August 21st, 2012

Waste not want not.

How many of us heard this little saying from our parents during our sloppy, wanton, wasteful childhoods?

I’d say the percentage who received this advice was higher than the current rate of recycling for all plastics, which comes in at an unimpressive 8 percent, according to an article in Scientific American about how we’re failing to recycle many raw resources, like metals and petroleum-derived plastics.

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March 13th, 2012

Samples of inexpensive jewelry tested by a consumer group found that more than half of the products contained high levels of either lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury bromine or chlorine — all toxic metals or chemicals that carry health risks.
HealthStuff.org tested 99 pieces of jewelry from 14 different retailers, Ming 99 City, Burlington Coat Factory, Target, Big Lots, Claire’s, Glitter, Forever 21, Walmart, H&M, Meijers, Kohl’s, Justice, Icing and Hot Topic. The samples were collected from six states — Ohio, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York and Vermont.

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August 9th, 2010

A conference on autism is taking place in Pennsylvania with the aim to help teachers and parents deal with challenges faced by children with autism. The disease affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact but symptoms vary. New studies are challenging formerly held beliefs that autism is passed down genetically. Now some experts say a child’s environment has to be taken into account. More from VOA’s Vidushi Sinha:

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June 22nd, 2010

Where there’s a kid, there’s probably a juice box.  Ubiquitous as sippy cups – though not always the healthiest thing to hand a child – they are sometimes just what is needed to placate a thirsty kid. Now comes surprising news from a non-profit environmental group: Their tests in an EPA-approved laboratory have revealed lead levels in dozens of the most popular brands of juice boxes, bottled juice and packaged fruit that exceed California’s laws.

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May 7th, 2009

By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

Here we were still searching for a lead-free hose because I forgot to order one earlier and I just couldn’t believe that you can’t pick up such a thing at a nearby store.

Finally, success this past weekend. We found a “lead safe” Swan-brand hose at Lowe’s that claims to have no lead material. So I snatched it up and attached it to my new handy Evo Organics garden blanket.

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May 1st, 2009

By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

We hear every day about dangerous chemicals in household products that are linked to cancer, infertility, autism and other diseases – yet many Americans may not realize just how many of these harmful substances they’ve actually ingested in the course of everyday living.

The answer? About 48. That’s according a study by the Environmental Working Group and Rachel’s Network, in which five leading minority women environmentalists from different parts of the country volunteered to have their blood tested for toxins. The results, say EWG experts, show that regulation of chemicals in the U.S. is weak and “antiquated” and needs a major overhaul.

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