Summer Buzz

This is about neither a haircut not what’s hot at the movies – although I understand that The Hangover 2 is ripping up the box office.

This is actually a subject I’ve written about before but I believe it deserves repeating. Despite the relatively short time they are used each year, lawnmovers contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.  They also make the air smell bad.  So if you are in the market for a new grass cutter, perhaps this is the year to consider an old fashion push mower.  Not only will you get some exercise and save money on gas and electricity but you’ll treat yourself, and our air, to the absence of exhaust fumes.

I’m apparently not alone in suggesting we turn back the clock in this respect.  Some lawn maintenance companies are now offering customers the option of manual grass cutting.  It’s a little costlier because the cut involves more muscle and takes longer but if you  have the luxury of having someone else cut your grass this is something to consider.

Rediscover the Convenience of Non-Stick Cookware

I just made chilli in my new non-stick pan and I have to tell you about it.  The pan, not the chilli, although the coconut oil makes it really yummy, but I digress.  A year ago, my blog entry about non-stick cookware would have been really short.  "Stay away from it! There are toxic chemicals in the coating which will leach into your food and your air. And in case you need more convincing, the manufacturing process uses additional toxic chemicals that also end up in our atmosphere and our bodies. Stainless steel is the new/old holy grail".  End of story.

Thermolon by GreenPan has changed all of that.   These pans do everything good non-stick does (and more) without adding PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) to your food and our air.  This is a good thing because I have never seen a recipe that calls for PTFE.  As an added bonus, the pans are manufactured without using PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic Acid), another additive we can do nicely without.  My only other suggestion is to watch for the 4 mm pans as they apparently last longer than the 3 mm pans albeit, no surprise here, for a bigger price tag. 

In summary, this cookware looks like a duck and quacks like a duck but it isn't a duck.  It's sort of a happy bionic duck – they can even go into the oven at high temps!  So go ahead and enjoy non-stick cooking again.  I sure am!

 

 

Cleaning Up Their Act?

Feels like every time I turn on the TV, there is another new 'green' cleaner being advertised by one of the chemical companies that have been making conventional cleaners for years.  The ads tout these cleaners as environmentally friendly and spout buzz phrases like 'no amonia' and '100% biodegradable'.

I haven't investigated any of these products so I don't know if they are indeed 'clean' or if they work for that matter.  But I remain sceptical of the corporate motivation behind them.  If the decision makers at these companies are really concerned with the environmental impact of their chemical cleaners then why are they still making them?  If their environmental concerns were sincere, wouldn't they simply start manufacturing only the ecofriendly products?

Looks to me like smart marketing and an expensive effort to grab some of the market share enjoyed by companies whose leadership is genuinely environmentally aware.

The potential upside to this two faced approach is that consumers who cling to their tried and true may start to give credence to the environmentally friendly option precisely because their trusted, big name manufacturers are jumping into the game. 

Hey, if it works, that's great.

 

Reduce the Juice

Remember that watershed moment in the film Network when Peter Finch’s character
sticks his head out the window and yells 'I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING
TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!' ?  That is pretty
much how I feel when I see a  car parked
with the motor running. The driver simply does not get it. 

But lots of people do, including the forward thinking
students who power the aptly titled Reduce
the Juice initiative. This Ontario-based organization raises awareness
about climate change and encourages people to curb behaviours, idling among
them, that create greenhouse gases.

Projects focus on educating people about how to conserve
energy around both our homes and our vehicles. 
Their suggestions
are practical and simple to implement. 
Most also result in money saved.

Myth:  Restarting the
engine uses more gas than idling.

Reality:  Idling for
more than ten seconds uses more fuel than restarting.

It is inspiring to see young people taking their planet and their future so seriously.

Cheers For Woody Harrelson

While checking into Toronto’s Sutton Place Hotel years ago, my husband, Dave, and I noticed a quiet man, dressed head to toe in hemp.  Just then, another man approached the desk clerk next to us and said “Mr. Harrelson would like to check out”.  We looked again and, sure enough, the quiet man in hemp was the gifted actor and, as I later learned, environmental activist, Woody Harrelson.

During a recent web search I came across Mr. Harrelson’s web site Voice Yourself.  This is a well researched, cleverly presented site that is jam-packed with valuable information. I especially like the Healthy House section that leads you on a toxin-finding tour through a typical kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. Although I have lots to say about this topic, Voice Yourself does such a complete job of describing the dangers of perfluorochemicals aka PFC’s – the toxins found in Teflon, Gore-Tex and Scotchguard brands and best known for their non-stick, water proofing and stain resistant properties, that I figure “why reinvent the wheel?”

I am inspired by the presence of Voice Yourself.  With their resources, Woody Harrelson and his wife Laura Louie could easily cocoon in a quiet little green enclave on Maui, which by the way sounds not at all bad to me! Instead they are walking the walk and sharing the talk.  They are providing the kind of information we all need in order to both  improve our own lives and be part of the environmental solution.

