What's Your Body's Burden?

Sloan Barnett recently released a great book called Green Goes With Everything. On the website for her book, is a fun and easy interactive "body burden" test. Take the test and see how the "normal, everyday products" that you use around your home, can be potentially harmful to everyone in your household, including your unborn children.
Even, the infamous Environmental Working Group (EWG), refers to Sloan's book and this online tool, right on their home web page.

Publishers Weekly comments:
According to Barnett, the Green Editor for KNTV in San Francisco, human beings are saturating their bodies, their children's bodies and their homes with noxious waste, pathogens and carcinogens. Barnett recounts having her blood and urine tested to illustrate how toxins have deeply embedded themselves-her results show positive for bisphenol A (linked to birth defects and reproductive problems) and perchlorate (an active ingredient in rocket fuel found in contaminated food). The book is divided into seven clean-it-up chapters full of solid information and helpful tips aimed at greening different areas of your life, such as how to best filter household water. Barnett's well-written environmental call-to-arms is passionate and authoritative; her findings correlating childhood illnesses with ordinary-and highly toxic-cleaning supplies is alarming.(Sept)

An effective and reasonable alternative to the "normal, everyday products", being used in every type of structure, are Shaklee's cleaning products. Shaklee offers a 100% product satisfaction guarantee on all of their products. Their products are Safe, Powerful, Green & Smart!

Get Back Up

This YouTube video needs no introduction. Please watch and share with others.

Protecting Everyone From Toxin Exposures

Last June, I posted information about a Bill that had been introduced into the House of Representatives in May 2008. It's called the Kid-Safe Chemical Act, and it is a comprehensive bill attempting to amend the current Toxic Substances Control Act. This bill's intent is to reduce the exposure of children, workers, and consumers to everyday toxins.

Recently, I was directed to this video on the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) website, that explains a lot about the type of exposures that all of us can and do come in contact with. And even more importantly, what exposures a preborn fetus has to these same toxins.The video is entitled, the Ten Americans Video.

Please take 20 minutes to watch the video and pass it along to everyone that you care about.

Rememeber, knowledge is power!

Bottled Water, Filtered Water, Tap Water...Oh me Oh my!

There has been a plethora of discussion over the use of bottled water, tap and/or filtered tap water. I've read and pondered this for my family's own personal water consumption, and have actually changed from my original thoughts and usage, in this matter.

Originally, I knew that our rural residential water was not too safe to drink, so we started using bottled water, exclusively. We did try to purchase larger quantities and use less plastic containers. Then, I read a lot about the lack of regulations for bottled water, and had a real issue with throwing all those plastic bottles away. Also, the reports about BPA (Bisphenol A) exposure in the plastic bottles, definitely turned me off to the bottled water.

Ultimately, my husband and I have decided that our best option at this point, is to filter our rural tap water. And, even if we end up moving into a municipality with water service, we will continue to filter our tap water.

Shaklee offers some great options to filter tap water in your home. Currently, we use a BestWater Perfect Pitcher in our home, because we are in a home that we don't own. But, upon the purchase of a home, we will be upgrading to one of their MTS 2000 units.

The BestWater MTS 2000 units come in an above counter and below counter unit. Both units are NSF Certified and come with a money-back guarantee and warranties. The cost per day is only pennies, and means a lot of piece of mind and overall, is a economical investment in every family's health.

Global Warming

I was sent this great animated video that explains what global warming is, and why it is a reality. Please share it with others.


Wake Up, Freak Out - then Get a Grip from Leo Murray on Vimeo.

Cellular Anti-Aging & Living Longer

Most of us have heard of the "French Paradox". It relates to people from France, living longer and being healthier, and that being attributed to their regular and avid consumption of wine.

For years, there has been a belief that red wine has benefits for good heart health. But now, researchers are finding that it has benefits against cancer, dementia and other age-related diseases. The secret in the wine is what is known as "resveratrol". One, of many good resources to read on resveratrol and polyphenols, is available on the National Cancer Institute's website, where red wine and cancer prevention is discussed.

Dr David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School has been a key player of numerous studies about resveratrol and was interviewed by Barbara Walters about this revolutionary, anti-aging product. Dr Sinclair is now also a member of Shaklee's Scientific Board, and Shaklee is very pleased to be associated with his mission to improve world health through new scientifically based innovations with respect to aging and longevity.

