SafePaint Milk-Based Wall Paint

Hi all,

It's almost 2009 so you're probably sitting there thinking about all the improvements you'd like to make in your home, schedule, life, etc. And if you're thinking adding a fresh coat of paint anywhere to welcome the new year check out  MilkPaint's amazing 20 shade selection of all-natural, milk-based paints that are both organic and biodegradable.

Milk Paints are made in small batches in Massachusetts and they contain only environmentally friendly ingredients (milk protein, lime, clay, and earth pigments such as ocher, umber, iron oxide, and lampblack) and mix easily with a drill paint paddle or a portable kitchen mixer.

Of course this makes them suitable for children’s furniture and toys if those need a touch up too.

Happy paintin'!

xoxo,

Miss T

Julianne Moore is the latest celebrity to support green cosmetics

Actress Julianne Moore is working with Burt's Bees to draw attention to a new label handed out by the Natural Products Association to certify personal-care products as "natural" if they are made from 95 percent natural ingredients with minimal processing.

Raw Beauty also supports this definition and is an active member of the NPA.

So glad to see more celebrities speaking out on the importance of reducing our exposure to unnecessary synthetic chemicals!!!!!

Place to go for "Green" Gossip!

I just found a new favorite site - http://www.ecorazzi.com/!

It's full of the latest and greatest "green" celebrity gossip!

Enjoy!

The Animal Rescue Site

Hi there all you animal lovers!

The Animal Rescue Site is having trouble getting enough daily clicks to meet their quota of free food donated every day to abused and neglected animals.
 

It takes less than a minute (seriously 20 seconds!) to go to their site and click on the purple box 'fund food for animals' for free. This doesn't cost you a thing! Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits as a basis for deciding how much food to donate to abandoned/neglected animals in exchange for advertising.

Add this to your bookmarks and visit regularly. Only 20 seconds a day makes a big difference to a hungry, scared little puppy out there.

 http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/

This is pretty simple so please tell ten of your friends to tell ten of their friends today!

xoxo, 

Miss T (who has two rescued kitties at home!)

‘Green’ your dry cleaning!

Approx. 85 percent of the more than 35,000 dry cleaners in the United States use perchloroethylene (or perc, for short) as a solvent in the dry cleaning process. Perc is a synthetic, volatile organic compound (VOC) that poses a health risk to humans and a threat to the environment. It has been identified as a “probable” human carcinogen by California’s Proposition 65 and by the EPA as a health and environmental hazard. It will be banned in California by 2023.
The best options include CO2 Cleaning CO2 Cleaning which uses pressurized liquid CO2 in place of perc, in combination with other cleaning agents and professional wet cleaning, which is a safe, energy-efficient method that uses water as a solvent—rather than chemicals—with a combination of special soaps and conditioners.
Another bonus – no stinky ‘dry cleaner’ smell!

Recycle your Nail Polish

Don’t just toss your nail polish, batteries and old cell phones; find a Household Hazardous Waste disposal center where you can drop them off by typing your zip code into http://www.earth911.org/.

This is one of my New Year Resolutions!!!

The Big List of Things that Suck

Ecostiletto.com (one of my FAVORITE sites) recently published The Big List of Things that Suck. It contains a lot of the known offenders like formaldehyde, fragrance, BPA, parabens and VOC’s, but there are some on here that I often forget about, like faux fur, gold and single use feminine hygiene products.

Look out for future posts from me on some of these items and the alternatives available!

Cameron Diaz's green lunch box

A collection of 77 actors (Mike Myers, Gwyneth Paltrow, James Earl Jones), musicians (Michael Stipe, Tony Bennett, the Ting Tings), writers (Ruth Reichl, Salman Rushdie), chefs (Mario Batali, Rachael Ray), designers (Diane von Furstenberg, Heatherette) artists (Yoko Ono) ,and TV show casts (Gossip Girl) plus cookbook author/restauranteur/local food advocate Alice Waters all designed lunchboxes for The Lunchbox Fund this year to be auctioned for the charity.

The Lunchbox Fund feeds poor schoolchildren in Soweto, South Africa thereby helping to keep them in school and greatly lessening their chances of unwanted pregnancy and contracting HIV. As the charity is run entirely by volunteers, all proceeds go directly to feeding the children.

EPA lists top 23 Fugitives

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is taking a page from the book of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is now posting pictures and descriptions of fugitive environmental lawbreakers or those accused of environmental crimes on a new website http://www.epa.gov/fugitives/

The list includes 23 fugitives, all of them men, and their alleged violations include smuggling of ozone-depleting substances, illegally disposing of hazardous waste, discharging pollutants into the air and water, laundering money and making criminally false statements.

I'm so glad that more and more visibility is being brought to these types of acts!!! Of course, these men could be armed and dangerous - so do not attempt to apprehend any of these individuals

!

Hairspray linked to birth defect

A recent study shows that boys born to women exposed to hairspray in the workplace may have a higher risk of being born with a genital defect.

Imperial College London scientists talked to women who had babies with hypospadias, where the urinary tract is found away from the penis. They reported that hairspray exposure more than doubled the risk.

The incidence of hypospadias has risen sharply in recent decades, and some experts have pointed the finger of suspicion at chemicals called phthalates.

Phthalates are found in some plastics and beauty products (especially nail polish and hairspray) and have the ability to disrupt hormones. They have been banned in toys in the EU for some years (see my blog about the recent ban on the use of phthalates in US toys).

