Bona Frutta

Green Living and Cleaning

2009-03-01T09:12:00.001-08:00

Household Toxins Hits Parade
http://www.seemagazine.com/article/news/news-main/toxin0226/

The Air Inside Your Home and How It Affects You
http://greenbuildingelements.com/2009/02/25/the-air-inside-your-home-and-how-it-affects-you/

GreenSpace: Are cleaners toxic? Labels are clueless
http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20090223_GreenSpace__To_play_it_safe__make_your_own_.html?viewAll=y

Environmental group leader endorses bill to improve toxic chemical safety
http://www.salisburypost.com/Area/022109-Ken-Cook-speaks-at-Catawba

Lawsuit Seeks Disclosure of Chemicals in Name-Brand Cleaners
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/feb2009/2009-02-20-093.asp

Toxin Talk: What to Tell Your Kids About Cleaning Products
http://www.seventhgeneration.com/learn/news/toxin-talk-what-tell-your-kids-about-cleaning-products

Pollution comes home and gets personal: women's experience of household chemical exposure.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19181047?ordinalpos=2&itool=Email.EmailReport.Pubmed_ReportSelector.Pubmed_RVDocSum

Working toward guidelines for a truly green backyard garden.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/04/AR2009020401255.html

Child care goes 'green': Program certifies care providers who try to reduce
toxins in home
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20090205/NEWS/902050347/1001

Toxic Household Chemicals: Part I
http://www.naturalnews.com/z025507.html

Even natural perfumes may cause allergies
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-02/uog-enp020309.php

Toxic baby care products
http://www.greenlivingonline.com/article/toxic-baby-care-products

Chemicals used in shampoos to get toxic label
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090203/chemical_regulations_090203/20090203?hub=Health

Dangerous levels of lead are often found in houses built before 1978, but new homes aren't immune
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/feb/01/dangerous-levels/

Is your clothesline illegal?
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-hm-clothesline7-2009feb07,0,3042483.story

Fragranced Products: Truly a Surprising Package
http://www.ieconnections.com/archive/feb_08/feb_08.htm#article3

Serving the lord and saving the planet.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/01/nyregion/thecity/01nuns.html

Retrofitting begins on diesel school buses.
http://www.northjersey.com/environment/38684992.html

Help wanted for green jobs.
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090216/featherstone

Six household chemicals to avoid
http://www.greenlivingonline.com/article/six-household-chemicals-avoid

Toxic air raises risk of death.
http://www.healthzone.ca/health/article/579542

Take a load off with a toxin-free sofa
http://www.nowtoronto.com/columns/ecoholic.cfm

Children with Elevated Blood Lead Levels Related to Home Renovation, Repair,
and Painting Activities
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5803a3.htm?s_cid=mm5803a3_x

Personal-care products not accurate with labels.
http://www.vancouversun.com/Life/Personal%20care%20products%20accurate%20with%20labels/1228581/story.html

Something's in the air: Sealed homes open possibility of illness
http://dispatch.com/live/content/home_garden/stories/2009/01/25/INDOOR_AIR.ART_ART_01-25-09_I1_2NCIIBB.html?sid=101

Be aware of mercury in fluorescent lightbulbs
http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20090124/NEWS01/901240318

WA State will ban toxic flame retardants
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008662269_webwadems23.html

Cleaning homes could be harmful for asthmatic women
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health/cleaning-homes-could-be-harmful-for-asthmatic-women_100146136.html

After Katrina, New Orleans is going green.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/6232147.html

Green-light specials, now at Wal-Mart.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/business/25walmart.html

The greening game. Laundry detergents, dishwashing detergents, and spray cleaners have always promised to rid the home of dirt and grime. But now many products vow to protect the environment as well. New offerings target consumers who, more and more, want to know what's in the cleaners they buy.
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/coverstory/87/8704cover.html

Beware of poisons lurking in your home
http://businessmirror.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4354:beware-of-poisons-lurking-in-your-home&catid=32:life&Itemid=68

Dangers May Be Lurking In Home Cabinets
http://www.kolotv.com/health/headlines/37452854.html

Overlook Hospital in Summit offers new program to help make homes toxic-free
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20090112/NEWS/901120321/1003/newsfront

The Stuffing Dreams Are Made Of?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/garden/15mattress.html?_r=1&ref=style&pagewanted=print

Flame retarding chemicals pollute fetal tissue.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/pbdes-pollute-fetal-tissue/

It may market organic alternatives, but is your cleaner really greener?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/12/nyregion/12clean.html

