Posts Tagged ‘eco-friendly’

Do children’s vaccines contain mercury?

All of the routine childhood immunizations are currently available in formulations that do not contain mercury or that contain only trace amounts. In the past, many vaccines contained a preservative called thimerosal, which contains ethyl mercury. But in the late 1990′s, NRDC and others successfully pressed for the removal of thimerosal from childhood vaccines. The flu vaccine is the only routine childhood vaccine that still sometimes includes thimerosal. Parents can request the mercury-free version of this vaccine. Some of the combined diphtheria and tetanus vaccines may contain trace residues of thimerosal from the manufacturing process, but the amounts are extremely small.

I have heard that vaccines can cause autism. Is that true?

Medical scientists do not know what causes autism. Some people have speculated that vaccines containing thimerosal may be linked to this disease. Although a few studies have suggested such a link, the best studies so far have not found one. The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Science has reviewed the scientific evidence on this topic and concluded that probably no link exists between vaccines and autism. The epidemic of autism in the United States today is extremely serious and more research into possible environmental causes is imperative.

While the causes of autism remain unknown, there is no question that mercury is a neurotoxin which can cause serious harm to the developing nervous system. Children exposed to mercury early in life can develop neurological delays that may appear as subtle learning disabilities. Children’s exposure to toxins such as mercury should be limited in every way possible, and the removal of mercury from childhood vaccines was an essential advance. As noted above, flu vaccines may still contain thimerosal but parents can request the mercury-free version.

Do thermometers containing mercury pose a health risk?

Direct exposure to mercury from a broken mercury fever thermometer can be dangerous, particularly for young children. If spills are not cleaned up properly, mercury vapors in the air can cause damage to the lungs, kidneys and brain when inhaled. Also, if a mercury thermometer ends up in a landfill or incinerator, the mercury will enter the environment and can find its way into our food supply through fish. Because of these risks, California and many cities and counties around the country now prohibit the sale of mercury thermometers.

Alternatives such as digital thermometers — which are inexpensive, accurate, easy to use and less damaging to the environment than mercury thermometers — are becoming increasingly popular.

What should I do if my mercury thermometer breaks?

Carefully sweep the little silver balls of mercury into a disposable plastic container and seal the container shut. Then take the container to your local household hazardous waste collection facility. Do not flush the mercury down the toilet, vacuum it up or dispose of it in the regular trash. If mercury spills on a carpet or rug, many experts recommend getting rid of these items, since mercury is extremely difficult to remove and will continue to vaporize into the air over time.

How should I dispose of my old mercury thermometer?

Many cities, as well as some hospitals and medical clinics, have programs that allow you to exchange your mercury thermometer for a free, digital replacement. Household hazardous waste collection facilities and many pharmacies also collect and safely dispose of mercury thermometers. For full details, see the blue pages of your phone book and contact your local health department.

Do dental fillings containing mercury pose a health risk?

Recent studies have shown that silver-colored dental fillings, which contain as much as 50 percent mercury by weight, can release mercury vapor — particularly when they are new or when the wearer chews gum or food. Once inhaled, this vapor can be toxic to the lungs, kidneys, and brain — particularly of infants and children. Pregnant women, or women planning to become pregnant within the next few months, should avoid getting mercury fillings. Swallowing filling fragments poses less risk of harm because metallic mercury is not as easily absorbed in the stomach and intestines.

Dentists’ offices are a major source of mercury pollution in water. To prevent pollution, dentists who use mercury should always install an amalgam separator device in their offices. These devices filter the mercury out of wastewater so that it doesn’t contaminate the water supply and eventually accumulate in the fish that we eat.

Should I have my mercury fillings removed?

Most experts agree that it is best to leave existing mercury fillings in place unless they need to be removed for other reasons. During removal, the heat of a dentist’s drill can efficiently vaporize the mercury, resulting in significant inhalation of this toxic metal. In addition, the drill can chip out small bits of the filling, which become embedded in cheeks and gums. These chips can then release mercury directly into the body. So removing mercury fillings can actually increase your exposure to mercury.

Are mercury-free fillings available?

