I Took The Plastic Pledge October 26, 2009

to never drink from a plastic bottle again……not just water, but all plastic drinks (vitamin water, sodas, perrier as well.)  And its not that I drink those very often, but when the urge calls….) I’ve always justified it by recycling the bottle afterwards. After spending a weekend in LA with the plastic pollution coalition, an impressive group of people, who are committed to eliminating single-use plastics in our disturbingly wasteful culture. Difficult mission, but essential. I will rave about them in a coming post…

Back to my pledge….Why did I wait so long?? As the executive producer (fancy title!!) of a film that  berates the use of bottled water I should have been the first to sign up. In fact, I should have started this campaign.  I didn’t because it is really hard to do, even though I know, inside and out, all the dire consequences to our health and our planet when plastic is produced, consumed, tossed, even recycled.

And the earth shattering (and earth saving) news here is that since my husband and I took the pledge, my children, by default, have taken the pledge as well. That makes 6 of us who will no longer be contributing to the plastic bottle mess.

Some key thoughts cross my mind in order to be able to do this effectively:

1.) since I already have filtered water at home, I need to have lots of reusable bottles filled and  ready to grab at an instants notice

2.) be prepared emotionally for those uncomfortable situations when a friend offers a bottled drink and I have to stick to my pledge (despite being really thirsty)

3.) be prepared for lots of complaining from children when they are not allowed a vitamin water after ice hockey or basketball practice, or at the birthday party or at their friends’ house or in the airport…..what exactly did I get myself into??

4.) purchase a water bottle that has a filter in it so I can drink water on the go

I’m sure I’m not thinking of a few pieces to this puzzle but I’m committed. Game on….

Join me!!

Guess What Old Navy does with its Hangers? September 30, 2009

Throws them away.

that’s right, hundreds of thousands of PLASTIC hangars thrown away, to the dump, crowding our landfills, poisoning our soil, waters, and bodies.

I’ve boycotted but since I think they are a family friendly place to shop I’m going to give them a chance to change their ways….I’ll let you know how my, “plastic is horrible” letter campaign goes….

Whatever you do, don’t…. September 30, 2009

hang that plastic shower curtain….I’ ve written about this before, but it keeps coming back to me because using one of those vinyl (PVC) shower curtains is one of the most toxic things you can do in your household. The Center for Health, Environment, and Justice has issued warnings about the long term effects of exposure to the “poison plastic,” and has strongly urged all retailers to remove vinyl shower curtains from their shelves.  According to CHEJ, a vinyl shower curtain releases 108 dfferent volatile organic compounds (VOC’s = very bad) into the air over 28 days.

It almost goes without saying, but  I will anyway ….if you are pregnant or have young children the exposure to these toxins are even more harmful. One friend mentioned to  me that she got really lightheaded when she hung her new plastic curtain recently….hmmmm….there’s no mystery here, the chemicals in the vinyl go right to your lungs and bloodstream. STAY AWAY.

 

some alternatives:

HEMP –antimicrobial, resistant to fading and super durable. can be found at Rawganique.com

LINEN– very natural looking, I didn’t use a liner with mine and it held up fine, can be found at Gaiam.com

COTTON– organic is best, but any cotton is better than PVC….satara-inc.com

happy showering!

Top 5 Ways for Pregnant Moms To Be Chemical / Toxin Free September 23, 2009

This one’s for you Ann!

Pregnancy is a critical time to watch out for the chemicals in our homes and environment. Do as much as you  possibly can do to eliminate toxins so that the baby does not have to cope with unnecessary stresses. Anything that you breath, baby breathes and the effects, say,  of a great smelling body lotion can be quite deleterious to a baby. There are 80,000 synthetic chemicals on the U.S. market and we lack basic hazard information on almost all of them b/c the chemical industry blocks public protection laws by citing that “proof of harm” evidence is needed.

Recently, a study done by the Environmental Working Group found 287 industrial chemicals in the umbilical cord of 10 newborn babies—many of these chemicals have been linked to cancer, brain damage, and birth defects.

 

Here’s the top 5 ways to reduce your exposure:

1.) Only use all natural cleaning sprays, candles, and anything else that gives off scents (i.e room deodorizes). 