Is your sofa toxic? Switch to eco-furniture
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28510099/

Household Products Database
http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/index.htm

Adventures In Green: What Is Boric Acid?
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=49&entry_id=34340

Companies Are Overstating Green Claims, Consumers Say
http://www.pcworld.com/printable/article/id,156522/printable.html

Protecting Children From Toxic Chemicals
Book delineates how profit motives and laws often stand in the way of preventing harm
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/books/87/8701books.html

Popularity of green roofs is spreading. If ecoroofs are sprouting up in the suburbs, does that mean they've gone mainstream?
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/01/environmentalists_and_the_city.html

E-waste not. What should you do with your old cell phone and other electronic equipment?
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1870485-1,00.html

Green Purchasing Tool Kit
http://www.besafenet.com/ppc/archives/green_purchasing_tool_kit/index.html

EPA sponsors green-building contest
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2008/12/15/daily43.html?t=printable

Huge law suit over 'toxic sofas'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7791569.stm

How Green Is Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergent?
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,468905,00.html

More milestones for green products and green chemistry.
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/es803403m

Avoiding Toxins in Your Building
http://cooperator.com/articles/1847/1/Avoiding-Toxins-in-Your-Building/Page1.html

Are natural antibacterial sanitizers healther or more eco friendly?
http://www.ewg.org/node/27439

'Safer' Solvent May Not Be Safe
http://ohsonline.com/Articles/2008/12/10-Safer-Solvent-May-Not-Be-Safe.aspx

Green Cleaners a Must Have!

How Green Can a Christmas Tree Be?
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/garden/04garden.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2
Organic Christmas Tree Farms
http://www.greenpromise.com/resources/organic-christmas-trees.php

So, you think you can't learn anything from TV? Think again. Non-toxic doesn't equal harmlesshttp://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20081113-LIFE-811130323

Traveling

2009-02-23T15:30:00.000-08:00

Toxic in fuel can poison flyers
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Health--Science/Science/Toxic-in-fuel-can-poison-flyers/articleshow/4139263.cms

'Toxic' cabin air found in new plane study
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/4610474/Toxic-cabin-air-found-in-new-plane-study.html

Meth makers leave behind a toxic trail at motels.
http://www.star-telegram.com/461/story/1218959.html

Think Twice Before Using Hotel Room Coffee Pots:
"Ask just about anyone in law enforcement, and they'll tell you to be careful if you ever brew coffee in a hotel room."
Click on link to read full story:
http://www.waff.com/global/story.asp?s=5980064

Instant Air Quality Updates

2009-01-24T11:06:00.000-08:00

If instant air quality updates are crucial to you, there's now a service that
will send frequent updates to your email inbox. The South Coast Air Quality
Management District and the Environmental Protection Agency have teamed up to
create EnviroFlash, a free service that provides constantly updated air quality
information about your neighborhood.
It also provides tips for minimizing your own contribution to air pollution.

To participate, go to the EPA's EnviroFlash website http://www.enviroflash.info/
and subscribe. You can be notified on a daily basis or only when air pollution
reaches a peak.

Air quality readings and forecasts can still be obtained from the AQMD website,
or by phoning the automated voice recording system at 1-800-288-7664.

What is Kawasaki Syndrome?

2009-01-11T09:24:00.000-08:00

Travolta death: Toxic cause?
http://www.examiner.com/x-1793-Sacramento-Environmental-News-Examiner~topic55733-Jett

Kawasaki Syndrome By Carolyn Cooper, MPH, RN
http://promotinghealthandpatienteducation.blogspot.com/2009/01/kawasaki-syndrome.html

A Closer Look at What Ailed Jett Travolta
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b77270_closer_look_what_ailed_jett_travolta.html

News Items - 1/03/09 - Disability Issues

2009-01-03T15:18:00.000-08:00

JAN's Accommodation and Compliance Series: The ADA Amendments Act of 2008
http://www.jan.wvu.edu/bulletins/adaaa1.htm

JAN's ADA Amendments Act of 2008 Resources
http://www.jan.wvu.edu/LINKS/adalinks.htm

Inadequate Quest for Disability Accommodation Lands Chemical Sensitivity Case Before Jury
http://www.hrnsight.com/articles/tabid/66/docid/8116/Default.aspx

The Census and Americans With Disabilities
http://digitaldoorway.blogspot.com/2008/12/census-and-americans-with-disabilities.html

False Teeth Health Dangers?

