According to WorldWatch.org, US Women spend approximately 8 billion
dollars annually on cosmetics. Undeniably, as women, we are driven to want to look beautiful but at what cost to our physical, mental and emotional health? Well, if we continue to blindly purchase the "hottest" and "trendiest" cosmetics, body, and bath products (pushed on us by millions and millions of advertising dollars annually) without looking at the labels, we could unwittingly be putting ourselves into harms way.
The powerhouse cosmetics industry would rather we just leave it alone! As you and I increase our awareness of harmful ingredients in skin care products, the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association which is designed to sell products, will counter any concerns about any potentially negative health effects of their members' products. So as with any consumer product category, my advice is simple: Let the buyer beware.
I think we all agree that as a nation we are generally improving in our knowledge about the connection between the foods we eat and the state of our health. We read food labels and are making wiser choices. Now let's get more specific; I want to encourage you to not only read the ingredient labels on foods but on products we put on our skin as well. I want us to become smart consumers in all areas of our consumer lives. Especially now when every dollar counts and bettering ourselves emotionally and physically counts even more. Step up your efforts to educate yourself about common and uncommon ingredients and their effects on the body.
I have attacked my beauty stash and initially felt sad as so many beloved items were dropped into the trash but thanks to my dedicated, hardworking friends at the Environmental Working Group, I've been enlightened to do more. It just makes sense. I have learned that some ingredients (or words in the ingredients) to avoid are:
• DMDM hydantoin and Imidazolidinyl urea (toxic contaminants)
• Fragrance and dyes (allergies, cancer, nervous system)
• Methylchloroisothiazolinone and Methylisothiazolinone (allergies, nervous system)
• Paraben (hormone effects)
• "PEG" and "-eth" (toxic contaminants)
• Sodium lautyl or laureth sulfate (skin damage, toxic contaminants)
• Triclosan and triclocarban (thyroid and environmental concerns)
• Triethanolamine (TEA) (allergies, toxic contaminants)
And some products to avoid are:
• Hair dyes containing ammonia, peroxide, p-phenylenediamine, diaminobenzene (all dark permanent hair dyes) Let me tell you, I am mourning my old hair dye regimen...but with cancer an experience I would not like to repeat, I defer to the less toxic route these days.
• Liquid hand soaps with triclosan
• Nail polish and removers with formaldehyde
• Skin lighteners with hydroquinone
If we don't read our labels and make educated and smart decisions with our purchasing power, we will not see our best interests served in the cosmetics, food and retail industries. The less toxic solutions are all out there, we just need to create the demand and have the supply follow, not the other way around.
For more information about toxic ingredients please visit:
www.safecosmetics.org
www.cosmeticsdatabase.com
www.ewg.org
One month gas prices are through the roof forcing most of us to reevaluate our driving habits, the next they're at unbelievable lows! What gives? I'm actually glad that the all too recent skyrocketed prices forced us all to step back and realize how much we over-rely on gas. When you think about it, what else would have forced us to evaluate our consumption as a nation and readjust our reliance; we were hit right where it hurts, in our wallets. The cool news is, according to Transportation Secretary, Mary Peters, we are changing our driving habits, doing with less gas despite the drop in prices as of late.
Naturally, mass transit is seeing a boost in commuter usage which has its obvious environmental advantages. Remember that soccer mom who shouted an affirmative "way to go Emme!" as she passed me in her SUV while I was waiting at my local bus stop? Well, I'm not such a lone rider these days as noticeably more have joined the relaxing, "enviro-friendly way" into Manhattan. I still swear by it, when the bus is on time!
We can make a huge impact on minimizing the depletion of our resources if we continue to change. What we are learning is that merely living within our means without overextending ourselves has the potential to make a noticeable dent in conservation as well as our wallets. As a nation, we need to embrace with open arms what else we can do to help get out of the environmentally unfriendly situation we have gotten ourselves into, not to mention the financial crisis at hand.
Doesn't it strike you as oddly coincidental that conserving our money in these tough economic times has a corresponding positive effect on Mother Nature? In a way, we are interestingly enough being forced to treat her more kindly. Well maybe everything happens for a reason and maybe there are no such things as coincidences. It's really up to you to choose what you want to believe, but I am encouraged by the change that is happening, lets keep it coming!
