EarthTalk® Question of the Week

I love the syndicated column from, EarthTalk® (From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine). Here's this week's question and answer.

Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that some countries have turned over public water supplies to private companies, effectively denying local communities much-needed access? -- J. Johnson, Lancaster, PA

Water is such an important part of life that it has long been regarded as a public good worth entrusting only to public entities. But given the mixed track record of municipal, regional and national government to properly manage water resources, outsourcing to private companies is becoming more common. But critics of such privatization point out that the end result for consumers is not always so positive.

Perhaps the best known example transpired in Bolivia in the 1990s, when water systems in poor regions were put up for sale to private investors at the urging of development agencies intent on steering poor countries away from state control of industries and toward free market systems. Bolivia hired U.S.-based
Bechtel Corporation to take over and manage water in the Cochabamba region there. Bechtel made good on its pledge to provide water to many previously under served Cochabamba areas, but it also raised prices significantly. “Many were unable to pay such high rates, and even though water was now available to them, they couldn’t access it because they couldn’t afford it,” reports the non-profit World Savvy.

In 2000 riots erupted in Cochabamba as hundreds of residents filled the streets, angry that a private, foreign entity was preventing them from accessing water. “The violence shook the confidence of the local government and international investors,” says World Savvy. “Bechtel was forced out, resulting in not only chaos in water delivery in the area, but also in a serious blow to foreign investment in the country.”
Similar conflicts have played out in other parts of Bolivia as well as in Ghana, Uruguay and the United Kingdom.

In the U.S., the federal government ensured the protection of waterways and drinking water in the 1970s through passage of the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act, which among other benefits increased funding for community water systems to help cities and towns maintain high standards and inexpensive access to fresh water. “However, since the 1980s, the federal government has been cutting back funding to communities for water infrastructure, with assistance falling to historic lows under the Bush administration,” reports the non-profit Food & Water Watch. Without federal funding, communities that can’t afford to keep fresh water supplies clean and safe are increasingly turning to private companies.

But at what cost? Food & Water Watch cites dozens of examples from across the country where water privatization has gone woefully bad: “[H]igh rates and bad service plague communities who transfer control of their water service to the hands of corporations.” Common complaints include skyrocketing rates, sewage flooded basements, broken pipes, bad water quality, and cost overruns. “The water barons prioritize stockholder returns over public well-being and leave municipalities to clean up the mess.”

Not everyone thinks water privatization is all bad, especially when governments can’t efficiently manage the sourcing, sanitizing and distribution of life’s most vital resource. “There is evidence that privatization may work when the cost of water is subsidized for poorer populations,” reports World Savvy. Regardless,
the debate will rage on as more and more governments turn to water privatization as stress over accessing water becomes more commonplace in a quickly warming and increasingly drought-stricken world.

CONTACTS: World Savvy, www.worldsavvy.org; Food & Water Watch, www.foodandwaterwatch.org.

SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, c/o E – The Environmental
Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. E is a nonprofit publication.
Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe; Request a Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.

Preserve the Planet

I know, you're busy, so am I, but are you taking the time to protect the planet? Did you know every small step you make towards reducing, reusing and recycling really adds up? The other day, I found my son's used plastic water bottle in the regular trash--I went crazy! "WHAT is THIS doing in the trash? Innocently, my son said, "I thought that was the recycled trash" Sure, I thought-hmmm. "OK, just rinse it out and put it in the right container." Now, why is it that I get so upset about this? Well, for one, it is SO easy to recycle and two, it IS SO EASY to recycle.

Here's the skinny, you put your #5 plastic recycle-ables into the blue bin (or in our house, it's a blue bag taken to our building's big recycle center), and the cycle begins. Companies like Preserve Products (Made in the USA, mind you)then take the recycled "stuff" and make some pretty snappy products that you can use, over and over again. Check out this video clip to find out more, then, hop on over to PreserveProducts.com and become a pro!

Seeing Green in 2010

With much resistance, I took down my holiday decorations this weekend; and with new resolve I decided to make my list of resolutions. It's quite a list, as always, but usually by mid June or July, I seem to notch most of them off of my list. I'm hoping this year is the same.

I have a lot of energy and I'm always looking for the next learning adventure. I don't claim to know it all, but I'm always willing to listen and learn and become a better person. I do feel a ubiquitous "green" movement in the air. It's no secret that "green" is the new black but will this trend continue throughout the year, decade and century? I sure hope so.

With your support and open mind to all that is green, together we can make the small steps toward a more sustainable planet. Let's resolve to use less, recycle more and reuse what we can. That's all that's asked of you. Then, once that becomes a walk in the park, do more. Read all that you can on the subject and then pay it forward.