2008-12-21T10:34:00.000-08:00

More on dangers of methyl methacrylate
http://adr.iadrjournals.org/cgi/reprint/6/1/17.pdf

What You Don't Know About a Drug Can Hurt You

2008-12-13T09:37:00.000-08:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122903390105599607.html

Going PVC Free!

2008-12-12T13:44:00.001-08:00

Pass Up the Poison Plastic - the PVC-Free Guide for Your Family & Home lists the most common consumer products made out of PVC and safer PVC-free products including baby products, children's toys, electronics, and more.
http://www.besafenet.com/pvc/documents/PVC-Guide-1.pdf

The Pass Up the Poison Plastic guide
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/852/t/2092/signUp.jsp?key=3845

Our press release announcing the guide
http://www.besafenet.com/pvc/media.htm

Information on the dangers of PVC
http://www.pvcfree.org

Safe(r) Shopping Options

2008-11-30T09:40:00.000-08:00

Nirvana Safe Haven
http://www.nontoxic.com/

News Items - 11/30/08 - Lyme Disease

2008-11-30T09:30:00.002-08:00

Coping with Lyme disease
http://www.foxbororeporter.com/articles/2008/11/26/features/3960065.txt

Tiny Homes-

2008-11-30T09:28:00.003-08:00

An Alternative for People with Chemical Sensitivities
http://www.comingunmoored.com/2008/11/tiny-homes-an-alternative-for-people-with-\
chemical-sensitivitie/

The Reality of Disputed Medical Maladies

2008-11-22T10:24:00.000-08:00

The Reality of Disputed Medical Maladies
http://www.livescience.com/health/081120-bad-syndromes.html

Tips For Choosing Toxic-Free Cookware

2008-11-15T09:47:00.001-08:00

http://whatcounts.com/dm?id=DD69A8776151B0431B6FF387BBF8F055B63B9742B13717B0

Lifting the "Body Burden":

2008-11-15T09:07:00.001-08:00

How to Fight Toxic Exposure and Keep Chemicals Out of Your Home
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/simran-sethi/lifting-the-body-burden-h_b_141779.html

Chemical Management Plan?

2008-11-09T09:43:00.000-08:00

Call for ban on chemicals in cosmetics, cleaners. Twelve national health and environmental organizations are calling on Health Canada to speed up the process it uses to deal with toxins under the Chemical Management Plan and promote safer alternative products.
http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/article/533204

How to Read a UPC Code

2008-11-04T16:27:00.000-08:00

In order to avoid products from China , it is your "right" to know
how the international UPC system works. You can check a product the
next time you are in the supermarket. In general, the first three
numbers are the country code and the numbers 690, 691, and 692
indicate China, 471 is Taiwan and 880 ( South Korea ) or 49 (Japan).
Using the link in blue below, you can check out other country codes.

To learn more click here: http://www.barcodeisland.com/ean13.phtml

Is Oregon killing you?

2008-10-30T07:15:00.000-07:00

Fact or fiction: Is Oregon killing you? There are statistics that show Oregon ranks high in breast and skin cancers, strokes and suicides, autism and Alzheimer's. Portland Oregonian, Oregon.

http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2008/10/fact_or_fiction_is_oregon_kill.html

Psychiatric Presentations of Medical Illness

2008-10-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

Comment: This is not directly about MCS, but since MCS and other chronic illnesses are often misdiagnosed as being psychiatric in origin, this may be useful information to ascertain whether a doctor is doing their investigative job to find the cause of an illness. It may also be valuable to those with certain symptoms as it lists potential causes to check for. It discusses the real medical illnesses which may be mistaken for a mental illness. It also discusses the complexities involved with obtaining medical care for this with co-occurring medical and mental illnesses. The bottom line is that medical illnesses are routinely misdiagnosed as being psychiatric.

http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/diamond.htm

Church Accessibility for the MCS Patient

2008-10-26T11:59:00.000-07:00

"The National Academy of Sciences estimates that 15 percent of the population has some degree of sensitivity to chemicals."
...
"Taking drugs, as some suggest, may actually increase the disability, because people who are chemically sensitive are often hypersensitive to drugs."
...
This entire article can be read here:
http://www.holoweb.com/survivors/UMC_Statement.htm

Environmental illnesses are gaining attention

2008-10-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

Experts say that everyone is affected in some way by chemical sensitivity.
http://www.mercurynews.com/homeandgarden/ci_10806396?nclick_check=1

Is your car making you sick?