Resveratrol is created from several different natural plant sources, but the most beneficial known source is the grape; specifically the muscadine grape. Resveratrol has been referenced in over 2,000 research publications, including multiple studies conducted by Harvard University, at the National Institute of Aging, at the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Environmental Science.

Another great thing about resveratrol, is that it has not been found to be toxic or have adverse effects on humans. And because of that, Shaklee offers a resveratrol product based on Dr Sinclair's research, that is 10 times more powerful than red wine. My website provides more information about the science and the product, known as Vivix.

Shaklee designed the Vivix dietary supplement for adult men and women who are concerned about cellular aging and who are committed to a healthy and well-balanced lifestyle. Vivix is a unique blend of polyphenolic ingredients that provides an amount of resveratrol that cannot be normally obtained in a typical diet, but is carefully chosen based on the available evidence and the emerging laboratory research that points to both the potential antioxidant and cellular anti-aging properties of resveratrol.

Reduce - Reuse - Recycle

One just needs to give it a try and find out that recycling is much easier than most people think it is. REALLY, it is VERY EASY !

And actually, in my opinion, easy or not, we as stewards of this beautiful planet should be eager to do everything possible to perserve and protect our environment. As mentioned in the National Recycling Coalition's website; before the 1920's, 70% of U.S. cities ran programs to recycle certain materials. And during World War II, industry recycled and reused about 25% of the waste stream.

November 15th is being celebrated as America Recycles Day. Take a step or take a bigger step by committing to enhance your current recycling habits. Take the pledge to make a difference.

Take the pledge on the National Recycling Coalition's site and pass on the challenge to at least 5 others. No matter your financial situation right now in these tough times, there's no reason why you can't be part of the solution to pollution. It only takes a little effort, to make a substantal difference to the planet.

You can learn more about Shaklee's environmental legacy by going to my website and reading about the numerous milestones that Shaklee has completed, with the products they distribute, and the causes they sponsor and/or have spearheaded. Also, read about Wangari Maathai, one of Shaklee's honorary ambassadors.

Toxic Electronic Waste

Our discarded electronics, (commonly referred to as E-Waste); computers, televisions, cell phones and such, are often being shipped out of the US and over to developing countries, only to turn those countries into toxic waste dumps. Residents of those countries often salvage portions of the waste, and the contents of it are used by them in a manner, which can be detrimental to their health and/or the environment's. There are some really easy solutions for disposal of EWaste, which can be found on Earth 911's website.

But, to get a better understanding of the improper methods of disposal of toxic electronic waste, watch the feature story that 60 Minutes will be airing this Sunday. Here's the video clip for more info about the upcoming 60 Minutes story:

Watch CBS Videos Online

Conflict of Interest - The FDA?

Last week, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel posted an article about a potential conflict of interest involving the recent report published by the FDA on the supposed safety of BPA (Bisphenol A), to humans. Apparently, the group responsible for completing the FDA's report, had members who's personal interests may have been seriously influenced by the "plastics industry".

As previously mentioned on this blog, the FDA came out recently with a report that there were no known hazards to humans, caused by BPA. Yet, Canada and numerous other independent groups have done studies that prove otherwise.

The FDA (Food & Drug Administration), has also previously asserted that Aspartame is safe, but stevia is dangerous to use in foods; Vioxx is safe, but cherries are dangerous to use in the treatment of arthritis pain; and the list goes on.

I don't know about anyone reading this, but I'm getting almost "weirded out", by the abuses that are taking place amongst the agencies that are supposed to be looking out for my well-being, health and safety.

Just another reason why I am so proud to be associated with Shaklee. They are a company that is very open about their products and maintains standards far in excess of the natural nutrition industry. Shaklee's products undergo over 80,000 tests annually, to guarantee their safety and efficacy.

Shaklee is a leader in environmental integrity. After all, Dr. Shaklee created a "green" cleaning product, (Basic H2®), back in 1960, when "green" was just a color! And, the line-up of respected scientists and doctors on Shaklee's Scientific Advisory Board, is more evidence of the standards that Shaklee keeps and continues to improve upon.

Yes, there are a lot of "things" out there that can harm you, but let us at least, lower our exposure to those things, that we're aware of....or even, leary of.

Turning Your Trash In Treasure

Yes, I'm still on the composting kick !! But, I came across this really cool video, it's only 5 minutes long. I found the video on The Green Guide's website, and wanted to pass it along.

Using Compost

What an easy thing to do, compared to the benefits to humans and the planet !

