Our future depends on our knowledge and actions. What choices will you make today that will change your health and the health of our world tomorrow? Together we CAN find the path that will lead us to a greener, healthier future.
So just how is the FDA and EPA protecting the US consumer's food and water supply from cancer causing radiation fallout from Japan's nuclear disaster? Do American consumers need to be concerned? In a joint statement issued by the FDA and EPA on March 30, the word is that in response to the ongoing nuclear disaster in Japan, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has taken steps to increase the level of nationwide monitoring of milk, precipitation, drinking water, and other potential exposure routes.
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Green design alert! If you are looking for one of the hottest trends in green design ideas for your home or even your office space, you should totally check out these must have lamps. Made in Brazil in workshops that support Fair Trade, Creollus takes materials that would otherwise go to waste, like banana fibers, and recycles them to make beautiful lamps for your home or office.
Our adorable Easter Bunny change purse crafted from recycled juice bags
So my kids are on Spring Break this week and I am a tee tiny bit stressed. With our big Environmental Booty Earth Day Giveaway running from April 1 until Earth Day on April 22, and my nieces wedding this Saturday (in which my youngest Hayden-Jay is a flower girl), I am pretty busy to say the least. Trying to work with two girls playing beauty pageant and tossing shoes over my head as the other daughter incessantly tries to convince me that she does indeed NEED, not want, a new dress for our DC trip, all while I am trying to work, is not my idea of a productive day. Sigh. Nonetheless, I always try to do at least one really fun thing with my girls each day they are on break. Yesterday it was heading to the theater to watch Diary of a Wimpy Kid and today we got crafty. Now I am so NOT crafty, but my kids are. In fact, my sweet mom gave me a sewing machine 5 years ago which was still in the box...until today when we used it to make an adorable, and Eco-friendly Easter Bunny change purse out of recycled juice bags.
So according to polling data, the vast majority of consumers want GMO foods to be labeled as such. So far, the US and Canadian Governments have ignored the wishes of their citizens. Now I don't know about you, but that just isn't sitting too well with me. If you want to make a difference, first, make your voice heard and turn the tide on GMO labeling, take the next two minutes and sign the National Health Federation's petition on GMO labeling. Stand up and tell your government that consumers have a right to know what we are consuming!!
When you cannot or don't buy organics, shop for foods that do not contain corn, including high fructose corn syrup, as almost all of the corn in the US is GMO. Remember too, that corn is in a lot of processed foods and $100-billion fast food industry rests on a foundation of corn. Chemical analysis from restaurants across the United States shows that nearly every cow or chicken used in fast food is raised on a diet of corn.
Update 10/8/11: Launching soon and backed by not only EnvironmentalBooty.com, but also by five of most well-recognized organizations in the world of organic and non-GMO food: Mission Possible World Health International, Citizen’s for Health, NaturalNews, Organic Consumers Association and The Institute for Responsible Technology (Jeffrey Smith's Stop GMO’s group). Finally you will be able to shop online and buy organics at wholesale pricing of up to 60% off.
It's like a Sam's club but focused on products for green, healthy living for you, your family and your pets!! You can even shop specific products for any dietary restrictions you or your family members might have like gluten free, vegan or even diabetic needs.
Plus I love the idea of shopping online for groceries to save time and headaches...no more fights with the kids at the market over what to toss in the cart! Now Momma's in charge!
All your favorite organic and non-GMO products will be represented there, including Annie’s Organic, Organic Valley, Earth’s Best, Tom’s of Maine, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, Bob's Red Mill, Health Valley Organic, Preserve, Kettle Classics and literally hundreds of other brands, covering food, baby care, personal care, household, pet care, dietary supplements, BPA free, non GMO seeds of all the fruits and veggies you love and much more. Shopping by non food attributes like BPA free, paraben free, fragrance free or non toxic is easy too!
Green It All The Way and Go Beyond The Hour...See Pledges Made by People Around the World and Register Your Action Above!
I have written in the past about our family antics during Earth Hour. I love the way we always laugh and remember those funny times each year together as a family when Earth Hour rolls around. As we all prepare to celebrate our commitment with our brothers and sister worldwide to the preserve the health of our planet, let's take it a step further. As individuals, families, businesses and organizations, let's pledge to do more!
You know what they say, if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere. Well folks vaccine awareness is making it in a 15 second public service message which is being shown on the CBS JumboTron on Times Square. The green message is being shown through April 28 at the center of where the world meets America. Thanks to the support from Mercola.com, and featuring the National Vaccine Information Center, the message is being shown hourly for 18 hours a day in Times Square on the historic 20 by 26-foot full color big screen.
It is no secret that I think chemical companies are to blame for much of the illness that is afflicting consumers today and don't even get me started on what they have done to our environment; sometimes knowingly. Still, there are great, green glimmers of hope for consumers! As more studies point to the chemicals in consumer products as culprits to the illness epidemic in today's society, chemists are finding their way to cleaner, greener chemicals which will result in safer products for all of us.
