There's a lot of great information in this post and I encourage you to read through it ... however, if you don't have the time right now, you might find the following quick links helpful:
Last week we concentrated on our children. Our CTWW community rose to the occasion and offered tips for everything from having a plan before kids are born ... to teaching good habits ... to the purchases we make for them ... and even the importance of including educators and the community in our efforts. It was a fascinating week!!
The Honor Society are those people who help us spread the "green" word by writing an article about our challenges and/or leaving pertinent comments. Here's what they had to say:
Diane MacEachern of Big Green Purse wrote to me about a fabulous opportunity for children ... an essay contest sponsored by EPA's Energy Star program. The purpose of the contest is two fold ... 1) to recognize kids who are already taking steps to use energy more efficiently and 2) to inspire other kids to get involved. And ... oh yeah ... we're talking about prizes and lots of fun to further encourage kids to live green. It's also a great way for parents to support their children and perhaps learn a thing or two from them. Click HERE to get all the facts. And, as an added benefit, anyone who blogs about the contest and/or features their child's essay on their site will be featured in a blog carnival on September 10th. It sounds like a great way to let our children shine!
Ah babies ... so cute, so sweet. And ... these brand new humans don't require or want a lot of stuff, making them very green, right? Uhh ... not so much! In this ARTICLE Kris talks about being a first-time parent and making healthy choices for her daughter which are also environmentally friendly. But this post might surprise you because her biggest cost to the environment isn't the type of diapers being used ... landfill waste (think baby wipes) ... or toxic chemicals (in bottles, toys, clothes, etc.). Rather, it's the use of a natural resource. Curious? Hop over and check it out!
Tina is in a unique position ... she raised two sons who are now grown and she has an almost-three-year-old daughter. All three children have been exposed to green living since birth. So ... how well did her sons learn their lessons? And ... how's it going with her daughter? You can find out in this interesting POST.
Argentum Vulgaris has raised 12 children. Wowee! But in this ARTICLE he's not sharing his parenting prowess but rather his observations about a situation in Rio which clearly illustrates the need for environmental education. It's a very interesting piece!
In “Green” Your Kids Clare shares some excellent ideas like various activities to help our children learn to love nature, greening Halloween and even Eco-friendly Sun Safety. But it's the final few lines which talk about the most important tip ... the tip which addresses what kids really want and need. Check it out and see if you don't agree!
Alicia's comment talks about teaching children but also addresses a more important aspect of green living. In her words ... "Our children are grown but we have 2 grandchildren. One is 3 and the other is 3 months. I have been teaching the 3 year old how to compost and he loves it. When he gets here a lot of time that is one of the first things he asks to do. We make sure that the cups and water bottles are BPH free. We have recycled paper for him to use to draw on. When he was younger and teething our daughter-in-law was buying all sorts of things for him to use and he wouldn't use any of them. I didn't blame him because they smelled so strongly of awful plastic and rubber. I went to Whole Foods and bought him an all natural chemical free one and he loved it. We read labels on the foods we feed our children but we also need to know what ingredients were used to make the toys, baby bottles, cups and other things that our children come in contact with. There have been lots of cases where children have become quite ill from using items made with such terrible chemicals." By the way, if you wear makeup, then you'll definitely want to check out Alicia's current giveaway ... just click HERE.
What if you could talk to the "young you" ... the kid you used to be. What would you say to that kid? In Stuff I Think About at 1 AM (& CTWW) Green Gal ponders that question and, in the process, gives us all a brilliant insight on how to raise green superstars. It's very poignant.
Kristina admits to having trouble with this challenge and I'm guessing that many parents are facing the same struggles. Here's what she has to say "I'm having a tough time with this one. Not that there isn't room for improvement, just difficult to figure out what the next step should be. My kids are 10, 8, and 8 (with birthdays coming quickly). They (mostly the 10yo) are starting to buck the system a bit - wanting to use plastic baggies instead of reusables, wanting new everything even though she has enough or second hand ones are fine... So I need to figure this part out before we add anything more." Not being a parent myself, I'm definitely not in a position to offer advice ... but I am an observer (and was once a kid) and have noticed that kids, after testing things out a little, seem to come back to the core values which they've been taught. From my viewpoint, testing is good ... it ensures that when they return to those core values, they will embrace them with conviction. Kristina wrote a wonderful post about going back to school in green style ... you can read that HERE.
