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	families & the environment by mindy pennybacker

September 2006

Clothes
by Emily Main

Growing up just north of the Mississippi Delta, I always loved the warm, humid evenings afforded by Southern summers, and I sorely miss them now that I live in a huge city where humidity carries more pollution than fond childhood memories. But what I will never miss about Delta twilights are the large, voracious black mosquitoes feasting on my playmates and me like they had just traveled across the desert and reached the Promised Land.

While my friends and I learned to accept the inevitable bane of mosquito bites and covered them with Scooby Doo BandAids that we wore with pride, today's parents can't afford to let kids play outdoors without some sort of protection against West Nile virus and other insect-borne illnesses like Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. But at the same time, insect repellents designed to protect children come with their own costs. N, N-diethylin-tolumide, or DEET, has long been regarded as the most effective mosquito-repellent on the market. However, it is a known eye irritant and has been known to cause blisters and rashes in some users. To make matters worse, there have been 18 reported cases of seizures resulting from DEET exposure, most of which occurred in children.

Of greater concern to us at The Green Guide is the increased use of the chemical permethrin on clothing. An insecticide rather than an insect repellent, permethrin can cause asthma attacks, headaches and nausea and it's a suspected hormone disrupter. Furthermore, the chemical does not remain on the clothing permanently; manufacturers even admit that it will come off after about 25 washes. Military testing has shown that permethrin migrates from clothing to skin, where it is actually absorbed. And what happens to the permethrin that washes down the drain? It is particularly harmful to aquatic life, harming amphibians and killing salmon and trout.

In addition to their detrimental health and environmental effects, permethrin-treated clothes, marketed under the "Buzz Off" label, can lure parents into a false sense of security. For one, the clothes don't actually repel insects but instead kill bugs on contact, leaving exposed skin vulnerable to bites. Secondly, the chemical washes off, and unless parents are diligent about counting the number of times an article of clothing is washed, they are unlikely to know when the clothing is no longer protecting their children. For more on permethrin, see "Insect-Zapping Apparel" at www.thegreenguide.com/blog/worrywart/410

Your best bet for a bite-free summer is to choose plant-based herbal repellents or those containing the safer chemical picardin, both of which are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Just be sure to avoid anything containing the ingredient pennyroyal, if you are pregnant or wish to become pregnant. We suggest Natural Tick & Bug Repellent, Lemongrass Insect Lotion and the picardin-based Cutter Advanced Sport Insect Repellent. Be sure to avoid products that combine insect repellent with sunscreen. Sunscreen should be applied liberally and often—at least every two hours—while insect repellents should be applied only as needed and never on children under two years old.

DEET sprays and permethrin-treated clothing should only be used as a last resort in situations where the threat of insect-borne illnesses supercedes any potential threat posed by chemical exposures, for instance camping trips in areas where populations of deer ticks (those carrying Lyme Disease) are high.

DEET sprays should be applied to clothing, not skin. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises using products with no more than 10 percent DEET, such as Cutters seven-percent-DEET All Family Insect Repellent.

Neither the CDC nor the EPA recommend that pregnant or lactating women take any additional precautions for using insect repellents, but if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your doctor about which insect repellents are safest. You can also call the National Pesticide Information Center (800-858-7378) for specific medical information about the active ingredients in insect repellents.

Permethrin has been shown to be more effective than DEET with regard to ticks, and since ticks can crawl up clothes, treated clothing can prove effective in killing them before they bite. All the same, after long hikes or on camping trips, check for ticks frequently and use common-sense measures, such as tucking pants into socks and covering exposed skin, whether you wear permethrin-treated clothes or not. Finally, never rely on permethrin-treated clothes as foolproof bug protection.

For more information on proper insect control, see the Pest Control—Insect Repellents and Pest Control—Mosquitoes Product Reports at www.thegreenguide.com/reports.

July 2006

Clothes
by Emily Main

Growing up just north of the Mississippi Delta, I always loved the warm, humid evenings afforded by Southern summers, and I sorely miss them now that I live in a huge city where humidity carries more pollution than fond childhood memories. But what I will never miss about Delta twilights are the large, voracious black mosquitoes feasting on my playmates and me like they had just traveled across the desert and reached the Promised Land.

While my friends and I learned to accept the inevitable bane of mosquito bites and covered them with Scooby Doo BandAids that we wore with pride, today's parents can't afford to let kids play outdoors without some sort of protection against West Nile virus and other insect-borne illnesses like Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. But at the same time, insect repellents designed to protect children come with their own costs. N, N-diethylin-tolumide, or DEET, has long been regarded as the most effective mosquito-repellent on the market. However, it is a known eye irritant and has been known to cause blisters and rashes in some users. To make matters worse, there have been 18 reported cases of seizures resulting from DEET exposure, most of which occurred in children.

Of greater concern to us at The Green Guide is the increased use of the chemical permethrin on clothing. An insecticide rather than an insect repellent, permethrin can cause asthma attacks, headaches and nausea and it's a suspected hormone disrupter. Furthermore, the chemical does not remain on the clothing permanently; manufacturers even admit that it will come off after about 25 washes. Military testing has shown that permethrin migrates from clothing to skin, where it is actually absorbed. And what happens to the permethrin that washes down the drain? It is particularly harmful to aquatic life, harming amphibians and killing salmon and trout.

In addition to their detrimental health and environmental effects, permethrin-treated clothes, marketed under the "Buzz Off" label, can lure parents into a false sense of security. For one, the clothes don't actually repel insects but instead kill bugs on contact, leaving exposed skin vulnerable to bites. Secondly, the chemical washes off, and unless parents are diligent about counting the number of times an article of clothing is washed, they are unlikely to know when the clothing is no longer protecting their children. For more on permethrin, see "Insect-Zapping Apparel" at www.thegreenguide.com/blog/worrywart/410

Your best bet for a bite-free summer is to choose plant-based herbal repellents or those containing the safer chemical picardin, both of which are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Just be sure to avoid anything containing the ingredient pennyroyal, if you are pregnant or wish to become pregnant. We suggest Natural Tick & Bug Repellent, Lemongrass Insect Lotion and the picardin-based Cutter Advanced Sport Insect Repellent. Be sure to avoid products that combine insect repellent with sunscreen. Sunscreen should be applied liberally and often—at least every two hours—while insect repellents should be applied only as needed and never on children under two years old.

DEET sprays and permethrin-treated clothing should only be used as a last resort in situations where the threat of insect-borne illnesses supercedes any potential threat posed by chemical exposures, for instance camping trips in areas where populations of deer ticks (those carrying Lyme Disease) are high.

DEET sprays should be applied to clothing, not skin. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises using products with no more than 10 percent DEET, such as Cutter's seven-percent-DEET All Family Insect Repellent.

Neither the CDC nor the EPA recommend that pregnant or lactating women take any additional precautions for using insect repellents, but if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your doctor about which insect repellents are safest. You can also call the National Pesticide Information Center (800-858-7378) for specific medical information about the active ingredients in insect repellents.

Permethrin has been shown to be more effective than DEET with regard to ticks, and since ticks can crawl up clothes, treated clothing can prove effective in killing them before they bite. All the same, after long hikes or on camping trips, check for ticks frequently and use common-sense measures, such as tucking pants into socks and covering exposed skin, whether you wear permethrin-treated clothes or not. Finally, never rely on permethrin-treated clothes as foolproof bug protection.

For more information on proper insect control, see the Pest Control—Insect Repellents and Pest Control—Mosquitoes Product Reports at www.thegreenguide.com/reports.

May 2006

Easy Earth Day Tips
by Emily Main

Kids may not be able to fully grasp complicated concepts like global warming and the greenhouse effect, but that doesn't mean they can't learn about environmental responsibility. Given that Earth Day (April 22) is just around the corner, there's no better time than the present to get them involved in saving the planet.

