Backyard Talk
Lois

Males Giving Birth, Increased Childhood Diseases & Billions In Public Money Is That Enough to Call for Action – Stop the Poisons?

By Lois : August 23, 2010 9:35 am

A study by Berkeley Professor Tyrone Hayes is reporting that 10% of male frogs raised in atrazine-laced water containing 2.5 parts per billion of atrazine, a herbicide, not only have female sex characteristics, including eggs, but they will attract and successfully mate with normal male frogs!

The most astonishing thing is that this happened with an extremely small amount of atrazine, 2.5 parts per billion (ppb). A ppb is really small, a drop in a large tanker truck. In fact, it is pretty close to the average amount of atrazine that the Environmental Protection Agency allows to contaminate our tap water, which is 3 ppb regulated as an annual average.

Another study from the American Journal of Pediatrics reveal that more U.S. girls are starting puberty younger, with large percentages developing breasts and pubic hair as early as seven. This study of 1,239 girls in Harlem, Cincinnati and the San Francisco area found 23.4 percent of African American girls, 14.9 percent of Hispanic girls and 10.4 percent of white girls develop breasts by the age of seven. Twenty percent of seven-year-old African American girls had pubic hair, as did around 6.5 percent of white and Hispanic girls, the study found.

The alarming figures are a big jump compared to a similar study published in 1997. Back then, only five percent of seven-year-old white girls and around 15 percent of African American girls of the same age were developing breasts. Negative impacts associated with early puberty in girls include increased risk of breast or endometrial cancer later in life, and psychological troubles ranging from low self-esteem and eating problems to depression and suicide.

The survey found that nearly one out of 10 (9.2%) American children 18 years of age and younger currently suffers from asthma. This figure is comparable to the most current estimate
of the National Center for Health Statistics, which estimates that 8.8% of children 18 years of age and younger have the disease.”

Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life… affecting an estimated 1 in 250 births (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2003)… Based on statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and other governmental agencies, autism is growing at a rate of 10-17% a year.”

O.K. if that’s not enough to convince you to stand up and speak out you just need to read the report from Michigan. An Ann Arbor-based coalition of health and environmental groups examined direct and indirect costs of four childhood diseases linked to environmental toxicants: lead poisoning, asthma, pediatric cancer and neurodevelopmental disorders. The study found treating those disorders costs Michigan an average of $5.85 billion each year.

Enough is enough.  Let’s stop the poisoning of innocent life and save taxpayers money.

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moira

Join the Back-to-School Twitter Party!

By Moira Bulloch : August 19, 2010 11:33 am

Whether your kids have already started the new school year or you’ve just begun thinking about it, this party is for you. We’ll be tweeting about all things school related (with a healthy twist of course!)  Join us tonight at 6pmPST/9pmEST to learn about:
- How to find non-toxic school supplies (from PVC-free lunch bags to safer hand sanitizers);
- How to provide healthy lunches (whether you’re packing or want to help make improvements to school lunches); and,
- How to help your school create healthy environments for children.

We have a stellar line-up of expert guests that you won’t want to miss tweeting with:
- Chef Ann Cooper – The Renegade Lunch Lady – celebrated author, chef, educator, and enduring advocate for better food for all children.
- Mark Bishop from the Healthy Schools Campaign,  a not-for-profit organization that is the leading authority on healthy school environments and a voice for people who care about our environment, our children, and education.
- Our own Mike Schade from the Center for Health Environment and Justice,  a non-profit dedicated to building healthy communities, with social justice, economic well-being, and democratic governance. Their recently released PVC-free back-to-school guide is an indispensable resource.
- Micaela Preston, author and blogger behind Mindful Momma, helping parents live greener and healthier without going broke.

How to Attend the Twitter Party

Follow @healthy_child, @chefannc@healthyschools@chej and @mindfulmomma

Join our discussion by using the #healthychild hash tag in each of your tweets so we can all follow the conversation.

Use our custom Tweet Grid to make following the conversation easier. http://is.gd/egq5i

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Kristina Blank

A Chorus of Voices Sound Out Against PVC in School Supplies

By Kristina Blank : August 18, 2010 9:00 am

CHEJ’s 2010 Back-to-School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies has been making waves across the blogosphere!  Stories about this useful resource have been popping up all over the virtual world.  Here they are (in no particular order); check them out:

