Green Options » food chain

Great Lakes Ecosystems May be Compromised by… Carp?

Beth Graddon-Hodgson — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:54:02 +0000

With concerns over climate change globally, you might think that the last thing that environmentalists would worry about would be the natural food chain of wildlife; but for the Great Lakes there could be severe consequences posed if the carp manage to enter waterways they’ve been barred from entering.

Lack of Antioxidants Cripples and Kills South African Crocodiles.

Dave Harcourt — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:21:27 +0000

Overutilisation and pollution of the Olifants River System in northeastern South Africa is suspected to be implicated in the death of hundreds of Nile crocodiles in the Kruger Park while too low a level of antioxidant is directly associated with the deaths.

The Nile crocodile, the species found in South Africa, is part of an ancient lineage and has changed little in the 65 million years since the dinosaurs with whom it coexisted became extinct.

With an average mass of 550 kg, covered in heavy scales, awkward on land and totally reptilian, it is difficult to see their link to panda bears. But in the 1960s both were endangered species. Since then crocodile farming has become established and is booming with sales of around 150,000 Nile crocodile skins a year. This has made large scale hunting for hides a thing of the past and as a result the pressure has lifted and there are now between a quarter and a half million crocodiles in the wild in Africa.

Nintendo, EA, Parenting, Fitness and Conservation: Maybe?

Jessica Gottlieb — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:22:49 +0000

One of the most fascinating parts of being a Mommy Blogger is that you will always be challenged to defend your decisions. I’m okay with that.

There are no video games at my house, yet. My husband is dying for a Sony PlayStation 3 Blu-ray. Since he’s the primary earner in the household, if we do end up with a gaming console, it’s the most likely option. The kids want a Wii and I’ve already succumbed and bought one for my mother’s house, but I’ve been comfortable with my decision to keep the house free of video game systems.

I took the kids to an EA/Nintendo party last week where the kids played a bunch of the new Nintendo releases. There’s a pop star sing along that’s cute and appropriate for most. (If you’re very conservative in your dress, skip it.) And there are a whole bunch of Sim Games.

Green Family Values: Some Children’s Light Up Shoes Contain Mercury

Jennifer Lance — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 13:22:36 +0000

Lewis Carroll's Mad Hatter: Image Courtesy of Corrosion-Doctors.orgIf you are not a parent or observant of children's shoes, you may not realize that many of the shoes marketed for children light up when they take a step. These shoes range from sandals to tennis shoes, and many adults and children think they are very cool. Light-up shoes are popular and inexpensive in our mainstream culture, but the batteries in these shoes pose a risk to our environment and children's health.

Before 1980, most household batteries contained mercury. By using alternative materials, such as silver oxide, most batteries are now mercury-free; however, watch style, small, "button" shaped batteries still contain mercury. These types of batteries are found in light up children's shoes. Although some websites claim that children's light up shoes have been mercury free since 1997, a 2006 report from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services states, "Mercury is found in items such as thermometers, switches, thermostats, light-shoes, jewelry, some batteries, and fluorescent lights." In fact, it is the mercury tilt switch that may have been eliminated and not the battery.

The Snohomish County PUD Do These Shoes Contain Mercury? provides a brief history of light up shoes:

Light-up shoes were originally made with mercury tilt switches. Mercury created a very reliable switch but so many shoes were ending up in the landfill that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned mercury as a switch…Today, some shoes have motion-activated lighting modules that feature a red brake light when the walker is in the process of coming to a complete stop. Some have removable and interchangeable light-emitting diode (LED) cartridges. Some designs have replaceable batteries.

IndustryWatch.org implies children's shoes still contain mercury:

The future of light-up shoes is on the rocks" in an article posted June 26, 2007 about mercury reduction legislation. Many states, like an Ohio ban that begins in April 2008, have outlawed mercury in consumer products such as footwear, toys, games, greeting cards, holiday ornaments, candles, etc. " Compliance deadlines have been extended in many states for consumer products whose only mercury is in the button-cell battery required to operate them, because the battery industry has imposed its own deadline of 2011 for eliminating the mercury those contain.

According to the director of the Mercury Policy Project Michael Bender, many states have eliminated products such as light-up shoes, whicch have disappeared from shelves as manufacturers work on mercury-free replacements.

Remember the Mad Hatter from Lewis Carroll's Alice and Wonderland? The term "mad as a hatter" refers to the mercury poisoning hat makers experienced up until a ban in the 1940s. Hat makers experienced nervous disorders, mental illness, odd behavior, quarter size holes in their brains, and death as a result of their mercury exposure. High levels of mercury still exists in rivers and soil around hat making facilities on the east coast. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that enters the food chain through contaminated water. In children, the effects of mercury exposure can cause developmental delays, learning disabilities, attention problems, kidney damage, and problems with their nervous and digestive systems. Mercury does occur naturally in rocks and minerals, such as cinnabar; however, burning coal, natural gas, and oil are major contributers to acid rain and mercury in our food chain, especially fish. Lewis Carroll's Mad Hatter first appeared in 1865, yet we have still not eliminated unnecessary mercury exposure from our environment.

In California, it is illegal to throw any household items containing mercury into a trash can, yet most parents do not realize their children's shoes might contain mercury. These shoes need to be disposed of properly at a hazardous waste facility. Even if your child's light up shoes do not contain mercury, the batteries inside the shoes deserve proper disposal. The best solution is to avoid these products all together, as do we really need to waste energy on light up shoes?