In order to raise our game and reverse the effects of the last eight environmentally neglectful years, President-elect Obama has assigned a well balanced and highly accomplished group of environmentally powerful individuals. Personally, I'm thankful the list doesn't include any eco-radicals because a lot needs to get done in a short amount of time so there's no time to waste! Like never before, the United States will need long lasting change, not the same kind of feel-good change we all chanted about during the election, but get-down-and-dirty change that affects each and every one of us professionally and personally. How-we-conduct-our-daily-lives-on-this-earth kind of change. There is no turning back, no living in denial, no passing the buck, no pushing our air, water, climate change, carbon emissions, mercury emissions, pollution or red tides to the bottom of our agenda.
Obama's picks, Environmental Regulators Nancy Sutley, Lisa P. Jackson and Carol Browner have all been there, seen it all and have been highly successful in their own accomplished careers. To top it off, add in Nobel Prize scientist, Stephen Chu, to boot! This administration finally promises to remove the blinders into the world of science. Now real facts can see the light of day and not be buried under yards of bureaucratic paperwork.
Barak Obama has a formidable task ahead; where change, real change may sound good, achieving it is an entirely different story. My only suggestion is to keep it simple so we all can get on board and do our part in creating a shift. There are bills to pass, regulations to uniformly make, infrastructures to assemble and follow ups to do in order to support our president elect's mission of creating less carbon emission and minimizing our carbon footprint. That in itself is a Herculean task, especially in a country unaccustomed to cutting back and doing with less. If what is presented to us is complicated and chock full of legal jargon, we will not only miss the boat, but it will be caught up in the Washington system and never see the light of day in our homes, communities, or environment.
Getting moms on board will create an army of eco-change in itself! Many moms are trying to figure out their first move environmentally; whether in the home, the office, or the community and often times are disillusioned by the negativity that is often associated with the green movement. "Going green is expensive", "Being environmental means living like Daniel Boone", and "The end is near, nothing we can do will help" comes from the old, more fear based way of talking about where we stand ecologically. We just want to hear the facts so that we can initiate impactful changes.
So does boiling it down have to be so drastic all at once? Information in bite size pieces through national PSA's and a user friendly community style website packed with environmentally friendly information and tips can be more manageable while our babies cry, toddlers squabble and dinner miraculously makes its way to the table. Not that we can't handle complex issues, most certainly we can, we just happen to be juggling a lot and would appreciate some out of the box thinking on our behalf. Go directly to the people, encourage spouses to take on some of the responsibility, expect employers to step up and hold them accountable, engage school administrators in the quest, and expect local municipalities to lead the way. Perhaps a challenge or even a competition between similar size towns to see who can best step up? Help us engage our kids, husbands, neighbors and school systems to create toxic free environments in which to grow and prosper.
Thankfully this holiday season was one that connected Americans together, not one that pulled us apart. Most of us did with less but made it special; we cut back and reused a bit more. Many of us pot lucked, watched movies together at home, and lent a hand to others in need. Something had to give and Mother Nature is seeking to correct herself. So be it: this is our first step toward the creation of balance at home and no matter the issue, it always starts at home. So bring it on Dream Team. Help us do our part and our very best to learn, grow and become more environmentally aware for ourselves and future generations to come!
Happy New Year!
Cleaning up creates order and calm! I have to admit, cleaning out closets does for me what cleaning streets does for a community! I have spent hours and hours over the past several weeks, attacking every closet in my home, passing along items and clothing I no longer need to families that might need some help, and I'm convinced I've been on this roll as some sort of reaction to the increasingly devastating economic situation that we are currently facing. I'm almost embarrassed to admit I have seven construction-size trash bags filled with clothes that my daughter and I no longer use and have been just sitting in our closets unnecessarily taking up room.(Just three of them are pictured here!) Finally, I have heard the plea to release them from my grasp and boy does it feel good! What a relief it is to let go and wish them well on their next journey. No matter what economic level we may be in, taking a few minutes to review the story of stuff in our homes can have a truly surprising and liberating result. Emotionally, I feel a lift, a shift, a clearing and I've caught myself wondering why I have held on to all this stuff. (I clean my closets regularly but obviously not well enough!) And honestly, purging for good couldn't come at a better time for others desperately trying to make ends meet. Together one hand can help the other. All of us can pass along gently used coats, clothes, shoes, baby toys, car seats, strollers, bedding, books, you name it and why not? Please share with us how you have "cleaned out and cleaned up for good" this season!