I am in love with what the Berkeley Chemistry Geeks (along with other disciplines) are doing to help the chemical industry go green through marketing products which are more sustainably produced, less toxic and recyclable. Plus the my daughter and I liked watching the cutie pie chemist in the videos below. Seriously, if my 14 year old was into finding out how her future will be healthier as a consumer, I kind of think you will get something out of watching the following videos too. I just wonder if Dow Chemical Company is listening.
This past weekend was interesting as my cousin came for a much too short visit and brought along her fiance. The visit was exceedingly enlightening as they are both brainiacs and our conversation was lively to say the least. When I found out that my cousin's fiance is a chemical engineer who works for BP in their "plastics" division, I actually squealed with delight. I so badly wanted to get into the nitty gritty of how disastrous plastics are for our planet and consumer health but I somehow held myself back and our conversation turned to ethanol. I found that we were surprisingly agreeable in our disdain for corn ethanol.
Click HERE to Enter to Win 4 Earth Day Over $1350 in Green Living Treasure!
Use our special #Win4EarthDay Twitter Button! Tweet
To celebrate April's Earth Month and April 22nd Earth Day 2011, Environmental Booty has partnered with some of the leaders in the green living industry! Together we will be offering you the chance to win a great green Eco-prize package to help you find the treasure in living green for Earth Day and beyond! Take a look below at our Eco-Partners and be sure to check back in April to enter the giveaway worth over $1350!
Employees weigh the last bottles of granulated Kelp at Nature Mart Inc. in Los Angeles, after a run on iodine cleaned out the store's supply and ran up hundreds of phone call requests Wednesday, March 16, 2011. Japan's nuclear crisis is spiking demand in the U.S. for potassium iodide that can protect against one type of radiation damage, even though the risk is only in Japan. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Please do not forget about the people of Japan as they try to recover from the worst earthquake ever recorded. The story is not just about the nuclear situation, the people of Japan need our help. Please treasure people and planet. You can help HERE.
FRIDAY Mar 18, 2011 09:56 ET
By Associated Press
The first radioactive fallout from Japan's crippled nuclear plant reached Southern California early Friday, but the readings indicate levels far below a level that could endanger people, according to a diplomat.
Such good news, I had to share! A cutting-edge company leading the charge to develop more environmentally friendly chemicals has been awarded a $200,000 grant to help grow its business in Missoula, Montana. Rivertop Renewables announced Monday it will receive the money from the state's Big Sky Economic Development Trust Fund to purchase advanced chemical and engineering equipment. The grant was awarded through the city of Missoula and will be administered over two years.
If you are a parent and worry that your child has ADHD or if you are looking for an alternative to medications to treat ADHD, a new study may be able to help. A new study in The Lancet says that restricted diet may reduce ADHD symptoms in kids. We all know that some kids have bad reactions to certain foods that show up with affects on different organ systems in things eczema, asthma and gastrointestinal problems. Is it such a huge leap to think that foods may also affect the brain in a way that results in adverse behavior like ADHD?
Eden Foods does provide BPA free cans and manufacturers will certainly follow with pressure from greenies like us.
Did you know that BPA is one of the most widely used chemicals of all time? In fact, it is probably circulating through your body right now. It is found in the cord blood of newborns and present in 93% of 2,517 Americans age 6 and over, tested by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers have linked developmental exposure to BPA to reproductive harm, increased cancer susceptibility, and abnormalities in brain development and fat metabolism. Although a total reduction of BPA is impossible, there are things that you can easily do to live a healthier, greener, BPA free life.
Salvation Army - Text the words “Japan” or “Quake” to 80888 to make a $10 donation. (Please ensure that you respond “YES” to the Thank You message you receive.)
Convoy of Hope - Text TSUNAMI to 50555 to donate $10 to Convoy of Hope’s Disaster Response efforts. Charges will appear on your wireless bill, or be deducted from your prepaid balance. All purchases must be authorized by account holder. Message and Data Rates May Apply. Text STOP to 50555 to STOP. Text HELP to 50555 for HELP. Full Terms: www.mGive.org/T. Privacy Policy
American Red Cross - Text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation to help those affected by the earthquake in Japan and tsunami throughout the Pacific.
Experience Two Leaves and a Bud Jasmine Petal Organic Green Teaat 20% Off!
Tea is more than just the leaves in the bag. It's the passion, care and effort that went into getting them there.
