MamAnomolie

There are a lot of things that we know are better for the environment and for environmental health, but they are hard to do or take a lot of time. Or maybe we're not sure about the alternative products to use to replace the non-healthy, non-environmental ones. Or maybe there is a high cost associated with making the change.

Here's something you can do that is pretty straightforward - quit using non-stick cookware. Non-stick pots and pans are coated with polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE. The brand name that most people are familiar with is Teflon. The problem with non-stick coatings occur when they are heated (something you're obviously going to do to your pots and pans). The coating breaks down and emits harmful chemicals.

The question has been, "At what temperature does Teflon and other PTFEs begin to break down?" It depends on whether you ask DuPont (the makers of Teflon), or independent researchers. Now, I am a big believer in scientific research and not jumping to conclusions, but I also tend to abide by the precautionary principle - if something is suspected of causing harm, even if the exact cause and effect is not fully understood, it's best to try and avoid it. Oh, and one other thing that makes me lean toward avoiding non-stick pots and pans? People who own birds cannot cook with non-stick cookware because THEIR BIRDS WILL DIE! Yeah, kind of like the canary in the coal mine, except it's in your kitchen, which I would like to think is much safer than a coal mine.

I'd rather have a few things stick to the pan than worry about what toxic fumes my family might be breathing in.

Check out EWG's wealth of information on the toxicity of Teflon.

I have to admit that one of my guilty pleasures is Cadbury creme eggs. I chalk it up to the fact that, growing up in a Jewish home, I was deprived of their super sugary creamy goodness and have never fully recovered. Easter might be the one holiday when I'm not annoyed by stores decorating and selling holiday-related items months early. It just means more Cadbury creme eggs for me!

I can partially justify this guilty pleasure due to the fact that the Cadbury company is one of the only large chocolate companies that has been embracing fair trade cacao. In the Better World Shopping Guide, Cadbury is graded a B-, above Hershey's, Dove, Russell Stover and Nestle.

So, I was disheartened to hear that Kraft Foods will be buying Cadbury. Based on their overall social and environmental record, Kraft is rated by the Better World Shopping Guide as the #2 worst company on the planet. Ouch. I can't say that I have no Kraft products in my home, but I do keep a list with me when I shop of the worst companies and the not-so-bad companies and avoid the worst when I can. Kraft has not shown any interest in fair trade before, so it is still unclear what will happen to Cadbury's commitment to fair trade chocolate.

All of this brings up an interesting question - who owns your favorite organic brands? What about your vegetarian products? Much of the pacakging of natural foods, vegetarian items and organic products make us think that the companies behind them are small, family-owned businesses. The fact of the matter is that most of these brands are owned by huge food processors like Kraft, Coca-Cola, etc. Many family-owned brands that once had a recognizable face behind them have been bought out by large companies. Toms of Maine is now owned by Colgate Palmolive, and Burts Bees was purchased by Clorox. Take a look at The Good Human's post about this issue to learn more about who owns what, or look at Philip Howard's graphics of the organic food industry to get a better picture of the issue.

This is just another example of the need to step back and look at the big picture. Buying organic is great, but it's important to know what company those dollars are supporting. Boca and Morningstar provide similar veggie options, but they are not owned by similar companies. Do a little digging and you'll be able to shop smarter and more in line with your values. Now I just need to figure out what I'm going to do come Easter.

When you are pregnant, you'll find that friends, acquaintances and even complete strangers will offer you advice on pregnancy and parenting. People seem to feel comfortable saying things that they would not normally think is appropriate. Like when a woman who works in my building told me that I was becoming "S-shaped."

As for the advice, a good friend of mine and mother of a one-year-old told me that it's best to just say, "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," even if you vehemently disagree. I have found this to be a very useful phrase, and have even used it on her from time to time. Overall, I have been enjoying hearing people's perspectives and ideas.

So, for you pregnant ladies out there, although I know you're being bombarded with advice, I thought I would share a few resources that I found recently and thought were helpful. The first is from the folks at the Environmental Working Group. They actually sent it to me in a comment to one of my previous blogs about their work. I was (a) flabbergasted that someone else was reading this and (b) impressed that they took the time to write and share more resources. I thought their 10 Healthy Pregnancy Tips were great. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the number of things you have to worry about when you're pregnant, but this list seemed manageable. It also provided a lot of resources to help you act should you so choose. Thanks, EWG!

The second resource comes from Rachel Wolf of LuSa Organics and her blog, Clean. I met Rachel once a LONG time ago when I was in graduate school in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. She is one of those amazing people who live a life that I admire but know I could never emulate. I love reading her blog, and figure if I can take away just a smidgen of the organic, handmade, non-consumeristic vibe and apply it to my own life I'm doing well.

A friend of mine who introduced me to her blog told me about the New Baby Checklist that had been posted and said it had a good list of what newborns and new mamas really needed. I must admit, the first thing out of my mouth was, "It doesn't tell me to grow and collect almonds to grind into my own homemade postpartum belly paste, does it?" She promised that it did not. I checked out the checklist, and I suggest all you pregnant people out there check it out as well. It was created for a wide audience. It may lack some things that you think are must-haves, but when you are overwhelmed by the amount of stuff that is out there for new babies and new parents, it's great to see a scaled down list of what you really need. It's worth taking a look, and the Clean blog is definitely a great source of inspiration for anyone!

Greenpeace has released their most recent Guide to Greener Electronics. It ranks companies on whether they are eliminating hazardous substances from their products, whether they take back their products for recycling and how well they are reducing the climate impacts of their operations and products. In this, their 14th edition of the guide, they have also taken into account whether companies are lobbying for industry-wide rules that would prevent the use of environmentally damaging materials.

The great thing about this guide is that, because it gets updated so frequently (14 editions since August 2006), it allows the consumer to see not only where companies rank, but also whether they are improving or sliding back. Take a look for yourself at the latest ratings!

What if fashion was updated as infrequently as the Toxic Substances Control Act? That's right, check out those bell bottoms!

Unfortunately, the law put in place to protect consumers from harmful chemicals is from 1976. It would be one thing if it was an effective law to begin with, but it wasn't, and things have only gotten worse.

The amazing folks at the Environmental Working Group just released a report entitled Off the Books: Industry's Secret Chemicals. The report explains how, buy simply claiming that certain information is a "trade secret," the chemical industry does not allow the public to access information about 17,000 of the more than 83,000 chemicals used in products. From 1990 to 2005, the number of confidential chemicals has more than quadrupled. It's not just small amounts of these chemicals being produced, either, but hundreds of thousands of tons.

Click here for more information on our major lack of information. Thanks, EWG!

I have had varying degrees of success with making my own cleaning products, but I want to share a super easy recipe that I found for dish soap that works great. I credit the lovely (and also pregnant) Sayward at Bonzai Aphrodite for this recipe. It's so easy, and even better, it looks pretty to keep your dish soap in an oil dispenser. Here's the recipe:
- 1 cup of liquid castille soap (I used Dr. Bronners)
- 3 tablespoons water
- A few drops of essential oil (I used eucalyptus - it's an antibacterial)
Combine ingredients in any container and mix...that's all!

I have a bunch of essential oils from making personal care products, but if you don't have them and want your dish cleaner scented, you can always get Dr. Bronners castille soap that comes with a scent. Most natural food stores sell essential oils, and a tiny bottle goes a long way. We had lots of dishes to do this evening after my wonderful husband made venison spaghetti, and the new dish soap did the job. It's a little less viscous than most store-bought dish soap, so be careful pouring, but a little goes a long way. Give it a try - you can be clean and crafty all at once!