Yes. The most popular alternative to mercury fillings is composite fillings (which are often called “porcelain”). But these fillings, which contain a chemical called Bisphenol A, have their own potential health risks. Bisphenol A has been shown to be estrogenic in lab animals and cause disruptions in sexual development in male mice at exposure levels similar to those of people with composite fillings. More scientific research is needed to determine whether these fillings are preferable to mercury fillings. Gold fillings appear to be the safest alternative, but are considerably more expensive. It’s best to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each option with your dentist.

I saw this great article on The Huffington Post and wanted to share it with everyone.  I try to lead a green lifestyle and have been using recycled toilet paper for many years, but when I read this article I thought that even for me this was too much.  The idea is great in a conceptual sense but in reality not so much.  The practical application of reusable toilet paper grosses out even the greenest of people and I can’t blame them, just the thought of it alone makes me grateful for the rough recycled stuff I stock my in my bathroom.  I wish that I could jump on the reusable “family wipe” wagon but I will be sticking with the old fashioned toilet tissue for the time being.

Eco Etiquette: Reusable Toilet Paper – Too Gross For Comfort? By Jennifer Grayson

Yes, people are doing this, though at present the practice of employing reusable cloths in lieu of toilet paper — euphemistically referred to as family wipes or family cloth — seems relegated to what marketing gurus would call the “dark green” consumer. (Though there’s another color I can think of that might be more appropriate in this case.)

I do find it somewhat ironic that new parents using cloth diapers for their baby are usually met with praise: Oh, wow — you guys must be really dedicated to the environment. But transfer the concept of reusable bathroom products to adults, and the response is one of universal horror: You’re going to do what? With what? Even the crunchiest of my granola friends couldn’t stifle a grimace when I asked them if they would consider swapping out disposable toilet paper for the washable kind. I guess the difference is that with cloth diapers, squeamish folks can always employ a diaper service; with family wipes, you’re the one doing the washing.

Which brings me to your next question: Is the whole process of collecting and washing these wipes unsanitary? Not if you employ the method used by most family wipe families, which is to use the cloths for urinating only. (This still helps cut down on paper waste, since the majority of bathroom visits are of the first priority.) Since normal urine is sterile, there’s little chance of encountering nasty bugs like E. coli later in the laundry room. But using family wipes for ahem, your more serious matters can also be perfectly hygienic, provided you separate them from your other laundry (your kitchen towels, for instance) before washing them in hot water and drying them in the dryer. If your kids are still in diapers of the cloth variety, all the better — you can save water by washing the wipes and the diapers together.

So is it really worth the effort, from an environmental standpoint? If you’re contemplating making the switch from the three-ply, quilted, extra-soft fluffy stuff to tree-free TP, then the benefits are clear: At present, more than 98 percent of the toilet paper sold in the United States is made from virgin wood (note: that statistic will improve soon, thanks to last year’s Kimberly-Clark/Greenpeace agreement), which is destroying our forests and contributing to climate change, since forests are the most effective tool we have for sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. And while some may argue that washing cloth toilet wipes wastes water, it’s nothing compared with the pulp and paper business, which is one of the world’s largest industrial consumers of fresh water.

But can’t you eliminate a lot of that waste and pollution by switching to 100 percent recycled toilet paper? Yeah, you can, which is the solution I’ll be sticking with as long as I live in a one-bathroom apartment (no surprises for guests here!) with a community washer/dryer. It’s not a perfect solution, of course; recycled toilet paper still takes energy and resources to produce, not to mention the fuel cost to transport it from factory to store. But perhaps the more compelling case to be made for tossing the TP is an economic one: The average family of four is just flushing away cash, to the tune of $140 a year. A pack of a dozen family wipes from Wallypop will set you back about $11; you can also make your own for free out of old clothing.

If you do decide to take the plunge, mind your Eco Etiquette: Don’t try to green toilet train guests (i.e., put regular — or at least recycled — toilet paper in the guest bathroom); keep your own toilet area neatly organized by designating a basket for clean cloths and a pail with a lid for dirty ones; and retire especially worn wipes to the compost pile, not the trash can (after washing them, of course). Bottoms up!

