Looks interesting

I just saw a clip of this documentary called "Toxic Hot Seat" that is about the toxic flame retardants that are applied to our furniture (among other household items) and the legal battle over their safety and efficiency. Check it out here. I can't wait to see it!

Watch it! Food, Inc.

Starting this week, I'm going to post a suggested documentary each week. Three years ago my Intro to Sociology professor showed us Food, Inc.. This documentary changed my life. In big ways (we have not shopped at Wal-Mart since that day), and in small ways. But it CHANGED my life. It was the first time that I understood what GMOs are, and it was the first time I saw a factory farm. It changed my life. It made me more aware of how I was voting with my dollars and how I could make my voice be heard in even the smallest way.

This link summarizes 18 facts from the film that are unforgettable. Here are just a few of them:

• In the 1970s, the top five beef packers controlled about 25% of the market. Today, the top four control more than 80% of the market.
• The average American eats over 200 lbs. of meat a year.
• According to the American Diabetes Association, 1 in 3 Americans born after 2000 will contract early onset diabetes. Among minorities, the rate will be 1 in 2.

So, watch the film and tell me what you think. What documentary do you recommend?

Step away from the dryer sheets...

Raise your hand if you love the way your laundry feels after it comes out of the dryer. I know I sure do! Did you know that if you are using chemical fabric softeners they are actually coating your laundry in sticky chemicals that are then snuggled up right next to your skin where they share their chemical nastiness with your body. Sounds fun right? Yeah, not really. According to this article, here are some of the TOXIC chemicals in fabric softeners:

• Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer
• Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant
• Ethanol: On the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders
• A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema, and central nervous system damage
• Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA’s Hazardous Waste list
• Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders
• Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic
• Linalool: A narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders
• Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled

Yuck, and NO THANKS! Just say no to dryer sheets!

Green Alternatives

My family and I have spent a lot of time looking at alternatives to traditional cleaners and we often make our own. We have great luck with baking soda, borax, and vinegar. You can even add essential oils (NOT perfumed fragrance oils) for added benefit and pleasant smell. If  you are like me and have ever forgotten a load of laundry in the washing machine for more than a day in the summer, you know what it smells like when you finally discover your mistake. If you run a rinse cycle and add a cup of white vinegar, the smell is gone! This also works on towels that have gone stinky. As an added bonus, vinegar is a natural fabric softener!


This article has some great tips for beginners "Believe it or not, you can handle all your day-to-day cleaning with just seven easily available, inexpensive, environmentally benign substances. Baking soda, washing soda, soap flakes, oil soap, vinegar, borax and ammonia will take care of just about any mess. (Ammonia is, of course, dangerous in its concentrated form, when skin contact or breathing the fumes can cause injury. But it's an extremely effective cleaner, and it is not harmful to the environment. Just store it in a safe place well out of the reach of children and use it with care and a clean conscience.)" Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/green-homes/green-household-cleaners-zmaz90jazshe.aspx#ixzz30bHcgkyB

Chemicals in my WHAT???

Okay, this is a touchy subject but it's an important one. Ladies, did you know that there are not any rules saying that companies have to tell us what is in our sanitary products? "Manufacturers of tampons and sanitary pads are not required to disclose the ingredients used because feminine hygiene products are considered “medical devices...Plasticizing chemicals like BPA and BPS disrupt embryonic development and are linked to heart disease and cancer. Phthalates — which give paper tampon applicators that smooth feel and finish — are known to dysregulate gene expression, and DEHP may lead to multiple organ damage. Besides crude oil plastics, conventional sanitary pads can also contain a myriad of other potentially hazardous ingredients, such as odor neutralizers and fragrances. Synthetics and plastic also restrict the free flow of air and can trap heat and dampness, potentially promoting the growth of yeast and bacteria in your vaginal area." From http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/05/22/feminine-hygiene-products.aspx.


