GreenerPenny

last-minute green food & kitchen gift and wrap tips

2009-12-22T09:49:00.000-08:00

Xmas countdown, time to shop within reach! For your last minute gifts, no wasting money greenhouse emissions on overnite air shipping. Always appreciated are edibles and little kitchen supplies to renew your resolve to cook more at home in the New Year. All of the following can be found in your local supermarket, farmers' market, and home supply store.

Best gift wraps? For food gifts, a basket, vintage plate or bowl, wrapped in a vintage apron or cotton dish towels or dinner napkins. Check labels, certified organic cotton is turning up everywhere from your local kitchen boutique to Target, Home Depot and Bed, Bath & Beyond. But in any case, a set of reusable napkins or dishtowels will pay off quickly in less consumption of paper goods.

* The D.O.Y. Artisanal Cheese Plate

For my weight-watching brother whose one indulgence is cheese, I chose slices of 6 varietes at my local wholes foods. Cheddar, goat, sheep, great selection. Presentation: On a vintage glass plate, wrapped in a fresh flour sack dish towel. Other options: a cutting board made of fast-growing U.S. maple, or the sleek Preserve cutting board made of Forest Stewardship Council approved recycled paper.

For your health and the sake of the cows, choose dairy products made with genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rbgh). It causes cows to overproduce milk, resulting in painful swollen udders and infections; it has been linked to insulin changes in human cells that are predecessors to breast cancer and diabetes.

See the Organic Consumers Association list of major producers of rbhg-free dairy products here. Cheeses made in the EU are rbgh-free.

* Seasonal local fruits from your local grocery store (many supermarkets now have local signage, or just ask the produce manager) or farmers' market.

For local sustainable food sources in produce, meat & dairy, prepared foods and restaurantss, search with your zip code at Sustainable Table's Eat Well Guide.

* Bake and give sustainable and more delicious cookies. It's simple. use your favorite recipe and upgrade ingredients to organic chocolate chips or raisins, organic or the most locally grown nuts you can find, organic unbleached flour, rbgh-free unsalted butter, and, most importantly, unbleached turbinado or organic sugars.

* A set of gourmet organic, fairly traded, bird-friendly (shade grown) chocolate. See our list here.
* Tempted to give cookware? Just make sure it's free of the toxic nonstick chemical, PFOA and PTFE. For good green brands, including classics and new green contenders, look here.

*And if you're out and about, take along our top green gift suggestions.

Like our tips? Got questions for Mindy? Please sign up for our free montly e-newsletter for the latest green products and environmental health reports at our website. GreenerPenny.com.

diy tree ornaments fr recycled stuff

2009-12-21T11:57:00.001-08:00

For green, cheap, fun tree-trimming items, turn your pre-holiday cleanup into a treasure hunt. Empty drawers and cupboards around the house, garage and office, and repurpose all these scraps and odd ends of paper, fabric, yarn, ribbon, plastic, and even old CDs.

The Honolulu architecture firm of Philip K. White & Associates, having repurposed an old industrial building into a L.E.E.D.-certified green office, made sure that nothing went to waste when it came to their office Christmas decorations. From old light bulbs, computer mice and pipe cleaners, they made reindeer heads and snowmen. Shiny computer discs were cut into angels, snowflakes, stars. Everything that could be tossed, including used Starbucks cups, got a new life on the 6-foot tree. Read all about it here.

For how to "bake" the gingerbread man in the photo, made by freelance graphic designer Lindsay Kurz (she's GreenerPenny's web designer, too!) from remnants & stuff, and lots more ideas, see how Plenty Magazine's staffers also decorated their office tree with ornaments hand-made from recycled materials.

Like our green living tips? Get updates with our free monthly e-newsletter; sign up at GreenerPenny.com.

photo copyright: Plenty Magazine, Mother Nature Network; mnn.com

Carbon-free holiday candles

2009-12-14T01:01:00.001-08:00

As sun sets over the surf break named Suicide's, petroleum-free candles made locally of soy and beeswax warm a lonely vigil on the sea wall that will be breached if we don't reduce atmospheric carbon levels. Beach already vanishes at high tide. Jupiter rising, Duke Kahanamoku sent some clean off-season South Shore waves, hope rises with the night wind in Honolulu as day dawns in Copenhagen. See what's happening at 350.org.

Beeswax tree candles and soywax candles scented with flower essential oils or Kona coffee, handmade by Doublebrush. Find these and other petroleum -free candles at Etsy.

Honolulu Surfer Sea Wall Climate Vigil

2009-12-12T00:50:00.000-08:00

Please come and bring your hope for a real deal at Copenhagen. Candles optional.

Time: Sunset, between 5:15 and 6:15.

Place: Makalei Beach Park facing "Suicide's" surf break, Diamond Head Road, one block from Coconut Ave. on makai side and just across from Makalei Place mauka.

On behalf of island states such as ours, and the coral reefs that make our waves, Honolulu surfers demand reduction of greenhouse gases to survival levels of 350 ppm. For which we ask Duke's blessing.

Please stop by, or register your own vigil at 350.org .

A hui hou.

Mindy Pennybacker, GreenerPenny

Best green lip protectors

2009-12-09T03:15:00.001-08:00

Perfect Stocking and Pocket Stuffers: Phthalate-free Lip Balms

To keep from licking hormone-disrupters off your winter-cracked lips, choose from this plethora of phthalate-free products, all of which use essential plant oils rather than synthetic "fragrance." THE BODY SHOP Hemp Lip ProtectorAt a recent Jets game (remember the last one they won?), a green guy said it saved his lips from cold wind splice and the green tube showed off his team spirit. Body Shop is a Campaign for Safe Cosmetics' CSC signatory. $8.
BURTS BEES Beeswax Balms, Lip Shimmers The quickest of comforters: Burt's clear balm (Natural Products Association certified) and new Rescue Lip Balm, which blocks UV rays with natural titanium dioxide. Burt's has also signed the CSC pledge. $3-5.
DR BRONNER’S Lip Balm This USDA certified organic balm comes in "naked," lemon/lime and ginger phthalate-free flavors. Yum. A CSC signatory. $2.99
DR. HAUSCHKA Lip Care Stick or Balm One of our top faves. Moisturizes with jojoba wax and carrot and rosehip extracts; $12.95 or $14.50.
OLA HAWAII Tropical Melody Lip Balms (pictured) The islands in winter! Banana, coconut/lemongrass, liliko'i (passion fruit) and mango aromas will warm your lips and hearts. We can't get enough of 'em. $6.
ORIGINS Lip Balm Their USDA certified organic stick is pure salve-ation. Completely odorless and taste-free, slicks on effortlessly.
WELEDA Everon Lip Balm With shea butter, vanilla and rose. Cheap, creamy, and long-lasting. $3.50-4.99.
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Thanks!
Mindy

top 10 green holiday tips

2009-12-07T11:49:00.001-08:00

Ten Tips for Greener Holidays

1. Gift wrap. My friend Cristal, buying Japanese silks at a yard sale, says, “I’m wrapping all my Xmas gifts in old scarves this year.” My friend Lexy saves all her daughter’s drawings on butcher paper and wraps gifts in them, although how she parts with these artworks I do not know. Try not to buy virgin paper to wrap gifts. Instead, reuse any kind of paper or fabric, including old maps, magazine & comic pages, scarves, dishtowels. If every family wrapped just 3 gifts this way, it would save enough paper to cover 45 football fields, according to Sierra Club.