Here are seven ways to spend the days leading up to Earth Day:

1) Watch a movie. While it seems contrary to try to instill environmental appreciation from in front of a television screen, environmentally oriented movies are great tools for teaching children empathy for animals and plants. Movies like the recently debuted Ice Age: The Meltdown (and its predecessor Ice Age) and the ever-popular Finding Nemo not only encourage empathy by personifying animals as friendly and lovable, but they also teach kids that human actions can have an impact animal environments. If those movies are growing old for mom and dad, check your local library or video rental store for the 1992 movie Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest, which taught kids about the environmental impact of rainforest clear-cutting.

2) Read a book. Sit outside amidst nature and teach kids to take care of the Earth with David M. Beadle's The Day the Trash Came Out to Play (Ezra's Earth, 2004, $11.53) or Where Once There Was Wood by Denise Flemming (Henry Holt & Co., 2000, $7.95). And for the kid in us all check out The Lorax by Dr. Seuss (Random House, 1971, $10.17). For other book suggestions and educational toys, see our Toy Product Report and "Toys For Tykes" at www.thegreenguide.com.

3) Set up a recycling center in your home, if you haven't already. Sorting recyclables into bins for plastic, metal and paper is easy for kids, and it's a good lead in for discussions on what happens to our trash when it goes out the door"hhow tin cans and plastic bottles become other tin cans and other plastic bottles, for instance. It also teaches kids to reuse materials; they can color or draw on the unused side of a piece of paper rather than throw it away.

4) Plant a garden using plants native to your region. Not only will your kids love playing in the dirt, they'll enjoy watching the various forms of wildlife, like birds and butterflies, which their plants and flowers attract. This, in turn, can prompt a discussion about preserving natural habitats. You can order heirloom seeds, which help foster biodiversity, from www.seedsofchange.com, www.seedsavers.org and www.nativeseeds.org. For more tips, download the Green Gardening Smart Shopper's Card at www.thegreenguide.com.

5) Conserve resources. While cutting back on gas for your car or water in their bath may not excite them, kids can understand simple explanations like, "We have to save water so there's enough for everybody else in the world." The same goes for gas and electricity. Start teaching them to shut off lights when they leave a room or turning off the tap while they brush their teeth.

Also, older kids can comprehend the dangers of polluted air, so encourage them to bike to school and "lighten their footprint on the earth." For safety tips, see www.saferoutesinfo.org. You can walk smaller kids to school"hanother opportunity to observe and teach them about nature"hand if you're really ambitious, organize a "Walk To School Day" campaign for their classmates (www.walktoschool.org).

6) Have an Earth Day dinner, using fresh, seasonal produce from your local farmer's market, and teach kids that good food can come from their own neighborhoods, not the local mega-market. For recipes, see our archives for Amy's Green Kitchen at www.thegreenguide.com.

7) Participate in an Earth Day event, or plan your own. Check out www.earthday.org for scheduled activities in your city or for suggestions on planning one.

Don't let these good habits fall to the wayside once Earth Day is over. Subscribe to The Green Guideand you'll get year-round access to all our archives and premium web articles about green living and saving the planet.

March 2006
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Chemical-Free Baby Gifts
by Emily Main

People love to buy presents for newborn babies, and as cute as they are, they're easy to dote on. But it can also be a challenge to find environmentally preferable baby gifts when so many conventional products are laced with harmful chemicals, whether they be petroleum-based polyester clothing or furniture coated with harmful resins and toxic paints.

The Green Guide loves babies as much as the rest of you, so the next time you're heading to a baby shower, or to the delivery room for that matter, we've provided a few essentials to outfit the newborn in your life.

Clothing
Babies receive a great deal of their first clothes at showers, so look for organic cotton rather than conventional. Not only is it softer against baby's skin, but it requires no environmentally harmful pesticides or petroleum-based synthetic fertilizers. Also, organic cotton clothing is traditionally dye-free. Conventional clothing dyes are made from petroleum-based ingredients and can contain harmful heavy metals that can disrupt the reproductive and endocrine systems.

Organic Wear USA sells organic-cotton, dye-free clothes and blankets designed especially for newborns, and their various attractive gift sets, pre-packaged in recycled cardboard, contain the basics: receiving blankets, one-pieces, socks and mittens (www.organicwearusa.com).

American Apparel manufactures organic cotton one-pieces ($14) and baby hats ($8) as part of their Sustainable Edition line (www.americanapparelstore.com/sustainable-edition-all-styles.html).

Experts on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) advise against using blankets, pillows or bumpers in an infant's crib. Instead, sleepsacks which gather or button at the bottom, keep newborns warm without extra bedding. Green Home Environmental Store sells the Diamond Sleep Sack ($79) made from organic merino wool grown in New Zealand. The natural-colored wool insulates against both heat and cold. Organic wool is also naturally flame retardant, which means that your baby is protected from harmful flame retardant chemicals, such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PDBEs), that can cause developmental problems (www.greenhome.com).

For other baby clothes suggestions, visit our Clothing Product Report at thegreenguide.com/reports.

Bedding and Furniture
As many Mothering readers undoubtedly know, eco-friendly baby furniture can be a daunting expense, and as a result, new parents tend to opt for cheaper furniture coated with harmful resins. If you and a few of a new parent's friends pool your resources, however, his or her new baby can sleep safely in peace without anyone breaking the bank.

All new cribs must meet federal Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) guidelines, but these guidelines don't address materials such as composite woods made with formaldehyde, a known carcingen, or paints or polyurethane finishes that can offgas fumes, leading to respiratory problems, such as asthma, later in life. Pacific Rim Woodworking makes cribs from solid maple that's either unfinished or finished with pure, raw tung and linseed oils. The crib can be converted to a toddler bed. ($624 plus shipping, www.daxstores.com).

Built from well-managed New Zealand radiata pine, the Cariboo Folding Bassinet ($259.95) is available in least-toxic teak or mahogany finishes. Note: These are only meant for infants under four months and 22 pounds. Babies should never be left unsupervised in bassinets (www.toadsandtulips.com).

Most conventional mattresses are made from polyurethane foam, nylon, polyester and vinyl"hall derived from petroleum"hand are treated with anti-microbial and fire-, wetness- and stain-retarding chemicals, including PBDEs, which accumulate in breast milk and in fat, and have been shown to inhibit brain development in animals. Though recently banned in the U.S., mattress manufacturers are still using treated materials to get rid of them. As alternatives, there are crib mattresses made with organic cotton, wool padding and natural rubber and without chemical treatments that can irritate skin or offgas into the air.

Abundant Earth sells an innerspring crib mattress stuffed with organic cotton batting and wrapped in organic wool, which provides not only temperature regulation but an inherent flame resistance to keep infants safe ($399.95; www.abundantearth.com).

Sage Baby sells a similar mattress for a lower price ($245; www.sagebabynyc.com).

For more mattress suggestions, see our Mattress and Box Springs Product Report at www.thegreenguide.com/reports.

Accessories for On-The-Go
Babies born in winter need an extra layer when they go out, and sometimes it's hard to find heavy-weight cotton that will provide the necessary warmth. Patagonia makes a hooded bunting out of their trademarked Synchilla fabric, made from post-consumer-recycled fleece. Conventional fleece is usually made with petroleum-based polyester, which depletes the earth of a non-renewable resource ($64; www.moosejaw.com).

Slings provide comfort to babies and they allow for extra bonding time with moms and dads. Natural Baby Catalog offers an organically grown-cotton sling that is sleeker and less bulky than some versions ($49.95; www.store.yahoo.com/naturalbaby).