Check out this alternative:
Mooncup Menstrual Cup




And since Blogger hasn't let me post photos or videos since I started this blog, check out the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zj4NhC8ahM.

Vote with your dollar

Every time you spend money, you are casting a vote. A vote for GMOs, a vote for local business, a vote for corporations, a vote for your local farmer. Obviously it's not always easy to cast your vote the way you really want, but just being aware of the power that your dollar holds is the first step. It's also difficult to know where your money goes after you hand it over. This article has some great ideas on how to track where companies spend their money, but keeping it local is always your best bet!


Local Farmers' Markets will be opening soon. If you live in or around Wichita, Kansas, you can start supporting local businesses this weekend at the Old Town Farmers' Market.

Greenwashing

We've been talking in one of my other classes about the topic of greenwashing. This is a tactic that is often used by companies that makes their products appear to be environmentally friendly while they really aren't. Does anybody remember the Clorox Green Works products? Yeah, not so green. Check out this the Greenwashing Index to see what companies get their thumbs up or thumbs down. According to their site, this is how they score products and companies:

"Greenwashing Index Scoring Criteria

When you rate an ad with the Greenwashing Index, it will generate a score based on your response to the following statements. Your score will be included in the ad’s overall score, and your comments will be added to the tally. Scoring is similar to golf: High scores are undesirable (for the advertiser).

1. THE AD MISLEADS WITH WORDS.
   Do you believe the ad misleads the viewer/reader about the company’s/product’s environmental impact through the things it says? Does it seem the words are trying to make you believe there is a green practice when there isn’t? Focus on the words only — what do you think the ad is saying?
   
2. THE AD MISLEADS WITH VISUALS AND/OR GRAPHICS.
   Do you think the advertiser has used green or natural images in a way designed to make you think the product/company is more environmentally friendly than it really is?
   
3. THE AD MAKES A GREEN CLAIM THAT IS VAGUE OR SEEMINGLY UNPROVABLE.
   Does the ad claim environmental benefits without sufficiently identifying for you what they are? Has the advertiser provided a source for claims or for more information? Are the claims related to the company/product?
   
4. THE AD OVERSTATES OR EXAGGERATES HOW GREEN THE PRODUCT/COMPANY/SERVICE ACTUALLY IS.
   Do you believe the advertiser is overstating how green the product/company actually is? Are the green claims made by the ad believable? Do you think it’s possible for the product/company to do the things depicted/stated?
   
5. THE AD LEAVES OUT OR MASKS IMPORTANT INFORMATION, MAKING THE GREEN CLAIM SOUND BETTER THAN IT IS.
   Do you think the ad exists to divert attention from something else the company does? Do you believe the relevant collateral consequences of the product/service are considered in the ad? Does it seem to you something is missing from the ad?"

Don't just assume that a product or company is truly friendly to the environment just because it uses words like "green" and "natural" in its advertising. Think before you buy!

30,000 to 50,00 chemicals in our bodies that our grandparents didn't have...

I love TED. I have never watched a TED talk and been disappointed. This morning I started watching Tyrone Hayes and Penelope Jagessar Chaffer's "The toxic baby." It is well worth your time and I even had my 10 and 11 year old daughters watch with me. It's never too early to start teaching kids about being environmentally aware.
According to this TED talk, we will have between 30 and 50 THOUSAND chemicals in our bodies that our grandparents never did. It can't be a coincidence that the incidence of things such as cancer, asthma, heart disease, ADHD, and Autism Spectrum Disorders are skyrocketing in the generations since our grandparents.
Do me a favor and watch the video. Then let me know what you think!

In the Bathroom: What is triclosan?

