try a bigger green step this year? Check out Whole Living's slide show for the eleven <a href="http://www.wholeliving.com/photogallery/12-ways-to-go-green?lpgview=thumb&showComments=true">other steps</a>, from buying local seasonal produce (with a chart) to composting with a worm bin. We also provide how-to’s, and a readout of the relative effort and impact each step entails. You can also <a href="http://www.wholeliving.com/photogallery/12-ways-to-go-green?lpgStart=1¤tslide=2¤tChapter=1">calculate your shrinking carbon footprint</a> (step 2). Take your pick, and let us know how it goes!
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<br />Why I chose rainwater catchment for my big step this year: Last night, Earth Day eve, I was on a panel with marine biologist Crystal Sanders and Environmental Defense attorney Cynthia Koehler at the <a href="http://www.aquariumofthebay.org/">Aquarium of the Bay</a>. The Aquarium is built on Pier 39 in San Francisco Bay, and the evening’s theme was how to protect this vast estuary and the fresh and ocean water systems that flow into and out of it. Crystal talked about how overfishing and pollution contribute to shocks such as the recent collapse of the herring populations in the Bay, and Cynthia, EDF’s political director for water issues, stressed the need to conserve fresh water so that more of it can be returned to important fish spawning and nursery grounds such as the San Francisco San Joaquin <a href="http://www.water.ca.gov/swp/delta.cfm">delta</a> that feeds the SF Bay. The Bay, Cynthia pointed out, used to be the largest wild salmon fishery in California until all the rivers were dammed; EDF and others are seeking <a href="http://www.edf.org/pressrelease.cfm?contentID=11233 ">legislation to restore</a> riverrine systems.
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<br />By reducing consumer demand for water and upping consumer demand for plant-based, nontoxic green products and sustainably sourced fish from healthy populations, we can help restore the cleanliness and productivity of our rivers, bays and seas.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What You Can Do</span>
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">*xeriscaping </span>in the garden with native drought-resistant plants
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">*buying produce from local and organic farms</span> that protect waterways with buffer crops and sound ecological management policies
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">*<a href="http://www.wholeliving.com/photogallery/12-ways-to-go-green?lpgStart=1¤tslide=3¤tChapter=1">fixing your water flow</a></span> with EPA WaterSense fixtures, low-flush toilets, shorter showers, and rainwater catchment.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">*asking where seafood comes from</span> and how it was caught, and choosing <a href="http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx">sustainable fish picks</a>. <span style="font-weight:bold;">
<br />*choosing plant- not petroleum-based</span> <a href="http://greenerpenny.blogspot.com/2010/04/greenest-dish-soaps.html">cleaning</a> and <a href="http://greenerpenny.blogspot.com/2010/06/greenest-soap-shampoo-brands.html">personal care</a> products.
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<br />Of particular urgency right now</span> is supporting bills to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mindy-pennybacker/support-bans-on-the-shark_b_849568.html">ban the cruel practice of culling shark fins</a> and throwing these endangered creatures back to die slow agonized deaths.
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<br />Some Recommended Products</span>
<br />Thanks to donations from green companies, all attendees were given examples of products that met my criteria for least-toxic ingredients and gentlest eco impact.
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<br />* <a href="http://www.wildplanetfoods.com/Su stainability-and-Fishing-Methods.html">Wild Planet</a> sustainably sourced, low-mercury albacore tuna and other seafoods
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<br />* <a href="http://www.drbronner.com/">Dr. Bronner’s</a> peppermint liquid soap (certified organic plant oils, certified fair trade); great for deterring ants & garden pests, too!
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<br />* <a href="http://equalexchange.coop/">Equal Exchange</a> certified organic and fairly traded chocolate and tea
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<br />*<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Martha-Stewart-Clean-Dish-Hand/dp/B002S0OHSG">Martha Stewart CLEAN Dish/Hand soap </a>
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<br />*<a href="http://endangeredwildlifelipbalm.com/">Endangered Wildlife organic lip balms</a>, which also give 25% of profits to the Center for biological diversity
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<br />Last but never least, great green thanks to:
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<br />*<a href="http://www.wholeliving.com/">Whole Living</a></span>, which cosponsored the event, giving Earth Day issues to all plus very popular raffle prizes: “This is the Year I’ll...” t-shirts and seven year’s subscriptions
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">*<a href="aquariumofthebay.org">Aquarium of the Bay</a></span> and its team of cheerful, warm, lateworking staff for providing the space and free Aquarium tours (and stocking their gift shop with <a href="stmartins.com/doonegreenthing">my green living book</a>)
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">*<a href="http://www.royalhawaiianseafood.com/">Royal Hawaiian Seafood Co</a>.</span>
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Whole Foods Markets<a href=" http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/"></a></span> and
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.farallonrestaurant.com/">Farallon Restaurant</a></span> for providing sustainable seafood (ah, those Oregon rock shrimp!); cheese, crackers & veggies; and divine organic carrot and chocolate cakes, respectively.