Green Gear For Back-To-School
By Mindy Pennybacker

For our kids, the end of summer brings the reminder that shorter days and math tests are just around the corner.  But you can get them excited about the beginning of the school year.  Shopping trips for new clothes, which kids love, and supplies, which kids need, can turn into great opportunities for teaching them how to make socially and environmentally responsible decisions. 

The old maxim “actions speak louder than words” is a good mantra when you’re buying clothes and supplies. School supplies containing toxic materials, such as binders made of PVC (the least recyclable and most toxic of plastics) or chlorine-bleached papers—the manufacture of which releases cancer-causing dioxins into the environment—seem prevalent in office and school supply stores. Clothing, too, brings concerns of materials that required large amounts of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers in their production, along with social concerns such as sweatshops and child labor. Teaching them to avoid these products—and, more importantly, how to spot them—will result in more responsible purchases when your kids start shopping for themselves.

Some kids aren’t quite old enough to comprehend the dangers of PVC or pesticides in their clothing, so for your younger ones at home, you can start teaching them basic eco-friendly practices like recycling. Young children in kindergarten and preschool are particularly good learners since they’re at an age when they become more curious about the world around them. Last April before Earth Day, one of The Green Guide Institute’s board members, Cara McAffrey, printed off The Green Guide’s Plastic Picks wallet cards and took them to her 4-year-old son’s preschool class to teach the children about recycling and good and bad plastics.  The kids were excited to learn what the numbers and arrows on the bottom of plastic packages represented, making Earth Day that much more meaningful to them.  You can download the Smart Shopper’s Plastic Picks cards ($2 each) for your kids at www.thegreenguide.com.

Below is a selection of some Green Guide picks for eco-friendly supplies and clothing that should get you and your kids back into the swing of things with a green mind and a clear conscience. For a more complete list, see our paper, plastics, clothing, and shoe Product Reports at www.thegreenguide.com/reports

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Papers

Look for recycled paper products that are processed-chlorine-free (PCF) or totally-chlorine-free (TCF)—labels regulated by chlorinefreeproducts.org. Be aware that papers labeled ECF or elemental-chlorine-free still use chlorine, but not in gas form.  Recycled papers made with 100 percent post-consumer waste or post-consumer recycled (PCW or PCR) are the greenest you can get.

Ultimate off-white Legal-style Pads are made entirely of recycled magazines, acid-free, PCF at $1.99/2 pads (www.treecycle.com, 406-549-4572)

For more info, see our Paper Product Report at www.thegreenguide.com/reports

Paper Holders

Abundant Earth Recycled Notebook Binders, 1-3” wide, are made from 35 to 38 percent recycled post-consumer corrugated cardboard and assembled by Goodwill Industries. Minimum purchase is by the case of 8, 10 or 16, from $46.95 to $62.95, depending on size (www.abundantearth.com, 888-51-EARTH)

Earthwise Hanging File Folders are made with 100 percent PCR and a minimum of 25 percent PCW, PCF, $8.95/25 per box (www.greenlinepaper.com, 800-641-1117)

Go tree-free with Recycled Album Cover Sketchbooks with 80 pages made of 100 percent recycled blue jeans, 5 x 5/$10.99 (www.greenfeet.com, 888-562-8873)

Riverside Construction Paper is acid-free and 90 percent recycled; multicolors, $1.16/12 pack (www.staples.com, 800-3STAPLES)

Everett Easel Pads are white, 60% PCR, 20-pound, for $24.99/2 pads (www.officedepot.com, 800-GO-DEPOT)

Stockmar Beeswax Crayons in tin box set of 8 colors are least-toxic, $12.99.  Stockmar Modeling Wax, also beeswax , in 6 colors for $13.99. Artemis Pastel Crayons are plant-based, $29.99 (www.ecobydesign.com, 626-939-3703)

Earthwrite Recycled #2 Pencils, soft lead, yellow with eraser, 50% PCW casing, PMA nontoxic, $1.56/DZ (www.kinkos.com, 800-270-9730)

Daily and Monthly Planners, 30% PCW and printed with soy ink, also have a recycled cloth cover, from $15.97 (www.dolphinblue.com, 800-932-7715)

Boston Powerhouse 1670 Electric Pencil Sharpener shuts off automatically between points.($32.95)

ELECTRONICS

Some computer products made by Samsung, Dell, and Hewlett Packard receive top grades for selecting less harmful materials and are TCO and/or Blue Angel certified (Europe’s leading eco-labels).

We recommend:

Dell’s OptiPlex Desktop systems SX260 to SX280n, GX280 and GX620 models, Dell LCD Flat Panel E193FPMonitor, and Dell Color Flat CRT Monitor M993 (www.dell.com, 800-917-DELL) 

2005 Samsung Desktop systems and semi conductors (samsung.com, 800-SAMSUNG or purchase at bestbuy.com, 888-BestBuy; www.compusa.com, 800-CompUSA)

Samsung TFT-LCD 21” Monitor 213T (www.bestbuy.com, 888-BestBuy)

Samsung SyncMaster LCD 19” Monitor 193P+Silver (www.compusa.com, 800-CompUSA)

Dolphin Blue’s refurbished Pre-Owned HP, Canon, and Lexmark Printers (www.dolphinblue.com, 800-932-7715)

HP Deskjet 6540 Printer (www.hp.com, 866-433-2034)

Avoid these plastics: #3 (PVC/phthalates; hormone disrupters) #6 (polystyrene/styrene; human carcinogen), #7 (polycarbonate/bisphenol-A; hormone disruptor).

We recommend:

Thermos Sport Bottle 2460  (thermos.com, 800-831-9242)

Rubbermaid #5 Sip-in Style Tumblers (Target Stores, The Container Store, Sam’s Club).

Asiana West Trans-Pacific Lunchbox (www.asianawest.com) 

Alpine West Cool Tote Lunch Sack  (www.cooltote.com, 888-826-6533).

Rainbow Reed Lunchboxes and Picnic Bags (www.worldofgood.com, 510-868-1016)

And for your youngest children who aren't even thinking of school yet, choose glass or polypropylene baby bottles free of hormone disrupting bisphenol-A found in polycarbonate bottles (see the Baby Bottles Product Report at www.thegreenguide.com).

If you can do only one thing green, steer clear of trendy but toxic PVC—especially when shopping for your children's raincoats, backpacks and bags. Soft vinyl products contain phthalate plasticizers that "offgas" into the air you breathe and can be ingested directly by chewing. Alternatives abound:

Adidas Tuttle ($59) or Cope II Backpack ($44.99), www.sportchalet.com, 818-790-2717

Green Gypsy Bag ($29.95), woven in Guatemalan patterns and made under Fair Trade regulations, www.worldofgood.com, 510-868-1016.

Messenger Bag of 100 percent post-consumer recycled rubber ($65), www.greenearthofficesupply.com, 800-327-8449

Amazonas Purse ($95) and other bags made from wild rubber trees in the Amazon (www.jadeplanet.com)

For exceptionally busy students, Solar Backpack ($229), made of nylon, generates enough power to charge small electronic devices such as cell phones, digital cameras and iPods, but not laptops; rechargeable battery packs cost $75 and last about 55 hours, www.voltaicsystems.com, 212-627-5012

CLOTHING

Certified Organic Cotton Clothing:

American Apparel, www.americanapparelstore.com/sustainable-edition-all-styles.html, 888-747-0070

Garden Kids clothes, www.gardenkids.com, 541-465-4544

Loomstate by Rogan Gregory, www.loomstate.org, 888-222-7639

Maggie's Functional Organics, www.organicclothes.com,800-609-8593

Other Fibers:

Patagonia's clothes feel especially soft and smooth because they are free of finishes such as formaldehyde. www.patagonia.com, 800-638-6464.

FOOTWEAR

Jade's Vigilante Pachira hiking boots ($74.95) have soles made from recycled materials—including post-consumer tires—and uppers made of 50 percent hemp, 50 percent cotton, www.jadefootwear.com, 503-297-2093.

