Green Options

In the wake of the Sigg/bisphenol-A controversy, a top researcher and CEO of Environmental Health Sciences fills us in on the news: endocrine disruptors such as BPA and phthalates are indeed toxic at low-level doses, too. And they’re toxic in entirely different ways than at the traditional high-dose testing indicates.

The way the tests work today is we think that by testing at high doses we’re gonna see everything. So that once we get to a dose that’s intermediate and we don’t see anything, we’re golden.

But the science is telling us that at really low doses as contaminants mimic hormones. They can have effects that are totally unpredictable by what happens at high doses.

Pete Myers spoke to Living on Earth about the consequences of current testing.

The metal water bottle market has exploded, and consumers are still riling after Sigg’s deception regarding BPA in their aluminum bottle lining.  Recently, I was sent another BPA-free, stainless steel water bottle to try, which my son adores.  The Kid Basix SafeSporter combines sports bottle with aesthetics to create a unique bottle.

Born out of the movement to eliminate plastic water bottles, the SafeSporter’s limited plastic parts do not contain BPA or phthalates.

Why go with stainless steel bottles from Kid Basix when so many BPA-free plastic bottles are available now? We can give you 300 billion reasons. That’s the approximate number of plastic water bottles discarded around the world every year. Enough to power 12 million cars for an entire year. And that’s just the water bottles! It doesn’t include all the plastic bottles used for sodas, sports drinks, fruit juices and the like. All told, the plastic bottles we throw away each year would reach to the moon and back – 1500 times. So using reusable stainless steel bottles makes sense on every level: personal, local and global.

Here in Los Angeles kids go back to school just after the Labor Day weekend. I’m finishing up the shopping for school supplies and clothes. Shopping for lunchbox items has been a little more complicated. It’s no secret that I’m a big Tupperware fan but Tupperware doesn’t fulfill every need in this house.

The good folks at Enviro Products sent over a stainless steel food container. I was a bit skeptical at first, because my son is the only one who packs a lunch and sometimes these things are too difficult to unlatch. It turns out I had no reason to worry, the latches are firm but easy enough for an elementary school boy to maneuver and there’s no metallic taste. It’s a large container, and I’d love to see one that’s sandwich sized, because that would keep the sandwiches from flailing around and falling apart. It’s perfect for pastas grains and fruits. My kids seldom want soft skin fruits like peaches or nectarines in their lunch boxes because they’re ruined (smashed) by lunchtime.

Editor’s note:  Please read the comments below. This company has come under scrutiny by consumers.

I’ve been noticing more and more people from all walks of life using metal water bottles. At about half the price of other stainless steel water bottles, non-profit Eco Canteen’s mission is to get as many people as possible off of bottled water, since 80% of plastic water bottled are not recycled.  Of the plastic water bottles that do make it to the recycling center, 40% of them end up in China or Indonesia.

Here are some staggering statistics about the detrimental environmental effects of plastic water bottles:

• 2.5 million disposable water bottles are thrown away in the US every hour.
• In 2007, $16 billion was spent on bottled water.
• 20 oz. of bottled water costs almost as much as a gallon of gas.
• Discarded plastic water bottles take 700 to 1,000 years to break down.
• A 20 oz. bottle of water takes 5 oz. of oil to produce and ship.
• Dioxin, one of the deadliest air pollutants, is created when unrecyclable PVC is separated from PET/PETE #1 plastic water bottles and then incinerated.

In her article, “The Essential Resource for Green Family Life: Healthy Child Healthy World“, Jennifer Lance mentioned the Healthy Child Healthy World’s advice on getting rid of Teflon in your kitchen.  Teflon is the DuPont brand name for polytetrafluoroethtylene, or PTFE, a type of PFC that is used as a non-stick coating for most cookware.  A PFC means that it is a chemical compound composed of fluorine and carbon atoms  If you walk down the aisle at any store that sells pots and pans, or even in your pantry at home, I am sure you have noticed those wonderful non-stick pans that make cooking and clean up a breeze.  Yes, they are wonderful because you do not need to use as much butter, oil, or whatever else you add to prevent food from sticking to the pan but have you ever wondered what happens as that nonstick coating scratched?  What exactly is it that you could be adding to your food?

We’re back to my desk again. Hey, a lot happens here! Photographed here is my new favorite reusable lunch container, which according to green living products provider, New Wave Enviro Products, is ’seriously safe’. We’ll get to that in a minute. This sassy little container immediately evoked a sense of traditional Indian to-go food storage containers called tiffins. This one may be a simplified version, but simple is good!

I’ve been bringing breakfast, which is either yogurt, fruit and ground flaxseeds or oat bran, in this container for more than a week now and I have to say it is lighter than the glass containers I usually use. As promoted, this container does not offer any additional chemical or metallic taste to my food and it is very easy to clean.

This is a picture of my ‘day job’ desk. Among the clutter of items, you will see my two favorite fluids and their favored respective containers - my tea mug with a caption that reads ‘tips for dieting: if you can’t lose it, decorate it!’ I find this strangely encouraging. The other fluid container is my new favorite stainless steel water bearer. This awesome insulated container is a Thermos. This hip update on a classic is called the Intak Fashion Vacuum Insulated Hydration Bottle - that’s a mouthful, huh? I’ve never liked the plastic straw containers, but this one is flexible AND it is BPA free!

“1.1 billion people on this planet lack adequate hydration due to a shortage of clean and safe drinking water”

- according to the HydrationForAll website.

There are a number of options available when it comes to selecting material for counters and tops. There are options from the all-natural to the all-synthetic, and ranges in between. Some countertop materials are more impervious to stains or heat than others are. Colors range throughout the pallette, and if one manufacturer’s product doesn’t offer a particular color, another option likely may.

The most common materials are plastic laminate

[...]

Most people might not think that jewelry is a necessary accessory like, say, a bag. On the other hand, it is a wonderful way to express your personality and passions, adding another unique dimension to your daily wardrobe. Particularly, those with active lifestyles, such as surfing, rock climbing, hiking, biking, canoeing, running, snowboarding, and yoga, tend to shy away from jewelry since there is an increased risk of losing your favorite pieces while [...]