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Many parents are concerned about the presence of Bisphenol-A (BPA) in plastic baby bottles and sippy cups. Previously, we have written several posts on the subject, as the potential negative effects of this endocrine-disrupting hormone found in many plastics is alarming . Finally, there is one site parents can go to for a complete picture of BPA and children’s beverage containers: Z Recommends.

Bloggers Jeremiah and Jennifer McNichols have completed the most thorough and comprehensive directory of BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups. Consisting of 25 individual posts, the Z Report recommends “Top Picks”, “Promising Entrants”, “Proceed with Caution”, and “Brands to Avoid.” There are individual posts for each company, as well. As Jeremiah explains, “The chart assesses the companies overall - for example, we are recommending avoiding companies that DO have a few BPA-free items, because their policies are inconsistent, they are strongly pro-polycarbonate, or they do not offer a non-polycarbonate bottle (even though they may have non-BPA sippys). We tried to give a broad picture of which companies are worth doing business with based on their BPA stance, and then have the company-specific pages to provide per-product information. All Top Pick companies make only BPA-free products.” Z Recs’ goal is to have all companies disclose on their labels exactly what kinds of plastics are used on products that come into contact with children’s mouths. This sure would help consumers make wise decisions in the store, but for now, visiting The Z Report: A Directory of Bisphenol-A In Baby Bottles and Sippy Cups will help parents make sense of BPA in children’s products.

By: Anthony J. Gerst:

What do we know today, if anything? As my father is fond of saying, ‘I know nothing, I can prove it, ask me anything.’ Recently it has been reported that at CO2 atmospheric concentration levels of 500 ppm, the oceans will stop calcification. It has been well documented that the planet’s southern ocean is no longer acting as a carbon sink. And of course, one million acres of ice disappeared from the Arctic and we discovered that Greenland melted at a rate of 25 percent over estimations during this past season.

For the Cro-Magnon in our mist, be they from the trailer parks or the intelligent design pews of humanistic debauchery, to the ten-thousand dollar suited board and CEO members who still can grunt out the response: “huh, I don’t care.” People fail to comprehend the baseline conceptions of what this foretells. People lament my forecast of an impending ecological disaster. They scream, I kid you not, ‘you can’t tell the future.’ I don’t have to tell the future, all I have to do is deduce the information presented yearly. ‘But, but the scientists say we have at least 100 years.’

In the first place, taking that attitude without committing to changing anything is dooming future generations. The deduction here is simply enough, you are not humane, you are narcissist, more animal than man, striving only to serve self. Do you know what humanity calls a completely self-indulged individual? One who justifies every action they do, a psychopath. Have you as an individual questioned your humane meter lately? If you still possess the ability to glance within the looking glass, you may be very surprised at what you find.

Enough of the free psychoanalysis, what does the above information tell a mind that is capable of independent thought? By now most people in the civilized world should know that the Arctic ice cap reflects the sunlight from the earth, helping to stabilize our optimum temperature. Further we know that the ice melting from Greenland affects the oceans circulatory system. This in effect, when slowed or stopped adds to the problem of the oceans acting as a carbon sink, under the currently defined harmonic balance for our species.

Ever year scientists make predications, at first things dropped by ten fold, than by fifty, than by 25 percent. One thing that is obvious is that the time to severe ramifications is knocking at the planet’s door. You know that little thing called Rapid Climate Change, that so many fail to acknowledge. Let us say that the annual growth rate of CO2 is 2 parts per million instead of the current 1.93. We are now at 381 ppm in the atmosphere. This means we have 119 parts per million to go before the now forecasted point of doom. At current growth rates we are looking at 60 years tops, to get everything under control.

The Dream of Today’s Youth, Faith in Obama:

By: Anthony J. Gerst. In the timeless words spoken by men everywhere and throughout time, I say to the reading audience “oops.” The Grand Opening for the new Obama office in Iowa was at Keokuk, not Fort Madison. A little background information on this, Iowa has 99 counties, currently there are 45 offices in [...]

Truisms of Viewpoints:

By: Anthony J. Gerst.

Honor thy father and mother; respect your elders young man. Honor and respect are very interesting words, are they not? Let’s admit to ourselves that honor and respect are things to be earned, not obligations based upon genetics and geriatrics. I try to respect my elders, but sometimes people in their second childhood say the ‘darnist’ things.

