Confession: I’ve never belonged to a CSA. I’ve always been a little bit mystified by them. For years I ignored them, just shopped my local farm stand instead — even though it’s not organic and I suspect it might never be. But after reading the following guest post, I had another look at our local CSA and signed up pronto. You heard me: I simply threw down for the season and made the commitment. Despite audible grumbles from my dear husband. He’ll get used to it.
Everything in my (see? it’s already MY CSA!!) CSA’s delightful brochure sounds perfect, exactly what I’ve been looking for. No matter where you live, I bet your CSA has an amazingly articulate and thoughtful intention. Something like this:
We believe that you and your family deserve the highest quality food. In an age where the chain stores almost exclusively source their produce from large corporate farms more than half-way across the country or even half-way around the world! It is clear we have become disconnected from the source of the very food that sustains us. Add to that events like (9/11), and other news about world pandemics and food disruptions, etc…. It makes one pause and asks meaningful questions about what is important and sensible in the long run. There is no clever one-line answer to the problems facing our modern world, but a first step is building relationships and trust through commitments to one another on a local basis. Wishing Stone Farm is committed to not only growing organic and biorational/IPM foods for our shareholders but educating them and engaging them in this on-going debate of about our global future.
I’ll let you know how it goes with Wishing Stone Farm. Meanwhile, here’s our delightful guest blogger Mae Hacking. She’s a savvy designer, a real New Jersey wife and mom of two, and co-founder of Here in This House. Maybe she’ll convince you to take this action too — let us know! Sarah
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Getting Started: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
Now is the time of year when farms begin enrollment in Community Supported Agriculture programs (CSAs). These programs often have limited availability so it’s important to act early. If you’ve been eyeing the “Sign up for a CSA” energy action but have not yet pulled the trigger, read on to learn more about finding the program that’s right for you.
Living in California, we were blessed with a bounty of fresh produce all year round. Despite this, I found that I was always choosing the same fruits and vegetables for our home: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, eggplant. Ready to branch out, I signed up for an organic produce delivery service. Its pre-set boxes forced me to learn how to cook with new vegetables in a child-friendly way. We got introduced to the wonders of tuscan kale, chard, cabbages, pears and numerous varieties of apples and oranges. So when we left California and after getting settled into our new home, I set to finding a similar service. I have since met a few friends interested in taking part in these produce delivery services or other community supported agriculture. So I’ve gathered my tips on how to get started.
First off, why participate in a CSA? Through a CSA, you get a better sense of where your food comes from than when shopping at the big grocery stores. In some cases, you can actually meet the farmer and other folks who work so hard to grow your food. Another benefit is that CSAs eliminate steps in the process of getting produce from the farm to the grocery store to your table. This means fresher and more nutritious food for you. Lastly, CSAs are often local farms run by local folks. It’s a great way to support your community and local business. (These benefits are not entirely the same when you go with a produce delivery service but they can get you closer to the farm-fresh ideal when the CSAs are dormant for the winter.)
Okay, so you’re on board (right?). Now what?
● Determine your family’s needs. Take a cold hard look at your family’s eating habits. How often do you cook with fresh vegetables? How much fruit does your family eat in a week (or two)? How selective is your family about what they eat? Will they tolerate new foods well?
● Research local opportunities. Check out this handy the USDA National Agricultural Library as well as Local Harvest, a fabulous guide to community supported agriculture operations, [search by zip code!] to see what’s near you. CSAs can be very small local operations so it’s important to tap into the grassroots network. Talk to your neighbors, your friends, and your favorite farmer’s-market vendors for suggestions and recommendations. CSAs have been a hot topic in the news lately, so don’t forget to check out the local/regional newspapers to see if they have any recommendations.
● Review assortment options. Having found a few potential CSAs, assess the assortment options. Do they offer just vegetables? Just fruits? A veggie/fruit mix? How big is each delivery? Is there a variety of sizes? Are you able to make substitutions? (Do you want or need to have substitutions?) What’s the payment arrangement? Hopefully one of these will be suitable for your family.
● Find a share, if necessary. Are you really excited about the idea of a CSA but think it’s simply too much for your family to consume? Or maybe you’re not fully sold on the idea and want a less committed option? Then you need to find someone to go in on this with you. Shares can happen in a number of ways and it’s really all about the needs of your and your share family. One easy way to lessen the load is to alternate who takes each delivery, reducing the frequency of your orders. Or, you could choose to reduce the volume you receive each week by splitting each delivery with another family. The possibilities are endless.
● Proactively participate. Once you’re in, make the most of it. One of my favorite parts of the CSA is the learning: how to store and prepare new vegetables, finding new recipes, figuring out how to get my picky three year-old to try some. It’s more fun if you fully engage. Read your farm’s newsletter. Visit the farm for pick-your-own if they offer it (a great outing for the kiddos). Hop online or scour your cookbooks for new recipes. If you’re a photographer (and I just may try this this year), try taking luscious still life photos of your produce delivery before delving in.
So what if you’ve gotten this far but a CSA is still not the right option for you? Do the CSA-lite solution: farmer’s markets. Aside from logging CSAs, Local Harvest also maintains a database of farmer’s markets across the country. If you’ve never been, add the “Shop at a farmer’s market” action to your plan and commit to shopping there once a week in season. Walk around, smell the smells, taste the samples, talk with the vendors. If farmers are already part of your routine, spend an extra few minutes to befriend your favorite farmer. Even better, sometimes they will even pull together weekly boxes of their best produce for you, just like a CSA!
So check out your options, grab a friend and give a CSA a try. You won’t regret it!
Mae is a co-creator of Here in This House, a design blog which captures the creative and artistic pursuits we bring into our houses. She is a self described design- and fashion-enthusiast, photographer-in-training, transplanted Californian, amateur gardener, foodie and mother of two. Want to learn more about Here in This House, Mae and her path to becoming Practically Green? Check out her to-do list on the Inspiring Action Plan section!
Why is taking shoes off when you come in worth 50 big points on Practically Green? Our action page answers that question immediately:
Taking off your shoes before you enter your home is the public health equivalent of washing your hands.
Click here for more info and to join zillions of Practically Green users who’ve already added this to their Action Plans.
To celebrate Earth Month at Practically Green, our bloggers are illuminating the most popular healthy green actions — one day at a time. Today we present Action #5: Take shoes off at the door regularly. Please enjoy two approaches — we couldn’t resist either of these compelling essays!
Shoes Off, Please by Ronnie Citron-Fink
I am as neurotic as the next person about keeping my floors clean. With dogs and kids, the inevitable mess happens. The kids are trained to take their shoes off. The dogs know that if they wait on the mat while their feet get cleaned they will get a treat. And my guests are kind, gracious and accommodating – they usually offer without being asked.
The practice of taking shoes off can be found throughout Asia. It is also common in Scandinavia and in Hawaii and Alaska. In Japan, many homes have a getabako, or shoe cupboard where shoes are stored. Taking shoes off is a symbolic gesture that leaves the outer world behind. Shoes are traded for comfortable slippers and home becomes a separate sanctuary.
Recently, my husband and I stayed at my brother’s ski house in Vermont. Not only are ski and snowboarding boots clunky, it’s mud season in the Northeast and those boots make an incredible mess. My brother and his wife have a whole room dedicated to shoes/boots/ski stuff. It is a neatly organized mudroom that provides a barrier between the outside and the inside with storage for lots of stuff. Architect Susan Susanka, the author of the Not So Big House books, is a big fan of dedicated mudrooms for encouraging friends and family to take their shoes off when they enter a home. A mudroom is a perfect place to leave those shoes behind while providing all the elements for a cleaner, healthier home.
5 Reasons To Take Your Shoes Off
1. Keep your family and pets safe from outdoor pesticides and pollutants that can contaminate carpets and floors. The EPA found that pesticides on shoes are considered to be a major source of toxic exposure for children.
2. Improve the indoor air quality. (Join the Moms Clean Air Force to find out more about keeping your family safe from air pollution.)
3. Spend less time cleaning and consume less cleaning products.
4. Keep your home quieter.
5. Save your wood floors from dirt and rocks that can create gouges.
Do you have a “No Shoes” policy at your home?
Ronnie Citron-Fink lives in Rhinebeck, New York. She blogs at Econesting and tweets @econester. She’s a member of the Environmental Defense Fund’s new Moms Clean Air Force. Just hours ago Yahoo named her a top 10 green-living tweeter! Congrats!
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Shoes Off: Just Do It! by Jan Devereux
Growing up in Florida with the beach virtually my backyard, I spent a good deal of my childhood barefoot — outside and inside — so maybe that’s why having a shoes-off policy in my own home feels completely natural. I now live in New England, where “mud season” stretches well into April and almost every house has a mudroom and a pile of boots near the door. ‘Boots off’ is the norm in my neighborhood.
But even if you’re lucky enough to live in a place where it’s flip-flop season year round, a shoes-off policy is an essential step in protecting your family from germs that can creep in on the soles of your shoes. “Dirt” tracked in endangers more than carpets. Residues from the lead in car exhaust, toxins from lawn pesticides, traces of animal waste and allergens like pollen on the ground all present a health risk, especially to small children and pets that spend time on the floor. You don’t have to be neat freak like Monica from Friends or a germaphobe like Monk, the TV detective, to care about these risks. Removing shoes at the door is simply a matter of good hygiene, like hand washing.