<br /><a href="edf.org"><span style="font-weight:bold;">EDF</span></a> and <a href="oceana.org"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Oceana</span></a> for providing social networking support and expertise for this event and your great collaborative work in support of our precious seas.
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<br />Thank you one and all, and Happy Earth Year!GreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034455299383795193.post-2550425122871255302011-04-17T01:21:00.001-07:002011-07-09T19:15:23.452-07:00Reduce risk of antibiotic-resistant staph: Buy organic, grass-fed animal foods<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSAjh8TPO8GSnrwXHKpwAMV5McCeczhpfd8W2kA7dU7Vk12KfwILfqUGh2WT3npzkozljVGYTb9Iq6hu4tbP2-bapxO4L1X5FN0va4NOY91S4Xir036ymoHCI2sJxi7nBj7LtIx6Zlvc/s1600/hardy+family.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSAjh8TPO8GSnrwXHKpwAMV5McCeczhpfd8W2kA7dU7Vk12KfwILfqUGh2WT3npzkozljVGYTb9Iq6hu4tbP2-bapxO4L1X5FN0va4NOY91S4Xir036ymoHCI2sJxi7nBj7LtIx6Zlvc/s200/hardy+family.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596805741018512658" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMwY9C43X5TGhsN0FRj1rZyEowQ8B_o6G47n16zGcWRQ0XGcPwnh7y4bxebQ0SmqkaIxfdtimgX5KbSOUNBiJwaR4ubqTbGuPdeTXB4TIQ-s3igPx1QokX4b3AGAXmmoxkYRolB04Uutc/s1600/hardy+w+burgers.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width:http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMwY9C43X5TGhsN0FRj1rZyEowQ8B_o6G47n16zGcWRQ0XGcPwnh7y4bxebQ0SmqkaIxfdtimgX5KbSOUNBiJwaR4ubqTbGuPdeTXB4TIQ-s3igPx1QokX4b3AGAXmmoxkYRolB04Uutc/s200/hardy+w+burgers.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596465012012923538" /></a><br /><br />Meatless Monday sounds like a better idea than ever, following recent <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/16/health/research/16brfs-STUDYWARNSOF_BRF.html">revelations</a> about drug-resistant staphylococcus bacteria in our nation's meat and poultry. But even vegans can be sickened by poor food handling and cross-contamination. Forty-seven percent of 136 meat & poultry samples from 5 supermarkets nationwide contained staph, half of it resistant to antibiotics, in a study released April 15th. A principal source of the antibiotic resistance was the routine <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110415083153.htm">feeding of antibiotics to farm animals</a>, researchers said.<br /><br />Contamination of meat, poultry and eggs due to e.coli or salmonella is pretty common, as can ben seen on USDA's recall list. <a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fsis_recalls/"></a> What's scary about the recent findings is the staggering 50 percent antibiotic-resistance figure. Staph can cause food poisoning, skin infections, blood poisoning and pneumonia. Treatment options are reduced when antibiotics don't kill the germs. The meat samples in the study included methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2011/apr/15/news/la-heb-meat-bacteria-20110415">hospital "super bug"</a> responsible for many deaths. <br /><br />What to Do?<br /><br />1. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Know where your food comes from. Buy local and/or certified organic, grass-fed animal products.</span> In an article about how dangerous bacterial infections are on the rise, <a href="http://www.consumerreports.org/health/conditions-and-treatments/dangerous-bacterial-infections-are-on-the-rise-11-07/overview/dangerous-bacterial-infections-ov.htm ">Consumer Reports recommends buying organic and grass fed</a> animal products because they're free of antibiotic residues that can lead to the development of resistant bacteria.<br /><br />See my <a href="http://greenerpenny.blogspot.com/2010/10/top-green-humane-poultry-meat-dairy.html">updated blog listing</a> "Choose It" vs. "Lose It" green humane animal labels.<br /><br />Buy from a trusted local source who gives you assurances of sustainable practices and safe food handling. Once a week, my husband walks to the Kapiolani Community College Farmers' Market, a mile and a half from our Honolulu home, and buys <a href="http://www.tasteofthehawaiianrange.com/grass-fed-101/hawaii-grass-fed-beef.html ">local grass-fed meat</a> from Chef Hardy Binscher, pictured above. The executive chef at <a href="http://www.restauranteur.com/michels/">Michel's</a>, a bastion of fine farm-to-table Honolulu dining, Chef Hardy also grills fresh meat and sustainable fish burgers to order at his farmers' market booth. This week, it was shutome (Hawaii handline-caught swordfish, a Monterey Bay Aquarium <a href="http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_search.aspx?s=swordfish">"best choice"</a>)* papillote with Swiss chard!