Phthalates and your crib mattresses

Over the last 30+ years, crib mattress materials have been replaced with cheap petroleum-based synthetics. Nearly all crib mattresses today contain polyurethane foam, vinyl (PVC), phthalates, chemical fire retardants, and an extensive list of added industrial chemicals. Recent studies have questioned the use of these materials. Some of these chemicals have even been shown to leach out into the surrounding air.

Babies and toddlers spend 10-14 hours a day sleeping and playing on a crib mattress. Furthermore, a child’s every breath inhales air no more than six inches away from these chemicals. As such, for the first few years of a child’s life, the mattress is the single most prominent object in the child’s environment. Phthalates are typically added to the vinyl surface of a crib mattress to make it soft and flexible. This provides an inexpensive and flexible crib mattress cover material.

“Phthalates are animal carcinogens and can cause fetal death, malformations, and reproductive toxicity in laboratory animals… children may be at higher risk of adverse effects of phthalates because of anticipated higher exposures during a time of developmental and physiologic immaturity… Phthalates are not covalently bound to the plastic matrix and leach out of PVC…”
(Shea, Katherine M. MD MPH and the Committee on Environmental Health. “Pediatric Exposure and Potential Toxicity
of Phthalate Plasticizers.” American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatrics Volume 111 No. 6. June 2003. Pg. 1467.

I don't know about you, but I think this chemical and any child should not be in the same room at the same time. Due to the ability that this chemical has to even leech out into the air, let alone with you absorbing it while you are laying down sleeping. Organic mattresses promote baby health and safety by eliminating potentially harmful chemicals and featuring certified organic cotton and environmentally friendly materials. These mattresses provide non-toxic fire protection and waterproofing, and are loved by parents, physicians, and independent evaluators. So if everyone likes these mattresses and believes that they are better for your child, then why don't you come and check them out for yourself!

Sami
http://envirowatchers.com/
Cover your little one with the best, Organic Diapers, Organic Clothes, and a Completely Build Your Own Organic Crib!

Landfills Methane Gas

Methane, a primary component of landfill gas, is a greenhouse gas more than 20 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. Nationwide in 2007 about 435 projects provided more than 10.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity and delivered 79 billion cubic feet per year of landfill gas to corporate and government users, and produced energy equivalent to powering roughly 810,000 homes and heating nearly 547,000 homes each year.

Landfill gas is the natural by-product of the decomposition of solid waste in landfills and is comprised primarily of carbon dioxide and methane. By preventing emissions of methane (a powerful greenhouse gas) through the development of landfill gas energy projects, landfill facilities can now produce electricity naturally from decomposing waste and turn it into money-saving electricity to offset the costs associated with operating the landfills. . Until now, the landfill gas, which is about 50 percent methane, was extracted through wells and pipes buried in the landfill and combusted in a flare. Now the gas is now diverted from the flare to the landfill gas plant, which is equipped with two specialized engines designed to burn landfill gas. The landfill gas is processed to natural gas quality and used in clean-burning power generation equipment to generate renewable power. The project of transforming the waste into usable electricity includes installation of a gas collection system in the landfill, a generator that runs on landfill gas, a power line connection to the grid, and an electronic monitoring system.

Here is a nice layout of "How Landfills Work".

Sami
http://envirowatchers.com/
Cover your little one with the best, Organic Diapers, Organic Clothes, and a Completely Build Your Own Organic Crib!

Don't Throw your Trash in my Backyard!!

It's started up again...New York City is dumping it's trash into Pennsylvania. Now don't get me wrong, they do have an agreement of dumping their trash into Pennsylvanians landfills, but they are getting full. Pa has a good system of utilizing the methane gas to run the landfills systems, but only certain trash is usable. Therefore New York City needs to start enforcing people to recycle, by offering jobs and uses for the recycled material, and by creating less packaging for their products, which would result in less trash. Right now Pa is having to either create more landfills or expand the existing ones already. That means it'll take away from the beauty the farm lands and the forests of Pa.

Pennsylvania isn't the only state feeling the impact of the trash, there are others such as Virginia and Michigan. I think the governors need to keep the trash in their own states and utilize the methane gas like Pa is doing. Maybe if the methane gas has more of a purpose, then more states would consider creating it for themselves.

And who really wants to live next to a landfill?

Sami

Diapers which are better cloth or disposable?

