Mindful Momma

Safe Cosmetics Act Introduced + More Chemical News

Just thought I'd share some of the things I've been working on lately for Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families and Inhabitots. There's lots of news about chemicals - both exciting (new legislation introduced!) and scary (BPA exposure has been underestimated). Read on....

Safe Cosmetics Act Introduced - An updated version of the Safe Cosmetics Act was introduced in the House of Representatives last Friday. Read all about it in a post written by Mia Davis of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, over on the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families blog.  Then be sure to click over to the action page where you can send a message asking your representative to co-sponsor this important bill! Let's get carcinogens and other nasty chems out of our cosmetics and personal care products!!

Chemical Exposure Linked to Breastfeeding Problems - Chemicals lurking in products we use everyday like sippy cups and non-stick pans, may affect a woman’s ability to breastfeed, according to a research review published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. Read the rest of my post over at Inhabitots.

Link Between Chemicals and Autism - Scientists and environmental health experts warn that the rapid increase in autism rates is due in part to exposure to toxic chemicals. Pregnant women, fetuses, babies and young children are especially vulnerable to these toxic exposures. Read the rest of my post over at Inhabitots.

BPA exposure underestimated -  Exposure to the toxic chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) has been underestimated because prior studies looked at single exposures rather than the steady exposure humans receive through food packaging. Read more about this study released by the University of Missouri.

What are you doing to limit your exposure to toxic chemicals?  If you need some ideas, here's a list of Top Tips to Keep Toxic Chemicals at Bay I wrote for Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families.

{Image firkirbaz's photostream via Flickr}

Getting People to Care About Climate Change

What's the best way to get people to give a darn about climate change?  Have them compete with their neighbors.

That's according to a small study done on ways to encourage homeowners to conserve energy.  Apparently the idea of helping the environment or being socially responsible is not enough to garner much action from homeowners, but when it comes to "keeping up with the Jones" - well that seems to light a fire under people's butts. 

David Fahrenthold's article about climate change in the Washington Post this week brought this fact to light, along with some other intriguing/depressing tidbits like the fact that "To a psychologist, climate change looks as if it was designed to be ignored"  - because its worst effects will probably happen to someone else at some other time.  It turns out that "warnings about climate change kick at emotional dead spots in all human brains - but especially in American brains."  The United Nations climate talks are going on NOW but instead of following that dialog and thinking about the long-term, most Americans are googling Tiger Woods or at the mall looking for the best deal on a high-def TV.

Knowing this, what can we do to get more people to ACT?  If pitting neighbor against neighbor is what it takes, then lets find a way to capitalize on that.  Maybe we should be hosting neighborhood competitions.  Who has the most compact fluorescent light bulbs in their home?  The best rain garden?  The least amount of trash?  Grants for homeowners who make energy efficient improvements could be a way for homeowners to earn bragging rights. "I can't believe you didn't take advantage of that super low-interest loan for new windows!!"  Looking like an idiot - maybe that'll get 'em going.

What do you think?  Do you agree with this dour outlook on personal responsibility for the environment?  What have you seen that really works as a call to action?  Has your neighborhood done anything to try to rally the cause? 

This is my post for the Green Moms Carnival on the topic of Climate Change.  Diane at Big Green Purse is hosting so be sure to visit her site next Monday, Dec. 14th to find out what other smart Moms (and mothers of the earth) are saying on this important topic.

{image:  CO2 cube in Copenhagen via visitcopenhagen.com}

Consumer Protection Gone Too Far?

Consumer product safety is a good thing right?  So often I am struck with how we need more of it in this country.  But here's a situation that shows how we can have too much of a good thing. 

In case you haven't heard (and I know a lot of you already have), the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) is scheduled to go into effect on Feb. 10th, 2009.  In a nutshell, it bans or limits certain phthalates and lead in all products sold to children under the age of 12.  What this means is that ALL children's products - not just toys but also clothing, bedding - basically anything sold to kids - must be tested for lead and phthalates before it can be sold.

While this is a really good thing for new products created in factories overseas, there are a couple of pretty major negative side-effects coming into play.

• Resale shops will not be able to sell used children's clothing unless it has been tested.  This is a hurdle that most small business will not be able to meet.

• Producers of handmade toys and clothing will have to test their products or close up shop.  This type of testing is VERY expensive and it is doubtful that many small producers of handmade goods will be able to comply.

Word on the street is that changes to the bill are forthcoming, but it may take some time for it to happen.  Meanwhile, many businesses are hanging in limbo.  I don't envy them.  I called a couple of my local consignment shops and they are still taking children's items as usual.  Have any of you heard concern from your local resale retailers???  What's your take on this new legislation to protect our children?

