News Picks:

Everyone knows what NIMBY means: “Not in My Back Yard” (raised-eyebrow alert). So what’s IOBY? “IN our backyards”! IOBY is a website that connects environmental projects in NYC with people who want to donate to them and volunteer. ioby believes that “environmental knowledge, innovation, action, and service begin and thrive in our backyards.” Here’s a post on Seventh Generation’s blog that tells more. What a terrific idea for a Back to School project!

SF’s list of green vendors now available to you: For the past five years, the city of San Francisco has instituted strict standards regarding the products their municipal departments buy: they have to be truly eco-friendly. What sets SF’s list apart is that they require manufacturers to fork over information that commercial guides aren’t likely to get. See which products made the cut!

Food for thought: put salad bars in schools! Whole Foods is teaming up with chef Ann Cooper to help schools switch from processed foods to fresh, natural ingredients. Their goal is 300 salad bars in schools by January. Click here to donate to Project Salad Bar, or simply visit your local Whole Foods. Get credit for your fresh food efforts at Practically Green.

Multi-Media Pick:

“The Majestic Plastic Bag” California is preparing to vote on the nation’s first state-wide plastic bag ban, and Santa Monica-based nonprofit Heal the Bay, filmed this nature documentary-style “mockumentary” to boost support for the ban. The state senate is expected to vote by the end of August (aka SOON!). While the votes are tallied, enjoy this gut-busting four-minute video.

Get PG points for switching to reusable bags at the grocery store.

New and Cool Pick:

You thought only your faucet had leaks: When you turn your electronics off, they’re not really “off,” they maintain a “trickle” of electricity, otherwise known as an electrical leak. This great article not only tells you how to track your product’s energy consumption, but also reviews lots of products to help you manage this. For example, Belkin’s Conserve AV power strip automatically turns off your DVD player, in home theatre and game systems when you turn your TV off. The Belkin Conserve Insight measures the amount of energy plug-in appliances draw. Get PG points for saving energy here.

News Picks:

A new definition of dumpster diving: For those of you who follow us on Twitter (@practicallygrn), you know that we are just thrilled with this story! A year ago a guerilla design project turned dumpsters into swimming pools in Brooklyn. They were such a hit, more pools popped up this summer, including some on Park Avenue in Manhattan! What a great way to be resourceful and have some summer fun!

Pencils? Check. Paper? Check. Net-zero energy? Check! The first public net-zero energy school will be open for classes at the end of the month. The school was built as a teaching tool for students to learn about energy conservation, solar energy, water conservation, and recycling. Get PG points for saving energy here.

Lounging around: How about a 33 ft. long hammock made of 4,278 feet of rope from recycled bottles! The Boston project was a result of the first-ever $1,000 grant from The Awesome Foundation, and it’s meant to help bring city-dwellers together. What better way to get to know someone than to share a hammock?

Multi-Media Pick:

Green your kitchen: We taught you how to clean your microwave without using any chemicals, now Danny Seo can show you how to clean your coffee-maker, sponges, and garbage disposal as a part of Epicurious’ “Green Kitchen Videos.”

New and Cool Pick:

Oldie but goodie: Ok, so this product is far from new. You’ve likely been using it for decades! However, Crayola recently “plugged in” their solar-powered factory. Crayons will be made with solar power, marker barrels with recycled plastic, and colored pencils with reforested wood.

News Picks:

Think Green and Young: Children’s clothing and toy store Area Kids has a fabulous collection of eco-friendly duds for your little ones. The store is in Brooklyn, but offers products online. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice the “style” part of your “green lifestyle.”

Calling all Green Entrepreneurs: YouGoods is a design contest that challenges you to submit a product idea that is “practical, unique, and eco-friendly.” Act quickly, submissions are due on the 19th!

Are Chemicals Speeding up Your Daughter’s Childhood? There has been much talk in the news lately about exposure to chemicals such as BPA disrupting girls’ hormones. Hopefully the Safe Chemicals Act and the Toxic Chemicals Safety Act will help to put a stop on this disturbing trend. Click here to get PG points for your chemical free-cleaning.

Mulit-Media Pick:

Save That Stuff can help your business with its recycling needs by providing cost-effective alternatives to traditional waste disposal. See the video below for astonishing visuals of all the waste they recycle! The video is a little long, but everything worth seeing is in the first three minutes. Get PG points for recycling your stuff. Enjoy!

New and Cool Pick:

No more shoving a sponge into your Klean Kanteen: This cool brush made from recyclable materials will save you some serious time and effort. It’s hard to clean sticky drinks out of your eco-friendly reusable water bottle (my water STILL tasted like apple juice for at least three re-fillings), but this nifty brush makes it a breeze. It cleans both the inside and the outside at the same time.

We received a fresh message from Sheila Hollender of Seventh Generation first thing this morning, and we want to share it with you ASAP. Sheila is responsible for Seventh Gen’s global feminine-care initiative, and she directs the corporate-giving program. Under her leadership, the brand seems destined not only to make a difference for women of all privileges, of every nation — but also, to involve women of education and means who can help.

We’re proud and delighted to have both Hollenders — Sheila and Jeffrey, her husband — as advisors on Practically Green.

Here’s Sheila’s blog post, dated August 12, 2010. We have a funny feeling it’s historic, and we hope you’ll share it with your friends and influentials. Thank you.

