Babies first room

Well it seems lots of new babies are on their way very soon. I have a few friends who have just had or are waiting for the big day. I started to think about my first sons room and wondered how it stacked up in this new green thinking that has sprung up lately. I don't think I would have received great grades. Though I think that sometimes things can go a bit far, not everyone can afford to go all green, I think it best to know what you can and can't do....but anything you you can do is a step in the right direction. So to all the new mom's out the enjoy the experience and don't go over board...they will get dirty, they will get hurt, they will drive you nuts sometimes but remember you only live the moment once..savour it.

I hope you find this artical I cliped out for you. Let me know what you think.

Night.

Better Basics for Your Baby's Room
by Tracy Tullis

The womb acts as a wonderfully protective cushion between the fetus and the jolts and bumps of the outside world. On the inside, though, the placenta simply cannot shield the womb from all of the man-made chemicals that have, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, collected in our bodies. You can, however, take simple steps to reduce the risk to your offspring by paying special attention to what you eat, drink and breathe.

You probably already know to avoid alcohol, cigarette smoke, caffeine and kitty litter. Unfortunately, prenatal exposures to other common contaminants can affect the fetus during critical windows when vital systems are developing, says pediatrician Philip Landrigan, M.D., director of the Center for Children's Health and the Environment (CCHE) at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. Below are 10 kinds of toxins capable of crossing the placenta and how to avoid them.

1. Trim consumption of animal fats When you're pregnant, it's more important than ever to choose lean cuts of meat, trim away fat and opt for fat-free dairy products. Here's why: Some toxins linked to prenatal nervous system and hormonal damage are stored in fatty tissue. These include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which pose risks of reduced intelligence to the developing fetus; brominated fire retardants (see "Catfish"

http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc.mhtml?i=106&s=catfish);

dioxins and other pollutants that persist in our air and water.

2. Put a stop to insecticides in your home and office Organophosphates are a family of insecticides that attack the nervous system. In two New York City studies conducted last year, babies of women who had been most exposed to two organophosphates, chlorpyrifos (Dursban and Lorsban) and diazinon (Spectracide), had significantly lower birth weights. Fortunately, these insecticides were phased out of residential and school use by the EPA in 2001-03. However, other organophosphates are still in circulation, as are similar compounds called pyrethroids. Pesticides also release inhalable volatile organic compounds (see below).
What to do instead? Researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) recommend that pregnant women switch to sticky traps and other bait stations, "which are safer, last longer and are more effective," while keeping surfaces clean of food residue, removing trash and treating cracks with boric acid, classified by the EPA as of low toxicity, then sealing with caulk. (Keep boric acid and baits out of the reach of children and pets.)

3. Select foods to minimize pesticide residues Chlorpyrifos and diazinon (see above), along with many related toxic pesticides, are still used widely on food crops. Prioritize your grocery list to allow for the purchase of the following organic fruits and vegetables that, when conventionally grown, tend to harbor the most pesticide residue: apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, spinach, strawberries and peppers.

4. Pass on high-mercury fish Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that can harm a developing fetus. Say "no" to high-mercury fish such as fresh tuna, canned albacore, wild bass, swordfish and tilefish. (One meal of moderate-mercury fish, such as canned light tuna, can be eaten once a month.) Eat up: low-mercury "yes" fish such as sardines, wild salmon and farmed striped bass. For a complete list, download the Green Guide's wallet-sized Fish Picks Smart Shopper's Card https://ssl.thegreenguide.com/cart/docs.mhtml?i=pdfssc.

5. Let Old Paint Lie Since lead has been banned from gasoline (in 1996) and paint (in 1978), most exposures now come from old lead-based paint. This heavy metal, which can also contaminate water and soil, can interfere with nearly every aspect of fetal development, causing brain and kidney damage, according to the CCHE. If your old house has lead paint in good condition, cover it with fresh paint rather than removing it, which releases lead dust into the air. To test paint for lead, see www.epa.gov/lead/leadinfo.htm#buy

http://www.epa.gov/lead/leadinfo.htm

or call the EPA's lead hot line at 800-426-4791.