In his very first CTWW post, Everyman Zero discusses Magnetic Children. Oh you're going to want to read it ... not only does he talk about how kids seem to draw "stuff" to themselves, he offers a ton of ideas on how to green things up. Thanks, Everyman Zero ... I hope that this will be the first of many CTWW posts.
GMO foods, and their labeling, is an important issue to parents. In this POST Katie offers her opinions on the subject and shares that some organic foods are actually against GMO labeling. It's a pretty eye-opening post. Thanks, Katie!
Josefin has been participating in our challenges for quite awhile via twitter. But, with only 140 characters, she was restricted. So, I'm just thrilled to announce that she now has a blog ... Gaia Perspective. And ... she offers her thoughts on keeping children green in this ARTICLE which includes a Jack Johnson song, sure to entertain a child. She also talks about Elimination Communication ... have you ever head of this? She offers a link where we can learn more. In this POST she offers another song designed to teach kids about the 3Rs. So gather your kids and watch it together. Thanks, Josefin ... I'm looking forward to more green posts from "your place".
We had a couple of posts from our previous challenge on water conservation:
Mrs. Green wrote Which is better for the environment – using a dishwasher or washing dishes by hand? It's an interesting discussion with pros and cons for each method. Which side are you on?
Have you discovered The Green Life? It's a fabulous site with all kinds of pertinent information. They recently wrote Green in the Kitchen: Less Water, Less Work which offers two tips to make dishwashers more efficient. The second tip is also great for anyone washing dishes by hand. So in the battle of dishwashers vs. hand washing, where does The Green Life fall? Head over to their post and all will be revealed.
Our Twitter friends had some great things to share this week:
From @pinkladyapril
- my 12yo takes the bus to school as it's too far to walk.
From @live_esp
- I took the bus all throughout highschool!
- Packing lunch in reusable containers & baggies makes a great eco-friendly lunch! & #local foods helps reduce carbon footprint!
From @givetreegifts
- We don't have children; however, in my experience its the kids that insist the family adopt green living. It's a focus in many schools
- For last week's challenge... My potted flowers are in partial shade under young trees They still get plenty of sun but it saves water
- Healthy food in schools would give kids a better chance - Greens http://www.voxy.co.nz/politics/healthy-food-schools-would-give-kids-better-chance-greens/5/131796
- Rethinking The Kid-Veggie Relationship http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2012/08/14/rethinking-the-kid-veggie-relationship
- Grade School Petitions Crayola to Add a Shade of Green and Recycle Their Markers http://livinggreenmag.com/2012/08/14/people-solutions/grade-school-petitions-crayola-to-add-a-shade-of-green-and-recycle-their-markers/
- Eco-Friendly Lunches http://www.diablomag.com/D-blog/News-and-Community/August-2012/Eco-Friendly-Lunches/
- How to Pack an Eco-Friendly Lunch http://easthaddam.patch.com/articles/how-to-pack-an-eco-friendly-lunch-98fc7f70
- Book Review: Eco-Friendly Crafting With Kids by Kate Lilley http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Book-Review-Eco-Friendly-Crafting-With-Kids-by-3721501.php
From @bylittlenea
- My kids loves to help out in the garden. Planting seeds, watering and finally harvest. Helps them understand where food comes from
From @ecowarriorme
- This is a difficult one. My initial thought is ferrying them to all their activities: swimming, football, drama, dancing, etc
- The local swimming pool is closed in prep for the #Glasgow2014 commonwealth games so having to drive further until next year.
- but I stay back at work on drama nights to save a trip home then back out again.