So why do some people resist setting a shoes-off policy, and why do those who do feel they have to tip-toe around enforcing it with recalcitrant guests?
Remember the Sex and the City episode (“A Woman’s Right to Shoes” Season 6, Episode 83) when Carrie attends a party, and the hostess (Tatum O’Neal) makes her leave her brand new $485 Manolos at the door — and another guest walks off with them? Carrie is outraged, not only by the theft and the hostess’s refusal to reimburse her the full price of the shoes, but by the imposition: “It wasn’t my choice to take them off,” she whines to Miranda.
To avoid such shoe drama in your home, why not give guests a shoes-off heads-up in advance? And greet them at the door with a basket of socks. This might even be a great way to re-purpose orphan socks from your laundry. If you have slippery floors or uncarpeted stairs, you might want to stock up on socks with rubberized treads for safety. And if you still encounter resistance…well, in my opinion, a guest who doesn’t smile when offered a pair of mismatched, borrowed socks may not be worth inviting back!
And speaking of humor, I stumbled on a blog dedicated to supporting people who want help enforcing a shoes-off policy. (shoesoffatthedoorplease.blogspot.com/) (I guess there’s officially a blog for everything by now!) In addition to the author’s wry posts on the subject, the sidebar lists “37 reasons why you should enforce a shoes-off policy.” Carrie Bradshaw, please take note of #29: “If you wear high-heeled shoes, your feet badly need a break.”
Jan’s product suggestions:
WJ Dennis recycled polypro boot tray (referenced on the site already under the action plan). Having a place to put your shoes means you will be more likely to remove them. This tray is made out of recycled polypropylene. It’s durable and affordable.
Traction/non slip socks in organic cotton (pictured above) from Amazon: “These non-slip low-rise socks are made from organic cotton with a reinforced and cushioned heel and toe! These socks are a a great hygienic alternative to bulky shoes — whether you are lounging around the house, traveling, or performing low-impact exercises such as Yoga or Pilates. Wear on the plane, in the hotel, or at Pilates or Yoga without fear of germs or fungus!” (Jan’s bolding)
Jan Devereux is a writer and mother of three who lives in Cambridge. She is trying hard to green her family’s lifestyle, one step at a time. This spring she plans to start composting. Favorite green actions:trading in her minivan for a compact hybrid; becoming a vegetarian; switching to paperless billing and compact fluorescent bulbs; reading on a Kindle. Least favorite green actions: managing her two cats’ litter boxes; reminding her kids to take shorter showers. {Hey, Jan, click here for a bunch of no-stress ways for minimizing shower water.}
“It seemed like an ordinary day. My oldest three gobbled up breakfast with their usual appetite. The baby was fussy, maybe tired, so I put her down for a nap. The next thing I knew, her face looked like an angry, swollen, red tomato and I had plunged into the midst of a childhood epidemic I barely even knew existed.”
So begins An Unhealthy Truth, by Robyn O’Brien. Who knew a comprehensive battle-cry for safe food could be an absolute page-turner? This beautiful mother of four is also an indefatigable leader as the founder of AllergyKids. We’ve introduced Robyn O’Brien here previously, and we were delighted to meet her in person at the Natural Products Expo West recently.
Robyn sent us the link to a fantastic presentation she gave a few weeks ago at TEDx Austin. “…. It’s 18 minutes and the response has been pretty amazing.”
Amazing as in: it’s had 8,000 views as we write, and it’s going viral with the increasing number of allergy parents in this country. If you know one, please share this clip.
Robin is getting ready for a TEDx Denver presentation on April 7, and we’ll post it as soon as we have it. Meanwhile, please consider all the ways you can be careful about the food at your house, perhaps starting with a close look at the Dirty Dozen:
The “dirty dozen” list of fruits and vegetables refers to the 12 fruits and vegetables most likely to contain higher concentrations of pesticides. The tests are done by the Environmental Working Group and updated annually. By avoiding the “dirty dozen” or only buying organic versions of these fruits and vegetables, you can reduce your exposure to pesticides by 80%.
I recently visited the Chelsea Green website and was absolutely floored! I began to browse some of their categories and ended up with a page-long list of must-reads! How did I not know about Chelsea Green before!? Luckily, we got in touch with Allison Goodwin of Chelsea Green who gave us some AWESOME suggestions for books our readers would love. Thanks Allison!
For 27 years, Chelsea Green has been the publishing leader for books on the politics and practice of sustainable living. To learn more about us, please visit www.chelseagreen.com.
By Amy Kolb Noyes
Nontoxic Housecleaning provides a way for people to improve their immediate environment every day. Pregnant women, parents of young children, pet owners, people with health concerns, and those who simply care about a healthy environment—and a sensible budget—can all benefit from the recipes and tips in this guide.
Composting: An Easy Household Guide
By Nicky Scott
Composting is fun, easy and very satisfying! You can make compost even if you live in an apartment or don’t have access to a garden.
By Jon Clift and Amanda Cuthbert
This book gives you 100 energy-saving tips for the home—from simple things like switching off unnecessary lights and having a shower instead of a bath, to more drastic measures such as installing a condensing boiler.
Sustainable Food: How to Buy Right and Spend Less
By Elise McDonough
Wondering whether it’s worth it to splurge on the locally raised beef? What about those organic carrots? Sustainable Food: How to Buy Right and Spend Less helps the average shopper navigate the choices, whether strolling the aisles of a modern supermarket or foraging at a local farmers market.
Cooking Close to Home: A Year of Seasonal Recipes
By Diane Imrie and Richard Jarmusz
A collection of over 150 original recipes designed to follow the seasons.
By Dianne Onstad
What if you could have information about more than 400 foods at your fingertips? You can find it all in the new edition of Whole Foods Companion.
The Best of Making Things: A Handbook of Creative Discovery
By Anne Sayre Wiseman
Why go to the mall when you can make things at home using materials recycled from around the house? This classic educational and creative text features 125 projects, carefully selected by the author to “develop natural curiosity and self-esteem,” and to demonstrate “simple and important concepts that have shaped the cultures of the world.”
Connected Wisdom: Living Stories for Living Systems
By Linda Booth Sweeney
Connected Wisdom: Living Stories About Living Systems gathers twelve stories from different cultures that each reveal a unique example of a “living system.”
By Lee Welles
Winner of an iParenting Media Award and a National Outdoor Book Award! What would you do if you could hear the Earth asking for help? In the Gaia Girls book series, that is what happens to four girls, each from a different region of the world.
By Philip and Alice Shabecoff
In a landmark investigation that’s been compared to Silent Spring, two veteran journalists definitively show how, why, and where industrial toxins are causing rates of birth defects, asthma, cancer, and other serious illnesses to soar in children.
By Dr. Paul Connett, James Beck, and Spedding Micklem
A thoroughly researched, scientific explanation of the dangers of water fluoridation to both human and environmental health. This book shows why we should all be fighting fluoridation in our own communities.
Radical Homemakers: Reclaiming Domesticity from a Consumer Culture
By Shannon Hayes
Radical Homemakers is about men and women across the U.S. who focus on home and hearth as a political and ecological act, and who have centered their lives around family and community for personal fulfillment and cultural change.
Sign up for the Chelsea Green newsletter today and receive a special one-time discount of 25% off your entire book order!
Sarah Coyne is a young mom who lives in New York City in an apartment with her husband, a two year-old, and a baby. She works full-time and of course she wants her family and her home to be healthy and green! A while back she emailed us:
“I feel like information is abundant on almost any topic with the advent of the internet so the best companies are those that can synthesize information for people and become “go-to” resources to get information on a particular topic. That’s how I see Practically Green – a go-to for a mom who wants to go green, but doesn’t exactly know where to start/what to do and who doesn’t have the time to do the work and research to determine what makes sense.”
We were delighted to hear this – and SO excited when ABC News correspondent Lauren Glassberg produced a segment about Sarah and Practically Green.
From Lauren’s story:
NEW YORK (WABC)
Sarah Coyne is one environmentalist who takes many steps to stay green.
If you walk into Coyne’s house, you must remove your shoes first. She only serves her children organic milk and uses natural toothpaste. She also recycles everything down to her contact lens packaging.
Coyne found many of these ideas on the Practically Green website. She feels these are easy steps to take towards leading a greener life, and if she can do it, anyone can do it.
Susan Hunt Stevens created the Practically Green website after she realized how overwhelmed she was when it came to going green.
“I felt like I could start a service,” Stevens said.
The way to use this website is to begin by taking a quick quiz to see where you rank on the “green tree,” and then tips on being green will follow.
Some of the tips are as simple as buying organic coffee.
There are four hundred simple steps on the website to show you how to be green.
The “Practically Green” website encompasses a community approach, which means you may wind up becoming greener than you thought was possible.
When people view the tips from the website, it gives them the confidence to change because they feel they can do it. This is why Sarah Coyne can say she is greener than she has ever been.
To learn more, visit the website at www.practicallygreen.com
(Copyright ©2011 WABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
News Picks:
Maybe it’s Practically Green’s Boston roots, but I just couldn’t bring myself to write today’s post without featuring some sort of St. Patty’s Day article. Ten Ways To Go Green On St. Patrick’s Day from Ingrid Ostby of Ecorazzi will inspire you to have a truly green holiday. From thrift store accessories to using eco-friendly and natural food coloring, these tips are good all year round!
