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!