Recycling is the process of turning one products useful parts into a new product; this is done to conserve on the consumption of resources, energy and space used in landfills. 

By recycling 1 plastic bottle not only saves anywhere from 100 to 1000 years in the landfill but also saves the environment from the emissions in producing new bottles as well as the oil used to produce that bottle.

For every 1 ton of plastic that is recycled we save the equivalent of 2 people’s energy use for 1 year, the amount of water used by 1 person in 2 month’s time and almost 2000 pounds of oil.

Odd as it seems there are many people who do not realize that plastic bottles our water comes in is made out of oil.  This is the same oil that is used to make gasoline. It’s the same oil that is in such high demand and is not an unlimited resource. 

Today the most common products in cities recycling programs are paper products, cardboard, plastic, glass and aluminum.

Taking Just A Moment

Taking just a moment to put your newspaper, soda can and glass spaghetti jar in the recycling bin will save everyone years in environmental harm from production of new materials, over crowded landfills and the depletion of our natural resources.

4000 Years

When we do not recycle at least our glass or aluminum we cost the earth in power usage, water and oil usage and landfill usage; glass takes up to 4000 years to decompose in a landfill yet can be recycled indefinitely.

Earn Money

Recycling can be done at home as well as in conjunction with city programs.  Many scrap yards pay for scrap metal including the soda cans and soup cans we use every day.

Be Creative

Many useful items can be made from our everyday trash; the cardboard tubes left over from paper towel and toilet paper can make useful storage containers for our extra extension cords and prevents a tangled mess in the Christmas lights.

If your going to throw these out don’t just throw it in the rubbish bin, put it the recycling bin.

Baby jars can become snow globes the kids can make and give as gifts, old Christmas cards can become new hand made cards and a glass or plastic bottle along with some clear oil and food coloring and a few other common household items can become a groovy lava lamp! 

The possibilities are endless and instructions can be found in books and on the internet.

Start Today

Recycling is a very environmentally green activity; however, there are ways that you can make it greener as well as building a strong beginning if you do not currently recycle.

Many people beginning a recycling program look around and wonder what they can put in the recycling bin; there is so much information available on this site, so don’t panic.

By reusing your recycled storage containers you save on the environmental impact as well. Paper and plastic bags are good for recycling storage; however, a plastic reusable bin is even better.

Spread The Word

Share what you know. If you notice abundant trash in your neighborhood start spreading the word and your experience with recycling and if there isn’t already one in place strive to get a city recycling pick up program started.

The fact is many of our resources as well as our Earth is not renewable and we have to start taking control of our selves beginning with the world we live in.  

WHAT TRICKLE UP DOES
Trickle Up helps very poor people make their way out of poverty. We provide business training, seed capital grants and support to help people launch a microenterprise. 

Trickle Up offers grants, not loans, to participants because we are committed to working with the extreme poor — people living on less than $1 a day who are unable to obtain a microloan. 

We focus our support on women. The majority report that, once they have launched their businesses, they are able to provide better nutrition, health care and education for their families.  We also focus on providing support to people with disabilities.

We start or expand more than 10,000 businesses every year. That’s because when it comes to fighting extreme poverty, launching these microenterprises works. 

HOW WE DO IT

Trickle Up identifies potential participants with help from local organizations that are active in the regions in which we work. We currently have more than 50 such partners, as well as Trickle Up field offices in Asia, Central America, East Africa and West Africa.

Once we have identified a participant, we work with our local partners to provide them with business training and a seed capital grant of about $100 to start a business. We also help participants connect with savings and loan groups. This three-part approach ensures that our seed capital grants are judiciously implemented. It also helps participants best realize their potential as independent and capable small-business owners, which leads to self-empowerment. 

Working with the poor to start or expand a business, provide training and seed capital grants

Trickle Up trains our partners to help participants devise feasible business plans.  The Trickle Up business plan addresses the same concepts that any business plan would address: What is the product or service? Is there demand? What are the costs and projected profits? Our partners work with the participants to complete these plans while training them to perform related business functions.

