If you’re pouring them down the drain or flushing them down the toilet, they could be. Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Environmental Protection Agency have found fish, frogs and other aquatic animals with both male and female sex organs, freaks of nature they attribute to the growing amounts of pharmaceuticals showing up in […]
Author Archive | Diane
Is Your Sunscreen Giving You a False Sense of Security?
If it’s not protecting you from UVA, the sun rays linked to skin cancer and immune system problems, it could be. According to the latest analysis from scientists at Environmental Working Group (EWG), only 16% of sunscreen products are both safe and effective (i.e., they’ll protect you from sunburn and skin cancer, remain stable in […]
Stop buying toys made in China
This week’s revelations that toys and jewelry made in China contain high levels of lead is the last straw. It’s time to stop buying toys made in China. The story in USA Today about the crisis is particularly alarming. In the last four years, the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued 27 recalls […]
5 Steps for Fresh Indoor Air
Keeping our homes closed up against the heat of the summer tends to rob rooms of fresh indoor air and make the whole house a little stuffy. But no matter what the season, the US EPA says the most energy-efficient, cost -effective, and non-toxic way to deal with stale air is “Source Control” of indoor […]
Give Organic Farmers a Fair Chance
Ever wonder why just 3% of the fruit you can buy is free of potentially dangerous pesticides? Or only 2% of vegetables? Or less than 0.02% of corn? It’s not a simple matter of “that’s all that farmers grow.” Organic farmers competing against conventional agricultural interests (i.e., the ones that use pesticides and herbicides) don’t […]
The circus leaves town
This week’s two-ring eco-circus – in Germany and on Capitol Hill – provided another all too pointed reminder of why we need to use our marketplace clout to protect the environment: As they proved once again, the President and our elected officials in Washington, D.C. sure aren’t going to do it for us. President Bush […]
Shift your Spending to Prevent Breast Cancer
A comprehensive review of the scientific research into what causes breast cancer was released last month, and the news isn’t good. It’s not surprising, either: Women face daily and widespread exposure to hundreds of chemicals that can cause tumors in our mammary glands. Those chemicals include diesel exhaust, chemicals that are put into personal care […]
Greenwash in a Toothpaste Tube
Will you get closer to Nature if you brush your teeth with Crest’s Nature’s Expressions? The company sure wants you to think so. Its new marketing campaign offers “a hint of nature with the protective power of Crest.” Just how does Crest slip a little Nature into its tubes? Mostly, by the power of suggestion. […]