by Jessica Gottlieb on August 16, 2008 · 2 comments
Bwah hah. Made you look.
Okay, folks it’s been 8 years of me apologizing. Really, I’m sorry about the whole W thing. We’ll do better next time. In the interim, our President has signed a really important bill into law.
Lead is now banned from children’s toys. Can we all do a happy dance?
Guess what?
The bill also bans a chemical called phthalates that is widely used to make plastic products softer and more flexible. I am positively swooning. Then I did a little research and stood still.
[read the full article...]
I remember being eight months pregnant with my second and realizing that I absolutely must paint the baby’s room now. I know, it makes no sense, the baby will never notice and I’d have been much better off taking a nap, but I had to have that lasso border in the room or…
I dunno. Seven years later I still can’t finish the sentence because, it doesn’t make sense to me now or then but I know I needed the stinkin room painted. A few short months ago that freshly painted room sent out the last of it’s toxins. Seriously. [read the full article...]
Are you considering adding on or updating that old bathroom or kitchen? As housing prices climbed, more and more families have turned to renovation instead of moving to increase their living quarters. Popular TV programs glorified the trend and contractors were kept busy round the clock.
I know, we were one such family!
Unfortunately, a new study, found fixing up ‘This Old House’ may increase exposure to lead in young children.
The study conducted by researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center found that interior renovation of older housing is associated with a modest increase in children’s blood lead level (BLL) and associated long-term health risks.
If the house in question was built before 1978, before the federal ban on lead-based paint, tearing out walls and ceilings could expose children to lead hazards, the study concluded.
[read the full article...]
by Jennifer Lance on February 6, 2008 · 8 comments
If you are like me, you are tired of hearing about toy recalls and the gross failures of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to protect our children; however, I feel it is important to stay updated on the information for my children’s sakes. Recent news on the Thomas the Tank Engine recall settlement, Mattel’s refusal to recall lead-tainted toys, and the impotent CPSC demonstrate that the problem of toy safety and international manufacturing has not gone away.
The Impotent CPSC
I have written many posts on the CPSC’s failures. Now, for the second time in a year, the agency will become useless, as it loses its quorum. The CPSC requires three members on the panel; however, only two members are currently holding positions. The extension granted by Congress to operate with only two members expired in January. According to the Washington Post,
Congress has not passed another one, and the Bush administration has not nominated a new chairman who could restore quorum since its last pick, industry lobbyist Michael E. Baroody, withdrew his name in May after protest by Senate Democrats and consumer groups.
Of course, the agency can still oversee voluntary recalls, but they can no longer issue mandatory recalls or impose civil penalties. What a relief…I feel so protected! [read the full article...]
by Jennifer Lance on September 28, 2007 · 0 comments
There have been a flurry of recalls yesterday and today, and although I planned to post on a different subject, I can’t ignore the wooden toys included in the recall. I have always been such an advocate for wooden toys, that it breaks my heart to see lead in their paint.
[read the full article...]
Robert’s American Gourmet has expanded its recall to include Super Veggie Tings. If you have a bag of this snack, please dispose of it immediately and contact info@robscape.com for reimbursement. Super Veggie Tings is a corn stick snack that has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella. Salmonella can cause serious or fatal infections in young children, people with weakened immune systems, and the elderly. Healthy people can experience vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, and fever from salmonella. In addition, the infection can spread to the bloodstream and cause endocarditis, arthritis, and arterial infections. The recall is precautionary, as the product contains some of the same ingredients as the previously recalled Veggie Booty.
[read the full article...]
Children today are bombarded with plastic, limiting toys that do not expand their imaginations or aid their development. Not only can plastic toys be harmful to children’s health, but the production of plastic toys further increases our dependence upon petroleum and leaves a greater carbon footprint than natural, wooden toys. There are many companies that produce wooden toys; however, not all of these companies provide information about the kind of wood they use or their sustainability practices. In addition, many of these companies manufacture their toys in China, where constant monitoring is required to ensure dangerous substances, such as lead, do not accidentally enter into production, such as the recent recall of Thomas the Tank Engine wooden railway toys exemplifies. Plan Toys is a company you can trust!
Plan Toys uses chemical-free rubber wood to produce their toys. These trees are at least 25 years old, and thus have stopped producing latex. Rubber wood farmers traditionally fell these 
trees and burn them to produce charcoal, in order to clear the land for replanting. Plan Toys increases the value of these trees by using them to produce their beautiful line of wooden toys. The wood is kiln-dried to avoid bacteria and pest infestation, thus making the rubber wood naturally preservative free and safe for children. All paints are non-toxic, the glue used is latex-based, and all corners are rounded for safety; however, some toys do contain plywood. Plan Toys insures that their “plywood complies with E1 standards, thus ensuring emissions of urea formaldehyde at levels below those acceptable to the World Health Organization (WHO)”. All packaging materials are recyclable and do not contain PVC.
[read the full article...]
