Earth Friendly Shopping

In a recent NY Times op ed.  Nicholas Kristof talked about the recent CDC report that nearly 1% of all children on are somewhere on the autistic spectrum.   This is a dramatic increase from a few decades ago, when autism was extremely rare.

Now, some of this increase is clearly due to improved diagnosis.  Many children currently diagnosed as severely autistic,  would have simply been labeled as mentally retarded.  Other’s with more mild symptoms (including some that have been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome would have just been called a little weird.  Indeed, we know several children that are mildy autistic, but fully functioning in school and other settings.

But, it is becoming increasingly clear, and increasingly mainstream that chemicals we are exposed to in our daily life have an impact on development.  Kristof quotes and article by Dr. Philip J. Landrigan, professor of pediatrics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and chairman of the school’s department of preventive medicine.

Dr. Landrigan told me that he is increasingly confident that autism and other ailments are, in part, the result of the impact of environmental chemicals on the brain as it is being formed.

“The crux of this is brain development,” he said. “If babies are exposed in the womb or shortly after birth to chemicals that interfere with brain development, the consequences last a lifetime.”

Kristof points to another study

One peer-reviewed study published this year in Environmental Health Perspectives gave a hint of the risks. Researchers measured the levels of suspect chemicals called phthalates in the urine of pregnant women. Among women with higher levels of certain phthalates (those commonly found in fragrances, shampoos, cosmetics and nail polishes), their children years later were more likely to display disruptive behavior.

Of the 80,000 chemicals registered in the U.S.  200 have been tested for safety.

Kristof finishes with some advice

“There are diseases that are increasing in the population that we have no known cause for,” said Alan M. Goldberg, a professor of toxicology at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. “Breast cancer, prostate cancer, autism are three examples. The potential is for these diseases to be on the rise because of chemicals in the environment.”

The precautionary principle suggests that we should be wary of personal products like fragrances unless they are marked phthalate-free. And it makes sense — particularly for children and pregnant women — to avoid most plastics marked at the bottom as 3, 6 and 7 because they are the ones associated with potentially harmful toxins.

One of the problems that Kristof doesn’t mention is that many body care products do not fully label their ingredients, so it is almost impossible to know if there are Phthalates in them.  That is why we recommend body care that is completely free of synthetic fragrances, colors, and preservatives. Our preference is for body care that is organic or 100% natural.  You can find a variety of soaps, lotions, and other natural body care at Kate’s Caring Gifts

Disclosure: Earth Friendly shopping is owned by Kate’s Caring Gifts

One of my favorite breakfasts is to take organic, whole grain oats from Bob’s Red Mill, cook them up, add a little cinnamon, and a splash of organic maple syrup from Coombs Family Farms. Heaven.

We have always been impressed with Bob’s Red Mill products.  You can tell the quality and the whole food taste.

Well,  our breakfast just got a little sweeter.   Bob Moore, who founded the company in 1978 with his wife Charlee, has decided to give the company to the employees with an Employee Stock Ownership Plan.

When we see what happens to small green companies that sell to mega-corporations, like what Dean Foods did to Silk, or Hershey Chocolate to Dagoba,  we find this all the more impressive.

The temptation to cash in, either to sell to a big company, or to go public, had to be great.  Instead,  Bob Moore chose to leave a lasting legacy.  Wow!

We really like shopping at farmer’s markets.   Our favorite local market is the Irvington Farmer’s Market in Fremont.  There are several certified organic vendors as well as several bakers, a honey grower, and fresh tabouli and hummus.

Most of the time, Mrs EFS takes the kids, but today she was out on a hill run (I did mine yesterday) so I took the kids.

Well, the kids are such regulars that everyone most of the vendors no them.  When I bring them, I am always greeted with “where’s mom?”  It was a real neighborhood feel.

One of our favorite vendors is Beckmann’s Bakery.   I have always loved their German Farm Bread,  and the kids loved the cheese twists and sourdough.

Today,  when we got to the booth, there was a “Be back in 5 minutes” sign up.    Well, the cool thing was that nobody touched anything on the table.   People came by, looked – put a few things off to the side, and waited for her to come back.

Just a small thing, but it was nice to see that not one person tried to take advantage

From the NY Times

The Food and Drug Administration has raised its level of concern over the safety of bisphenol-A, or BPA, an industrial chemical found in baby bottles and the linings of canned goods and other consumer products. That is a welcome shift in attitude by an agency that seemed bent, during the Bush administration, on minimizing the potential for harm.

In August 2008, the Bush-era F.D.A. released a draft report asserting that the small amounts of BPA that leach into milk or food are not dangerous. One month later, the National Toxicology Program, an interagency assessment group, came to a less reassuring conclusion. It expressed “some concern” — midway between “negligible concern” and “serious concern” — about the potential effects on the brain, behavior and prostate in fetuses, infants and children. Now the F.D.A. has also expressed “some concern” about the same risks.

How harmful is BPA?  In truth no one knows for sure, but why would you want to take the risk?  Your best bet is to limit your exposure to BPA, and one way to do that is to use BPA Free Stainless Steel bottles from Klean Kanteen, and Stainless Steel Food Carriers from To-Go Ware.

