“Research shows that breast milk is best for a babys health and is perfectly suited to protect the baby from illnesses. Babies who are breast-fed are healthier and develop a stronger immune system, making them less prone to hospital admissions and problems such as diarrhea, allergies, and infections, which are more prone in babies who are bottle-fed.”

The benefits go beyond this, we know. Constant bonding and closeness with your baby promotes close relationships and connections. Of course this is possible for bottle fed babies too.

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I’ve been concerned as to what chemicals are in vaccines, especially mercury containing thimerosal. I do know this ingredient has been phased out of the flu vaccines in my area of Vermont.

Apparently, this vaccine will be similar to other flu vaccines in content. I have not heard anything about thimerosal in these new vaccines, but I will be asking my doctor about it.

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A few months ago, I wrote on Non-Toxic Kids about how some of our favorite shoe companies: Nike, Timberlane, Clarks, Rebok and Adias, were using leather from enormous factory farms in Brazil, causing massive deforestation of the Amazon, and emiting tons of ozone depleting carbon into the atmosphere in the process. Greenpeace mounted an informational email and action campaign about this issue, generating over 30,000 emails to Nike. And they listened.

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A new study showed a link between exposure to smog before birth and low IQ in children, as reported by the Washington Post, and published in the August issue of Pediatrics. There is growing evidence suggesting that low levels of air pollution are much more harmful than once thought.

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We all know factory farming is dangerous for the environment, and more and more now, for our health. MSNBC just did a piece about the superbugs in meat, causing dangerous and sometimes lethal viruses in the people who work in slaughterhouses and meat processing plants, and in surrounding areas. Read the article for the full story.

I was shocked to read that anyone can buy antibiotics without a prescription and add them to feed for farm animals. Often, these are the same ones we take when we are sick. Is it any wonder viruses are becoming resistant to these very same, overused antibiotics?

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I found this interesting article about the Organic Consumer’s Association. While the OCA recognized that there are significant protections for organic farmers in the bill, they contend that the underlying causes of many food born illnesses are from factory farming, and the multiple environmental problems associated with it. Unfortunately, according to the OCA, this is not addressed in the new food safety bill.

According to the OCA, HR 2749 needs to be expanded to include these components:

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Yep, 10-12 hours on the road with two energetic, vocal, independent minded and sometimes surly (and whiny) little people strapped in. Wish me luck.

It really can’t be worse than the time my youngest decided to go on a 20 hour nursing strike while on this very same drive (any nursing mother can imagine the suffering–), can it?

In any case, I am packing today and thinking about how to green up road trips. Here are some of the ideas I came up with that might be helpful if you too are taking a road trip this summer, and want to be a little more green than in your younger (and more wasteful) days.

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I just read that San Francisco, in another moment of environmental health leadership (brilliance, I would call it), just launched the most ambitious recycling program in the nation. For a city that already diverts 72 percent of its trash from landfills, San Francisco didn’t sit on its laurels. Mayor Gavin Newsom promoted the law that adds mandatory composting to the program and forwards the goal of achieving 75 percent diversion and zero waste by 2020.

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Last week you probably heard about the big BPA lobbyist and manufacturer meeting. You know, the one where they discussed scaring parents into buying BPA lined food containers, and using a young, pregnant women to sell us on the benefits of BPA. So thanks to the Environmental Working Group for supplying us with our first action about this debacle. Call Coke and Del Monte to demand that they remove BPA from their food and drink containers and lay off the sleazy PR and marketing strategies.

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Perhaps as a backlash to the micromanaged, overscheduled children of the past 10 years, many writers are sharing a new trend in parenting– with many names, all entertaining, such as “idle”; “free-range” or “slow” parenting. Oh, yeah, do I like the sound of that.

According to this article Let the Kid Be from the New York Times, more and more parents are refusing to overschedule, hover, and worry about every move their child makes. You’ve probably read their blogs, late at night, when you are worrying about something, and they made you feel better. It’s a bit like watching the Nanny show when you think your kids are poorly behaved, because by god, they are never that bad.

The truth of it is we all like to read about moms who admit moments of unglory and tedium in parenting. It makes us all feel normal, in the widely emotional journey of parenting, where extremes are the norm.

