Earth Friendly Shopping

Plastic Water Bottle are bad news on a lot of different levels.  In addition to the health risks posed by BPA and other chemical leaching into drinking water, it takes a huge amount of resources to make plastic bottles, and 90% of plastic bottles wind up in  the trash.

Our preference has been the Klean Kanteen Stainless steel bottle. Klean Kanteens are lightweight, durable, and SAFE. There is only one problem we have with Klean Kanteens - They aren’t insulated.   If you put ice into a Klean Kanteen to cool the water down, the outside will “sweat”

One choice has been Neoprene Bottle Sleeves.  OK - but Neoprene is far from Earth friendly.  Made from petroleum, Neoprene contains Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) that off-gas and stinks when new.  Most Neoprene contains formaldehyde and other toxic materials.

So, we were really excited when we found these new NeoGreene bottle sleeves.  Yes, they are still petroleum based,  so they aren’t perfect, but they use 25% less petroleum, 25% less electricity, are Phthalate free and contain no volatile organic compound.  In addition, they provide twice the insulation of Neoprene sleeves.

NeoGreene bottle sleeves are available in tall, which fit all 27 oz Klean Kanteens and Medium, which fit all 18 oz Klean Kanteens.    We would still love to see something made from a totally renewable resource, but in the meantime, this is the best we have found.

OK  - I gotta admit that this is one post I NEVER expected to write - I certainly never thought I would write that headline

I am from NY, now living in California. If I ever thought about Cleveland at all,  which wasn’t often,  it was simply to dismiss Cleveland as a dirty, old style industrial city.  The worst of the rust belt.

But today, I got an email from Positively Cleveland, and it sounds like things are starting to change.

Consider the starting date, 40 years ago.  In 1969, the Cayuga River was so polluted, that it actually caught fire.  This dramatic event led to the Clean Water Act.  Although there is still work to be done,  our nation’s rivers and lakes are cleaner than they were 40 years ago.  Of that there is no doubt

At the same time,  individual cities, counties, and states have been working to improve the quality of the environment and to reduce their impact.  Chicago has a Climate Change Plan

And now, the Cleveland Visitors and Convention Center has published this list of 75 green things to love about Cleveland.

Here are a couple

6. For business or pleasure. The new RTA HealthLine, opened in October of 2008, connects downtown Cleveland’s Public Square to the arts, culture, education and hospitals of University Circle. The bus line utilizes 21 hybrid-electric vehicles powered by clean diesel engines and electric transmissions with 100 kW motors and 600-volt nickel hydride battery packs. This unique power train reduces particulate emissions while dramatically improving fuel efficiency. (http://www.rtahealthline.com/)

7. Ticket to ride. In conjunction with the new bus line, Euclid Avenue was completely re-done including the planting of 1,500 trees and the addition of dedicated bike lanes providing commuters another green alternative to driving.

8. The power of wind and sun. The Great Lakes Science Center installed solar panels to go along with the first Cleveland lakefront wind turbine, becoming the fourth largest producer of alternative energy in the state. The solar panels and wind turbine bring about greater public awareness of renewable energy and educate visitors to the Science Center of the benefits of alternative energy to this region (http://www.greatscience.com/)

We say Bravo Cleveland

These are Soooo cool!   ScooterBees shoes are made from eco-friendly materials, from top to bottom.

ScooterBees are made of recycled fibers dervied from both post-industrial and post-consumer sources, including PET soda and water bottles.

The little soles are made with the anti-slipping and water-resistant ThermoPlastic Elastomer (TPE) material. TPE is a degradable material made of carbon and hydrogen, it uses no harmful chemicals in its production such as in traditional PVC’s . It is PVC-free, latex-free, and most-importantly, chloride-free, dioxin-free, and phthalate-free.

Two velcro straps let you adjust the shoes to different width feet.  They stay on little feet.

But the coolest thing about ScooterBees is that each shoe tells a story.  As mom or dad is putting the shoe on or taking it off,  the child sees different pictures, and the parent can tell a story.

It is a great opportunity to work a fun learning moment into an every day activity.  We love ScooterBees for a bunch of reasons

When you are running a green business, you never know what the next challenge you will be facing next.  Some are expected:  Finding green suppliers, customer service issues, choosing packaging and shipping,  managing cash flow, etc.

Most of these are pretty much expected.  Some are just part of running any business, green or not.  Others are specific to green businessesm but still pretty much what we would expect.

Then, every so often one hits us from out of nowhere.  This is one of those.  Our business, Kate’s Caring Gifts is a certified Alameda County Green Business.    Last fall, our certification was up for renewal, and that’s when the fun began.

The first step is that they audit our practices.  In our case, it was fairly simple.  We recycle almost everything.  We use recycled packaging every time we can, we have almost no waste, one toilet and one sink.  We don’t have an air conditioner or a furnance in the warehouse.

But, there was one area where we did not pass the audit.  The new requirement for green businesses is that all T-12  style florescent lamps be replaced with more efficient T-8 lamps.  Some estimates are that t8s are up to 40% more efficient

The numbers in T-12 and T-8 refer to the diameter of the tubular lamp, measured in 1/8ths of an inch.  So  a T12 lamp is 1.5 Inches in diameter (12/8) and a T8 is 1 Inch (8/8).  T8 lamps are more efficient,  produce more light for the same or less electricity, and contain less mercury.