If you are a tea drinker like me, ("Hi, my name is Shane and I am addicted to tea." "Hi Shane.") you may not think about where your tea leaves come from. At Two Leaves and a Bud Tea Company, all they do is think about tea leaves. They do the footwork for us and actually go to the organic tea gardens! Visit the rolling hills of Darjeeling, the tropical climate of Assam, and other gardens around the world and you just might find Two Leaves and a Bud's founder, Richard, tasting tea, interacting with farmers and experiencing whole leaf organic tea in its purest, native form. Richard feels it's Two Leaves and Bud's mission to bring the experience of the organic gardens back to their customers.
I am in such a good mood today. My morning reading has brought me to a great green place of peace. Folks, we are making a difference. With each email you send to a politician demanding safer chemical laws, with every green petition that you sign, for every Eco-conversation you have with a friend and every time you make an environmentally friendly purchase, you are helping to create a greener world. Your demand for safer products, for your family and our planet, is being heard by politicians and retailers alike.
I have said it before and I will say it again, living green is about so much more than just protecting our planet. Living a green lifestyle is about finding the treasure in self, people and planet. Well Toyota gets their green message right with this their 100 Cars for Good Campaign. Toyota is not only developing greener cars, they are developing ways to reach out to the public with those cars, finding the treasure in people who are creating good for all.
Please get the word out to any non-profits that you care about...100 nonprofits from across the country will receive a Toyota vehicle (Toyota Prius, Tacoma, Tundra, Highlander Hybrid, Sienna, or Sienna Mobility plus a six-year 100,000 mile powertrain warranty) based on public votes!
• 100 vehicles will be given away over 100 days based on daily voting on Toyota’s Facebook page
• Registered 501c(3) organizations are invited to apply online and tell us how they plan to use the vehicle to do good in their community
• Applications will be accepted beginning March 7, 2011
“Over the past two decades, Toyota has contributed more than half a billion dollars to philanthropic programs in the United States, and now 100 Cars for Good will put the public in the driver’s seat for one of our philanthropic efforts,” said Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. “We wanted to engage the community and the supporters of thousands of worthy organizations in this process— allowing their voices to be heard as we award 100 vehicles based on their votes.”
Please feel free to use the following Tweet to spread this message to all who might benefit... "Toyota is Giving Away 100 Cars to 100 Non-Profits http://bit.ly/gqkvLw PLS RT!"
This call to action just came into my inbox from the Ken Cook, President of the EWG (Environmental Working Group) Action Fund and I knew this was one I had to share. Governor LePage is so misinformed that he is sounding like a moron with his little beards comment. Now I am sure he is an educated man, but when it comes to his knowledge on the harmful, hormone disruption that affects both men and women from using products made with BPA, he needs a little help.
Let's stand with the EWG and send a reality check to Governor LePage and help him become educated about the real dangers of BPA to consumers. That way, he can stop sounding like such a fool and do the work that's needed to protect his constituents. Take a look at the following message from the EWG and take action!
Check out these adorable SnackTaxi designs and more...HERE!
I am really excited to be able to share with you how to go green, save money and reduce plastic waste with one of Oprah's favorite things and one of my favorite ways to live green, the SnackTaxi. I remember watching Oprah's Earth Day special back in 2009 and I fell in love with the SnackTaxi she shared. Oprah was all about finding ways to reduce our plastic waste as she had just found out about the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch; a floating pool of plastic garbage which is reported to be twice the size of Texas and detrimental to our environment and sea life. Using the SnackTaxi will make you feel like you are doing something good for the planet, because you really are!
These days, the health of our planet is a top concern urging many people to consider the consequences of their daily habits on the environment. Thankfully, more people are thinking of ways to live greener lifestyles in every way, each and every single day. So when it is time for a vacation, why not think green? There are many unique ways to keep your commitment to improving and protecting the environment by taking a “green” vacation!
Use re-usable bags for shopping. Let the kids decorate them and take them with them to the grocery store to show them off. This saves the use of plastic bags.
There are many things we can all do to teach our kids to live greener lifestyles. Children look at their parents and tend to do what they do. If you are a greenie, they will tend to naturally want to go green. Still, we know they have a lot to learn but they won't listen to demands. Therefore we must find innovative and creative ways to teach our children to live greener. Below are the top 10 ways you can use to teach your kids about how to make the environment a better place, while making it fun and creative.
And what statement would that be, "WooHoo, I have heart disease from drinking Diet Coke!"?
The Coca Cola Company partners with our government to tell women to take their heart health into their own hands while telling them to hold a can of Diet Coke. The irony is too obvious to mistake it as anything other than our government and big business climbing into bed together to make a big lie!
Did you know that ingredients in many common cleaning products have been linked to cancer, asthma and other health disorders? How would you like to freshen and deodorize your air without polluting it? Sounds good right? Especially for families, like mine, who have kids with asthma, freshening our homes with a non-toxic alternative to things like Febreeze is a must! Ecodiscoveries Airzyme is really a perfect solution. Airzyme eliminates stinky odor molecules without harming the environment or your health so spray your way to a cleaner smelling home today!
