life as i know it...

Hi everyone! We're all alive here, and we weren't carried away by the flood! Things have just been very busy here lately! I'll post an update soon, but in the meantime, I just wanted to pass along a tidbit of information.

A friend called this morning to tell me that Zellers stores are giving refunds for any product which they've pulled off their shelves due to BPA (Bisphenol A) concerns. I called the store, and as far as I can tell, products do not have to be in their original packaging, nor do you need to have a receipt. They will give you a gift card with your refund on it. This is only until Friday though!

I'm going to bring back our Avent bottles and a few other things this afternoon, so I'll let you know how it goes!

For a comprehensive list of which products have BPA in them, check out the Z Recommends BPA Report.


*Update*
I didn't have any trouble returning my Avent bottles, and I received a $95 gift card in return! I kept the nipples and sealing caps though, because they fit on the Klean Kanteen sippy cups (which use Avent sippy cup spouts). Also, I figure that Avent will probably make bottles without BPA that can use the same nipples, so that may save me some money when we have another baby.

Posted in: baby, health, kids, toxic on May 07, 2008 0 comments    

As most of you have heard by now, Canada has declared the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) a toxic substance, and plans to ban the use of the chemical in baby bottles. In my opinion, this is a positive step, although BPA is still used in many other plastic children's products (sippy cups, soothers, teethers, toys, dishes and utensils...).

This evening I found a GREAT resource to help parents make sense of the recycling symbols and the confusing claims from companies selling children's products. Head on over to Z Recommends for current and frequently updated information on BPA, PVC/vinyl, phthalates, and other nasty chemicals in children's products. They have comprehensive reviews of:

• BPA in children's feeding products and pacifiers (this is a fantastic resource - click on each company's name to get a list of which products include BPA, and which are BPA free. They've even created a text message service to get you info while you're shopping!)
  
• A guide to safer teethers
  
• A guide to safer bath toys
  

They also had a "sippy cup showdown" which rates some of the BPA-free toddler cup options on the market.

I was very happy to see that the plastic sippy cups we use for C do not contain BPA, although we're using her Klean Kanteen more often anyways, and plan to buy another one (who knows what other chemicals in plastic will be declared toxic in the future?).

Z Recommends also reviews new and interesting children's products, and posts interesting tips. A very handy site for busy parents!!

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Also handy for parents to know...

What to do when your child goes nuts with a marker:

Posted in: baby, health, kids, toxic on April 19, 2008 0 comments    

By now I'm sure everyone has heard about how unhealthy using plastics to store and heat food products can be. While the results aren't 100% conclusive, there are tons of studies linking the chemicals in everyday plastics to cancer, hormone disruptions, and other nasty health problems.

I have my concerns, but so far, I've found few concrete suggestions of how to avoid using plastics in the kitchen, and even when products are recommended, even fewer that are available where I live! That's why I was pleased to see this SavyMom.ca article about reducing our reliance on plastics in our kitchens. It not only gives tips, but links to products and retailers! I'm going to have to work on this list - I'm a big user of Ziplock bags, and we have a lot of plastic containers too.

Since I know some of you won't click on the link (but you should, it's a great article!), I'll summarize some of the tips here.

1. Hand wash your plastic containers. Yeah, I hate to do dishes too, but heat breaks down the plastic.
2. Don't reuse one-use plastic watter bottles. And even better than plastic Nalgene bottles are aluminum Sigg bottles.
3. Use glass or ceramic food containers instead of Gladware/Tupperware/Rubbermaid types. (Click for suggestions of brands and where to buy)
4. Use wooden cutting boards. Not for meat though - the bacteria can stay in the wood.
5. Use glass baby bottles, or look for plastic bottles with fewer chemicals.
6. Avoid plastic wrap. Use wax paper to wrap sandwiches. Use glass or ceramic food containers. Take the plastic wrap off your food when you microwave it - use a paper towel or wax paper to cover your food, instead.

Read the article for more great tips!

Technorati tags: plastic, toxins, chemicals, health, Canada

Posted in: baby, environment, health, helpful tips, household, toxic on January 16, 2007 5 comments    

Here's an interesting news tidbit that showed up in my inbox this morning. I wonder if seeing their own bodies' toxin levels will strengthen any of their commitments to the environment?

Toxic Nation on Parliament Hill: A Report on the Pollution in Four Canadian Politicians

For the latest round of Toxic Nation body burden testing, four federal politicians volunteered to be tested for over 100 different chemicals.

Toxic Nation on Parliament Hill reveals that our politicians are polluted, just like the rest of us. The participating politicians included Rona Ambrose, Minister of the Environment; Tony Clement, Minister of Health; Jack Layton, Leader of the NDP; and, John Godfrey, Liberal Environment Critic.

The group was tested for a slew of toxic chemicals, including pesticides, heavy metals and chemicals used to make flame retardants and stain repellents. For many of the chemicals tested, the politicians had the highest levels detected so far in the Toxic Nation studies. Of the four politicians, the highest number of chemicals was detected in John Godfrey, but Health Minister Tony Clement had the highest levels detected in three out of the seven groups of chemicals.

Technorati tags: politics, toxins, chemicals, health, Canada

Posted in: environment, health, politics, toxic on January 15, 2007 0 comments    

1. The fact that immigrants with tons of education in their own country have such a hard time getting their degrees recognized or upgraded, and finding work in their field

When I worked at Future Shop in B.C. I saw this all the time. Many of my co-workers had been accountants, engineers or medical professionals overseas, but because their degrees were not recognized in Canada, they were working in retail to make ends meet. I can only imagine how frustrating this must have been for them!