Part of the efficiency of T8 lamps is that they use an electronic ballast (transoformer) rather than the magnetic ballast  used by T12 lamps.  That means that you can’t just put a T8 lamp into a T12 fixture.  The lights will flicker very badly.

That means that either the old ballast needs to be removed from the fixture and replaced, or the entire fixture has to be replaced.   We have 10 light fixtures.  8 of them are 17 feet up in the air. The other two are accessible using small ladders.

We called some electricians, and couldn’t find anyone who was even interested enough to come out and give us an estimate.   So, we decided to do it ourselves.

Our first thought was that it would be cheaper and more efficient to change out the ballasts. I figured I would give it a shot on our two accessible fixtures.  So, I went down to the local electrical supply store, and asked for a T8 ballast and lamps that would fit into my T12 fixture.  The Ballast alone was $150.  YIIKES!    Still, I got one,  took apart an old fixture and tried to install it.  The only word I can use for the result was FAIL.  The electronic ballast has a completely different wiring from the magnetic ballast, and when all was said and done, the light didn’t come on.

So, we were back to square one.   I decided to pay a visit to the local Home Depot, and there were complete T8 fixtures for $47.  These fixtures used two 4 foot T8 lamps end to end in place of one 8 foot t12 lamps, but otherwise were the same footprint as our old fixture.

We got a couple,  and installed them successfully in the accessible area.  HUZAH!  So now, it was how to get them installed in our 17 foot ceiling.  One thing was clear, I was NOT going up on a ladder.  I checked into scaffolding, then my neighbor suggested we get a scissor lift from Sunstate Equipment rental (located right down the street from us)

OK  - Now we had to move all our inventory and shelving so that we could put the scissor lift into the right places, and we were off!

Sunstate delivered at 7:00 AM and we were off - We took down an old fixture, put up a new one, tested, and moved on.   Here are a few pictures of us at work.    (sorry about the quality - it was dark, and I had to push the exposure)

So now we just need to put the shelves back where they were, and we are done - The whole project took about 6 months

In January, we wrote about the risks to our water supply from Hydraulic Fracture, the process in which

water and a mix of chemicals are pumped at high pressure into the formation where the gas is stored  At some point, the formation is no longer able to absorb the liquid and fractures.  The gas will flow more easily through the fracture and into the well.

The key problem is that the fracture fluids contain a mix of toxic chemicals that seep into underground water supplies.  Hydraulic fracture has been completely unregulated due to a 2o05 law.  But that might change

Democratic Reps. Diana DeGette of Colorado and Maurice Hinchey of New York plan to reintroduce a bill that would repeal a ban on regulating the process, called hydraulic fracturing, under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.

The industry is (as you would expect) squealing like stuck  pigs and ramping up the lobbying effort.

Here’s hoping that they get the law through

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics recently released a report showing that many popular baby care products, including shampoos and bubble baths from Johnson and Johnson contain 2 cancer causing  chemicals that are NOT listed on their labels:   Formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane.  Both these chemicals are know carcinogens, and Formaldehyde has been linked to skin rashes and other problems in young children.

These chemicals are not listed in the ingredients because they are “contaminants” .  From the report:

Formaldehyde contaminates personal care products when common preservatives release formaldehyde over time in the container. Common ingredients likely to contaminate products with formaldehyde include quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea and diazolidinyl urea.

1,4-dioxane is a byproduct of a chemical processing technique called ethoxylation, in which cosmetic ingredients are processed with ethylene oxide. Manufacturers can easily remove the toxic byproduct, but are not required by law to do so. Common ingredients likely to be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane include PEG-100 stearate, sodium laureth sulfate, polyethylene and ceteareth-20.

We have long been suspicious of “pure and gentle” claims from companies such as J&J.  After all, the basic “no more tears” claim comes from putting anesthetic in the shampoo, yuck.

Industry statements focus on meeting regulatory requirements, but

there are no regulatory standards that limit formaldehyde, 1,4-dioxane or most other toxic chemicals in personal care products sold in the United States.

It is up to consumers to be vigilant, and find safer personal care products.  We recommend those with shorter ingredient lists,  that are based on natural ingredients.  We recommend avoiding artificial and synthetic fragrances and preservatives.

Some of favorite natural and organic baby care products include:

Earth Mama Angel Baby Organic Shampoo and Body Wash

I Dream Handmade Baby Wash

California Baby I Love You Bubble Bath

Read the complete report  -  No More Toxic Tub

Reported in Scientific American,  a London startup called  Solar Botanic, wants to create artificial trees that harvest light, heat, and wind to create electricity.

The goal is to mimic nature, to create power generating trees that can be placed near homes and businesses,   reducing the need for long power lines and transmission grids.  At the same time, these “trees” can blend into existing landscapes

Copying Nature's design

In this biomimicry concept our trees are fitted with Nanoleaves, a combination of Nano photovoltaic- Nanothermovoltaic and Nanopiezo generators converting light, heat and wind energy into green electricity.