Cheers!

Is Bamboo Really The Wonder Fibre?

In a word, Yes. Although there is a catch.  But I digress. Again.

I worked on this entry yesterday and left it in draft form.  This
morning I was inspired to rush home and finish it after seeing an impressive
array of bamboo housewares during a quick visit to Superstore.

If you haven't experienced bamboo, it shant be long.  One of, if not
the, fastest growing plants on earth (Wikopedia), bamboo is environmentally
exciting because it grows quickly, safely
and inexpensively without pesticides or fertilizers.  Bamboo is used in an
astounding number of consumer goods from food, fishing rods and flooring to
construction materials and even bicycles. Its pulp transforms into a lovely fabric
that has been a bit of an organic cult favourite but is now going
mainstream.  While it has always been popular for yoga garments, today bamboo is found in 'street' clothes, bed linens
and towels.  Earlier this winter, at The Bay,
I bought long underwear made of bamboo (with a little Lycra thrown in for stretch) by underwear giant, Jockey.  The long johns are luxuriously soft and very
warm.

With so much to offer, its a small wonder that bamboo goods are appearing on
store shelves almost as quickly as the plant grows. The flooring in
particular is trendy.  It looks chic and can be even harder and thus more
durable than even oak and maple hardwood.  The cutting boards, cutlery, bowls and containers
I saw this morning were gorgeous – and very affordable. 

If Bamboo sounds a little too good to be true,  it isn't.  But there is a catch. 

Bamboo comes in paper thin sheets that are glued together
to fashion the various products.  Hence  bamboo products are full of glue.  This is fine if the glue is
non-toxic.  But in many cases the
manufacturers have not taken that extra step and have used bamboo filled with
conventional glue which is full of VOC's (volatile organic compounds) and formaldehyde, all of which offgas nasty fumes into our air.

The same holds true for stains and finishes applied to bamboo flooring and other items.

If you are looking for bamboo flooring, panelling etc., look for seals that say the product is certified by the US Green Building Council aka LEED certified.  For Canadian LEED initiatives visit LEED Canada.  Other key phrases are FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified and 'no added formaldehyde' or 'urea-formaldehyde free'.

These same properties and manufacturing methods are equally important to consider when choosing smaller bamboo products.  Case in point – the bamboo serving pieces gifted to me last Christmas by my sister-in-law, Diana. Please note that Diana suggested I tell this tale so I am not telling tales out of school  I was delighted to receive these handsome pieces from the new environmentally line, Earth Chef, sold by the Bay, Zellers and Home Outfitters.  Upon reading the information tags attached to them however, while bamboo was described as renewable, there was an absence of discussion about glue, formaldehyde etc.  With Diana's blessing I emailed Earth Chef from the link on their web site and asked, very clearly, if they had used non-toxic or conventional glue in the serving pieces I received.  That was Christmas Day and I have yet to receive a response.  We returned the serving pieces.

By all means, lets welcome bamboo as a positive and viable option but support manufacturers and retailers who are making the effort to ensure that all elements of their bamboo product are environmentally friendly.

   

 

Professional Air Quality Consultation

And speaking of air quality, I spent three hours yesterday looking at our home from basement to attic with air quality specialist, Kevin McQuade.  Kevin is knowledgeable about both major types of air pollutants — the chemical, such as cleaners, building materials, tobacco smoke and the biological, such as mould and bacteria.  We brought him in primarily for the latter reason.  It was time well spent as Kevin provided many helpful suggestions for further improving our air quality.  Fortunately we do not have mould, but now I know what we need to do to keep the house 'clean' in that sense. 

As mentioned, I look forward to sharing more tips for improving and protecting air quality, but wanted to let you know about this service in case it is of interest to you.  Kevin consults for Air Solutions, which is based in Cambridge, Ontario, www.airsolutions.ca.  I found them by calling Canada Mortgage and Housing (CMHC) and asking for names of people who have completed their course in air quality and mould.

Air Quality

If media and even government reports of late are correct, and our outdoor air is indeed
of better quality than the air inside our homes and workplaces, it is indeed a chilling thought.  The good news is that there are lots of simple changes we can make to improve the quality of our indoor environment.   

This is an important subject, one that deserves lots of attention and one I will return to reasonably often.  Today I hope to encourage you to consider what you are using in the way of cleaning products.  Please bear with me while I backtrack for a moment.  When I started this blog I made the conscious decision not to obsessively dwell on the negatives of conventional products.  That is not how I want to spend my time or what I want to be known for.  Rather, my goal is to skew positive, to encourage people to consider cleaner, healthier alternatives for ourselves, our children and the planet.   