- and if we listen to them too, they may teach us a thing or two! (re teaching children)
From @nonmom
- My #CTWW since I am a Nonmom, would be to re-purpose household items into creative play pieces. @Pinterest has a tonne of ideas too!
From @ourtinyearth
- Find out who takes used batteries in your city. Allow people to bring batteries, bulbs, ect to you to bring to the facility
- Teaching kids to be stewards of the Earth should come naturally. A shame where we have come as a society that this is being discussed.
- If we live green and practice sustainability, it would only be natural for our children to follow.
From @gwened02
- switched to #clot nappies from DS2 when he was born. But have now also swapped to fleece wipes instead of baby wipes
From @themac533
- Plastics -> pthalates. Whole foods don't come w/ a lot of packaging, eat them. Get reusable glass (mason/ pyrex) for storage/ lunches.
- phthalates are endocrine-disruptors and present in much more than packaging. Try reducing your/family exposurehttp://www.ewg.org/chemindex/term/480
The #CTWW Gang are those folks who share our challenges on twitter using the hashtag #CTWW. If you're a Twitter member, I highly recommend following them ... they have a lot of great things to say. Let's meet them:
My Final Thoughts:
The environmental issues which we face today probably won't be solved anytime soon ... perhaps not in most of our lifetimes. The burden will, therefore, fall to future generations. Unfortunately, the problems they will face may be even worse because things like climate change and melting polar caps are developing quickly and are becoming compounded with other issues never before considered. If we teach children how to protect the earth and nurture their love for the planet, there might be hope. But if we don't educate them, there is no hope ... only dire consequences. We all must cooperate to give kids the tools necessary to live in a sustainable, earth-friendly way. It all boils down to one question ... What kind of world do we want for them?
Thanks, everyone! If you wrote an article, I have Stumbled, Tweeted, Facebooked and posted it on Google +. You can help spread the "green" word by using the share feature at the bottom of this post.
This Week's Challenge:
This week's challenge comes from Alicia. As you might know, Alicia is in the business of natural and safe body care products ... so she's concerned with the things we put on our skin (lotions, creams, lipsticks and make-up as well as deodorants, toothpaste, shampoos, conditioners, shaving cream and hair styling products). I love challenges which raise our awareness ... and this one ought to do it. Here' you go ...
This week refuse to put chemicals on your body. Read the labels on everything which comes in contact with your skin and only use it if it's chemical free.
Or ...
If your skin is already glowing with chemical-free happiness, please share tips and ideas. Feel free to suggest products or share recipes for homemade items ... tell us about how you transitioned from toxic ingredients to healthy ones ... or share the differences you've experienced since switching over. We'd like to know about anything which will help us eliminate chemicals from our body care products.
If your skin is already glowing with chemical-free happiness, please share tips and ideas. Feel free to suggest products or share recipes for homemade items ... tell us about how you transitioned from toxic ingredients to healthy ones ... or share the differences you've experienced since switching over. We'd like to know about anything which will help us eliminate chemicals from our body care products.
UP THE ANTE...
Jennifer is raising the bar on this challenge and asks us to research at least one ingredient in our cosmetics. By research she means read at least two scientific studies and/or talk to several chemists/endocrinologists.
Jennifer is raising the bar on this challenge and asks us to research at least one ingredient in our cosmetics. By research she means read at least two scientific studies and/or talk to several chemists/endocrinologists.
Who's going to accept the challenge?
Please join me in our mantra ...
WE'RE CHANGING THE WORLD ... ONE CHALLENGE AT A TIME!
Wow, no chemicals at all, that's a tough one! Better watch out for all that dihydrogen monoxide ;-)
ReplyDeleteSorry for being snarky, but I get irritated by the use of "chemical" to mean "bad stuff" because everything is chemicals. If we're about raising awareness this week, perhaps we could start with: Natural products are also made of chemicals (yes, natural chemicals) and just because something is natural that doesn't necessarily mean that it's safe. I'm sure Alicia's products are made with great care and concern for what is good for us, but that's because she takes care to research the properties of her ingredients, not just because they're "natural".
