Incandescent, CFL and LED hanging bulbs
By Catherine Haug, Oct 21, 2015 (Photo, right, from Recycle Nation (4))
We’ve all been encouraged to use CFL(compact fluorescent light) bulbs because they save on energy consumption. But CFLs contain mercury, the most toxic substance known to man, which means you should not put them in your trash. Also, you cannot put them with your regular recyclables, so what do you do when they burn out?
Is there a better alternative?
(more…)
Garbage Can with Lid
By Catherine Haug, Oct 2015 (Photo, right, from US Plastics (1)
It is now well known that we should avoid the plastic BPA or BPS because they can cause cancer. But I have long believed that all plastics are bad for our health – not just as a cause for cancer. Recently, my belief has strong scientific support.
Most plastics are not biodegradable, but they do break down in a different, harmful way. They form micro-particles/fibers that make their way into our waters and eventually to the oceans where their pollution of the water is analogous to pollution of our air by micro-particles. Remember how your lungs, sinuses and throat felt this summer from breathing the micro-particles in smoke from forest fires? (more…)
Friesian-Holsten
By Catherine Haug, August 21, 2015 (Photo, right, from Wikipedia)
The lifestyle blog, Take Part, featured an article today titled Your Organic Spinach Could Be More Dangerous Than Meat, by Willy Blackmore (1). At issue is contamination of vegetable crops, both Organic and conventional, primarily by contaminated animal waste (primarily from CAFOs – Confinement Animal Feeding Operations) leaching into ground water.
A classic example was a 39-state recall of E. coli-contaminated spinach a few years back, that was caused by animal waste from a nearby CAFO leaching into groundwater regularly used to water the crops. Similar recalls have involved listeria and other pathogens.
Data from the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) indicate food-borne illness is far more likely from produce, than for poultry, seafood, red meat, eggs or dairy (2).
What is the solution to this problem? (more…)
By Catherine Haug, July 6, 2015
[OOPS, please forgive the typo in the original title: ‘pant thinner.’ I have corrected it and I hope that it gave you a chuckle.]
I have a plastic gallon container about half-full of paint thinner in my cool basement. Today when I went to the basement I could smell the fumes. It wasn’t strong, but it was there. Considering all the heat we’ve had and can probably expect for the rest of the summer, and the flammability of paint thinner, I was concerned. So I looked it up on the web to learn what to do and thought I’d share my learnings with you. (more…)
Red Apple
by Catherine Haug, June 27, 2015 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)
I don’t pretend to be an expert on our national school lunch program, nor even what is served at our own local Bigfork Schools today. I do remember what was served when I was in school.
It seems that in New York City, things are much worse than what I experienced in 1950s-60s Bigfork Schools’ lunch room. Check out this entertaining 20 minute video by 4th grader Zachary Maxwell. (more…)
BPA-Free Plastics
By Catherine Haug, June 2015 (photo, right, from NPR (1))
Mercola (2) has an article about toxic chemicals (not just plastics), most of which are endocrine disruptors. That means that they either mimic the action of hormones from our endocrine system, or they block the cells’ binding sites for our natural hormones so they cannot do their job. It appears that the majority of these toxins affect the sex hormones, resulting in early puberty in boys and girls; low testosterone in mature males, and birth defects. Some also affect our digestive system.
See also my posts:
Read on for a listing of the 12 most common endocrine disruptors, and how to avoid them. (more…)