The majority of people with whom we work cannot read or write, so we tailor this process to meet their needs. Some plans, for instance, use pictures to convey marketing and business concepts. We have helped to complete plans in more than 30 languages.

After business planning and training, we release the first half of the grant. This money covers launch costs. That might mean paying to rent space for a restaurant, like it did for Jogendra Prasad. Or it might buy a table, chair, and parasol for an participant like Talam Maiga, who set up a food stand in a local market. 

We also teach participants how to balance accounts and reinvest profits in their businesses. And they learn how to run a successful enterprise in overwhelming numbers: after the first year, about 90 percent of businesses continue functioning, while over 80 percent of them expand.

Assessing the business to ensure success
After three months we assess the business. Is it growing? Is it going to succeed? Is the participant managing it properly? To find out, our New York-based staff makes frequent site visits. Doing so gives them a chance to speak directly with participants. We are also in frequent contact with our partner organizations — by fax, phone, and email — to monitor participants’ development. In these ways, we can see if businesses are burgeoning. If so, our partners release the second installment of the grant.

This second influx of capital allows participants to grow their businesses further. One participant, for instance, bought a second sewing machine so her grandmother could help with her sewing business. Knowledge gained from three months in operation gives participants a good sense of what purchases might be best.

Linking the participant to savings groups and ongoing support
A vital piece of our program is savings and loan groups. We set up group savings organizations to encourage participants to save money for the future. Some participants turn to savings in the case of a medical emergency. Others may draw on these funds to expand their business, pay for a wedding or buy safer, more suitable homes.

No matter what, having savings means that families — who previously lived hand-to-mouth — are better prepared for whatever life hands them. Food, homes, confidence: this is microfinance in action.

We also continue to work with our partners to provide participants with additional business support services. This includes links to ongoing sources of capital, like microcredit. In this way, Trickle Up functions as the first step out of extreme poverty – and the first stop on the microfinance continuum.

Environmentally sustainable, socially responsible and boho-chic. The casually elegant eco-lodges and resorts featured in this line-up are good for the planet, support local communities and offer romantic rainforest experiences year-round.

Hotel Highlights: With luxe accommodations and a spa, The Lodge at Chaa Creek provides pampering par excellence — along with a slew of high-octane activities (think horseback riding, river rafting and canopy explorations). Sustainability Highlight: One-hundred percent of lodge employees are local community members.

Hotel Highlights: For an authentic taste of Guatemalan customs, culture and cuisine, book a trip for two to the Takalik Maya Lodge. Guests at the cozy bed and breakfast receive three complementary meals a day and can choose from a number of activities, including horseback riding, bird watching and arts and crafts. Sustainability Highlight: The hotel boasts 10 acres (four hectares) of protected natural forest reserves, which provide habitat for numerous native species.

Hotel Highlights: With private cabins in the heart of the Nicaraguan jungle, Sábalos Lodge is a dream for ecotourists. Overlooking the San Juan River, the eco-lodge offers basic comforts in the midst of natural wonders, including abundant plant life, migratory animals, birds and an assortment of reptiles. Sustainability Highlight: Committed to ensuring the health of the local community, the lodge donates medical supplies and funds to the San Juan hospital.

Hotel Highlights: Located on a private farm and bordering the Pacific Ocean, Morgan’s Rock is a luxury location where guests are invited to embrace their natural surroundings and unwind without the distractions of city life. For couples who prefer a faster pace, activities such as scuba diving, biking and horseback riding abound. Sustainability Highlight: In addition to conserving and maintaining almost 2,000 acres (799 hectares) of primary forest, this Nicaraguan hotel also created a road clean up campaign to recycle waste and educate local residents.

Hotel Highlights: Bordering Costa Rica’s Corcovado National Park — the “crown jewel” of a world renowned national park system — Casa Corcovado Jungle Resort is tucked away in the trees and accessible only by boat. Sustainability Highlight: The resort is committed to demonstrating that alternative energy sources can be practical and are the best option for remote locations.