<br /><br />2. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Chill it.</span> After buying, take meat, poultry, fish and dairy straight home and refrigerate at 40 degrees until ready to prepare. Bacteria grow rapidly in warm animal products.<br /><br />3. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Handle with care.</span> Before and after preparing meat, fish and poultry, wash hands in hot, soapy water. Wash knives, cutting boards, countertops and sink with more hot, soapy water to prevent cross-contamination of other foods. Here are <a href="http://www.foodsafety.gov/poisoning/causes/bacteriaviruses/staphylococcus.html">more safety tips. </a><br /><br />4. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Cook thoroughly.</span> When in doubt, use a thermometer. For internal temps needed to kill pathogens in meat, fish and poultry, see <a href="http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm082294.htm">FDA's food prep tip sheet</a>. <br /><br />For more information:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.keepantibioticsworking.com/new/indepth_mrsa.cfm">Keep Antibiotics Working <br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.tufts.edu/med/apua/">Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics</a> <br /><br />*note: Imported swordfish is a "worst choice," and U.S.-caught green ratings depends upon the method used. Always vet your fish at <a href="http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx?c=ln">Seafood Watch</a>.<br /><br />For more green, healthy living news and tips, please sign up for our free monthy e-newsletter at <a href= http://greenerpenny.com >GreenerPenny.com </a>and ask me questions there or in the comment section of this blog.GreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034455299383795193.post-75312220673125761462011-04-12T16:31:00.000-07:002011-04-13T03:09:37.291-07:00Green cleaning scorched pots & pans<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1pLCEAsVq5nc2CXpaGJULeP2DBVTv-ZFqziNRYyvezfTns9KHO0wLzjsCgfQaLOk9XZg0Q3HsY5OU7IRyz3oXYeiFdlCjaTg8ONojfWyJlVGQmkhzyDUmnJWM0iPUpm2MgvmTyAPROI/s1600/oct2010-march2011+271.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1pLCEAsVq5nc2CXpaGJULeP2DBVTv-ZFqziNRYyvezfTns9KHO0wLzjsCgfQaLOk9XZg0Q3HsY5OU7IRyz3oXYeiFdlCjaTg8ONojfWyJlVGQmkhzyDUmnJWM0iPUpm2MgvmTyAPROI/s200/oct2010-march2011+271.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595007708139120882" /></a><br /> The Green Man recently scorched my favorite saucepan when his writing project heated up. The smell of something burning reminded him--too late--that he'd left something cooking on the stove. He found the stainless pan caked with burnt tomato sauce with the consistency of hardened lava; we took turns scraping and scrubbing with our green cleaning arsenal--green dish soap, baking soda, Bon Ami, white vinegar-- but only a trace of the gunk came off.<br /><br />While making lemon glaze for lemon cakes the other day, I reached for the scorched pan, which was just the right size. The recipe called for half a cup of fresh-squeezed lemon juice mixed with half a cup of water, stirred until it boiled and then simmered for five more minutes. Because the black lava had been impossible to scrub off, I thought it had bonded to the pan. <br /><br />I was wrong. As I stirred it with a wooden spoon, the bubbling lemon sauce took on a distinctly grey tinge. I decanted it into an omelet pan and kept stirring, hoping it wouldn't taste like iron filings. I left the blackened saucepan in the sink, filled with hot water and liquid soap. The lemon sauce tasted fine, soaked into the cakes.<br /><br />Next morning, the Green Man found the pan in the sink, and exclaimed: "Hey! The black gunk has lifted off!" He swished it with a plastic scrubber, rinsed it out, and the pan was smooth, silvery stainless again.