EcoMoms April 2009: Celebrate Earth Day!

Doing our part for a healthier planet in Janesville, Wisconsin

Did you know?

The first Earth Day occurred on April 22, 1970 and the festivities involved more than 20 million people. First proposed by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, whose words from an April 1980 article in the EPA Journal still ring true today:

“So long as the human species inhabits the Earth, proper management of its resources will be the most fundamental issue we face. Our very survival will depend upon whether or not we are able to preserve, protect and defend our environment. We are not free to decide about whether or not our environment "matters." It does matter, apart from any political exigencies. We disregard the needs of our ecosystem at our mortal peril. That was the great lesson of Earth Day. It must never be forgotten.”

What moms can do:

IDEA #1: Share the message of Earth Day! It is up to us, and no one else, to make sure that our children know the importance of taking care of the planet. They learn by watching us, so we must lead by example. Let them see you recycling and help, and talk about why you do. Teach your children where things come from, and what is renewable and what isn’t. Gas for the car and plastic toys and containers come from oil that is drilled from deep within the earth, and once it is gone there will be no more. Sunlight and wind, though, are infinite!

For a fantastic list of elementary-level books with an environmental theme (and several suitable for younger children), look here: http://www.eeweek.org/resources/green_reading.htm

IDEA #2: Celebrate Earth Day with a make-your-own, all-natural, nontoxic project. Here are two recipes for fun from the My Healthy School website:

“Earth-friendly Gloop”

• A few drops of natural coloring (see directions below)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup cornstarch

Add food coloring to water, then mix with cornstarch in a bowl. Poke, squeeze, and enjoy! Store in a covered container and sprinkle with water as needed if the mixture begins to dry out.

“Super Safe Finger Paint”

• 1/3 cup soap flakes melted with ½ cup boiling water
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1/3 cup cold water
• A few drops of juice dyes (see directions below)

Grate a bar of handmade soap to make the soap flakes. To the melted soap, add the cornstarch and cold water. Stir well and let thicken. Divide into separate bowls and add juice dyes for different colors of paint.
Ingredients to make your own juice dyes:

• For purple, use blueberries or red onionskins
• For red, try cranberries or beets
• For yellow, use turmeric
• For brown, use paprika or coffee

Combine ¼ cup of the food needed for the desired color with 2 cups of water. Simmer over low heat for one hour. Allow to cool. Strain and add to finger paints or play dough.

For a fun eco-project with an older child, break out the sewing machine and say goodbye to plastic sandwich baggies. For the details on making your own reusable sandwich sack, surf over to the Featured Eco-Craft section of Kiwi Magazine online: http://www.kiwimagonline.com/ecocrafts/

Why it’s important:

• Earth Day reminds us to care for the Earth every day, all year long.

• Earth Day is the only event celebrated simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds, faiths, and nationalities. More than a billion people take part each year!

This EcoMOMs tip was brought to you by Dana Petersen Murphy, mom to Sabriel and Kaia. You can contact me at dpmurphy@photokiva.com.

EcoMOMs March 2009: Drugs in Our Water

Doing our part for a healthier planet in Janesville, Wisconsin

Did you know?

A wide variety of pharmaceuticals can be found in the drinking water of at least 41 million Americans, according to an Associated Press investigation reported in March 2008 by CBS News. Water treatment facilities are not required to test for or remove these medicines, which include mood-stabilizing drugs, hormones, over-the-counter pain medications, and antibiotics. The consequences for human health and the environment are currently unknown.

What moms can do:

IDEA #1: Filter first, then drink. Activated charcoal filters remove many contaminants, experts say, and they are affordable. For the removal of virtually all pharmaceuticals in drinking water, the best technology available is reverse osmosis (RO). Though pricey, RO is highly effective. Bottled water is not necessarily better than tap water; in fact, many brands in a bottle also come from the tap. And bottled water carries substantially higher environmental costs.

IDEA #2: Dispose of medicines safely. Don’t flush them! The best way to handle unneeded medications is to dispose of them at a local collection event. This keeps your medicines from contaminating our drinking water and the environment. In 2008, 973 pounds of pharmaceuticals were collected for safe disposal in Janesville and its environs. Currently, no dates have been set for 2009 events in Rock County. In Dane County, MedDrop collects unwanted prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines; the next MedDrop is scheduled for Saturday, June 6, 2009 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at two locations to be determined. See www.meddropdane.org for more information.