2.) Only use all natural body care products (soaps, lotion, detergents, make-up, perfume, shampoo / conditioner). 70% of anything that touches our skin is absorbed into our bloodstream. 70%. 

3.) Only use no- VOC paint.  Chemical free, no odor, easy on you and baby, almost any good paint store (including home depot, Lowe’s, etc) has this alternative now.

4.) PLANTS–surround yourself and your home with as many plants as possible. Plants don’t need direct sunlight to grow. I have a few growing in bedrooms and bathrooms that only get a little light and they do great.

5.) Organic fruits, veggies, dairy and meats. it makes a difference.

6.) Throwing in one more really, really, really important way to be chemical free: FILTER your tap water (brita or tap filtration system–america has good drinking water but high in chlorine ), and don’t drink from plastic bottles (they break down into your water)

If there was ever a time to be chemical conscience, it is now. By following those 6 suggestions, you are able to eliminate soIt makes a really big difference.

Pumping It Up / Fired Up September 17, 2009

It doesn’t take much to get me fired up these days BUT I think many of you will feel the disappointment that I did when I read about the following story in the Wall St Journal a couple of weeks ago.  As a nursing mom (of a 6 week old) the following story is particularly painful to me but I think it is one that needs to be known by all.

 The company Totes / Isotoner recently fired one of their female factory workers, Ms. Allen, for taking unscheduled breaks to go pump. She is the mother of a 5 month old baby.  She reported to work at 6 am, and since her scheduled break was not until 11 she repeatedly asked her boss if she could take an earlier break to pump (she would then skip her 11am break) so that she did not have to go through the leakage and discomfort that goes along with waiting too long to pump. She was repeatedly denied.  Therefore, she began taking an unscheduled break at 10 am to go pump. She was fired soon after.

Ms. Allen sued Totes / Isotoner and the Ohio Supreme Court judge who heard the case favored with the company. The judge upheld the decision and Ms. Allen is out a job!!!!!

It is so unsettling that a woman who is trying to do it all, to do what is best for her family, and still hold down a job, could be fired for this unselfish act.  Ms. Allen is a factory worker. The wages she makes probably don’t come close to covering the cost of what it takes to raise a family, let alone purchase formula.  And even if she had all the money in the world, she should still have the indisputable right to nurse her child with the best source of nutrition there is, possibly preventing her child from various health issues, both immediate and long-term. There are many reasons that Ms. Allen may have chosen to continue breastfeeding. For anyone who has ever used a breast pump,you will agree with me, it is not to get a “free” unsceduled break at work. The 10 minutes of “milking” is not exactly fun or relaxing. Not to mention she probably had to set up in a bathroom stall. 

 

It is disgraceful, embarrassing, and unacceptable that a nursing mother would be put through this situation.  

There are so many ways that Totes / Isotoner could have made this work. Until there is public acknowledgement that this was a huge mistake on their part, I know I’ll be spreading this story and purchasing all my holiday gifts elsewhere this year.

Lawn Care situation that ends with a fired landscaper March 19, 2009

Just had an incredibly frustrating landscaper situation, bringing back very bad memories of my pest control situation ( see post # 47).  As we are renting our home in CA we are using the same landscapers that the owners have used for years prior. Wen we first moved in I met with the head guy to go over what he uses on the lawns and the watering schedule. He told me they do not put anything on the lawn, definitely no chemicals. I should have known better but I trusted what he said. it was California after all–the most organic state in the nation.

 

Today as I brought our new puppy (sooo cute)outside to play, the boss landscaper stopped me to stay that I shouldn’t let my pets or people on lawn for 2 hours b/c they had just put weed killer down. My mouth dropped open. You did what? I told you no chemicals, blah, blah, blah i ranted on and on…..he told me he was so sorry, there were so many weeds, he must have forgotten. he told me he would tell his guys right now to stop and no more ever again.  OK, maybe this was a needed reminder. A few minuted later I peeked outside. Boss was no where in site and his guys were sprinkling something on the lawn. i ran out side to see what it was. A miracle grow weed killer and fertilizer.  i can’t write what came out of my mouth next.

i grabbed the bag he was getting his product out of (with his gloved hands and masked mouth mind you) and read the back. Here is what it said: “toxic to marine life. Hazardous to humans and domestic animals. If ingested call poison control, flush with water immediately if contact with skin….etc……the warnings went on and on.

