Water | Resources
Even BPA-Free Plastic Not Always Safe
“BPA-Free” is a popular buzzword these days, but a new study shows it’s more hype than help.
Scientists conducted lab tests on more than 20 top-brand baby bottles and more than 450 plastic food and beverage-packages and found virtually all leached chemicals that acted like the hormone estrogen, even though many were free of BPA. These chemicals—called endocrine disruptors—falsely tell the body’s cells that the hormone estrogen is around, potentially causing all sorts of troubling developmental and reproductive consequences.
Baby bottles, plastic bags, plastic wrap, clamshell food containers, stand-up pouches…just about all plastic food and beverage containers were found to contain chemicals that have estrogenic effects.
Researchers bought hundreds of plastic food and beverage containers at Target, Wal-Mart, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and other major retailers. More than 90 percent of the products leached estrogenic chemicals before they were even put through stresses
The paper noted that some of the chemicals that are used to replace BPA have been shown to have even more estrogenic activity than BPA does.
Cellulite, Acne and Fluoride
A reader sent me a link to a very interesting website about reducing cellulite deposits on your body. Among other causes of cellulite, the author of the site mentioned fluoride.
Apparently she made this connection after she learned she had a condition known as fluoroderma, which is acne caused by fluoride exposure.
Read more about this at Cellulite and the Fluoride Connection (there’s also a link to another page about how to do a fluoride detox to remove fluoride from your body).
Tiny Nanoparticles Could Be a Big Problem
Here’s an interesting article about the health and environmental effects of nanoparticles, particularly why you shouldn’t use titanium dioxide…
Swallowtail Garden Seeds
Untreated vegetable, flower and herb seeds. Many open-pollinated vegetables, unusual annuals and perennials, wildflowers, flowering vines and culinary and medicinal herb seeds, and heirloom tomatoes.
Suzanne’s Specialties
A unique collection of organic natural sweeteners and sweet products made from them: marshmallow creme made from rice syrup (contains soy), a blend of rice syrup and other natural sweeteners that tastes “Just-Like-Honey”, fruit spreads sweetened with rice syrup, light and dark “rice nectar” and nectars flavored with fruits, maple or chocolate. Plus organic agave syrup, wildflower honey, barley malt syrup, and blackstrap molasses.
ReBinder
Innovative and clever binders, portfolios, index tab dividers, pocket dividers, and more made from recycled paper. I have samples of these products and they are much high quality and more substantial that other similar recycled products. Contains some post-consumer and hemp fibers. Binder is fully recyclable and reusable–when the corrugated cardboard cover is worn, a new cover can be attached to the metal rings (comes in 1", 2" and 3" sizes). These products are sold only by the case, so share them with friends if a case is more than you need. Can also be custom printed for presentations. "ReBinder is the is only office product manufacturer whose ENTIRE line is designed to be zero waste."
Sustainable Flooring
A comprehensive line of bamboo and cork flooring products, sold by a unique "green" cooperative venture between a successful manufacturer of bamboo, and cork, respectively. They offer manufacturer-direct access to high quality bamboo and cork flooring products in various shades, with "incredible pricing." Provides samples.
Super Salve Natural Body Care Products
100% natural body care products "to heal and rejuvenate the skin and help keep it looking and feeling beautiful". Balms, salves, lotions, creams, facial care, and prenatal and baby products are made using only 100% natural ingredients such as aloe vera, shea butter, beeswax, witch hazel, calendula, comfrey, jasmine flower, jojoba oil, cocoa butter, mango butter, almond oil, and CoQ10, all from strictly responsible sources. No animal testing is involved and all our products are created without alcohol, dyes, parabens, phthalates, propylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfate, stearic acid, or synthetic fragrance.
Sunspire Chocolate Chips and Candies
A variety of organic fair trade chocolate chips and candies that are different than the usual in several ways. First, their chips come in in 42%, 44%, 51% and 65% (bittersweet) cacao, and are made with organic sugar and actual organic vanilla. They are also free of soy lecithin. Their Chocolate Dream chips are dairy and gluten free. The grain-sweetened chocolate chips taste very good–very chocolately, rather than too sweet. “Our cocoa is grown in Central America and South America by growers who use fair labor practices and provide us with the finest cocoa beans. These are blended, roasted, and stone ground, and cured in REAL vanilla… We use malted barley as a sweetener for a number of reasons. Master chocolatiers prefer the fact malted barley allows the true chocolate taste to dominate, as opposed to sweeteners that become the predominant taste, masking the chocolate. In addition, barley malt is a complex carbohydrate derived from natural grains…Our candies are created in the handmade tradition using old-time candy making techniques. After all, the founder of Sunspire is a fourth generation candy maker.” As of this writing, these products are not sold on their website, but the site has a store finder. You can find their products in most natural food stores, and on-line at Toxic-Free A-Z .
Green Board from Home Depot
Question from jiwaskow
Does anyone know if Green Board carried by Home Depot is typically tolerated or not by people with chemical sensitivities? We built with block construction to avoid using drywall or insulation on our exterior walls, but the original builder didn’t line up the windows and blocks properly and they need to be trimmed with something. The new builder is suggested Green Board. I don’t know enough about it though.
Opinions and even other material ideas welcome. He said cement board, which we’re using in the bathrooms, would be too heavy and expensive.
Thanks!
Debra’s Answer
I don’t recommend greenboard. I haven’t researched what it in it, but it has an odor and tends to disintegrate.
Is this a big space that needs to be filled in? Can you fill the space with mortar?
P.S. I just noticed in another post there is a product called Green e-Board. Are you talking about this or standard greenboard that is used instead of cement backerboard?