2. Cards. According to the Greeting Card Association, more than 2.6 billion holiday cards are sent each year. To preserve forests, choose paper goods with maximum percentage of post-consumer-recycled (PCR or PCW for waste) content. Paporganics offers wrapping paper made with 90 percent post consumer recycled with 10 percent hemp, a tree-free fiber, as well organic cotton holiday gift card packs. Paporganics.com. Or send electronic invitations and cards from evite.com or regards.com. According to the Greeting Card Association, some 2.6 billion holiday cards are sent each year. Or spare forests with tree-free fibers, such as hemp, kenaf, banana-stalk or bamboo, or even recycled blue jeans, dollar bills or green tea leaves. *For greetings, Green Field (www.greenfieldpaper.com) sells "Peace" cards made from 100% recycled junk mail; Dolphin Blue (www.dolphinblue.com) sells card stock that's 50 percent PCW recycled and 50 percent recovered cotton. Decorate it with your own photos or potato or linoleum cut-out print.

3. Give a plastics-free party that goes light on paper, too. My friend Sarah rents wineglasses for parties. It’s so nice having real glass instead of plastic, which affects the taste of the wine. Plus you don’t have to wash them. I just bought a lot of vintage wine glasses from the yard sale where I ran into Cristal. Use lightweight, renewablebamboo plates and bowls, or Recycline’s colorful dinnerware made of recycled milk jugs. Organic cotton and hemp or secondhand cloth napkins and dishcloths /can work even in large parties, but for best, post-consumer recycled paper goods, click here..

4. Choose gifts that are minimally packaged; the closer the box in relation to the gift’s size, the less waste. Give at least one gift that doesn’t require packaging. Some packages, like those for shade-grown coffee, are so bright it would be a shame to cover them. Even a big gift like, say, a contrabass, can be modestly hidden in an old sheet. See more holiday simplifying tips at Kanu Hawaii and Center for a New American Dream, whose 2009 holiday tips pamphlet is on their website now.

5. Give food. What could be more sustainable, especially if it’s organic, local, rainforest-friendly or fairly traded?

In my case, it means my cookies, which friends and their children clamor for, even though I just use whatever recipe’s on the chocolate chips package. It’s the ingredients, I guess—organic dark chocolate, raw sugar, organic butter, unbleached flour and homemade vanilla extract-- that really make the diff.
You can send organic whole foods and prepared meals from Diamond Organics (diamondorganics.com). A great source of tasty organic meat is applegatefarms.com, or you can find a local purveyor of organic or grass-fed meats by typing in your zip code at eatwellguide.org. Indulge in hand-crafted American artisanal cheeses made from the milk of grass-fed cows, sheep and goats, from artisanalcheese.com, vermontshepherd.com and more. The holidays, when we observe traditions, are an ideal time to sample heirloom foods that keep gene pools diverse and healthy. Treat your family to the unique taste of a free-Range heritage turkey or pampered pig; see slowfoodusa.org for a state-by-state listing of farmers who raise native breeds of fowl, as well as special regional vegetables, fruits and meats.
For a wild taste, nothing’s more savory than wild Alaska salmon, free of toxins and not overfished. It’s not in season fresh right now, so buy it smoked from seabear.com or wildcatch.com. Many luscious, rich chocolates also boast organic and fair-trade pedigrees, including Ecco Bella (eccobella.com) and Green and Black’s, currently fighting off a takeover by Kraft Foods. Organic coffee is being produced from Sumatra to Colombia. When it’s also shade-grown, beneath a forest canopy that provides a home to migratory songbirds, and is produced by farmer cooperatives under fair trade standards, coffee is one of the most well-rounded green choices you can find. Meeting all three standards are Batdorf & Bronson (batdorf.com) and Grounds for Change (groundsforchange.com).),

6. BYO good green booze. Toast your hostess and host with certified organic gin, vodka and rum from masionjomere.com, wines such as Frey’s award-winning, sulfite-free organics, freywine.com, and beers, including several varieties from Wolavers.com. Non-alcoholic options include R.W. Knudsen’s organic grape, apple and orange carrot juice from knudsenjuices.com..

7. When you do eat out, make it a truly special occasion at a restaurant that uses locally produced and organic foods. Search at Chefs Collaborative.

8, When you shop, bring along lots of empty bags within bags. You can never bring enough. It’s one of the greenest little things you can do, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

9. Buy from companies that use recycled and recyclable packaging (ask sales reps, or check shipping policies on company websites).Amazon.com, for instances, packages items in boxes composed of 25- to 30-percent post-consumer recycled material.

10. Buy local whenever possible. It's the strongest and most rewarding connection you can make. Search for sustainably produced goods made and sold in your vicinity in the Organic Consumers Association Buying Guide, and Green America's(formerly Co-op America) National Green Pages.

Bonus tip: During the holidays and beyond: Visit loved ones. Really spend time together. You don’t have to entertain them, just be yourself and listen. Even if you have to fly a long distance and pay to offset your carbon emissions and assuage your conscience, it’s totally worth it.

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Thanks!
Mindy

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Top Green Holiday Gifts 2009

2009-12-03T17:48:00.000-08:00

Green Gifts, Carbon Footprints and All

Buy local, or not? It’s the holidays, right, so anything goes? Not quite. Every product has a carbon footprint, that is, the carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas, released by the burning of fossil fuels used to manufacture and transport it. Some manufacturers are trying to measure and reduce the carbon footprints of a bevy of products, from food to electronics to fashion with the help of new labels being developed by the UK’s Carbon Trust.

When you can, buy locally made goods to give to those who live near you. Deal face to face, smile to smile, be an engaged and integral part of your local economy. Then, if you can’t find what you’re looking for in a local shop, feel free to order online.

Now for the goods.

Culture’s the ticket: No matter where you live, you can give tickets to concerts, plays or services in your recipient’s local. No shipping, no fuel miles. We gave our son and his girlfriend tickets to “Wolves at the Window,” a production of Brits Off Broadway within walking distance of their New York apartment. They not only went, but loved it, and asked for more!

Alternate Ashtanga: Gifts of yoga classes keep on giving, and yoga studios are trending green. In Honolulu, Diamond Head Yoga, founded by surfer Randall Poulson, uses energy efficient LED lighting and recycled hardwood floors. Find a low-impact teacher and venue near someone you love at GreenYoga.org.

“I encourage students to bring their own mats, which cuts down on spreading germs,” says Poulson, and we agree. We’re partial to Think Sport’s thick new PVC and polycarbonate mats. They’re PVC and polycarbonate free, so no phthalates or Bisphenol-A. Same with these other eco mats. Think ecoyopi, or for Pilates, too.

Help your significant other get core strength (and flat abs) with lessons from a certified Pilates instructor. To find a studio near you, go to Pilates Studio Search.
In my case, the slopes of Diamond Head, or Leahi (forehead of a tuna) also house a great Pilates place, Aware Aligned Awake, founded by another surfer, Cristal Mortensen.

Speaking of surfing, it’s chilly, even in Hawaii, when the north wind blows! For the oceangoer on your list, consider a warm-up cap made of a sustainable fiber. An organic cotton cap and tote bag are included when you give a $44 membership in the non-profit Surfrider Foundation, which is dedicated to protecting water quality and conserving natural beaches and waves. Or check out the organic cotton, wool or recycled poly caps by Patagonia.