News alert: Women now drive the world economy. Globally, women control about $20 trillion in annual consumer spending according to three recent studies on women and the economy: Women Want More, by Silverstein & Sayre; Why She Buys, by Brennan; What Women Want, by Underhill. All three books underscore the fact that the global market has turned female friendly. This means that by exercising the “power of the purse,” women are able to dictate what manufacturers put out into the marketplace.

It should come as no surprise that a good portion of women’s spending is dedicated to beauty and personal care products. After all, through our collective purchasing power we have made cosmetics and personal care products companies vastly wealthy. We have done this without a lot of public questioning about the ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products. We have failed to demand that the ingredients used in these products be non-toxic.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has been working to spread the word about the chemicals used in cosmetics. This organization claims that many cosmetics on the shelf today contain chemicals that have been linked to a negative impact on human health. In a video titled, The Story of Cosmetics Annie Leonard highlights the importance of knowing exactly what ingredients are used in our everyday cosmetics and personal care products.

Whether talking about the most recent miracle cream to hit the shelf or the tampons we use on a monthly basis, women have the power to change the way business is done.

Empower yourself and only support companies that actively work to make products that are safe for all of us.

News Picks:

Five kids who are changing the world: Read about five inspiring kids who are making the world a better place. Whether it’s growing organic crops and donating them to soup kitchens, or knitting home-made hats to fight hunger, these kids make us feel better about the world we live in.

How to turn an old iPod into cash: Every time you turn around, Apple is releasing a new generation of the iPod — making them smaller, more fun colors, touch screen…. (Does anyone remember the iPod with the original scroll wheel and four individual buttons?) It’s enough to give you whiplash! This article uncovers a few ways you can get cash for even the most archaic of gadgets, so you can get rid of that iPod mini collecting dust in your desk drawer. As a bonus, you can get 10 PG points for recycling your electronics.

Can we green our Planes next? Have those monthly business trips or annual family vacations put an annoyingly significant dent in your carbon footprint? Hopefully, soon this will be less of an issue. Many airlines are testing plant-based biofuels in an effort to reduce greenhouse emissions.

Multi-Media Pick:

Farmers market frenzy: Happy national farmers market week! People everywhere are becoming more interested in farmers markets, PG is lucky enough to have one right outside of our office in Boston on Tuesdays and Fridays this summer. You can find one near you here. Get 5 points on Practically Green for buying local produce. Check out this video featuring organic farmer Rebecca Schwen, as she discusses the growing interest in farmers markets.

New and cool pick:

Scrub your veggies clean: Skrub’a is a cool line of gloves you can use to scrub those veggies you just picked up at the farmers market, without losing any of the nutrients. There are different colors for veggies, carrots, and potatoes, and they sure beat the heck out of peeling or using (gasp) a paper towel.

ThredUP is a kids’ clothing swap site that lets parents exchange boxes of outgrown clothing for ones that fit, all in the convenience of your own home. Public relations and Marketing director Karen Fein opened up to PG about how the ingenious “Netflix for kids’ clothing” idea got started — and, of course, about what steps she takes to live a greener life!

How did you guys come up with this brilliant idea?

Founders James Reinhart and Oliver Lubin realized there wasn’t an efficient way to exchange clothing online. All of the outlets available to exchange clothing, such as Ebay, consignment shopping, and craigslist were just really time-consuming and inefficient. When a child outgrows one shirt, they outgrow their entire wardrobe, and if you think about putting all of that on Ebay, a parent has to list all of the items, take pictures of them, set the biddings, monitor the auctions, etc. Parents just do not have the time to do this every six months. The goal was to create an easy way for parents to exchange outgrown clothing for clothes that fit.

How did ThredUp get started, and what did people think?

The site originally started as a men’s and women’s shirt-swapping site. There were a lot of people that really loved it, but it was more of a hobby than a necessity. We realized we could use this same concept for kids to help families cut down on waste and consumption and we were shocked at the response we got! We found that because nothing like this had existed before, people were really waiting for it. People were really excited to share ThredUP with their friends and family, because it’s such an easy way to save time, money and help the environment.

Speaking of the environment, on your website you discuss teaching kids the importance of green living by creating a “thredbank”, can you explain this a little?

If you have an interest in helping your children learn about the importance of sustainable living, ThredUP can help with that. By telling your kids to set aside clothes when they outgrow them, they soon realize that these clothes can be exchanged for “new gifts,” or clothes that fit them. It reinforces the fact that you don’t always need to buy new things, you don’t always need to throw out old things, and that used clothing has value. We encourage parents to get their kids involved in the process and have them create their own “thredbank” of outgrown clothes. It can feel like Christmas morning to kids to get a box of new clothing completely for them, and they can feel proud that they took part in that exchange.

Ok, we want to ask, how green are you?

Our company is incredibly green. Personally, I take all of those simple green steps that everyone should take, like using a thermos instead of a water bottle, turning your water off when brushing your teeth, recycling always, or making sure to turn the lights out. From a clothing aspect, I take part in swap parties and shop at consignment stores. I use the options that are out there for adults right now, to promote sharing what we already have in order to cut down on waste and consumption, rather than shopping for something new and throwing clothes away. (Which I would never do.)

Now that you’ve told us some of your preferred green actions, we’re always curious to know what your least favorite green action taken you’ve taken is, or something you’re working on?