<br /><br />I hope you never scorch a pot, but if it happens, you know what to do! To economize, I'd use just enough lemon juice and water to cover the bottom of the pot as it boils. Reduce heat, let simmer a couple minutes, then leave in sink overnight in soapy water.GreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034455299383795193.post-58219267586349067302011-04-06T02:05:00.000-07:002011-04-06T15:19:25.177-07:00Reject household cleaning products that don't list all ingredients<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2inKEWf4sZYvo6Uc_0DleClrECqKqXcaXsb6gK-7T_GPMQjaewqrM4EhHFo-kjZqoDqOOqnS5uTD8AY0q_X46_H3c1aaoMbDE7SUYQk-LQOThpV6XJhwcYvkz3mZVKOauZWs5o9CPKA/s1600/penguin+on+persian.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2inKEWf4sZYvo6Uc_0DleClrECqKqXcaXsb6gK-7T_GPMQjaewqrM4EhHFo-kjZqoDqOOqnS5uTD8AY0q_X46_H3c1aaoMbDE7SUYQk-LQOThpV6XJhwcYvkz3mZVKOauZWs5o9CPKA/s200/penguin+on+persian.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592408610847682802" /></a><br />Two cleaning challenges: I'm allergic to my pet, but I don't want to use a cleaning product that'll turn his favorite Persian rug into a toxic miasma!<br /><br />"Any idea how bad a Swiffer wet jet is for me/the planet?" a Facebook friend asked the other day. Swiffer,I replied to her, is bad for the planet because the cleaning cloths are single-use disposables. That's basic waste. But a wet jet? I had to look it up.<br /><br />I checked out the <a href="http://www.drugstore.com/swiffer-wet-jet-multi-purpose-solution-refill-with-febreze-lavender-and-vanilla/qxp198578?fromsrch=swiffer">Wet Jet solution refill with Febreze</a> lavender and vanilla. The ingredients: Cleaning agents (including solvents), perfume, water. First of all, <a href="http://www.allergybuyersclub.com/learning/household-solvents.html">solvents</a> include some of the most toxic chemicals in use; "perfume" and "fragrance" are buzzwords for synthetic compounds that can contain toxic phthalates and other unhealthy chemicals, according to <a href="http://www.ewg.org/notsosexy">Environmental Working Group. <br /></a><br />But without even knowing the specific ingredients, I could give my pal my opinion: If they're hiding something, don't buy the product. Given the spectrum of <a href="http://greenerpenny.blogspot.com/2010/05/green-vs-toxic-cleaning-ingredients.html">toxic, allergenic chemicals</a> found in many conventional (and some so-called green) cleaning products, you owe it to your health to make an informed choice. Problem is, U.S. laws allow cleaning product manufacturers to conceal "trade secret" ingredients. <br /><br />Earth Justice, Women's Voices for the Earth and Sierra Club <a href="http://earthjustice.org/features/campaigns/let-the-sunshine-in">filed suit against leading cleaning product manufacturers</a> in New York State, seeking to compel full transparency regarding ingredients. <br /><br />After the lawsuit was filed, SC Johnson, the maker of Drano, Fantastik and Glade, announced they were voluntarily <a href="http://www.whatsinsidescjohnson.com/products-by-brand.aspx">listing all their ingredients</a> on this website. But they still don't disclose everything! For instance, the <a href=" http://www.whatsinsidescjohnson.com/en-us/products-by-brand/drano/drano-liquid-clog-remover.aspx">ingredients list for Drano</a> includes "proprietary surfactant blend." Sorry, they haven't come clean enough!<br /><br />My FB pal said she was returning her wet jet to the store. The kicker was, she'd heard of pets being poisoned after licking the solution off their paws. <br /><br />Cleaner Cleaning Products How-to's<br /><br />When reading labels, use my list of <a href="http://greenerpenny.blogspot.com/2010/05/green-vs-toxic-cleaning-ingredients.html">cleaning product ingredients to avoid</a><br /><br />Mix your own from common household ingredients, plant oils and white vinegar. <a href="http://greenerpenny.blogspot.com/2010/10/diy-green-glass-cleaner.html">Window cleaner recipe</a>. Get eleven more <a href="http://www.naturalhomemagazine.com/homemade-cleaners/easy-cleaning-arsenal-natural-cleaning-recipes.aspx?page=3">d.i.y. cleaning recipes</a> in my article in Natural Home Magazine. <br /><br />For more green living tips, to enter free raffles for green product giveaways, and to subscribe to my free monthly e-newsletter, visit my home page, <a href="greenerpenny.com">GreenerPenny.com</a>. Post your comments/questions in the comment section of this blog, and I'll reply. Thanks!GreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034455299383795193.post-25068892076976257172011-04-03T21:24:00.001-07:002011-04-05T21:40:58.347-07:00Alex Postman, Eco-Editor and Heroine<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIhmMNu_28h1Rk382uca8uSs9uK-O9V5wMb5wQ3tpRaFCg1bXedNT8RecVYQ9y78B4N_yyg4BWTLRtzixMdZ9yIjNCyJWA53RzDzRvZCwna0XJzHvuAe7Q3uyM1y9-jFTxMGhfDvRmWA/s1600/alex+postman.