Compost has the unique ability to improve the properties of soils and growing media physically (structurally), chemically (nutritionally) and biologically. Although many equate the benefit of compost use to lush green growth, caused by the plant-available nitrogen, the real benefits of using compost are long-term and related to its content of living-organic matter.

Please read the entire article at Earth 911's website. Also, more great information on the EPA's website.

Let's not waste our waste ;-)

Green Goes With Everything - NY Times Best Seller

I had previously posted about a new book that was about to hit the shelves; Green Goes With Everything by Sloan Barnett. Well, it's out and has climbed quickly to # 8 on the New York Times Best Sellers List. Green Goes With Everything is available through it's own website, Amazon, Costco, just about anywhere books are sold.

This is a great resource and/or gift idea, to share with friends easy ways to battle the toxic jungle that we are all exposed to. True, not everything can be eliminated and probably not everything will definitely harm you, but why not take some EASY STEPS!

Be sure to check out the Green Goes With Everything website, where you can take a fun/interactive test to calculate your Body Burden Score. It's very cool that as you take the quiz, there's a tree on the site, who's leaves dry up and fall off, as you select negative/toxic exposures in your home. Also, watch the dog on the porch's reaction, as you take the test.

Also, here's a Today Show interview by Matt Lauer, talking to Sloan about her book.

Vote for Labeling Genetically Engineered Food

I've inserted some copy from a Consumers Union on-line post. Please read the entire article and sign Consumers Union's petition to stop the sale of meat and dairy products, that have been produced with genetically engineered animals:

If the Wall Street bailout was hard to swallow, the government is preparing a Halloween trick that just may be impossible to stomach.
The Food and Drug Administration is opening the way for grocery stores to sell food made from genetically engineered animals. And the agency is proposing that these products, called "Frankenfoods" by some, be sold to you without your knowledge.
Sign our online petition demanding that food from genetically engineered animals be labeled. We have the right to know what we are eating!
Genetically engineered animals are not a far-off, exotic concept. It's happening right now. Goats are engineered with spider genes to produce silk in their milk. And pigs carry mouse and bacterial DNA to improve their digestion.
The jury is still out on whether food from these animals is safe for humans or the environment. And the ethics of such changes have yet to be considered.
The FDA says they will conduct a safety review before these foods can be sold for human consumption. But consumers won't know if they're buying genetically engineered food, because the agency isn't going to require a label.
We know what's in the can of soup we buy because the label tells us. Shouldn't we know if the meat we buy comes from a pig with another animal's genes, or whether our milk has insect DNA in it?
Sign our petition to the FDA demanding the agency label genetically engineered food.

2008 Energy Efficiency and Green Living Series in Boise

Idaho Power is hosting a fantastic energy efficiency and green living series the next few weeks in Boise. I was able to attend some of the free workshops last year, and am disappointed that I missed the first workshop, last Thursday.

When, I attended those workshops last year, I was impressed with the facilitators, as well as the audience. The information was very balanced and the atmosphere was light and informative. I learned many practical ways to save energy and help take better care of the environment.

So, no need to fret, it's not too late. There are 4 more upcoming classes. They are always held on Thursday's, at the Boise Public Library, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. There is no charge, but pre-registration is required.

The remaining classes are listed below as well as the workshop's theme for the evening. You'll need to register for whichever workshops you are interested in attending. Here's the link more info on the classes and the registration info.

Workshop Schedule:

October 9 – Growing Assets: Landscaping for Energy Efficiency
October 16 – Simple Changes Make Cents
October 30 – Greening Your Home
November 6 – Build Smart

I'm hoping to make it to the four remaining workshops. If, anyone is over in my neck of the woods and would like to ride-share, please send me a note or give me a call.

Kick the CAN & Supplement !!

I've talked a lot about BPA (Bisphenol A), being in the plastics that we use on a daily basis, most commonly, plastic water bottles. But, I haven't really addressed some other commonly used containers that often contain this hormone disrupting chemical, that can make its way into our bloodstreams.

BPA has also been found in foods packaged in Tetra Packs and also the linings of cans used for the packaging of canned foods. Yes, that's right, those good ole' canned green beans may have traces of BPA that has leached into them.

What can you do?
Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, eat less prepackaged foods, and prepare more of your meals from scratch. Yes, I know, that still may not protect you from all the contaminents that are out there, but at least, it's a step in the right direction.