For the next few months I will be working on my book about living a healthy, happy green life and I will be starting up my radio show again in February--and yes, these are on my list of to-dos. I will keep you informed of all the updates and happenings as they develop. Thank you for reading my blog and I invite you to come back soon.

Here is a link to my most recent TV appearance in Orlando on the Daily Buzz morning show. I have to tell you, the hosts were such a ball! So much so that right before we went on air, they told some really silly jokes, making me laugh--very hard. So, when you see me chuckling in the clip, you'll know why! We all need more laughter in our lives, so why not on national television!

Happy 2010!

NBC News Chicago with Ginger Zee-Green Holiday Entertaining

NBC News Chicago with Ginger Zee-Green Holiday Entertaining
View the News Clip Here

Today I had the pleasure of appearing on the NBC News in Chicago to discuss Green Holiday Entertaining! You can even see green all year long with your eco-friendly Airwear eyeglass lenses, manufactured with 100% recycled water and 100% recycled packaging!

Green Holiday Entertaining can be organized in three categories, set up, enjoying the gathering and clean up.

When you incorporate products that are manufactured by companies who are mindful of the environment, you can effortlessly live green all year long. Here are some products that I recommend:

Set Up:

Take a look around the house to make sure everything is in its place before guests arrive...even the bathrooms. Make sure you have plenty of Marcal Small Steps 100% Recycled bath tissue on hand, made from only recycled paper NOT trees. Did you know that if every household in our country used just one roll of Marcal Small Steps bath tissue, together we'd save over 1 million trees?!

Next, consider using LED holiday lights, offering almost a 90% energy savings. This decorating idea is good for your pocketbook and the planet

Use Preserve Products mixing bowls and cutting boards to prepare your meal; this product is made from 100% recycled #5 plastic and can be used over and over again for years---keeping piles of plastic out of landfills.

Finally, add some finishing touches to your holiday preparations with live plants arranged in holiday planters; when the holidays are over, you can replant the flowers or plant into another planter.

Enjoying the Gathering:

When you serve your holiday meal, remember to put out Marcal Small Steps 100% recycled paper, fine dinner napkins. The texture of these napkins has a nice formal look and feel to them.

Holiday meals always taste better when you include as much locally produced food as possible. You support your community farmers and producers (keeping the money in your own community) and the food is much more fresh and flavorful. If you are in Chicago, try visiting the Green City Market for local goodies.

Remember to use VerTerra elegant plates, bowls and platters when you are in need of a sophisticated and sustainable option. These gorgeous products are made from fallen palm leaves, which makes them perfect for compost piles (when you're done using them :) and gives them more appeal knowing that NO trees were harmed in the making of these plates.

For more relaxed festive gatherings, stock up on Preserve Products' plates and cups. All of the products are made with #5 recycled plastic and can be used over and over again--instead of throwing them away after the party (dishwasher safe, too).

All good things must come to an end, that's why these three ideas for Green Holiday Entertaining--Clean Up are a must:

Marcal Small Steps has one other product that I really like, and use almost every day at home: their super absorbent paper towels. Knowing that trees are important for our planet's survival, I refuse to use products (when I have control over it) that waste paper when there's an eco-friendly option! The folks who manufacture Marcal Small Steps have been saving trees for over 60 years by using only recycled paper for their product line--bravo!

No one likes a smell home, especially a toxic and smelly home. The two founders of Method Cleaning products are "squeaky green" in my book! They've come up with a line that's eco-conscious AND very hip and stylish! A cleaner way to clean!

The final product that I suggest for Green Holiday Entertaining is biodegradable trash bags for all of your holiday party "trash". It makes perfect sense to wrap it all together in a plastic bag that won't take 1000 years to break down in nature!~

Stay Tuned to this blog, as I will be posting a video link to view my NBC-5 Chicago news segment about Green Holiday Entertaining soon!

Greening Your Holidays

The holidays are a time of joy and thanksgiving and this year, you can also make it a time of renewal for the planet. Without going to too much trouble, you can implement several green aspects into your holiday preparations and celebrations.

Technology to Save Energy: You are going to be on the computer anyway, so consider sending holiday greetings to family and friends via e-mail. For lots of holiday fun, check out Elf Yourself to turn yourself and family members into elves for the holidays—virtually.

Reuse It: If you prefer to send handwritten notes, make your own cards with paper you already have. Or look for holiday cards printed on recycled paper. Eliminate envelope waste by sending postcards or folding and sealing notes so you can address them on the outside. Every bit of paper you save, really adds up and it saves you money on postage!

