[source quoted: U.S. News & World Report, Oct.1, 2007]

“During the first few years of life, when babies’ cells continue to undergo ‘programming,’ exposure to certain toxic chemicals can disrupt the delicate process. Bisphenol A, a compound in hard, clear polycarbonate plastics that mimics the effects of estrogen, has raised particular concern because it interferes with hormone levels and cell signaling systems.” … Most people are exposed to levels of BPA that “put them at elevated risk of uterine fibroids, endometriosis, breast cancer, decreased sperm counts, and prostate cancer. Infants…are most vulnerable to BPA.”

Retha Newbold, a developmental and reproductive biologist at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Triangle Park, NC, says: “Plastic bottles and plates that are boiled or put in the microwave or dishwasher are especially problematic because heating them repeatedly causes high amounts of BPA to leach out… Once small cracks form in the surface, a product should be discarded.” She recommends:

• switch to glass bottles or those with disposable plastic liners that don’t contain BPA
• use microwave-safe paper plates or glass dishes covered with a paper towel rather than plastic wrap

BornFree and other manufacturers offer BPA-free plastic bottles and training cups

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Published in Time Magazine September 17, 2007 issue

Old paint: It chips off walls or is released in renovations in homes built before 1978.

Drinking water: The metal leaches from lead pipes, solder and older brass faucets.

Soil: pain dust, leaded-gas exhaust and industrial sources add to naturally occurring lead.

Parents’ jobs & hobbies: Toxic dust can cling to those who routinely work with lead.

Food: Lead-glazed ceramic dishes and lead-crystal decanters can cause contamination.

Folk medicines: Some Hispanic and Asian remedies are high in lead.

Source: US News & World Report, Dec07-Jan08

Resources:

Healthy Child Healthy World: www.healthychild.org

The problem:

Caustic cleaning agents, drain de-cloggers, other chemical-laden products can cause allergic reactions, poisoning and illness in anyone, but especially in children, whose smaller bodies are more sensitive in part because of the relativity to quantity taken in.

Alternatives:

1. commercial:
   1. Seventh Generation
   2. Method
   3. Clorox’s Green Works line
2. home-made: just combine water with vinegar and baking soda (but cautious on quantity on the last – or it will bubble over). Find recipes at www.healthychild.org/resources/article/make_your_own_household_cleaners

What to look out for, on labels:

• formaldehyde
• ammonia
• bleach
• parabens
• also avoid dyes and fragrances

Environment: It’s easy to go “green” – links?

[quoted source: Joan Raymond]

1. Feed the bees. Pesticides, pollution and habitat destruction are taking a toll on the birds and insects that pollinate about 80% of the world’s food supply (or about 1 out of every 3 bites of food we eat), says Rose Getch of the National Gardening Association. To lend a helping hand, plant a pollinator garden.  Yellow, blue and purple flowers will attract bees, while red and orange will attract hummingbirds. For more information, go to www.kidsgardening.com.
2. Clean up naturally. Household chemicals contribute to both indoor and outdoor pollution. This year use more natural cleaners like the Greening the Cleaning line at www.imusranchfoods.com. Or make your own using vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice. For some great tips on green cleaning, go to www.eartheasy.com.
3. Air your laundry. Make like Grandma and line-dry your clothes once in a while – especially bed linens, to smell like the great outdoors! It not only saves money, it decreases your carbon dioxide emissions. Likewise, run your washing machine on cold water whenever possible – and use it only when it’s full.
4. Recycle your gadgets. Don’t clog landfills with old electronics. If you’re dumping a computer, manufacturers like Dell (www.dell.com), HP (www.hp.com), and Apple (www.apple.com) offer recycling options. Consider donating. The National Cristina Foundation (www.cristina.org) will hook up your old PC or Mac with a nonprofit organization.  Drop off your cell phone at your local Staples store as part of a Sierra Club recycling effort (www.sierraclub.org/cellphones). To find a drop-off center for rechargeable batteries and cell phones, check out the nonprofit Call2Recycle program at www.rbc.org. Take advantage of community resources like hazardous waste pickup or e-waste recycling events. See Costco plan, below.]
5. Cut the lights. [about to become law to do this:] Trade your old incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescent ones, says Jenny Powers of the Natural Resources Defense Council. They use about 70% less energy than regular bulbs and last 10 times longer. For help in picking the best bulb for your needs, go to www.energystar.gov. Also, plug all your major electronics into a power strip, suggests eco-lifestyle expert DAnno Seo, author of “Simply Green Giving” (HarperCollins). Appliances and e-gadgets use electricity even when turned off, but flicking the switch on the power strip when you leave the house effectively unplugs them. Finally, check with your local utility company to see if it offers a “green power” option for its customers. Though that might cost slightly more, it’s one way of supporting renewable energy sources such as solar or wind power. The U.S. Department of Energy provides comprehensive “green power” info at www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower.
6. Eat your veggies. Have a meatless Monday (or Tuesday or whenever). According to the Cambridge, Massachusetts, environmental advocacy group, the Union of Concerned Scientists, meat production is energy-inefficient, sucking up a lot of natural resources. In fact it takes about 16 pounds of grain to produce one pound of beef – for American tastes, that is. And when you’re shopping for food, think local. It’s more fuel-efficient (less distance traveled means less gas used) and you boost the local economy. Use the search engine at www.localharvest.org to find farms, markets and other food sources in your area. And bring a reusable cloth bag to the market so you don’t have to take either plastic or paper (see #7) bags there. Many communities now host “farmer’s market” days. Examples: Encinitas and Oceanside in San Diego County; Santa Monica in LA County.
7. Save a tree. According to the folks at www.stopglobalwarming.org, the paper industry is the third largest contributor to global warming. If every U.S. household replaced one toilet paper roll with a roll made from recycled paper, 424,000 trees would be saved. Check out planting trees to “treat” the air: go to www.arborday.org to find out which trees do well in your zip code. If you have no yard space, donate money to the tree-planting projects of an eco-organization.
8. Turn on the tap. Instead of spending big bucks on bottled water, drink what comes from your faucet. “It takes a lot of oil to make and ship those bottles, and once they’re empty, most wind up in landfills or as litter,” says Jen Boulden, cofounder of the online environmental community www.idealbite.com. If you don’t trust your local water supply, buy a water filter. To choose which one, go to www.waterfiltercomparisons.net.

Please go to Contact Us and email any additional suggestions for this page.

COSTCO’s recycling program:

Through the Trade-in & Recycle program, free recycling for:

• PC’s
• LCD monitors
• Digital cameras
• Game systems
• MP3 players

How to use the program:

·        Go to Costco.com,

·        identify the type of equipment you want to dispose of, and

·        [a value estimator will indicate whether it has any trade-in value]

·        ship the item, using a free prepaid shipping label

For details: go to Costco.com, click on “Electronics,” then on “Trade-in & Recycle”