Unfortunately, it is not always going to be possible to take the high road.  Not, for example, when so many of us grew up believing, as I did, that the house wasn't clean unless it
boasted that distinctive chemical smell.  We have been conditioned to believe that if it doesn't smell like a chemical it can't possible clean.  And while ads for cleaner products are starting to appear on TV, the harsh chemical cleaners still have the push of big budget, glossy advertising touting their impeccable cleaning power. Yes, product X will remove 99.99% of the germs from your telephone receiver.  But it will also leave behind some things that you are far better off without.

There are hundreds of sites discussing the dangers of the common ingredients in conventional cleaning products.  Asthma, allergies, cancers, endocrine disruption, chemical sensitivity, kidney and
liver damage and even learning and behaviour difficulties.  Children are at higher risk because of their "hand to mouth" behaviour
and because pound for pound they are ingesting more of these chemicals than
adults.  I took the information in the two previous sentences from www.grassrootsinfo.org.  But there
are many, many other sources for this kind of info.  Just Google
"household cleaners" "cleaning products" or "conventional cleaning
products".  You will find lists of the specific chemical ingredients
found in various cleaners and their potential effects on the human
body.   Infertility, autism – the links are starting to come forward.

So I'm not saying anything new or revolutionary here.  Its all over the media and the NET.  My point is that despite the proliferation of information about the serious, even potentially life threatening consequences of using these chemical cleaners and the wealth of alternatives, the shelves in our supermarkets and other retail stores are still filled with them.  And since retailers stock what people buy, the only valid conclusion is that we are still buying conventional cleaners.

People who wouldn't dream of smoking near a child are cleaning their homes with toxic cleaners that their children ingest.  I don't get it.  Even the Ontario Ministry of the Environment is on this.  Its website leaves no question that it is time to change our behaviour.  Curious that the Province is being so proactive when Health Canada, although recognizing household cleaners as 'indoor air pollutants', conveys neither the forcefulness nor sense of urgency to change behaviour.  My practical self wonders if perhaps the Province is more concerned because it pays for health care.

Perhaps it is time to look at our ingrained thinking and open ourselves to the possibility that non-toxic cleaners can and do get the job done.  There are a wealth of options out there and indeed, some work better than others.  We've changed laundry detergent several times, finally settling on Seventh Generation's free and clear for high efficiency washers.  We use a vinegar/water combo on the tile floors and straight vinegar to clean our coffee pot, dishwasher and washing machine.  Canadian-made natureclean products are great for toilets and windows.  Another option is steam which sanitizes and can handle toilets, floors and most other surfaces.  Its also really nice for cleaning kitchen implements that have touched raw meat and chicken!  A large steamer is an investment but since it operates on tap water, its a money saver down the road.  Some people make their own cleaners – please see below.  I hope to go that route eventually but right now I buy green cleaners always making sure the labels say 'non-toxic' and 'biodegradable' on the bottle.  

The bottom line is that as consumers, we have options and no solution is the right one for all of us.  Except perhaps for one option:  freeing ourselves from toxic chemicals that do not add anything in terms of cleaning power but have the proven ability to take away our quality of life.  Perhaps this is an option upon which we can all come to agree.

Please think about it.

Marci

P.S.  Below is a reproduction of the cleaning products page from the Government of Ontario's Ministry of the Environment web site
http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/en/myenvironment/home/cleaningproducts.php

Please note that I do not agree with everything written here – for example, I do not use alcohol and bleach.  I'm including this page because it gives a good overall review of the information plus lots of great tips and suggestions.

CLEANING PRODUCTS

We all use a variety of cleaning products in our homes – including
bleach, aerosols and bathroom cleaners. Some are quite harmless while
others must be handled with extreme care.

Some cleaning products are corrosive while others are designed to
kill small organisms. Cleaning agents, waxes, polishes, spot and stain
removers, as well as clothing that has recently been dry-cleaned, may
contain chemicals that could affect your health.

It's common sense that you wouldn't eat or drink household cleaners.
It's important to remember that you can absorb those same chemicals
through your skin or through inhalation when you use them.

Many of these cleaners are just milder versions of industrial
chemicals. While you don't need special training or equipment to clean
up around the house, you can still be smart about minimizing your
exposure to chemicals.

Household cleaning products can contain dangerous ingredients
including carcinogens, allergens, neurotoxins, central nervous system
inhibitors and heavy metals.

While these products are used in small quantities in our homes, the
toxins they contain can accumulate in the environment and threaten our
health. Heavy exposure to these toxins has been linked to cancer,
respiratory problems, reproductive abnormalities, allergic reactions
and behavioral problems.

Protecting Our Health And Environment

You wouldn't pour your dirty cleaning bucket over your garden. But
when we use excessive chemicals around the house, we're pouring those
cleaners into our drinking water supply.

When you need something stronger than ordinary soap and water to get
the job done, choose the least-toxic alternative. Always read labels
and follow precautions.

