To Lather or not to Lather?
Any shampoo bottle you pick up says “lather and rinse” but do you ever wonder what it is you actually put in your hair and on your skin? Has it ever occurred to you that rather than nourishing, clarifying, moisturizing or de-frizzing your favorite shampoo may in fact put harsh chemicals into your precious hair?
Researchers have found that every 6 out of 10 shampoos contained 1,4-dioxane (a by-product created, or ethoxylated, when certain ingredients are converted into other ingredients, for example, an irritating sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is often ethoxylated into the milder sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). Moreover, traces of dioxane (a chemical that causes cancer in humans) were found in nearly every shampoo sample tested, and 15 percent of the shampoos contained amounts above the FDA approved safety levels. What is most disturbing, however, is the fact that the only way to know whether any cosmetic contains dioxane is regular testing, which is not required by the FDA.
So what can you do to prevent the unnecessary exposure to those harmful chemicals? First of all, avoid personal care products that contain ethoxylated ingredients, for instance SLES (sodium myreth sulfate and ammonium laureth sulfate) or polyethylene glycol (PEG) compounds, including polyoxyethylene and phenoxyethanol. Secondly, watch out for hormone-disrupting phthalates (found in fragrances and polyvinyl chloride bottles caps) and preservatives that may break down into formaldehyde (known for causing cancer), such as diazolidinyl urea and quaternium compounds.
This all sounds a little like a nightmare from a chemistry lesson from long ago but unfortunately, nowadays we all must check the labels of nearly everything we buy to be safe… There is an increasing number of cosmetics and personal care products that are eco-friendly so that the task of finding something that won’t do you harm may not be as daunting as it seems. However, it is advisable to keep an eye out for all these harmful chemicals since some of the products labeled “natural” may be quite misleading. So be safe and lather up.
ENERGY CRISIS A HOAX?
Lately, there has been a lot of talk about global warming and energy crisis, especially with the upcoming presidential election. We’ve heard all versions of the story, from the serious “eco-fighters” to the so-called scientists trying to abolish the whole idea of global warming and energy crisis. One thing’s for sure— whatever your opinion on the subject, the matter at hand seems to be quite urgent. And the undeniable truth is that the whole world is dependant upon oil. Unfortunately, the natural resources are limited, no matter how the lobbies or politicians may spin it.
According to many scientists, energy crisis is a strictly politician made hoax. While it’s true that oil remains the main source of fuel in the world, the present level of available technology could replace it completely with alternative energy sources in as little as few years. Clean sources of energy like solar or wind power or even bio-fuels have been in use for quite a while around the world, however as good as they are they don’t bring enough energy to sustain the ever increasing need. The problem with bio-fuels is that they may become a threat to human existence, since instead of growing plants to feed people, the farmers will start growing “energy” plants to produce fuel.
There is hope, however. Lately, there has been increasingly more talk about another kind of clean energy source, namely hydrogen. The technology of hydrogen production has been around for many years, and scientists in favor of it claim that it is not only safe but it will solve all our problems with regards to energy needs. Using hydrogen as fuel will bring about water production (which the earth is running out of) as a by-product instead of harmful fumes like carbon dioxide or nitrogen compounds.
So why isn’t this marvelous solution in use?—one would ask… The answer is both simple and not at all pleasing. The politicians have too much to lose by introducing this “miracle cure” and too much to gain by keeping things the way they are…
EUROPE’S LAST PRIMEVAL FOREST IN DANGER
Bialowieza Forest is an ancient woodland located in Poland and Belarus. It is the only remaining part of the immense forest which once spread across the European Plain. The forest is home to many species extinct elsewhere, for instance the world famous European Bison, the largest mammal living in the wild in Europe, lynx, wolves, wild boar and elk as well as other threatened wildlife and plants. Yet approximately 90% of the forest remains unprotected.
The Bialowieza Forest is a priceless relic of lowland European forests where we can still observe how European forest ecosystems functioned without human interference. There are a great number of species (both animal and plant) that Bialowieza can boast, including spruce as high as 55 meters, and oaks 40 meters high, which adds up to the biological diversity of the forest. The National Park, which takes up only a part of the ancient woodland, was included into the network of Biosphere Reserves by UNESCO in 1977 and in 1979 it was listed as a World Heritage Site, which in 1992 was enlarged by the strictly protected part of the Belarusian National park.