Want to know more?  Instead of rehashing what's already been written, I'm going to steer you to a couple of other bloggers who have already done the research and have some interesting perspectives:

• The Smart Mama knows a lot about this topic.  She's a lawyer with an XRF analyzer (a machine that tests for lead, phthalates and other nasty chems).  Read her post about The CPSIA and the Resale/Thrift Industry.
• Change.org is looking for your vote in order to Save Handmade Toys from the CSPIA.  They will be passing on a proposal for amending the act so that artisans can both comply and survive, to the Obama administration.
• Cool Mom Picks has a great list of resources and links about the situation.  They also created the cute Save Handmade button (now in my right sidebar) that you can put on your site. 
• Z-Recs spells out 5 steps you can take to save natural/handmade toys from the CSPIA. 

Hope for a Greener, Safer Planet

The Green Moms Carnival has quite a weighty topic this month - we're writing about our recommendations for the Obama Administration on the topic of protecting the environment and human health.  Our collective hope is that the administration will adopt a 'prevention agenda' - which basically means focusing on preventing harm - instead of waiting until after the fact to try and do something about it. 

Diane at Big Green Purse is hosting the carnival this month and she has also set up a Prevention Agenda forum (a ning group - if you're familiar with what that is) where anyone is welcome to jump in and participate.  The recommendations that come out of it will ultimately be submitted to the Obama transition team - Diane's got the connections to make it happen!

Whoa.  I never really thought that in my role as a stay-at-home-mommy-eco-blogger I would be stepping into politics.  Much less trying to influence our next president. 

That said, I've  been pretty amazed at what this collective of eco-minded women bloggers has been doing lately.  Beth from Fake Plastic Fish just got a gigantic company (Clorox) to start a recycling program for its Britta water filters.  Janelle at Healthy Child Healthy World and Jennifer at The Smart Mama are on a non-stop mission to protect kids from environmental toxins.  The gals at the Green Phone Booth and all the other 'Green Moms' in the group are busy being green superheros in their own communities.  We are a powerful influence indeed and there's no reason why we shouldn't be heard by the heads of our government!  

Here are my hopes and dreams for the Obama Administration:

• I hope that the Kid Safe Chemical Act (proposed by the Environmental Working Group) or similar legislation is passed to ensure the safety of children's toys, drinking bottles and personal care products.
• I hope that the U.S. will lead the way in addressing climate change and developing alternative energy solutions. 
• I hope that organic agriculture standards are upheld and strengthened.
• I hope that food safety is a top priority.
• I hope that concerted efforts are made to put green product standards in place so that the general public can trust what they buy and to keep greenwashers at bay. 
• I hope that stronger pollution control laws are developed and maintained. 
• I hope that strong efforts are made to protect wildlife and preserve our country's amazing wilderness areas.

Read more about what Green Moms want from the Obama administration on Diane's Big Green Purse Blog.

Election '08 - Grist's Guide to Green Candidates

If you're having trouble deciding who to support in the presidential election - you are certainly not alone.  Even my book club gals are not all on the same page at this point and that says a lot. 

I'm not going to get all down and dirty about it here on this blog...but I do want to pass on some links from Grist that help sort out where candidates stand on environmental issues - something I think we should all be considering as we sweat through the good, bad and ugly phases of this long, drawn-out campaign.

Grist's staff writer, David Roberts provides interviews and info on each of the candidates environmental positions and plans in How Green is Your Candidate. You can get a quick rundown on each candidate and if you're interested, dig deeper into voting records and current platforms or watch recent video clips.  Grist will keep updating the pages as the campaign unfolds.

If you just want a quick look at where the candidates stand on climate and energy issues, check out their handy candidate comparison chart.

I've also added a widget from Grist on the lower left hand column of my blog - it contains links to all the latest green campaign news.

Wearing Green: The Cotton Conundrum

For Christmas, I splurged and bought my boys organic cotton PJ's from Hanna Andersson.  They are SO soft and SO cute and I felt good about supporting a more sustainable side of the clothing industry.  But like I said, it was a splurge.  I can't afford to buy pricey organic clothes all the time. 

On the flip side, there's been a lot of press lately about the growing trend toward disposable clothing - mostly fashion-forward duds that don't hold up in the wash.  Apparently people don't mind throwing clothes out - as long as they didn't pay much for them.  That's something I don't want to be part of.  So where's the middle ground?

I started diving into this whole topic of sustainable clothing and realized it will take me a few posts to cover all the good stuff there is to learn.  This first one is a basic primer if you will on cotton - conventional vs. organic and the tricky politics that drive it.  Look for an upcoming post on other sustainable fabrics and another one on buying used & refashioning old clothes (my favorite!).

You don't need me to tell you that the cotton industry is HUGE business.  In fact, it accounts for 50% of the world's textile market.  America is second (next to China) in world cotton production. Our beloved cotton shirts may be nice and soft but it takes a boat load of chemicals to grow them. Here are a few reasons why conventional cotton production is not so good for the planet:      

• It takes 1/3 pound of agricultural chemicals to produce one cotton t-shirt.
• 25% of the world's insecticides are used in cotton production.
• Many of the pesticides used are known human carcinogens. 
• Toxic runoff pollutes water and kills wildlife.
• Over 60% of American grown cotton is genetically engineered.  It is developed to survive huge amounts of toxic herbicides and some even exudes its own insecticides.