Harvesting the Power of the Mom Blogger: I guess we’re not the only ones that know the POWER of mom bloggers! This article by Pradnya Joshi of The New York Times displays the amazing depth and influence of the network of mom bloggers on the web. We certainly knew all about the amazing support system of strong and intelligent women, but this article is a good reminder!
Nutrition Keys: Will They Really Help Us Make Better Food Choices?
This is a great piece from Lori Alper of Modern Hippie Mag, and definitely something to think about. As Alper points out, nutrition keys aren’t providing any new information, but they may just change the way we shop. I am definitely a label-reader, but when I’m in a rush, I grab whatever is in front of me, and usually regret it. I’m a big believer that something is better than nothing, and if this system encourages a mother of three to buy the cereal with less sugar, then I’m all for it. What do you think?
My Little Seed: A Story of Eczema and Betrayal: This blog post from Healthy Child Healthy World by Paige Goldberg Tolmach is eye-opening to say the least. Doctors told Paige that her infant son’s eczema was genetic, but the diagnosis simply didn’t make sense. Refusing to accept their word, Paige did a lot of research and discovered that it was her own home that was making her son sick. From his crib mattress to his teething toys, Paige’s son was being poisoned. This article will force you to look into the chemicals your family might be ingesting.
Paige Goldberg Tolmach and her son, HCHW
Multi-Media Pick:
The Urban Farming Guys is the video blog sector of the nonprofit organization Rock Solid Urban Impact.
The Urban Farming Guys is composed of 20 families that uprooted from the suburbs and relocated to inner city Kansas City. Their objective? To teach the youth, and “cultivate the life of the innercity.” With community engagement and sustainable farming practices as their bread and butter, The Urban Farming Guys and Rock Solid Urban Impact are an experiment to keep your eye on. They are revolutionaries living their lives to improve others. Watch their videos and learn what YOU can do.
New and Cool Pick:
USBCELL AA Rechargeable Batteries:
I have a drawer in my house that has the sole purpose of collecting used AA batteries. I’m embarrassed to say I have NO idea how many are in there or how many actually work. I know I should recycle the old batteries, but I just can’t let go! I have finally found something to help. These batteries from Moixa Energy have a built in usb to make recharging easier than ever.
This week's PG Picks by Sam Roach
One of our favorite green mom bloggers is Lynn from SmilingGreenMom. Lynn is a great mom of two from Indiana who manages to combine a practical and serious passion for her family’s health, looking closely at diseases caused by toxins in household materials. Lynn’s positive attitude and fantastic wit has us hooked!
She recently shared 8 Ways to Green Your Spring with her readers and we are thrilled to share some of them with you too. We’ve also matched them with the relevant Practically Green actions so you can learn from Lynn and earn your points and badges from us!
Lynn’s Tip:
Hang your clothes outside: Your dryer is one of the biggest energy-suckers in your home! So now that the weather is getting nicer, save some money and the planet by hanging your clothes outside to dry! Let nature help you out on this one – it has so many benefits. If you do need/want to use your electric dryer, make sure to clean the lint trap regularly as this will really help with efficiency! According to the California Energy Commission, A dryer is typically the second-biggest electricity-using appliance after the refrigerator, costing about $85 to operate annually.
ylcf.org
Related PG Actions:
Lynn’s Tip:
Clean Green: Dirty little dust bunnies have been seeking shelter in your home over the cold winter months as well – time to spruce things up and clean out! There are many “everyday” products being sold to us that can contain harmful chemicals – read labels, do your homework and stay informed. One of the best online resources to check for toxins in products and to get the inside scoop on safety is the EWG’s (Environmental Working Group) Cosmetics Safety Database. Know your products. I personally use and love Dr Bronner’s, EcoStoreUSA, Celadon Road and a few others but I also love it when I can make my own! Here’s my recipe for laundry soaplemons! and you can always use such natural ingredients as vinegar and
greenissexy.org
Related PG Actions:
Make your own cleaners, including laundry detergent
Switch to all-natural all-purpose cleaner
Lynn’s Tip:
Paint Low-Voc: Who doesn’t love a nice coat of paint to freshen things up? Just remember that many of the products we use are the source for a substantial portion of indoor air pollution, including our paints. “Though conventional paints have gotten less toxic over the years, many still release some level of volatile organic compounds, or “VOCs,” into the air in the form of a breathable gas. According to the American Lung Association, VOCs can cause a number of physical problems, such as eye and skin irritation, as well as lung and kidney damage. The best practice is to use paint that is low in, or does not contain, VOCs and low- or no-VOC paint is a quality, cost-effective painting option that is safe for the environment and the homeowner” (HGTVpro).
Mythic Paint
Related PG Actions:
Lynn’s Tip:
Open Windows: According to the Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air is three times more polluted than outdoor air. Let the good in air and the bad stuff out! Easy enough 
Related PG Action:
Take shoes off at the door regularly
Lynn’s Tip:
Garage Sale/Donate: One of my most favoritest things about spring is the cleaning up and clearing out! Spring time to many reminds us of simplifying and sorting…starting fresh and new! It’s a great time to go through your belongings and decide what you love, like and dislike. You might think of this as three piles – but you will only be making two. Keep what you love and out the door with all the rest. Have a garage sale, donate or give as hand-me-downs to someone in need! It’s a great way to clear the clutter while doing something nice too.
Related PG Actions:
Lynn’s Tip:
Rain Barrel: Capture one of our greatest gifts from nature – pure lovely rainwater! Rain barrels are a great way to conserve resources while reducing the amount of well or municipal water we use. “Luckily, rainwater harvesting has gone mainstream, and it’s easy for homeowners to take advantage of recapturing “lost” water with a rain barrel. Your roof collects rainwater and funnels it through gutters or downspouts, where it can be collected. But be sure to leave room to provide easy access the spigot. When your plants need a drink, just use the water from the barrel instead of turning on the hose”(Earth911).
sustainstl.org
Related PG Action:
Install rain barrels and use for lawn and garden
Install a rainwater harvesting system
For Lynn’s full post and more like it visit: www.smilinggreenmom.com!
There are millions of products out there marketed towards parents and families, but certainly not millions of good ones. So, how do you know when a product is good? Everyone knows that the best advice comes from the people you can trust, hence, the incredible value of diapers.com’s 2011 Cribsie Awards! Created to recognize the “best brands, products, services, and websites for babies and tots,” the Cribsies are a great resource for every family! The best part? Every product was chosen by people like you (who have actually used the products, might I add)!
Here at Practically Green we’ve taken it a step further and combed through the great nominees to find our personal favorites, meaning of course, some of the greenest options!
Photo Credit: Happy Solez Organics
Nursery:
California Baby (Skincare)
Halo (Organic fabrics)
Aden + Anais (Organic cotton muslin wrap)
Seventh Generation (Diapers)
Nature Babycare (Diapers)
Under The Nile (Security blankets)
MiYim (Security blankets and toys)
Best Way To Recycle Used Baby Stuff (GREEN GREEN GREEN Category!)
Most Comfy Way To Wear Your Baby: Ergo; Baby K’Tan; Moby Wraps; BobaPine; Sleepy Wrap (All have an organic version, which is the greenest way to go.)
Fashion:
Photo Credit: Hank & Jojo
Play:
BabyBjorn Babysitter Balance (Organic cotton version)
Mealtime:
Happy Baby, Earth’s Best, Tasty Baby, Sprout, Ella’s Kitchen, and Nurturme (All organic!)
The Think Baby (Stainless steel)
Green Sprouts (Glass cubes)
Annie’s, Plum, Little Duck Organics (Choose the organic options which are much healthier and don’t contain the yucky stuff)
Born Free, Dr. Brown’s, Green To Grow (These companies make glass bottles which are safer than and therefore preferable to plastic)
Remember: The more legitimate certifications, the better, and always read the product information.
We look forward to hearing the winners announced on March 25th!
This photo shows possibly the most pleasantly aromatic environment imaginable: Weleda North America’s headquarters in Palisades, New York. Imagine 90 birthday candles on top of that historic roof: Weleda is celebrating a big anniversary this year, in tune with its original core values “centered around respect for human beings, nature and sustainability,” as CEO Jasper van Brakel puts it.
Visit the Weleda site to learn more about this history, locate a Weleda spa, get to know some of their expert therapists, subscribe to we magazine, explore the products – and buy them! — including the new pomegranate line of facial care. After all, style guru and Ecofabulous founder Zem Joaquin says it’s “the bomb for hydrating and regenerating aging skin.” We agree! … Frankly, we haven’t yet met a Weleda product we didn’t absolutely LOVE.
Weleda sponsors the Natural Baby badge at Practically Green, and our intern Samantha is practically swooning from the heavenly samples she’s sending out to badge winners! Find a baby and get yours today!
A few months ago, we noticed a modest but powerful post from Jennifer Barckley, Weleda’s Director of Corporate Communications & Education. It describes her shift to a healthier, greener way of life. See what you think, and please send your stories in! We love sharing them.