Each day we use chemicals all through our homes. Since we typically associate the bathroom with cleanliness and health, I thought it was appropriate to start there. Not only do we use products to clean the bathroom (toilet cleaner, glass cleaner, bleach, tub and tile cleaner, etc.) but we use products to clean our bodies (shampoo, body wash, soap) and to care for our bodies (lotions, perfumes, makeup, hair products). I think that as a culture we have become obsessed with anti-bacterial products. Anti-bacterial soaps and hand sanitizer are staples in most public restrooms and have made their way into our homes as well.  So I have to admit that I LOVE the foaming soaps from Bath and Body Works. I have been known to buy at least six bottles at a time, depending on the current sale (because you KNOW that Bath and Body Works always has some kind of sale). Then about a year ago I started really paying attention to this crazy little chemical called triclosan. It's an anti-bacterial that seems to be in everything from hand soap to bed sheets!
From the FDA:
"Triclosan is not currently known to be hazardous to humans. But several scientific studies have come out since the last time FDA reviewed this ingredient that merit further review.
Animal studies have shown that triclosan alters hormone regulation. However, data showing effects in animals don’t always predict effects in humans. Other studies in bacteria have raised the possibility that triclosan contributes to making bacteria resistant to antibiotics.
In light of these studies, FDA is engaged in an ongoing scientific and regulatory review of this ingredient. FDA does not have sufficient safety evidence to recommend changing consumer use of products that contain triclosan at this time."
As a family we decided to quit buying hand soap that contained triclosan. I don't think it's worth the risk and as long as you wash your hands with soap and warm water thoroughly, you actually don't need the anti-bacterial. I kept thinking that I should really write a letter to Bath and Body Works asking them to remove triclosan from their products and was shocked when I received a coupon for their "newly formulated" soaps that are no longer considered anti-bacterial products because they dumped triclosan.
It seems to be a pervasive ingredient that you have to be vigilant about though because my husband discovered it in his body wash (not from Bath and Body Works).

Omaha

Today I'm posting from the Hilton in Omaha, Nebraska. I'm attending the annual Midwest Sociological Society meeting and yesterday I was able to present a paper I wrote! It turned out really well and I am enjoying this city very much. I am amazed at how different it is from Wichita. It's a big city without feeling too impersonal. We have met some really interesting, friendly people! We've had some really yummy food (looking forward to a local Indian restaurant and local ice cream tonight!) and seen the ConAgra building. Now that's a difference... But I digress.
Please take a look at Cleveland Clinic's website. This is a starter that is broken down by room, which is what I plan to do over my next few posts. I'll probably wait to start until I get back from conference, but to get us started, leave a comment with a product or two that you use in a regular basis in your bathroom.

Welcome to My Green Bucket. The purpose of this blog is to learn about the chemicals we all use every day in our own homes and how those chemicals affect us and the environment. I'll also be exploring green household products and their benefits as well.

The Organic Consumers Association website has a great page to get us started. According to their article How Toxic Are Your Household Cleaning Supplies, "Cleaning ingredients vary in the type of health hazard they pose. Some cause acute, or immediate, hazards such as skin or respiratory irritation, watery eyes, or chemical burns, while others are associated with chronic, or long-term, effects such as cancer."

And as for the environment, "After bubbly cleaning liquids disappear down our drains, they are treated along with sewage and other waste water at municipal treatment plants, then discharged into nearby waterways. Most ingredients in chemical cleaners break down into harmless substances during treatment or soon afterward. Others, however, do not, threatening water quality or fish and other wildlife. In a May 2002 study of contaminants in stream water samples across the country, the U.S. Geological Survey found persistent detergent metabolites in 69% of streams tested. Sixty-six percent contained disinfectants."

Here is what I'd like from everyone who visits this page. Please share your story! Let me know if you have had problems with traditional household chemicals or what is in your green cleaning bucket. I have been a Swiffer user for years. We finally ran out of the wet pads recently and decided to make the switch to a different mop. We picked up a sponge mop and now I'm looking for a homemade green cleaning solution. My two favorite things to use in many household cleaners are vinegar and borax so I'm sure I'll end up using one of those. I'd love to hear suggestions though!