Chaco allocates 3 percent of after-tax profits to environmental non-profits. Try the slip-resistant Flip ($50) and supportive Zong sandals ($75) for women and leather sandals ($115-$140) for men, www.chacousa.com, 970-527-4990.

Nike Considered uses PVC-free leather, cotton and hemp, vegetable tanned, with no chemical adhesives ($65-$110). At REI, Urban Outfitters and www.niketown.com, 800-806-6453.

Whether you’ve got teens, tweens, or toddlers, there’s no time like fall to start your kids on the road to a green lifestyle.  And you’ve even got the glorious backdrop of the changing landscape to help them appreciate the natural world around them.

Safer Sun and Insect Protection
By Mindy Pennybacker

Summer’s here, time for fresh air, sunshine and lolling on the grass beneath the top-heavy trees, to dabble fingers and toes as a prelude to total immersion. Lifeguards are on duty, but it’s up to us to make sure our children swim only at guarded beaches and pools and follow water safety rules. The great outdoors also carries risk of insect bites and exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet UVA and UVB rays, which damage skin and promote skin cancer. Following are some tips on avoiding these hazards, along with a list of least-toxic insect repellants and sunscreens.

If you have young children, it’s a good idea to take into account their especial vulnerability to environmental toxins because their bodies and nervous systems are rapidly developing. Pediatricians advise against putting sunscreens on babies younger than six months; nor should insect repellants be applied to children younger than two years. Instead, keep babies in the shade and protect their delicate skin with lightweight clothing and hats.

Controlling Sun Exposure

While the sun’s rays do provide healthy Vitamin D that promotes strong bones, we can get all we need in 15 minutes of sunlight a day. The rest of the time, it’s best to cover up or stay out of the sun, especially during the peak of UV rays, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. And UV rays penetrate cloud cover, so take precautions even when it’s not bright out. But when you can’t avoid sun exposure–when the surf is perfect, say–do apply sunblock, waterproof if possible, and reapply after swimming or perspiring.

Because sunblock often needs to be reapplied, it is advisable to avoid products that combine sunscreens and insect repellants containing DEET (see below). You do not want to run any risk of overapplying this chemical, which is absorbed by the skin and can harm the nervous system if it builds up in the body.

What to Look Out For: Sunblock Ingredients to Avoid:

The skin is an absorptive organ, and most conventional sunscreens and blocks contain potentially toxic ingredients that, given a choice, one might prefer not to absorb. Luckily, consumers have a choice: We can read labels and avoid products that contain one or more of the following chemicals. Among the most problematic are benzophenone, homosalate, and octymethoxycinnamate, which have been shown in animal tests to disrupt hormones and interfere with development of the brain and reproductive organs. PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid) has caused allergic reactions in sensitive individuals, and padimate-O and parsol 1789 (avobenzone) have the potential to damage DNA. Both can irritate skin.

What to Choose: Safer Sunblock Ingredients

Healthier choices are sunblocks that form a physical barrier against damaging UVA and UVB rays and are not readily absorbed by our skin. These barrier blocks include zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Following are
The Green Guide's top picks for the least-toxic sunscreens and blocks, most available at pharmacies, natural supermarkets or department stores.

• Jason Naturals Earth’s Best Organic Sunblock. A Green Guide subscriber wrote and told us about this new product, whose only two active ingredients are titanium dioxide (8%) and zinc oxide (2.5%); organic essential oils of camomile and lavender help make up the rest.

• Epicuren Discovery Zinc Oxide Sunscreen
• Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Sunblock, based on titanium dioxide
• U.V. Natural (zinc oxide)
• Mustela Bebe/Enfant (titanium dioxide), which stays on for a couple of hours out surfing and is one of the best protective blocks I’ve tried
• Clinique City Block (titanium dioxide), with a nice matte texture that calms oily skin.

Got burned? Soothe your skin with Practical Nature Cooling After Sun Spray, derived from witch hazel, aloe, essential oils of lavender and chamomile, available at heronhillfarms.com

Insect Repellents

From spring through fall, we and other red-blooded mammals are prey to biting bugs. Mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and West Nile virus, and tick-borne diseases such as Lyme and Rocky Mountain Spotted fever are spreading throughout the U.S. To find out which insect-borne diseases may pose a threat where you live or plan to travel this summer, see www.cdc.gov/travel/namerica.htm#state.

The two most effective, least-toxic ways to block biting insects are:

1. Stay out of their range. For mosquitos, that means staying indoors from dusk to dawn, when these needle-nosed little stealth bombers are most active. To avoid ticks, stay on paths and out of long grass and underbrush; every evening, bathe and shampoo thoroughly and examine heads and bodies for any tiny stowaways.

2. As when countering sun, cover up with hats, long sleeves and pants, socks and shoes. Pale colors will make it easier to spot insect attackers. Lightweight, breathable cotton or linen clothing can actually help keep you cool and prevent itches, too. Make sure that window screens are in good repair; consider hanging mosquito netting over beds.

When insects simply can’t be avoided, or you’re someplace where malaria, West Nile or Lyme disease has been found, it’s time for the third line of defense: insect repellents. But before buying or using anything from the summer house medicine cabinet, do check the label for ingredients. The Green Guide's advice: Unless you’re going into a jungle or other tropical area where life-threatening malaria is rife, first give the gentlest repellents a chance. Luckily for humans, bugs tend to shy away from plant oils whose scents we often find attractive. These include soybean oil and various fragrant botanical oils, such as citronella, lemongrass, peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary, clove, lavender and cedar. Note: Strong plant fragrances can put some people off, just as aromatic synthetic chemicals can. If you have asthma, allergies or sensitive skin, first test by sniffing and/or dabbing on a small area of skin, to make sure you don’t have an adverse reaction.

In a new development, the spring of 2005, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended two ingredients–oil of lemon eucalyptus and picardin, which, the agency said, are as effective at repelling mosquitoes as the more widely used DEET. Given the toxicity of DEET (see below), this is very good news. Following are some least-toxic, most natural insect repellents chosen by The Green Guide.

* Bugz Off!, available at nebraskagoods.com and akobi.com; and *Bug Nix, at www.bugnix.com, contain oil of lemon eucalyptus. “In two recent scientific publications, when oil of lemon eucalyptus was tested against mosquitoes found in the U.S., it provided protection similar to repellents with low concentrations of DEET,” reports CDC’s West Nile website However, the agency also warns that the oil has not yet been tested against mosquitoes that spread malaria.

*Cutter Advanced is the only product sold in the U.S. containing picardin (make sure to check the label, as most Cutter products use DEET). Available at vtarmynavy.com/picardin

*Bite Blocker, made with soybean and coconut oils, was rated by Consumer Reports as effective against mosquitoes for 1-4 hours, and the most effective DEET-free product that they tested. At biteblocker.com

*Although it wasn’t tested by CR, Green Ban contains some of the same ingredients that were found to work in Bite Blocker, plus citronella, peppermint, cajuput, tea tree, lavender, bergamot, calendula and myrrh. At natural foods stores.

*Natural Tick & Bug Repellent by Practical Nature from www.heronhillsfarms.com kept mosquitoes off me on a trip to the Dominican Republic. Because the area had had some cases of malaria following a devastating hurricane, I packed a DEET repellent as well, but thankfully never had to use it, as it provokes my asthma. Instead, I simply sprayed on Practical Nature’s light, fragrant mix when I went out at night, as well as in the early morning while bird-watching in the rain forest. I saw lots of scary big mosquitoes, but they flew on by, giving me a wide berth.