Speaking of Patagonia, their Footprints Chronicles are a fun way to comparison shop based on the carbon and energy consumed by their products, say, Mongolian cashmere vs. recycled poly fleece. Watch your back:

Electronics, or rather, Computers? Think takeback, nontoxic and read this for what to do.

Tech gadgets: Give Memory: Photos are nice, especially when the albums are stored on tiny flash drives, or memory sticks. I want one for each writing project! Smart power strips are a great way to save energy.

Green Books:

*One of my favorite practical guidebooks for protecting children from unnecessary toxic exposures is now out in paperback. Healthy Child, Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home, by Christopher Gavigan for HealthyChild.org. It includes advice from witty, down-to-earth pediatrician and author Harvey Karp, and reminiscences from Tobey Maguire, Michelle Obama, Gwyneth Paltrow, Tom Hanks and others.
*Of course, you can’t go wrong with Al Gore’s new book, Our Choice, of which 100% of the profits go to the Alliance for Climate Protection.
*Buy Fred Krupp’s and Miriam Horn’s LastStop Earth from the Environmental Defense Fund’s book store, and help benefit this non-profit.
*The Surfrider Foundation and landscaping expert Douglas Kent collaborated on Ocean Friendly Gardens: A How-To Gardening Guide to Help Restore a Healthy Coast and Ocean. This manual details ways to create water-conserving landscape designs and irrigation, while preventing runoff that deadens our marine environments. Order through Surfrider.
*Budding citizen journalists should read Elizabeth Royte’s Garbage Land and Bottlemania before they ride along to the source of trouble, and, to deepen their analysis of media, her The Tapir’s Morning Bath. See Royte’s blog

Speaking of bottles, make this the season you give everyone on your list a reusable water bottle that’s PVC and BPA-free.

Tote bottles and who knows what in a cute recycled bag from Olive and Myrtle, which also has fresh-looking recycled paper journals, plus traditional toys, and more.

Bicycles: The latest are commute-and-carry haulers, some with buckets. See my article in E. Magazine.

Personal Care: Go gentle on yourself, and support rainforest communities, with
Alba Botanica’s Rainforest Rescue containing Andiroba and Brazil Nut Oil from Forest Stewardship Council-certified forestlands. The Body Shop carries FSC-certified foot files and nail brushes. Eco elegant! For travel, we love l’Occitane’s little tins of pure shea butter, fairly traded, and their certified organic lavender body lotion. For both fairly traded and organic soaps, give Dr. Bronner’s. For plenty more delectable, phthalate and paraben free cosmetics, see my list.

Apparel:

The most sustainable clothing fiber, even greener than organic cotton, is something post-consumer-recycled. And it doesn’t have to be from Goodwill, although their designer wares are as chic as any. Look for local designers who make new designs from old materials, like 1979, whose Made in Hawaii tops and frocks use soft, faded material from vintage men’s aloha shirts. Or Soozou, which makes beach bags and totes from used sails. Timberland’s Earthkeeper line, with those tags giving the carbon footprint of the item, looks pretty irresistible for someone with a weakness for boots.
Moving on…

Jewelry: In an era of conflict diamonds, the mindful consumer will seek out jewelry that’s ethically sourced as well as free of the taint of ecosystems destroyed by arsenic from gold mining. No such problem with Meesah’s earrings and bangles made of repurposed fishing lines or Bakelite fragments! For more ideas see The Green Guide’s jewelry guide.

Edibles: My Dad always says he wants nothing more for Xmas than good health and a package of fresh-baked cookies from Dancing Deer. The latter I can give him. After all, it’s only once a year! For the rest, buy from your local farmers, who will be happy to fill your gift baskets with fresh selections. Find them by entering your zip code at Local Harvest .

The cook will welcome something earthy and authentic, like an unglazed soapstone pot from Vermont, Vermontstonegifts.com, or a terracotta tagine, from tagines.com

Want more simple green living tips? Subscribe to our free monthly e-newsletter at GreenerPenny.com. Follow us at Twitter.com/Greenerpenny and become a fan on GreenerPenny’s Facebook page.

Oh, and you can preorder my book, Do One Green Thing: Saving the Earth through Simple, Everyday Choices, for delivery in March, here.

Happy Holidays, one and all!

Green non-profit gifts to delight children and others

2009-12-03T17:43:00.000-08:00

Some green organizations, bless their hearts, offer some ungreen swag as membership premiums, such as petroleum-based plastic backpacks and the lot. That's why I'm stoked by Surfrider Foundation's organic cotton cap and tote in their membership package. Giving a membership supports annual state of the beach events, protection of ocean water quality, coastal open space and beach environments, marine life and habitat, and most of all, our waves!

Kokua Hawaii Foundation, which seeks to eliminate plastic waste and supports green education in public schools and community agriculture, gives an organic cotton bag to new members. In their store, you can buy prganic cotton onesies for babies and clean wave graphics on organic tshirts for grownups.

Beyond that, who needs a bribe? Supporting the work of environmental non-profits should be a reward in itself, for an adult, anyway. For example:

Sponsor a specific wild place through Sierra Club. Even Yosemite, Yellowstone and Sequoia need help! You can do so paper-free for $20 and up. Or, if your recipient is a child, who'd appreciate a more tangible gift, $25 will garner a stuffed animal (cougar, wolf) of a species that lives in that place, plus pictures and info.

Protect a wild animal and its habitat with The Nature Conservancy. Pick your animal, for instance you could help Save the Northern Jaguar. Or you could plant a tree every month, or save an acre in the country of your choice.

Children also enjoy adopting an endangered wild animal–who remains at large in its habitat but connects to you through a certificate of adoption, photos, newsletters and books and/or a stuffed animal. They can choose a chimpanzee or tiger or dolphin, from Defenders of Wildlife (defenders.org), the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund (gorillafund.org), Caribbean Conservation Corporation & Sea Turtle Survival League (cccturtle.org).

A little girl I know delights in a nest of Audubon birds that replicate authentic calls recorded by the Cornell Lab or Ornithology, from wildrepublic.com. She made room among them for a homely bird made of repurposed fabric that I brought her.

Help protect the ocean and its threatened multitudes, from fish to corals, by contributing to the Blue Frontier Campaign.

For other ethical giving opportunities, click here. Want more simple green living tips? Subscribe to our free monthly e-newsletter at GreenerPenny.com. Follow us at Twitter.com/Greenerpenny and become a fan on GreenerPenny’s Facebook page.
Thanks!
Mindy

Reduce Holiday Waste

2009-12-03T17:27:00.000-08:00

*Buy products that aren’t overpackaged. During the holidays, Americans toss out 25% more waste, including plastic and wrapping paper.
*If possible, have all the gifts for one address from one retailer, like Amazon, sent at the same time to minimize packaging.
*Rather than purchasing rolls of wrapping paper, reuse paper and gift bags that you’ve received in the past.
*If you’re sending out traditional holiday cards, they should be made from post-consumer recycled paper or paper from Forest Stewardship Council FSC certified forests. National Envelope and PleasanTrees.com sell holiday cards that are certified by the Rainforest Alliance to FSC standards. All of the cards sold by Cardstore.com come from FSC certified, responsibly managed forests.
*Go caroling with bags to pick up rubbish along the way. Check out this 12 Days green holidays list.
*Use recycled aluminum foil, which uses 1/20 of the energy in its manufacture than new foil does.
*Don't throw away wrapping paper after you open gifts! Save paper and cards for next year. It always comes around sooner than we can ever imagine. Want more simple green living tips? Subscribe to our free monthly e-newsletter at GreenerPenny.com. Follow us at Twitter.com/Greenerpenny and become a fan on GreenerPenny’s Facebook page
Thanks!
Mindy

Sustainable Christmas trees and lights

2009-12-02T16:32:00.001-08:00

Why buy a Colorado tree if you live in New York or Hawaii? Local flora consumes fewer fuel miles in transport. To find something more sustainable, whether a live local or cut organic tree (or shrub or plant), see Green Promise. More local greenery sources include nurseries, botanical garden holiday plant sales, your nearest farmers' market, or your state or regional organic farmers’ association. Ask your city parks department when and where they accept used trees for mulching. Most do.