Recycled Party: When hosting holiday parties, use reusable glass or plastic ware, and recycled paper napkins. Marcal Small Steps products are made from 100% recycled paper rather than from trees, making your party oh-so-eco-chic and festive. At Biodegradable Store, you can find various biodegradable paper plates and cutlery to keep your party green through and through.

Bag It: Lately everyone seems to be remembering their reusable grocery bags at the grocery store, but we also need to carry our own canvas bag or backpack, or reuse shopping bags when shopping for gifts and holiday decorations. One smart choice is Chico Bag’s new rePETe bag made from seven plastic bottles that would ordinarily end up in landfills; instead, they’re put to good use in this reusable tote that can carry up to 25 pounds of gifts, food and other goodies.

Non-Material: Any mother will tell you that she’d prefer receiving gifts of your time or services. Consider a free breakfast in bed or perhaps a lunch date. Save valuable resources and share some quality time with a loved one. Consider gift certificates—for restaurants, movies, babysitting, etc.—or give consumable items such as baked goods.

Give What Is Needed: Resist the urge to spend money on fad gifts that may not even be used; instead, give gifts that are on someone’s list and are possibly made locally or in the US. This approach results in happy gift recipients and a happy planet (less waste).

Re-gifting Is Not a Crime: Pass along hand-me-downs and heirlooms as special gifts for family members. These are also called “story gifts” because they carry stories with them, and often invoke treasured memories. Share a story and some history with a loved one!

It’s a Wrap: According to the Medical University of South Carolina, waste output increases 25 percent during the holiday season. When wrapping gifts, consider re-using packaging from previous years or maybe even use the funny pages from the newspaper or use recycled wrapping paper. Get creative and use unique containers to hold gifts, such as cloth sacks or boxes from other products. Save countless trees and give your creativity muscle a boost!

Ever-Green: Everyone loves the smell of fresh cut holiday trees, however, Consider alternatives to a cut tree, such as a live tree, decorated houseplant or artificial tree. To maintain that reminiscent evergreen odor, consider tree-scented air fresheners or candles. Check out EarthKind for some eco-friendly options. Also, remember to recycle your Christmas tree when you can no longer use it. Many neighborhoods have tree recycling programs.

Decorate with Nature: Use natural items from around the house to decorate your tree, such as popcorn, berries and outdoor greens. Mother Nature will be so proud!
Buy Energy-Saving “LED” Holiday Lights: Now you can decorate your house with LED lights that use 90 percent less energy than conventional holiday lights, and can save your family up to $50 on your energy bills during the holiday season. LED lights are available at many major retailers, including Target, CostCo and Ace Hardware.

Buy Organic or Locally-Grown Produce: And cook at least some vegetarian meals—make the most out of food resources and fuel. Support local family farmers who grow sustainable meat and produce. Not only does it taste better, you’ll be doing your part for the planet too. Consider preparing food that does not have to be refrigerated to lower the amount of power wasted by continually opening and closing the fridge. Give away untouched leftovers and unwanted gifts. Others less fortunate than you could be very appreciative of these re-given gifts.

Fair-Trade Chocolate: Fill your stockings with Fair-Trade Chocolate and you can eat your way to a better planet. Consider Divine Chocolate, whose mission is to improve the livelihood of smallholder cocoa producers in West Africa by establishing their own dynamic chocolate brand.

Cool House: Take a pledge this New Years’ to reduce your home energy use by buying energy-efficient light bulbs. Installing only six compact fluorescent light bulbs will save the average American family $60 per year. If there’s a fire in your fireplace this Christmas, turn down that thermostat—lowering the temperature even five degrees can take 10 percent off your energy bill.

Airwear Eco-Contest to win$

See Green to Live Green! Blog about your top three eco-friendly tips for the chance to win some green$

Want to join the green movement, but aren’t sure how? Intimidated that you might need to turn your routine upside down to be more eco-friendly? Join me to encourage families to try little things to make a difference everyday and to look for products that work for them and the environment.

That’s why I've up with Twitter Moms and Airwear® to invite other environmentally-conscious consumers to share their visions of a greener world. Airwear eyeglass lenses from Essilor are now made using environmentally conscious practices such as 100 percent recycled water, 100 percent recyclable packaging, and the company re-purposes unused materials in other industries. With these new, green practices Airwear is conserving millions of gallons of water and eliminating 570,000 pounds of plastic waste every year!

Going green can be as simple as buying eco-friendly products or shopping locally for produce – every little thing adds-up to make a sustainable impact on the environment as a whole. As I always say, “How you treat yourself, your family and your home all add up to how we collectively take care of our planet."

CONTEST DETAILS:
Me, Airwear and TwitterMoms want to know what you’re doing to green your routine!

