Over the weekend, someone sent my husband a link to a video called “The Girl Who Silenced the World” from 1992 where a 12 year old girl named Severn Suzuki addresses the UN’s Earth Summit Meeting in Rio de Janeiro. Severn essentially gives the panel and every living adult a well-articulated lashing for leaving the planet in this state for her generation to contend with. Had the Internet been in full force then, this video would have flown around like wildfire. I’d like to help spread it around now. Everyone on this planet should watch it-it is more relevant now than ever.
Bisphenol-A (BPA) has already been linked to loads of problems, but now scientists ask, is it making our kids mean, too? The latest research links BPA exposure during early pregnancy with behavior changes in two-year-old girls and boys.
According to the study published in the October issue of Environmental Health Perspectives, the higher a mother’s BPA levels were during the first 16 weeks of pregnancy, the more likely kids were to exhibit the behavior changes. Girls were more aggressive and hyperactive than the norm while boys were more anxious and withdrawn.
The study also examined the effects of a mom’s exposure to lead and cigarettes, oddly enough neither one was linked to toddler behavior changes.
I spent the first weekend away from my sons ever at BlogHer ’09 in Chicago. And my favorite session—hands down—was the Green Bloggers session. (Why yes, it was nice to meet the writers I adore!)
There, while we discussed good resources for product ingredient lists and standards, an audience member dropped what sounded like a bomb to all of us in the natural parenting, green cleaning and organic living world:
On January 1, 2010, all household products will have full ingredient lists on their labeling.
How did this amazing change in chem-laden products come about? Blame Thank Canada.
There are a couple of different companies that install HVAC systems that reduce VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) but for some reason I’ve never thought about my child’s school or camp. So maybe it’s a bad time what with budget cuts, to be thinking about this sort of thing, but it IS worthwhile if you’re planning ahead.
Here’s at minimum what to look for at your child’s school or camp.
The world is not such a magical place when chemicals, including the carcinogen chromium 6, are being dumped into groundwater.
A lawsuit filed in Los Angeles alleges that Disney has been dumping the waste from their on-site cooling systems since 1998. According to the suit, brought by Environmental Worldwatch, Inc and local residents, the company,
supplied, dumped, released and deposited and continues to supply, dump, release and deposit vast amounts of chromium 6, air cooling water and residues, and other various toxic waste materials.
The Disney corporation has so far declined to comment on the specifics of the case but are denying any wrongdoing.
Editor’s note: The following post was originally published on Green and Clean Mom. “Green & Clean Mom can inspire you to try a little harder, be a catalyst for change and to offer you some new tips and news on how to be the green, sexy and sassy mom…I know you are!”
Tomorrow my son turns five, and I’m feeling emotional. This week is a big roller coaster of emotions for me. My son had kindergarten round up, so I had to come to terms that he’s no longer a baby, toddler or even preschooler but heading into the school age realm where the world is much bigger and less sheltered. I’ll explain some of my observations during round up and how being a “green” mom I couldn’t not notice a few things that left lumps in my throat. But besides the birthday and kindergarten round up I head to my State capitol tomorrow with my son to advocate for early childhood services and programs. I’m emotional over this because it’s so important and dear to my heart and the idea of seeing thousands of parents, educators and children all rallying for our young children makes me feel so proud. I am excited for my son on his 5th birthday to be a part of such an important day and to see what his mom does and learn a small piece about government at such a young age. Oh and then there was my skin cancer examination went well and I have nothing to be worried about other than having melasma on my face - which has brought me to tears because most of the treatment options explored are far from “natural”.
Scientists found unusually high levels of flame retardant in dolphin blubber.
The closer the dolphins lived to downtown Miami, the more of the chemical was concentrated in them. The flame retardant can cause sterility in dolphins. Brominated flame retardants are applied to furniture, clothes and electronics to prevent them from burning. They also help slow the ignition of items that are in a burning room.
A part of the environmental debate that hasn’t gotten a lot of attention made the pages of the March 2009 issue of Consumer Reports and it’s sure to raise some eyebrows. The offender? Interior paint.
The two cancer-causing chemicals, isoprene and epichlorohydrin, have been added to the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist to prevent their future use in cosmetics. Health Canada is also proposing that manufacturers use best-available technology to control releases of isoprene.
The cosmetics chemicals posing a danger to the environment are the siloxanes D4 and D5, which are used as emollients to soften the skin and are found in most personal care products on the market in Canada and the United States.
Last winter when the biodiesel in our truck congealed in cold temperatures and my daughter was late for school, it was considered an unexcused reason for tardiness. Last week, the story was different for children attending school in Minnesota.
