Good-bye Triclosan, Almost!

Twenty-five years ago I thought antibacterial soap was a good thing. We have learned it is harmful to people and water creatures. When we wash our hands these chemicals end up in our waterways. Researchers have found that use of triclosan could create a resistance to antibiotics creating superbugs. Also, triclosan could be harmful to fish and aquatic life causing an imbalance in their hormones. Like many chemicals we put in our waterways, triclosan is something we all should avoid. Luckily, Minnesota banned the use of triclosan in soaps several years ago, but I am still seeing it in hand wash when I travel around the country. I was thrilled to hear the FDA had banned it from products because there is no evidence it is better than soap without antibiotics. As with many things, the original information was wrong. NPR had an informative story on superbugs, and the United Nation’s concern about them, read it here. And the Star Tribune has an informative post on triclosan.

What is triclosan and why should you care? It is an antibacterial used in hand wash, cleaning products, soaps, lotions and some other products. For sometime it has been recommended not to purchase products using triclosan because it can lead to antibiotic resistance and hormone imbalance, and it is harmful to fish. Unfortunately, triclosan has been allowed to remain in Colgate Toothpaste. I recommend not using Colgate products. See the story below.

What if you have a product with triclosan? The Minnesota Pollution Control told me to throw it in the garbage. DO NOT PUT DOWN THE DRAIN or toilet.

https://health4earth.com/2013/02/10/dont-purchase-products-with-tricolsan/

Everyday Items you should replace!

Many of these items I have written about before. This is a good reminder to replace some things around our homes like our toothbrushes. Pesticides, weed killers, and lawn fertilizers should be eliminated.

Everyday items that you’d be better off without or should replace:

Use vinegar and baking soda for cleaning

“Clearing your kitchen of artificial sweeteners, plastic food containers, non-stick cookware, and replacing old spices will eliminate common sources of toxins and boost your health
Air fresheners, toiletries and cosmetics, antibacterial soap, and commercial cleaners are other sources of toxins to eliminate.” This list is from: www.mercola.com

I hope you will read the article below:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/04/06/10-everyday-items-throw-away.aspx?x_cid=20150520_ranart_10-everyday-items-throw-away_facebookdoc

Never throw any of these items down the drain or toilet, and recycle the containers if possible! They should go in the landfill garbage or brought to hazardous waste collections. Spices can be composted, and purchased in small bulk amounts at food coops. Store your spices in small glass bottles.

https://health4earth.com/reduce-chemicals/

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20892663,00.html

World Water Day, March 22

World Water Day, What can you do?

Living in the land of Ten Thousand Lakes and having a love affair with Lake Superior, I know first hand that clean water is important! I think of the West Coast of the United States and their severe drought every time I turn on the faucet. Below are water saving ideas from me and The World Wildlife Federation. This is serious. Water will be the next “most valuable resource,” and our survival as a people depends on adequate sources of clean water.

Ideas to help you protect the earth’s fresh water:

My List (doing one thing can make a difference!)

1. Reduce or eliminate all your use of chemicals in cleaning agents, and lawn and garden products. Tough I know, Read on…

2. Baking soda and vinegar will clean almost anything. See my chemical free cleaner on my Reduce Chemicals Page: https://health4earth.com/reduce-chemicals/

3. Use plants in your yard that do not require chemicals(native plants) and reduce the size of your lawn. Most native plants don’t need to be watered! http://findnativeplants.com/

4. Install rain barrels under your drain spouts or put rain gardens in areas where your water drains. Use this water to water your plants. AND redirect your drain spouts so they water your lawn.

5. Install a septic holding tank if your sewage does not drain into a public sewage system.

6. Purchase as many products you can afford that are organic or GMO free to reduce the amount of nitrates running into our lakes and streams.

7. Adopt a storm drain, keeping leaves, trash and yard waste from washing into our streams and lakes.

8. Never use cleaning materials that contain triclosan. http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentaries/251323351.html

9. Purchase products made from recycled materials. Recycled paper uses 60-70% less energy than virgin pulp and 55% less water.

10. Pick up after your dog, and never use salt on your sidewalk.

And from The World Wildlife Federation:

We all can do something to help fresh water. This World Water Day, March 22, you too can take action. Here’s how:

Raise a Glass…and Awareness
Express appreciation of fresh water by making a toast, taking a picture, and sharing it across social networks with #ToastToWater.

Crowdsource Scientific Data
Next time you’re near a river, stream or lake, take and pictures of the freshwater fish you encounter and upload them for conservation scientists around the world.

Adopt a Freshwater Species
Make a donation to symbolically adopt a freshwater species, such as a pink river dolphin or hellbender salamander.

Build a Rain Barrel
The average roof collects 600 gallons of water for every inch of rain. Capture some of that stormwater and help protect freshwater resources by building a rain barrel.

Learn about Unseen Water
Water is in almost everything. Take your average cotton t-shirt as an example: it can take 2,700 liters to produce the cotton needed to make a single t-shirt. While it’s important to fix leaky taps and buy efficient washing machines, we need to also be conscious of the unseen or “virtual water” we consume every day.

http://lillienews.com/articles/2014/03/20/water-water-everywhere-not-drip-sink#.UyyZTKhdVNs

Thank you, at the end of the day, we will all be healthier!

It’s the Only Water We Will Ever Have!

Do we take our drinkable water for granted?

The water we have here on earth is the ONLY water we will ever have! Our water moves through the incredible water cycle by evaporating, and then returning to earth in some form of precipitation. We reuse, reuse and reuse the same water. I have gratitude that, my state, Minnesota is a water rich state. Unfortunately, even in proud Minnesota we don’t take care of our water.

