FDA and BPA Infighting Continues

Plunged in darkness this morning. We need that time change quickly.


The "Science Board" on the FDA evaluating BPA is going back to the chalk board for some more lessons on how to interpret real science. Someone in Milwaukee is staying on top of this issue and we should all be glad for this kind of tenacious journalism. Please read the article as it covers the highlights about the process up to now about how our government lacks the fortitude to do what it was assigned to do and that is to protect us from bad things. It also reminds us the power of outside interests and how money speaks so loudly in Washington.

In an earlier blog I commented about Dr. Philbert. For the record, Dr. Philbert who chairs the committee, a man who could possibly have a conflict of interest after receiving a 5 million dollar donation for his academic department, is not being allowed to vote on the BPA matter but being allowed to stay on. bloody #=!(@^%!

Stay tuned for the outcome... and happy Halloween.

Halloween Safety - No PVC Please

Most leaves have turned to brown with the occasional yellow tree, clear and cold.


Yikes. One day to Halloween and one day to give you the heads up. This wasn't on my radar until I received an email but this is just one more thing we need to think about in our plastic engulfed world.

Most Halloween masks are made out of PVC. Just google it and wham o, there they are. Can you imagine giving your child a PVC mask to breath through? Holy cow! No wonder the costume isle always has this odor to it. The masks out of PVC, and all those plastic capes... yup, PVC.

I always made my kids' costumes so I guess I forgot about this aspect. And the kids love to pull them out and "remember this one?..." Don't have time?. Sure you do. Think simple or let them figure it out, they love it! Try makeup or face paint, what kids doesn't like fun makeup. Just beware those ingredients too. Make sure you are not put in the lessor of 2 evils situation.

Remember the plastic rule: if it smells bad, it is bad.

And remember to roast the pumpkin seeds...yum.

Happy Halloween. (and my daughter at 17 just went down stairs and pulled out an old red cape so she can be...well you know.)

6 Candle Burning Tips - Tis the Season

Rain, rain, rain - it's okay.

After cigarette smoking, burning paraffin candles is the #2 cause of poor Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). The burning of paraffin candles releases at least 11 toxins, two of which are well-known cancer causing agents, benzene and toluene. Black soot, or carbon, coats your walls, curtains, and windows with a fine layer of black. Ever have to wash down woodwork covered with black soot? The small particles of soot also travel deep into your lungs. Many paraffin candles still have leaded wicks (added to prevent the wicks from bending!) which, when burned, leave the lead suspended in the air, eventually falling to the ground as house dust. Any added artificial fragrances, like Yankee Candles, when burned ( see the video) cause the IAQ to drop further. Paraffin is non-renewable being made from the leftovers of petroleum production and is then bleached, creating dioxins. Burning paraffin candles create the same fumes as from burning diesel fuel.

Consider the new soy wax candles or the ancient beeswax candles. Soy lasts 20-50% longer than paraffin, burns cleanly, and is made from a renewable source. 100% soy is relatively soft and is sold in containers such as glass or tin. Unlike paraffin, soy wax cleans very easily with hot soap and water. 85% of the soy grown in the U.S. is genetically modified, so look for soy candles that contain non-GMO soy.

Beeswax candles have been around for thousands of years. Like soy, beeswax candles burn cleanly and have a high melting point so they don't drip or smoke. Beeswax has a light honey scent and can be molded into various shapes while being solid enough to be free-standing. They may be more expensive initially, but they last 3-5 times longer than paraffin, (really they do!) so the burning cost per hour is actually less. Be sure to ask for 100% beeswax candles since in the U.S., a candle has to be only 51% beeswax in order to obtain the label "Beeswax". Pure beeswax candles normally develop a white film (or "bloom") caused from minerals rising to the surface which can be wiped off leaving a beautiful glow. Either way, by burning soy or beeswax, you can enjoy that warm and fuzzy feeling and clean air at the same time.

For more information on healthier indoor air, The American Lung Association provides these "Top 10 Tips for a Healthy Home", Top 10

Six Candle Burning Tips -

1 - Switch to Soy and Beeswax candles
2 - Keep all wicks trimmed to 1/4 inch at all time,
a tall bright flame is a dirty flame, time to trim
3 - Minimize drafts which cause smoking and dripping
4 - Avoid artificial fragrances
5 - Never burn wicks with metal, it might be lead
6 - NEVER leave a candle unattended

What's In Your Halloween Candy?

Frost on the pumpkins and grass - finally, it's very late in the season. (?)