I haven’t quite made the transition to washing my clothes in cold water.

What more do you want to know about being green?

I think that for most people the main reasons they don’t take certain green steps is because they’re not necessarily convenient. It’s always good to learn about ways to go green that are not only incredibly easy, but can also save time and money. If you have those extra benefits, why not take the green option, and why not cut down on waste?

We couldn’t agree more! One last question, is there any way that you track the things you do everyday to be eco-friendly?

Not me personally, but ThredUP is about to start tracking how much waste we are saving in terms of kid’s clothing. We’re making an assumption that for every box of kid’s clothes, half of that box would normally have been thrown out and ended up in a landfill. 20 billion pounds of clothing and textiles end up in U.S. landfills every year, and every 3-6 months kids outgrow their clothing, making it a large part of that statistic.

Get PG “stuff” points for using ThredUP! Get five points for getting used clothing with this action, and get another five points for giving away/selling used clothing with this action.

You can find out more information and start swapping on ThredUP here.
Follow ThredUP on Twitter @ thredUP_Kids .

Annie Leonard

Can I tell you, I love my Pantene Pro V. Of the dozen or so personal care products I use everyday, it’s the one I can’t live without. Says it gives my dull hair “the ultimate cool shine.”  How does it do that?

I was wondering that, while I was lathering it into my hair one day, so I read the ingredients right here: Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Methyl–iso–thiazo–linone… What is this stuff?

I took this list to some scientists who know how to read it. Turns out my Pantene contains a chemical linked to cancer.  And lots of other products in my bathroom from sunscreen to lipstick and even baby shampoo also contain chemicals linked to cancer or other problems like learning disabilities, asthma and even damaged sperm. Like most parents, I try to keep my family safe but now I find out my bathroom is a minefield of toxins. What are we supposed to do?

So begins Annie Leonard’s newest film, The Story of Cosmetics. Like its viral-hit predecessor, The Story of Stuff, it promises to illuminate a few minds – this time on the subject of the need for regulation of the $50 billion beauty industry.

Last week we caught up with Annie Leonard’s collaborator and Berkeley neighbor, Stacy Malkan. She’s the communications leader for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and the author of Not Just a Pretty Face. Stacy told us more about the film, the passion behind it, the potential for improving the nation’s regulations on the stuff we put on our bodies, hair, and faces – and how she became interested in make-up in the first place.

I grew up in Lynn, Massachusetts, half a mile from the biggest incinerator in the state. I was crazy about make-up. We never thought about chemicals in cosmetics. At the same time, when I got to high school some of the kids in my class were developing health issues. Some of them had cancer. Later, others had infertility problems. But we didn’t talk about it in those days.

When I graduated from college I worked for a newspaper and covered pesticides applied to grass near a bike path that was heavily used by kids and pets. I began to realize the negative health effects of chemicals, and the fact that often we use chemicals without thinking of the consequences.

My next job was with Health Care Without Harm, where I learned about phthalates. Weird word, I know. Scientists have known about problems with testosterone and phthalates for years – hundreds of animal studies have shown defects to the male reproductive system, especially in the womb. Turns out most hospitals were using phthalates in the plastic of IV bags and tubing. It leeches right out of the bag and into the patient. Most hospitals have made progress since then.

In 2000 the CDC conducted a large bio-monitoring study of blood and urine and found phthalates in every single person they tested. Women of childbearing age had the highest incidence? Why? Because they were in cosmetics. We tested a bunch of body-care products at a lab and found phthalates in more than 70% of them, but the chemicals weren’t listed on labels. After that, cosmetics started to be tested for dangerous ingredients. At this time, Jane Houlihan initiated Skin Deep at the Environmental Working Group. This is the best source for cosmetic safety reviews in the world, the largest database of chemicals, in 60,000 products, gathered from the fifty leading government and academic databases in the world.

With the launch of the film on July 21, Congress announced the Safe Cosmetics Act legislation [on July 20]. This is a real chance to overhaul completely outdated regulations that affect so many people. Johnson & Johnson recently celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their famous baby shampoo and they said, ‘We’re using the same chemical formulation we used fifty years ago!’ I saw that and I said, ‘That is not a plus! How many huge scientific discoveries have been made on chemicals in the past half century? Why are we still putting carcinogens into baby shampoo?’

Interested in knowing more? Click here to watch The Story of Cosmetics (free, 7 mins.). Afterwards, you might feel like making a change or two in the personal-care products you and your family use. Practically Green can help you figure it out! You’ll find clear suggestions on what to do and why it’s important, from switching to a safe and effective sunscreen to using all-natural floss – and just about everything in between. We have thirty-three personal-care actions for you to consider – and yes, switching to all-natural baby shampoo is one of them.

Our friend Jon Foley is at the Aspen Environment Forum this week, and he loved Tuesday evening’s presentation so much that he told his Facebook friends about it:

Jon Foley Saw an amazing presentation by BellaGaia.com tonight. Check it out. Just beautiful.

We checked it out, and it is beautiful: just what we needed after a sultry day of traffic, juggling, and general whining. See if this two-minute sample works the same magic on you:

The Aspen Environment Forum is created by the Aspen Institute and sponsored by National Geographic; the mission is practically green on a global, planet scale.