Here are some general tips:

• Do the job with as little cleaner as possible.
• Use laundry detergents and liquid bleaches instead of powder – it cuts down on the amount of heavy metals in wastewater.
• Air out your dry-cleaning outdoors if possible.
• Look for products that contain citrus-based solvents instead of more toxic petroleum distillates.
• Don't
  forget old-fashioned "elbow grease" – sometimes it's the best cleaner
  of all and a bit of hard scrubbing often works better than applying
  chemicals.
• Don't mix cleaners – combining chemicals can be very dangerous.
• Full loads of dishes and laundry are more efficient and reduce the need for both chemicals and energy.

Natural solutions

Nature often provides us with the best ways to get cleaning jobs done.

Air fresheners:

• Open windows and doors for short periods.
• Distribute partially filled dishes of vinegar to reduce unpleasant cooking odours.
• Boil cinnamon and cloves in a pan of water to scent the air.
• Sprinkle a half-cup of borax in the bottom of garbage pails or
  diaper pails to inhibit mold and bacteria growth that can cause odors.
• Rub vinegar on hands before and after slicing onions to remove the smell.
• Use bowls of potpourri to give inside air a pleasant scent.

Disinfectants:

• Clean regularly with soap and hot water.
• Mix a half-cup of borax with one gallon of hot water to disinfect and deodorize.
• Use isopropyl alcohol as a disinfectant.

Drain cleaners:

• Try a plunger first!
• To open clogs, pour half a cup of baking soda down drain, add half
  a cup of white vinegar and cover the drain – the reaction of the baking
  soda and vinegar will break down fatty acids and allow the clog to wash
  down the drain.

Floor cleaner and polish:

• Try a few drops of vinegar in water to remove soap traces.
• A capful of baby oil added to water can preserve and polish vinyl or linoleum.
• For wood floors, apply a thin coat of oil and vinegar (even proportions) and rub in well.
• Use one teaspoon of washing soda and four litres of hot water for painted wooden floors.
• Combine one cup of white vinegar and four litres of water to wash brick and stone tiles.

Metal cleaners and polishes:

• For aluminum, use a solution of cream of tartar and water.
• Use a solution of lemon and baking powder, or vinegar and salt, on brass.
• Polish chrome with baby oil, vinegar, or aluminum foil (shiny side out).
• Clean gold with toothpaste.
• You can clean pewter with a paste of salt, vinegar and flour.

Oven cleaner:

• Start by sprinkling baking soda on a moist surface, then scrub with steel wool.
• Use baking soda or dry table salt as scouring powder.

Toilet bowl cleaner:

• You can make toilet bowl cleaner with straight bleach (NOT mixed with
  any other substance except water), baking soda and vinegar, or borax
  and lemon juice.

Tub and tile cleaner:

• Rub a damp sponge with baking soda and rinse (you can also wipe it with vinegar first).
• Follow up with baking soda as a scouring powder.

Window and glass cleaner:

• To avoid streaks, don't wash windows when the sun is shining.
• Use solutions made from vinegar-and-water, cornstarch vinegar-and-water, or lemon juice and water.
• Wipe with newspaper.

Some effective natural cleaners and their uses:

Vinegar: Vinegar can be made from soured
apple juice, grain, or wine. It contains about 5 percent
acetic acid, which makes it a mild acid. Vinegar can dissolve
mineral deposits, grease, remove traces of soap, remove mildew
or wax buildup, polish some metals, and deodorize. Vinegar
can clean brick or stone, and is an ingredient in some natural
carpet cleaning recipes. Use vinegar to clean out the metallic
taste in coffeepots and to shine windows without streaking.
Vinegar is normally used in a solution with water, but it
can be used straight.

Corn starch: Cornstarch, derived from corn, can be used to
clean windows, polish furniture, shampoo carpets and rugs,
and starch clothes.

Lemon juice: Lemon juice contains citric acid, is a deodorant
and can be used to clean glass and remove stains from aluminum,
clothes, and porcelain. It is a mild lightener or bleach if
used with sunlight.

Baking soda: Baking Soda is sodium bicarbonate. It has a number
of useful properties. It can neutralize acid, scrub shiny
materials without scratching, deodorize, and extinguish grease
fires. It can be used as a deodorizer in the refrigerator,
on smelly carpets, on upholstery and on vinyl. It can help
deodorize drains. It can clean and polish aluminum, chrome,
jewelry, plastic, porcelain, silver, stainless steel, and
tin. It also softens fabrics and removes certain stains. Baking
soda can soften hard water and makes a relaxing bath time
soak; it can be used as an underarm deodorant and as a toothpaste,
too.

These products are a good choice for many cleaning jobs, but
remember – they are chemicals, even if "natural" chemicals. When using
these products, be sure to get background information on them.