  1. Trying to be Greener by Kirstin: Going PVC-free for Back-to-school
  2. MY GREEN SIDE: Simple Tips for Green Living by Wendy Gabriel: Green Tip– Back-t0-School Shopping
  3. Inhabitots by Julie Knapp: New CHEJ Back-t0-School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies
  4. Healthy Child Healthy World: Don’t Let Toxic Plastics Bully Your Child.  Find PVC-Free School Supplies!
  5. Motion to Movement by Kristina Blank: Wait…if my school supplies are made of a poison plastic, won’t that make me stupider?
  6. WINK News: Some school supplies may be toxic
  7. Retro Housewife Goes Green by Lisa Sharp: Back-t0-School: CHEJ’s PVC-Free Guide
  8. Santa Cruz Sentinel: Tips for buying greener school supplies
  9. WebMD Expert Blogs by Christopher Gavigan: Healthy Begins Here
  10. Naturepedic: Are Your Kids’ Back-to-School Supplies Made With Toxic Chemicals?  Read This Before you Shop.
  11. Kids Lunch Boxes: Green School Supplies–A Back to School Guide for Students Going Green
  12. The Active Family and Project Playtime: Green School Supplies
  13. Greener, Healthier Living: Safe school supplies 2010
  14. Sustainable Plastics?: School Supplies Pose Toxic Threat to Children’s Health
  15. EcoSmart World by Maureen: Green School Supplies–A Back to School Guide for Students Going Green
  16. Wellness Blog–Herbal Remedies at Home by Diane Van Doesburg: PVC-free School Supplies
  17. MSNBC by Keeley Chalmers: Warning for toxic school supplies
  18. Little Miracles Baby Planning by Abby: Safe school supplies 2010
  19. Re-nest by Emily Ho: Back-to-School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies
  20. Vitamama: Avoid Toxic Plastics When Back-to-School Shopping
  21. Teresa’s Tips Weblog: Healthy Hints for You, Your Family, and Your Planet: PVC Free School and Office Supplies
  22. Babble by Paula Bernstein: How to Avoid Toxic School Supplies
  23. Parents R Us by Stephanie: PVC-Free School Supplies
  24. The Squeaky Grocery Cart by LeAnn: PVC Free School Supplies Guide
  25. Suite 101 by Lesley Radocy: Going Green Going Back to School
  26. WCPO by Suzanne Murray: Toxic school supplies
  27. The Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow: Do Your Homework: Get toxics out of your child’s school supplies
  28. Current: PVC-Free School Supplies
  29. WTHI by Jane Santucci: Popular toxic school supplies
  30. Radio Green Earth: School Supplies Pose Toxic Threat to Children’s Health
  31. Get Green Be Well by Kimberly: The Hidden Health Dangers of Back to School Shopping
  32. WKYC: Back-to-School Warning: Toxic school supplies
  33. Eco Women: Protectors of the Planet! by The Green Mommy: Eco Back-to-School: Going PVC-free
  34. Duck Duck Green: PVC Free Schools Supplies Guide Now Available
  35. The Baltimore Sun by Meredith Cohn: Guide to safe school supplies offered by health groups
  36. ABC 2 News by Roosevelt Leftwich: School supplies could be tainted with harmful chemicals, MARY PIRG says
  37. Momtrends by Nicole Feliciano: Plastic-Free Back-to-School Supplies
  38. Care 2 Share by Derek Markham: PVC Free School Supplies Guide Now Available
  39. Eco Child’s Play by Healthy Child Healthy World: Don’t Let Toxic Plastics Bully Your Child.  Find PVC-Free School Supplies!
  40. Mommy Blips: Don’t Let Toxic Plastics Bully Your Child.  Find PVC-Free School Supplies!
  41. KGW by Keely Chalmers: Warning for toxic school supplies
  42. Green Buckeye RN: CHEJ: 2010 Back to School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies
  43. Burbank Public Library Green Pages by Danielle Davis: Green–Back To School
  44. Earth Care–San Diego FUMC by Diana Y: 8 Easy Tips for a Greener Back-to-School Season
  45. Greening Our Children & Yours! by Toby Cone: Back to School Supplies and Phthalates/PVC
  46. The MollyAnna Approach by Katharine and John: Just in time for back to school shopping–a PVC Guide from CHEJ!
  47. Bumkins: PVC-FREE!
  48. Rodale: Where Health Meets Green by Leah Zerbe: Your A+ Guide to Green School Supplies
  49. Mommy Goes Green: PVC-Free School Supplies
  50. The Green Mom Review: PVC-Free School Supplies
  51. Natural Papa: PVC-Free School Supplies Guide Now Available
  52. Associated Content: How to Buy PVC-Free School Supplies
  53. Green America by Sarah Tarver-Wahlquist: Look for Earth-Friendly School Supplies
  54. The Chicago Tribune by Julie Deardorff: Should you buy PVC-free school supplies?
  55. The Soft Landing by Alicia: Top 5 Reasons Your School Should Go PVC-Free
  56. Condo Blues: 11 PVC Plastic Free Shoes for Back to School
  57. MomsRising.org by Mike Schade: Do Your Homework: Get Toxic Chemicals Out of Your Child’s School Supplies!
  58. Ohdeedoh: Back-to-School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies
  59. Zoe B Organic Weekly: CHEJ’s Back-to-School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies
  60. Yahoo! Finance by Elaine Pofeldt: 4 Things you Should and Shouldn’t Buy at Target
  61. NBC Montana by KTVM Stafft: Group Warns Parents Against Toxic School Supplies
  62. Democrat and Chronicle by Chris Swingle: Make the Right Choice and Go Green for School Supplies
  63. DL-Online: Careful for Toxins with Back-to-School Purchases
  64. Eco Diva by SmilingGreenMom: 16 Ways to Go Green, Back-to-School Guide
  65. Mindful Living NJ by Danielle Friedland: A PVC-free September
  66. PetroScrap: Green School Supplies? A Back to School Guide for Students Going Green
  67. The Big Sky Weekly by Deb Courson: MT Back-to-School Plastic Product Safety Check
  68. BlogHer by Beth Terry: Back to School: 1974 vs. 2010
  69. ANHE-Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments by lauramevans: Find PVC-Free School Supplies
  70. Ezine @rticles by Maureen O’Neill: Green School Supplies–A Back to School Guide for Students Going Green

