Green Daily

Environmental Working Group recently tested twenty mothers and their toddlers for the presence of toxic fire retardants, such as PBDEs, in their blood. They found that the young children had three times as much of these hormone-disrupting chemicals in their blood as their mothers. The children were also found to have much higher levels than the newborns tested.

PBDEs are a class of fire retardants added to household furniture and electronic items. That means they could be lurking in your couches, chairs and even your laptop. So why do kids have such higher levels? According to EWG, one contributing factor is because young children put their hands in their mouths so often, ingesting ten times more PBDEs than adults.

What can you do? According to EWG, try to avoid buying furniture and electronics with PBDEs, more of which you can read about in the report here. Also, EWG recommends replacing any foam items that have ripped covers or broken-down foam, using a vacuum with a HEPA filter, not reupholstering foam furniture and being careful when removing old carpet padding.

And here's a simple way to help tackle this problem, if you don't have the money to replace every single piece of furniture in your home: On a day-to-day basis, make sure small children wash their hands frequently.

As a member of the media covering life beyond the perimeter of the Republican National Convention at Saint Paul's XCel Center I can't tell you whether the metal detectors, video monitors or hairspray being used is environmentally-friendly.

But I can tell you some of the swag disagrees with the FDA on BPA. That is, the Food and Drug Administration earlier stated that Bisphenol A had not been linked to cancer, and was exposure to it in plastics did not warrant health concerns.

The official Republican National Convention give-away water bottle, however, if BPA-free.

The containers are made from #1 plastic, completely recyclable. The jug also proudly announces it is BPA-free. Get yours in red or blue, but only if you know someone inside the fence that can cross the border.

Me? I'm waiting for these puppies to go on sale on eBay, just like Alaska's state jet.

If you happen to work in formal setting where appearance is paramount, riding your bike to work can be a tricky affair. You can stash your dry cleaning in the break room, but what do you do about your sweaty, stinky funk when you walk into the office? You could try Earthfirst's tips for freshening up after a ride. Or, if you happen to live in south London, you can stop off at the local Holiday Inn and take a free shower.

The Holiday Inn and the Sutton Town Centre have teamed up for a six month pilot program that allows anyone employed by a member of the Sutton Town Centre Business Network to rinse off after their morning ride -- BYO soap, shampoo, and towel. Just swipe your electronic key card and you're ready to get your clean on. It's all part of a plan to encourage Sutton-area employees to green their commute. Will it work? Doubt it, but it will be nicer for those who decide to ride or run -- not to mention those who work beside them.

[via AutoBlogGreen]

Two weeks ago, the FDA declared bisphenol-A, a plasticizer used in some hard plastic food containers, including some baby bottles, safe, at least in the small amounts that leak out during use.

However, the National Toxicology Program (NTP) begs to differ. The National Toxicology Program is a division of the National Institutes of Health. The National Toxicology Program has rated the chemical as a "three" or of "some concern" on a five-point scale, with five representing "very concerned."

The NTP panel looked at the chemical's effects on reproduction and development, including looking at lab animal studies. While the FDA is the regulator of chemicals in food, it says it will take the NTP findings into account when it meets again this month to discuss bisphenol-A.

What to do? Again, it's up to you. While bisphenol-A is found in many places, baby bottles might be the most disturbing. If you do need to use a baby bottle, there are plenty of bisphenol-A- free options out there. The choice is yours, for now.

[Via Daily Green]

In news that's sure to make some of you meatatarians out there a little uneasy, rumor has it that unless you've been buying organic, you may have theoretically already eaten products from a cloned animal. In January, the USFDA removed the ban on meat and milk from cloned animals, which means its probably already out there somewhere -- lurking on a supermarket shelf.

According to the FDA, there's no reason to worry -- since it's "impossible to differentiate" between products from cloned animals, their offspring, and conventionally bred animals. However, if you are worried, the FDA says don't freak out yet, because very few of the cloned animals have reached the parenting age. Gee, that's comforting, right? Surprisingly, a few of the major meat companies that people love to hate, including Tyson Foods Inc., have policies against cloned animal products.

Despite the fact that no evidence has been found to suggest that eating cloned animal products will screw up our immune systems or DNA, I bet you don't find too many takers when offer your friends a finger lickin' good clone burger, hot off the grill.

As greenhouse gases continue to wreak havoc on the earth's atmosphere, it may be difficult at times for even the most disgustingly positive, glass half-full types to find reasons for optimism. Well, here's one: scientists in Norway believe that a warmer and drier western United States will reduce if not eliminate cases of the Black Plague. Yes, I'm referring to the "Black Death" that decimated Europe in the Middle Ages, it apparently still lurks around the western half of the US.

Since 1950, the western states have experienced 430 cases of the vile plague, the number of cases shifting dramatically from year to year. Researchers have found that cases seem to correspond with Pacific cooling anomalies -- which drive weather systems. Since the plague is spread through rats, or more specifically fleas that live on rats, warm and wet conditions bring more cases of the Black Death. As climate change continues to turn the west into a super dry convection oven, the rat and flea populations are expected to go into decline. Hooray -- sort of.

Amsterdam has long had a reputation for being a place where the world's party people have been able to enjoy a smorgasboard of unique excesses. Now, add one more to the list: Amsterdam's pedal-powered trolley bar. If you want to enjoy an adult beverage as you tour the city, burn calories, and go electricity free -- hop on this party bus.

The FDA has just tested a whole slew of vitamins for lead content and found that almost all contain trace amounts of lead. Out of 324 vitamin products tested, only four did not contain lead. The FDA does not consider any of these vitamins unsafe however, based on lead content.