HOW IT WORKS:
To participate, write a post on your own blog about your Top Three Green-Living Tips and describe what you and your family are doing to make the world a greener place. Your blog post should include at least one link to LighterSaferGreener.com. Then, go to the discussion page and leave a comment with your blog link. That's it! We also encourage you to embed a “Lighter.Safer.Greener.” contest button on your blog (you get the button from LighterSaferGreener.com site) to encourage readers to share what their families are doing to make the world a greener place – they could win Airwear eyewear for the entire family. Feel free to upload photos or videos to show your “greening” in action. My family proves that recycling can be fun, teachable moments! Contest officially ends on midnight EST on December 19th. All participating bloggers will be contacted by Twitter Moms the week after the contest.

PRIZES
- Fifteen bloggers who enter the contest will be randomly selected to receive a $50 American Express gift card – a nice chunk of change to put toward greening your routine!
- And the blogger who posts the most creative tips will receive $100 American Express gift card – even better!

So go ahead, share how you see the world through “green” colored glasses!

When Tweeting about the contest, please use #Airwear.
Good Luck!

Soy it Isn't So!

Thanks to one of the most revealing newsletters I read today, www.healthfreedomalliance.org:
It is no secret that at Health Freedom Alliance in the choice between regular and organic food, they prefer organic! They take great strides to provide their members with as much scientific research as they can on the harmful effects of pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics that are used in the food industry today. They know they are not alone and that many of their members go out of their way to shop for organic foods and maybe even pay a little more to keep themselves and their families as healthy as possible. Which is why it is so disturbing to find out that the food company giant Dean Foods has recently been caught trying to fool customers into thinking the Silk brand soy milk they produced was organic.

At one point, up until early 2009, the milk was made with organic soybeans. But then Dean Foods switched to conventional soybeans, which most of the time are grown with pesticides. Somehow they forgot to mention this to anyone. They kept the same bar codes on the milk cartons and kept the label the same, while only quietly switching the word "organic" with "natural." And of course they kept the price the same. Because the bar codes were kept the same even some retail grocery stores were just as fooled as the consumer. Said one store owner. "We don't want to be part of customer deception." It appears that consumers need to be more careful then ever in distinguishing between organic and natural labels.

*Rule of thumb, read labels!!

Toxic Waters? Rarely, but let’s keep it that way!

I love how other green moms are finding this blog--it makes all of my hard work, worthwhile. I was delighted when I received an email from Lydia Chambers, co-founder of Back2Tap, a social business working with schools and groups nationally to run green fundraisers and raise awareness about the wastefulness of disposable plastic. Her idea was to write this article for "you", me and anyone else you can forward this to, to bring awareness around some of the issues we face with our drinking water. THERE are plenty of clickable links throughout so you can check out further resources, etc. so you can make your own conclusion and decision about your family's drinking water. Hydrate Well! (and thanks to Lydia) **Remember to click the BACK arrow after reading the linked articles so you can get back to this blog posting!

The New York Times series “Toxic Waters” written by Charles Duhigg presents a disturbing view of our drinking water quality in the USA. The first article about herbicides (atrazine in particular) points out that it is time to strengthen some of the federal drinking water standards in light of new research. You can read more about it in my earlier Earthsense blog entitled “Don’t give up on tap water.” The second article in this series is about industrial waste, particularly in the coal-mining region of West Virginia. Basically, Duhigg says the 1972 Clean Water Act was largely successful at stopping the rampant pollution of our rivers, lakes, and streams, but over the last 10 years it has not been well enforced by the EPA or states. Consequently, our water quality is going downhill again. His third article is about agricultural runoff which is a type of non-point source pollution (it doesn’t come out of a pipe). Most of this runoff is not regulated by the Federal government, and it is not well regulated by local governments. Disposing of huge quantities of manure by spraying it on nearby fields has led to bacteria and parasites in local water bodies and drinking water wells in heavily agricultural areas.

Before you panic and revert to bottled water, you might want to follow the advice of the New York Times on-line article “How safe is your tap water?” First visit the EPA drinking water quality reports that are available on-line to check out the quality of water in your town. Then, find out the names of the polluters that are located near you, by visiting the interactive database of water pollution records for the United States that was amassed by The New York Times. If you are one of the small percentage of people who have impaired drinking water from your private well or your public water system, your next best step would be to use some sort water filtration at home while you lobby your legislators for cleaner water. Don’t assume that bottled water is any safer, by the way. It is regulated by the FDA, an even more poorly funded and staffed governmental agency.