6. Make sure your water is safe to drink Your local utility must by law provide you with an annual "Right to Know" report listing the EPA-recognized pollutants that exist in your water at potentially unsafe levels. Trihalomethanes, for instance, can increase the risk of miscarriage. See Green Guide #101 for contaminants to avoid and best filters. If you suspect there's lead in your pipes, allow the tap to run for 30 seconds to clear them before using water. Find lead-testing services at www.epa.gov/safewater/faq/sco.html http://www.epa.gov/safewater/faq/sco.html.

7. Avoid the VOCs that offgas from paints, glues, air fresheners Toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can evaporate from many conventional building, decorating and other household products, including air freshener sprays. Exposure to air fresheners during pregnancy and within the first six months of life was associated with diarrhea and earache in infants and headaches and depression in mothers, according to a study published in the October 2003 Archives of Environmental Health.

What to Do: For a shopping list of no- or low-VOC pressed woods, paint, stains and varnishes, see Green Guide #96 http://www.thegreenguide.com/issue.mhtml?i=96. Remember, even when the safest products are used, pregnant women should stay away during renovations and until finished rooms are well ventilated.

If exposed to fumes at work, speak up: Thirty-two children exposed in utero to organic solvents had lower scores on language and other developmental tests, according to a study published in the October 2004 Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. In the workplace, their mothers had come into contact with such solvents as toluene, xylene, mineral spirits, isopropyl alcohol and trichloroethylene. See Green Guide #92 "Sick at Work?"

http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc.mhtml?i=92&s=sickatwork

or contact the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 800-35-NIOSH, www.cdc.gov/niosh

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh.

8. Steer clear of vehicular and smokestack emissions Research conducted by Columbia University links "combustion-related" chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with shorter gestation periods for pregnant women, resulting in smaller babies. PAHs are in car or bus exhaust and emissions from residential heating and power generation. Before exercising outdoors, check the EPA's Air Quality Index at epa.gov/airnow . Keep windows closed during peak traffic hours. For the best air filters, see our Air Purifiers http://www.thegreenguide.com/reports/product.mhtml?id=13 product report.

9. Stay away from phthalates in vinyl, personal-care and cleaning products Chemicals called phthalates, known hormone-system disruptors that have caused birth defects in lab animals, are widely used as plasticizers in nail polishes and vinyl and as solvents in synthetic fragrances. Avoid soft vinyl products and cosmetics containing "Fragrance"; also see lists of phthalate-free cosmetics at nottoopretty.org and Green Guide #94 "Beauty Tips"

http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc.mhtml?i=94&s=beautytips> and Green Guide #99 "Soap and Shampoo: Personal Best." http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc.mhtml?i=99&s=soap

See also, ""Nail Products" http://www.thegreenguide.com/reports/product.mhtml?id=41

, "Household Cleaning Supplies" http://www.thegreenguide.com/reports/product.mhtml?id=15

, "Lip and Eye Makeup" http://www.thegreenguide.com/reports/product.mhtml?id=42

product reports.

10. Get rid of those crumbling foam cushions, already! The latest chemicals found to be approaching possibly unsafe levels in American women's breast milk, as well as umbilical-cord blood, are fire retardants known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs. Furniture foam tends to release PBDEs into house dust when it breaks down. For solutions, see Mattresses and Box Springs http://www.thegreenguide.com/reports/product.mhtml?id=1

and Computers http://www.thegreenguide.com/reports/product.mhtml?id=58

product reports and Green Guide #97 "PBDE Fire Retardant and Health Risks."

http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc.mhtml?i=97&s=pbde

Thought for August Heat: Your Lawns life line.

Well August is almost here and for though of you who worry about you lawn in the heat and about the environment heres son info I found. Personally I don't worry aabout my lawn to much. I don't over mow it and leave it a little on the long side. We also use our sump pump water (500 gallon tank, with motor) to water if Mother Nature doesn't oblidge. Hope you all have a great Green Week.