Five years ago, I turned organic. Although my back-to-the-roots awakening came not so long ago, it was still a time when the now all-abuzz “green” adage was hardly in vogue. But with the help of Weleda, I literally embarked on a life journey—deep into the thicket of all things natural. Inspired by the subtle yet genuine scent of Wild Rose Body Lotion, I rediscovered my deep-
seated connection to nature and began making changes—one natural facial moisturizer, one organic apple, one Biodynamic® glass of wine and one indigenous cashmere sweater at a time.
Inherently, by birth, we are all shades of “green”—natural and organic. As we grow up, it is easy to lose touch with our origins through exposure to processed foods, synthetic household products and not-so-healthy skin creams. I know all too well. This was once my world. But just as these choices are habit forming, the healthier eco-options are equally as addictive. When you give them a dabble, you begin to crave the healthier alternatives and the perpetual empowerment of making these choices….
Whether you roll up your sleeves and start composting, or make time to give your baby a nourishing massage, or simply spend a few minutes each day outdoors, you’ll feel a refreshing difference. I certainly have.
So, into the green we go. We’d love to hear from you along the way. After all, this is a lifelong journey.
You can email Jennifer at jennifer@weleda.com, share stories and connect with Weleda on Facebook (facebook.com/weleda) and Twitter @weleda.
Today’s guest blogger is Anna Clark, from Dallas, Texas, President of EarthPeople. She’s the author of Green, American Style and contributes the Eco-Leadership blog on GreenBiz.com. Anna describes having an a-Ha moment when her first child was born (as so many of us do!). All of a sudden her career, which was going along nicely at IBM, wasn’t satisfying. “I found that I was passionate about the environment,” she says. “I know it might sound crazy, but I felt this creeping helplessness about melting glaciers, polar bears and walruses losing their homes because of our actions. I decided I had to make a dent in it somehow!” Earth People was born.
We’re delighted to have Anna on board our blogging team! Here’s her first report, an interview with CEO Jason Graham-Nye of gDiapers “to get the scoop on why and how his nappies are coming up daisies.” Think about it! 216,000 babies are born every day worldwide, so diapers and related products — their manufacture and their disposal — are major. Anna interviewed the CEO of gDiaper, Jason Graham-Nye. Here’s her report:
A global parenting phenomenon is taking root, thanks in part to a virtual army of over 24,000 enthusiastic gDiapers supporters. But can a disposable diaper liner genuinely ward off rash and function like fertilizer at the end of its use? Yes, and the proof lies in gDiaper’s Cradle-to-Cradle certification.
Anna: gDiapers is the first consumer product of any kind to receive the prestigious Cradle-to-Cradle design certification. How did you decide to pursue that?
Jason: In 2004, we thought green credentials were critical. The University of Oregon found that 95 percent of products are green-washed, as described in the Greenwashing Index. We had a technical director early on and found that William McDonough’s group MBDC was the best. The process really went deep, evaluating our upstream suppliers and their suppliers. When we got upgraded to silver, we worked with our manufacturing partner in Ohio and we influenced this larger company to go 100% renewable. We’re proud of that.
Anna: For industry insiders, your C2C certification tells us everything we need to know about the sustainability of your product. For moms and dads who aren’t familiar, can you talk on the environmental impacts of gDiapers? For example, how safe is the gel for the environment?
Jason: When we first got into this, as parents we were suspect. Super absorbent polymer (SAP) was given a bad rap in the early 80s for toxic shock syndrome. Women were dying, but it was due to prolonged usage, not the super absorbents – that is, the gel. As far as our product goes, you would need to ingest 5 of our diapers whole to get the toxicity equal to one teaspoon of salt. As for the environment, our product allows you to compost the wet ones. They can biodegrade within 50-150 days at home or in 10 days with commercial composting.
Anna: What about the diaper covers? What are the green savings if those covers are plastic?
Jason: Actually, the diaper holder is not plastic. It’s a textile that we’ve been working with for 20+ years to create a barrier that is waterproof and durable. Like a Nike drive fit, it’s a textile that’s been treated…. About 95 percent of kids are in disposable diapers. All disposable diapers need ½ cup of oil to make so they take their toll on the environment, to say nothing of the waste they create. Of course, we want to be best for the baby as well as the planet. Moms don’t realize how much diaper rash occurs due to disposable diapers. The outer pant is breathable and soft on the babies’ skin, which prevents diaper rash. We use these diapers on our own kids, which says it all.
Anna: To what extent have mommy bloggers helped you share your story?
Jason: A ton. Our Facebook community numbers over 24,000. The true believers have been enormously important for us. We have customers who willingly do customer service for us.
Anna: This deviates from traditional marketing. Do you think your company is unusual in listening to your customers?
Jason: I got a shellacking from someone who said the gDiapers brand is out of control, essentially saying ‘it’s now in control of the customers and the horse has bolted.’ On the contrary, by empowering customers we’re giving them a stake in our company. It’s about trust and faith. When leaders get in front of their brands and stop hiding behind customer service, the brand goes to places you never thought it could.
Wrapping up, Jason explains that gDiaper’s philosophy begins and ends with taking care of people. “We massively believe in the social component of sustainability. Kim and I believe in taking time for family.” The company’s generosity to employees – including flextime, telecommuting, subsidized childcare, and ample vacation – has resulted in a near-zero attrition rate (ultimately a money-saver for gDiaper). “We’ve already discovered that one company, even one person, can be the change,” concludes Jason. “Our goal is to transform the way business is done.”
A Mother’s Perspective
Practically Green CEO Susan Hunt Stevens is one of gDiapers users. “We used them with our daughter,” she said. “We washed the cloth outers with our regular laundry and rinsed the liners each time. We did not compost the pee ones since everything got flushed, usually in conjunction with another “need to flush”. As a result, we had no landfill waste until she was completely done with diapers, at which point the 4 inserts and cloth outers we used could have been donated, although they were really in no shape to do so.” We could say that in this case, Susan used the product through the end of its useful life.
To summarize, the beauty of gDiapers lies in the empowerment of its customers. By giving consumers the option to flush, compost or toss, the company gives us room to do as much or as little for the environment as we choose. It’s a reminder that a company can make a greener product but an equally-informed user makes all the difference.
Estelle Hayes lives in Silicon Valley where she blogs at www.underapinkmoon.com. Check it out!
Personally? I was instantly transported to a retreat in Big Sur.
She’s “been focused on living a cleaner and greener lifestyle for while.”
But like most people I am often overwhelmed by all the areas in daily life that can still be improved. So I especially appreciate it when a site like Practically Green offers simple actions that I can take every day that really make a difference.
Thank you, Estelle! She’s talking about actions like,
Check your cosmetics against the Skin Deep Cosmetics or Good Guide databases and Switching to all-natural make-up – lipgloss, foundation, blush, mascara….
We think Estelle’s recent piece from HuffPo is terrific – gotta love a writer who wonders how the world would be different if men wore more product in their hair!
The Chemicals In Your Cosmetics
Sodium lauryl sulfate is an effective degreaser used to clean oil stains from the floor of my mechanic’s repair shop; what’s it doing in my toothpaste and my daughter’s bubble bath? And, why is the long-known carcinogen nitrosamine, banned in Canada and the European Union, still a common ingredient in my mascara, concealer, sunless tanning lotion and baby shampoo?
The simple answer is that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration still doesn’t bother to regulate anything it dismisses as cosmetics — any products used topically — despite the growing science showing how easily poisons and pollutants can be absorbed through the skin. Since the 1930s, the only thing the FDA regulates is the accuracy of the labeling on cosmetics.
As long as manufacturers list in gory detail the witches’ brew of industrial chemicals, heavy metals, and toxic substances they blend into your eye cream or face wash, they are free to dump whatever they want into your epidermis.
As consumers, we are left to defend ourselves armed only with unintelligible ingredient labels and confusing news reports about what parts per billion of something can cause cancer or Alzheimer’s. Americans are taking their bodies on a magical mystery tour full of chemicals and heavy metal toxins by way of basic grooming habits.
Just a little Googling reveals that every day we are exposed through personal care products to more than 10,000 nasty chemicals banned elsewhere in the world. Everything from lip balm to hand lotion is filled with stuff we wouldn’t dream of putting in our stomachs. Instead, we eagerly spread it over the largest organ of the body — ensuring effective absorption and exposure to a daily dose of illness-inducing and cancer-causing garbage. The american medicine cabinet has become a virtual love canal of hidden industrial waste that wouldn’t be allowed anywhere else.
For example, the Environmental Protection Agency requires workers to wear protective gloves, clothing, and goggles when handling chemicals like Diazolidinyl Urea and Propylene Glycol when they manufacture your favorite antiperspirant. The EPA warns workers against skin contact with these chemicals because they are known to cause brain, liver, and kidney abnormalities — in concentrations lower than those found in off-the-shelf stick deodorants. By contrast, you are not even given a fair warning by the deodorant industry as it encourages you to apply these very same poisons to your naked underarms every morning.
Okay, so according to Washington it’s every woman for herself, but ever try to read the ingredients of your shampoo? I mean the ingredients that are actually listed? Good luck even pronouncing isobutylparaben. And if “fragrance” is involved you’ll never actually get the straight story. Fragrance is protected as a trade secret and up to 200 suspect ingredients can be buried in there with no call-out.