Take for example Walter E. Williams, it is easy to show respect for this 71-year-old man, who has throughout the course of his life overcome the hardships of poverty and racism. A recent column of his, ‘Global warming hysteria,’ is ludicrous. One has to wonder from his writings if this syndicated columnist/cartoonist professor of economics is stating his own opinions or is a spokesman for the oil industry.

Mr. Williams offers quotes from the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) to support his positions. This privately funded right wing think-tank is nothing more than a masquerade party of supposed intellectual design. Their objectives are propaganda that promotes the conservative philosophy of all that matters: wealth, preservation and expansion. Two of the NCPA’s board members are Pete du Pont and James Cleo Thompson. Mr. Thompson is the chairman of the board for Thompson Petroleum, need I say more. Mr. Williams quoting from a booklet recently released by NCPA: “Over long periods of time, there is no close relationship between CO2 levels and temperature.”

A couple of examples of what comes out of the great NCPA think-tank are as follows. ‘Court Ruling In Whale Case Good News For National Security,’ assumed environmental threats should not trump real military ones. Another example, ‘Climate Figures Need Scrutiny,’ NASA’s James Hansen’s press conferences make great headlines but are a poor substitute for the truth. Then we have their latest release from September, ‘Endangered Species Act Does More Harm than Good.’ It is amazing that a professor of economics can be so gullible as too back an organization of such oppressive designs.

What cracks me up more than anything else in Mr. Williams article, ‘Global warming hysteria’ is this argument, “There was an explosion of life forms 550 million years ago (Cambrian Period) when CO2 levels were 18 times higher than today. During the Jurassic Period, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, CO2 levels were as much as nine times higher than today.”

Do you know about the upcoming Blog Action Day?

On October 15th, bloggers around the web will unite to put a single important issue on everyone’s mind - the environment. Every blogger will post about the environment in their own way and relating to their own topic. Our aim is to get everyone talking towards a better future.

Thus far, 6,545 blogs have signed up, including Eco Child’s Play, and I hope [...]

Our final winner for our last hemp bag giveaway is MC Milker, who blogs at The Not Quite Crunchy Parent, which is probably my favorite parenting blog. MC writes intelligently and her posts are always thought-provoking. I encourage you to visit The Not Quite Crunchy Parent. She also writes for GNM Parents, just like yours truly. I have the flu today, so I will leave it at [...]

Each year in recent memory, General Motors (GM) has invited the press and other key influencers out to the famous Milford Proving Grounds to spend a day testing out its upcoming model year line of vehicles on a closed course. The company has learned a lot from their last (hilarious) attempt to leverage social media, and for the first time ever, they decided to bestow the same access upon writers from around the

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Republican Scandal and the RES Robin Hood:

By: Anthony J. Gerst.

My writings have the tendency to rant, rag, B-slap on Congress quite often. There are still good people on the hill, ladies and gentlemen. Of course almost everyone thinks their own representative is a decent, moral person, trying their best to represent the people. I personally believe Senator Harkin, my representative, is all of this and much more. But Michigan, I am envious of you. John Conyers Jr. is a representative of the people. You should be very proud to have him as your elected official in the House of Representatives.

Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-MI) unlike Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), has diligently worked toward impeachment of George W. Bush. Currently he is waiting on the contempt of Congress resolution to come up for a vote on the floor. Before the August recess, the Judiciary Committee passed a resolution that held Harriet Myers and the White House in contempt of Congress.

The contempt charge pertains to the investigation of the firing of nine federal prosecutors, and a tie into the White House playing a key role. To add a little insult to injury, the replacement prosecutors seem to have been hired based upon political contributions and affiliations. Further roadblocks in pursuing this contempt charge have arisen, as officials from the Justice Department and our former Attorney General have apparently given false testimony.

The honorable statesman from Michigan is not afraid to tackle the issues that are crucial to the people of our nation. He has one of the best congressional sites on the net, in my humble opinion. Here is a link should you wish to follow up this, or other crucial issues of the day, like the Jena Six.

Congress will soon be putting the final negotiations on this session’s energy bill. It is crucial that the Renewable Energy Standard (RES), which was passed in the house, be included in this law (H.R.3221). In the House resolution almost all utilities would be required to meet 15% of their service from renewable energy by 2020.