Supplement with natural and safe products.
As we become more aware of the poor quality "food value" that our foods have, it is only obvious that we need to fill in the gaps with other sources. That's where vitamins and supplements come in. But, not all vitamins & supplements are created equal.

Shaklee Corporation performs over 80,000 tests each year, to ensure the quality and efficacy of their nutritional products. They are the #1 Natural Vitamin company in the United States and are regularly setting the bar, for the natural supplement industry. Shaklee's final products meet or exceed the industry's standards of Current Good Manufacturing Practice.

Which products are right for you?
Access the tool from here to select the nutritional products you are currently using and see what products Shaklee offers. All of Shaklee's products carry a 100% money-back guarantee, too.

Environmental Stewardship & More

I've been participating at the RE:Form Now Conference in Boise a portion of this week. Tons of deep information on environmental stewardship, world crisis and human justice.

There was a 20 minute documentary launched on human trafficking in the U.S. at this conference, and you can link to it from this post. The video defintely opened my eyes and heart to this problem. I knew that this happened abroad, but didn't realize it was in my own backyard, too.

I realize that this is not a happy subject, but something that needed more attention. A healthy home and healthy planet pertains to the emotional/moral issues, as well as the physical ones.

RE:FORM Conference This Week

I'm very pleased that this week has rolled around! A RE:FORM Conference will be on the 24th thru 26th of September, at The Vineyard Church in Boise. I will be having an exhibit of my products there, but more importantly, there is going to be 3 days of education on Human Justice, World Crisis, & Environmental Stewardship.

There's a schedule of events listed below, but you can also go the RE:FORM website for more information. Hope to see everyone there!

September 24, 2008—Human Justice
9:00am - Human Trafficking Overview —Rob Morris, Love 146
10:15am - Panel Discussion with experts on Human Trafficking issues including John Odean; Alan Brown, Compasio; Phil Gazley, Colorado Network to End HT ; Steven Hamilton, former Homeland Security; Kathy Maskell, Love 146; Surrea Oglesby, Eden House
12:00pm - Lunch (provided)
1:30pm, 2:45pm, 4:00pm - Workshops and discussions with panelists
5:00pm - Dinner break (on your own)
7:00pm - Rob Morris & Love Justice Human Trafficking Documentary

September 25, 2008—World Crises
9:00am - A Call to Action — Senior Pastor Tri Robinson
10:00am - Panel Discussion with experts on the seven areas of world crisis including Scott Sabin, Floresta; Mark Russell, HOPE Intl.; Jennifer Boyd, Vineyard College of Mission; Brandi Swindell,; Josh Campbell; Tri Robinson
12:00pm - Lunch (provided)
1:30pm, 3:30pm - Workshops and discussions with panelists
5:00pm - Dinner break (on your own)
7:00pm - Biblical Solutions to a World in Crisis—Tri Robinson

September 26, 2008—Environmental Stewardship
9:00am - Environmental Stewardship Overview—Peter Illyn
10:00am - Panel Discussion with experts on various Environmental Stewardship issues including Peter Illyn, Restoring Eden; Melanie Griffin, Sierra Club; Rhys Roth, Climate Solutions; Jim Jewell, Evangelical Environmental Network; Suellen Lowry, Noah Alliance; Thomas D. Rowley, A Rocha USA; Gary Nafziger-Meiser
12:00pm - Lunch (provided)
1:30pm, 3:30pm - Workshops and discussions with panelists
5:00pm - Dinner break (on your own)
7:00pm - Creation Care, an Evening of Experiential Journey —Andy Hendley; Peter Illyn, Restoring Eden; Melanie Griffin

New Studies Show Possible Link of Diabetis & Heart Disease to BPA

I've talked about it on this forum previously, but the previous references to BPA (Bisphenol-A), were related to adverse exposures to children and pregnant women.
Now, in a new report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, they believe there may be a link between BPA and heart disease and diabetis 2.

The discussion is really heating up, because the FDA will be holding a public hearing this coming Tuesday. Stay tuned for more bantering while our society's health continues to suffer.

Help Pass Senate Bill 1738 - The Protect Our Children Act

Our children are our future and their future's are being threatened by the thousands of online sexual predators out there. Even less encouraging, the personal contacts that children have within their families, schools, etc., is getting even more dangerous.
Unfortunately, if parents were more diligent in monitoring their children's accessibility on the internet, there would be fewer problems. But, that problem just becomes more and more common, as both parents work more or single parent households.
So, I see Senate Bill 1738 as a step in right direction for making funds more available for law enforcement to buckle down on these perverts!
Please, review the information recently shared on an Oprah episode, and then let your conscious be your guide.