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 160px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIhmMNu_28h1Rk382uca8uSs9uK-O9V5wMb5wQ3tpRaFCg1bXedNT8RecVYQ9y78B4N_yyg4BWTLRtzixMdZ9yIjNCyJWA53RzDzRvZCwna0XJzHvuAe7Q3uyM1y9-jFTxMGhfDvRmWA/s200/alex+postman.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592240502728010514" /></a><br />She walks her green talk, even on her rooftop!Alex Postman of Whole Living is the first editor-in-chief I've known who has climbed up on her roof and painted it white. Why? "The top floor, where our bedrooms are, is like a Turkish bath in summer," Alex says of her four-story Brooklyn brownstone, "and I hate sleeping in an air-conditioned room." A white roof can <a href="http://www.motherearthnews.com/Ghttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifreen-Homes/Cool-Roof-White-Roof.aspx">reduce your energy use--and your electric bills-- by 20%</a> during hot, sunny weather.<br /><br />And, for the editor of a publication that nurtures a feeling of community among readers, contributors and staff, how cool is it that Alex is not only cooling her house, but benefitting her neighbors, as well! "A white roof reduces the urban heat island effect for the entire neighborhood, says Alex Wilson, founding editor of <a href="http://www.buildinggreen.com/">Building Green </a>magazine. <br /><br />You can see Alex wielding the roller atop her four-story Brooklyn brownstone in the April <a href="http://www.wholeliving.com/photogallery/12-ways-to-go-green?lpgStart=1¤tslide=6¤tChapter=1">Whole Living's Earth Day feature</a>, "This is the Year I'll..." Full disclosure: I was the writer for the piece. But I have yet to paint my own asphalt roof white, which is one reason Alex is my eco-heroine: her hands-on example is a real inspiration!<br /><br />For this issue, Alex had the idea to honor 10 eco-heroines with the magazine's first Whole Living Awards. Read about these wonderful women in the article "Planet Keepers." But what about the woman behind the scenes? Not only has Alex painted her roof white, but she, her family and neighbors cleaned trash from sidewalk dirt strips and planted new trees and other plants to <a href="http://www.wholeliving.com/photogallery/12-ways-to-go-green?lpgStart=1¤tslide=7¤tChapter=1">beautify the block </a>and provide more cooling shade. <br /><br />Alex's concern for community also led her to coauthor, with her husband Andy Postman and Healthy Child, Healthy World's Christopher Gavigan,<a href="http://wholelivingdaily.wholeliving.com/author/alex-postman">a book for parents</a> on how to protect their children's environmental health. Plus, she challenges herself to go greener in her daily life, for example, giving up paper towels a year ago--no easy prospect for a mom of three young children. Alex shrugs these achievements off. Instead, she calls herself an Eco-crastinator in her <a href="http://wholelivingdaily.wholeliving.com/2011/04/our-april-issue-make-this-the-month-youll.html">editor's note</a> this month. <br /><br />I'm an eco-crastinator, myself, in so many ways, and this--the human, fallible, humorous side of going green--is yet another reason that Alex is one of my eco-heroines.<br /><br />For more green, healthy living news and tips, please sign up for our free monthy e-newsletter at <a href= http://greenerpenny.com >GreenerPenny.com </a>and ask me questions there or in the comment section of this blog! Thanks.GreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034455299383795193.post-25190143406831080822011-04-02T20:12:00.000-07:002011-04-06T02:03:27.247-07:00How to avoid GM food, and why it should be labelled<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXSUexuEyrVyHdlvflrmj5QYQ3Ufvmhvf9-3Imz6QGp-ose3h7B-nQx2b0S8B1TbidPbuE4kKF86d-759CsYzYQDE53AvEX9nnmiAd9ug3Zn6vs28gDt1z0Vbluk_ZrqiJVeucI-qcqrI/s1600/risotto.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXSUexuEyrVyHdlvflrmj5QYQ3Ufvmhvf9-3Imz6QGp-ose3h7B-nQx2b0S8B1TbidPbuE4kKF86d-759CsYzYQDE53AvEX9nnmiAd9ug3Zn6vs28gDt1z0Vbluk_ZrqiJVeucI-qcqrI/s200/risotto.