Why not a xeriscape native holiday tree or dried wreath that won't suck up water? Cactii look cute all decked out. Some good ideas here. Or ask your nearest university agricultural extension service. Find one here.

Use green lighting. Decorate a tree in your home or yard with tip-top energy saving LED (light efficient diode) lights, which are more efficient even than CFLs. Plus, they stay cool and won't burn your fingers or the foliage. Find lighting products here. LED white lights use 80 to 90 percent less energy than conventional ones; $13.95 a string from Innovative Energy Solutions, inirgee.com. LEDs are also available at Target stores; they're mostly sold out at Home Depots now, but you can order here. And LEDs come not just in strings but in light candles to brighten trees, menorahs, hurricane lamps, as well as in tea lights.

Don’t forget the perfect stocking stuffers like efficient CFL lightbulbs and votive candles from the artisans of Etsy. All with hemp wicks (no lead cores!)

Want more simple green living tips? Subscribe to our free monthly e-newsletter at GreenerPenny.com. Follow us at Twitter.com/Greenerpenny and become a fan on GreenerPenny’s Facebook page.
Thanks!
Mindy

Holiday green driving tips

2009-12-02T16:18:00.000-08:00

Is it possible to go for a holiday trip without breaking the bank or wounding the planet? The simplest answer would be to not drive. Cars are responsible for one quarter of the United States’ annual carbon dioxide emissions, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, and an average American’s car produces 2750 pounds of carbon per year. Taking light rail cuts out 1366 pounds and a city bus cuts 804 pounds of carbon annually, and of course, biking and walking doesn’t give off any carbon emissions at all.

On the other hand, it’s easy for GreenerPenny’s New York City bloggers to advocate public transportation. Our subways, buses, and ferries make up one of the best public transportation systems in the world, and it’s easy to walk everywhere. But what if you live in the rural Midwest, where there’s no public transportation system and your closest neighbor is five miles up the road? What if the economic recession hit you hard and you can barely afford to fill up your old station wagon, let alone buy a new hybrid car?

Here are some tips that will increase the fuel efficiency of any car that happens to be in your driveway. Did you know that road rage can cost you? According to the Department of Energy’s fuel economy guide, aggressive driving, such as speeding, rapid acceleration and braking to get around that jerk on the bike, lowers gas mileage by 33% at highway speeds and 5% at city speeds. Also, most cars hit their optimal fuel economy at 60 miles per hour (mph).

And remember: a little care and consideration in your driving habits may save you more than gas someday. Ever wonder why Granddad’s 20 year old Cadillac still had such a smooth ride? Chances are he spent every weekend tinkering with it in the driveway, which both lengthens the life of a car and increase its fuel economy. The Department of Energy states that certain types of serious engine maintenance, such as replacing a busted oxygen sensor, can increase your fuel efficiency by as much as 40%. Keeping tires properly inflated will increase efficiency by 3.3% and regularly cleaning your air filter can improve efficiency by as much as 10%. Granddad was greener than he realized.

Have a safe and happy holiday trip! Celebrate green everydays by subscribing to our free e-newsletter on our web page, GreenerPenny.com. Follow us at Twitter.com/Greenerpenny and become a fan on GreenerPenny’s Facebook page.
Thanks!
Mindy

Simple and Certified Forest Friendly Holiday Gifts

2009-12-02T14:03:00.001-08:00

Simple holidays can be sumptuous. Here's how.

Gifts of Food

Bake--anything you like. Among my favorite Christmas gifts ever are tins of dark spicy gingersnaps baked by my friend Cindy. She gives them in colorful tins decorated with the Breton folk and flowers of Quimper ware (we both studied in France). Every time I refill the tins with my homemade cakes and cookies, I think of her and the neiges d'antan, and dwindling snowcaps and glaciers in a changing climate.

But be of good cheer! Life goes on. Our pollinator friend, Franny, fertilizes vanilla blossoms by hand with a medicine dropper, and her homemade vanilla extract makes my chocolate chip/ macadamia nut cookies gift-worthy, or so I am told.

In this spirit, The Rainforest Alliance (RA) advises being less materialistic about gifts generally. But you can be proud to give the many tropical food and forest products that have been certified sustainable by this fine non-profit organization.

Here are a few gift ideas sent from RA, just in time!

Khoury Furniture in Michigan makes its kids and grownups hardwood furniture in the U.S. from North American forests managed to protect wildlife, waterways and the safety of workers under the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Their “Certified by SmartWood” line meets FSC requirements as certified by RA.

Cutting boards by Preserve Products are made from 100% post-consumer recycled FSC-certified PaperStone™ paper.

Willamette Valley Vineyards wine bottles are stopped with cork harvested from FSC/Rainfo rest Alliance Certified forests. These provide habitat for wildlife including the endangered Iberian Lynx.

Coffee beans from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms are found in Caribou Coffee , Allegro Coffee, Yuban, Irving Farm and many more.

A gift of chocolate can benefit ecosystems and farm workers when you buy brands like Newman’s Own Organics, Vosges Haut-chocolat, Kallari and Vintage Plantations (their chocolate "library," above, makes an eco-literate statement!) that buy cocoa grown under the canopy by Rainforest Alliance Certified farms.

Give of yourself and your time

Volunteer in your community. Give to non-profits, like RA, and get a tax deduction. Or buy from artists who donate to environmental causes. Jack Johnson, for one, is donating 50% of net proceeds from his new album to Kokua Hawaii Foundation, which is dedicated to plastics-free living and environmental education and sustainable food in schools. A digital download (no wasteful packaging, no fuel miles) costs $12.

Want more simple green living tips? Subscribe to our free monthly e-newsletter at GreenerPenny.com. Follow us at Twitter.com/Greenerpenny and become a fan on GreenerPenny’s Facebook page.
Thanks!
Mindy

Lead-Free Green Toy Tips and Shopping List

2009-11-27T14:04:00.000-08:00

Here's GreenerPenny's new take on toys for this holiday season. To receive free-enewsletter updates on all things green, click "subscribe" at GreenerPenny.com.

Earlier this month, toxic levels of lead were found in several Barbie, Disney, and other toys in tests by the Center for Environmental Health. The toys were bought at Target, Sears, Wal-Mart, and TJ Maxx. This, despite federal legislation passed in January 2009 banning lead and phthalates in toys for young children. No need to panic; there are plenty of lead-free toys. Here’s how to find them.