In the spirit of the Aspen Institute, our mission is to expand and enhance your views on key environmental issues and further your understanding of the complexities of the challenges we all face, through an extraordinary rich exchange, across a wide array of important environmental topics and ideas. By bringing informed dialogue to our campus, we aim to challenge and advance the thinking of all invited speakers and attendees, and to build new levels of understanding that bridge cultural and political differences.

This week’s agenda included three days of sessions and meetings.

Jon Foley is the Director of the Institute on the Environment (IonE) at the University of the Minnesota, which publishes Momentum magazine. He’s a big thinker, always buzzing, making news and suggesting solutions. You can watch him explaining environmental tipping points here.

Bottom line: Jon’s the kind of professor we like to have around to explain the big picture. “This isn’t just about hugging trees and hope they stay here: this is about keeping the planet we know intact for future generations.”

It’s often been remarked that Walmart is the equivalent of a large nation, and can move much more nimbly, so when the massive retailer announced its foray into eco-friendly household products next month — as part of a comprehensive sustainability drive — we took note.

We really started to pay attention when Seventh Generation said they were involved, because they’re one of our favorite companies for everything we use around the house. Monday’s Wall Street Journal had a feature on some of the details, including Seventh Gen’s “dramatic shift in the way we see the world,” as co-founder Jeffrey Hollender puts it. Excerpts follow. Click here for the full story.

For years, Seventh Generation Inc. co-founder Jeffrey Hollender liked to say “hell would freeze over” before his company’s environmentally friendly household products would be sold by Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

He feels differently now. Starting next month, Seventh Generation staples, including laundry detergent, dish soap, all-purpose sprays and disinfectant wipes, will be sold in about 1,500 Wal-Mart stores. By September, other cleaners, diapers and baby wipes will be available on Walmart.com….

Five years ago, the world’s largest retailer by revenue began setting goals to reduce its energy consumption, cut waste and introduce more sustainable products. Last year, Wal-Mart introduced a program to screen chemical-based products for ingredients that could have harmful health or environmental effects. It involved the government representatives and environmental groups like the Environmental Defense Fund in developing the program, which has helped the retailer earn more credit for its initiatives.

“We’re not just putting [Seventh Generation's] products on the shelf,” says Al Dominguez, Wal-Mart’s vice president of household chemicals and paper goods. “We want their help in developing a category that’s more sustainable.”

To be sure, selling green products is also increasingly lucrative. While many shoppers switched to cheaper labels during the recession, sales of household products billed as environmentally friendly have held up relatively well despite their premium prices.

Sales of green household and laundry cleaning products rose to $557 million last year, having more than tripled since 2005, according to estimates from market-research firm Packaged Facts. Green products are still a niche category, however, representing only about 3% of the overall $19.9 billion household cleaners and laundry market.

News Picks:

Trash-Free for an Entire Year: Could you live trash-free? We at PG are always trying to find ways to make less trash, and this couple is definitely a prime example. A couple in Oregon found that not only was it possible to live almost trash free for a year, it was “easy.”

Playground Safety Hazard: Please use caution when taking your children to the park for some summer fun. From the 1970s until 2003, some wooden playground equipment was pressure-treated with a substance that (shockingly) contained arsenic.

How Green are Your Favorite Brands: You might want to think before shimmying into a new pair of jeans. A new rating system has been developed for some 100 well-known apparel and footwear brands. Just as appliances have Energy Star ratings, the “Eco Index” will eventually tell consumers the environmental impact of their purchases. The Index hopes to encourage brands to be thoughtful of the environment when designing apparel, and it gives brands that strive to be eco-friendly the credit they deserve.

Multi-Media Pick:

The Environmental Impact of a Pair of 501s: View the life cycle of one of America’s most popular brands of denim. You may be as shocked as we were to find out that to make a single pair of 501s, 3,480.5 liters of water are used. This is the equivalent to running the garden hose for 106 minutes!

New and Cool Pick:

Energy Saving Night-Light: Skip the plug-in night-light to keep those monsters away for the kids and get them a cool, solar powered Sun or Moon Jar! The jar works by being placed in direct sunlight during the day (on a windowsill for example), and automatically illuminates in the dark.

News Picks:

FarmVille Goes Organic: Show your green side in the virtual world by “planting” organic blueberry crops on FarmVille. Cascadian Farms introduces an organic feature for your favorite Facebook pastime!

Celebrities for Solar Energy: Even oil tycoons are advocating for renewable energy…well, sort of. Larry Hagman, who played Texas oil tycoon J.R. Ewing on the hit show “Dallas,” encourages people to use solar energy in his new ad campaign for Solar World.

How Honest Tea Stood Up To Coke: Honest Tea lives up to its name by refusing to remove “no high fructose corn syrup” from its packaging to appease its biggest investor, Coca-cola. Well, we at Practically Green appreciate their “honest-tea.”

Multi-media Pick:

Bring your family to an eco-friendly festival: If you’re in the Vermont area this weekend, Solarfest, is being held in Tinmouth. Solarfest boasts over 85 workshops in sustainable agriculture and solar energy for the whole family to enjoy! The festival also includes performances, vendors, food and activities for kids. More information about the festival, as well as where to purchase tickets, can be found at www.solarfest.org.

The festival will include performances by the Guy Mendilow Band, who take their commitment to the environment a step further by creating some of their own instruments out of recycled materials. See the video below where the band’s lead singer, Guy Mendilow, describes what they’re all about!