I had the guy call his boss to come back, he never did. I called him myself and asked how could this happen after we had just had this conversation. He said its just fertilizer, its fine. And that’s when he lost his job. 

on to my organic landscaper hunt…..in the meantime, never trust people who tell you it is natural. Your health and the health of your pets and children depends on it. I just don’t think that word holds much meaning to people yet.

You’ve Gotta See This–Tapped March 10, 2009

So, I may be biased as this is our film, but it is getting rave reviews out there in the big wide world. Tapped is a life changing film about the negative effects of bottled water on our environment and our health. Watch the trailer and PLEASE let me know your thoughts, reactions, concerns, questions and just how badly you want to see the whole film. 

Tapped

Drinking Water Woes…… January 28, 2009

I’ve always been obsessed with clean drinking water. It is all I drink during the day and mostly what I give the kids. From cooking to bathing, it is a critical part of all of our lives. I believe bottled water –especially drank in large amounts is terrible for your health (plastic, BPA–) and the planet. The poland spring water dispensers are also terrible. Water sits in those jugs for years before being delivered to you, the containers are made with #7 plastic (BPA–crazy hormone disruptor, banned in europe and canada) and again, it is lousy for the earth to transport water all over the world and to use that much plastic

So when we moved into a new house several years ago I found myseld in a tap water predicament. It tasted and smelled like chlorine and I was starting to get really bad headaches. I had no way to know if he headaches were because of the water I was drinking but I knew when I drank it, I didn’t like the smell or the taste. We had a filtration company come test the water and it turned out we had really high chlorine levels and very hard water ( which means there is a lot of sediment in the water, either from the pipes in my house or from the water source).

After demonstrating with a few of their tests, we believed that their filtration system could alleviate our smell and taste issues, and hopefully our health ones as well.  We bought a whole house carbon filtration system and water softener. Chlorine is so easily absorbed through your skin that showers and baths account for most of your chlorine intake in life which is why the whole house system made sense.  It was expensive but the results were immediate. My headaches disappeared, as did the smell and bad taste.  Some tests by the filtration company a few months later revealed the system had completely removed the hardness and we had negligible amounts of chlorine in our water. My headaches were gone. I was a convert. Filtration water could provide us with high quality water for drinking, bathing and cooking.

 

When we moved out to California recently, I knew a filtration system would be a top priority. I made calls right away and found out that although we had some of the cleanest water in the country (our water source is from a very pure lake), we also had super high chlorine levels–the city’s way of ensuring that no microorganisms came through into our house. Great idea, but I didn’t want to taste and smell chlorine every time  I made coffee, cooked my spaghetti, or drank a glass of ice water. And this time I wanted to be a little more diligent in my research. Here’s what we did to get the most unbiased tests of our water supply.

 

1.) Buy 2 water sampling kits from home depot: lead and general quality (chlorine, pH balance, etc…)

2.) the general quality test uses those pH strips we used in science class and immediately tell you a lot of information.

3.) mail the lead test in to address given on box. They will send results in about 3 weeks. 

4.) have 2 or 3 filtration companies (found in the yellow pages) come to test your water. Their results should match up with your tests and each other. 

5.) Have them explain their product, why they got into this business, all costs (including installation–i’m wary of companies who charge an hourly installation ), ask ?’s about backwashing (how system cleans itself) warranty, maintenance, if you relocate can the system come with you, and any future costs to you. If you are investing in a whole system there should be minimal work on your part (perhaps changing a filter once a year or letting the workers in to add salt–this is used if you have hard water)

6.) Ask for a discount! there is usually some flexibility in their pricing.

7.) Enjoy delicious, healthy waterQ

1 in 3 children’s toys deemed toxic December 4, 2008

A recent study released by a non-profit group called The Ecology Center found that 1 in 3 children’s toys had higher than acceptable levels of toxins. The group tested 1500 toys, made throughout the world, and found that 500 of them contained significan levels of lead, arsenic, and other chemicals. The owrst offenders: children’s cheap jewelry and plastic toys for infants (books and bath toys).  There was no correlation between where a toy was made and how high the levels were.