In a recent Congressional hearing the head of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Stephen Sundlof, waved the white flag when he said, “The law as it is currently written allows virtually anything to be incorporated into a cosmetic.” This lack of oversight means that consumers actually know very little about what makes up their make-up. And there is little rigor to the enforcement of existing policies: only nine out of tens of thousands of chemicals have been banned in the U.S., compared to 11,000 so far in the E.U.. Even more alarming is the fact that only 11 percent of ingredients used by Americans in personal care products have even been reviewed for safety — by anyone.
So, what have the Europeans and Canadians figured out that we have not? For one, their governments don’t rely on a voluntary reporting system to monitor product safety. Incidents — from adverse reactions to longitudinal health surveys — are made public by law. Under decades-old U.S. law, cosmetics companies are not required to publicly submit information on the safety of their products so, surprise, they don’t. And the toothless FDA relies almost solely on the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), the industry’s self-policing safety panel, for its product safety data. European regulators do their own safety research and reporting.
While the poets may consider your body a wonderland, the truth is it’s more likely a wasteland of built-up toxins that would earn perpetrators federal jail time if they dumped it into any canal other than the alimentary.
What we need is a green movement for the human body. Improving consumer protections against “body dumping” must start with the FDA. Fortunately, even with a regulation-averse Congress, much of the FDA’s powers are interpreted internally. There are numerous administrative steps the FDA can take without Congress butting in — if it so motivated by public alarm. You can contact your regional FDA office and make some noise. Several good organizations under the banner of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics — including the Environmental Working Group and Health Care Without Harm — have been banging the drum in Washington, but they need our help to be effective.
It seems our city sewers have more protections than we do. As a creative alternative, perhaps we could declare ourselves micro-dumps and ask for protections under the EPA. Or we might seek relief from broader protections granted to us under the Occupational Safety and Health Organization (OSHA). Hazmat-clad technicians could scan our ditty bags for offending lipstick and hand creams.
One has to wonder if all this would be different if men wore makeup and a tad more product in their hair.
Alicia and Jonathan Hunt are early friends of Practically Green who launched a business called Green Lifestyle Consulting because, in Alicia’s words, “we are overflowing with ideas on how to live an environmentally friendly life, without impacting our lifestyle. We’ve become the environmental go-to people for our friends and family.”
In 2008 we participated in a year-long contest called the Energy Smackdown, which was designed to teach people how to reduce their carbon output. I was skeptical, but after the first few months we had reduced our monthly electrical and gas usage by over 30 percent without making any radical lifestyle changes or spending a lot of money. I was hooked. I began trying to find more ways to lower our bills even further, and I was hired to create Home Energy Seminars that would be presented around Massachusetts.
We have three small children, so you can rest assured that suggestions we make are feasible for people with children – if not, we’ll say so! In fact, many things we have researched and learned are because our children also feel very strongly about doing what’s best for the planet. One example is that my son kept bringing his juice boxes home from kindergarten, insisting that they shouldn’t be thrown away.
Alicia’s blog often gives tips and advice — on lighting, recycling, gardening, and eco-friendly child-raising. Some of the info is pretty advanced – remember, the Hunts have three M.I.T. degrees between them.
Last week Alicia surprised her audience with a refreshing and candid essay on how to make green living work for you. She’s graciously allowed us to excerpt it here:
When Living Green Isn’t What’s Best For Your Family
Wow, that sounds like an odd thing for our blog “When living green isn’t what’s best for your family.” I think it’s important for people to realize that sometimes you have to make choices, and if certain things and certain situations aren’t the right things for your family, that’s OK.
For each person, lifestyle choices are personal and each person has to decide what they are able to do. Sometimes doing what’s best for the environment is better for us too, like watching less TV and eating healthier foods. Sometimes we make sacrifices for the environment, like going the extra step to recycle rather than just throwing everything in the trash or taking shorter showers….
An example:
We cloth diaper.
It is important to us and we are willing to go the extra steps of washing diapers rather than throwing them away. If we had to take our laundry to a laundry mat, honestly, I probably wouldn’t be using cloth diapers. However, my toddler had a lot of trouble with diaper rashes and yeast this summer and fall. After trying everything we could think of: stripping the diapers, bleach in the wash, changing detergents (twice), liners with creams, extra baths and naked time, nystatin, the only thing that would help the rashes go away was disposable diapers. We finally had to give in and put him in disposable diapers for a full month to completely kick the rash. Eventually the rash went away and with baited breath for fear the rash would come back, we went back to our cloth diapers. Fortunately, the rash has stayed gone for the most part, with just short, infrequent outbreaks.
We still have to use a small number of disposables though. We have found that the toddler overflows his diapers whether he is in cloth or disposables overnight. We stuffed the cloth with hemp and regular inserts, as full as we could get them, and he still would wake up soaking. We finally found that if we put a disposable diaper with a cloth on top of it, it would keep his clothes dry at least 4 or 5 nights a week. Since he had so much trouble with diaper rashes and cloth diapers, we figure it’s probably better for him to have the variation of cloth and disposables at different times.
The environmentalists in us are horrified that we still buy and use disposable diapers, but the reality is that we have to do what is best for our son (not to mention helps us sleep through the night).
For more on diapers, see these actions on Practically Green.
And maybe you’ll go for the Natural Baby badge 
*AND/OR* the Waste-Free Baby badge! 
OK. Maybe you saw this — and if you didn’t, we want to share it:
A study released from the University of California, San Francisco reveals that an overwhelming percentage of pregnant women in the U.S. may have highly toxic environmental chemicals — some illegal — in their bodies. The trial found that out of the 268 pregnant women tested for toxins, 100 percent showed traces of several individual chemicals in their blood or urine. They include certain PCBs, organochlorine pesticides, PFCs, phenols, PBDEs, phthalates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and perchlorate. Some of the chemicals have been illegal since the 1970s — and others were comparable to those found in non-stick cookware, furniture, and beauty products. Researchers concluded that pregnant women in the U.S. are exposed to far too many environmental chemicals, and further studies are planned to understand the exact sources of exposure, and how they can be avoided.
Before you freak, let’s listen to Dr. Dr. Alan Greene, of DrGreene.com. We love Dr. Greene and think he’s about the best pediatrician around, and we want to share his guidance. Many thanks to Healthy Child Healthy World for permission to reprint.
Dr. Alan Greene:
A major 2011 analysis of typical pregnant women across the US found widespread evidence of toxic chemicals in their blood, often at levels that have been linked to higher risk of developmental and reproductive problems in babies in other studies. Beyond this, the pregnant women in this study were typically exposed to mixtures of various toxic chemicals at one time, with effects we have yet to understand.
Over the next week I’d like to highlight 5 big take home lessons from this study. Today, let’s consider the real value of this study.
Lesson 1: It’s a peek behind the curtain.
While it might be tempting to be anxious because of this study, or to ignore it because it seems overwhelming, I recommend a different response. This study is not a warning of a scary new epidemic of problems arriving with next year’s babies.
Instead, it’s a peak behind the curtain at what might be the hidden story behind the marvelous kids we already see on today’s playgrounds across the country. Most are very healthy – among the healthiest kids in history. Yes, too many are overweight. Too many have asthma. Too many have allergies. Too many have learning problems. Too many start puberty early. More than half have some chronic illness. But this isn’t slowing kids down as much as the devastating infectious diseases of the past. It is a vibrant generation of children.
Our time reminds me of the era when germs were first discovered – invisible, impossibly small organisms that had already been causing human disease. Their detection paved the way for great improvements in health.
We are now able to detect toxic chemicals, at what were recently impossibly low levels to detect, that may already have been causing human disease. I’m hopeful that this will pave the way for great improvements in health.
Read More in this Series:
- Lesson 1: It’s a peak behind the curtain.
- Lesson 2: All products are eco-products.
- Lesson 3: Public policy changes your body.
- Lesson 4: Your choices do matter
If you’re a new or expecting mom, or if you love someone who has a new baby, please investigate the easy and fun Waste Free Baby badge, which rewards you for choosing reusables with your baby, and the Natural Baby Badge, which rewards you for choosing all-natural products for that cute amazing little person.
Join @Healthy_Child Thursday February 17th at 6pmPST/9pmEST for a Twitter party about Baby’s First Foods with Dr. Alan Greene (@drgreene), Shane and Chantal Valentine (@babycuisine), and Kelly Rudnicki (@foodallergymama).
Catherine with TV star Michelle Stafford
Practically Green is delighted to introduce Sprout Change products from our sponsor Willow Store. We thought you’d like to hear a bit about the company and its founder:
Catherine Bolden describes that she created her company because she needed better options for her family: “The Willow Store came out of our day-to-day life, the things we use all the time.” Her company’s goal is to support a more reusable future. In other words, Catherine is devoted to reducing waste. And with four children ages 8, 6, 4, and 18 months, it’s no surprise that Catherine’s first products are focused on, well, baby waste!
And voila: beautiful reusable training pants, baby wipes, cloth diapers and resusable diaper inserts – all part of the Sprout Change system from Catherine’s Willow Store. She also makes reusable nursing inserts and fem-care pads.
Sprout Change training pants
Sprout Change is unlike any other diaper on the market. It is a truly innovative, patent-pending, reversible one-size diaper system. Our system is the easiest, most convenient reusable diaper available, that also happens to give you the best fit and ultra-trim absorbency, it’s premium without the price, and made in the USA. We didn’t compromise, so you don’t have to.