I have taken an interest in diapers...which are better cloth or disposable? There are many types of disposable diapers available in today’s market for our convenience-conscious society; while concern over landfill space has pushed for “greener” alternatives, disposable diapers are still disposable. A disposable diaper with a plastic exterior lining is no different than a 100% plastic-free disposable diaper once it has been tossed into a plastic household trash bag and dumped into a landfill. There's the super absorbent name brand ones, or the not-so famous cloth diapers.

Now these aren't the same cloth ones your mom or grandma used on you, these are much more sophisticated. They have flushable liners, snaps or velcro, and less fill for the landfills. Yes, this requires more laundry, about 2 more loads per week. But the way I look at it, is that it may be more work for you, but I'd rather do the extra work, then let the poop fill up the landfills. And from the research I've gathered, it appears that disposable diapers cost about $2200 over the course of the diapering stage, whereas cloth will cost you about $600, with the extra washing costs.

So my personal opinion is: cloth worked for my bottom just fine; I think I'll stick with it for my children too! What are your opinions, suggestions, and/or tips on cloth or disposable?

Laundry Detergent Causes Asthma? NY Lawsuit seeks disclosure

Sierra Club, the American Lung Association & 4 other groups are suing Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, and 2 other chemical cleaner manufacturers to demand that they release the ingredients to their products. The groups requested ingredient disclosure from all 4 companies & many others last September, citing the New York law, but were refused.

read more | digg story

What's the Difference between Traditional Cotton and Organic Cotton?

Well, first let’s look at plain old cotton. It’s the most universally comfortable, breathable and softest of all the fibers, natural or man-made. Cotton only uses about 3% of the farmland, but the farmers use more then 25% pesticides on it then any other crop, except for coffee. (Doesn’t say much about our coffee…) With this excessive use of fertilizers, cotton production has led to environmental pollution. Many of these chemicals that are sprayed on cotton are known to cause cancer in humans. The average cotton T-shirt is only 73% cotton fiber; the rest is chemicals and resins.

So far from my understanding, traditional cotton has a heavy dose of pesticides, insecticides, and chemical fertilizers which have been known to cause allergies, respiratory problems, and even cancer.

On the other hand, organic cotton does not involve the use of harsh chemicals and pesticides, therefore causing fewer allergies, respiratory problems, and a healthier life for farmers. All the chemicals in the soil have poisoned the farmers before, but with the organic certified fields, the farmers have not been experiencing as many issues.

Organic clothing is popular among infants and children due to their developing skin being more sensitive to the health risks posed from chemicals and pesticides. But why stop there? Yes, our children need to be well taken care of, but what about us. We need to continue treating ourselves to these healthy choices and teach our children this is the healthier way to live.

Well the NFL took a step in the right direction this year. The championship t-shirts worn by the Pittsburgh Steelers this year right after the super bowl were made of 100% organic cotton. These t-shirts are then sold to the fans and are one of the highest-selling NFL products of the year. Reebok made the t-shirts using organic yarn and the tags were made from recycled material and green stitching inside the neck seam identified the shirts as official.

Organic cotton increased 33% last year and is expected to increase 24% this year. This is good news for the certified organic cotton farmers. Hopefully, this will persuade the rest of the farmers to get their farms certified. Certification requires the land to be chemically free for at least 3 years. USDA regulates organic cotton as a food product, and they say less than one tenth of an ounce of pesticides are used per 100 lbs. of cotton.

When buying organic clothing, one need to make sure the finished product is also organically made. This includes the dying, finishing and sewing process. Dyes can be made from plants and natural vegetables and do not need harsh chemicals like previously.

We need to realign our buying habits to seek quality and longevity, not just the latest trends. We need to focus on the importance of our planet rather then how we look.

Leave a Mark, Not a Stain

Today's generation needs to leave a mark in history as the generation that saved the planet. Not be known to the future generations as the one's who killed the planet and made it a waste dump. We need to think more environmentally safe in our daily lives, whether it be as simple as using safer cleaning products or to using less waste. I know a lot of people are doing what ever they can at home, but what about big companies, the one's that can make a big impact. They should start thinking about making changes. There is a lot of simple things they can do as well. For example start using Eco-friendly tissue paper and cleaning products. They could even goes as far as giving some kind of incentive to employees who drive hybrid cars to work. Because if we don't start making the changes now there will be no future for our children. So I say to you, leave a mark in history not a stain. Fight for the future in the present.

If anyone knows of any companies who are making a difference please comment here and let me know about them and what they have done. I would like a list of Eco-friendly companies to share with the people.