New and Cool Pick:

A New Way to Protect Your Family From UV Rays:
Just when we thought the iPhone couldn’t get any cooler, a new app, Sun Alert Lite, calculates how long you can stay in the sun without getting burned. So go ahead, let your kids play in the summer sun and have the Sun Alert Lite app tell you when it’s time to apply sunscreen!

Photo Credit: http://appstorehq-production.s3.amazonaws.com/asunalertlite-iphone-120138.185×185.1262771347.51137.jpg

We admire our friend Heather’s systematic/bordering-on-ruthless cleaning out of her cosmetics cabinet so much that we wrote about it several weeks ago. Long story short, Heather was struck when her beloved husband casually inquired (from behind his newspaper) whether she’d ever considered the potentially harmful ingredients in her make-up and skin care collection, which is apparently extensive. Look closely at this photo to see the numerical ratings system that she developed:

Not everyone takes such an organized (okay, draconian) approach when they shift to all-natural cosmetics. At Practically Green we totally understand that everyone will want to make changes at their own pace, one tube at a time if they wish, and over a period of years if that suits them — and not because anyone beat them around the head about it.

That said, we appreciate it when a major retail outlet lends a hand. It can be very frustrating to try to evaluate all those ingredients on product labels, in their 4-point-font size. As we say in the Practically Green Personal-Care Actions section, the best advice may be to stay away from anything with a long unpronounceable name, such as methylparaben or sodium laureth sulfate.

When it comes to personal care items like toothpaste and body lotion, claims like “made with organic ingredients” or “authentically organic” can flummox even the greenest consumer. No federal agency polices organic claims for personal care items — at least not yet — so manufacturers have been able to use these customer-pleasing terms loosely and liberally.  (The New York Times)

Whole Foods is part of the solution to this predicament. With stores in 39 states, Canada, and the UK, the Whole Foods “Whole Body” section is the most profitable area of this retail operation. Last month, we were happy to hear that Whole Foods would demand stringent standards for third-party organic verification by June 1, 2011. That sounds like fair notice to us.

And we were deighted to read this story in today’s New York Times, which describes how Whole Foods plans to execute on its promise. Excerpts:

As of June 1, 2011, any products that make organic claims and don’t get the certification will be removed from the shelves of Whole Foods stores. (The company will continue to carry nonorganic products as long as they don’t make organic claims.)

“We’re trying to make it so that our customers don’t have to switch standards and expectations when they cross from grocery into the body care aisle,” said Joe Dickson, the Whole Foods quality standards coordinator.

The policy, announced June 18, is already shaking things up among companies that make — or claim to make — organic beauty items. Many of these companies rely on Whole Foods for the majority of their sales, so the new rule will have broad repercussions.

“People aren’t going to have two labels in the market, one for Whole Foods and one for everyone else,” said David Bronner, president of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, a line of products (most of them soaps) sold in Whole Foods and certified as organic by the Agriculture Department. As a result, he said, the Whole Foods policy could become the de facto standard.

“Right now we’re being drowned out by all these cheaters,” Mr. Bronner said. “But this has the potential to be a game changer.”

Dr. Bronner Products

The Times credits blogger OrganicMania for publicizing the issue, in her recent post about her baby’s first real haircut. Organic Mania is one of our favorite blogs. Bravo to OrganicMania and its founder, Lynn Anne Miller, for helping us and everyone else “cut through the hype and figure out when it makes sense to lay out the big bucks for organic and green purchases.”

The dream scenario for organic activists is that the Whole Foods policy will prompt companies to revamp their formulas. But the reality is that, for now at least, many will simply change their labels.

Such is the case at Aubrey Organics, a 45-year-old company that makes everything from deodorant to dog shampoo. While many of its products have already earned organic certification, others have not — and cannot with their current formulation.

“There are just certain things that our raw-materials manufacturers haven’t figured out how to make organic yet,” said Curt Valva, general manager of Aubrey Organics, referring mostly to abrasive soaps and cleansers.

Rather than compromise the strength of its products, the company is instead creating a second brand known simply as Aubrey. “That’s what everyone calls us anyway,” Mr. Valva said. The new brand — without the organic claim — will be available at Whole Foods and alongside Aubrey Organics.

Ms. Miller, the blogger, said that branding changes like this will only sow more confusion. In an ideal world, she said, ‘Mom just needs to look for a trusted seal. If it’s there, it’s organic. If not, it’s not.’

Whole Foods Flagship store in Austin, Texas

We focus on solutions at Practically Green – and not on lousy news — but this week, an astounding alert about lead in fruit juices and packaged fruit simply won’t go away. We share it with a dismal sensation: how could juices labeled organic, and sold at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Safeway, and other grocery stores we trust, possibly be harmful?

We don’t know the answer to that question, yet, but we’re glad that the Environmental Law Foundation is on the job. In case you’re not familiar with the ELF, here’s its mission:

The environment is the place where we live, work and play. Given accurate and complete information, and the opportunity to make a choice, people will choose products or actions which improve or do not degrade the environment. However, not everyone in our society has a choice about the quality of his or her environment. Those who most need the Environmental Law Foundation’s resources are those who lack choice and lack access to the political and economic power that ensures choice.