Why it’s important:

• Antibiotic resistance is an increasing problem in the U.S. Long-term human exposure to low levels of antibiotic drugs in our drinking water may create super bugs resistant to treatment.

• Flushed medications can find their way into our rivers, lakes, and streams. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) found low levels of medicines, such as antibiotics, hormones, steroids, and birth control, in 80% of the bodies of water they tested in 1999 and 2000.

• Fish and other aquatic life are being harmed by drugs in our water. Even at extremely diluted concentrations, decreased fertility and impaired spawning of some species have occurred. Male fish have produced eggs, or been “feminized”, when exposed to oral contraceptives.

• The possible ramifications of long-term human exposure to low levels of drugs are unclear but certainly of concern. Research shows that human cells in the laboratory do not grow normally when exposed to trace concentrations of certain drugs. Infants, pregnant women, and those with chronic health conditions would be especially susceptible to any deleterious effects.



This EcoMOMs tip was brought to you by Dana Petersen Murphy, mom to Sabriel and Kaia. You can contact me at dpmurphy@photokiva.com.

EcoMoms: February 2009

Doing our part for a healthier planet in Janesville, Wisconsin

Did you know?

Fire retardant chemicals are added to clothing, foam products, and electronics in an attempt to keep people safe from the damaging effects of fire. But in the first nationwide study to measure flame retardant chemicals in the blood of small children and their mothers, conducted by the Environmental Working Group in September 2008, toddlers and preschoolers carried a shocking level of the chemicals in their bodies: fully three times the amount their mothers had.

What moms can do:

IDEA #1: Ditch your old foam. In 2005, the types of PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenylethers, used to treat foam products- octa and penta- were removed from the U.S. market due to health concerns. So while new foam items should not contain PBDEs, those purchased before the ban are better replaced. This includes things like mattress pads, couches, easy chairs, foam pillows, and carpet padding.

IDEA #2: Vacuum with a HEPA filter. HEPA filters should help trap any PBDEs present in your household dust and will keep your indoor air healthier for the family.

IDEA #3: Buy safer electronics and furniture. Support a brand that has committed to phasing out all brominated fire retardants. These include: Acer, Apple*, Eizo Nanao, LG Electronics*, Lenovo*, Matsushta, Microsoft, Nokia, Phillips*, Samsung*, Sharp*, Sony-Ericsson*, and Toshiba*. Companies denoted with an asterisk no longer use deca, a PBDE that has been banned for many uses by Washington State and Maine. Furniture companies that have ceased using deca include La-Z Boy, Herman Miller, Steelcase, and IKEA. Mattress manufacturers that have phased out deca are as follows: Sealy, Simmons, Serta, Spring Air, Tempur-Pedic, Select Comfort, King Koil, Therapedic, Kingsdown, Eglander, International Bedding Corp, Restonic, Corsicana, and Lady Americana.

IDEA #4: Banish polyester sleepwear. Pajamas and nightgowns made of polyester fabric are either treated with flame retardant chemicals, or the flame retardant is chemically bonded into the composition of the fabric. Avoid exposing your children to these chemicals, which can offgas into the air and irritate skin; the safest choice for sleepwear is natural snug-fitting cotton. By law, the tag will read that the item is not flame resistant and should fit snugly.

Why it’s important:

• PBDEs “can affect the developing brain and they can affect the developing reproductive system,” according to Linda Birnbaum, a senior toxicologist at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Deca, in particular, has been shown to cause “irreversible changes in adult brain function” in mice and rats, to delay onset of puberty in rats, and to cause liver tumors and affect the thyroid function of mice, according to the Michigan Network for Children’s Environmental Health.

• A 2003 study by EWG, “Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) in U.S. Mother’s Milk”, found that breastfeeding American women have levels of PBDEs in their milk that are disturbingly higher than those in European women; from 10 to 100 times higher.

• The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) supports banning deca, the PBDE commonly used in electronics, to improve safety and health of fire fighters. The IAFF states: “Many studies involving fire fighters exposed to these and other toxic gases… have found that fire fighters have a much greater risk of contracting cancer, heart and lung disease, and other debilitating diseases. While we support the concept of flame retardant chemicals, there are alternatives that do not contain bromine or chlorine and are much safer for fire fighters than PBDEs.”

This EcoMOMs tip was brought to you by Dana Petersen Murphy, mom to Sabriel and Kaia. You can contact me at dpmurphy@photokiva.com.