Its value and character are due to the very long protection as hunting grounds by the empires of East Europe, such as princes of Lithuania, kings of Poland or Tsars of Russia. It was only after the World War I that commercial logging on the large scale began. The UNESCO World Heritage Site protects only 10% of this unique area while the rest (the whopping 90%!) is being cut down for commercial use. The last 80 years of this abusive timber extraction have had a dramatic effect on the unprotected parts of the forests, resulting in less than 20% of old-growth that still prevails.
It would be a shame if such an amazing part of our environment was lost to the greed and exploitation of merely one generation. The future of the Bialowieza Primeval Forest lies in the hands of the Polish government, which has the money and power to stop the devastation of the forest and preserve it for the next generations.
If you want to put your two cents in it, go to this link and sign the petition posted at the bottom of the page. http://www.ecoearth.info/alerts/send.asp?id=poland
A Pill and the Environment…
Have you ever thought of an impact a simple pill has on the environment? Does something so small create an ecological issue? Unfortunately, it does. Every day millions of people take one or more pills, be it over-the-counter or prescribed medicine and every day millions of these pills end up as a waste. The most common way of disposing of medications is simply flashing them down the toilet. But have you thought what happens with the pills once they enter the sewage system?
People flush away a constant flow of old and unused medications that keep on working after they disappear down drains, moving to wastewater-treatment plants and into waterways, thus affecting the wildlife. The whole populations of fish are at risk of extinction, as it nearly happened to fathead minnows in Canada, which were affected by the ethynyl estradiol from the disposed birth-control patches. The hormone, present in the water, changed both male and female sex organs making reproduction quite difficult and causing a near extinction of the whole population of fish.
And this is just a fraction of the problem. Most drugs end up in waterways to some extent, then to be mixed in commercial soil modifications as a part of the muck, which is in turn used by farmers. In 2006 pharmaceuticals including anti-epileptics and anti-depressants were detected in commercially sold muck. And a 2002 analysis of 139 streams detected non-prescription drugs more frequently than almost all other organic wastewater pollutants. Moving full circle, old medications have found their way into drinking-water supplies, including well and tap water, affecting not only populations of river and stream wildlife but humans as well, and children in particular. Unfortunately, the pharmacies are not allowed to take the medications back once sold and so far there is no approved drug take-back program.
So what can we do to reduce the pollution of our water supplies? For starters, you can flush only the drugs that specifically state so and crush all others with coffee grains or cat litter to be thrown away in the regular trash. And most importantly be aware of the waste you produce and how you can minimize its impact on the environment.
Did You Know…?
Recently, I have read a few interesting and perhaps a little eye-opening facts about things we do and have around the house and the things we eat…So did you know that:
• Organic products contain more antioxidants and other healthier and more flavorful phytochemicals than conventional produce.
The reason behind it is that organic goods create more phytochemicals (a substance plants use to defend themselves against microbes and insects), than traditionally grown vegetables and fruit treated with pesticides and fungicides. That extra “ingredient” makes organics healthier and tastier.
• Your water heater is constantly heating water regardless of whether you are running the hot water or not.
That causes a good portion of energy used to heat up water to be wasted because heat is lost to the surrounding air. So what can you do to prevent that from happening and save a bit of money? Insulate your water heater and reachable pipes. Doing that reduces energy losses between 4 and 9 percent and keeps more than 300 pounds of carbon dioxide from going into the atmosphere each year.
• Changing from liquid to powder detergent helps preserve water.
Liquid laundry detergent contain up to 80% water, which costs both energy and water to deliver this to the consumer. By switching to powder detergents when available, you’ll not only save some of your own water consumption but will minimize the production waste as well.
• Full-service car washes use 37 gallons a wash, while washing your car at home consumes even more. Most garden hoses spray about 10 gallons of water a minute which makes the average driveway wash to use between 80 and 140 gallons of water while sending oil, detergents, and other pollutants down the drain!
The severe droughts in the United States and Australia make everyone, whose “green” conscious, think twice about pouring buckets of water on your favorite toy. Luckily, there are alternatives. Some eco-friendly companies offer waterless sprays that break down grime and can be wiped off without the rinse.