This is not the first study to reveal a link between phthalates and birth defects. This is an ingredient that many activists have been trying to get banned in the US for some time!

For the full article, please click here

Be a Green Gourmet this Holiday Season!

With the Holidays right around the corner, there is a great green cookware option:

Green Gourmet from Cuisinart features no perfluorinated compounds and no petrochemicals.

"Green Gourmet hard-anodized pans feature an aluminum alloy core and exclusive nonstick surface that's ceramic- rather than petroleum-based, so it helps to conserve existing oil reserves. Handles are made from 70% recycled stainless-steel and Green Gourmet conducts heat so well, it's more energy-efficient too. Even the manufacturing process uses less energy than others. No conscientious cook should be without it.”

This is definitely going on my Christmas list!

Chocolates for a Cause

Looking for the perfect gift for your favorite sweet tooth?

Comparte's new line of Africa-inspired delights benefits Relief International's work in Darfur. Luxury sweets don't come cheap, but at least they come with a conscience.

xoxo,
Miss T

Toys with phthalates can be sold after U.S. ban takes effect

I cut and pasted excerpts from a great article, especially if you have children in your life! For the entire thing, click here


"Stores may continue selling plastic toys made with hormone-like chemicals next year, even after a law that was supposed to ban them takes effect, according to a legal decision from the federal agency that oversees consumer safety.
Congress in August passed a sweeping consumer safety bill that virtually bans chemicals called phthalates in products for children under 12. The law takes effect Feb. 10.

Now, however, legal counsel at the Consumer Product Safety Commission says that the phthalate ban doesn't necessarily apply to toys made before Feb. 10. In a letter written Monday, the commission's general counsel says the law lacks a "clear statement of unambiguous intent."

Retailers and manufacturers may sell off their existing inventory of dolls, sippy cups and other children's products, according to the letter from the commission's general counsel, Cheryl Falvey. Neither stores nor toymakers are obligated to label which products meet the new standards and which don't.

Some supporters of the legislation say the agency is undermining the goal of a law meant to protect their children

The Consumer Product Safety Commission "is willfully ignoring the Congressional intent, which is to protect children from toxic chemicals," says Rep. Janice Schakowsky, D-Ill.

A small number of human studies, and a large number of animal tests, suggest that phthalates interfere with the hormone system. An October study, for example, found that baby boys born to mothers with high phthalate levels were more likely to have small penises and undescended testicles. Chemical makers say that evidence is far from conclusive, and that phthalates are safe.

Some retailers, such as Wal-Mart and Toys 'R Us/Babies 'R Us, have announced plans to phase out phthalates by Jan. 1, the day that a state ban in California goes into effect. Kathleen Waugh, a spokeswoman for Toys 'R Us/Babies 'R Us, says the chain remains committed to getting rid of the chemicals by the end of the year.

A growing number of websites also cater to concerned parents: thesoftlanding.com, safemama.com, and safbaby.com sell only products made without phthalates and other controversial chemicals. All are run by mothers who've spent countless hours researching safe products.

Labels Can Hide the Presence of Phthalates in your Cosmetics

Below are some excerts from an article on phthalates. The link to the full article is here


People who try to avoid phthalates in their cosmetics find it is not always easy because phthalates are seldom included on labels. The chemicals are frequently used as components of fragrances (to make scents last longer). And while the Food and Drug Administration requires most cosmetic ingredients to be listed, the agency offers a loophole for fragrances. Their formulas are considered proprietary secrets, so the manufacturer may simply use the generic term "fragrance."

That loophole applies not only to perfumes but also to any scent used in lipsticks, moisturizers, shampoos or mascaras. In general, phthalates will be listed on a label only when they are used for purposes unrelated to fragrance: to make colors last longer, for example, or to make hair sprays more flexible and nail polish more durable.

It is not enough simply to choose an unscented product because masking fragrances, often containing phthalates, are added to them. Products that list neither "fragrance" nor phthalates are most likely to be free of the chemicals.

Shop to Save the Rainforest

Hi all,

Scratching your head trying to think of the perfect gift for that special someone on your list? Maybe you should consider The Rainforest Site. Browse their green merchandise and bask in the knowledge that every order preserves endangered forest!

xoxo,
Miss T

Ps. Anyone shopping for lil' ole me should take a peak at
Organic Cotton Cap Sleeve Wrap Dress. At under $30 it's a total steal!

Eco Gift 2008 – Santa Monica, CA

December 12-14 – Free!

Eco Gift 2008, presented by the Los Angeles Times, offers consumers one-stop shopping for green gifts and organic food, fabulous entertainment and eco-centered education.

Eco Gift 2008 will include Arianna Huffington among other world-class speakers and musicians, as well as the projected attendance of 15,000 eco-conscious consumers over three days. In addition, the Los Angeles Times “eco wrapping station” will gift wrap in recycled newspaper.

Buy Tickets Now! Ticketing Info Here

I can't wait!!!

Blog for Moms

The truth comes out: You can pack an organic lunch for your kids and not break the bank! In fact, as our recent video shows, you might just come out ahead. Or at least your kids will, since the fact that they eat four-to-five times more fruits, veggies and milk as you do makes them way more vulnerable to the pesticides that are heaped up in the conventional stuff.
And if you haven’t got them eating organic yet, consider this, from the Healthy Child, Healthy World book that came out earlier this year: In a study of 23 elementary school children whose urine revealed the presence of pesticides at the beginning of a study in Seattle, WA, just one showed any detectible traces of pesticide after eating organic food for four days. So start now!