I'm not a cellphone user. (Ok, I have one, but it sits in my purse turned off, and is used only for "emergencies" etc.) But even I, upon reading this headline: Prenatal Cell Phone Exposure Tied to Behavior was concerned. Until, that is, I reached the end of the article where it states: "Another possible explanation for the observed association might be the lack of attention given to a child by mothers who are frequent users of cell phones," the researchers suggest. They note that mothers who used cell phones frequently were of lower socio-occupational status, more likely to have mental health and psychiatric problems, and more likely to have smoked while they were pregnant."

Better late than never...

House passes major consumer safety bill with ban on lead, other chemicals in toys.

The next time you make some microwave popcorn or cook a frozen pizza, consider this: The packaging of many of these products contains a chemical that the Environmental Protection Agency considers potentially carcinogenic and wants businesses to voluntarily stop using by 2015.

Studies show that this chemical -- perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA -- is present in 98% of Americans' blood and 100% of newborns. It doesn't break down and thus accumulates in the system over time.

Yes, I've stopped using microwave popcorn, and paper plates (the grease resistant coating is teflon), but I haven't stopped serving frozen pizza. I'm guessing there's a teflon coating on the cardboard. I can work around that.

Activists ask FDA to ban artificial food dyes after research supports possible link to ADHD

New research indicates the synthetic dyes, used in food, can disrupt some children's behavior, and activists and consumer groups are asking for bans or limits on the dyes. A prestigious British medical journal recommended that doctors use dye-free diets as a first-line treatment for some behavior disorders; British regulators are pressuring companies to stop using the dyes, and some are complying.

The issue has generated much less attention on this side of the Atlantic. The FDA says the dyes are safe, and has no plans to limit their use.

"At this point, there's no evidence of a connection between dyes and children's behavior," says FDA consumer safety officer Judith Kidwell. She points out that in 1982, a National Institutes of Health panel examined the safety of artificial dyes and found no evidence of risk.

That attitude frustrates activists. "They're at least 20 years behind the science," says Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Last month, the group petitioned the FDA to ban use of the dyes, as well as sodium benzoate, a common preservative that critics also suspect of contributing to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.

At the very least, the FDA ought to give some consideration to what the British government is doing.

Deal with Clorox sparks Sierra Club feud

The environmental group, better known for suing corporations than forging alliances with them, has agreed to promote a new line of eco-friendly Clorox products in exchange for a share of the profits. Some Sierra Club chapters are crying foul, and officers in northern Michigan even quit over the deal.

The walkout highlights the passionate debate among members of the Sierra Club over the partnership with Clorox, named one of a "dangerous dozen" chemical companies by the Public Interest Research Group in 2004. PIRG contended in the report that Clorox's handling of chemicals at U.S. production facilities left some 14 million people vulnerable to contamination in the case of an accidental release.

The Sierra Club has been fighting against Clorox for decades, trying to get them to be responsible, now they're partners with them? It doesn't make any sense.

Scotland's "Let's Go Green Together" campaign, results have been phenomenal.

THOUSANDS of Scots have stepped up to the challenge of fighting climate change and are helping our country set a shining example to the rest of the world. With plans to slash damaging greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050, Scotland wants to set tougher targets than any other country in the world.

Shrink

Shrink: Addressing the madness of over-consumption of paper. Why use less paper? Using less paper can make the world a fairer place. By using more than six times the world average, most Europeans and North Americans are using far more than our fair share of the Earth's resources. Paper production causes a wide range of harmful environmental impacts, so by using less of it you can reduce your pressure on forests, cut energy use and climate change emissions, limit water, air and other pollution and produce less waste. There are also negative social impacts and human rights abuses linked to paper production, particularly in southern countries. Reducing demand for paper will help to address these too.

Researchers are hot on the trail of alternatives to the most widely used phthalate plasticizer, DEHP. The plasticizer is found in a wide array of consumer products from shower curtains to medical devices.

Do Vaccines cause Autism?

A father who happens to be a top leading vaccine researcher while having an autistic daughter of his own, should know. According to Peter Hotez, president of the Sabin Vaccine Institute, the chair of George Washington University's department of microbiology, immunology and tropical medicine, and a consultant to the Gates Foundation, which is helping to develop vaccines to fight neglected diseases, and also the father of a teenager with autism; "This is not something that can be caused by a toxin after birth. This is a deeply patterned mis-wiring in the brain, and this is not how a toxin works," Peter Hotez told his wife. "It can only be a genetic condition that affects the whole neurobiology of development."

Does eating local foods boost your health?

So far, there’s not real evidence that eating locally farmed food is better for you. But there are many reasons to think it might be. By definition, locally farmed food is not going to come from large commercial food companies, so people who eat locally aren’t going to consume as much processed food, which typically contains lots of refined carbohydrates, sugar, fat and preservatives.

Support your local CSA!

Toxic Popcorn

California may become the first state to ban a class of potential carcinogens used in some popcorn bags, pizza boxes and other grease-resistant food packaging.

Scientists have found that when the paper packaging is heated - when popcorn is microwaved, for example - the substances known broadly as perfluorinated chemicals can break down into compounds that are absorbed into food and then leach into the bloodstream.

Senate Bill 1313 by Sen. Ellen Corbett, D-San Leandro, would require the removal of PFCs from food packaging and direct manufacturers to use safe alternatives.

Besides food packaging, PFOA is also commonly used in Teflon and other stain-resistant coatings. PFOS is used in firefighting foam and cleaning products and was a key ingredient in 3M's Scotchgard until it was replaced about six years ago.

Source: Los Angeles Daily News