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I paused as I read this post from New York Times health blog, Well, which explained an increase preventable injuries from treadmills among children. In Mike Tyson’s daughter’s case, she became entangled in a cord that hung from the console (this cord was probably a safety cord used to shut down a treadmill if a user falls off). Severe burns are also an increasing problem from treadmills. Even with the parent in the room, a child can come up from behind and touch the treadmill belt. The statistics about how many children are hurt by home gym equipment is eye opening– 25,000 a year. Treadmill and home exercise equipment safety is a subject that isn’t normally talked about, such as pools, window blinds, car seats and lead paint are.

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We have a voice when we use it. Green parents are making choices with their wallets, at the ballot box and on social media that impacts the environment and businesses in real and meaningful ways. There are times when we have to realize that we can’t shop our way out of a problem by picking safer products. We need to have only the safer products available, so all children are protected, regardless how informed the parents are or how much money they may or may not have.

States, towns and jurisdictions are banning BPA, but it is not enough. We need congress to act on this, and the time is now.

We need to urge our federal representatives to support the “Ban Poisonous Additives Act of 2009″ being introduced by Senator Feinstein and Representative Markey. This legislation will eliminate BPA from the everyday items our children use such as baby bottles, sippy cups, reusable water bottles, and infant formula containers.

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Today Chicago added their voice, banning the sale of baby bottles and sippy cups containing BPA. What’s all the fuss about BPA or bisphenol A (in case you’ve been living in a remote village, or have been in the continual fog of new parenthood)? According to the New York Times:

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Back when I testified at the Vermont Legislature in support of a Lead in Children’s Products Bill (that did ultimately pass!), I heard compelling testimony from two doctors, who shared (quoted from Non-Toxic Kids):

“At the hearing I listened to the testimony from two doctors, Dr. Best of the George Washington School of Medicine and Dr. Bruce Lanphear, pediatrics professor at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. They explained how new research shows even low levels of lead (blood levels lower than what is considered “safe” at 5 mcg/L )can lead to multiple problems for growing children, such as reading problems, behavioral and attention problems, school failure, and a decreased IQ. Dr. Lanphear said “we should not wait for the CPSC and the EPA” as they often are prompted to act by individual state action, and can’t be counted on to lead the way.

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This story shared some shocking statistics about this generation of young girls, and their use of cosmetics that stopped me in my tracks. As a feminist and critic of the relentless media exposure most children face daily, I aggressively limit the amount of media my girls are exposed to. But ultimately, it will catch up with them, by way of their peers.

First of all, the whole idea that there is a reality show about the beauty industry of toddlers makes me nauseas (Toddlers and Tiaras on TLC). Add that to the fact that now there are actual spas for the girls and the preteen set, and I am tempted to take my girls and run for the hills in a hut with no Internet, TV and home schooling. In some ways, though, I might just be putting off the inevitable.

Here are a few statistics to consider from this article:

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In the quest to learn why autism rates in this country are rising dramatically, we have to look at the environmental health of our communties and chemical load that is being placed on our children. I recently wrote over at Non-Toxic Kids about the new link between PVC flooring and autism. Cate Nelson also wrote about this issue for Eco-Child’s Play last week.

Today, I came across this article in posted on Environmental Health News, about the link between autism and toxic waste sites.

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Okay maybe I am exaggering just a wee bit. But spring is a really big deal here. It’s like we should be awarded a congressional medal of honor just for making it another winter. Right now, we’ve got mud galore, and patches of dirty snow in the yard. And cold, driving rain. So we read about spring.

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Kiss My Face Lip Shimmers are just the thing. They come in a variety of colors, feel good on your lips, and are 91 percent organic. Made from minerals, they contain no:

*parabens
*SLS
*synthetic colors or fragrances or flavors
*and have no animal ingredients or testing.

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When I am thinking clearly, not in the grocery store at 5pm with two hungry kids, I see plainly that junk food is junk food. The New York times ran an interesting story that too many Americans are seeing organic food as the solution and are not looking at the big picture. We want buying organic to be the answer. We want it to help us eat healthier. We want it to solve the obesity problem. Eating organic food is in most cases better for the earth and for us, but the truth that the article states is:

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They are still available, of course. And for busy working mother types, this is tempting. Especially for the craft and creatively impaired such as myself. But they are essentially the opposite of what I believe in: made from chemicals, created and shipped from China (can you say carbon footprint), and packaged in and made from gobs of plastic.

So I was happy when my mother in law passed along a clipping from none other than Ladies Home Journal. Not exactly the site I’d go to for green advice, but they had this short article about how to dye eggs naturally with ingredients found in your kitchen. How cool is that?

Here are the directions:

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