There is a positive side to the story. The EPA reports that 92% of the population served by community water systems had no reported health-based violations. There’s also hope that investigative articles like these will pressure the EPA and states to improve enforcement of the Clean Water Act laws that were wisely enacted to protect us all those years ago. Finally, Lisa Jackson, the new head of EPA has acknowledged these problems and says she will address them. The more people who raise these issues with regulators and politicians, the better chance we have of achieving meaningful improvements so that everybody in the United States will be able to drink their tap water and enjoy recreation in our water bodies without fear of getting sick.

Love, The Climate-Live Earth

I love this blog: green LA girl; she always has the coolest things to say. Last week, she posted about Love, The Climate, and I wanted to share it with you! Read it, Act on it and let's do our humble part to save "MaMa" (earth that is).

What do you do when all the headlines about the Climate Bill are full of doom and gloom? Start a social media-fueled eco-giveaway called Love, The Climate, of course.

That’s a new project enviro-group Live Earth kicked off earlier this week. Instead of getting depressed about a watered-down Climate Bill that may or may not pass, Love, The Climate urges everyone to imagine a better future — then upload a video or photo, leave a voicemail or note on Facebook, or even tweet with a positive message to senators — who’ll be taking up the climate bill in the coming weeks (A version of the bill already passed in the House in June).

And to entice people to get uploading and tweeting, Love, The Climate’s giving away a Schwinn commuter bicycle — plus 10 more eco-themed prizes ranging from eco-friendly soap to solar-powered gadget charger.

That happy giveaway’s a huge contrast to news headlines that warn “Vital signs weak for climate bill,” “Climate Bill Drifts Into a Potomac Fog,” and “Senate Delay on Climate Bill Could Stymie Copenhagen Talks.”After all, Love, The Climate isn’t reporting on the outlook of the Climate Bill so much as imagining a green future in which the bill’s already been passed.

What if your senator opposes the Climate Bill? You could try creating a wry sort of message pretending the senator changed his or her mind. “Thanks for passing the bill — I’m so glad trees still exist!” you could enthuse. The idea’s to “thank those who are making a difference, and show those who haven’t yet seen the light how much more love they’ll receive when they change their minds,” according to Live Earth’s press release.

The hope with Love, The Climate is that positive, funny messages will get people to embrace a can-do attitude — then start pushing for a strong Climate Bill — and also take action for Climate Week and the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen while they’re at it.

So make a phone call, upload a photo to Flickr, write on Facebook, put together a video, or tweet with #lovetheclimate in your missive. And be sure to enter the drawing by Sept. 25 for a chance at the prizes.

Image via Live Earth

Seeing Green When Going Back to School

With the start of a new school year, it's also a chance for families to kick start a new routine to support the environment and establish every day green habits. With this in mind, today Essilor announced the first-ever eco-friendly eyewear - Airwear® lenses are now manufactured using environmentally-conscious practices, including 100 percent recycled water and packaging, and the added process of re-purposing unused materials for other industries.

To read the whole article, click here:

Airwear invites environmentally-conscious consumers to share their visions of a greener world by entering the "Lighter.Safer.Greener." contest, which launches October 1. Families can submit creative ideas for how they are making the world a greener, more sustainable place for a chance to win Airwear eyewear for their entire family. Enter the contest at lightersafergreener.com where you can learn more about Airwear's new eco-friendly practices, and view more of my tips to live healthy, well and wise this school year.

Green Piece?

I was frustrated by what I read in Jennifer Grayson's Huffington Post article, Is Your Ass Worth One Million Trees a Year, article.

Being a green mom I know that, trees help stop global warming by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and that by using recycled paper products we all do our small part to save the existing (mature) trees we do have, period. Grayson reports that,

"Greenpeace's five-year-long battle against tissue-product mogul Kimberly-Clark (K-C) came to a victorious end last week, with the Kleenex/Scott/Cottonelle manufacturer agreeing to source 40 percent of its North American tissue fiber from recycled or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified pulp by 2011.

My question, as an ordinary mom--who happens to love trees, is why is Greenpeace settling for just 40%? I'm not sure why they wouldn't expect 100%? Why not support what Marcal Small Steps brand of recycled home paper products is doing--using only 100% recycled paper for their products? I see the Kimberly-Clark move as more of a marketing ploy than an actual "act of green-ness".

The facts are just staggering; and when you really start to take a long, hard look at it, it's unavoidable, is your Bum worth 1 million trees? Or, can you tough it up and save some trees...and do your small part to preserve what's left and protect our planet? It kind of makes you think what brands are YOU supporting?

It's truly up to you, because women are the primary household spenders in this country, we do have the power!