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592391835081333282" /></a><br />GM foods have recently been making news, with <a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/feed/feed-latest.html">two new GM crops</a>, beet sugar and alfalfa, <br />getting the go-ahead from USDA, and <a href="https://secure3.convio.net/cfs/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=365">fast-growing GM farmed salmon</a> awaiting FDA approval . Already, <a href="http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/BiotechCrops/">86 percent of all U.S. corn and 93 percent of soy</a> are GM. On the bright side, Orchids at the Halekulani, a greenmarket gourmet restaurant in Honolulu, where I live, launched a GMO-free menu this month. <br /><br />We want to know what we’re eating, and more than half of Americans polled have said they don’t want food that’s been <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/05/11/eveningnews/main4086518.shtm">genetically engineered (GE</a>), popularly re ferred to as genetically modified (GM). What it means: biotechnicians insert genes from one organism into another, unrelated, organism with which it could not be naturally bred. Example: <a href="http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/enthttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giffacts/ef130.asp">corn carrying the Bt bacteria gene</a>, which secretes an insecticide. Yum! <br /><br />But how to avoid GM food, when an estimated <a href="http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09371.html">60-70 percent of processed foods</a> in grocery stores contain GE ingredients, but these are not required by law to be labelled (and so are not)?<br /><br />There are three easy ways. <br /><br />1. Choose food labeled USDA <a href="http://usda-fda.com/articles/organic.htm">certified organic</a>, which forbids GE. <br /><br />2. Choose food labeled “Non GM” and dairy labeled “cows not given rBGH” (see “Why Avoid GMOs,” below)<br /><br />3. Weed out processed foods from your diet and eat more fresh, seasonal whole foods–-one of the 12 top green goals in my <a href="http://www.wholeliving.com/photogallery/12-ways-to-go-green?lpgview=thumb&showComments=true">“This is the Year I’ll...” article</a> in the April Whole Living. With the exception of about 50% of Hawaiian papayas, there is no commercialized GM produce–yet.<br /><br />Halekulani's Chef Vikram Garg, whom I met for a taste of his GMO-free menu, told me he sources non-GM foods by choosing organic, or foods from local farmers who provide him with written verification that their crops or animal products are GE-free. “Fresh, minimally processed,” is this chef’s rule of thumb. He expressed concern that “people are consuming so much processed food–I want to encourage people to eat simply.” He selects organic or all-grass-fed (not corn “finished”) animal products, since conventional animal feed is likely to contain GM corn, soy and, now, alfalfa–and dairy cows are given GE recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH).<br /><br />Why Avoid GM Foods?<br /><br />“Personally I’m not against anything GM,” Chef Vikram told me, “but if it’s in the plant you eat, it’s going in your body.” <br /><br />Reasons you might not want GMOs in your body–or in our environment-- include:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Personal health:</span> Synthetic <a href="http://www.foodpolitics.com/2010/10/district-court-says-ohio-can-label-milk-rbgh-free/ ">recombinant bovine growth hormone</a> (rbgh, also known as rbst),produced by splicing cattle and bacteria genes has higher levels of, insulin-like growth factor 1, linked to several cancers. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br /></span> There is also concern that an <a href="http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/allergies111603.cfm">increase in food allergies</a> may be partly due to the spread of GE foods. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Protecting Genetic Diversity and Keeping Organic Organic</span>:<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/03/12/us-biotech-crops-contamination-idUSN1216250820080312">Contamination of organic crops</a> and <a href="http://www.organicconsumers.org/Corn/cornVarieties.cfm">shrinking crop diversity</a> due to GM pollen drift are very real risks.