Our Nanoleaves convert the complete solar spectrum converting visible light, infrared and UV in combination with piezo electric generators that convert wind energy into electricity providing you with efficient, cost effective and aesthetic solutions, providing maximum electric power. The area of combined photothermovoltaic with piezovoltaic is concerned primarily with converting sunlight and wind energy into electricity. This task is accomplished through the use of natures design, artificial trees shrubs, plants and flowers all equipped with nanoleaf technology PV cells.

The plan has critics - First of all, it is unclear if the leaves can be created efficiently enough, there are technological hurdles to overcome.

For one, could solar and thermoelectrics really work together on a single leaf blade? Joseph Heremans, a professor of mechanical engineering and physics at The Ohio State University in Columbus, says that’s “spatially problematic, to say the least.” Van der Beek recognizes this as probably the chief remaining engineering hurdle, saying “We do have to find a symbiosis between these materials [photovoltaics and thermoelectrics]…. They can’t get in each other’s way.”

Then there’s the efficiency of green solar panels: “If Mother Nature wanted photosynthesis to be efficient, she would have made leaves black,” Woodhouse says. Black materials absorb all of the sun’s visible light, explaining why solar panel makers opt for pitch rather than designer colors. Van der Beek concedes Solar Botanic may have to settle for a dark shade of green, but he believes that ever-improving photovoltaics will make energy generation that sacrifices some reflected green wavelengths economical.

And it is unclear how much the thermoelectric component of the trees will contribute, Heremans says. The temperatures required for real thermoelectric power generation in those environments vastly exceeds the heat that green leaves in the sun normally experience. “I don’t see [nanoleaves] working with small temperature gradients,” he says. “The second law of thermodynamics tells you that small gradients equal poor efficiency.” Van der Beek acknowledges that this third component would contribute the least to the overall energy equation.

The cost of producing solar electricity is rapidly dropping.  Acording to Richard Swanson of Sunpower Corp.  Reported in Scientific American

(A) watt of power now costs around $1.40 to produce compared with $2 or more in the 1990s.

Swanson argues, that cost will fall to $1 per watt within five years—making solar power for the first time cost competitive, without subsidy, with conventional fossil fuel–fired generation

The power grid needs upgrading.  There is more work to be done, and more technological hurdles to overcome, but we are seeing movement in the right direction

The NYT ran an article in the beauty section called Confused by SPF? Take a Number. The article talks about how some of the chemical sunscreen manufacturers have been giving their product SPF ratiings of 90, 95, and even 100.

They acknowledge that these super hight SPF ratings have very little to do with a sunscreen’s effectiveness, and the high numbers can be misleading.

The difference in UVB protection between an SPF 100 and SPF 50 is marginal. Far from offering double the blockage, SPF 100 blocks 99 percent of UVB rays, while SPF 50 blocks 98 percent. (SPF 30, that old-timer, holds its own, deflecting 96.7 percent).

A sunscreen’s SPF number is calculated by comparing the time needed for a person to burn unprotected with how long it takes for that person to burn wearing sunscreen. So a person who turns red after 20 minutes of unprotected sun exposure is theoretically protected 15 times longer if they adequately apply SPF 15. Because a lot of sunscreens rub off or don’t stay put, dermatologists advise reapplication every two hours or after swimming or sweating.

“As you get higher and higher, it’s not really a practical difference,” said Dr. David M. Pariser, the president of the American Academy of Dermatology.

In fact, as noted by Kabana Skin Care - the creator of Green Screen Organic Sunscreen

This is absolutely true. SPF 15 equates to 93.3% UV absorption, which means by applying such a product 93.3% of the UV your skin would otherwise be absorbing is getting absorbed by the product. Doubling the SPF value to 30 provides 96.7% UV absorption, or only 3.4% more UV protection with a possible 100% more petrochemical exposure, and this only works as long as the product stays on your skin, which sunscreens don’t do well. Each additional SPF unit above SPF 15 provides only a fraction more protection, but significantly more petrochemical exposure. Take a look at this graph. If it isn’t on your skin, even an infinite SPF won’t do you any good.

It is for these reasons that the American Academy of Dermatology recommends you use an SPF 15 sunscreen and reapply about every two hours, or more often if you swim, sweat or even roll over on your towel.

They just barely mention that many of these super high spf sunscreens  don’t do anything about UVA rays.  UVA doesn’t burn you, the way UVB does, but prolonged exposure does lead to cancer.

But much worse, they don’t mention that chemical sunscreens work mostly by absorbing the rays, and, in doing so, create free radicals, which can lead to cancer.

That’s why we believe that the ONLY safe sunscreens are the ones that contain a physical block, such as Zinc Oxide. Some people also like titanium oxide, but we prefer zinc, for  a variety of reasons.

We also like to see sunscreens that use all natural ingredients.

You can find some of the highest rated all natural zinc oxide sunscreens at Kate’s Caring Gifts.

Among our favorites are UV Natural, all natural sunscreen,  Organic Green Screen from Kabana Skin Care, and Badger  All Nutural Sunscreen