HOT BUTTON HEALTH ISSUE
What Lies Beneath: Toxic Turf Under Our Toes
By Janelle Sorensen
My kids love the first opportunity of the summer season to kick off their shoes, peel off their socks, and run around outside with bare feet. More and more these days, I am increasingly concerned about the material in between their little toes when they touch down at the park or the playground. It all started when I noticed a big truck dumping new ground covering around my daughter's school playground. I could smell the playground's acrid odor before I saw it (my nose is my initial alarm system for toxic intruders and in this case, the bells were ringing loudly). Upon closer inspection, I saw that the ground covering was a loose fill of what appeared to be shredded tires. Wait a minute, I thought to myself, aren’t tires considered hazardous waste? Isn’t that why we can’t just toss them in the garbage? Why are we using these where our kids play?
In an effort to recycle the growing waste piles of used tires, manufacturers across the country have begun making artificial turf out of the discarded rubber. They are using scrap tires as crumb rubber in-fill on playing fields, as shredded loose fill around playgrounds, as composite solid playing surfaces, and even as landscaping mulch. While it seems an environmentally-friendly option at face value, these materials may impact children’s health as initial research shows potential chemical and heavy metal leaching depending on a wide variety of external factors. Overall, it’s better to be safe than sorry. This definitely warranted an eco-mom investigation and what I discovered was confusing, to say the least. Read More>>>
WHAT'S NEW?
Our new book, Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home, hit shelves in April!
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"This is a book that EVERY single parent needs to read…before they read the What to Expect Books or even Dr. Sears books."
Read More Reviews>>>
These make wonderful baby shower presents as well as a great read for those DIYers who want to detoxify their homes. Pick up a copy of your own. |
Watch Our New Public Service Announcement
Wee Generation’s Green Baby Team Introduces
Eco-Friendly Bag Design
Wee Generation, a collaboration of Healthy Child, Seventh Generation, and Rickshaw bags, IDEO, William McDonough, have completed the design for an eco-friendly, Cradle to Cradle-certifiable baby bag.
The eco-chic bag is on sale now, pick one up here.
Not only will you end up with a great baby bag, but all profits from the sale of the bags will also benefit us!
“Wee Generation’s eco-friendly baby bag is an important development in consumer goods,” said William McDonough, green architect and environmental designer. “The initiative sets the pace for an environmentally-intelligent industry and will continue to change how goods are created and repurposed going forward.”
Details on the Bag>>>
IN THE NEWS
 Huffington Post: Modus Operandi for Millennial Parents: Avoid Unnecessary Exposures by Christopher Gavigan
L.A. Mama: What's In Your Water?
Healthy Child Healthy World Supports the Kids Safe Chemicals Act - Download the Environmental Working Group's Factsheet to learn more.
DR.'S VIEWPOINT
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The Chemical Legacy of the “Perfect” Lawn
By: Dr. Warren Porter
Dr. Porter has been a professor of Environmental Toxicology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison for over 20 years. He has done extensive research on the effects pesticide use has on human health. |
A beautifully manicured lawn or garden is something of an American past-time. But the use of pesticides and herbicides to maintain our lawns poses potential health risks to those most likely to appreciate them: our children. But Dr. Porter, a specialist in Environmental Toxicology, contradicts conventional wisdom by explaining that it's not how much pesticide is used, but often, how little. As he puts it: "the dose make the poison". Read on to discover the findings of his research, and how you can make your lawn and garden organic and safe for your family. Read More>>>
SIMPLE STEPS TO BETTER HEALTH
Easy Steps for Healthy Summer Fun
Aaaaaahhhh. Summer. Basking in sunshine, family vacations, almost endless fun and play. It’s every child’s nirvana. It’s fun for parents, too, but we have to be aware of the other side of the coin: beach advisories, insects carrying disease, heat exhaustion and more. Follow these easy steps for a safe, stupendous summer.
- Swim in clear waters: Opt for the cleanest beaches, non-chlorinated pools, or safer chlorinated pools. Want a watering hole in your own yard? Keep large pools clean and chlorine-free and pick small kiddie pools made of hard plastic.
- Get a safe dose of your daily D. Sunshine is the best source of Vitamin D, a nutrient vital to almost every system in the body. Bask in it responsibly and use the safest sunscreen.
- Keep ‘em full of fluids. All that activity and sunshine can quickly deplete a child’s system leading to heat exhaustion or worse. Make hydration easy by keeping a reusable water bottle with you at all times. Since the hot summer sun can promote leaching from plastic water bottles, invest in a stainless steel version from sources like Klean Kanteen or Sigg. And nix drinks from the hose, most contain traces of lead and can also be contaminated with lawn chemicals or bacteria.
- Keep the bugs from bugging you. Nothing ruins a picnic or hike faster than pesky pests like mosquitoes and ticks. Prevent problems by keeping skin covered, going indoors at dusk, and using the safest repellents.
- Use non-toxic alternatives for pet pests. Reduce another pet source of pesticide exposure by wiping Fido’s paws with a damp rag when you get home from walks. You may do your best to keep him off lawns that have the application signs posted, but many people apply chemicals to their lawns without posting signage. If Fido walks on it, he’ll bring it back home.
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