-The US has one of the lowest recycled paper rates in the world, 77% Netherlands, 67% Germany, 52% Japan 45% USA
-1/2 the world's forests have already been clear cut or burned.
-We cut down 83 million acres of trees every year (the size of New York State) to make paper products
-When paper product manufacturers use the term, "virgin fiber" it literally means, trees!
-It takes decades for newly planted trees to recover the amount of carbon released from old growth trees that have been cut down
-Each American consumes 700 pounds of paper products each year. That is seven times more paper than the worldwide average of 100 pounds per person
-About 40 millions tons of paper that could be recycled are thrown away each year in the U.S.

Earth Talk Question of the Week

My partnership with E/The Environmental Magazine, offers me the opportunity to share some interesting content about what's going on in the world. This week they shed some light on the infamous Exxon Valdez oil spill from 1989.
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Dear EarthTalk: I haven’t heard much of late about big oil spills like the infamous Exxon Valdez. Has the industry cleaned up its act, or do the media just not report them? -- Olivia G., via e-mail

In the wake of 1989’s massive Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, when 11 million gallons of oil befouled some 1,300 miles of formerly pristine and wildlife-rich coastline, much has been done to prevent future spills of such magnitude.

For starters, Congress quickly passed the 1990 Oil Pollution Act which overhauled shipping regulations, imposed new liability on the industry, required detailed response plans and added extra safeguards for shipping in Prince William Sound itself. Under the terms of the law, companies cannot ship oil in any U.S. waters unless they prove they have response and clean-up plans in place and have the manpower and equipment on hand to respond quickly and effectively in the case of another disaster.

Also, the law mandates that, by 2015, all tankers in U.S. waters must be equipped with double hulls. The Exxon Valdez had only one hull when it ran aground on Bligh Reef and poured its oil into Prince William Sound, the southern end of the oil pipeline that originates 800 miles to the north at Prudhoe Bay. By comparison, a 900-foot double-hulled tanker carrying nearly 40 million gallons of crude oil did not leak when it crashed into submerged debris near Galveston, Texas in March 2009.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, average annual oil spill totals have dropped dramatically since new regulations took effect in 1990. Between 1973 and 1990, an average of 11.8 million gallons of oil spilled each year in American waters. Since then, the average has dropped to just 1.5 million gallons, with the biggest spill (not including those resulting from Hurricane Katrina in 2005) less than 600,000 gallons

Despite these improvements, critics say the industry still has more work to do. While protections have been beefed up in Prince William Sound, other major American ports still lack extra precautions such as escort tugboats and double engines and rudders on big ships to help steer them to safety when in trouble.

Another area that the 1990 law doesn’t cover is container ships that don’t transport oil as their cargo but which carry a large amount, anyway, for their own fuel for the considerable distances they travel. Such ships could also cause a major spill (anything more than 100,000 gallons, by Coast Guard standards). Yet another concern is the great number of smaller oil spills that occur every day at industrial locations (including but not limited to oil refining and storage facilities) and even in our own driveways. These will continue to add up to a heavy toll on our environment, even if another oil tanker never spills at sea again.

And while the total number and volume of oil spills is down dramatically from bygone days, the trend of late warrants concern. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) Office of Response and Restoration reports that oil spills in U.S. waters have risen again over the past decade, with 134 incidents in 2008 alone. Green leaders worry that if Bush administration plans to expand offshore oil drilling are not overturned by President Obama, oil spills in U.S. waters could remain a sad fact of life.

CONTACTS: NOAA Office of Response and Restoration, www.response.restoration.noaa.gov; U.S. EPA Oil Pollution Act Overview, www.epa.gov/OEM/content/lawsregs/opaover.htm.

SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO:

EarthTalk, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php. EarthTalk is now a book! Details and order information at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalkbook.

New Parents Eco Tips

New parents want what’s best for their baby; parenting is a full time job without sick days or paid vacation, which leaves little room for your other concerns - like being mindful of the environment. Life is overwhelming enough, so while you’re managing your home and budget and raising your family, keep it simple when it comes to living eco friendly. By taking small steps everyday and making green a part of your every day, you are creating a profound positive impact on the planet: a gift for your child’s future. 

Each of these simple suggestions below will bring you and your family one step closer to living an eco-friendly life, and it’s well worth the effort. 

The most important eco-friendly thing a new parent can do is to accept that they are one person and they can only do so much. It’s o.k. to take easy small steps towards living a greener life because in the long run, the small steps really add up to big benefits. By keeping the Three R’s (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) in mind every day, parents can ensure that they are maintaining a green household. 