First, what to avoid. Items in ever category, from painted wood blocks and wire bead sets to action figures, plush toys, cheap jewelry and decorated water bottles, have been recalled for high levels of lead.

Check your child’s wish list against this U.S. Centers for Disease Control list of toys recalled for lead levels by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC).. You can also search CPSC’s recalls by month. Give heightened scrutiny to imported toys made in Asia, and other countries that lack lead regulations. When in doubt, don’t buy, even if they’re from formerly trusted name brands.
Lists are just the tip of the iceberg. By the time most toys get recalled, they’ve already been sold. Give strict scrutiny to imported toys, including those with big U.S. brand names. Exception: Toys with an independently-verified CE safety label from the EU.

Here’s what to look for:

*Toys sold by trusted retailers you can talk with, and who can verify their products come from manufacturers who avoid lead. Like The Playstore.
*Toys bearing the CE label and an independent third party’s verifying stamp.
*Green toys made in the USA or Canada of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) wood, like many by Holgate, Rosie Hippo and others, or the colorful tea and cookware sets, trucks and more made from recycled plastic milk jugs by companies like Green Toys.
*Mothering Magazine's current issue with 24 green, nontoxic, fair-trade toys, including a crocheted astronaut and rocket ship!
*Toys made by PVC-free companies on Greenpeace’s Toy Report Card.
In addition to phthalates, PVC plastic often contains lead.
*Shop using Healthy Child Healthy World’s downloadable toy list, also on mobile. ***PLUS*** A great gift for parents: their practical environmental health book, out in paperback this year, by Christopher Gavigan.
*Toys tested for lead and phthalates and vetted for safety by Good Guide and their partner Healthy Stuff, where you can search by brand.

Beyond safety, there are other criteria, so check out Huffington Post’s 15 worst tasteless and offensive toys on sale this year! Ho-ho-ho!

Want more simple green living tips? Subscribe to our free monthly e-newsletter at GreenerPenny.com. Follow us at Twitter.com/Greenerpenny and become a fan on GreenerPenny’s Facebook page.
Thanks!
Mindy

Transfat-free, easy pie crust recipe

2009-11-26T12:26:00.000-08:00

I refuse to eat refrigerator/frozen premade pie crusts. First, I'm generally trying to cut back on processed foods. Second, premade pastries are usually made with bleached flour and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, aka trans fats, which are much worse for our arteries and hearts than plain old saturated fats (see this report by Center for Science in the Public Interest. ) Palm oil, another common ingredient in baked goods, is responsible for the clearing of rainforests for plantations. Plus there's all that extra salt, and preservatives. Give me good old butter!

The following crust is adapted from Chef Alice Waters, healthy local foods champion.

1 C unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
3 1/2 Tbs. ice water

Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl; add 2 Tbs. of the butter. Blend in a mixer until dough resembles coarse cornmeal. Add remaining butter; mix until biggest pieces look like large peas.
Dribble in water, stir, then dribble in more, until dough just holds together. Toss with hands, letting it fall through fingers, until it's ropy with some dry patches. If dry patches predominate, add another tablespoon water. Keep tossing until you can roll dough into a ball. Flatten into a 4-inch-thick disk; refrigerate. After at least 30 minutes, remove; let soften so it's malleable but still cold. Smooth cracks at edges. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a 14-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick.

From Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse Café Cookbook.

Tips for a Sustainable and Survivable Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T02:03:00.000-08:00

I personally know two women who literally broke their backs while taking 20-lb. Thanksgiving turkeys from the oven. That’s not sustainable! Although I like to eat turkey, as a child I was disturbed by the mass seasonal slaughter and the deadening conformity of nearly every household’s cooking and eating the same thing on the same day.

Now I realize that what I actually oppose are industrial factory farms, and thecommodification of what was originally a local and spiritual feast of thanks for good fellowship and food.

Below are a few ideas for sustaining yourself, your community and the planet.

* Give to the hungry. Donate dollars to non-profit organizations in your community that serve free meals to the needy. For where to take food, locate your local food bank, participating supermarkets and other distribution channels through Feeding America.

* Eat out if you like. While cooking whole foods at home most days is better for the budget and health, it’s a holiday! Don’t break your back.

To find a green restaurant near you that serves local and sustainably produced food, type in your zip code at Eat Well Guide. Within 20 miles of my Honolulu home I found 12 restaurants ranging from gourmet Alan Wong’s to health food bars.

Eat conformity-free. “My brother and I decided to eat out and only eat desserts. We'll skip the turkey, dressing and side dishes,” writes my friend Julio Vega, a creative director and book designer in New York City. I feel lighter already!

* Find local produce and animal products, farmers’ markets and farm stands at Local Harvest

*Vegetables can make the meal, and not just for vegans.

Thanks to Paul Rauber, senior editor at Sierra Magazine, for sharing “my fabulous brussel sprout side dish that even brussel sprout haters like. Trim ends off sprouts, slice thinly. Saute in brown butter (or just butter) until they begin to brown. Add stock to not even cover, plus roasted walnuts or pecans. Cook maybe 5 minutes, squeeze on a spritz of lemon, and there you go. It's from Alice Waters' Vegetables. Have a great day!”

And why not stuff a squash instead of a bird? My Aunt Claire makes a succulent roast pumpkin filled with apples, cranberries, raisins, nuts and grains. Check out these recipes at Cooks.com .

Food for thought: “Animal, Vegetable, Miserable,” by vegan philosopher Gary Steiner, in the Sunday New York Times.

* Turkey shopping? Choose heritage, organic and/or certified humane. Call your local natural and health food supermarkets.

Heritage birds are registered breeds such as the Narragansett, the first domesticized turkey in the U.S. Buying them helps preserve a diverse gene pool. Plus, they’re able to breed naturally, unlike the industrial Broad-Breasted Bronzes or Whites, whose bodies are too heavy and legs too short for sport. Your bird might also be a Bourbon Red, White Holland, Royal Palm, or Standard Bronze. We got a Bourbon Red from Mary’s Turkeys. We could tell because it’s, ahem, flat-chested, lacking the “high, raised keel bone” that characterizes a Naragansett, according to Mary.

Thinking ahead to December, you can order heritage poultry, meat, wine, and artisanal cheeses through Heritage Foods USA, the retail arm of Slow Foods USA.

Organic turkeys have to be raised without antibiotics and eat organic, vegetarian feed free of GMOs and pesticides. Make sure it displays the USDA Certified Organic label. certified organic ranch; guaranteed no GMOs, no pesticides.

Is there a dif from a taste point of view? “Organic has a larger breast, heritage has larger thighs,” says Mary of Mary’s turkeys.

Philosophically, we favor humane animal welfare labels that guarantee the creature had had freedom to move about, clean quarters, fresh air, a vegetarian diet, and was slaughtered with minimal suffering. The most reliable labels are certified humane, food alliance and animal welfare approved.

Need a turkey recipe? We like Maria Rodale’s.

*Pumpkin Pie? Buy fresh farmers’ market kabocha/acorn squash or canned organic pumpkin. While there’s a reported shortage of conventional canned pumpkin, shelves at natural food stores are well-stocked with organic in cans. Find regular and vegan (dairy free) recipes here.

*Prepare for Psychic Survival with Sierra Club’s Thanksgiving how-to-cope guide. Provides witty, fact-based ripostes to environment-bashing table talk.