Last Resorts

The most common, toxic and effective ingredient is DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide). However, DEET can cause blisters, rashes and eye irritation as well as lethargy, disorientation and mood swings; in rare case, overapplication has resulted in death. DEET harms the environment, too: It can enter waterways and is listed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as “slightly toxic” to birds, fish and aquatic invertebrates. If you are travelling to a place where mosquitoes are known to carry life-threatening disease such as malaria, it’s a good idea to bring along a DEET-containing product. If you’re travelling with children, be prepared by packing formulations that contain no more than 10 percent DEET, per the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Do not use this or any other insect repellent on children under 2 years of age. Apply it only sparingly to clothing and hats, never to skin, whether children or adults. Take care that you do not spray in such a way that droplets may be inhaled.

As plain clothing provides a good insect barrier whose effectiveness varies according to how much skin it covers, some might question whether it"s necessary to spike the cloth with chemicals. Nevertheless, two years ago, the EPA approved Buzz Off "insect repellent apparel," which is now carried by many outdoor gear retailers, such as REI, Eddie Bower and Sierra Trading Post. Its active ingredient is the insecticide permethrin, found in many house and garden pesticides. Doctors caution never to apply permethrin to skin. The problem: permethrin-infused clothing does touch the skin, yet even the clothing designed for children does not include warnings about the potential health risks and environmental impact. Permethrin is a synthetic version of the naturally occurring pyrethroids. It is easily metabolized by many insects, which may be effectively disabled by the chemical, though often they recover. It can be highly toxic to fish and tadpoles, and in humans can cause asthma attacks, headache, nausea, tremors, even convulsions in extreme cases.

Conclusion: Before you reach for DEET-based Cutter’s, Ben’s or Black Fly, or spend your money on permethrin-laced clothes, do give the above natural herbal or picardin formulations a chance! For more information on health and environmental concerns and companies, see Product Reports on Insect Repellents and Sunblocks at www.thegreenguide.com.

Earth Day, Every Day

5 Easy Things to Do for Your Family Health, Your Budget and Mother Nature

It’s Spring, at last: The hawthorne blossoms in a white wave and children, some scarcely head-high to the daffodils, are busting out all over. How appropriate that we celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd, in the midst of this green season. Nature gives us so much–billions of dollars in health and welfare services, according to the Center for Environmental Research and Conservation in New York. Here are some easy ways we can give back this Earth Day, and every day.

1. Buy Something in Organic Cotton. Whatever little essentials you may need can increasingly be found in organic cotton. The savings to the environment, and ultimately to our health, are extraordinary, as conventional cotton is responsible for the use of $2.6 billion worth of pesticides annually–more than any other crop. Just make sure the label says certified organic, which means USDA or international standards, including the prohibition of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, have been met. Some Ideas:
   
   *One of my favorite, smoothest light undergarments is Gaiam’s Organic Cotton Crossover Bra, $18. And a three-pack of organic bikini, hipster or high-cut panties is $19. From www.gaim.com
   
   *For baby, get everything from organic cotton diapers to shirts and creepers at ecobaby.com; for more companies, see Clothing Product Report at www.thegreenguide.com
   
   *For removing makeup or applying toner: Organic Essentials Quilted Rounds are both substantial and soft on the face. $3.99 for a package of 100; I recommend their non-chlorine-bleached tampons and nursing pads as well. At your local pharmacy or natural foods store, or see list of stores at www.organicessentials.com.
   



2. Take your own bag along when you shop. Around the world, roughly 4-5 trillion plastic bags of all kinds were manufactured in 2002, and Americans throw away 100 billion plastic grocery sacks a year, the Worldwatch Institute reports. That’s a lot of petroleum used to produce items that wind up swelling our landfills. The French tuck string bags into their handbags or briefcases so they can load up on groceries on the way home; we can do the same with a folded cloth or even plastic bag (or two, or three). My frugal, environmentally conscious stepfather takes his food and athletic gear to work in reused plastic grocery bags that he rinses and hangs on the line to dry, to reuse again!
   
   Governments worldwide, from South Africa to Ireland, Taiwan, France and the UK, are restricting the manufacture of plastic bags, or charging customers a few cents extra for them. And some markets give a small refund for each of their bags you don’t fill. But the greatest reward being able, when a store clerk asks “Do you need a bag?” to reply, “No, thanks, I have my own.”
   



3. Buy one green cleaning product to replace a conventional, toxic one, such as products containing caustic ammonia and chlorine bleach, which can burn your eyes and respiratory tract and, if accidentally combined, produce toxic chloramine gas. Not to mention that these chemicals find their way into our waterways and harm wildlife once they go down the drain. Instead, try one of these all-purpose household cleaners: Vermont Soapworks Organic Liquid Sunshine Nontoxic Cleaner, vermontsoap.com, Aubrey Organics Earth Aware Household Cleanser, www.aubreyorganics.com, Dr Bronner’s Sal Suds, drbronner.com, Seventh Generation Natural All Purpose Cleaner www.seventhgeneration.com.
   
   Also, check under your sink and in the garage, and get rid of old pesticides containing chlorpyrifos (now banned for home uses) and toxic cleaning products. Find your community’s safe waste disposal options by inputting your zip code at 1-800-CLEANUP, or www.cleanup.org. For more info, see Household Cleaning Products Product Report at www.thegreenguide.com, or go to our online store and purchase a handy downloadable Healthy Household Guide to Cleaning Products, plus Smart Shopper’s Card, for $2.
   



4. Save money and fossil fuels: The average household spends 10-15 % of its annual electricity bill on lighting, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. And most incandescent lightbulbs waste precious energy (most power plants burn fossil fuels), using only 10% to produce light while 90% is wasted as heat. The solution: Buy an energy efficient, compact fluorescent lightbulb (CFL) to have at the ready next time a conventional one burns out. While they cost more at the outset (averaging $12-17), CFLs use 75% less energy, last for years and save $55.60 in electric bills per 10,000 kilowatt hours. For each incandescent you replace with a CFL, you will save 10,000 pounds of CO2 greenhouse gas emissions over the life of the bulb! The EPA estimates that if just one room in every U.S. home was lit by CFLs, we’d save one trillion pounds in CO2 emissions each year.
   
   Available at most hardware and home improvement stores. Look for EPA’s Energy Star approval rating on the package. Also, check your utility bill to see if your state, like many, gives consumer rebates against the price of CFLs and other Energy Star products, such as refrigerators and washing machines.
   



5. Save water in a second: The average faucet flows about 3 gallons of water per minute, so turn off the tap while you brush your teeth. Turn off the water while soaping in the shower, and you’ll save as much as 40 gallons!

For many more green products, from organic, shade-grown, bird friendly coffee and chocolate to bedding, flooring, paints to how to find locally grown food in your area and more, see thegreenguide.com

Ten Steps to Health and Beauty
By Mindy Pennybacker

By mid-winter, many of our New Year's resolutions - such as losing ten pounds by Valentine's Day - have flown the coop. Good riddance! Rather than punish ourselves with crash diets and makeovers, why not relax (tension begets wrinkles), take a deep breath and remember what we like about ourselves? This, in turn, may encourage us to take more loving care of ourselves.

Now's the time for a fresh start based on common sense. Beyond genetic factors that we can't control, our good health depends upon regular exercise, controlling our weight, eating right and avoiding exposures to toxins - not just in the short term, but every day (well, almost). Pleasure itself works beauty magic, argues Mireille Guiliano in her best seller, French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure (Knopf, 2005). Thirty-one percent of Americans are obese, compared with only eleven percent of the French. The trimmer French figure, Guiliano says, is living proof that we can eat whatever we want - even chocolate and cream - so long as it's fresh, high quality and not in Super Size portions. Furthermore, Guiliano adds, we should treat our table as we do our beds - as places where we linger, recoup, and sensually enjoy. In other words, take time to taste.

Below are ten tips to enhance your beauty and wellness in this new year and beyond. Enjoy!