<br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Ethics:</span> Vegetarians do not want to consume foods with animal genes inserted in them. <br /><br />What matters most to Chef Vikram, he says, is the superior taste of the fresh, sustainably produced local foods that are the focus of his GMO-free menu. We eat a GMO-free, all-local salad arrives, composed of lightly grilled, mushrooms, plus hearts of palm, red onions, and watercress.“The main idea is that people not think that with GM-free you can’t have a dish that tastes like this,” Garg says. “On the contrary, you get the best of all these flavors.”<br /><br />The entree is organic green lentil risotto, local tomatoes, and organic brown rice, seasoned with turmeric, cumin, salt and asafoetida. “It’s non-GM, but there are other healthy properties–it’s a wholesome, holistic dish,"Chef Vikram says. "Spices such as cumin have ayurvedic, anti-inflammatory properties, and asoefetida aids digestion," he adds.<br /><br />This is pure comfort food, with a delicate, light texture and taste.“We call it kichidi, and this is my mom’s recipe; when I go home to India this is always my first dinner,” he says, noting that his parents raised him on a meat-free diet based on what’s fresh and seasonal in the market that day. <br /> ]<br />RESOURCES<br /><br />The Center for Food Safety’s excellent <a href="http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/campaign/genetically-engineered-food/crops/other-resources/">True Food Shopper’s Guid</a>e lists specific products to choose or avoid.<br /><br />TAKE ACTION<br /><br />Join the Organic Consumers Association campaign seeking required <a href="http ://organicconsumers.org/monsanto/index.cfm">labeling of GE </a>ingredients in food. <br /><br />If you’re opposed to GE salmon, which may harm endangered wild Atlantic salmon by outcompeting them for food and other resources, <a href="https://secure3.convio.net/cfs/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=365">let your Congressional representatives know. </a><br />Join a campaign asking major candy manufacturers <a href="https://secure3.convio.net/cfs/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=299">not to use GE sugar beets</a>. <br /><br />These tips, and many others, come from my book, <a href="http://stmartins.com/doonegreenthing">Do One Green Thing</a>, and grow out of questions and suggestions from valued readers like you. For more green, healthy living news and tips, please sign up for our free monthy e-newsletter at <a href= http://greenerpenny.com >GreenerPenny.com </a>and ask me questions there or in the comment section of this blogGreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034455299383795193.post-7686253259884154272011-04-02T19:41:00.001-07:002011-09-05T02:38:14.351-07:00BPA, pthalates, and the "safer" plastics conundrum<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZooXOsLOo7C0ymX1fseoDabUdloF8JN6bV2byIR6qwIIhQHUoWeBHHkLsqYc9lQUxiyARfHxDPTjqPoVGU0f0pO02oT11ICe4G6P-5L66w-BQA3Clbo9x9xLewlP8l-5N9aiSkpJUmE/s1600/oct2010-march2011+043.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZooXOsLOo7C0ymX1fseoDabUdloF8JN6bV2byIR6qwIIhQHUoWeBHHkLsqYc9lQUxiyARfHxDPTjqPoVGU0f0pO02oT11ICe4G6P-5L66w-BQA3Clbo9x9xLewlP8l-5N9aiSkpJUmE/s200/oct2010-march2011+043.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591667540938114258" /></a>
<br />The latest science shows that plastics are really, really bad news. For years, the conventional wisdom has been that while some bad plastics, such as polycarbonate (PC #7) release toxic chemicals, notably <a href="http://greenerpenny.blogspot.com/2010/03/why-avoid-bpa.html">hormone-disrupting Bisphenol-A (BPA</a>), other plastics are safer. Unfortunately, they may not be. Hormone-disrupting, estrogenically active (EA) chemicals were found to leach from all kinds of plastics, including those labeled BPA-free, <a href="http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.1003220#abstract0">in a study</a> published by Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) in March. “In some cases, BPA-free products released chemicals having more EA than BPA-containing products,” wrote researchers, who tested 450 baby bottles, water bottles, plastic food containers and wraps bought from retailers including Wal-mart and Whole Foods. Seventy percent of the items released EA into solutions at room temperature, and <a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/03/02/134196209/study-most-plastics-leach-hormone-like-chemicals">95% leached EA</a> after stress tests simulating normaluse in dishwashers and microwaves.
