News Picks:
7 Companies You Can Trust to Use BPA-free Cans: Even though BPA-free cans cost more for these companies, they promise not to use the dangerous endocrine disrupter.
Eco-Friendly Building Blocks for Kids:
Inhabitots tells us their favorite environmentally friendly building block brands for kids.
6 Ways to Reuse Aluminum Foil: Before recycling aluminum foil put it to some more good use with these creative ideas.
Multimedia Link:
Homemade Beauty Treatments:
Some great homemade ways to avoid all the parabens.
New and Cool Pick:
New Cell Phone Charger Uses Water for Power:
No outlet? No problem! In 2011, a water powered cell phone charger will be introduced. Intended for outdoor enthusiasts and developing countries, we see tremendous potential for sporting events, public transportation, and grocery stores (at least that’s when my phone tends to run out…)
Photo Credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/naturalmom/3708318060/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/17541857@N05/3517757322/
Some of you may know that I love chewing gum and my favorite is Orbit. Since starting my internship, I have learned that some of the ingredients in conventional chewing gum may not be so good for me. The ingredients in Orbit that cause some alarm are Sorbitol (a known laxative), Aspartame (known to be dangerous to children and can cause headaches in adults), and Acesulfame K (which has been found to cause cancer in animals). Therefore I have vowed to make the switch to all-natural chewing gum and have conducted a little experiment: The Gum Test.
I took a trip to Whole Foods and picked out three different types of chewing gum and came up with six criteria by which to judge them: Initial Taste (max of 6 points), Taste after 15 Minutes (max of 6 points), Bubble-blowing potential (max of 3 points), Tooth Health (1 point for Sugar used, 2 points for Sugar-free), Calories (max of 2 points), and Social Responsibility (1 point for participating in Social Responsibility Programs, 0 points for not).
If you lost count, the max total of points that could be earned is 20 points.
Spry Sugarfree Spearmint Chewing Gum
- Initial Taste: 6/6
- Taste After 15 Minutes: 4/6
- Bubble-blowing potential: 1/3
- Tooth Health: Sugar-free claims that incorporating 8-10 grams of xylitol may reduce the risk of tooth decay and improve overall health: 2/2
- Calories: 1 serving size= 1 piece = 10 Calories: 1/2
- Social Responsibility: 0/1
- SCORE: 14
- Initial Taste: 5/6
- Taste After 15 minutes: 4/6
- Bubble-blowing potential: 2/3
- Tooth Health: Cane sugar, 1/2
- Calories: 1 serving size = 2 pieces = 5 Calories: 2/2
- Social Responsibility: 1/1
- SCORE: 15
Project 7 Peppermint Vanilla Sugar-free Gum
- Initial Taste: 3/6
- Taste After 15 minutes: 3/6
- Bubble-blowing potential: 3/3
- Tooth Health: Sugar-free claims that incorporating 8-10 grams of xylitol may reduce the risk of tooth decay and improve overall health: 2/2
- Calories: 1 serving size = 2 pieces = 5 Calories: 2/2
- Social Responsibility: 1/1
- SCORE: 14
We all chew gum for different reasons: to curb an appetite, freshen the breath, blow bubbles or to help us focus. After this little experiment I suggest Glee Gum to help you do all of those things; it’s the one I keep reaching for!
Is there a gum brand you think will help me make the switch to all-natural? Let me know which natural gum brands you like and whether you agree with my scoring.
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakleyoriginals/3135903908/
A reader recently asked us some good questions about bleach. We thought the information worth sharing more broadly, so here you go: a few useful facts about bleach.
What’s wrong with bleach? Well, it depends whether it’s chlorine bleach or not…
Chlorine bleach, a common disinfectant frequently found in scouring powders and cleaning solutions, is highly caustic, meaning it can burn skin and eyes — plus it can be fatal if swallowed and in high concentrations can aggravate asthma symptoms. When it travels from your drain into the natural world, it can create organochlorines (furans & dioxins), which are suspected carcinogens as well as reproductive, neurological, and immune-system toxins. You also never want to mix chlorine with ammonia, which can accidentally happen if you mix conventional cleaners—it creates a very toxic gas.
A more healthy alternative is non chlorine bleach, made usually from oxygen based bleach or even hydrogen peroxide (which breaks down safely) from Ecover, Oxo-Brite, or Seventh Generation. The popular cleaner OxyClean actually falls into this category as well. They are not quite as powerful as chlorine-based bleached, but are considered less toxic, very effective for household use, and safer for your family and the environment. Even safer alternatives include Borax for laundry and white vinegar is safe and very effective for most stains (I can vouch for vinegar’s ability to get out red wine).
With as many effective alternatives to bleach out there, I think it’s fair to say that where there is a stain, there is a less toxic alternative to get it out and it’s good to throw out (or at least reduce) the chlorine based stuff.
Any other recommendations anyone?
To learn more about cleaning green in general, here is a good summary.
I love take-out. In fact, during a two year stretch in New York City, I think I had take-out every night that I wasn’t dining out. It’s now 18 years later and I still get gifts from people saying things like “Keep a Clean Kitchen–Dine Out” and “My favorite thing to make for dinner is reservations.” You get the point.
Unfortunately, take-out is just so not green. The plastic and styrofoam containers, plastic forks, and napkin piles are brutal. But there are ways to make it GREENER and here are some good tips from GristTV.
Got any other tips for greening take out? Share away–they will go to good use.
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