1. Eat a varied diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole, not processed, grains. When possible, buy organic and local produce. Organic has fewer toxic pesticide residues, and local is fresher and free of post-harvest fungicides. While nine servings of fresh produce a day is the ideal, increasing by even one or two servings will improve health, according to Dr. Walter Willet, chair of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health (read the report here).
   
   
2. Watch out for Fats: Limit consumption of fatty meat and dairy products, and toxin-tainted fish. Avoid transfats (partially hydrogenated vegetable oils) altogether.In addition to artery-clogging saturated fats, red meat and whole dairy products contain higher levels of such toxic chemicals as dioxin and brominated flame retardants (pbdes). The latter are being found at high levels in the breast milk of American women. Lean cuts of meat and nonfat dairy products are freer of such toxins, which collect in fatty tissues.

   Additives fed to animals are also problematic: Recent research has also found a preliminary link between heavy antibiotic use and incidence of breast cancer, and researchers at Ohio State University are studying zeranol, a growth hormone given to cattle that causes breast-cancer cells to proliferate in the lab. When possible, choose organic meat, dairy and poultry products, which come from animals that have not been treated with hormones or antibiotics. For best choices, see the Green Guide's poultry guide

   Avoid fish high in mercury (tuna, swordfish) or PCBs (some fresh-water fish, farmed salmon). See The Green Guide's downloadable "Yes, No and Sometimes" fish guide. The advisory committee for the new federal dietary guidelines said that trans fats, partically hydrogenated vegetable oils, are even worse for the body than saturated fats and should be limited to no more than one percent of total calories.

3. Avoid the Use of Pesticides and Herbicides in your house and garden. Exposure to household pesticides has been associated with an elevated risk of childhood leukemia and lower birth weights and head circumference in newborns. Pesticides have also been found to trigger asthma attacks and cause skin irritations. For less toxic pest control methods, see the Bio-Integral Resource Center.
   
   
4. Control Your Weight. Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer, including breast cancer. "Women who are heavier and gain weight have higher levels of estrogen," says Rachel Ballard-Barbash, M.D., M.P.H., associate director of NCI's Applied Research Program at the National Cancer Institute (read it the cancer.gov website)
   
   
5. Get Daily Exercise. The federal guidelines recommend at least 30 minutes of moderately intense physical activity a day, and 60 to 90 minutes to help keep weight down. A study of 47,000 women published in the September 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that the risk of breast cancer was reduced in postmenopausal women who participated in increased physical activity. But you don't have to sweat it; French women don't join gyms so much as walk everywhere, Guiliano says.
   
   
6. Choose Beauty and Personal Care Products Without Toxic Chemicals. The European Parliament and the European Council jointly passed a rule in September 2004, banning hundreds of known or probable carcinogens, mutagens or reproductive toxicants from perfume, makeup, hair dye and other cosmetics. Scientists are assessing additional chemicals for possible inclusion on the list, such as formaldehyde and aromatic amines from coal tar, which are used in some brown and black hair dyes.

   Look out for synthetic fragrances and most nail polishes, which contain phthalates, plasticizers that have been linked to cancer and hormone disruption in animals. Revlon Inc. And L'Oreal U.S.A. have stopped using dibutyl phthalate in their products, in response to demands by the Breast Cancer Fund and other activists.

   For more information on specific good and bad beauty products, go to www.thegreenguide.com, and read "Gentle Touches: Personal Care" now free on the home page. Screen products on the shelves with our pocket-size, downloadable Dirty Dozen" card of the worst ingredients in personal care products. And also check out our new Moisturizer Product Report free this month.
   
   

7. Steer clear of polluted outdoor air and cigarette smoke. Check Air Quality Index (AQI)) for daily information on particle pollution and smog levels in 149 cities. The Long Island Breast Cancer Study, published in August 2002 (see "Women's Health: Searching For Clues" GG # 95) reported a 50 % increased risk from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), found in vehicle exhaust, cigarette smoke and smoked or grilled foods.
   
   
8. Use least-toxic household cleaners and home reno/ deco products such as paints, pressed woods, upholstered furniture. The heady fumes from cleaning and laundry products and air fresheners can cause respiratory and nervous distress, as well as allergic and asthmatic reactions. See "Eco-Renovation" and "Paint" (issue #95) in our Green Guide Archives, and Household Cleaning Supplies product report and downloadable Shopper's Card at www.thegreenguide.com.
   
   
9. Find out what's in your drinking water and filter it if necessary. See "3 Steps to Ensuring Clean Tap Water" at www.thegreenguide.com. To get a copy of your water utility report and find out what's in your water, go to epa.gov/safewater/privatewells/labs.htm Even better, to learn how to read the darn thing and find out what it means for your health, see Natural Resource Defense Council's Making Sense Out of Drinking Water "Right to Know" Reports. Because lead, a neurotoxic heavy metal, can enter water through your city or building's pipes, test your water by sending samples to a state-certified laboratory; how-tos can be found here. To find a certified filter to remove any toxins in your water, go here.
   
   
10. Keep chemicals in plastics and cans out of your food and water. Use plastic wraps made of polyethylene, not PVC. Don't microwave in plastic or put hot food in plastic containers. Use oven-proof glass or lead-free ceramic instead. Avoid polycarbonate plastic baby bottles and food cans with white linings, which contain a hormone-disrupting chemical known as bisphenol-A. See "Bottled Water" and "Plastics for Kitchen Use" product reports at www.thegreenguide.com.

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    Tips for Finding Green, Nontoxic Children’s Toys

    What parent hasn’t faced the holidays with dread? At least once a year, usually right after Thanksgiving, I panic and think: I’ve had it with shopping, there’s too much materialism, too much plastic, too much waste of money, paper, time! Last December in the U.S., total retail sales were $340 billion, an increase of more than six percent over December 2002. About $55 billion was spent on toys, "60 percent of which are made in Chinese sweatshops...," Juliet Schor, professor of sociology at Boston College, reports in Worldwatch State of the World 2004 . In the past ten years, Schor adds, U.S. toy prices have fallen by 33 percent and apparel prices by 10 percent, largely due to cheap labor. This hardly represents goodwill.

    There’s also the chilling effect produced by the U.S. Consumer Safety Products Commission’s annual list of the Top Ten Most Hazardous Toys. Why should we line up to pay good money for junk that might be recalled, and should probably never have been made in the first place? This November, the CPSC’s list included toy jewelry made with neurotoxic lead, along with radio-controlled and ride-on toy trucks, a Batmobile, mirrored books, a Nerf ball, a bumble bee, strollers and shoes that threatened everything from choking and cuts to burns and falls.

    Inevitably, though, my buy-nothing resolve crumples at the prospect of the disappointed faces of the children I love, should I come up empty-handed on that day of days when every decent store is closed and no deliveries can be made. I’ve come to learn that it’s fine, even necessary, to vent and acknowledge the reality of my feelings and the excesses of our consumer culture, before taking steps to make my holidays saner without spoiling them for others. We can simplify the holidays by buying fewer inessentials and choosing gifts that are less toxic and more labor friendly. Certainly, the most labor-friendly are things we make ourselves or with our children, spending together our most precious resource, time. A sock, recycled into a puppet named Fang, was my two-year-old’s favorite toy one Christmas and beyond.

    At the top of your list, put the following safe-not-sorry toys for both children’s and the environment’s health.

    PVC- and Lead-Free Toys

    It’s imperative that PVC plastic and toys made–or painted–with lead, a neurotoxic heavy metal, not be given to young children who put things in their mouths.

    PVC vinyl, or polyvinyl chloride, is a plastic whose manufacture and disposal release cancer-causing, hormone-disrupting chemicals known as dioxins into our air, water and food. Soft PVC contains plasticizers called phthalates, which have been linked to cancers and reproductive harm in animal studies. Britain has banned soft PVC toys, and a European Union study has recommended that all member countries do the same. The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission has asked that manufacturers voluntarily not use soft PVC in "mouth" toys, such as teethers, for children under three.