Personally, I wash with home made soap, made from animal fat (kitchen waste - I don't like to ship exotic oils across the world) and sodium hydroxide. That is nasty stuff. I don't know whether it's mined (naturally occurring) or synthesized, but either way, you wouldn't want to get it on your skin. Like all soap makers, I take care with the quantities to make sure it's all reacted out, so there's none left in the finished soap.
I don't use shampoo (water only washing) and very rarely wear make-up. I tried home-made toothpaste but it was vile, so I'm back with the ordinary commercial kind. For deodorant I use an alum stone like this one. The one I've linked to is naturally occurring, but I think the one I use is probably synthesized. It makes little difference as it's the same stuff in the end. This is a pure chemical, and an aluminium salt at that. I've read the research on links between aluminium-based deodorants and breast cancer: there is no link. I'm quite happy to apply aluminium salt to my armpits and I choose the solid salt because it dramatically cuts down on packaging - I don't throw away a plastic container every month or so - and there's no need for all the other "filler" ingredients.
Sorry to get a bit ranty, especially after being away for so long, but this one pushed my buttons.
I'm with Rachel on this one. I believe there's actually an ongoing million dollar challenge to produce a substance with no chemicals. It can't be done for the simple fact that everything is made out of molecules and compounds. The line between chemicals that have no harmful effect and the ones that do is more often about dosage than origin (synthetic / natural). The number of natural chemicals (many of which we haven't really tested and may not even know about) greatly outnumbers our whole collection of synthetics. Many of our pesticides come from the natural world as adaptations that plants have made to keep predators from eating them. That's not to say that natural is necessarily dangerous; it's just not necessarily safer than synthetic.
ReplyDeleteI choose cosmetics with relatively few ingredients and use few of them. I like plant-based ones because I have a deep and abiding love for plants and their smells, but it also doesn't bother me if they have small amounts of synthetic preservative or surfactant.
I have to agree with Jennifer. Less is more in the ingredient department. It also means there's a substantial amount of each good ingredient in the product. I've been making the transition to mostly natural and organic personal care for ten years. Recently I've been making my own castile soap based shampoo and body wash. I use jojoba oil, essential oils and aloe vera gel. For my recipes I consult the following books as guidelines and then modify according to what I have available: Drop Dead Gorgeous by Kim Erickson, The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood. I have a vast library of aromatherapy books that I use. I absolutely love it. What's not to love. The tiny bottles of concentrated authentic oils make me feel like I'm performing fragrant magic. At home, the oils I use the most are lavender, tea tree and lemon for everything from personal care, first aid to cleaning. Always make sure to read about each oil carefully to make sure it's right/safe for you and your household. As for deodorants, I like Alba Botanica's because it has no aluminum or Propylene glycol. I also like the deodorant powder by Honeybee Gardens. Worn together they work as well as any of the shelf anti-perspirant.
ReplyDeleteI also want to add that there's not need to buy books to work with essential oils. There are endless recipes and resources online to get you started if you've never done it before. :)
ReplyDeleteCelloDad has a persistently dry spot along his eyebrows that he used to slather with some paraben-laced lotion, until I convinced him to try a lick of coconut oil. He hasn't looked back since. When we eat avocado I give him the peels to wipe over his dry hands, that works very well. I suggested a mask of wheat bran in water with a bit of honey, but that was too much work.
ReplyDeleteThere is a rumour that parabens are banned in Europe (and that companies like L'Oreal have separate formulations for the US and the EU for their cosmetics lines), but I've seen plenty of products containing it: anybody know the scoop on that?
CTWW is up and running on:
ReplyDeletehttp://ecocrap.wordpress.com/2012/08/23/change-the-world-wednesday-22nd-aug-2/
I have been shaken from the comfort of my little world.
AV
Hello Cyndi,
ReplyDeleteAlicia and I are so Blessed by your endorsement of us and our company (ENS). As you know, we give GOD all the Glory for our products and success and supporters like You!