I admit it.  I am really tough on wallets.  I carry around way too much stuff.  If Mrs. EFS  didn’t periodically go through my wallet and recycle all the random papers and junk in there, I would probably still have stuff in it from before we were married.

So my wallet is stuffed, and usually wears out quickly.

And that is one reason I really like this eco-friendly hemp wallet from JenZen.  They are made in the US from sustainably grown hemp fire.  These wallets are rugged, and have space to carry  all sorts of stuff.    The tri fold style is convenient, with room for credit cards, business cards and more.

JenZen Hemp Wallets are available in white, sand, and black at Kate’s Caring Gifts

At a press conference in Las Vegas on January 6th, Monster Cable announced the addition of two new PowerCenters to the GreenPower product line to be featured at CES 2010: the HDP 1850G and the HDP 1400G.  Both are designed to save energy by turning off power to home theater components when not in use, reducing wasted stand-by mode energy.

The HDP 1850G PowerCenter features GreenPower outlets that automatically shut off to reduce energy waste. Users simply plug theirHDTV into the main “Green Power Control Outlet” which then controls three other outlets for connection of additional entertainment components (DVD/Blu-ray™ player, A/V receiver, and more) When the HDTV is turned off, the other GreenPower outlets automatically shut down, eliminating the energy wasted by components when they’re not in use.

Additionally, both the HDP 1850G and 1400G include two outlets controlled by an included RF remote control.  So with the click of a button, you can instantly shut down the outlet/device of your choice.

For the full press release from Monster Cable and additional GreenPower images, please visit:http://www.monstercable.com/press/viewpress.asp?Article=212

And to access press releases and images for all new products, please visit the Monster at CES 2010 page:http://www.monstercable.com/events/ces2010/

Thanks, –

Entrepreneur Magazine gives some gift giving advice.  They start with a cautionary tale

Last December, Jennifer Finke, having thoroughly enjoyed working for a client, decided to send her a gift. Finke, 32, who owns JF Communications, a public relations and corporate writing firm in Denver, had a goal similar to any entrepreneur. She wanted to let her client know that it had been wonderful to work with her–and, of course, subtly hint that the door was wide open to work on any future projects.

So Finke mulled over a few traditional ideas before deciding on something new and fresh: a customized bobblehead. She sent an online toy company a photo of her client, and they made a bobblehead with the client’s head on it. The cost; about $100. A few weeks later, well after the gift had arrived, Finke hadn’t heard anything from her client. She e-mailed her to see if she had received the gift. The client replied with a curt, “Yes, thanks.”

And that was it. No gushing about what a creative, thoughtful gift it had been. The e-mail was the virtual equivalent of chirping crickets.

Overall, they give some good advice.   Our advice is to select an organic gourmet gift basket from Kate’s Caring Gifts.   We have a variety of sizes and price points, and a selection that will please almost everyone

This is something we have been waiting for.  We have been big fans of Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel water bottles for years.  To begin with, any reusable bottle cuts down on plastic usage and plastic waste,  and that is a good thing.   But even better, Klean Kanteens are made from the highest quality food grade stainless steel,  they are tested rigorously,  and Klean Kanteen regularly inspects the factories to ensure that workers are treated fairly.

Klean Kanteen water bottles have been great for water, juice,  and other cold drinks.  Combined with a Neogreene bottle tote, Klean Kanteen is  the perfect, earth friendly accessories

But-  what do we do about coffee?  Now there is an answer the Klean Kanteen Insulated wide mouth bottle.  Available in 12, 16 and 20 oz sizes with an optional Cafe Cap, these bootles are great for coffee,  soup,  or any other hot drink.

We think that they are a great way to go Earthfriendly in 2010

Organic chocolate tastes better, is better for you, and better for the planet.

Grinning planet lays out some of the pesticide residues allowed by the EPA and found in conventionally grown chocolate

For chocolate from cocoa beans imported into the US, the EPA allows various levels of pesticide residue to be present in the cocoa powder. Below are just a few of the pesticides that can legally contaminate non-organic chocolate, along with some of their health effects (based on animal studies).

• Methyl Bromide — prostate cancer, kidney and liver effects, neurological effects
• Pyrethrins — carcinogenicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity
• Hydrogen Cyanide — acute toxicity, thyroid effects, nerve degeneration
• Naled — central nervous system disruption; headaches, nausea and diarrhea
• Glyphosate — effects on digestive system tissue, genetic damage, effects on reproduction, carcinogenicity

Lindane—a pesticide best known for use as a treatment for head lice—is banned in the US for use on food crops but has been found to be a contaminant in some European chocolate.

Now, just because you pop any old chocolate treat in your mouth doesn’t mean you’re getting huge doses of pesticide poison. However, the US FDA’s Total Diet Study has found residues of multiple pesticides in many chocolate products. The Food & Drug Administration works to ensure that the level of pesticide residue is within the US EPA’s established tolerances, but for many of us, the real question is whether we want any pesticide residue at all in the chocolate.

The answer is clear to us.  Organic chocolate is the way to go.

We’re having a sale at Kate’s Caring Gifts.  20% off on a great selection of eco friendly stocking stuffers. Use discount coupon DECEMBER09 at checkout