Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Use Plain Soap and Water
Triclosan is no more effective than ordinary soap and water and poses health risks to humans and creates anti-bacterial and antibiotic resistance. The American Medical Association recommends that consumers avoid antibacterial products.
http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/water/Triclosan.pdf
Photo: Sandy Island May 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Needless Waste
EcoAlert from American P.I.E. 5/28/08
"... untreated materials go directly into nearby ecosystems, harming wildlife, plant life and drinking water."
Household hazardous wastes, while toxic in nature, are not regulated under federal or state laws. In the average home fifteen pounds of toxic waste are generated each year. Included are such items as pesticides, auto batteries, gasoline, kerosene, metal polish with solvent, paint brush cleaners with solvent, solvent-based glue, paint, paint thinner, paint stripper, varnish, turpentine, wood preservative, adhesives, flea powder, rat poison, mothballs, photography chemicals, drain cleaners, floor and furniture polish containing nitrobenzene, pool chemicals, mercury batteries, lighter fluid, fluorescent lamps, and more.
In the outdoor environment, toxic materials can be harmful. When we throw them in the trash, they end up in the public landfill or incinerator. Buried in the landfill, toxic substances pollute the soil and eventually find their way into the water supply. Burned, they immediately pollute the air. When poured down the drain, any residual materials that cannot be broken down by water treatment plants will end up in nearby lakes, streams and rivers.
Homes using septic systems rather than public sewers similarly risk soil and water resources. Storm drains are perhaps the most dangerous dumping site of all; untreated materials go directly into nearby ecosystems, harming wildlife, plant life and drinking water.
When you must buy a hazardous substance for a specific purpose, buy only the amount you need, so that you can use it up. And if you have any left over, dispose of it properly. The most ecological way to approach toxins is to avoid them in the first place. Repeated or excessive contact with toxic household material can lead to lung, brain and nerve damage, and, in some cases, can even prove to be deadly, e.g., methylene chloride, an ingredient found in some aerosols, can cause nerve damage and cancer.
To avoid the dangers of hazardous substances, buy safe, effective alternatives whenever you can. Here are some examples: applications of boric acid can provide substantial control of cockroaches and fleas; vinegar cuts through mildew, stains and wax; baking soda cleans, deodorizes, polishes, removes stains and softens fabrics; borax disinfects, deodorizes, removes stains and softens water. There are also new, as well as time-proven, environmentally sound products on the market.
Procedures for the collection of hazardous wastes vary widely across the country. Some communities have special pick-up days; others have designated areas at recycling centers where wastes must be transported by the homeowner; others, unfortunately, have no systematic procedures. Call your local public works department to determine the operative procedures in your community. Best of all, avoid needless waste.
Act today on this EcoAlert, and thank you for your environmental responsibility.
American P.I.E., Public Information on the Environment, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, P.O. Box 676, Northfield, MN 55057-0676 Telephone: 1-800-320-APIE(2743); fax 507-645-5724
E-mail: Info@AmericanPIE.org
Please support the work of American PIE. Make a donation or become a member at <http://www.americanpie.org/own_a_piece_of_pie.html >. Thank you.
EcoAlert subscribe/unsubscribe at our website: http://www.AmericanPIE.org American P.I.E. does not sell, rent or otherwise share addresses of EcoAlert subscribers.
*GoodSearch* for American P.I.E. Support American P.I.E. - Click on the link below, search, and a penny per search will go to American P.I.E.: http://www.goodsearch.com/?charityid=838941
"...
Household hazardous wastes, while toxic in nature, are not regulated under federal or state laws. In the average home fifteen pounds of toxic waste are generated each year. Included are such items as pesticides, auto batteries, gasoline, kerosene, metal polish with solvent, paint brush cleaners with solvent, solvent-based glue, paint, paint thinner, paint stripper, varnish, turpentine, wood preservative, adhesives, flea powder, rat poison, mothballs, photography chemicals, drain cleaners, floor and furniture polish containing nitrobenzene, pool chemicals, mercury batteries, lighter fluid, fluorescent lamps, and more.
In the outdoor environment, toxic materials can be harmful. When we throw them in the trash, they end up in the public landfill or incinerator. Buried in the landfill, toxic substances pollute the soil and eventually find their way into the water supply. Burned, they immediately pollute the air. When poured down the drain, any residual materials that cannot be broken down by water treatment plants will end up in nearby lakes, streams and rivers.