To address Rachel's comments;
I agree 1000% about the chemical(s) remark, everything is composed of chemicals of some sort. Alicia took it for granted that everyone would realize she meant the challenge would be to try and avoid the harmful, toxic chemicals found in sooo many commercial products nowadays!
The comment about dihydrogen monoxide, a hoaxed name for water is a good one!
I tell people the terms "natural" and "organic" have been so mis-used to sell people chemical cocktails, but I think most people are catching on to this stinkin-thinkin label hype advertising! Arsenic is a natural ingredient, but I do not want to inhale any!
There are many knowledgeable soapers out there, making great products with natural plant based ingredients, compared to the "Bad Chemical" commercial products made with dead animal fats sourced from slaughter houses and chemicals from the waste by-products of oil refineries. I personally could not begin to formulate the type of products we produce with dead animal fats. I require the "Chemicals" like vitamins, minerals, amino acids and trace elements derived from exotic nuts, fruits, oils, seeds, butters and herbals to achieve the specific properties of our varied soaps and balms.
Sodium Hydroxide is also called "Caustic Soda". It is typically made from wood ash. It is 13-14 pH, the most alkaline on the scale and yes it can produce a serious burn on contact with skin! It is not a naturally occurring mined mineral ore.
We have a "Natural" aluminum free deodorant, tested and ready to be marketed. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the concerns about aluminum are more related to Alzheimer's symptoms, but I do know your body continues to store aluminum, rather than eliminating it and claims have been made pertaining to stunted infant growth because it competes with calcium absorption in the body.
At any rate, it is one heavy metal I will stay away from, but that just shows opinions vary!
Thanks for allowing me to comment about Alicia's challenge and voicing some opinions about ENS.
Alan Hicks
Eco Natural Soap
When we made changes to be eco this is one that we thought would be hard for us but was actually the easiest! As usual I am a day late but here is my post sharing a little bit how we started and did with a few ideas that might make it easier for others.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.changes4charlie.com/2012/08/take-challenge-to-choose-safer-body.html
The comments on this topic have been so interesting. I have really enjoyed all your views and info.
ReplyDeleteRe CelloMom's query on parabens, I am in the Uk and we do still have products with parabens. It is a legal requirement in the EU that parabens in cosmetic products are limited to a certain amount however. You have the same limits in the US apparantly but these are recommended guidelines rather than a legal restriction.
Picking up on Alan's comments, parabens are another interesting one. Highly controversial in their manufactured form and yet foods such as blueberries contain a type of paraben.
Like several others my approach is to keep the number of ingredients simple and few, and to at least know what is in that which I slather on myself!
Everyman Zero Waste
Thanks so much for using my challenge this week.
ReplyDeleteWe have been working for the past several years to get rid of the bad chemicals that had been lurking about in the products we had been using. That included what we put on our bodies. I am so happy to say that my shampoo, deodorant,soap, makeup and moisturizers are all free of any bad chemicals. I can truthfully say that my skin looks better now than it has in years and I know it is from eliminating the terrible cosmetics I was using before. As most of you know all the products I use are from Eco Natural Soap but there are so many great companies with good for your skin products! I so encourage you to check out the ingredients on your perfumes and colognes because they have some of the worst ingredients in them. I think you will be really surprised what terrible things are allowed in those sweet smelling bottles.
Don't forget that there are a lot of good things that you can use right in your kitchen. Bananas and yogurt make a great mask as well as avocados mashed and mixed with honey.
http://annkschin.blogspot.co.nz/2012/08/vacation-spot-durin-sarawak.html
ReplyDeleteA simple lifestyle in the tropics.
http://ann-mythoughtsandphotos.blogspot.co.nz/2012/08/photohunt-chocolate.html
ReplyDeletecut your chocolate into miniature size.
http://annkschin.blogspot.co.nz/2012/08/challenge-natural-and-safe-body-care.html
ReplyDeleteThis is more my sisters' credit than mine.
