In honor of Blog Action Day, I’m getting off my duff and doing a few things to protect the environment and my family that I’ve been meaning to do for a while now: * I signed up to attend a climate change rally in Washington, D.C. on October 24, Climate Action Day. Want to do […]
Author Archive | Diane
We Need Meaningful Standards to Protect the Planet — and Us, too.
We’ve all seen the product claims that SOUND like they mean environmental protection. But do they? * Products labeled “natural” may contain some biological ingredients, but they may also include synthetic dyes and fragrances. * “Hypoallergenic” has no medical meaning. The word was invented by advertisers who used it in a cosmetics campaign in 1953. Says […]
New Book Highlights Environmental, Health Threats from Toxic Chemicals
Investigative journalist Nena Baker is the author of The Body Toxic: How the Hazardous Chemistry of Everyday Things Threatens Our Health and Well-being (North Point Press/Farrar, Straus and Giroux). I first met Nena when we both spoke at the Women, Health & Environment Conference sponsored by the Heinz Endowment in 2008. Since then, I’ve been a fan […]
Toxic Dust Bunnies: Environmental Health, Safety Threats from PBDEs
Part 2 – by Nena Baker, author, The Body Toxic: How the Hazardous Chemistry of Everyday Things Threatens Our Health and Well-being (North Point Press/Farrar, Straus and Giroux “Thirty years ago, about the time that PBDEs were introduced, veterinarians began noticing an uptick in feline hyperthyroidism, the most common endocrine disorder in cats. It causes […]
Environmental In-Box: Cast Iron Cookware
For top-notch cooking without the worry generated by non-stick coatings, I turn to cast iron cookware. Here’s why: What I Like: No Nasty Chemicals – You get “non stick” without the nonsense of PFOA, the nasty chemical that makes Teflon easy to clean but also health threatening. Great Cooking – Once cast iron is seasoned (a […]
Coffee Mugs Matter
In 2005, Americans used and discarded 14.4 billion disposable paper cups for hot beverages, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters of Vermont calculated. That’s so many cups that if put end to end they would circle the earth fifty-five times! Based on anticipated growth of specialty coffees, reports Green Mountain, that number will grow to 23 billion […]
Eco-Friendly Paint Keeps You & the Planet Healthy
Conventional paint contains many volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, that “outgas” and escape into the air after they are applied. Indoors, these VOCs cause headaches, nausea, achey bones, and general discomfort. Outdoors, they contribute to smog and air pollution. Whether for indoors or out, your best bet is to buy low- or no-VOC paint. You’ll […]
Be Safer and Smarter When Dyeing You’re Latest Do
453viewsDo you color your hair but worry about the impact hair dye could have on the environment as well as your own health and safety? I wish the information provided were more reassuring, but the truth is– we don’t know much about hair dye. It’s likely that when you dye your hair, a small amount […]