BPA-free sport and baby bottle list 2009

2009-11-13T15:27:00.001-08:00

To ensure that your reusable bottle, or your baby's nurser, isn't releasing Bisphenol-A (BPA) into your favorite drinks, first check that the bottles aren’t polycarbonate (PC) plastic, which contains the hormone-disrupting chemical. Here is GreenerPenny's newly updated shopping list for BPA-free bottles for baby, you and kids.

BPA-free BOTTLES List (Note: Many come in sippy cup or 12-oz. kid-size versions, too, and some offer water filter/purification attachments)

Stainless Steel:
Camelbak
Ecousable's stainless steel bottles have nifty new half-turn loop tops. Until Nov. 15, they're 20% off in honor of folks making the switch from BPA-tainted older Sigg bottles.
Enviro Products makes an "I Bottle My Own" version for clean water non-profit Riverkeeper . Classic Kleen Kanteen (incl 12 oz), at Greenfeet.com
Thermos compact stainless bottle with cup lid
ThinkSport Stainless Courtney, a reader, comments that this shapely, grippable double-walled stainless model is her fave.

Lined Aluminum:
Sigg's new EcoCare lining, in bottles made since August 2008, has been independently tested and found BPA-free. The old linings contained BPA.

BPA-free Plastics:
The newest plastic in sports bottles is Tritan copolyester, which has the clarity and colors of Lexan without the BPA.
Tritan Bottles:
Cambelbak Tritan REI
Nalgene OTG Tritan (12 oz) and (HDPE #2) loop-top bottles

Polyethylene (PETE #1):
Katadyn (contains a carbon water filter) and Novara Flowers widemouth bottle, at REI.com

Polypropylene #5:
Rubbermaid Chug Sport, Sippin' Sport
Somafab Crystal Polypro ThinkSport
Tupperware kids' bottles, including Kung Fu Panda, Little Princess and Dora; Impressions lidded tumblers (12 oz.); Ice Prisms Bowls and Tumblers (however, the pitcher that comes with the set is PC!)

BABY BOTTLES

Glass:
Dr. Brown's
Bornfree
Evenflo Classics

Non-PC Plastic (BPA-free)
Adiri (#5)
Bornfree: either polyamide (PA) or polyethersulphone (PES)
Gerber Fashion Tints & Clear View (#5)
Green to Grow (PES)
Medela breastmilk storage and feeding set
Playtex (#4)
Sassy MAM (#5)
Think Baby (PES)

Why avoid BPA? Last spring, the U.S. National Toxicology Program warned that BPA may pose a threat to human health. Studies have connected BPA with diabetes and heart disease in humans, and behavioral and reproductive problems in animals. In lab tests it has caused normal human cells to express genes linked to breast cancer. BPA is already present in 93% of Americans, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s “body burden” studies of representative populations. BPA has been found to migrate more readily out of polycarbonate when the plastic is heated, washed in strong detergents, scratched or worn-out. All sports or baby bottles are subject to these conditions, but, happily, not all are made of PC. Nalgene has announced it will phase out its clear, colorful PC Lexan bottles, and Wal-mart has removed PC baby bottles from its Canada stores and pledged to stop selling them in the U.S.

Got questions or tips? Ask Mindy at GreenerPenny@gmail.com, follow us at Twitter.com/greenerpenny, and become a GreenerPenny Facebook fan!

Best recycled paper products for home & office

2009-11-09T10:50:00.001-08:00

Although one New York City family famously pledged to live without toilet tissue for a year, as chronicled in No Impact Man, post-consumer-recycled paper is about as low-impact as most of us can get. And actually that's quite a lot. In addition to saving trees, which store CO2 and keep it from further warming Earth's atmosphere, making recycled paper uses about 50% less energy than making virgin paper, according to the California Department of Environmental Management. Carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases are much on our minds this Blog Action Day, whose theme is climate change. Office and School Paper Why post-consumer? Because it means that the paper has actually been used and recycled. Plain "recycled" can include virgin paper manufacturing scraps. So look for at least 30% post-consumer-waste (PCW or PCR) recycled content in all the paper you buy. In an ideal world, we could all afford 100% PCW paper, which saves 5 lbs. Of CO2 per ream (500 sheets), as calculated by Stop Global Warming. But the cheapest I could find in stores was MEAD 100% PCR multiuse recycled copy paper, 24-lb weight, for over $22/ream (500 sheets). Hammermill 30% PCR multiuse paper was about $5/ream. That still saves about 1.6 lbs of CO2! Both papers are available at Recycled Products; 30% multiuse PCR reams can also be bought for about $5 at Staples stores. Recycled Paper with PCW from 30–100 percent, as well as chlorine-free, eco-certified, and tree-free papers can be found from the following makers: Badger Paper Boise Aspen Dolphin Blue Green Field Paper Hammermill Mohawk Paper New Leaf Wasau Staples sells its own, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified brand; its labels say that their 30% PCW paper reduces greenhouse gases by 11% and their 100% PCW stock means 37% less carbon emitted. Online retailers, which often have better prices, include Amazon Recycled Products The Paper Mill Store / Paper Towels, Napkins, Tissues The up-to 80% PCW paper towels, napkins, facial and toilet tissues made by the companies below are also processed without chlorine (PCF), thus keeping toxic dioxins out of the environment. Cascade’s "North River" brand Earth First (at Safeway stores) Planet Seventh Generation, / Whole Foods’s 365 / Marcal contains 20-60% PCR, according to Conservatree. Kimberly Clark's Scott paper products have pledged to go 40% PCW recycled and FSC certified by 2011. An informative place to shop for green papers is Treecycle. Also see Greenpeace's guide, which lists brands of facial and toilet tissues, paper towels and napkins that have at least 100% recycled content, 50% post-consumer-recycled content, and are processed without chlorine bleach. And do your own paper use/carbon emissions calculations courtesy of Environmental Defense Fund. Since it's Blog Action Day, we've signed on to take action to stop global warming here. Please join us! And impress (and motivate) your friends with Pew's global warming facts and stats.

How to stop junk mail

2009-11-03T14:33:00.000-08:00

Time to liberate yourself from waves of paper junk mail. Sure, you recycle, but who wants to lug what you never asked for in the first place?

A free and easy way to do this is Catalog Choice. You search for participating catalog companies and check off the ones you want to oust from your mailbox. It's quite a comprehensive list, includind many familiar green-minded as well as conventional companies.

It takes up to 3 months to take effect, but at least you'll know that it's gonna end.

Also free: Call companies whose mailings you don't want. Use the toll-free customer service phone number in the catalog. After all, you can always shop online or by phone, and save on gasoline and greenhouse gases released out of the tailgate of your car.

Take yourself off junk mail lists by using the Direct Mail Association's DMAchoice.org service. It costs but $1. .tomcat2

Or, subscribe to Mail Stopper Tonic (formerly Green Dimes ). For $20 a year, they'll declutter your mailbox and plant five trees on your behalf.

See the New American Dream's Junk the Junk Mail campaign.

For more info, click here.

Best Green Halloween Chocolate List

2009-10-26T09:34:00.001-07:00

A healthy Halloween for people and planet is possible! First, did we really need a study to show that eating chocolate produces feelings of joy? Dark chocolate also lowers blood pressure and cardiovascular risk, according to an article in the Archives of Internal Medicine. It might also fight diabetes, the journal Circulation reported this year.