When you recycle or repurpose household items such as paper, you give back to the planet in a big way. Then, by using earth-friendly recycled tissue paper products, such as Marcal Small Steps, you save countless trees because companies like Marcal use only 100% recycled paper for their products not trees. (http://www.marcalsmallsteps.com). Marcal has been using paper instead of trees to make their products for over 50 years, showing a long-term commitment and integrity to the planet-to save 1 million trees. Marcal’s personal pledge is the perfect for new parents to consider when going green, http://www.marcalsmallsteps.com/pledge.html, now at this milestone in their lives. 

One of the most exciting things for new parents to do is to prepare the nursery for their baby. The main thing to keep in mind is that you want your baby’s room to be healthy and clean. A great way to start is by using non-toxic paint for the beautifully painted nursery walls. Indoor air can be three times more polluted than outdoor air, and according to the EPA, is considered one of the top 5 hazards to human health. Paints and finishes are among the leading causes. Mythic non-toxic paint is a clean, low odor paint alternative that provides the durability and coverage you expect from a premium paint without the off-gassing VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) and toxins that emit years after drying with most paints.  

Once you’ve gotten the room painted, install a high quality air filter to clean and purify the air from airborne cleaning products, and product off-gassing to dust. Because there is such a wide range of options available, a great resource for parents is Consumer Reports online (http://www.consumersearch.com/air-purifiers/review), where they rate and explain about the variety of filters on the market. 

The room is decorated and ready to fill with lots of goodies, including some eco-friendly toys made from natural, safe materials, preserving the environment. Keeping in mind that babies put everything in their mouth, you want to be aware of VOC’s and other harmful chemicals that may come in contact with your baby. Plant Happy Toys, whose mission is to connect people and planet through play, offers a wide variety of “playful” options. 

Your baby will be crawling, toddling and grabbing on to many surfaces in the nursery and beyond before you know it, so take some time to think about the cleaning products you use in your home and on your baby. Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (study: http://www.natural-health-information-centre.com/sls-JACT-report.html)is just one of several commonly used toiletry chemicals associated with a variety of diseases. Water is adequate for washing babies, and if lather is irresistible, use eco-friendly, organic toiletries occasionally and sparingly. If eco-friendly cleaning products are too expensive, use distilled white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, Epsom salts, or lemon juice. Unless your favorite cleaner is eco-friendly, you're sending VOCs, petrochemicals, pesticides, and chlorides into the air, and that isn't good. These airborne pollutants used in a number of conventional cleaning agents to, among other things, help speed the drying process. They can irritate mucus membranes and cause other short- and long-term physical damage. 

* Use gentle Castile soap and water - these have been shown to keep surfaces as free of bacteria as antibacterial soaps do.

* Look for safer ingredients - products labeled nontoxic, bio-based, chlorine free, organic, phosphate-free, natural fragrance, and/or biodegradable.

* Avoid using products that say POISON, DANGER, WARNING, or CAUTION.

* Reduce the need for anti-bacterial soaps by frequently requiring hand washing.

 

 

 

 

I never thought I'd see the day

I never thought I'd see the day when the average 700 pounds of paper used by each American every year would be used to create household items such as napkins, paper towels, and bath tissue. Well, it's true! The new brand, Small Steps by Marcal has officially launched in super markets nationwide. What I love about the product is that it's made by the folks at Marcal who've been doing this recycled paper thing for over 50 years, so you know they've got it down right! They're no flash-in-the-pan-jump-on-the bandwagon-kind-of-company-they're just now touting their work. Well, good for us green moms who really care about the environment, but just don't have all the time in the world to save the rainforest--today! Now, it's as simple as switching over to a brand that chooses to be made of used paper rather than trees! Now, that's something, isn't it?

Green Your Planet

As a Healthy Green Living Expert, I am often asked, "What can I do to help green the planet?". My answer is to make simple small steps every day that add up to one big impact.

The easiest way to get started is to: JUST RECYCLE. If everyone JUST recycled and used recycled products, we'd be way ahead of the curve. Once recycling becomes a part of your daily "routine", then add in REDUCE and REUSE. Again, simple small steps!!

In a lifetime, the average American will throw away 600 times his or her adult weight in garbage. This means that each adult will leave a legacy of 90,000 lbs. of trash for his or her children. Recycling all of your home’s waste newsprint, cardboard, glass, and metal can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 850 pounds a year. Americans generate on average 4.4 pounds of waste per day per person. In this decade, it is projected that Americans will throw away over 1 million tons of aluminum cans and foil, more than 11 million tons of glass bottles and jars, over 4 and a half million tons of office paper and nearly 10 million tons of newspaper. Almost all of this material could be recycled. Almost 1/3 of the waste generated in America is packaging.

Tip for Today: Just RECYCLE!