Recent headlines about melamine (an industrial plastic resin) being added to infant formulas are of great concern. Over 53,000 children in China have been sickened and some deaths have occurred. Melamine is used in the plastics industry to make bowls and plates, glues, counter tops, and fertilizers. In an effort to increase their output, it is believed that suppliers in China actually diluted their milk, then added melamine - a completely non-food item - because of its high nitrogen content. The added melamine can trick lab tests which indicate a higher protein content because protein, like melamine, is also high in nitrogen. And it's cheap to make. Several dairy organizations in China are responsible for adding melamine to their dried milk to make the milk appear to have a higher protein content. Apparently this has been known for some time but has been slow to be publicized. In the mean time, tainted milk by-products have circulated world wide where we now find it in...candy. How low can you go? This is not the first time melamine has entered our food chain. Back in 2007 melamine was found in feed stock used for cattle and fish consumed by humans. It was also determined to be the cause of thousands of pet deaths in the U.S. from pet food contamination. Back to candy... Contaminated candy was found in four stores in Connecticut. Melamine was also found in Cadbury candies, Snickers, M&Ms, milk chocolate made by Mars, as well as Kit Kat wafers made by Nestle and a biscuit by Lotte Confectionery Co. manufactured in South Korea. This is not an effort to scare as much as point out how far tentacles can reach and to also question: just what does go into our candy anyway? So what's an eco-conscious Halloween participant to do? My advice is to stay local. Head to your favorite locally made, candy shop and take advantage of the peace of mind that comes with buying local. Be sure to ask where their ingredients come from. My guess is that they will have an answer and will be confident about what they sell. Purchasing certified organic candy , such as Yummy Earth,is another way is be sure your candy is safe. Either way, you can be sure that your little (and big) Halloween visitors will be safe from melamine.

Canada Bans BPA in Baby Bottles - It's Official

Glorious fall day in New England - the colors are amazing.


Yes that's right. It is finally official. Canada has the courage to tell the baby bottle industry it can no longer use BPA in plastic baby bottles. Canada says BPA is Toxic. Congratulations Canada for taking the better safe than sorry road. Please Read:
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=e81a7270-aec9-48cb-aad3-b74df38feec0

This says it all!

FDA in Sticky Situation

Low level clouds, sweet birds chirping with bursts of color poking through.


The FDA relationships are just a little to cozy for me. Dr. Martin Philbert Chairs the FDA Subcommittee that is making all these recommendations of BPA, pretty serious stuff. Dr. Philbert's other hat is director of the Risk Science Center at the University of Michigan.

The FDA asks its committee members to disclose gifts so as to avoid conflict of interest. But it seems that Dr. Phillips had a memory laps or at least is sticking to the excuse that the recent 5 Million dollar donation to the UM Risk Science Center from a Mr. Gelman is no big deal because it was not a personal gift. Turns out Mr. Gelman is a supporter of BPA and poo poos all this science on BPA safety or lack of. And guess how Mr. Gelman made all his money? Making medical supply devices out of...BPA. HELLLOOOO, conflict of interest?

The links provided above tell the story. They are good reads from good newspapers with their own good links. What they can't do is jump up and down, and tell the world how ridiculous and outrageous this is - that these conflict of interests continue to infiltrate our government agencies. These are not little decisions that are being made, like a bridge repair or something. These are impacting regulations that affect all of us through the insidious chemicals in our environment, bought and paid for my big money.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinal has asked for Dr. Philbert's resignation, so I'm not that off base here. If you want to do the same, here is the link to the FDA Contact page:

http://www.fda.gov/comments.html

Imagine if everyone today wrote? I just did, now its your turn.

Cotton Industry Begins Discrediting Campaign

Mornings are dark now but the glow of the moon makes it beautiful.


Let the games begin... Seems the Cotton Industry is worried about the growth of organic cotton ( I would have thought that all kinds of cotton were a good thing, but heck, what do I know.) So to safeguard their niche of conventionally grown cotton, the industry has produced this really tacky quiz to discredit YOU. By using the "always" and "never" words in carefully selected questions, it can seem like being green isn't all its cracked up to be.

The website Fabric of Our Lives is touting cotton as "natural" (that's another blog), green and environmentally friendly. Their "Did You Know" page is fluffed with veiled answers and blatantly not environmentally suggestions like dry cleaning because they (shirts) "require professional pressing and finishing, such as starched oxford shirts." While discussing permanent press fabric they omit the nasty little detail about the chemicals used to soak the fabric straight - DMDHEU - a formaldehyde based chemical. The bleaching process using chlorine is totally not part of any discussion that I could find. Never mind the whole anti-staining and nanotechnology also invading the cotton industry.

They have also teamed up with Macy's to promote their Reusable "Natural" cotton bag. Reusable bags are key to the new world life style but using recycled cotton sure makes a lot more sense, and they do come in organic cotton too. The website even has the gall to have an "earth-friendly"section which basically pushes conventional cotton. This is "green washing" at its best.

Though cotton is a plant (duh) the conventionally grown cotton industry took the growing of cotton to new heights and has done a lot of damage along the way. As with many conventionally grown products, the over use of pesticides and fertilizers, soil erosion and water pollution is taking its toll on our environment. And this includes cotton. The comparison between conventional cotton and organically grown cotton is huge, as is the processing as well.

And what about the labor issue? Ever wonder why cotton can be so cheap? They aren't making a living wage and that's for sure.

So buyer be ware. You'll probably start to hear about the virtues of "natural" cotton if the campaign succeeds in getting their message out to the masses. Remember asbestos is natural too so take little stock in the word "natural". Certified organic cotton assures you a quality, earth-friendly product but it is best to look for fair labor/wage practices as well. This is a winning combination that the cotton industry isn't willing to tackle.