Check out these great ads from the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (scroll down to the bottom of the page) (via Chandrasutra)

2. Companies are still trying to dump toxic waste into the environment

Do they think that if they dump it underwater, it will just go away?! Out of sight, out of mind? A company in Newfoundland is seeking the approval of Environment Canada and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to dispose of toxic waste in two central Newfoundland ponds.
(The picture is of Kent's Pond in St. John's - not a proposed dump site)


3. Denial of global warming

Businesses are trying to downplay the impact of carbon dioxide on global warming by saying 'It can't be bad - we breathe it out!'

In these videos, they whine 'But we neeeeed those fuels!'

Heaven forbid we reduce our energy use by trading in SUVs for fuel-efficient cars, using compact fluorescent lightbulbs instead of incandescents, and drying laundry on a clothesline on nice days instead of using the dryer. No one's asking us to give up everything that uses energy. It just seems like common sense to use less energy when possible, and try to produce less waste.

Click here for more 'crazy' but simple ways you can help to save the planet.

(via CathiefromCanada)


4. The unhealthy images the media shows us every day

I missed Turn Beauty Inside Out day on May 17th, but better late than never! The campaign:

"...celebrat[es] Inner Beauty - the beauty of conviction, caring and action. Girls and boys (not to speak of women and men) need a definition of beauty that focuses on who they are and what they do, not on how they look."

Some disturbing statistics:

• 80% of 10-year-old American girls diet. The number one magic wish for young girls age 11-17 is to be thinner
  
  
• Between elementary and high school, the percentage of girls in the U.S. who are "happy with the way I am" drops from 60% to 29%.
  
  
• Between 1996 and 1998 [only two years!], teenage cosmetic surgeries nearly doubled from 13,699 to 24,623, according to the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons.

Technorati tags: immigration, Canada, USA, pollution, Kyoto, toxic waste, Newfoundland, global warming, co2, environment, media, children, eating disorders, girls

Posted in: body image, environment, health, kids, politics, toxic on May 22, 2006 3 comments    

Life update: Still sick. Even more tired.

Thoughts: The world is one weird place. Evidence - The Mickey Mouse gas mask.

Apparently, these gas masks were produced in 1942, to protect children in case of a chemical attack on the United States. They were designed as a cartoon character so that wearing gas masks would be less scary and more like a game, with the hope that children would carry their masks with them and wear them often, improving their chances of surviving in an attack.

(via The Disney Blog)

Technorati tags: Disney, Mickey Mouse, gas mask, war, WWII, USA

Posted in: Disney, toxic, war on May 19, 2006 0 comments    

One in two!!!

Watching Wendy Mesley's CBC Marketplace news report last night, I was absolutely shocked to hear that statistic. Why isn't this front page news?!

Her report was enlightening, but much too short (why did the CBC only give her a half hour? It deserved at least an hour; I had so many more questions). I hope they'll show it on TV again, but you can read a lot of the information, and watch the program online by clicking the link above.

• Note: It seems that Mesley's report has generated criticism among bloggers (click here and here) for being biased, but at least it's getting people to question the factors that may be leading to rising cancer rates. Regardless of opinions on journalistic slant, she raises important issues that must be examined.

The story focuses on the subject of environmental toxins, and how people are unknowingly poisoning their bodies by using everyday products. Most laundry detergents, household cleaners and even makeup contain carcinogens or other toxins that have been linked to cancer. Dairy products, fruits and vegetables can be contaminated by pesticides, and Canadian meat often contains growth hormones which are carcinogenic and have been banned by the European Union.

Currently in Canada, household and personal care products are not required to list all of the ingredients on their labels, so people can't make an informed decision about product safety while shopping. Manufacturers often print a partial list, or merely list the 'active' ingredients. Thankfully, by November 2006, full ingredient lists will be required.

While it is not realistic that we can eliminate all of the environmental toxins in our homes, we can let manufacturers know our concerns, and reduce our use of toxic products. I don't have many toxin-reduced or toxin-free products in my home right now; I never realized how harmful they could be. But when I heard that 1 in 2 Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer, wow, was that a wake-up call! I want to reduce those statistics for my future children, and if searching for lesser known brands and paying a bit more money for them to reduce the toxins in my home is the answer, then I'm willing to do that.

The Marketplace website has links to a lot of informative resources, including the Guide to Less Toxic Products, maintained by the Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia, which describes the toxins commonly found in household products, and recommends safer products. Also, the Labour Environmental Alliance Society publishes the CancerSmart Consumer Guide, which contains information on carcinogens, toxins and chemicals that are found in brand name products, and suggests alternatives and product substitutes.

Many people in my life have been touched by cancer, and now that I've heard this information, I can't ignore it. If shopping carefully will reduce, even a little bit, the chances of my loved ones getting cancer, then I'm willing to try.


On a related note, visit the Breast Cancer Site and click on the big pink button every day to help fund free mammograms for underprivileged women. 100% of the revenue collected from the site's sponsors goes to pay for mammograms. Since 2000, the site has funded 14,450 free mammograms.

Technorati tags: cancer, CBC, carcinogens, Wendy Mesley, mammogram, Canada

Posted in: breast cancer, health, household, toxic on March 06, 2006 1 comments