Why use a valuable material or product once, and then place it in your trash to be buried in a landfill? Instead, divert that material for recycling, and capture the energy and resources already used to make that product. Since recycled materials have been refined and processed once, manufacturing the second time around is much cleaner and less energy-intensive than the first. By using recycled materials instead of trees, metal ores, minerals, oil, and other raw materials harvested from the earth, recycling-based manufacturing conserves the world’s scarce natural resources. This conservation reduces pressure to expand forests cutting and mining operations.

Then, when you're done, try hugging a tree! ;)

With the holidays here, many of us are enjoying the season, anticipating the beginning of something new! Let's start 2009 off with a bang! Pledge with me to recycle as much as you can this year, AND try to use as many recycled products as you can. I've been using Marcal paper products for quite some time and I have to admit, I feel really good about supporting a company that cares about the environment. Their recycling efforts save enormous quantities of Earth's resources every day, including 6,000 trees, 2 million gallons of water, 140,000 gallons of oil, 30,000 cubic feet of landfill space, and 22,000 pounds of pollution. HMM? You never realize just how powerful your buying power is!

It's nice to know that the baby steps we take every day, really DO add up to big environmental changes--for the better.

Happy Holidays!

Going Paperless

DO YOUR PART!!

Did you know that a 2007 report from Javelin Strategy & Research and sponsored by CheckFree, now part of Fiserv Inc., found that if every American household viewed and paid bills online, it would:

• Save 2.3 million tons of wood, or 16.5 million trees
• Reduce fuel consumption by 26 million BTUs, enough energy to provide residential power to the city of San Francisco, Calif., for an entire year
• Reduce toxic air pollutants by 3.9 billion pounds of CO2 equivalents (greenhouse gases), akin to having 355,015 fewer cars on the road
• Reduce toxic wastewater by 13 billion gallons, enough to fill 19,846 swimming pools
• Lower by 1.6 billion pounds the solid waste generated, equal to 56,000 fully loaded garbage trucks
• Remove 8.5 million particulates and 12.6 million nitrogen oxides from the air, on par with getting 763,000 buses and 48,000 18-wheelers off the streets
• Save landfill space and curb the amount of toxic chemicals—including methane gas—released into the atmosphere as paper decomposes. Methane gas has 21 times the heat-trapping power of carbon monoxide and is believed to be a major contributor to global warming
  

By using electronic transactions, you can save trees, and minimize transportation costs for transporting bills, statements and payments. Following are some ideas on how to cut down on your paper bills in the coming year.

1. Make a commitment to pay your bills online. This not only saves the paper used in checks and envelopes, and the transportation resources to physically move them from place to place - it also saves you 41 cents per bill in postage.
2. Take it one step further and ask your billing companies to send your bill to be viewed and paid to your financial institution’s or billing company’s web site. Reduce clutter by turning off paper bills you no longer need to receive by mail once you get into the habit of viewing and paying online.
3. And while you’re at it, ask your financial institution to send your statements electronically. Not only will you save paper, you will save time that you would have otherwise spent filing and storing. If you need a hard copy, you can print what you need.
4. Ask investment and mutual fund companies that send you annual reports and prospectuses to notify you when the reports are available online, instead of sending paper copies in the mail. You will save reams of paper each year.
5. Choose not to receive a paper receipt at the ATM machine. You will save paper, and with online banking, you don’t need the receipts. You can see your transactions daily and will have better control of your finances.
Hug a tree, not paper :)
Beth

It just gets better

Let's face it moms, sometimes convenience wins out in our daily soccer-ballet-music lessons-filled life! Del Monte knows that living healthy and mindful of the environment is on the mind of most moms these days. That's why they've come up with a cost-efficient line of organic canned foods, making organic eating much more affordable and convenient.

Del Monte Organics are grown and packed under strict organic conditions in nutrient-rich soil and are USDA certified organic. It's like having a farmer's market in your own pantry! The canned veggies retail for about $1.25 per can and are available in stores nationwide.

The choices include, organic cut green beans, organic sweet peas, organic whole kernel corn, organic baby leaf spinach, organic sliced carrots, organic tomatoes, organic tomato sauce, organic crushed tomatoes and more!

It's a great way to start your organic veggie journey! Who knows, maybe next summer, you'll be planting your own organic veggies in the back yard!

TOP 10 Reasons to EAT ORGANIC
Organic Products Meet Stringent Standards
Organic Food Tastes Great!
Organic Production Reduces Health Risks
Organic Farms Respect Our Water Resources
Organic Farmers Build Healthy Soil
Organic Farmers Work In Harmony With Nature
Organic Producers are Leaders In Innovative Research
Organic Producers Strive To Preserve Diversity
Organic Farming Helps Keep Rural Communities Healthy
Organic Abundance – Foods and Non-Foods Alike!