Here are the ten vitamins that would result in the greatest lead exposure for children age 0-6:

• Nature's Plus Animal Parade Shake
• Superior Multi Age
• Nutraceutical Pedia Power
• Physio Kids Multilogics Chewable
• Ola Loa Kids
• Nature's Plus Animal Parade
• Vita-Big-Kids
• Wonder Laboratories Formula Nineteen
• Clinicians Choice Chewable Daily Multivitamin
• Dynamic Health Multi for Children

See the complete list of vitamins here, including vitamins in the greatest and least exposure categories, for both children and those over the age of 6.

[Via Daily Green]

More on food

Ever feel intensely guilty when you choose to take the car instead of the bus to the grocery store? What about that sense of doom that settles over you when you book the cross-country flight home for a much-needed fall weekend break? The New York Times today has a story on what forward-thinking psychiatrists are calling "climate change delusion": the inescapable sense that you are, in your very existence, causing the doom of the planet.

The story, which also cites other cases of culturally influenced delusions (like when patients believe that they're living in a real-life Truman Show), describes a patient who worries about drinking glasses of water because s/he is so concerned about the fate of the world's water supply.

I wish it were scientifically possible to siphon off some of the worry from these poor delusional patients and implant it surgically in the minds of world leaders and corporate honchos. Now, that would be a worthy innovation!

When one thinks of diapers, and if you're a parent of a young child that's fairly often, the term eco-friendly doesn't immediately come to mind. It's not that parents don't want to do the right thing by the environment, but unless they are willing to go the cloth route the options are fairly limited.

Marlene Sandberg realized this and instead of shrugging her shoulders and throwing a box of plastic in the shopping cart she decided to fix the problem.

She created Nature Babycare, a line of diapers, wipes and toiletry items "... free from allergenic, carcinogenic, reproductive-disturbing or hormonal imbalances causing ingredients." Which means that most other toiletry items for babies actually have that stuff in them. Not a nice thought.

You've probably heard of Garbage Island before. It's that Texas-sized patch of garbage floating in the Pacific Ocean just north of Hawaii. Some people believe it's actually just an urban myth, but it's very real. We've seen our share of photographs of this monstrocity, but now we get a bit more intimate with this unwanted trash-mass through a recent documentary from the folks at VBS.tv.

This documentary is a 12-part series that you can watch directly from their website. It shows this film crew's expedition to Garbage Island and the horrifying discoveries they made along the way, and once they arrive. This includes the affects of the plastic on animals, the water and everything else in the area. Be warned, some of the crew members seem to enjoy throwing the "F word" around all too casually, including on the intro video that starts up when you first get to the page, but other than that, it's a great documentary.

Yes, I'm referring to "personal massagers" aka vibrators. While there is an argument that cucumbers and carrots are the best self-love aids for a truly green sensualist, inert vegetables don't have the same oomph as a shapely imitation of flesh, especially if it quivers, shakes or best of all vibrates.

Think I'm just a perv? Well, tell that to the many erotic merchants who advertise all natural, non-toxic lube to use with your glass dildo or phthalate-free silicone Rabbit. Not to mention the solar powered vibrator we mentioned before - and no, you don't have to use it outside.

In the gallery, a small glimpse at the green-friendly sex toy choices out there. And remember, recycle that Magic Wand when you're done!

Warning: NSFW
How do you take a boring campaign about wasteful packaging and make it sexy and intriguing? Add naked people. Taking a page out of PETA's naked publicity stunt handbook, LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics is encouraging employees in 24 US cities to show up to work wearing nothing but their aprons in order to draw attention to their innovative "Go Naked" packaging concept. August 27th is the big day.

If you enjoy burning incense, well, you might not want to read this. According to a new study by Dr. Jeppe Friborg at the Statens Serum Institute in Denmark, exposure to burning incense, over long periods of time, raises the risk of developing cancers of the upper respiratory tract. However, burning incense did not increase the overall risk of lung cancer.

This, along with other evidence, is prompting the American Lung Association to add burning incense as a risk factor. According to Dr. Norman Edelman of the association, while it will be added as a risk factor, burning incense does not carry the same risk as smoking two packs a day.

Incense burning produces particulate matter and can contain carcinogens such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons, carbonyls and benzene.

As an alternative for general home fragrance and for aromatherapy with a purpose, check out Young Living Oils essential oils and their diffusers.

Much like disposal diapers, clay cat litter and bleach-based toilet bowl cleaner most tampons and maxi-pads aren't all that good for the earth. They don't biodegrade well, frequently contain materials that don't degrade at all, and often have chemicals that science has determined (then changed its mind and changed it again) is not good for women's bodies. Here I'm thinking of bleach, rayon and some deodorants.

While playing with blood is frequently left to doctors, for those who have ever had to scrub out a blood stain or change a diaper here are a few earth and body-friendly alternatives to period absorption.

• Sea sponges. Most sea sponges sold in the bath care section of your drug store are synthetic. You'll want a natural sea sponge, like Sea Pearls, which are also sustainably harvested. Sea sponges fit into your vagina like a tampon. They can be reused for up to six months at a time. The downside is that they can also be messy. Toxic Shock Syndrome is possible with these soakers and cleaning is critical.
  
• Flannel and jersey cloth. A new twist on an old school favorite. Flannel with hemp, cotton and silk combine for a comfy, cloth-based absorption product. The upshot is that you can reuse these endlessly and they won't fill a landfill or fill you up with toxins. The downsides, for some, is that these are pads and you'll want to be wary of what else you wash them with. Amy's Rag Bag and Glad Rags are two common brands. Amy's Rag Bag are made with second-hand materials.