Have a look at Catherine in action at her home-based factory, getting ready for her appearance at the Boom Boom Room event before the Golden Globes in Hollywood last weekend. Impressive!
Sprout Change is… One-size, Custom fit Easy Fits your lifestyle and your budget Sprout Change combines all the great things about cloth diapers into one!…
Girls' training pants
There’s plenty of cloth diapers out there, and they all pretty much work. Sprout Change is a compilation of all the great things cloth diapers can be. Our system is a hybrid unlike any other that combines pocket diapers, prefolds and all-in-ones to make the least confusing, most economical diaper available…. That anyone can afford. One-size, Custom fit Fits 5-40+ lbs Get the right fit, fast Patent pending, easy size adjustments Leak-free Easy Innovative snap positions, anyone can figure out (daycare friendly!) No more guessing Breathable Shell keeps baby rash free Unbeatable leakproof protection Seamless gussets for mess-free cleanups
Affordable: Fits your lifestyle and your budget Fewer Shells means less cost for you, without compromising on quality Unique Reversible Shell has two colors in one Prefer side closing or front closing diapers (like disposables)? You get both! Soft fabrics touch baby, not plastic* Double layers of PUL make our diapers last years!
Thank you, Sprout Change, for being one of our very special launch sponsors at Practically Green! Check out these actions to see Catherine’s products, buy them — and, if you’re interested, go for the Waste-Free Baby Badge! Your little ones will be so happy in these ultra soft, all-natural products made with enormous thoughtfulness and unbeatable ingredients, and you’ll love them too!
Switch to reusable baby wipes, Use cloth diapers, Switch to reusable training pants
You can subscribe to Catherine’s blog: http://thewillowstore.blogspot.com/, join her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter @TheWillowStore.
Our Founder Susan Hunt Stevens is an allergy mom. Long story short, she’s vigilant about everything that comes into contact with her son Hunter (a delightful 5-year-old Red Sox fan). I knew this was serious when she told me she couldn’t use a certain skin cream because it contains almond oil: if she put some on her face and then hugged her son, she might send Hunter to the emergency room.
Robyn and her children
Enter Robyn O’Brien, founder of AllergyKids and the author of An Unhealthy Truth. Susan and Robyn have joined forces on the subject of kids and allergies, sharing stories and inspiration and identifying solutions. There’s nothing like a pair of smart passionate mothers to lay out the issues and preventable causes.
This Monday, January 24, provides an opportunity for all of us to participate on unfolding food legislation. Robyn’s letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack explains:
On January 24, 2011, the United States Department of Agriculture will consider the approval of the biotech industry’s newest product, a livestock feed given to our nation’s dairy cows – genetically engineered alfalfa. This livestock feed (alfalfa) will not only affect our nation’s milk supply, given the novel proteins and allergens that it contains, but it also may present a risk to the increasing number of food allergic Americans.
Due to these concerns, Robyn O’Brien, the founder of the AllergyKids Foundation, has written the following letter and encourages readers to copy and paste all of or part of its contents into the online form found on the USDA’s website and submit an email to the USDA and Secretary Vilsack at this link.
Dear Secretary Vilsack,
Your work to restore the health of the American children is remarkable, and as a mother of four children enrolled in the public school system, there really are not words to convey the gratitude that you are owed for your efforts.
Your personal story, which you so candidly share about your own weight struggles as a child, is a poignant reminder of how food affects us in more ways than we could ever imagine.
It is along those lines that I am writing to you today. As you know, obesity is taking its toll on the health of our children. But the correlation between the growing number of food allergic children and the introduction of genetically engineered foods into our food supply in 1994 is of equal concern to the health of families.
According to an October 2008 report from the Centers for Disease Control, there has been a 265% increase in the rates of hospitalizations related to food allergic reactions. With the recent introduction of the first genetically engineered protein into the food supply in 1994 (a synthetic growth hormone designed to enhance profitability for the dairy industry), the dairy allergy is now the most common food allergy in the United States, according to the Wall Street Journal and CNN. With the introduction of the second genetically engineered product in 1996 (genetically engineered soy), soy became one of the top eight allergens, and studies demonstrated a 50% increase in the rate of soy allergies.
And while correlation is not causation, the body of a child with food allergies sees food proteins as “foreign” and launches an inflammatory response to drive out the “foreign invader.” With the introduction of foreign proteins into our food supply in 1994 through the genetic engineering process, novel and foreign proteins have been introduced into our food that weren’t there when you and I were children. The biotech industry does an extraordinary job of analyzing the impact that the introduction of known allergens created in the genetic engineering process will have on our health, according to the Food Biotechnology Subcommittee of the Food Advisory Committee, but no tests have yet been developed to assess the effects that the introduction of the novel allergens and proteins created in the process will have on the health and developing immune system of a child.
Because there are not yet tests to prove the safety of these novel proteins and allergens, parents in other developed countries have been alerted to this fact and these genetically engineered proteins were either not allowed into the food supply, particularly into children’s foods, or these novel proteins were labeled so that parents could make an informed choice when it comes to feeding their families.
As you know, Secretary Vilsack, there is controversy around the allergenicity associated with this new technology (which created tension back in 2002 at a government meeting of the Food Biotechnology Subcommittee of the Food Advisory Committee in which the committee’s acting chair, Edward N. Brandt, Jr., MD, PhD, said “Of course, we haven’t worked into this some kind of test for allergencity, per se… “), prompting this reaction from renowned allergist, Dr. Fred McDaniel Atkins: “To me, the logical problem is that we are going to take that stuff and feed it to the public without their informed consent.”
As our children become increasingly allergic, not only does this create federal and regulatory challenges in schools and for the food industry that might exceed any private benefit that the biotech industry may receive from the approval of this patented product, but it also creates additional challenges for our burdened healthcare system given the increasing rates of emergency hospitalizations being seen in these children.
Post-market surveillance would demonstrate that the novel allergens and proteins that have been introduced into our food supply in the last 15 years should give all of us reason to pause and assess the safety of these new products, given the increasing rates of food-allergic Americans.
Consequently, and with the utmost sincerity, I urge you to delay the approval of genetically engineered alfalfa. This alfalfa will directly impact our children’s milk supply, given that it is used as livestock feed for dairy cows. I urge you to place the same value on the lives of the American children that has already been placed on the lives of children in other developed countries, and exercise precaution when it comes to the use of these genetically engineered proteins in their food — not only because the novel proteins and allergens found in genetically engineered alfalfa have not yet been proven safe, but also because these novel proteins and allergens do not appear in children’s foods in other developed countries due to their potential risks.
The enormity of your responsibility to the health of our children cannot be underestimated. We owe you a debt of gratitude, as the legacy of your decision will have such an incredible and far-reaching impact.
With the kindest regards and heartfelt thanks for your courage and dedication,
Robyn O’Brien
Founder, AllergyKids Foundation
Author, The Unhealthy Truth
Mother of Four
Robyn’s post is on her website, AllergyKids.com, where you’ll find a wealth of resources:
“The goal of the AllergyKids Foundation is to protect American families from the additives now found in our food supply. We build community and provide information for people who want to protect the health of their loved ones, especially the 1 in 3 American children with allergies, ADHD, autism and asthma. We have the solutions to help make your experience easier and a wealth of information about how you and those you love can avoid additives and hidden allergens in many popular foods.”
Follow her on Twitter @ unhealthytruth and join AllergyKids on Facebook.
News Picks:
Latest Lead and Cadmium Toy Recalls: Ceramic Piggy
Banks: This article by Dan Shapley from The Daily Green gives great new information on some of the most recent toy recalls. From piggy banks and bracelets to lacrosse gloves and mood rings, Shapley covers some really unexpected material. This article is definitely worth the read, proving that some of the most dangerous materials are found in some really unexpected places. Remember to earn PG points by getting rid of lead in your home today!
The 2011 Green Jobs Conference is coming up February 8-10 in Washington, D.C. and it might just be the perfect time to look into a new career! From topics like recycling and agriculture, to community gardening and transportation, the conference provides some incredibly helpful information for greening your lifestyle. Check out the scheduled workshops here!
Indoor composting and gardening. mathiasbaert, Flickr Creative Commons Attribution License
No Yard? Here’s How You Can Still Make and Use Compost: This article by Colleen Vanderlinden of planetgreen.com is helpful for people with and without yards. Vanderlinden suggests worm bins and Bokashi, two methods I had never heard of. Read this article and be inspired to compost, no matter how you do it!
Multi-Media Pick:
Still having trouble cutting back on plastic? Van Jones’ talk on TED, The economic injustice of plastic, serves as a great motivator. His sincerity and humor make this talk easy and valuable to listen to. It’s a good reminder to utilize reusable bags and bottles whenever possible.
New and Cool Pick:
Looking for a wa
y to save energy, but still want fully-charged electronics? Check out this Belkin Conserve Valet Energy Saving USB Charging Station featured on Green Shopaholic. Only $40, it draws zero power when it’s not in use and can charge up to 4 devices at the same time. I need this!
18 Incredible Small Green Homes That Live Large: This awesome p
iece by Brian Clark Howard of The Daily Green is the most fun article I’ve read in a long time! With a picture, description, and location for each house, it not only makes you want to travel, but to build green as well! It’s a great reminder that thinking big comes in small packages!