On July 9, the ELF filed a pre-suit complaint against dozens of fruit-juice and packaged-fruit companies:

“Notices of Violation of California Proposition 65 Toxics Right to Know law, alleging the toxic chemical lead was found in a variety of children’s and baby foods.  The specific food categories included apple juice, grape juice, packaged pears and peaches (including baby food), and fruit cocktail.”

Please scroll to the end for the full list of juices and fruits that didn’t make the grade. The ELF website includes the full story, press release and useful links:

California Department of Health, Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch,www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/CLPPB/Pages/FAQ-CLPPB.aspx

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Why not change the blood lead level of concern at this time?” (June 1, 2009), http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/policy/changeBLL.htm

Toxicological Profile for Lead, U.S. Department Of Health And Human Services, Public  Health Service, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2007, http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp13.htm

We thought the answer to this FAQ would be especially helpful to Practically Green blog readers:

Q. Sometimes my child’s lunch has 3 different items that are from your list!  What should I do?

A. The most important step you can take is to become informed.  Find out about the levels of lead in the fruits, juices and other items your child consumes regularly…. Decide for yourself and your family whether there are more protective alternatives you can choose.  Stay informed and support efforts to clean up our food supply.  And remember, the American Academy of Pediatrics has long recommended placing limits on the amount of juice consumed by children.

The list of the good and the not as good: http://www.envirolaw.org/documents/ProductsTestedforLeadFINAL.pdf

If you have further information or perspective on this, please comment. Thank you.

Have a terrific Red, White, Blue, and Green long weekend, everybody! Here are a few snippets for a great holiday. First, of course, we hope you’ll head to PracticallyGreen and answer a few quick questions for suggestions of things you can do to make your life healthier and safer for you and your family — this weekend and anytime.

In a BBQ frenzy? Dive into Self magazine’s special burger section for mouthwatering recipes from beans, turkey, and spices. How about Rosemary-Sage Burgers With Apple Slaw and Chive “Mayo” or Portobello-Black Bean Burgers With Corn Salsa? YUM! http://www.self.com/about/burgers

Annie Leonard at a shoot for her new movie

Got sunburn? Stay indoors and watch The Story of Stuff, Gasland, Food, Inc. and get ready for Annie Leonard’s new movie, The Story of Cosmetics, releasing at the end of the month.

Kids bouncing off the walls? Plan a trip to your local library! Massachusetts libraries have a “Go Green at Your Library” summer reading program, featuring a special program for teens: tnk grEn (Think Green) .

Going on a trip? Ask if your hotel offers eco-friendly amenities, such as opting out of daily housekeeping service – for a $5/day credit! Read about two Phoenix hotels who’ve jumped aboard the burgeoning movement of green travel hosts.

Annika and Kerry

Beach reading: Eco-awesome designers Annika Sanders and Kerry Seager run London’s Junky Stylish fashion label. They make wedding dresses from men’s white button-downs and set up an O.R. in NYC last week to transform unwanted maternity wear, tuxes, kimonos, and pinstripes into high-fashion garb. Isn’t it somehow patriotic to remember our British cousins on Independence Day?  In the July 5 New Yorker magazine. Or pick up the book, Junky Styling: Wardrobe Surgery.

Almost four years ago, I tossed my first bottle of conventional baby lotion and banned plastic from our microwave.

My toddler son had just been diagnosed with a whole range of food and environmental allergies. This got us reading labels — and we quickly learned a lot about the impact that chemicals, hormones, antibiotics in foods, and other nasty stuff have on us and our kids.

The process was confusing, time-consuming, and complex–and it was filled with a lot of contradictory information.  And that was just the cleaning, food, and personal-care stuff!  When we decided to embark on a major home renovation focused on other ‘green’ things — like saving energy, saving water, reducing waste, and selecting products and services that were better for us and the planet — it got REALLY hard.  So hard, I decided to do a graduate program in sustainable design to understand it better!

I learned a lot about LEED® in my courses.  LEED is a system for developers, builders, and architects to earn points for incorporating green features into buildings.  If they do a really good job, their projects become LEED Silver, Gold, or even Platinum.  LEED® has sparked a boom in green building.

What I especially loved about LEED® was its framework, which made it easier to understand what to DO to live healthier and greener.  This simplified the impact of actions into categories and points — far easier to understand than carbon tonnage or kilowatt hours or volatile organic compounds. My Type-A side loved the checklists because it gave me ideas and I could measure progress.  My achievement-oriented side loved the idea of getting recognition for that progress. My Mom side loved the fact that I was doing something healthy for my family.

There was only one problem with LEED®.  It was totally irrelevant for the majority of decisions I was making on a daily basis as a mom. How many points for bringing bags to the grocery store?  How many for ditching my petroleum-based lipstick or switching to cloth napkins?  When I do these things, am I still just barely green or have I improved a lot?

I wanted LEED® for moms like me.  And for my neighbors and friends.  Because wouldn’t it be great if we had a system to rely on that was clear and easy to understand and helped us figure out what to do?   What about a place where we all had a way to share what we know, learn from others, and celebrate progress?  That had a trustworthy list of green products and services? And we could see what our friends, and others, thought about those products?

If that place existed, I could have totally avoided the all-natural deodorant that cost a lot and didn’t work, and the eco-tiles that turned pink when they got wet.  We would have made a quicker switch to low-flow faucets, because it’s actually easy to do, AND it’s really beneficial.  This service would have made our complex journey over the last four years easier and way more fun.