No time to exercise? Well think again! Ok, so you may be a little sweaty, dirty, or tired at work but what better way to get the day started with some fresh air and get paid to do so? It warms my heart to see the Bikes Commuters Act be introduced to corporate America. Companies are jumping on the bandwagon offering employees monetary and other incentives to bike to work and in turn, the Bikes Commuters Act will give companies a tax credit of up to $20 per month per cycling employee beginning in January. Employees have been biking to work for centuries in other countries so the idea should not be extremely radical, however slow change is lasting change so let's hope it sticks for good on our own turf!
In New York City, commuter cycling increased by 35% between 2007 and 2008, according to a 2008 report by the city's Department of Transportation. In Minneapolis, the number of bike commuters increased by 49% between 2006 and 2007, according to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey. Needless to say, this is a great step forward and hats off to companies such as Discovery Communications, Clif Bar, Lockheed Martin, New Resource Bank and others, who are already providing employee incentives.
Every day we are presented with opportunities for change and with today's uncertain times, now may be the moment to say, "What the heck!" and get reacquainted with your trusty old bike. Your heart will thank you and your boss could too! Most importantly the impact on the environment would be phenomenal. Let's ease our reliance on gasoline. Allow yourself to enjoy the process; you never know how you'll respond when you ask yourself, "what else can I change while I'm at it?"
Be gutsy and go for it!
Source: usatoday.com
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-11-30-bikecommuting_N.htm
Early last year, I had no understanding about the important impact that growing, buying and eating organically could have on my health or the health of everyone for that matter. Then, a year later, armed with some powerful knowledge from personal experience, I couldn't contain it any longer and felt compelled to use my voice to assist the movement forward! As a result, Simply Green with Emme was born. I am sharing my personal evolution into this organic green space as a lead in to the importance of Ripe for Revolution, the Organic Solution. This week I participated in the launch of a powerful collaborative campaign between the 60 year old Rodale Institute (www.rodaleinstitute.org) and the relatively new Organic Center (www.organic-center.org). Ripe for Revolution, the Organic Solution is a partnership involving research and educational leadership in the field of organics and it deserves having us take notice.
Through research and education, this unique partnership sets out to promote organic farming and its benefits. Rodale's 30 year research study on organic vs. conventional farming in conjunction with The Organic Center's mission to advance verifiable scientific research pertaining to the health and environmental benefits of organic foods, offers fantastic results that are being clearly communicated to the public. During this hugely successful evening, interested professionals and business leaders as well as the world press were in attendance. We all walked away armed with powerful findings that will impact the way we currently produce, buy and consume food:
• The average American child is exposed daily to five pesticides in their food and drinking water. (Rodale Institute)
• If organic farming methods were practiced on all the planet's food-growing land, it would be the equivalent taking more than 1.5 billion cars off the road (the Organic Center)
• Farms in developing countries that use organic techniques produce an average of 79% more than farms that don't (Rodale Institute)
• Our antioxidant intake would increase by 30% if we were to choose organic produce and vegetables (the Organic Center) and eleven important nutrients were on average 25% higher in organic foods than conventional foods.
• Analysis of one of the nation's oldest farm research plots in Illinois shows that, contrary to long-held beliefs, chemical fertilizers do not improve the soil. (Rodale Institute)
• Organic farming increases the quality of the soil and improves the water holding capacity of the land which in turn creates less runoff into our lakes, streams and drinking water, leaving more topsoil and nutrients available to grow our food. (Rodale Institute)
As J.I. Rodale, a pioneer in the organic movement, once said, "good soil=good food=healthy people," so keep it simple. We can enormously improve our lives without cutting edge technology, big investment, or even big business. It all comes down to the soil and how we treat it and we have the research findings for support. But instead, we are subject to outright lies concerning the highly toxic chemicals found in our food and soil that in turn is not only compromising our land, but making so many of us deathly sick. What we need now is to have our government (including the FDA) embrace the findings and act upon them.