The Eco-Builder

Bill Callahan is so cool. He provides some easy, common sense ideas on repairing and reusing used lumber. Here's a video with some of his suggestions on ways to enhance sustainability.

Nurses' Children, Cancer, & Birth Defects

The EWG (Environmental Working Group), has published a survey regarding substances that nurses' are exposed to, and how they may be asociated to health problems in their children. Here's a small portion of the article, but you can read the whole thing by clicking here.

Part of article:
Analysis of survey data shows that nurses' reported exposures during pregnancy to hazardous drugs, housekeeping chemicals, anesthetic gases, and disinfecting and sterilizing agents are associated with increased incidence of birth defects among their children.

Children born to nurses reporting high exposures to these chemicals (at least once a week for nine months) were up to two times more likely to be born with a congenital defect than children born to nurses with low or no exposures to these agents, and up to nine times more likely to suffer from musculoskeletal defects at birth. Of the hundreds of compounds in these exposure categories, for only one has the government set standards specifically to restrict nurses' exposures (the sterilizing agent ethylene oxide).

Green Goes With Everything

There's a new book coming out that sounds to have some very good common sense ideas on ways to go green. I haven't read it yet, but plan to. If, anyone gets the book and reads it before me, I'd appreciate your input on it.

Here's a YouTube video on it.

bisphenol A, BPA Is Still A "Concern"

Despite the recent reports from a governmental agency that there weren't any human health concerns from exposure to BPA, two new study's say otherwise.
Exposure to a chemical, bisphenol A (BPA), which is found in everyday plastics has been linked to problems with brain function and mood disorders in monkeys. This coming from researchers at the Yale School of Medicine.
This week's article in the Washington Post, summarizes the study done at Yale School of Medicine. The researchers are saying that there is "some concern" for humans, based on the results they documented with the primates.
The second report was published in Science Daily, and it finds a relationship between exposure to BPA and issues of metabolic syndrome. Left untreated, the disorder can lead to life-threatening health problems such as coronary artery disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
That for me, is good enough reason to stay away from as much plastic as possible. The old saying, "Better to be safe, than sorry", is definitely applicable here.

Paperless Books - What Rock Have I Been Under?

Okay, I'm not sure how long "they've" been around and what the whole scoop is on "them" yet, but I've just read about "e-books"!! Did you know that you can purchase these electronic book readers, and elimate the clutter, paper usage, weight, etc, from your life?
Apparently, up to 200 books and periodicals can be downloaded to a reader, at any given time. And, better than that, it remembers what page you left off at reading, you can change the size of the text, look up the meaning of specific words. Holy Cow, it's AMAZING !
I guess you can preview chapters to books that you're interested in reading and when you do decide to make the purchase, it can be done almost instantly.
They also have found a technology that they call electronic ink, so the reader doesn't burn up a lot of power, but uses some when you turn a page.
How many trees is this going to save? Obviously, millons.
You gotta admit it, technology is WONDERFUL !

He Won The War / He Lived Well - Randy Pausch

Randy Pausch, lost his battle today with pancreatic cancer, but won the war on living well and a full life! Today's news release is here.

If, you hadn't yet heard of Randy, he was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, who did two incredible presentations about life and what it meant to him, after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in Sept 2006. An update on Randy's condition was posted yesterday on his website.

A quote from Randy Pausch:
“We don’t beat the reaper by living longer. We beat the reaper by living well, and living fully, for the reaper will come for all of us. The question is what do we do between the time we are born and the time he shows up. Cause when he shows up it’s too late to do all the things that you’re always were kinda going to get around to.”

If, you haven't seen Randy's presentations, or you'd like to view them again, I've listed them below.

God bless Randy's family and all who loved him.

Randy Pausch - Last Lecture - Achieving Your Dreams



Randy Pausch - May 2008 Carnegie Mellon Commencement ceremony

Cleaning Your Indoor Air

It's been no secret for a long time, that plants in a home or any building, can improve the air quality inside. I found this cool link with info on common plants that can help reduce indoor air pollution. It shares which plants help best with removing formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide from the air.

Another method, which works a lot faster than plants and reduces more nasty stuff, is an air purifier. Here's information available on one air purifier, that is quite the machine! If, you become a member and place the order in July, the shipping if free. That saves you over $100 bucks!

