By Barbara Kessler
After an outbreak of bad publicity earlier this year over bisphenol-A (BPA), the plastic additive which dozens of studies identify as a potential carcinogen and endocrine disruptor, the U.S. government promised to take another look. Its conclusion: BPA is safe.
The Federal Drug Administration had previously cleared BPA for use in an array [...]

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By Barbara Kessler
Looking for a safer sunscreen? It’s not easy to find.The Environmental Working Group looked at almost 1,000 brand-name sunscreen products and found that the majority contain chemicals that either potentially pose health hazards or inadequately protect skin from damaging sun rays. Here’s their list of the top safe sunscreens:

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By Michele Chan Santos
Check the label before you spray insect repellent on your kids this summer, and you may find that many insect repellents marketed for families and children contain DEET. Although the American Academy of Pediatrics has approved the use of DEET on children, the Academy recommends only applying these products [...]

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By Julie Bonnin
Aging baby-boomers who love fruits and vegetables may like the results of a recent study that found fruits and vegetables can help preserve muscle mass in older men and women.

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By Barbara Kessler

Ever wonder what your neighbors are doing on the green front – what with one fellow dragging four nicely sorted recycling bins to the curb every other week, and another seemingly sitting out the green movement?
So did the Nature Conservancy and the people running the Harris Poll. They collaborated on a poll that [...]

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By John DeFore

Becoming a new parent presents untold challenges, not least to those hoping to find the greenest path through unfamiliar territory. Cloth or disposable diapers? Store-bought baby food or homemade?

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By Michele Chan Santos

At Lighthouse Community Charter School in Oakland, California, students are not permitted to have gum, soda or candy. Nor are they eating the notorious “mystery casseroles” filled with the USDA surplus-of-the-day and derided by school children throughout time. Instead, they eat fresh fruits and vegetables with every lunch, and fresh fruit [...]

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By John DeFore
In the wake of recent controversy concerning bisphenol-A in baby bottles comes another worry for parents: components of Teflon, and other similar substances suspected of being carcinogens, have been turning up in the milk of nursing mothers.

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By Shermakaye Bass
So you want to plant a vegetable patch, and you’ve already found the sweet spot in your yard. But, exactly how will your garden grow? What should it grow? And when should it grow?

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By John DeFore
Last year wasn’t a great one for toy merchants, who had to deal not only with a slowing economy but with scandal-stoking recalls of hazardous goods made in China. This month, with the industry’s annual Toy Fair offering a platform, companies are touting safety initiatives that, at least in the case of [...]

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