I was devastated to learn last week that the number of monarch butterflies who made it to their winter stomping grounds in Mexico plunged 59% from 2012 to 2011, continuing a downward trend of several years. In New York where I live, the parade of monarchs passing through each spring and fall is our Great [...]
Tag Archives | chemicals
12 Most Important Foods to Buy Organic (2012)
Fact: You cannot get rid of all the pesticides on conventionally grown fruits and vegetables simply by washing them. In the latest government tests analyzed by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), pesticides were found on 68 percent of food samples after peeling and washing. This is of concern because small doses of pesticides and other [...]
Campbell’s Soup to Phase out BPA, but How and When
After months of pressure from consumers and public health organizations led by the Breast Cancer Fund, Campbell’s Soup Company has announced plans to phase out use of the toxic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in its can linings. As the world’s largest canned soup producer, Campbell’s can play a major role in reducing exposure to BPA, [...]
Keep Drugs out of Drinking Water
Disposing of old, expired and/or unneeded medications is tricky. You don’t want kids, teens or pets to get a hold of them (or drug abusers for that matter), so you might think the old recommendation to flush them down the toilet is good advice. But this practice solves one problem only to create another. With [...]
12 Most Important Foods to Buy Organic (2011)
Pesticide residues often remain on produce even after you wash it. Therefore, it’s best for your health and your family’s to buy organic fruits and vegetables. If you can’t afford to by everything organic, the best strategy is to focus on the fruits and vegetables that are most likely to expose you to multiple pesticides. [...]
BPA-free Receipts
Starting next month, you will be able to tell whether the receipt you’ve been handed is BPA-free by checking for red marks on the back. Red marks = BPA-free. This move is courtesy of Appleton, the largest thermal paper maker and only manufacturer of BPA-free receipts in the U.S. It is beginning to add red [...]
12 Most Important Foods to Buy Organic (2010)
Last weekend, I got a friendly warning from a farmer at our local Greenmarket. Holding up the big, beautiful bell pepper I’d selected, he said, “You may find a little friend inside.” Friend? I cast an uncomprehending look at him. “We don’t use pesticides,” he explained. I assured him I preferred the little bug I [...]
Safe Bug Spray for Kids and Adults
Is it safe to use an insect repellent on your kids — or yourself — that contains DEET? And are there any safe and effective alternatives? IN SHORT: DEET-based bug repellents may carry some risk, depending on the concentration of DEET in the product and the individual’s health and chemical sensitivity. For a safer, effective [...]
BPA Linked to Heart Disease, Study Confirms
Heer’s another reason to steer clear of food and drink packaging containing BPA — it’s been linked to higher rates of heart disease. In a sampling of U.S. adults, those with the highest levels of BPA in their urine were almost twice as likely to suffer from coronary heart disease than those with the lowest [...]
Unscented Products — Why and How
Air freshener, laundry detergent, soap, shampoo, moisturizer, lip balm — these and other common household and personal care products are scented with fragrances that can be dangerous to your health. Dozens if not hundreds of synthetic chemicals go into these fragrances, including: Phthalates — endocrine disruptors that cause hormonal abnormalities, birth defects and reproductive problems; [...]
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This Green Blog is the companion blog to NRDC's This Green Life, a green living column written by Sheryl Eisenberg for the Natural Resources Defense Council. (Subscribe to get it for FREE each month.)
Sheryl has also written "Greentips" for the Union of Concerned Scientists and designs websites for environmental groups and others with her firm, Mixit Productions.
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