Be a Stickler with Your Sprinkler
09:01 am - July 8, 2008

In terms of surface area, lawns are the single largest irrigated crop in America, covering 128,000 square kilometers--three times the surface area the U.S. corn crop covers. All that landscape soaks up a lot of water to keep it looking healthy, and in some areas, keeping your lawn green is not just a luxury, but a requirement. When California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a statewide drought on June fourth, one couple in Sacramento cut back on watering their lawn, but they subsequently received a $746 fine for letting their grass go brown--and potentially lowering their neighbors' property values. So for many, conservation of both lawn and water are high priorities.
Fortunately, there are ways to minimize water waste when watering the lawn:
Set the sprinkler at the setting that gives off large drops of water, low and close to the ground.
Take care to position the sprinkler so that all water falls on the lawn (not on the sidewalk or the driveway).
Water early in the morning, which will ensure that the water soaks into the soil instead of evaporating.
Pick up a Noodlehead Sprinkler, which features flexible nozzles so you can spray the water right where you need to (from $16.95, http://www.noodleheadsprinkler.com/).

Spreading the world:

Interesting new story for today. It really illustrates how far our climate is changing on a grand scale. Lack of trees in Africa and desertification will and are affecting us here in North America. This article illustrates the two of the of the four elements fighting, I wonder who will win? though I don't think it will be use. I hope you get a chance to read this article. Let me know if you find the links interesting.

Tainted African Dust Clouds Harm U.S., Caribbean Reefs

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/07/080714-africa-clouds.html

Top ecology groups issue joint blueprint
MARTIN MITTELSTAEDT
ENVIRONMENT REPORTER, Globe and Mail
March 8, 2008
Canada's 11 largest environmental groups have jointly issued a blueprint to solve the country's environmental woes, calling for high carbon taxes and at least half of the country's remaining wilderness to be off limits to development.
It is the first time since the late 1980s that the country's brand-name conservation organizations, ranging from Greenpeace to the David Suzuki Foundation, have issued such a document. It was unveiled yesterday in Ottawa and presented to the four major federal parties for incorporation into their election platforms.
Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence, called the proposals "the most ambitious and comprehensive" that the "environmental movement has ever put together."
The groups are calling for Canada to adopt carbon taxes of $30 per tonne of releases, starting next year, with the amount rising to $75 a tonne by 2020. The initial figure is twice what the federal Tories have said they will impose on large industrial greenhouse-gas polluters, but the groups said "realistic pricing" of greenhouse-gas emissions "is the most efficient way to send a signal ... about the seriousness of the threat we face" from global warming.
They also want the federal government to begin lowering taxes on income, saving and investment, and shift the tax burden onto environmentally harmful activities, such as oil and gas or mining projects.
Although many environmental groups, such as Greenpeace, almost reflexively call for an end to nuclear power, the organizations didn't propose this, but instead recommended stopping all direct and indirect subsidies to the nuclear industry.
"To be honest with you, I'm pretty happy with how far people were willing to go on things," said Bruce Cox, executive director of Greenpeace.
To protect the oceans, the groups want an immediate ban on bottom trawling and other harmful forms of fishing. They also say that there should be no offshore oil and gas development on the B.C. coast.
As a way to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions from the agricultural sector, they called on the government to encourage Canadians to eat locally produced food, particularly organically cultivated crops, that do not require energy-intensive fertilizers or pesticides.
They also recommended the federal government immediately ban several chemicals, including flame retardants known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers, used in electronics, and bisphenol A, used to make polycarbonate plastic, based on concerns the compounds may be harming human health.

The full program is available at http://www.tomorrowtodaycanada.ca/

Related NewsEcorights bill a 'vision' for futureCanada at crossroads: Government must seize opportunity to address environmental concernsMoment de vérité pour le Canada : Le gouvernement doit saisir l’occasion de s’attaquer aux préoccupations environnementalesGreen Budget Coalition writes Minister Flaherty: Budget 2008 “very disappointing”