In addition to our health, we can do some good for the environment and workers' welfare by dosing ourselves with the chocolates below, which are, as noted, certified organic (O), fairly traded and grown without forced child labor (F), and/or shade-grown (S)under rainforest canopies, which preserves habitat for migratory birds, and with fewer chemicals, as certified by the Rainforest Alliance (RA), which is also partnering with Mars to certify more cacao farms.

more fr RA chocolate Newman’s Own Organics, Vosges Haut-chocolat, Kallari and Vintage Plantations that buy cocoa from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms.from Artisan du Chocolat, Côte d'Or, Kallari, Nature's Treasures, Newman's Own Organics, Sibu Chocolates and The Chocolate Truffle Company.

Art Bar (O,F) (www.artbar.com)
Cocavino (O,F) (www.cocoavino.com)
Divine (F) (www.divinechocolate.com)
Eccobella (F) (www.eccobella.com)
Equal Exchange (O,F) (www.equalexchange.org).
Gaia (O,F) (www.katescaringgifts.com)
Green and Black’s Maya Gold bars (O,F) (www.greenandblacks.com)
Lake Champlain Hot Cocoa (O,F) (www.lakechamplainchocolates.com)
La Siembra (O,F) (www.lasiembra.com)
Newman’s Own Organics (O)

RainforestFriendly(O,F,S) http://www.rainforestfriendly.com/chocolate.php
Rapunzel (O,F) (http://www.rapunzel.com/)

Shaman Chocolates (O)(http://www.shamanchocolates.com/)
Sweet Earth (O,F) (www.sweetearthchocolates.com)
Theo’s (O,F): Proceeds from their Jane Goodall Bar contribute to her chimpanzee institute. (www.theochocolate.com).
Vintage Plantations Arriba (O,F, RA) (www.chocolatepath.com)
Yachana (FTF) (http://www.yachanagourmet.com/)

GreenerPenny@gmail.com

Can Poetry save the Earth?

2009-10-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

Went to talk today at alumni reunion by a fave English Lit professor from undergraduate days, John Felstiner. His book asks this question, and puts us back in touch with attentiveness to the pleasure of just being in Nature. And the awe. He quotes William Stafford's "The Well Rising," watching swallows fly and concluding, "I place my feet with care in such a world."

But can poetry save the Earth? "What can poetry do?" Felstiner asks. "Next to nothing. But that would still be something."

I heartily recommend this thoughtful, lively book, at once an anthology of nature poems--by Blake, Coleridge, Keats, Wordsworth, Clare, Roethke, Snyder, St. Vincent Millay, Momaday, Levertov and more-- and an expedition of discovery with Felstiner as a searching and witty guide. It makes me feel saved!

Can Poetry Save the Earth, from Yale University Press.

International EVERYday of Climate Action

2009-10-24T11:41:00.000-07:00

Today is International Day of Climate Action, and you can join and start making a difference just by being counted as among the caring at 350.org. You can also find lots of actions you and your family can join in your locale. For example, in Hawaii, students are drawing a blue line with chalk to show how high sea levels will rise if CO2 emissions continue to grow at their current rate.

But of course, to really take effect, the Day of Climate Action should be every day. That's where we individuals make a difference with the small steps we take in our daily lives, from home energy and transportation to recycling, our food, computing and paper choices, and more.

Stay in touch! Let me know what you did on climate action day (or not), and what you'd like to know more about doing every day. Subscribe to my free email newsletter full of tips by sending an email with "subscribe" in the subject line to GreenerPenny@gmail.com, and forward it to your friends. Thank you.

Best Recycled Papers for Blog Action Day vs Climate Change!

2009-10-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

Top Ten Cosmetic Ingredients to Avoid

2009-10-13T22:18:00.000-07:00

Here's what to look out for, and steer clear of, on ingredients lists in the personal care product aisles.

1. Aluminum Starch/ Octenylsuccinate: Linked to cancer and developmental/reproductive harm.

2. Antibacterials/ antimicrobials such as Triclosan, which promote the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria.

3. Coal tar colors: Includes FD&C and D & C colors, especially blue 1 and green 3. Cancer links.

4. Ethoxylated Chemicals (the “PEGs” and “Eths”s): These sudsing/moisturizing agents are made by adding ethylene oxide to fatty acids so they’ll become more water soluble. This process can create carcinogenic 1,4 dioxane. Watch out for PEG-80 sorbitan laurate, PEG-6 methyl ether, Polyethylene glycol, PEG-20, Sodium laureth sulfate, Sodium coco sulfate (from coconut)Ceteareth-20 and -30, and many more substances with “PEG”- and “eth” in their names.

5. Formaldehyde: While it won't show up on ingredients lists, this known human carcinogen can be present as a contaminant in nearly all types of personal care products. Look for its contaminated "cousins": diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, and quaternium .

6. Fragrance: Synthetic fragrance using phthalates, isoeugenol, cinnamal, and BHT--a fragrance used to mask fragrance--is linked to cancer and developmental/ reproductive harm, allergies.

7. Heavy Metals: Lead and mercury in lip and eye makeups can cause nervous system and brain damage.

8. Nano particles: Still new on the block, but research indicates they may pose possible brain damage, cancer risks.

9. Synthetic Preservatives: Methylparaben and other parabens have been found in breast cancer tumors and stimulate growth of breast cancer cells in the lab.

10. Silica: A risk mostly when used in powders that can be easily inhaled. Mica and talc, also used in powders, are low-risk, although talc can be contaminated with fibers similar to cancer-causing asbestos.

The list was compiled using Environmental Working Group's awesome Skin Deep Database .

Must-avoid cosmetic and plastic chemicals for women's and our children's health

2009-10-12T14:24:00.000-07:00

Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I might have made a more mindful--and healthier--cosmetic choice. But no. I rushed out and bought enough Clinique stuff to score their promo bagful of free essentials. If only they were free of toxic chemicals! First shock: The cute apple-printed cosmetics clutch is made of polyester, derived from petroleum, a nonrenewable resource. Worse, there's yet another plastic pouch inside, made of PVC, the most toxic and least recyclable plastic. Colored bright green, it's got the new-shower-curtain smell of phthalates , chemicals that have been tied to reproductive malformations, obesity and asthma in humans.

But here's some good news: On September 29, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson announced she's seeking stricter regulation of chemical compounds, and targeted six culprits as top priorities for investigation, including phthalates and BPA (Bisphenol-A), another plastics chemical. A new study, published October 6 in Environmental Health Perspectives online, concludes that mothers' exposures to BPA while pregnant may cause behavioral problems in their daughters; in addition to the growing evidence of nervous system harm, BPA has stimulated the growth of breast cancer cells in the lab tests. How are we exposed to BPA? Through polycarbonate plastic drink bottles, baby bottles, and can linings. For more info and safer products, click here and here. Oh, and here--see the comments regarding Sigg's previous denial that its aluminum bottle linings had BPA. GreenerPenny readers are healthy skeptics.

Oh, and never microwave in any plastic! Use these glass or ceramic dishes instead.
More good news: The list of ingredients in my Clinique booty does not include "fragrance," which, as every good cosmetics sleuth knows by now, is basically code for synthetic scents containing phthalates.