Homes using septic systems rather than public sewers similarly risk soil and water resources. Storm drains are perhaps the most dangerous dumping site of all; untreated materials go directly into nearby ecosystems, harming wildlife, plant life and drinking water.
When you must buy a hazardous substance for a specific purpose, buy only the amount you need, so that you can use it up. And if you have any left over, dispose of it properly. The most ecological way to approach toxins is to avoid them in the first place. Repeated or excessive contact with toxic household material can lead to lung, brain and nerve damage, and, in some cases, can even prove to be deadly, e.g., methylene chloride, an ingredient found in some aerosols, can cause nerve damage and cancer.
To avoid the dangers of hazardous substances, buy safe, effective alternatives whenever you can. Here are some examples: applications of boric acid can provide substantial control of cockroaches and fleas; vinegar cuts through mildew, stains and wax; baking soda cleans, deodorizes, polishes, removes stains and softens fabrics; borax disinfects, deodorizes, removes stains and softens water. There are also new, as well as time-proven, environmentally sound products on the market.
Procedures for the collection of hazardous wastes vary widely across the country. Some communities have special pick-up days; others have designated areas at recycling centers where wastes must be transported by the homeowner; others, unfortunately, have no systematic procedures. Call your local public works department to determine the operative procedures in your community. Best of all, avoid needless waste.
Act today on this EcoAlert, and thank you for your environmental responsibility.
American P.I.E., Public Information on the Environment, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, P.O. Box 676, Northfield, MN 55057-0676 Telephone: 1-800-320-APIE(2743); fax 507-645-5724
E-mail: Info@AmericanPIE.org
Please support the work of American PIE. Make a donation or become a member at <http://www.americanpie.org/own
EcoAlert subscribe/unsubscribe at our website: http://www.AmericanPIE.org American P.I.E. does not sell, rent or otherwise share addresses of EcoAlert subscribers.
*GoodSearch* for American P.I.E. Support American P.I.E. - Click on the link below, search, and a penny per search will go to American P.I.E.: http://www.goodsearch.com/
Friday, May 23, 2008
Responding to Climate Change
The National Academies of Science have released the 2008 edition of "Understanding and Responding to Climate Change," a free booklet designed to give the public a comprehensive and easy-to-read analysis of findings and recommendations from their reports on climate change.
More, including access to the booklet (which can be downloaded or ordered in hard copy) and to the NAS Climate Change information website at http://nationalacademies.org
(Photo: Sandy Island, May 2008)
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Avoiding BPA and Phthalates
Reducing Your Exposure to BPA
Bisphenol A has been used as an ingredient in consumer products for a long time and is difficult to avoid. In some cases, alternatives are available. Consider these tips, especially if you are or may become pregnant or are choosing a product for a child:
http://www.oeconline.org/pollutioninpeople/solutions/bpa/document_view
Reducing Your Exposure to Phthalates
Products containing phthalates are ubiquitous in our society, but you can reduce your and your family’s exposure to phthalates by avoiding PVC and purchasing products from companies that have eliminated phthalates. When you can choose, try to use metal, glass, ceramic, wooden, or other natural non-PVC products.
http://www.oeconline.org/pollutioninpeople/solutions/phthalates/document_view
Bisphenol A has been used as an ingredient in consumer products for a long time and is difficult to avoid. In some cases, alternatives are available. Consider these tips, especially if you are or may become pregnant or are choosing a product for a child:
http://www.oeconline.org
Reducing Your Exposure to Phthalates
Products containing phthalates are ubiquitous in our society, but you can reduce your and your family’s exposure to phthalates by avoiding PVC and purchasing products from companies that have eliminated phthalates. When you can choose, try to use metal, glass, ceramic, wooden, or other natural non-PVC products.
http://www.oeconline.org
Think Before You Pink
Yoplait's fall campaign, Save Lids to Save Lives, continues to urge consumers to buy pink-lidded cups of Yoplait yogurt. For each pink lid mailed back to the company by December 31, Yoplait donates ten cents to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, up to $1.5 million. Sadly, a woman would have to eat three containers of Yoplait every day during the four-month campaign to raise $36 for the cause--and the yogurt is made from cows treated with rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone). Recent studies show that rBGH dairy products may be linked with an increased risk of breast, colon, and prostate cancer.
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