This system suppresses mold and bacteria growth, reduces odors, and reduces VOC's (Violatile Organic Compounds). There are several PDF's on the webpage that explains the item in much more detail. Check it out if you're interested.

Easy Global Warming Solutions

There's more and more discussion on Global Warming these days and that's a REALLY GOOD thing! Even though there are many debates out there about Global Warming, the end result of the positive actions towards it's end, certainly won't hurt the planet or us!

What's it gonna hurt? Nothing is it? So come on, give it a try, it's relatively painless, ya know ;-)

Here's some of those easy tips on Global Warming Solutions at the National Wildlife Federation's website.

I'd love to hear back from folks, about how it's going on instituting these practical ideas. I mean, how hard can it be to inflate your tires a little more, or turn down your thermostat two degrees?

Hope you'll "Warm Up" to these Global Warming issues.

Recyling Cell Phones - A Win-Win

My "Church-Son", Riley Hoobery, is an awesome guy, who has a heart bigger than the State of Idaho. Riley is an active volunteer for usually one or two organizations at any given time.

For the last couple of years, he's been the an area rep for Cell Phones For Life, Inc. Riley maintains drop boxes at several locations in our local community and then goes out and retrieves the phones that are donated.

If, you weren't aware, even after an owner of a cellphone terminates his cellphone provider service, i.e.; Sprint, Verizon, etc., the cellphone will still work if the battery is kept charged and can be used to call 911, in the event of an emergency.

So, these donated cell phones are then cleared of all contacts, phone numbers, and any miscellanous information and redistributed to the disabled, elderly and domestic violence shelters. There is no record back to the original owner. The broken or non-reusable phones are recycled through Project KOPEG out of Boise, ID.

What a wonderful way to keep your unwanted or broken cell phone out of the landfills! And then, the cell phone's lifetime is extended to who knows how long, being used by someone who may have no other way to call for help, in an emergency situation.

For more information you can email or call Riley. His email is rhoobery@fmtc.com and his contact phone is 206/888-6582. Also, you can get more information on this organization via their website at www.cellphonesforlife.org

P.S. Your donation is also Tax Deductible.

Options for Recycling CFL's

While usage of the CFL (Compact Flourescent Light) controversy still rages on; (IMHO), they are definitely a sustainable option for everyone. Yes, the mercury content and disposal issues are yet to be resolved, but there are some options in place to safely dispose of your used/damaged CFL's.

So, I'm at my "Like-a-brother" hairdresser's home last week, getting my gray washed out. I'm chatting with his roommate, who's an awesome guy and on the management team of a Lowe's store in Boise, Idaho.

I ask this Lowe's manager, if he is aware that Home Depot has gone to accepting used and damaged CFL's for recycling and ask him, "When is Lowe's going to step up to the plate and start doing good things like Home Depot?". He then proceeds to diplomatically inform me that Lowe's has been recycling CFL's for sometime, and in fact, Lowe's also recycles batteries (AA,D,C,etc.).

Well, naturally I apologized for my assumption of Lowe's lack of environmental responsibility, and just thought I'd share my ignorance, with the rest of you. This just goes to show you, that "one" never knows what another person or another company is doing to make a more positive impact on the planet.

This was my reminder on continuing my education of the plethora of resources and options that are available and never A S S - U - M E !!

Sorry guys, another lesson learned!

Spilled Milk

Well, slowly the tide keeps turning for more sustainability, in the world of "Big Business". Apparently, Costco & WalMart have decided to change the shape of their plastic milk jugs so that they can fit more on a pallet, hence, reducing shipping expenses!!

Now, just how simple was that to figure out? It just goes to show me, that with a little extra thought into something, there are many alternatives.

But, I guess the jugs will be a little more cumbersome to use, when pouring. Soooo, watch out for spilled milk. We may end up having to transfer the milk into a more "pour friendly" container. Whatever it takes, it's still a step forward and I love it!!

Plastics - Reduce, Reuse & Recycle

Today, I had a visit in my home with a business associate from my local BNI networking group. Both she and I, are still novices when it comes to sustainability, but we're constantly stretching to learn and incorporate more, into our lifestyles.

On the other hand, we have two very smart husbands that are cool-to-warm on the subject of sustainability and especially recycling. I'm sure that if they both sat down and thought about it for any length of time, they would "see the light". But, in the meantime, she and I will continue to grow and hopefully they will grow with us.

