Healthy World Watch March 5th, 2010

Our Mission: We ignite the movement that empowers parents to protect children from harmful chemicals. Donate »

Blog

Kathryn Meigel

Thursday, March 04, 2010

Top Tips

Concerned about your family’s exposure to Bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical used in food storage linked with a myriad of health risks? Here is a list of food manufacturers using non-BPA storage containers.
It is never too early to teach kids how to be kind to the environment. When looking for entertainment with a positive message, check out films like Ferngully: The Last Rainforest, The Lion King, and more.
Don’t throw that used food container away! Terracycle is offering cash incentives for used yogurt cups, candy wrappers, and even glue sticks. Money is to be donated to a charity, school, or organization of your choice.
Having a new baby comes with a lot of anxiety from feeding to toys to which color should we paint the walls. Here are some great new tips on how to make sure your nursery is safe and fun.

Recent Research

Federal government to spent $20 million on Bisphenol-A (BPA) study. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) will be looking at the health effects caused by the chemical widely used in food storage. Panel chairman, Representative Edward Mackey, says BPA is polluting waterways via food packaging disposal which may be linked to deformities among wildlife. He warns an increase of human disorders such as infertility, heart disease, and diabetes may also be linked with BPA. NIEHS director Linda Birnbaum told Congress that drinking water may be a "significant route of exposure".

Other News

Cell phones may come with warning labels in Maine. David Carpenter, director of the Institute for Health and Environment at the University of Albany, warns that action should be taken now too overt an epidemic of brain cancers. He cites the delay in warning labels on cigarette packs as a lesson to learn from. Although not agreeing with a cancer link, the Food and Drug Administration is urging the cell phone industry to further research and develop products to lower exposure risks. Here are some lower radiation phones currently on the market.
Environmental Protection Agency considers banning pesticide spraying near schools, hospitals and child care centers. Each year an average of 37 pesticide drifts are to blame for sickening hundreds in the state of California. As the nation’s largest agricultural producer, California has tried to address the problem with new legislation calling for compensation from growers, but no cases have had successful resolve. Teresa de Anda of Californians for Pesticide Reform, states drifts are so commonplace that incidents often go unreported.
Data shows the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been slow to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. In 2009 the EPA required polluters to spend $5 billion on clean up efforts, as opposed to $11.8 billion the previous year. Granta Nakayama, who formerly ran the EPA, states the discrepancy could be due to a push to focus on vulnerable populations including children, minorities, and low-income communities. Clashing with industries over mountain-top mining, health risks of atrazine, and the redefining of coal ash as hazardous has slowed progress down. New regulations planned by the EPA have triggered the U.S. Chamber of Congress to file a lawsuit over the legality of the agency’s determining what defines greenhouse gases and their regulation.