    Companies that have gone PVC-free include Brio, IKEA,Lego, Primetime Playthings, Early Start, Sassy and Tiny Love. Lamaze Infant Development is PVC-free for children under free.

    Lead, a brain-damaging heavy metal, can contaminate cheap imported toys or antiques, such as lead soldiers, as well as PVC products such as some children’s backpacks and raincoats. In July 2004, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled all metal toy jewelry sold in vending machines —150 million pieces– after it was found to contain lead and had poisoned one young child

    Below are some more natural, healthy and sane toy recommendations, along with a couple of classic enviromentally-themed books, from The Green Guide’s current issue, available at www.thegreenguide.com. In addition, we offer an extensive new Product Report on Toys, articles on reducing packaging and paper waste, gifts that protect biodiversity, ways to go green on a budget, heirloom menus, and much more. Simply enjoy!

    Non-Toxic Toys and Eco-friendly Books
    by Karen Mockler

    It may be impossible to keep all of this season’s highly advertised "must-have" toys out of your home, but every natural toy – one that’s healthy for the environment and growing bodies – that replaces a "junk" version makes a positive difference. It decreases a child's overall exposure to pollutants, creates more marketplace demand for sustainable products and reduces the environmental damage caused by pesticides, plastics and toxic chemicals. What’s more, when the natural alternatives happen to be both beautiful and fun, they’re less likely to be tossed aside. Here are toys that can endure in your family from one generation to the next -- instead of in the landfill.

    Wood
    Any solid wood is preferable to pressed woods, such as plywood and particleboard, which are formed with glues that give off toxic fumes like carcinogenic formaldehyde. You can often see the layers of pressed wood when looking at the edges of toys and puzzle pieces. Wood toys made with nontoxic paints and finishes also use and release fewer toxins. Natural oil finishes, such as linseed and walnut oils are safest, as is beeswax.

    Certified Sustainable Choices:

    *Bingo Bed, the time-tested pounding board, one of Holgate's most popular toys. Ages 18 mos. - 6 yrs. 11" version includes 8 colorful pegs and hammer; 9" version includes six pegs; most wood sourced from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified vendors ($23.95 or $19.95 at www.holgatetoy.com; 800-499-1929)

    *Wagon of Blocks with 48 smooth sanded blocks in a pull wagon ($99.95, www.holgatetoy.com; 800-499-1929)

    *Tumbleweed Woodworks makes FSC-certified wood puzzles, 24-pieces. Ages 3-8. Try "Building Houses," which highlights five different styles of architecture. ($20 at www.tumbleweedwoodworks.com; 800-497-3116)

    Unfinished, or finished with non-toxic substances:

    *The pedella is a wooden duck that waddles when you push it; finished with natural beeswax. ($33 at www.organicgiftshop.com; 800-895-6045)

    *Beautiful alder cash register from The Playstore. Ages 3 - up. The buttons push down and you can turn the crank to see the number display change. ($49.95 at www.playstoretoys.com; 877-876-1111)

    *Toy Camera. Ages 3 - up. This handmade camera has a viewfinder, shutter button and dials to turn. Hardwood with childsafe mineral oil finish. ($17.95 at www.rosiehippo.com; 800-385-2620)

    *Stilts! Ages 6 – up. Sturdy oak construction, yet light enough to be handled by a 7-year-old on the lower settings. Non-skid rubber feet. ($32 at www.novanatural.com)

    Cotton
    Stuffed animals and dolls are perfect for the imaginative play children love. Toddlers and preschoolers enjoy watching relatives animate them, and babies like to explore the textures and shapes with their mouths. But stain- and moth-proofed cotton, synthetics and wool used in stuffed and soft fabric toys can contain Azo dyes which can be carcinogenic. Not to mention that cotton accounts for a quarter of the world’s use of insecticides.

    The solution: Certified Organic and/or untreated cotton and wool, colored with nontoxic colorfast dyes, as in these toys:

    *Froggy friend. This pal's hands and feet can be moistened and frozen to soothe a teething baby's sore gums. ($11 at www.organicgiftshop.com; 800-895-6045)

    *Cousin Louie Big Ears (stuffed mouse) – or any of the Big Ears family ($8.50 at www.oskri.com, 800-821-3125)

    *Teddy Bear and other stuffed animals ($18.95 www.mamasearth.com, 800-620-7388)

    *Mermaid and other dolls ($28 and up, www.honeysuckledreams.com, 301-217-0546)

    Board Games

    To pry older children away from video games and bring the family together, consider:

    *Chess ($50), checkers ($50), dominoes ($17) or Nine Man’s Morris ($50) made from recycled wood (www.wooden-games.com)

    *Nappi Balata Crafts chess set with natural latex pieces ($220, www.oneworldprojects.com)

    *Scrabble (ages 8-up) proves you can have fun building your vocabulary ($12, www.etailgifts.com; 800-952-7028)

    *Blokus, a fascinating strategy game and 2003 Parent’s Choice winner, probably because it’s more interesting for parents than most kids’ games. ($24.95 at www.funagain.com; 541-482-1939)

    Free-form Building Toys

    *You can’t beat PVC- and phthalate-free LEGO for creative possibilities. LEGO promotes kits, but you can still order buckets of 500 bricks through the company. Ask for Item 4105 ("miscellaneous bucket") or Item 4028 ("world of bricks"). ($9.99 at www.lego.com; 800-835-4386) <search Lego.com for PVC and phthalates, there are two pdfs on their switch to PET >.

    *Modeling beeswax. Ages 5 - up. When you hold this sweet-smelling wax from The Playstore, it begins to soften. A natural modeling material, it won't dry out, and can be made into any form or shape. Box of 15 colors. ($19.95 at www.playstoretoys.com; 877-876-1111)

    Books

    Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? (Henry Holt, 2003, $15.95), by Bill Martin, Jr. and Eric Carle (2-3 years). The text reads like a nursery rhyme about ten different animals. All ten are, or have been, endangered. Toddlers may miss the point, but they will enjoy looking at the lush colors and beautiful creatures.

    Where Once There Was a Wood (Henry Holt, 1996, $16.95) by Denise Fleming, (2 years – up). Perhaps the most gorgeous children’s book around. Fleming’s text and illustrations recall a wood, meadow, creek, plus their inhabitants – and the housing development that replaced them all.

    Ancient Ones: The World of Old-Growth Douglas Fir (Sierra Club Books for Children 1994, $6.95) by Barbara Bash, (8-10 years) With gentle description and plentiful paint, Bash introduces children to the wonderful world of an old-growth forest.

    Come Back, Salmon (Sierra Club Books for Children, 1992, $7.95) [The Sierra Club edition is titled: Come Back Salmon: How a Group of Dedicated Kids Adopted Pigeon Creek and Brought It Back To Life] by Molly Cone and Sidnee Wheelwright, (9-11 years). This engaging book tells the story of Jackson Elementary School, a thousand baby salmon and their habitat, and will make you want to adopt a stream of your own.

    Resources
    North Star Toys (www.northstartoys.com; 800-737-0112)
    Organic Gift Shop (www.organicgiftshop.com; 800-895-6045)
    Turner Toys (www.turnertoys.com; 802-888-3375)
    EcoBaby Organics (www.ecobaby.com; 800-596-7450)
    Natural Baby Catalog (www.kidsstuff.com; 800-722-5282)
    www.Childsake.com includes 250 children’s books about nature and the environment.