http://annkschin.blogspot.co.nz/2012/08/challenge-natural-and-safe-body-care.html
ReplyDeletehttp://annkschin.blogspot.co.nz/2012/08/challenge-natural-and-safe-body-care.html
ReplyDeleteAlan, thanks for engaging in the discussion. To reply to some of your points:
ReplyDeleteOf course I realized that Alicia meant toxic chemicals, but it is precisely this usage of "chemical" to mean "bad chemical" that I object to. It implies that all chemicals are bad, which is of course nonsense, and generally leads to confusion. "Dihydrogen monoxide" is not a hoax, it's a way of showing that even the most natural and beneficial substance (water) is a chemical and can be described with a chemical name of the kind that tends to scare people. It's a way of making the point that everything is chemical. Some of us find it amusing, too ;-)
You contrast natural plant based soap with "Bad Chemical" commercial products made with animal fat and oil refinery by-products. That's four characteristics that may or may not go together. My soap is made with animal fat. I appreciate that this is offensive to vegetarians, but animal fats are no less natural than vegetable oils. You could not make your soap with animal fat because plant-based ingredients produce different results from animal-based ingredients. Nonetheless, lard does make a high quality soap.
When you said that Sodium Hydroxide is typically made from wood ash, I thought, "Surely you mean Potassium Hydroxide," and then I had to go and look up how Sodium Hydroxide is actually made. Wikipedia tells me that it's produced by passing electricity through Sodium Chloride - that's common table salt - and water. All pretty natural, apart from the electricity!
You're quite right to say that the concerns about Aluminium are more related to Alzheimers. There have been concerns (internet scares) about breast cancer, but these are based on very little research and can be ignored. The concerns about Alzheimers are more to do with Aluminium consumed in food (and this is why I don't use Aluminium cookware) and have been extensively researched. I was interested to learn that the results of all this investigation are that Aluminium is NOT a risk factor for Alzheimers. On the other hand, the issue of it affecting calcium absorption seems well supported. I also learnt some other interesting things along the way, such as that while aluminium does bioaccumulate (the body continues to store it) in fish, it doesn't in humans: "Aluminium that is absorbed is readily excreted by the normal human kidney," our main exposure comes from food and water, and also that it is the third most abundant element on the planet! Anyone who's really interested can check out where I got this from: INCHEM
Thanks everyman zero waste for the pointers on parabens: it seems we'll have to read labels wherever we are, then!
ReplyDeleteFor Jennifer's up the ante challenge: I know of two databases on chemical compounds commonly used for personal care products. Both summarise the known and suspected risks, and lists research both from the open scientific literature and from government bodies. I can't afford access to the journals, but trust that articles appearing in them have been peer-reviewed (a process not without flaws but still the best we have).
The databases are at TEDX (endocrinedisruption.com) and the Skin Deep Database (http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/). Both tend to over-state the risk, sort of like OHSA's Materials Safety Data Sheets that lists a risk of death for our friend H2O (and correctly so: one could drown in it). Many of the experiments cited do use a larger dose than you would find in a tube of make-up, but many tubes together do add up. Our endocrine systems are finely tuned marvels: e.g. birth control pills contain estrogen on a scale of micrograms per day: we're talking powerful! There remains unanswered questions about cumulative effects, and cross-chemical interactions. Bottom line: I tend to use the databases with a grain of salt, but not too large.
I've got mine up just in time! I have a good use for...coconut oil.
ReplyDeletehttp://outwardlypleasant.blogspot.com/2012/08/cctw-chemical-free-and-loving-it.html
Coconut oil here too! 3 uses out of one DIY "lotion".
ReplyDeletehttp://thegreeningofwestford.blogspot.com/2012/08/coconut-oil-does-triple-beauty-duty.html
Seems my comment went into the never never land of the internet. I use this mixture in the bathroom to replace 3 beauty products. http://www.thegreeningofwestford.blogspot.com/2012/08/coconut-oil-does-triple-beauty-duty.html
ReplyDelete