Most toys your child can do with out. I cringe at the thought of the amount of plastic books and bath toys our kids chewed on….get rid of as many plastic toys as possible. If you are thinking that the government would have doen something if the toys were truly dangerous, think again.  Our government does not regulate chemicals (chemical companies are in charge of doing that themselves??….) and even knowing that certain toys are dangerous, toys with harmful plasticizers are not required to be off shelves until february?!

 

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97723259&sc=emaf

 

A reminder of some great shopping sites:

hearthsong.com–great children’s toys

rosiehippo.com-infant and child toys, blankets, and more

gaiam.com–fair trade gifts, bedding, gifts for the home, yoga, jewelry, garden

vivaterra.com-favorite shopping ever! creative, unique decorations, clothing, home goods, jewelry, food

magiccabin.com–great children’s gifts, all natural wooden toys

patagonia.com–organic cotton clothing, outdoor clothing, shoes, hiking gear, AMAZING stuff!

josiemaran.com– amazing resource for skin care and make-up–you have to try it!

weleda.com–site for holistic medicines, skin care, baby gifts–can’t say enough good about the chemical free skin care line they sell

 

All of my holiday shopping this year was done using these sites–it is possible to make it happen!

We Made It! December 4, 2008

Exactly a year ago, I posted my first blog….it’s been a challenging, exciting, rewarding, insightful, year….I’ve included my first post below, a reminder as we go full steam ahead into this holiday season. There is a time and a place for plastics to exist (i.e hospitals) but in our homes we need to be really wary of the toxic effects and in our world we need to be very worried about the detrimental effects on our earth and our health.

My very first blog, its been a long time coming. it dawned on me today, though, after spending an entire weekend cleaning out the bedroom closets in our home, that it was time to make it a priority to put words on paper (well, computer screen). As a family of five, we have a lot of stuff. my issues with this “stuff”…..i have a few. Most of it is made in China, most of it will never biodegrade, most of it is made of plastic and most of it is just extra crap in our life. So, with this blog i present myself and my fellow readers with a challenge. Can we, as a group, stop accumulating so much plastic stuff? I believe there will be a new found sense of freedom that comes with a pared down closet, playroom, car, office, etc…..And that’s just on a personal note. The state of affairs in the world may just be improved as well.

“Except for the small amount that’s been incinerated–and it’s a very small amount–every bit of plastic ever made still exists.” (Charles Moore)
That is a mind-altering quote. how can this be? Even recyclable plastic, which is a relatively expensive process so therefore not used very often, will never biodegrade (turn back into its Carbon and Hydrogen elements.) Every year 60 Billion tons of plastic are produced. Where is it going to wind up? Best case scenario, recycled. Likely scenario, in our landfills and even more likely scenario, in our oceans. In fact, in the pacific ocean there is vast swath of ocean (twice the size of texas to be exact) that has become known as the “plastic stew.” Here, in a deep, clockwise-turning vortex of air and water, lies a terrible mess of plastic junk, landfill remnants, old tires, nets and ropes, old bath toys….. any type of garbage you can think of collects in this spot. The stuff has no place to go. Really. it has no place to go. Plastic is here forever.

Read more about plastic in our oceans in this article.

We have a choice. It’s clear. When possible use other options. Be frugal in your plastic purchases. Re-use within your home, within your life whenever possible. Plastic toys for kids–dangerous for many reasons. Plastic water bottles, plastic in a microwave, dangerous for all of us. (yes, it does melt into your food) Whether you believe in the green movement or not, just consider the consequences of plastic being here FOREVER.
In future posts i will have websites connecting us to sites that offer non-plastic options for purchase as well as sites that offer creative approaches to getting around this problem. I would LOVE to hear back from readers about sites you have used, ideas you suggest and any other ideas you have related to this issue. I believe with my whole heart in the power of people to make positive changes in this world.

So with that in mind, here goes my idea. I will post a new idea, every week for a year, on how you can SIMPLY choose an alternative item other than plastic or how you can reuse the plastic you have or how you can eliminate a particular plastic item for good. It is SO, SO, SO possible to make a significant change within one year. mark your calendars, your blackberries, set a weekly reminder–check in once a week. do what it takes. join the plastic not being here forever revolution.

At the end of one year, dec. 2008 we will have made 52 significant changes in the battle against plastic.