2008-10-25T08:54:00.000-07:00

As environment-friendly Martha Stewart might know, that new car smell is not a good thing.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/10/24/aa.toxic.cars/index.html

Bottled Water Quality Investigation: 10 Major Brands, 38 Pollutants

2008-10-24T16:52:00.000-07:00

Bottled water contains disinfection byproducts, fertilizer residue, and pain medication

http://www.ewg.org/reports/bottledwater

Dr. Oz Talks About Avoiding Everyday Toxins

2008-10-24T13:07:00.000-07:00

Dr. Oz talks with Jane Houlihan of Environmental Working Group,... about simple things you can do to make sure you're not being exposed to chemicals that may present risks to your health.
http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahandfriends/moz/20081023_oaf_moz

NBC runs a story exposing dangers of common household cleaners

2008-10-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

"Have you ever considered how odd it is that there are warning labels on cleaning products? I mean, think about that: they're supposed to be ridding your home of bad stuff, not adding to it - much less potentially making you sick! A good stand-up comedian could build an entire act out of this one bizarre fact."

NBC11.com ran the above story. Vitally important information for every single person out there. Please head over to their website and read the full story: http://www.nbc11.com/msnbcentertainment1/17608616/detail.html

The Toxics Action Center

2008-10-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

The Toxics Action Center is working on a campaign to educate consumers about the dangers of using pesticides. Please see their Refuse to Use ChemLawn site for more information.

They seem to have a lot of good info on their links and resources page - click here to see them!

Fragrance Awareness Campaign in Minn Schools

2008-10-03T07:28:00.000-07:00

Fragrance Awareness Campaign in Minneapolis Schools. Rich Kimball forwarded an article about the outcome of a Minnesota state congresswoman' s proposal to ban fragrances in Minneapolis public schools out of concern for children with asthma and other health problems. The proposal was abandoned based on requests from students and an administrator at one high school. Instead of the ban, the congresswoman introduced a plan for an awareness campaign. The article notes that no state has succeeded in banning fragrances from schools. You can find the article at http://www.naturaln ews.com/024227. html

Wiggy's sleeping bags

2008-10-02T07:45:00.000-07:00

Safer Sleeping Bags. Thinking ahead to cooler temperatures, Gary Gumbel wrote to remind us that Wiggy's sleeping bags can be a big help to EI's who are stuck outdoors for the winter. Gary says that the materials are less toxic and Wiggy's will tell you that "not one EI" has reacted to the materials in their bags. Wiggy's builds custom fit bags of varying warmths for different climates. To find Wiggy's go to http://www.wiggys. com/ and to contact Gary write to ggum1947@hotmail. com.

Shampoo Free

2008-10-01T12:54:00.000-07:00

A friend sent me some great links on going shampoo free and I wanted to share them :)

babyslime.livejournal.com

motowngirl.com's hair care recipes

community.livejournal.com/naturalskin

pioneerthinking.com

Thanks, JoAnn, for sending me these great links!

Kids Safe Chemical Act

2008-09-23T17:56:00.000-07:00

Lautenberg, Solis, Waxman Introduce Legislation To Protect Americans From Hazardous Chemicals In Consumer Products please click through and read about this important legislation and then please consider contacting your Senator(s) and ask for it to be supported ASAP!!!

Homesick Trailer

2008-09-11T11:05:00.000-07:00

Funny, You Don’t Look Sick

2008-09-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

To find out more about Susan Abod see her website: http://www.susanabod.com/funny.html

Sleepydust video

2008-09-07T10:15:00.000-07:00

from: http://www.sleepydust.net/

National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week

2008-09-06T16:07:00.001-07:00

Please click on the ribbon to learn more!

Formaldehyde

2008-08-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

Formaldehyde Found in Houses Provided for Katrina Victims in Mississippi
http://www.propublica.org/article/formaldehyde-found-in-houses-provided-for-katrina-victims-in-mississippi-12

Where Things Stand: Formaldehyde Problems Remain Unresolved
http://www.propublica.org/article/where-things-stand-formaldehyde-problems-remain-unresolved-1223

EPA Starts Inquiry Into Toxic Formaldehyde
http://www.thedailygreen.com/print-this/green-homes/eco-friendly/formaldehyde-47120107

Nasty formaldehyde: Protect your family against this harmful, colourless gas
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/homes/story.html?id=df9f94c3-164d-4938-a8af-42fbd13fec2d

Formaldehyde. The word instantly conjures up the pungent smell of high school biology labs ringed with jars of pickled pig fetuses awaiting dissection. Turns out that formaldehyde does more than just help preserve lab samples. And some of what it does isn't nice.
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/homes/story.html?id=df9f94c3-164d-4938-a8af-42fbd13fec2d