Seelink: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/295353031.html Streams and lakes in southwest Minnesota unsafe for fish and swimming

If this is the only water we will ever have on earth, shouldn’t we treat it better? What we do on the land affects what happens in our water. Rain through polluted air brings those chemicals into our water bodies. Rain washes chemicals off our houses, lawns, sidewalks and fields into our rivers and lakes. Micro-beads and triclosan from our cosmetics and cleaning products wash into our waters. Litter from landscapes and streets and highways can find it’s way into our streams, lakes and oceans. Our water does have some ability to clean itself, but with the amounts of pollutants we put into it, it has become impossible! It is very expensive to clean polluted water and impossible to remove plastics and Styrofoam. What can we all do to ensure clean water? If we all work together we can make a difference.

Easy ways to protect our water:

* Never litter, pick up litter, and all waste from your dogs.

* Never put salt on your sidewalks

* Don’t put chemicals on your yard or plants. Reduce the size of your lawn with a few easy to raise native plants.

* Never use Styrofoam and recycle all plastic, paper, cans and glass.

https://health4earth.com/2013/01/22/do-not-use-the-chemical-triclosan/

https://health4earth.com/2014/07/16/what-products-contain-microbeads/

World Water Day, What can you do?

My list gives you more specific action. Here are ideas to help you protect the earth’s fresh water:

1. Reduce or eliminate all your use of chemicals in cleaning agents, and lawn and garden products. Tough I know, Read on…

2. Baking soda and vinegar will clean almost anything. See my chemical free cleaner on my Reduce Chemicals Page: https://health4earth.com/reduce-chemicals/

3. Use plants in your yard that do not require chemicals(native plants) and reduce the size of your lawn. Native plants also don’t need to be watered! http://findnativeplants.com/

4. Install rain barrels under your drain spouts or put rain gardens in areas where your water drains. Use this water to water your plants.

5. Install a septic holding tank if your sewage does not drain into a public sewage system.

6. Purchase as many products you can afford that are organic or GMO free to reduce the amount of nitrates running into our lakes and streams.

7. Adopt a storm drain, keeping leaves, trash and yard waste from washing into our streams and lakes.

8. Never use cleaning materials that contain Triclosan. http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentaries/251323351.html

9. Purchase products made from recycled materials. Recycled paper uses 60-70% less energy than virgin pulp and 55% less water.

And from The World Wildlife Federation:

We all can do something to help fresh water. This World Water Day, March 22, you too can take action. Here’s how:

Raise a Glass…and Awareness
Express appreciation of fresh water by making a toast, taking a picture, and sharing it across social networks with #ToastToWater.

Crowdsource Scientific Data
Next time you’re near a river, stream or lake, take and pictures of the freshwater fish you encounter and upload them for conservation scientists around the world.

Adopt a Freshwater Species
Make a donation to symbolically adopt a freshwater species, such as a pink river dolphin or hellbender salamander.

Walk for Water
Join WWF, the State Department and other conservation organizations in a 6k Walk for Water on April 23 to learn more about freshwater issues and how they impact people and nature. While the main event will be held in the District of Columbia, people around the world will take the symbolic walk and share their experience with #6kWaterWalk. Want to learn more? Join freshwater expert Karin Krchnak in a related #WaterTalk on April 2.

Build a Rain Barrel
The average roof collects 600 gallons of water for every inch of rain. Capture some of that stormwater and help protect freshwater resources by building a rain barrel.

Learn about Unseen Water
Water is in almost everything. Take your average cotton t-shirt as an example: it can take 2,700 liters to produce the cotton needed to make a single t-shirt. While it’s important to fix leaky taps and buy efficient washing machines, we need to also be conscious of the unseen or “virtual water” we consume every day.

http://lillienews.com/articles/2014/03/20/water-water-everywhere-not-drip-sink#.UyyZTKhdVNs

A Happier Healthier 2014 For You

“Maybe you can’t change the whole world, but you can change your world.” Harvey Mackay

Climate change is real, human activity is causing it, and with all of us taking simple actions we can make a big difference. Below are my suggestions for a new commitment to our earth, our children, and to our own health!

My top TEN suggestions for a happier healthier 2014:

Always turn off lights and unplug electronics when not in use. For me this is a constant effort because I love light during the winter!
Drive less: Walk, bike, ride share, Carpool, combine errands, and take public transport.
Reduce two-cycle engine pollution: Add more garden and pollinator friendly plants to reduce your lawn mowing, shovel snow by hand, and choose silent sports. Polluting our air is not cool!!
Purchase products made from recycled materials. This saves energy, trees, water and natural resources. Recycled paper products are the easiest to find.
Reduce or eliminate your use of pesticides, especially Neonicotinoids. You, your pets, birds and butterflies will be much healthier.
Reduce or eliminate beef from your diet. Producing beef uses lots of energy!
Recycle all plastics, glass and metal cans, and of course paper. According to TerraCycle 84% of household waste can be recycled
Turn down the thermostat and survey your home for ways it can be more efficient. Schedule an energy audit from your local power company.
Read Labels: Never purchase or use hand wash or cleaning products with Triclosan. There is evidence they are hormone disrupters and they concentrate in our lakes and streams. Change your cleaning products to reduce chemicals in your home. Baking soda and vinegar can clean almost anything! This is a link to make your own products: http://www.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/view-document.html?gid=11368
Finally, work to elect leaders that believe in Climate change.