Plastic: 4 Facts You Should Know
Have you heard the stats on plastic? One million plastic bags used every minute around the globe. Three million water bottles used every hour in the United States. Five million straws used every day in America. Plastic production increased 2,000 percent from 1964 to 2014. More than 300 million tons of new plastic produced annually and less than 10% recycled. Plastic overconsumption is affecting our environment—and our health. Reports show that eight million tons go into the ocean each year (the equivalent of a garbage truck full every minute) and that if we don’t do something about it, by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. In the last two…
Transgender Fish Found; Fertility Compromised
The latest U.S. Geological Survey found that 85 percent of male smallmouth bass in and near wildlife refuges in the Northeast show compromised fertility: They have eggs where their testes should be, according to the Washington Post. Earlier, surveys had found as much as 100 percent of fish in the southern Potomac River were affected, and 90 percent in West Virginia. A reported 37 species of fish have been identified as exhibiting “intersex changes” that affect fertility, and although scientists have not yet identified the culprit, many believe endocrine disrupting chemicals are to blame.
Endocrine Disruptors Make Mice Fat And Lazy
We already know that endocrine disruptors–like BPA in cans and cash register receipts, or phthalates in perfume–are linked to obesity, reproductive problems, and even cancer. But could they also make you fat and lazy?
.@EWG Finds BPA in 90% of Cans; Chemical Linked to Obesity
It may be time to rethink canned food. A new study from the Environmental Working Group found 90% of cans are lined with hormone-disrupting BPA, which was back on California’s Prop 65 list of toxic chemicals as of May.
Cali Sets Precedent with Green Chemistry
Are you tired of playing whack-a-mole with toxic chemicals? California’s Green Chemistry Initiative could set a precedent for the way we manage toxic chemicals nationally, creating a four-step process of assessment, as NRDC reported.
#BPA Back On CA #Toxic Chemicals List
If you live in California, you’ve seen the plaques that alert–and alarm–people that building materials may contain toxic chemicals. In a historic decision, today California added Bisphenol A–better known as BPA–to our state’s Proposition 65 list of known toxic chemicals.
Mommy Greenest Approved: Retap Water Bottles
Ready to rethink your water bottle? In previous posts, I’ve talked about the impact of bottled water on your health. But as cities like San Francisco move to ban plastic water bottle sales in public places, more and more consumers are considering the cost—both to their wallets, and to the environment: Plastic bottles require more than 17 million barrels of oil annually to make, enough to fuel 100,000 cars for a year. Enter Retap reusable water bottles, which are designed to make drinking water from the tap safe, easy and convenient. I’ve got FIVE to give away!
Maybe BPA Isn’t Bad for You?
I am so confused about BPA. For years I trusted studies that linked the endocrine-disrupting substance—a chemical used to harden plastics like water bottles, as well as to coat cash register receipts and line aluminum cans—with obesity, anxiety and reproductive problems. Recently, a new study concluded that prenatal exposure to BPA—before and just after birth—was linked to liver cancer. But on the heels of that study came another from the FDA that puts my beliefs about BPA in question.
