Environmental watch
September 23, 2010 | Environmental watch
The other day in preschool carpool line, I heard Sandra Steingraber discuss her work linking ecology to cancer on KALW’s Your Call program. Steingraber was diagnosed with bladder cancer as a college student. Her doctor informed her that since she wasn’t a smoker, the cancer was caused by chemical exposure. At the time a biology major, Steingraber became an ecologist and wrote the well regarded Living Downstream: An Ecologist’s Personal Investigation of Cancer and the Environment. She recently testified in Congress about the findings of this year’s President’s Cancer Panel.
The President’s Cancer Panel report released in May finds that exposure to certain chemicals contributes to cancer. Steingraber’s radio interview coincides with the release of the documentary Living Downstream based on her book. Healthy Child Healthy World will honor Steingraber next month at their Moms-on-a-Mission event.
These are the points I found interesting in the interview:
• The three contributors to cancer: lifestyle, genetics and environment.
• Often the focus on smoking and lifestyle choices eclipse discussion of links between chemicals and cancer. More
April 20, 2010 | Environmental watch
We thought about listing Earth Day ideas–like drive less, walk more–but instead of inspired we felt ho hum. Then, Sunday afternoon as we gathered the kids’ gardening tools strewn across the yard from a worm collecting mission, we realized that what we’re craving this week in honoring the planet is to reflect on how far we’ve come in our own little patch of earth awareness.
We recycle (Ok, hopefully everyone recycles now, but it counts), plant vegetables, take five minute showers, bring our own grocery bags, let the kids play with a bucket of water instead of a running hose, filter our water and use aluminum water bottles (current favorite for the lightweight kid size: Ecousable), clean with green household products, buy recycled toilet paper and paper towels, set the table with cloth napkins (colored washcloths for the kids) and compost fruits and vegetables in the clippings bin as our garbage collector allows. Whew!
Reminding ourselves of these positive changes makes it easier to continue on our greener path. Instead of feeling inconvenienced, we can consider trading in our paper towels for reusable rags as an experiment. And bringing our own bags to the store leads to toting along cotton sacks for produce too. The best part is our natural progression towards this simpler lifestyle–each step evolves into the next.
April 12, 2010 | Environmental watch
Kelly wandered into an eco-dentist office in Berkeley hoping for less radiation on X-rays–what she got was a foot massage during her teeth cleaning and no more chemical smells. When she changed to an eco-dentist closer to home, he used oxygen to relieve her always sensitive post-cleaning gums, and the painless 5 minute treatment (basically, a nozzle blows air on the gums) also relieved her sore throat!
We are converts. Not to mention for our kids. Before we know it, they have permanent molars and questions begin about fluoride treatments, sealants (avoid those with BPA) and X-rays.
The Eco-Dentistry Association has created certification standards for eco-dentists and includes a helpful search to find a local EDA member.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends once a year dentist visits begin by the time children are three, while the American Dental Association recommends a visit at age one. Often, pediatricians suggest seeing the dentist when kids are two years old, so we recommend checking with them. They also may have a referral. On our first dentist visit, a dental hygienist gives our kids a tour of the office, including a ride in the dental chair. If the child feels comfortable, the dentist looks in their mouth and brushes their teeth.
January 20, 2010 | Environmental watch
We grew up near the ocean and remember our parents working with neighbors to fight the oil companies who wanted to drill by our coasts. Then came Heal the Bay with its California Beach Report Card, and the efforts to protect our seas continue. Researchers are learning more about pollution’s effect on the ocean. The Algalita Marine Research Foundation studies the break down of plastic and other trash in the oceans and the impact on sea life. They work with local communities to prevent polluting waterways leading to the ocean. Simple steps like recycling plastic and shopping with reusable bags make a difference.
We’re also hearing more about trash islands in the Pacific made up mostly of plastic, which breaks into finer and finer pieces rather than decompose. On PBS, the family program Jean-Michel Cousteau Ocean Adventures explains how currents collect debris in a giant mass in the ocean. Algalita maps these islands and collects samples to track the rate of plastic accumulation in the North Pacific.
Over-fishing remains an issue for the health of the oceans as well. To remind ourselves about safe fish choices, we take a look at the NRDC consumer guide to mercury in fish, which identifies which species suffer from over-fishing. We like the EWG Safe Fish List too.
September 15, 2009 | Environmental watch
Environmental Working Group just released their cell phone radiation report–it’s a must read. EWG spent 10 months analyzing the public health risks from cell phones. Their cell phone guide rates radiation levels for over 1,000 phones, from Motorolla RAZR to Blackberry and iPhone. They identify the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) for each phone’s radiation level in various modes and positions (at the ear, when worn on the body). EWG also lists the 10 Best and Worst Phones and PDAs/Smartphones.
EWG is not suggesting that we give up our cell phones. Instead, they advise using the lower radiation phones, following their safety tips (use a headset, don’t carry the phone close to your body), and advocating for lower radiation levels and better disclosures. Their FAQ includes a summary of the latest health research connecting phone radiation to cancer, and mentions checking with manufacturers about radiation from remote phones and baby monitors we use in our homes (we always keep both at least six feet away from us and the kids, especially when sleeping).
Children, with their thinner skulls and developing brains, are more vulnerable to the effects of cell phone radiation. Many countries now recommend limiting cell phone use for children, such as only for emergencies.