There is no better time than now to learn more about the organic revolution that is sweeping our country. Let's do ourselves a favor and not pass up this opportunity. And don't forget that small change is lasting change: grow organically in your apartment window box or on a sunny strip of land in your back yard, buy organic at the supermarket whenever you can, ask your child's school to build an organic garden, better yet offer to spearhead the project, or regularly eat organically at home. It all adds up and makes a difference. (Personally, my dream is to see organic enthusiast Michelle Obama create and build her own organic garden on one of the 17 acres at the White House! Now that would be a positive statement that would be a lesson for all!) By making some changes, we can join this revolution and create a healthy and ecologically self-sustainable life for generations to come!
What a fantastic age of innovation! Despite the current economic downturn, and more likely because of it, bright minds are shaking the trees for new ways to grab the attention of the green conscious consumer. Whether it's tugging at our collective environmental conscience, or playing on the idea that parents will do and buy just about anything for their children, marketers are finding that as consumers we want our next purchase to count in more ways than one. Keep your eyes peeled: we will soon see the crème de là crème of imagery and a creative outpouring of marketing strategy like we've never before seen. With overcrowded retail selling space, limitless online shopping opportunities, and fewer and fewer shoppers, those who succeed will be the ones actually listening to the consumer by creating a shift away from the old "gotta-have it" mentality of anything goes, to a more thought provoking process of consumer supply and demand.
What better place than the baby industry to be so creative and proactive? Especially when new parents are taking a better look at how their infants and young children are being impacted by the toxic and often hazardous environments in which they sleep, play and grow. Little did we know years ago that sucking the coating on certain plastic toys, food containers and baby bottles can cause cancer, brain damage, memory loss and learning disabilities! "Not for my child!" we say in unison.
So finally some health and environment conscious companies are offering products that don't have the harmful components that so many of the products of yesteryear are now found to have. Companies such as Seventh Generation's Wee Generation (in collaboration with Rickshaw Bagworks, the design firm IDEO, and Healthy Child Healthy World) have developed a diaper bag that is PVC-free and constructed from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. Organically Grown now has in stores the softest and most yummy organic cotton baby layette sets, and Burt's Bees Baby Bee brand has all natural ingredients in their diaper creams and powders. And that's just to name a few!
The number of dedicated green products for baby has exploded in the market place. They not only promote health and eco friendly practices that benefit the environment, most of the products look, smell, and feel great. All of these attributes enhance customer loyalty and other brands are now looking for a foothold in the green consumer market. Needless to say, when it comes to product purchases, for our children's sake, we need to choose wisely and stay on top of it all. Someone has to! Our Children and our Future depend on us!
www.weegeneration.com
www.healthychildhealthyworld.org
www.organicallygrown.com
www.burtsbees.com
I've been traveling by mass transit lately. It's been calling out my name- environmentally speaking. Don't get me wrong, I love the luxury of riding in my car- zip zap into the city; but more and more frequently I find myself running, jumping and hailing the bus that takes me from my small downtown stop right into the Port Authority in New York City. And the benefits are even more than just environmental! While traveling with the masses I get caught up on emails, write thank you notes, grab cat naps (with my phone alarm set to prevent oversleeping), or permit myself some good old fashioned day dreaming. Riding the commuter bus has never felt so good!
Same goes for the NYC subway system. Certainly it's not something I am unfamiliar with: I've used it off and on over the last 20 years, but not until recently have I REALLY used it. Armed with my ipod in one hand and a laminated map in the other, I go from uptown to downtown without missing appointments or making excuses due to traffic. I have it down. Except for the occasional express vs. local train snafu when I miss a stop and have to double back and start again, it's one fast ride from point a to point b, and it definitely beats jumping into a cab, fighting traffic and spending what I would spend on a lunch.
Yet the truly refined transit approach is the NYC bus system. Now that's style and a completely different animal all together. NYC bus riders are different compared to the subway crowd: a little older and more gentile if you get what I mean. Whereas the underground bustles with a younger, more energetic type than their bus level gray topped counter parts. Each mode offers an important service for all people, despite age or transit preference; it's mass transit built to suit. When I have the time and have already worked out, being carted around above ground on the bus actually makes me feel luxurious!