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    Retooling For School: An Eco-Checklist

    A long-time fan of Mothering Magazine, I am thrilled and honored to be included as a guest editors on this website. I edit The Green Guide, a consumer newsletter and website (www.thegreenguide.com) that reports on the impact of products we use in our daily lives and guides readers to safer, greener alternatives. Readers of Mothering and The Green Guide share many of the same concerns, placing high values on our family and personal health, as well as on preserving the natural environment and our planet’s magnificent diversity of life forms.

    As the incidence of breast cancer, childhood cancer, early puberty, asthma, learning disabilities and brain disease continue to rise, researchers are finding links to environmental contaminants. It’s especially important to protect babies, children and teenagers, who are more vulnerable than adults because their bodies are rapidly growing and developing, and because they ingest proportionately more food, air and water–and pollutants–per pound of body weight. In addition, as mothers well know, children’s explorative behavior exposes them to pollutants that can rapidly travel from hand to mouth.

    This “Families and the Environment” column will focus on how to avoid toxic chemicals, allergens and other unhealthy substances in our food and products used at home, at school and in the workplace. In addition to reporting on the latest science and ecologically friendly products available, we’ll provide shopping tips and general what-you-can-do’s about problems from lead or mold contamination to the least-toxic, least-irritating laundry soap, deodorant or baby shampoo.

    For example, did you know that:

    *Preschoolers fed conventional diets had about six times higher levels of nervous-system- damaging, organophosphate chemicals in their bodies than children fed organic diets. Neurotoxic chemicals have been linked to learning disorders in many studies. In January 2003, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported that American children had up to twice the levels of many pesticides in their bodies as did adults. The solution: While you don’t (and probably can’t) buy all organic food, doing so for the fruits and vegetables your child eats the most will help keep his or her exposures within safe levels.

    For a FREE wallet-size list of the Top 10 fruits and vegetables to buy organic, because they contain the highest levels of dangerous pesticides, go to http://www.thegreenguide.com/gg/pdf/Top10.pdf

    *While old lead paint remains the source of most childhood lead poisoning, drinking water is responsible for about 20 percent of human exposure to lead. Simple carbon filters such as those in Brita carafes will safely remove lead from drinking water.

    *Johnson’s Baby Shampoo and many personal care products labeled "hypoallergenic" actually contain quaternium 15, a common allergen. An easy alternative: Tom’s of Maine Natural Baby Shampoo and Body Wash, based on gentle plant oils, with no synthetic chemicals.

    *Conventional pressed woods such as plywood and particleboard can pollute our indoor air by emitting toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde, but can be rendered harmless with a coating of no-VOC sealants. And, if you’re looking for a new crib, child’s desk or bookshelf, alternative, sustainable and no-VOC wood products are readily available.

    *Hormone-disrupting chemicals, some linked to cancers, can leach from bottles and containers into our water and food. The solution: Read the recycling code–#s 2, 4, 5 are your safest bets, followed by # 1 so long as the plastic isn’t degraded or overused – or go to www.thegreenguide.com for our regularly updated list of safest plastic containers by brand.

    Every month, we’ll look at similar problems and solutions, choosing topics from among these regular Green Guide departments.
    *Food
    *Water
    *Apparel
    *Plastics
    *Household Cleaning
    *Pest Control
    *Personal Care Products
    *Decorating and Furnishing
    *Home Renovation and Building
    *Environmental Health: News:Updates on the latest scientific studies and what they mean to women’s, children’s and men’s health

    We’ll try to stay brief and to the point; for those who want more information, links to articles, products reports and other sources will be provided with every column.

    Fall means back to school, and our first column brings you some tips on greener, healthier supplies and wearables, excerpted from the current issue of The Green Guide, available in full along with web-only info at www.thegreenguide.com. This eco-checklist was compiled by Paul McRandle, Green Guide Research Editor.

    RETOOLING FOR SCHOOL: AN ECO-CHECKLIST

    In the Lunchbox
    Skip containers made from these plastics, which can leach toxic chemicals into food and drink.

    #3 (PVC), which contains hormone-disrupting plasticizers known as phthalates
    #6 (polystyrene), a possible human carcinogen
    #7 (polycarbonate), which contains bisphenol-A, a hormone disruptor

    Look for these alternatives:

    Petrochemical-free, biodegradable cutlery, cups, food containers and storage bags made from recycled paper, corn or potato starch, sugar cane or sustainably harvested trees, by Chinet, Earthshell and Biocorp. From www.greenearthofficesupply.com

    Chuggable Bottles by Rubbermaid, www.rubbermaid.com

    Stainless Steel Thermoses by Thermos, www.thermos.com

    For more alternatives, see “Bottled Water” and “Plastics for Kitchen Use” product reports at www.thegreenguide.com

    Wearables
    Choosing certified organic cotton, cultivated without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers using methods that conserve and enrich the soil, helps keep pollutants out of our waterways. Find it in baby, children and teen sizes from:

    TS Designs T-shirts, www.tsdesigns.com

    Patagonia, www.patagonia.com

    Maggie’s Functional Organics, www.organicclothes.com

    Earth Wear Organic Cotton Originals, www.earth-wear.com

    Garden Kids (for toddlers), www.gardenkidsclothing.com

    Nike (for girls), www.nike-organics.com

    The following shoemakers are eliminating PVC vinyl (whose production releases carcinogenic, hormone-disrupting dioxin, the most toxic man-made chemical known) and reducing VOCs:

    Adidas
    New Balance
    Nike
    Puma
    Reebok

    Bags and Backpacks
    Again, where possible, choose PVC-free:

    Hemp Field and Passport Bags from Hemp Sisters, Inc., www.hempsisters.com

    Recycled rubber backpacks, www.greenearthofficesupply.com

    Vintage Swiss Army rucksack, made from reused canvas and leather (be sure to wash all vintage items before wearing), from www.sierratradingpost.com

    All backpack brands carried by REI, including Jansport, Northface, Victorinox and Marmot, are made from nylon and polyester (also petroleum-derived, but lesser evils than PVC), from www.rei.com

    Paper
    To help save forests and lower dioxin levels in the environment, choose non-chlorine-bleached paper with the highest possible percentage of post-consumer content (pcc), which means it’s recycled after consumer use rather than industrial leftovers. For more info, see the Paper Product Report at www.thegreenguide.com. Here are some top choices (100% pcc)

    New Leaf Everest writing paper, www.newleafpaper.com

    Envirographic 100 copy bond paper, www.treecycle.com

    Notebooks, Binders, File Folders

    Mead recycled wirebound notebooks use 50% recycled paper, 30% pcc, from www.officedepot.com

    Samsill recycled pressboard binders use 30% pcc, from www.greenearthofficesupply.com

    Globe-Weist 100% recycled color file folders include 40% pcc, from www.staples.com

    Pens & Pencils

    Paper Mate EarthWrite recycled pens are made from 100% recycled materials, www.officedepot.com

    Recycled cardboard and biodegradable cornstarch pens can be got from www.greenearthofficesupply.com

    Magic Markers
    Avoid “permanent” varieties, whose inks are usually petrochemical solvent-based and release headachey VOCs. Instead, choose:

    *water-based markers (highlighters usually are), unless your children have allergic reactions to them

    *fine-point pens, which give off less smelly ink by volume

    *"low odor" dry release pens

    The following markers have been given the Art & Creative Materials Institute (ACMI) Approved Product (AP) seal, a reputable label, according to Green Seal, a non-profit organization that tests and certifies products that meet its environmental and safety standards.

    BIC Magic Marker, Crayola Washable Markers,, Retractable Pen-Style Highlighters and Mr. Sketch Unscented and Colorific Markers, all from www.officedepot.com

    Pigma Graphic Markers, from www.misterart.com

    Sharpie Poster Paint Markers, from www.reuels.com
    
    For more info, see www.acminet.org/CPListSearch.html and www.greenseal.org/cgrs/report.htm