Please continue circulating this valuable resource throughout your networks!

Did you see any we missed?  Please let us know and we’d be happy to add them!

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Reed

$8.1 Billion Spent on NYC School Construction since 2008, but No Safe Siting Policy

By Reed Dunlea : August 17, 2010 4:46 pm

Schools rule NYC’s construction market:

Building projects in the city’s education sector accounted for well over half of all construction starts of the past two years.

“Elementary and secondary schools, as well as higher education institutions, accounted for 56% of the value of all institutional construction starts between May 2008 and April of this year, according to a report released by the [New York Building Congress] Monday… All told, New York City’s private and public institutions initiated $8.1 billion in total construction projects over a two year period ending in April 2010.”

Despite these billions of dollars being spent on school construction in New York City alone, not including the rest of the state, New York State has no policy on the books saying that schools can’t be built on or near polluted land or facilities. Nothing is stopping a school from being built on a hazardous waste site or accross the street from a hazardous facility.

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Esther Dsouza

Bag these please!

By Esther Dsouza : August 16, 2010 9:00 am

Say hello to Malcolm, Ziggy, Bunny, Milo, Papar the Owl, Fei Fei the Panda and Senor Gomez (an important looking penguin). And who might these all be? Why, they’re kids’ backpacks, of course! Ranging from the cute and cuddly (Papar gets my 4 year old niece’s vote) to efficient multi-compartment designs (Malcolm has room for a notebook), these bags have an added feature of security: they (along with their friends) have all been made from safer PVC-free materials. You can find more school supplies that are PVC-free here.

Jansport and Senor Gomez (by Beatrix NY) backpacks

PVC has been in the news lately for a host of reasons that are not exactly heartening. At home and abroad, the production of PVC is being linked with soil and ground-water contamination and the release of dioxins into the air – some of the most carcinogenic substances known to man. And after its manufactured, PVC is not exactly benign. Numerous reports have shown time and again that the plastic leaches endocrine disrupting phthalates, lead, cadmium and organotins that contribute to increased risks of diseases on the rise in children including asthma, learning and developmental disabilities, and even obesity.

Unfortunately, PVC is in more places than you think. To make sure you’re not buying kids’ stuff made from PVC, look for a “PVC-free” tag, or any information that will tell you what the product is made of. Steer clear from products made with “vinyl”, and double check with the company by calling its consumer hotline to see what ambiguous material names like “poly” might mean. But here’s an easier solution to make your shopping PVC- and trouble-free! Download CHEJ’s newly released third annual Back to School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies. The guide contains information on where to buy more than 30 types of products that will come in handy for your August school-shopping needs. It also has a neat, handy wallet-sized version that you can use to share with friends and family you bump in at stores!

For an au naturale look, Rawganique makes certified organic, Sweatshop-free hemp bags that are available in 6 earthy colors including forest green, sage green and earth brown. Fleurville bags are dual mode (backpacks can convert to messenger bags), and come with a removable insulated lead-free lined lunch bag. But if you’re looking for quick and easy finds in your friendly neighborhood mall, don’t despair! Jansport (all bags 100% PVC-free), Lands End (all bags 100% PVC-free) and Targus’ EcoSmart™ are all leading manufacturers of backpacks, and have committed to PVC-free products as a company goal.

Our list of PVC-free backpacks proves that designer products and value-added products don’t need to sell short in order to appeal to customers. If you purchase more PVC-free products, you are sending a clear message to manufacturers of kids’ ware everywhere that you will not stand for unscrupulous and poisonous plastics being adorned by your little ones. Remember also that our wallet-sized version comes in handy for all that last minute shopping left to do. Going PVC-free was never so easy!

Images Source: Senor Gomez backpack at www.dantebeatrix.com. Victorian Lace backpack at www.jansport.com. CHEJ banner at www.chej.org

CHEJ does not endorse any of these products, manufacturers or retailers, nor provide any warranty of the appropriateness of listed products.

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