But the best of all mass transportation in the city is the one of self-propelled walking. I know I share this passion with millions of New Yorkers when we put on great walking shoes, throw on a warm sweater or coat and get to appointments all day long on foot. My cheeks are rosy and don't need makeup, my body feels strong and used after a long day, and nothing feels better than a long hot bath after a day running around.
And to top it off and for the fun of it, when a storm blows into town, don't be surprised if you see me (along with a few other snow fanatics) cross county skiing down Madison Avenue!
Pray for snow and happy commuting!
Expect more physical evidence and shocking scientific data to start popping up regarding increased greenhouse gases and above normal water levels which will prompt the environment to beg us (especially as Americans) to change our ways. Additionally, there is a growing ground swell of institutions and organizations that are gathering data and presenting it in more digestible ways for all who are taking global warming seriously. To top it off, research started as far back as ten years ago is now coming to fruition and the data is blatantly before us. Mother Nature will not be denied.
The evidence is anecdotal as well. Just last week my daughter and her dad were hiking in and around the trails of the Palisades next to the Hudson River as we have done many times over the past 18 years. When they returned to the parking lot, the tide was coming in and the water was filling the parking lot in a way we have never before seen. Though there was not a cloud in the sky or even a passing boat, the entire lot and snack stand was being flooded by rushing water. Everyone in the area was in disbelief over what they were witnessing. Fluke or a sign of the times?
Newly released research funded by NASA found that nitrogen trifluoride is packing a power punch in our atmosphere. Until recently, nitrogen triflouride was considered an insignificant gas with low impact on global warming. However, now we are finding that it traps heat 17,000 times more efficiently than carbon dioxide and is increasing in our atmosphere by 11%. Yikes! Because of its once believed lower global emissions, a few years back, nitrogen trifluoride replaced the highly publicized perfluorocarbons used in the manufacturing process of crystal flat screen tv's and microcircuits (in computer systems). We now know this is untrue.
No longer can we sit back and say global warming is not a problem. How much more do we need as evidence; a global catastrophe of even a grander scale? By sea, our oceans are becoming so acidic that hundreds of animal species are becoming extinct yearly and a third of our fish have been wiped out. By land, the severity of our storms, the melting of the global glaciers and melting ice caps is downright frightening. I'd say that's quite enough physical evidence.
As Americans, we need to ask manufacturers to revisit day to day operations, encourage and support new clean and environmentally friendly technology which can bring jobs back onto our own soil, and reevaluate our daily lifestyle in order to turn this around. We can do with less, so what if we are being forced to do so? What a wonderful opportunity to take this financial crisis we're in and turn it around for good. Together, let's take a stand and reflect on how each and every one of our actions affects the environment around us. To refuse to do so is pure ignorance.
To increase your knowledge on this important issue please visit my sources:
NASA research: http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/oct/HQ_08-268_Greenhouse_gas.html
American Geophyscial Union www.agu.org
Nitrogen trifluoride: http://www.livescience.com/environment/
Oceans: http://www.oceana.org/climate/impacts/acid-oceans/
It shocks and dumbfounds me that the FDA (a
Now what is going on here? We are being duped people; the wool is being pulled over our eyes time and time again and it's time we stop acting like herded sheep, entrusting our health to those who care more about not rocking the boat and fattening their wallets via a sea of chemicals. We must always question the source and purity of the foods we consume, especially when it comes to baby products, personal care products, bottled drinking water and food. If we don't, it could literally cost us our lives.
No wonder so many children are increasingly being diagnosed with peculiar cancers and autoimmune disorders. The BPA plastics that we use at every turn are not only robbing our children's birthright to a healthy beginning, but we are continually chiseling away at our future's health. If we want to be strong, we need to act quickly and be heard. Leave apathy at the door on this one, it's that important. As a nation we are getting sicker year by year and we don't have to just stand by and allow it to happen.
Good job
You can start by visiting www.fda.gov and searching BPA through their search engine. After reading their multiple articles, please share your thoughts with them by clicking on the "Contact the FDA" link. They can't know how we feel about this important issue if we don't tell them. Use your voice and while you're at it encourage your friends to do the same. Our voices Do matter!