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<br />Next, a small but <a href="http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/info:doi/10.1289/ehp.1003170">significant study</a> released in EHP online, found that BPA levels in urine samples taken from five SF Bay Area families–10 adults and 10 children–dropped by 66 percent over just three days when they stopped eating packaged food, including food from plastic packages and cans. Participants’ levels of <a href="http://greenerpenny.blogspot.com/2008/09/wake-up-and-smell-phthalates-news-what.html">DEHP phthalate</a>, another hormone-disrupting chemical commonly found in flexible PVC plastic, dropped by 53-56 percent.
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<br />“All plastic should be labeled as hazardous waste," Captain Charles Moore,who discovered what is popularly known as the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch," told me recently in Honolulu, where he had come with many others to present research at a week-long UNEP/NOAA Marine Debris Conference. Moore's research voyages to the Great Pacific Gyres off Hawaii and Japan, and the waters between, show that the ocean is fast turning into a plastic plasma. Discarded plastic bottles, containers, toys, and fishing line are broken up into microscopic fragments, about plankton size. His Algalita Foundation's latest findings: Thirty-five percent of plankton-eating lantern fish, the bottom of the marine food chain, <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2011/mar/11/local/la-me-fish-plastic-20110311">had plastic in their bellies</a>.
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<br />This toxic plastic plasma will rise in the food chain and find its way into our bellies if we don’t stop contributing to it soon. “Everything eventually makes its way into the ocean,” Captain Moore says.
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<br />What to Do?
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<br />First, we’ve got to stop buying disposable items made of plastic, Moore says.
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<br />Second, we must recycle, rather than toss our old plastics in the trash. If your municipality only accepts bottles labeled #1 and #2 in curbside bins, type in “plastic” at <a href="http://earth911.com">Earth911.com</a> to find a recycling/redemption drop-off center nearest you that takes #3, #6 and #7 plastics.
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<br />That said,if you sometimes need to store or carry foods in lightweight plastics, choose #1, #2, #4 and #5 and keep them away from high heat and abrasion. No microwaving or cleaning in dishwasher! See my lists of <a href="http://greenerpenny.com/guides/foodstorage_guide.html">food</a> and <a href="http://greenerpenny.com/guides/bottle_guide.html">drink</a> containers that are least toxic, according to the research that's been done so far.
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<br />We can reduce our body burden of toxic plastic chemicals, like the Bay Area families did, by eating mostly fresh, not processed foods, and avoiding plastic. Check out the SF Chronicle’s <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/03/30/MNSL1IIVQM.DTL">interviews with the researchers</a>
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<br />Take Action
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<br />Finally, we can speak up and tell our political and community leaders to ban single-use plastics. Let's not let the plastics industry chill our speech! For example: Over the objections of researchers who were reporting their studies of plastics pollution and the ocean,the “P” word--“plastic"--was left out of all official publications and pronouncements, Dianna Cohen of <a href="http://plasticpollutioncoalition.org/2011/03/wrapping-up-5imdc-honolulu-hawaii/ ">Plastics Pollution Coalition</a> told me. "Plastic was the elephant in the room," Cohen said. Instead, the euphemism “marine debris” was used throughout, even though, as Moore told me, “Almost all so-called ‘marine debris’ is plastic." Conference sponsors included Coca Cola and the American Chemistry Council (ACC), which has been pouring money into efforts to block bans on disposable plastic grocery bags nationwide.
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<br />Support ongoing research by Moore’s <a href="http://www.algalita.org/index.php">Algalita Foundation</a>.
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<br />Help stop the use of single-use grocery bags in your community. Take the Plastics Pledge and learn more about <a href="http://www.surfrider.org/smc/?page_id=3469">Surfrider Foundation’s Rise Above Plastics</a> campaign.
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<br />I hope to hear from you! My book, <a href="stmartins.com/doonegreenthing">Do One Green Thing: Saving the Earth Through Simple, Everyday Choices</a>, grew out of questions and suggestions from valued readers like you. For more green, healthy living news and tips, please sign up for our free monthy e-newsletter at <a href= http://greenerpenny.com >GreenerPenny.com </a>and ask me questions there or in the comment section of this blog. I'll answer!GreenFemmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787984522074922716noreply@blogger.com0