Ethanol Vs. Food:

By: Anthony J. Gerst.

Remember these words, “The wheat fields waving, and the dust clouds rolling. . . This land was made for you and me.” The wheat harvest around the globe this year was a bust. It was either scorched or drowned. Global reserves of wheat are at their lowest in 26 years. During the last week of August wheat prices in Europe rose to L200 per tonne, which is double the price of last season. On the Chicago Board and Trade, wheat hit $7.44 a bushel. I heard today, unofficially, that it is now more than $8.00. On my blog site, Watchdog 316 dated July 24, you can find an article called, ‘Bread Four Dollars a Loaf,’ this will give you a fair look at the global collapse of the wheat harvest.

Across the planet this season, Mother Nature has wreaked havoc. From devastating heat waves to torrential downpours, the resulting effects of these climatic shivers are barley shortages everywhere. The consequences are rising prices for pasta and bread. In Italy, boycotts have already been experienced because of the exorbitant cost of linguine. This sadly will go beyond the price of linguine, macaroni, bread and my personal favorite lasagna. The ramifications of this rush to supply ethanol, with the less than perfect crop of corn, will result in increases of dairy and meat prices as well. Increased feed expenses for the livestock industry will wash over the freezers in grocery stores, like a green wave of exodus, as your hard earned capital flows to the checkered aisle.

As Noel pointed out last week, Green Options now provides all registered users with a blog. If starting a green blog has been on your to-do list, now you’re only a mouse-click away from adding your voice to the "green blogosphere."

We’re pleased to see that a number of members have already started using their blogs, and we hope you’ll give it a shot, also. We’ve made sure that GO

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Sperm Donors R. U.S.
By: Anthony J. Gerst

Vladimir Putin, Russia today has more money than sense. Your nation is besieged with problems. For example, the average life expectancy for men in your nation is 59, compared to the women at 72. Apparently this is caused by a discrepancy in personal habits, as Russian men suffer extensively from the hair of the dog, Vodka.

Just last week you came out with the ‘father of all bombs.’ Really, can’t you be more creative than that, and stop the juvenile, bullying activity of international one upmanship. Russia is not a world power, deal with it. Sorry, I can’t help but wonder about all the money spent on developing this toy, and the good applications it could’ve been applied too. You have the largest nation on the face of the planet. Yet, you only have a population of 143 million and that is rapidly declining. I heard today where you are going to have a national “GET BUSY,” holiday. Any couple who has a baby nine months later will receive a car as a prize. Your birthrate is 10 per 1000. You have a fertility rate of 1.3 births per woman and in order to maintain a stable population you would need 2.1, somewhere along the way you lost .8 of a child. Your death rate is outrageous at 15 per 1000, due primarily to the alcoholism that runs rampant throughout the men in your society. Your nation’s death rate is expedited by an inadequate health care system, which suffers because of misplaced spending on a military engine. Wow, does that sound familiar.

So here, let me help you out. We need to create a company, ‘Sperm Donors R U.S.’ Send over a fancy Lear jet and pick up ten highly screened men and fly them back to Russia for two weeks. Volunteers, I repeat, Russian women who volunteer and would like to have a child without the annoyance of a husband to raise, will participate in this program. Set it up so two women a day spend twelve hours with each man, of course you had better have a supply of enhancements on hand. Make a competition out of it, better yet a reality T.V. show, you could run several episodes a year. At the end of two weeks the team with the most confirmed pregnancy’s wins, give the lucky ladies three years of tax exemption, providing your citizens pay taxes. When the babies are born, provide two years of baby food and diapers, or a new car. In case of a tie you can have a pay-per-view showdown. In one day, twenty-fours, one woman per hour and the men will ‘get busy.’ You can run a nationally sanctioned gambling event on who will impregnate the most women. Who will last and how long, etc. etc.? At the conclusion send the boys home on a cruise ship, as they will need plenty of rest.

Considering however that you average 13 abortions for every 10 live births, you could simply make it more difficult to obtain an abortion. Not to mention you could offer better benefits for having a second child. Really, a national day for an orgy, the men will be falling down drunk, the women frustrated and the next day, nothing is going to get done accept lying about the great lays of the day before. The inept actions of governments the world over never fails to amaze me.