April 11th, 2013

There’s a new game in the battle over chemicals in consumer products and it appears to set titan against titan, by enlisting Big Box stores in the effort to get toxic chemicals out of cosmetics, furniture and household goods. The opposing titan is, of course, the chemical industry, which has fought strong government oversight for decades. Here’s how the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families coalition hopes to win.

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January 25th, 2013

In the midst of the domestic energy boom, livestock on farms near oil-and-gas drilling operations nationwide have been quietly falling sick and dying. While scientists have yet to isolate cause and effect, many suspect chemicals used in drilling and hydrofracking (or “fracking”) operations are poisoning animals through the air, water, or soil.

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August 15th, 2012

Johnson & Johnson will remove all toxic and potentially dangerous chemicals from virtually all of its baby and adult body products by 2015, according to the company. The first chemicals to be phased out will include 1,4 dioxane and the formaldehyde-releasing preservative, quaternium-15, found in some baby products, according to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics which led a coalition of health and environmental groups in pushing Johnson & Johnson to use safer formulations for all its goods.

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June 30th, 2009

By Ashley Phillips
Green Right Now

Once, people pounded clothes with rocks to get them cleaned. Now we’ve come full circle, with dry cleaning headed back to those Earthy roots.

Many people are familiar with the use of hazardous chemicals in modern dry-cleaning solution. The primary cleaning solvent used in most dry-cleaners is perchloroethylene or “perc”. The Environmental Protection Agency classified this petroleum chemical as a Toxic Air Contaminant and a probable human carcinogen and many environmentalists believe that the residue on your clothes can’t be a healthything.

Now there is a better alternative and believe it or not, it is made essentially from liquefied sand.

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April 25th, 2009

Fleas happen. So do ticks. With the trees in full leaf and the back of the lot thick with weeds, I know the hounds will soon be targets. Typically, I just shave them (the dogs not the parasites), wash them with something obnoxiously fragrant and hope for the best.

I gave up chemical dog collars awhile back, about 1992. (Reasons in a moment.) But knowing that the dogs are miserable with fleas (not to mention how miserable we’d be sharing their fleas) and that they can get Lyme disease if they pick up a tick, I’m well aware this isn’t a perfect solution. I have fed them garlic powder, a home remedy, but with mixed success.

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August 18th, 2008

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 of consumer products, such as clear plastic baby bottles, the resin lining in food cans and many other items. It promised a new review of the science after Canada proposed a ban of BPA in baby bottles and manufacturers of polycarbonate water bottles began voluntarily giving up BPA. All cited concerns over the plastics’ tendency to leach when when warmed and possible harmful effects on humans, particularly children.

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