Organic cotton (I'll call it OC for short) production, on the other hand, greatly reduces the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers.  Instead, pest and weed control methods are used that replenish soil fertility and have a minimal impact on the environment.  The market is growing, but OC still makes up less than 1% of the cotton market.  Government subsidies play a big role in the way cotton is produced:  more pesticides = higher yields = more money.  That helps explain why OC products are still so expensive.  But as demand increases, hopefully the prices will start to drop.

Should we feel guilty for every non-organic cotton shirt that we buy?  Of course not!  But having the awareness helps us to make better choices when we can.  My strategy?  I hit the sale rack at stores that carry the good stuff and look for online deals at my favorite sites:

• REI clearance sales and online outlet: I scored a some awesome OC shirts by Water Girl and Patagonia recently.  They have a big sale in February and another one sometime in the fall??
• Hanna Andersson:  They had a 20% off sale right before Xmas this year.
• Lotus Organics:  20% off everything now until Earth Day!!
• Maggie's Organics:  20% off women's T's, 15% off socks right now!
• Blue Canoe: check out their sale section - 20% off some nice stuff.
• Kate Quinn Organics:  Not on sale, but I just had to share...their OC hoodies & track pants for kids are adorable!

You'll see more OC as the big chains get in on the action.  Target is selling some organic baby items and will be expanding, Walmart's into shirts and apparently Victoria's Secret has little organic somethings in the works.  Even Levi's makes OC jeans now - pricier than their standard jeans of course.   

If you're the activist type, you'll want to know about The Organic Consumers Association's campaign called Clothes for A Change.  Their goal is to raise awareness about the negative environmental and social effects of conventional cotton and clothing production.  They are pressuring major clothing manufacturers to wean themselves off traditional cotton and polyesters made from petroleum and start incorporating organic fibers into their mix.  You can help!  Use this link to send an email to Gap chairman Donald Fisher asking him to transition to organic cotton in their clothes.  It only takes 30 seconds!

I'm voting for Gore!

I recently watched the movie "An Inconvenient Truth" , the documentary featuring Al Gore's traveling global warming slide show.  At the end of the film, they ask you to tell everyone you know to see the movie too.  So that's what I'm doing. 

Now's the time to see it if you haven't yet.  You've probably seen the recent headlines about the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) study on global warming.  Alarming, right?  But not nearly as alarming as when you learn the full story.  And you need to know it - it's our children's future we're talking about.

In my humble opinion, this is a tremendous film - it is SO eye-opening and deeply thought provoking!  I'm the type of person who 'gets it' a lot better when I SEE it - so much more than when I read it.  I've read my share of articles about global warming but nothing compares to this fast-paced, gripping and sometimes even funny film. 

And you probably read that Al Gore was nominated for a Nobel Peace prize.  I wish I could cast a vote for him - 'cause if I could, I sure would!  Before I saw the movie, I had no idea that Gore was that passionate and dedicated to the cause.   It is something to admire, that's for darn sure.   

Now I'm busy looking for ways to reduce my carbon footprint on the earth.  You can calculate your impact on global warming by taking this quick survey by Native Energy.  It's an interesting way to see how you rate compared to the average American, but the key is to take ACTION whenever and wherever you can to reduce YOUR impact.  Here are a few things you can do that are pretty darn easy:   

• use a programmable thermostat (and/or turn down your heat when you leave the house)
• switch to CFL's instead of fluorescent lights
• use the cold/cold cycle for laundry
• make it a point to drive less and walk or bike more
• buy products with less packaging (i.e. large jars of applesauce instead of little cups)
• buy local to avoid the energy used in transportation
• have an energy audit done on your house (many are free - check w/your local energy supplier!)
• switch to a low flow shower head
• recycle as much as you can
• reuse (donate your old stuff and buy used clothing and household goods)
• use powerstrips to turn off multiple items at once and avoid phantom power use

But first, go out and rent "An Inconvenient Truth".  It's a winner.

Politics, anyone?

I read this great quote the other day: "The most political act we do on a daily basis is to eat." (Professor Jules Pretty, co-author of a study in the journal Food Policy, from the University of Essex, UK.)

That’s so cool! I don’t really consider myself an activist but I’d love to think that I am, at least a little, ity bit. And I love the concept of voting with your dollar. It doesn’t have to be lots of dollars, just whatever you can – and it obviously extends to more than just what we eat.

So if you’re at the store and you buy one local, organic, sustainable or energy-saving product that you weren’t planning to, you’ve cast your vote for the day. That’s my speed. I’d rather feel good than guilty!