Well, it didn’t exist. So I decided to pull a group of amazing people together and build it. Today, we are opening our doors to you.  We know we are just getting started and there’s lots of room to improve, but the best way to do that is invite your help. You can get started with our fun, diagnostic quiz.

We call ourselves Practically Green because we believe Perfectly Green isn’t really achievable (not to mention impractical).  We believe people really do want to change how they live. They’re intent on going forward — at their own pace, budget, and schedule.

We’ve been testing this service with an amazing group of women from around the country.  We are now opening it to you, our friends, our colleagues, and our readers. We hope you try it out today and if you love it, please share with one person (or 10 or 20!). We know that’s how Practically Green will grow.

Thanks for already being one of our earliest fans and supporters. We consider you a founding friend!

Very truly yours,

Susan

Can we talk? I’m an optimist, but between us, it wouldn’t take much to make me go into hiding some days. Just say the words “BP oil spill” or “record hurricane season forecast,” and I can feel the blood drain from my head. Talk about a problem that won’t go away.

What to do?

At Practically Green we’re about solutions—green actions that people can take easily, on their own budget and schedule, to make their lives greener and more healthy. Simple tasks, like switching to all-natural toothpaste or rinsing a Zip-loc bag. More complicated tasks, like getting an energy audit or upgrading windows.

It seems there’s not much I can do, personally, to plug that horrific oil spill, or to persuade the Senate to outlaw incandescent lightbulbs (or to regulate the AC in the frigid Post Offices of this country, grrr), but at least I can buy local and organic whenever possible, and I can open the window at home instead of automatically turning on the AC. Sigh.

Last night I had a dream that the CEO of BP called a press conference and announced a change. For once he looked strong and heroic, full of conviction:

“We’re doing everything we can to plug the spill. And we’ve had an epiphany. Today, we’re changing our company. From this day forward, BP is all about renewables and green power: wind, solar, geothermal, algae, LED, smart-grid, recycling, repurposing, and all of the brilliant solutions that deserve big funding and unprecedented muscle NOW. We’re taking measurable steps to dial down our traditional business. We vow to push our brethren oil companies to do the same, starting today. Exxon Mobil and Shell have already come on board. And we won’t rest until the world is free of dependence on fossil fuels and a new green economy has been established, globally.”

As I said, this was a dream.

Later today, I saw a powerful little piece of relevant persuasion that I don’t want you to miss. It’s by Umbra Fisk, the acerbic, stylish wit who writes Grist’s advice column. Please read the excerpt below. For Umbra’s full Q & A, please visit Grist.

And for hundreds (yes, hundreds; I know, because I’m editing them) of things you can do to be more eco-aware in your life, for your health and your family’s well-being, please visit us at www.PracticallyGreen.com. Answer a few easy questions and you’ll be on your way to a custom to-do list of positive actions you can take.

Ask Umbra on Turning Oil-Spill Depression into Transformation

A lot of us are feeling depressed and disheartened by what is happening right now in the Gulf. It is terrible beyond words. It’s so bad I don’t even like using the word beyond anymore.

Being overwhelmed by a big crisis may cause us to think that our personal actions are meaningless. But this is where we’re wrong…. The “little things” we all do are not futile. In fact, little things add up fast. Especially if you do them, and then talk to your friends and family so that  they start doing them too. That’s the magic of the multiplier effect…. Step it up a notch. Be infectious! Here’s how:

Talk to all of your friends, family, co-workers, Facebook pals, Twitter followers, that weird lady on the bus, etc. about consumption, not only of fossil fuels, but of what we eat, buy, turn on, wear, use, or throw out. Get them to ask themselves: “Is this thing I’m consuming necessary?”

If the answer is no, here are 11 simple steps they can all take. These actions don’t cost much, if anything, and they may make you and your circle happier and healthier while you’re helping the planet. Of course, there’s always more we can do. But the list is a good conversation piece and starting point. Pass it along. May it reach everyone, even the people who eat Styrofoam.

(There’s a lot more information online.)

Easy things anyone can do to fight oil spill anger/apathy (in random order):

1) Take one less airline flight per year

2) Keep your car tires properly inflated, engine tuned and take 100 excess lbs. out of your car

3) Leave your car at home one day a week (use mass transit, bike, or innovative ride-sharing programs like Weeels)

4) Carpool two days a week or telecommute one day a week

5) Go meatless on Monday’s and switch from red meat to poultry two days a week

6) Support your local Farmer’s Market or Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

7) Use recycled paper products (office paper, toilet paper, paper towels)

Reduce the number of catalogues you receive by more than half

9) Turn off unused lights, use the hibernate mode on your computer, unplug things when you’re not using them

10) Wash your clothes in cold water 75 percent of the time and hang clothes out to dry in summer

11) Share more — including this list, and talk to people in your life — at work, weddings, in elevators or better yet on the stairs — about other simple ideas to add to the list.

Are you a guinea pig?

Sometimes it feels that way. Sometimes it seems we have to be super vigilant about every single thing we put into our mouths or onto our skin – or onto our lawns, or into our water. Take atrazine, a widely used herbicide. “Low-level exposure to it can turn male frogs into functional females,” according to the Environmental Defense Fund. Sweet.