Hotel Highlights: From relaxed days at the beach to hikes in the national park, activities and options are plentiful at Si Como No. The best part: views of the Manuel Antonio coastline, thought to be one of Costa Rica’s most breathtaking beachfronts. Sustainability Highlight: Si Como No is one of only four hotels in the country to receive a rating of “five leaves” — the highest available from Costa Rica’s Certification for Sustainable Tourism.

Hotel Highlights: Winner of the Small Luxury Hotels “Caring Luxury Award,” Hotel Punta Islita‘s tiered layout offers seclusion and incredible ocean views, while providing guests with easy access to rugged beach and mountain landscapes, neighboring communities and more. Sustainability Highlight: Hotel Punta Islita sponsors complementary education, professional training and English language programs.

Hotel Highlights: By prohibiting large groups and tour buses, The Lodge at Chichen Itza provides peace and tranquility to its guests, allowing them to enjoy southern Mexico’s tremendous cultural resources while maintaining a sense of calm and privacy. Sustainability Highlight: The lodge is decorated with community art and handicrafts, demonstrating a commendable support of local artisans.

Hotel Highlights: For the couple who wants endless options, Dreams Tulum Resort & Spa could be the perfect choice. The all-inclusive resort in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula allows guests to choose from an assortment of activities (including wind surfing, water aerobics and bocce ball), six restaurants and seven lounges — and it’s located just five minutes from the ruins of Tulum. Sustainability Highlight: As part of a program to reduce its carbon footprint, the resort installed low-energy LED lights and sensors that turn off appliances when spaces are unoccupied.
Source: The Rainforest Alliance

Off The Hook: Why Local Seafood is Sustainable

Saturday, March 13th from 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm at 92 Y Tribeca

Do you want to know what fish are sustainable to eat? Are you confused by pocket seafood guides and competing certification labels? Do you wonder if any fish sold at farmer’s markets are overfished? Greenmarket will bring together fishermen, a regulatory agent, a marine advocate, and a chef to help untangle these questions and talk about what’s being done to promote sustainable fishing practices and why it’s important to support our local fishing families and communities.

Panelists include, Alex and Stephanie Villani from Blue Moon Fish in Mattituck, NY; Christopher M. Moore Chief of the Partnerships and Communications Division in the office of Sustainable Fisheries at NOAA Fisheries Service; Niaz Dorry, Director of the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance (NAMA); and Colin Alevras Chef of the former acclaimed restaurant Tasting Room and now Sommelier at DBGB Kitchen & Bar.

Light local seafood snacks and New York State wine will be served.

Tickets are $10 and available at 92 Y Tribeca  or through the box office at 212-601-1000.

92Y Tribeca is located at 200 Hudson Street, at Canal.

The Green Lifestyle Film Festival is a celebration of filmmakers who dedicate their talents, income and energy to examining what sustainability really means.

From how we birth our young to how we raise children, the construction and design of homes in which we live, to how we deal with illness, how we move about the earth in our physical bodies, and how all this is reflected in how we feed ourselves, to how we treat others in the animal kingdom all in the name of “the perfect steak” the “fashionable coat or accessories” or for entertainment, and its impact on all spheres of life on Planet Earth.

   The Green Lifestyle Film Festival was created to address a concern by the film festival’s founder (Dorit), that medical costs, lack of proper preventive, medical care, allegiance to a failing disease management system, an increasingly industrialized food system and non-distribution of very critical information have become a hindrance to achieving what is our most basic birthright- radiant, robust, vital health and free flow of information pertaining to the sanctity of life and the nourishment of the  human spirit.  This is all reflected in the fear based, violence-ridden films that are box office draws, and a media based culture that projects and perpetuates these very themes.

So much  “green washing” is also taking place, all in the name of rampant consumerism, that fiction and fantasy need to be replaced by integrity and adherence to a compassionate, all encompassing new economy backed by meaningful actions.

The films selected for the Green Lifestyle Film Festival seek to fill that gap. Wisdom and reverence for the Laws of Nature are being presented as options for ignorance and fear based decisions.

The next Green Lifestyle Film Festival (GLFF), which is an international, non profit event, will be held at UCLA’s James Bridges Theatre in Los Angeles, California, USA   from Friday 19th to Sunday 21st March 2010.