One of the areas that has been a little scary to me, is plastics. Which types are "the good kind", which ones can be recycled, etc, etc. Basically, probably the best practice is just not to use plastic as much as possible. Obviously, that's a very hard thing to do these days, but there are many alternatives.

Also, the recycling mantra; Reduce, Reuse & Recycle goes a long way when it comes to plastics. I included a link to Earth 911's Plastics/Recycling page on their website, to give you some easy ideas.

In addition, here's a link with the Plastics Pocket Card that I found on the Green Guide's website. This is handy to carry around in your wallet. That way, when you're out and about and you're trying to remember "which is which" before making a plastic purchase, you can refer to this little cheat sheet.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week and enjoying the summertime. Blessings and prayers to everyone dealing with the fires, floods and other "mountains" in their lives.

Bisphenol A (BPA) Found In Some Baby Formulas

We've been hearing about this Bisphenol A (BPA), being in baby bottles, sippy cups, water bottles and the like. And hopefully, many are seeing the light on that and finding safer alternatives.

But, there's also an issue with BPA being found in liquid infant baby formulas. It's in the metal lining of some of the cans of several of the "big name" baby formula manufacturers. Here's a link to an article done by the EWG (Environmental Working Group), on this topic.

The National Toxicology Program, a subgroup of the Department of Health & Human Services, has been taking a VERY serious look at BPA, for awhile now. In a 69 page study, a summary question was posed: Are Current Exposures to Bisphenol A High Enough To Cause Concern? A portion of their answer was: "Possibly, the high dose effects to exposure in lab animals provide clear evidence for adverse effects on development, i.e., reduced survival, birth weight, delayed puberty...".

Please don't be hesitant to view the above study after I mentioned it's 69 pages long. If, you look over the table of contents on Page 2 of the study, you can easily see the specific sections that address areas that you might be most interested in reading. And, it's not a hard read either!

I know, I know, there's a lot of bad stuff out there that we breathe or eat everyday. But, why make conscious choices to consume something that has a toxic chemical linked to possible reproductive disorders and neurobehavioral disorders in lab tests? There are safer alternatives out there and they are coming up with more and more every day.

Green Your 4th of July

The holiday of our Nation's independence approaches the end of this week, and I am so thankful for what our forefather's established for all of us. The United States of America and this whole planet, are more often than not, taken for granted.
I know that I have been and I am still, guilty of taking for granted all our natural and man-made resources. The accessibility to anything and everything a person could want for, numbs me sometimes, to the long-term cost to our nation and/or planet.
I've attached a link to the Earth 911 website, that offers 8 practical ways to green your Independence Day.
Enjoy your celebration and God bless !

Now They Want To Outlaw B6 ???

Just when you think you've heard it all, well ya know!

A large pharmacutical company, Medicure Pharma, submitted a citizen's petition to the FDA. It basically wants to ban the sale of any US dietary supplements that contain Vitamin B6.
Vitamin B6 is a naturally-occurring nutrient found in many veggies, nuts & whole grains. But, in it's natural form it is called pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (P5P). The pharmacutical company wants to market it's own version of B6 and call it a DRUG !

For a better explanation, here's a link to an article from the Alliance of Natural Health.

The Kid-Safe Chemical Act

Our children, future children and of course this planet, are in desperate need of protection. Currently, there is a proposal for what is being called The Kid-Safe Chemical Act.
Here's an overview of the Act:
- Requires that industrial chemicals be safe for infants, kids and other vulnerable groups;
- Requires that new chemicals be safety tested before they are sold;
- Requires chemical manufacturers to test and prove that the 62,000 chemicals already on the market that have never been tested are safe in order for them to remain in commerce;
- Requires EPA to review "priority" chemicals, those which are found in people, on an expedited schedule;
requires regular biomonitoring to determine what chemicals are in people and in what amounts;
- Requires regular updates of health and safety data and provides EPA with clear authority to request additional information and tests;
provides incentives for manufacturers to further reduce health hazards;
- Requires EPA to promote safer alternatives and alternatives to animal testing;
protects state and local rights; and
- Requires that this information be publicly available.

The Organic Consumers Association (OCA), has put together a great letter that you can email to your Congressman, to request that he/she co-sponsor this awesome Act. Here's the link to OCA's website: Click here


Have a blessed weekend!

In Their Infinite Wisdom

Eliminate CFL's or eliminate something/someone else?