Bad news: Clinique's lovely classic Dramatically Different Moisture Lotion contains parabens, some must-avoid chemicals which have also been found to cause the growth of breast cancer cells in vitro. Would that it were truly so different! Many, many popular moisturizers and other personal care products, including some so-called "natural" brands, use parabens. For healthier choices, see my list of paraben- and phthalate-free cosmetics.

Awareness and early detection are crucial, but October should also be Breast Cancer Prevention month. For 20 breast cancer risk factors to avoid, and why, see this excellent article by Dr. Janet Gray of the Breast Cancer Fund.

For helping to inform our choices, kudos to California, where, since June, cosmetic companies have been required to disclose which of their ingredients are suspected or known carcinogens.
For more info on breaking environmental health news and what we can do to protect ourselves and our families, please subscribe to my free weekly e-newsletter by clicking on the link at GreenerPenny.com or send an email to me with "subscribe" in the subject line at GreenerPenny@gmail.com.

Safest, greenest insect repellents

2009-08-10T02:12:00.000-07:00

For all the itchy welts and sleep deprivation they cause, biting insects are more of a nuisance than a health threat--unless you're in a place rife with insect-borne disease. A mosquito can carry malaria, West Nile or dengue fevers; a tiny tick can lay you out with Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain fever; and fleas are transmitters of the plague . If you're not in an area where these diseases are spreading, least-toxic, plant-based insect repellents should suffice. But if there's an outbreak of serious disease, you probably won't want to take any chances.

Read on for a comparison of conventional and least-toxic repellents, and tips for other ways to avoid bites.

Conventional Mosquito Repellent

You don't want to mess with malaria. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Environmental Protection Agency say the most effective mosquito deterrent is DEET (N, N-diethylin-tolumide), the active ingredient in conventional products like Cutter and Off! These products should, however, be used cautiously to prevent overexposure, since DEET is absorbed by the skin.

Earlier this month, French scientists found that, in addition to modifying behavior, DEET affects a key nervous system enzyme found in mammals, including humans, as well as insects. The researchers questioned the safety of DEET, "particularly in combination with other chemicals," they noted, and called for more investigation of possible nervous system toxicity in people.

Best bet: Don't apply DEET directly to skin. Put it on kerchiefs, socks or hat brims. Avoid spraying it--I myself suffered an asthma attack after lightly spraying a DEET repellent on my clothes, even though I did so outdoors and took care to aim away from my face.

Conventional Tick Repellents

More news this summer: Deer ticks, which carry Lyme disease, are expanding their range due to global warming. Permethrin, a synthetic version of natural pyrethrins from chrysanthemums, has been found to be more effective against ticks than DEET. A nervous system toxicant that paralyzes insects, permethrin is not approved for use directly on skin, but may only be applied to clothing, which you can buy pre-treated. So if you're going for a hike or gardening in a tick- infested place you may want to opt for permethrin on socks and bandannas, say, rather than DEET. Permethrins belong to a class of chemicals known as pyrethroids, which are used in flea and tick shampoos for pets and some head lice shampoos and scabies treatments for people.

In the environment, permethrin is particularly toxic to aquatic life, harming amphibians, and killing crustaceans, rainbow trout, salmon and others. For more information on permethrin's environmentally damaging effects, and further info on pyrethroids and permethrins possible health impacts on humans, see the CDC and Beyond Pesticides fact sheets.

It's not enough to rely on permethrin-coated clothing, because it only protects the skin it covers. Bare skin on the face, back of the neck, on hands, wrists and ankles can still get bit. So skin should be dabbed as needed with the least-toxic effective insect repellent you can find. (See product list below).

Repelling Mosquitos and Ticks

Picaridin, used in Avon's Skin So Soft Bug Guard and some Cutter and other formulations, is a synthetic repellent that, according to the EPA, can be an irritant and mildly toxic when inhaled, applied to skin or tasted . Like permethrin, picaridin is based on the structure of plant compounds, in this case, piperine, from the pepper family. This gives it a somewhat greener ambience, but it's still a synthetic chemical. Picaridin has some toxicity to freshwater fish but shows no evidence of being carcinogenic or disrupting hormones.

Greener, Gentler (on You) Insect Repellents

Here are some true and officially effective plant-based ingredients to look for:

Citronella: Gets a thumbs-up for effectiveness from the CDC, although it's never worked for me!
Oil of lemon eucalyptus: Gets a yes from the CDC and the EPA, which includes it among registered products that "provide reasonably long-lasting protection," with one big caveat: It should not be applied on children younger than 3 years. In Kiss My Face Swyflotter [sic], and Off! Botanicals, discontinued, but still possibly on shelves; reviewed here.

Green Products: The repellents listed below use only plant essential oils as active ingredients. Test them to find one that works best for you--some people swear by soybean oil, others by peppermint or eucalyptus. I find that lavender and lemongrass oils work for me (I also like their fragrance).

All Terrain Herbal Armor: citronella, peppermint, cedar, lemongrass, and geranium oils

Badger Anti-Bug Balm: citronella, cedar, lemongrass, rosemary and geranium oil
mosquitoes and biting insects

Bite Blocker Herbal Spray: soybean, coconut, and geranium oils

BugBand Family Assorted Insect Repelling Wristbands: geraniol

Burt's Bees Herbal Insect Repellent: soybean, castor, rosemary, lemongrass, cedar, peppermint, citronella, clove and geranium oils

Buzz Away Extreme: soybean, geranium, castor, cedarwood, citronella, peppermint and lemongrass oils

Hawaiian Bath n Body's Bug B Gone: lemongrass, eucalyptus, citronelle and other oils, as well as traditional Hawaiian kukui nut oil. Yum!

Jason Quit Bugging Me! soybean and geranium oil

Lakon Herbals Bygone Bugzz: sunflower, eucalyptus, rosemary, birch, peppermint, geranium, and lemongrass oils

Way Out Wax Original Garden Peace: lavender, tea tree and neem oils

How to Use Repellents Safely

EPA recommends the following precautions when using insect repellents:

*Apply repellents only to exposed skin and/or clothing (as directed on the product label.)
*Do not use repellents under clothing.
*Never use repellents over cuts, wounds or irritated skin.
*Do not apply to eyes or mouth, and apply sparingly around ears.
*When using sprays, do not spray directly on face—spray on hands first and then apply to face. *Do not allow children to handle the product.
*After returning indoors, wash treated skin with soap and water or bathe.
* If you or your child get a rash or other bad reaction from an insect repellent, stop using the repellent, wash the repellent off with mild soap and water, and call a local poison control center for further guidance. If you go to a doctor because of the repellent, take the repellent with you to show the doctor.
*Don’t use sunblock/insect repellent combos, because sunblock should be reapplied frequently, but this can lead to overexposure to the repellent.

See more product ratings at Slate.

Other Ways to Avoid Bites

The very best way to prevent insect bites and the diseases they carry is to stay away from insect environments, like the tall grass and underbrush beloved of ticks, and train your kids to do so.
*Be aware that mosquitos are most numerous outdoors from twilight until dawn, so stay indoors then or cover up well.
*Fix leaks and drain the stagnant pools and puddles of water where they breed (check raingutters and flowerpot saucers, too).
*If you're in a tick area, be sure everyone bathes and checks all over their bodies every night.

For more info: To find your state health dept, click here: To find your nearest USDA cooperative extension service, click here .