Frying pans, baby bottles, lightbulbs, stain-resistant sofas, painted windowsills, even tampons – dangerous chemicals lurk in just about every product you can think of.

To the rescue: EDF and a team of like-minded, influential partners have formed the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families coalition, “a nationwide effort to pass smart federal policies that protect us from toxic chemicals.” The initiative targets a thirty-year-old law, “the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976, which does not adequately protect Americans from toxic chemicals.”

The Safer Chemicals Healthy Families Health Report details the serious illnesses and conditions now thought to be attributed to chemicals:

Much has changed since TSCA became law more than 30 years ago. Scientists have developed a more refined understanding of how some chemicals can cause and contribute to serious illness, including cancer, reproductive and developmental disorders, neurologic diseases, and asthma.

Chronic disease is on the rise

More than 30 years of environmental health studies have led to a growing consensus that chemicals are playing a role in the incidence and prevalence of many diseases and disorders in our country, including:

Leukemia, brain cancer, and other childhood cancers, which have increased by more than 20% since 1975.[2]

Breast cancer, which went up by 40% between 1973 and 1998.[3] While breast cancer rates have declined since 2003, a woman’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is now one in eight, up from one in ten in 1973.[4]

Asthma, which approximately doubled in prevalence between 1980 and 1995 and has stayed at the elevated rate.[5][6]

Difficulty in conceiving and maintaining a pregnancy affected 40% more women in 2002 than in 1982. The incidence of reported difficulty has almost doubled in younger women, ages 18–25.[7][8][9]

The birth defect resulting in undescended testes, which has increased 200% between 1970 and 1993.[10]

Autism, the diagnosis of which has increased more than 10 times in the last 15 years.[11]

To find out more, please visit: http://notaguineapig.org/

And for dozens of ways to curb exposure to chemicals in your life, visit Practically Green. You’ll sleep a little better.

News Picks:

40 Uses for Baking Soda: Baking soda is cheap and free of toxic chemicals, so put it to use in multiple ways! We’ve always used it in the fridge to neutralize odors: why not use it to make homemade mouthwash!

Best Baby Bike Seats: The first day of summer is Monday, June 21st! Get outside and pedal off with your little one close by you in these stylish and convenient seats….

4 Kid-safe Bug Repellents: Everyone hates getting bitten, but we don’t want to spray ourselves (or our kids!) with harmful chemicals. These options are natural & organic.

Multimedia Pick:
Planet Green’s The Fabulous Beekman Boys: Discovery’s Planet Green aired this hilarious show this week. It had us in tears, it is so funny! Who knew city boys and goats could mix?

The Fabulous Beekman Boys from mike goubeaux on Vimeo.

New and Cool Pick:
Eco-Friendly Candles: Melo candles are made of soy and fragranced with essential oils, and they are hand-poured into unique containers. Our favorite is the Field Grass scent in a vintage glass.

Photo Credit: http://www.etsy.com/listing/49065057/large-vintage-soy-candle-field-grass

News Picks:

Best Green Cleaners and Paper Products: ConsumerReports.org gives shoppers some great advice on whether or not it is worth it to buy to green versions of products like shower cleaner and dishwasher detergent. Very useful for Spring cleaning!

16 Ways to Reuse Coffee Grounds: Next time you brew a cup o’ joe, think twice about throwing out those old grounds–you could compost them or exfoliate your skin with them!

Chlorine Alternatives for Healthy and Energy Efficient Pools: Some people have chemical sensitivities to chlorine treatments in pools, so here are a few healthy, green options to clean the pool without the harsh smell, itchy skin, and discolored bathing suits…

Multimedia Link:
Jamie Oliver at TED Talk: We always loved Jamie and his Food Revolution, but after watching this video, we love him even more!

New and Cool Pick:
Reusables for Men: Still don’t know what to get dad next weekend after reading about F. Rock Carryalls for men? The guys from ReusableBags.com have put together a list of their favorite Father’s Day gift ideas. The winner? ACME Workhorse bags, which is a great alternative to plastic shopping bags. They come in a little pouch too, so Dad won’t have to be worried about people thinking he is sporting a murse (man purse!).

Photo Credit: http://www.reusablebags.com/store/acme-bags-workhorse-style-1500-p-1.html

New Picks:

Milk from Grass-fed Cows Is Better for Your Heart: A report from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that there are higher levels of unsaturated fats (which are good for your heart) in the milk from pasture-grazing dairy cows than in the milk from grain-fed cows. Wow, more humane for the cows and the people!

12 Healthy BBQ Tips: The Daily Green helps kick-off summer BBQ-ing season with in-depth and relevant tips on how to cook healthier and happier on the grill. We can’t wait for our next cookout!

5 Toxins Found in Most Facial Moisturizers: Before you buy a new face cream, it might be worth it to read the ingredients label. Remember, your skin is your largest organ–treat it well!

Multimedia Link:
Tips from Toxic America: This week, CNN aired a series featuring Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who reported on the many different ways toxins are being exposed to Americans. Here are some great tips from the show that can help you reduce the amount of toxins in your home.

New and Cool Pick:
Envirocycle’s New Mini Composter: We just found Envirocycle’s newly designed compact composter and wish it was on our porches! Perfect for urban composting, this cute composter holds 17 gallons and costs a little less than the bigger alternatives.