Tell Congress: No BPA in Food & Beverage Containers

Today, I received the letter below from Clean Water Action.  Please consider sending a message to your Representatives and Senators in favor of the new BPA ban – you can easily do so by clicking here.  To summarize, BPA can be found in re-useable water bottles, the lining of your soup or soda cans, baby bottles, sippy cups, and other polycarbonate plastic products. It has been shown to leach from containers directly into food and beverages, especially when heated. Exposure to BPA  has been linked to to heart disease, breast and testicular cancers, reproductive problems, and other diseases reaching epidemic proportions in the United States.

Federal legislation has been introduced in Congress that would ban the toxic chemical BPA from food and beverage containers.

BPA, first developed as a synthetic sex hormone, can be found in re-useable water bottles, the lining of your soup or soda cans, baby bottles, sippy cups, and other polycarbonate plastic products. It has been shown to leach from containers directly into food and beverages, especially when heated. Why is this a problem?

More than 200 studies have found that low dose exposures to BPA are linked to heart disease, breast and testicular cancers, reproductive problems, and other diseases reaching epidemic proportions in the United States. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted research that revealed detectable levels of BPA in the bodies of 93% of Americans.

And how is the industry responding? An internal memo leaked to The Washington Post last week describes their strategy of attempting to block progress through a range of PR ploys including an ad campaign starring a pregnant mom actress discussing BPA benefits.

This despite mounting research showing that extremely low levels of BPA can harm health, particularly during early infancy. And despite the availability of safer alternatives, such as stainless steel, glass, and other containers that don’t leach hazardous chemicals.

Urge your Representative and your Senators to support the Poisonous Additives Act (HR 1523/S 593) co-sponsored by Representative Ed Markey (D-MA) and Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California).

Green Cleaning this Spring: Healthier and Still Cost-Effective

Still have some spring cleaning to do? Maybe you’re just obsessive compulsive and follow guests, pests and everything else around your home with a Swiffer and bleach to keep things squeaky clean. Whatever your weapon of choice may be — bleach, Windex, knee pads and a toothbrush — the point here is that standard cleaning products can be harmful to both you and the environment. What to do? Well, let’s have a look at how you can clean green without spending too much green…

Read more

How Green is our “Stuff” Culture?

Have you ever wondered if our culture of “buying stuff” is truly sustainable?  And how did we become a consume-and-dispose society?  I encourage everyone to watch the video at the top of this article, a simple education tool for our youth, yet still eye-opening presentation called “The Story of Stuff”.  Annie Leonard, an expert in international sustainability and environmental health issues, narrates this 20-minute, quick-hitting look our consumption-first economy. She highlights important social, political, and environmental considerations, and asks thought-provoking questions along the way.

On the consumer front, hopefully more people will start asking deeper questions of themselves and corporations when considering purchases:

• Do I absolutely need this product?
• Where did the raw materials come from, and are they potentially toxic?
• Who assembled the product, and were they paid a fair wage to work in a healthy environment?
• Is this product built to last?
• How and when will I dispose of the product?

For more specific information on products, check out GoodGuide (which is also available as a free iPhone app) and SkinDeep.

Green Mattresses: Eco-Friendly and Healthy to Sleep on

Your mattress: chances are that it contains a slew of toxic chemicals and petroleum-based polyurethane. Whether you have a traditional or memory foam mattress, its impact on the environment is problematic–landfill space is dwindling in many populated states, and petroleum dependency is cause for much political and environmental turmoil.

In an effort to reduce the sleep industry’s footprint, a company called Essentia has patented a 100% natural foam mattress that does not use petroleum-based chemicals. The foam is produced from sustainable plant-based resources (latex and organic plant extracts), is allergen-free and completely biodegradable.  You can check out a comparison of the toxic chemicals and VOCs of mattress types here:  Mattress Components.

The prices and warranties for a green mattresses are similar to traditional memory foam standards, so why not give one a try for the sake of sustainability and good health?

Paul L. Newman, Organic Food Pioneer and Philanthropist

Paul Newman is a humble philanthropist, Oscar-winning actor, and, to many in my generation, well-know for the tasty salad dressings and pasta sauces we see on grocery shelves.  With his Newman’s Own brand, he helped bring organic food to mainstream America during the past two decades–long before Whole Foods Market and the organics aisle were in vogue.

Mr. Newman started the company with writer A.E. Hotchner in 1982, and since then has grown a highly popular brand with a devoted following.   Read more

Greenwashing: Buyer Beware of Wet Paint

Ahhh, the new age of eco-consciousness.  We now have a massive segment of the consumer population with a hunger for organic food, recycled packaging, energy-efficiency, clean air and water–anything that we think will make a difference.

And there’s a flood of green product marketing following the crowd. Companies continue to launch populist advertising and green product labels that are often, at best, misleading.

So how much of this eco-friendly marketing is simply greenwashing, and how do we recognize it?  Who can we trust to regulate ads, packaging, and the truth?
Read more