This week's PG Picks created by Samantha Roach
tylenol ingredient list
We’ve had the typical winter crud circulate through the house in the past week — ear infections, strep and various colds. We aren’t big over-the-counter medicine users, but we do rely on children’s acetaminophen and ibuprofen. After four years of this “going healthy green thing,” I realized I had totally overlooked the medicine cabinet. Five minutes of reading labels and I was, well, stunned.
1. Parabens. Yup — those same ones I’ve been assiduously avoiding in my kids lotion because of concerns about potential endocrine disruption? I’ve been letting them eat the stuff. My kid’s medicine has butylparaben in it, which evidently affects the fertility of male rat offspring. I know… I know. Parabens are “Generally Recognized as Safe” by the FDA. According to the Chemical Encyclopedia on Healthychild.org however, parabens when ingested are “slightly toxic.” All I know is that I don’t want them in my medicine!
2. Artificial Colors. We try to avoid those too. I figure if warning labels about artificial colors went onto our European friend’s kids products, I’m avoiding them. As I was digging into the specifics of each color, I noted that one of the products contained Yellow #10, which isn’t ALLOWED in food, but is allowed in drugs?! Oh, but not in Europe. According to ColorCon,
“Currently, D&C Yellow #10 is approved for use in drugs and cosmetics but is not approved for food uses. This material is not acceptable for use in foods or drugs in Europe due to a difference in the specifications of the monosulfonated and disulfonated components of the dye.”
3. Sodium Benzoate. I had to do a little research to remember why this common preservative set off alarm bells, but oh yes – sodium benzoate mixed with artificial colors can lead to hyperactivity in children, mixed with ascorbic acid there is concern about benzene formation (a known carcinogen), and a UK scientist recently noted in a lab that it affected the mitocondria of DNA.
4. Propylene Glycol. This compound might be the most confusing of the bunch. The Environmental Working Group gives it a “moderate hazard” rating (4) when used in cosmetics, but doesn’t mention food. The ether version (PGE) has been linked to increased allergies. Even the Material Safety Data Sheet says it is hazardous when ingested (assumedly in very concentrated amounts). But what about in medicine? It IS an additive that the American Academy of Pediatrics has raised concerns about, primarily because of adverse reactions that range from eczema to lactic acidosis especially when administered in large quantities. But the Center for the Science in the Public Interest doesn’t mention it in their food additive list, either as safe or one to avoid and they are usually all over this stuff. Hmmmm.
And then, just for that final insult to injury, throw in some high-fructose corn syrup and lots of other sugars, including sorbitol.
I decided to head to the pharmacy to see if it was possible to buy my pain reliever without all the yucky stuff. The poor pharmacy tech had no idea what hit him although I’m confident he is now way more familiar with inactive ingredient lists.
I did find a “dye-free” version of acetaminophen which gets out the artificial colors, but everything else is still there. I also found a few homepathic remedies, but realized I’m not ready to part with an active ingredient that I know works. What I want is Tylenol or Motrin Free & Clear. But it doesn’t exist. So what’s a healthy green mom to do?
Fortunately, our friend Alexandra Zissu had addressed this question before in her “Ask an Organic Mom” blog on the Daily Green and I liked her advice. It felt very Practically Green:
It depends on your child, but in my experience, infants “need” Tylenol very infrequently. I haven’t found a child’s liquid pain reliever/fever reducer that didn’t contain a whole host of ingredients I would prefer to avoid. Someone should make one, surely there is a market. If there’s an ailment, I first suggest trying natural remedies, home remedies, or even homeopathic remedies (if you know and understand what they are, and are being advised by a trustworthy person). Talk to your pediatrician about what alternative remedies might be available. Nothing works better than honey to soothe a cough, for example, but it can’t be given to children under 1…If and when these don’t work, I do go to Tylenol or Motrin. Whatever you choose to give your baby, pay very careful attention to dosage guidelines and follow them.
So for now, we’ve settled on dye-free and even more prudent use of the stuff. But if anyone from Johnson & Johnson/McNeil Consumer Products is listening, you can do better and our kids deserve it. So when you finally do launch a Free & Clear version of your products, I want to be first in line.
News Picks:
19 Easy Home Winterization Projects: The Daily Green gives some great tips on warming up your house this season without turning up the heat! From the draft snake to caulking and weatherstripping, this article provides lots of energy-saving ideas to help you save money and earn PG points at the same time!
Rhoost Baby-Proofi
ng Products: This video from Daily Grommet introduces a line of child-safety devices made of recycled materials with no screws or adhesives, without BPA, PVC, lead, or phthalate. The line, Rhoost, was created by Vianka Perez Belyea and Tavinder Phull, two mothers sick of the traditionally complicated baby-proofing methods. The products are also portable: perfect for visits to Grandma’s!
BaaLLS: Another great alternative to traditional dryer sheets! These reusable, handmade, wool dryer balls reduce drying time for a full load by 40%! They are also unscented, use no chemicals, soften clothes, and reduce static. Made in the U.S. of 100% pure virgin wool, these dryer balls are a great way to earn PG points!
Multi-Media Pick:
Air-Powered Car, AirPod: The Future Of Urban Transportation? This article and video from The Huffington Post covers the latest invention in transportation. In the UK, a tiny car was created running on — that’s right, you guessed it — compressed air. Emitting nearly nothing, with speeds up to 50 mph, this little car could be the future! It may seem out of reach for the average motorist, but for now there’s always the hybrid! Purchase or lease one today and earn PG points!
Interested in fashion? Sheila Viswanathan of The Good Guide gi
ves a great interview with Howard Brown, co-founder of Stewart+Brown on his sustainable clothing label. The interview discusses Brown’s reasons for creating a sustainable fashion brand, what we can look forward to in the 2011 collection, and the importance of product transparency when promoting sustainability.
New and Cool Pick:
On cold winter days like these that we can’t help but dream of our next vacation. How about instead of a regular hotel or resort, yo
u look to something different. The 5 Cool Eco Friendly and Green Hotels, from Montana to Botswana, chosen by the Travelphant Travel Blog are just the tip of the iceberg. Next time you schedule a trip, look for hotels like these! From organic food, to recycling waste, these destinations have it all when it comes to green.
This week’s PG Picks created by Samantha Roach
Nancy Massotto and her son Michael
Nancy Massotto founded the Holistic Moms Network (HMN) in 2003 for mothers like herself, who were interested in natural and holistic choices for their families and wanted to find support for pursuing a greener, more sustainable lifestyle. HMN has since boomed to become one of the most popular and well-recognized parenting networks we know, with thousands of members and chapters in more than 30 US states:
Through our local Chapters, special events, and dynamic online forums, HMN members share life-changing information and advice on a variety of topics including pregnancy, breastfeeding, natural childbirth, healthy eating, positive discipline, alternative medicine, and all aspects of green living. Through the Network, they gain the confidence they need to make important decisions for their families. HMN members have discovered natural remedies for their child’s asthma and fever, found the courage to have a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC), become educated about vaccination choice, and tried recipes for making their own non-toxic cleaners.
HMN represents the growing demographic of holistic-minded parents who are questioning conventional wisdom in the areas of birthing, child-rearing, healthcare, nutrition and wellness, education, personal relationships, and more! Members can find a local Chapter (refer to this map for a chapter near you) or use the resources provided by the network and the Chapter Mentoring team to build their own local community. Among the many benefits for member are a Wellness Savings Club with partner Wellness Possibilities, an online directory of wellness practitioners; local Chapter meetings and activities, and a subscription to The Wise Mom e-magazine.
Holistic mom Julie Wagner moved to Portland, Maine and launched a new chapter there. Her story is a great account of how a local chapter might typically get started. Julie is also on the HMN National Team, managing their national outreach on Facebook and Twitter. She produced HMN’s “Nursing Our Future” video, which you can watch here.
Julie Wagner with Ed Begley Jr. and Charity O'Neill-O'Kane (HMN's Volunteer Coordinator) at Go Green Expo in Boston
“I had been a member of two different chapters for almost 4 years prior to moving to Maine and could not imagine life without HMN. I moved to Maine in September 2009, declared intention to open a chapter in October, announced it locally in January and had someone step up to co-lead at the first interest meeting in February! We had our Open House to kick off the Portland, ME Chapter in May 2010. In less than 6 months, we have 25 members and have visitors and new members at every meeting. We use our Facebook page to update members and friends of upcoming events – which came in handy when we had to postpone a community play date (reading the book and making “Stone Soup”) when the host came down with a stomach bug!
“Our chapter’s meeting topic in October was Holistic Halloween where we talked about ways to celebrate Halloween from a few perspectives. One was to host your own party that celebrated more the spirit of the season and the harvest, and with natural treats and reverence for the Earth. Another was to participate fully in the American tradition of candy and costumes, but to do it with a holistic twist. Homemade costumes, shared/hand-me-down costumes rather than disposable or cheap flimsy costumes that are mass-produced with questionable materials. We talked about candy and shared information about Reverse Trick or Treating from Global Exchange. HMN had just done a Twitter Party with Global Exchange so it was a nice connect between National and Local for us. We also talked about healthier candy options — not avoiding all candy, but how to find better options that reduce consumption of HFCS and food colorings. One mom suggested saving the trickor-treat candy to be used on Gingerbread houses come Christmas!”
**(LOVE this idea!!)**
More news from Julie: “As one of 5 finalists in the Warrior of Change contest with Sambazon, Holistic Moms Network is in the running for a $10,000 grant! If HMN wins, we’ll be able to empower more families to live healthy and green – in fact, we have committed to offering 50 free memberships if we win! Voting takes place until January 21, 2011.”
California Chapter Leaders at HMN's annual conference
In addition to local Chapter events, HMN organizes a Natural Living Conference every year. This event brings together hundreds of holistic parents with nationally-recognized speakers, sponsors, and exhibitors representing many aspects of holistic living, from positive parenting to non-toxic cleaning. Find out more on Facebook. If you’re interested, better book it! Last year’s conference was sold out weeks in advance. The 2011 Natural Living Conference will be held in Long Beach, CA on Saturday, October 1st.
On Tuesday evenings, join @HolisticMomsNet and @HMNMama for the #holisticmoms Twitter party at 10pm ET. The upcoming party on Tuesday, January 11th will discuss saving while living green through buying clubs. Check out the schedule for upcoming topics.
At Practically Green, we’re delighted to have HMN’s recommendation:
The path to living greener and healthier can be confusing, to say the least. BPA, pesticides, GMOs, food miles, parabens, and VOCs can make your head spin. But does living green have to be hard? Maybe not, if you have simple, practical steps that you can take to make small changes, one at a time…. a new online service that figures out where you are today on the green spectrum and provides you with a personalized list of changes that you can make to live even more sustainably. From switching to all-natural soap to reducing your air travel, you can take actions that will earn you points and badges for your green efforts! And you can make it social by linking your actions with your Facebook or Twitter account and encouraging your friends to join along! Practically Green is not only fun, but it helps you to figure out how green you are, decide your next green step, helps you to find products/services, experts, and friends, and helps you to stay motivated and inspired in your journey. It’s a great way to connect online and get some suggestions for how to green your life.
We’ll have more about Holistic Moms Network during the weeks and months to come and hope you’ll get in touch with Nancy or Julie if you’re interested in joining HMN or starting a branch in your area. Or just check the site or Facebook for more information.
Think of three common denominators to describe Jeffrey Hollender and Lexy Zissu? The words creative, passionate, and thorough come to mind. So it’s no surprise that their brand-new book, Planet Home, is a must for those who desire change-making inspiration and practical advice on making “Conscious Choices for Cleaning and Greening the World You Care About Most.” We’ll have excerpts and insights from Planet Home in the weeks to come — and we know you’ll come to Practically Green for follow-through motivation to make these positive changes for yourself and your family!
PG: What made you want to do *this* book — on this subject, with this approach?
Jeffrey: We live in a world where many people are passionate about living more sustainable and responsible lives for the health of the planet and the safety of their families – but often don’t know who to trust, what will really make a difference, and how to connect the dots between all the issues they face. Planet Home aspires to be the best solution to these challenges. It’s clear and concise, helps in every room of the house and almost every part of your life.
Search Google for “green living tips” and you’ll find 134,000 entries, search just “green living” and the number jumps up to 31 million. There’s no shortage of information. The challenge we all face is what actions really matter? … If I can only do 5 things, which 5 should I do?
Over 25 years ago I wrote How to Make the World a Better Place: A Beginners Guide, and 23 years ago I started Seventh Generation. I’ve spent most of my life helping to educate millions of Americans make tens of millions of green-product choices. I’ve analyzed thousands of products and hundreds of chemicals. Planet Home is the first time I’ve gathered all that information and insight into one place.
Lexy: I had spent about six years prior to meeting Jeffrey greening my own life (beyond food) and writing books about this process. As I progressed I realized that suggesting individuals green their own lives and create green bubbles wasn’t quite enough. Jeffrey says there is no such thing as a green bubble. And I was trying to figure out how to broaden my message and to simply explain that exact sentiment: we share air, we share water; in urban apartment buildings we share hallways and boilers! We. Are. Not. Alone. Jeffrey’s easy, comprehensive way of describing to me what I was already feeling and having trouble explaining in my own work was like a (LED) lightbulb. His words throughout our interviews unstuck me, and I hope they will unstick many others as they attempt to green their lives in a more systematic way, to see how a household is part of a much larger system. There are many thoughtful tips on ways to green and clean your home throughout the book, and they’re all described through this lens of understanding that even in our own homes, our everyday actions have far-reaching impacts…. My favorite chapter is 11 — The Big Picture: Protecting Your Home and Your Planet, which is all about effecting broad change outside your home once you’ve greened it.
PG: Why is Now the right time for the book?
Jeffrey: Well actually yesterday was the best day to get started. The planet needs us now more than ever. While we’ve been raising our children, looking for work, trying to figure out who to vote for and
getting ready for the next holiday – the planet has been crying out for our help. As the planet slowly heats up, fresh water gets polluted, forests are cut down and we lose species diversity – everything that ails the planet comes to ail us too…. We’re all part of one giant home, we all share the same planet, breathe the same air and ultimately drink the same water. Highly carcinogenic chemicals like dioxin that escape into the air and water when we bleach paper with chlorine, burn plastic, or manufacture PVC circle the globe, ending up in the fatty tissue of polar bears, whales in the Antarctic, fish off the coast of Finland and in the breast milk of mothers all over the planet. There is no “away.” We all in the same home and it’s time to stop throwing our garbage out the window because it will always end up in our own back yard.
Lexy: There are many people, like me, who have been slowly progressing in their journey to green. This is the logical next step. But if you’re just going green, to incorporate this big picture from the get-go is a true gift and gives a great sense of purpose and motivation. I wish I had seen the bigger picture more clearly when I began six years ago. It would have made the process faster. I also think for people who have been reluctant to go green, who might be naturally broader thinkers, Planet Home will be just what they need. In order for true change to happen, we need an army of educated conscious consumers. And this doesn’t only mean people who buy organic milk or bathroom cleaner (though those are great first steps), but people who take a more comprehensive approach. Planet Home will get them up to speed…. I’ve noticed there’s often a divide between people who go green for the environment and people who go green for personal health. I appreciate how Planet Home manages to address and attempt to marry these two. The time feels long overdue for that.
PG: The design is wonderful — how did it develop? Tell us about the concept and the resulting functionality.
Jeffrey: It’s often been said that I am a man of many words. Usually that’s way too many words. One of the best parts of working with Lexy is her amazing ability to take all those words and ideas and pare them down to their essence. With ideas, suggestions and tips crystallized. We worked with Melcher Media who created the design for the book. They used design to improve what we were working to communicate. The result is a book that will engage you, help you find exactly what you’re looking for – quickly — and gives you both the simple ideas and the larger systems context.
Lexy: I’m the word girl. And I love the design too! I think it’s functional and draws people in and that it makes it easier to read about the hazards of mold when the (sometimes scary) text is sitting on a drawing of mold. It’s less off-putting and very accessible. I had read the manuscript many times, but when they laid it out with the art, it really flew for me.
PG: Making healthy green changes in one’s personal life can be overwhelming. How does Planet Home help?
Lexy: It has it all. Big, small, broad, narrow. It’s a reference book with a heart — it’s dotted with conscious rituals: it can help you set up a nursery, clean your attic, or become a community activist. Along the way, there’s even advice on kids’ allowance. There’s something for everyone here no matter where they are on their journey to green and clean their own planet homes. There’s no judgment, only a constant invitation to join in. And it has a personality – if you read the cleaning time lines, they’re pretty laid back. Which is a relief. Germs aren’t the enemy (on page 195 we help people come to terms with germs…); harsh unnecessary chemicals are.
PG: What’s your advice to people who are just beginning to take eco-friendly actions in their personal lives? What are the first steps? How to keep going? What motivates people?
Lexy: What motivates people really varies. There are a lot of people who feel motivated by pregnancy (that’s when I got hooked), or by meeting their babies. Others feel motivated by hormone-disrupting chemicals feminizing wild male fish in our waterways, or by oil spills, or by joining forces with organizations working to protect our environment. It’s all good. Focusing on what motivates you personally will help keep you going. I find making small changes empowering, but think spreading the word — to neighbors, friends, schools — feels even more empowering. Small changes done by large amounts of people add up. So does getting politically active. Obviously some things have greater impact than others. Make changes that make sense to you and don’t feel overwhelming, and it ripples from there. Change your cleaning products to greener versions to drastically reduce air pollution indoor and out. Take off your shoes before you walk in your home; it’s the public health equivalent of washing your hands, and you won’t be tracking in pesticide residue or car exhaust. How hard are either of these things? Not very. Then keep going. Jeffrey has broader suggestions. I’m still stuck in home minutiae!
Jeffrey: Well let me try and complement Lexy here…. We all get stuck in the minutiae, and yet it is critical to try and maintain a holistic, systems-level perspective. First we need to believe that we can make a difference. As Margaret Mead said, “Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Fear and cynicism that what we do won’t matter is often the greatest enemy we face…. When choosing something to do, start with what you’re already passionate about. If you love food, start by exploring the locally grown, organic options at your local farmers market. If you’re into travel, check out the options for eco-vacations. There is no “right” place to begin, but starting with the things you care about the most will generate the types of positive experiences that are most likely to propel you to do more.
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