One of the great blessings of my adult life was a summer vacation spent with my husband and children at Catalina Island Camps. We spent the better part of the week learning about the ocean, our food supply and our ability to affect change.
Jean Michele Cousteau (son of Jacques Cousteau) would call himself an ambassador of the environment. I would call him a hero to us all.
Most recently Cousteau has discovered many populations of killer whales are contaminated with toxic, synthetic chemicals known as PBDEs, or flame retardants. I understand the wisdom of not wanting your children’s pajamas to catch fire, but how many of us are living in gaslight districts? At what point do we ask for change, and at what point do we demand it? Read the rest of this entry »
As if we don’t have enough to worry about with BPA in infant formula, now the Environmental Working Group warns us that perchlorate (a rocket fuel ingredient than can interfere with infant brain development) is showing up in infant formula.
Mix that formula with tainted water (found in 28 states) and baby gets a double dose of perchlorate which is known to interfere with the thyroid hormones essential for brain development. Perchlorate poses particular risks to the developing fetus, infants and young children. Read the rest of this entry »
Geniuses have something in common. I mean, besides snagging Nobels and the ability to solve endless Sudoku puzzles.
University of California researchers have found that many were “sickly” kids. They analyzed archival evidence from 70 studies, including data on 282 ultra-intelligent people. Study co-author Dean Keith Simonton, a professor of psychology, said of the findings:
We cannot always assume that good goes with good. We don’t necessarily have the smart, stable, and fit on one side and the dumb, unstable, and sick on the other.
If you live in a northern climate like I do your kids are probably going stir crazy and take to the yard any day that the sun is shining. Cabin fever is probably driving you all a bit mad but maybe you don’t have much money to spend on taking the kids out for entertainment. The good news is you don’t need a lot of money if you know where to look for fun and often free events for kids.
Keep reading for tips on where to look for fun and free things to do with your kids and for a list of upcoming events in the Flint and Genesee County, Michigan area. Read the rest of this entry »
A student research project funded by the EPA is looking in the most unlikely places for triggers to diseases like asthma: furniture cushions.
Jon McKinney, a junior at Missouri University of Science and Technology, is helping to develop the science of building forensics by identifying the chemical fingerprints of foam components present in common furniture items. Read the rest of this entry »
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) is reporting that a recently-published study by Health Canada found that the vast majority of canned soft drink and energy drinks contain bisphenol A, a known endocrine disruptor and estrogen mimic.
The study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry in January, tested 72 canned drinks purchased in 2007 and found detectable levels of BPA in 69 of them. The levels are within the limits of what Health Canada considers “safe,” however, some critics believe that there is no safe level of this chemical, pointing out that studies in peer-reviewed science journals have shown that BPA can increase breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer cell growth in animal testing even at very low doses.
Leading scientists call foul in the use of kids aged 6 to 10 as subjects in genetically modified foods trials, claiming a severe breach of medical ethics, specifically the Nuremberg code.
“We are writing to express our shock and unequivocal denunciation of the experiments being conducted by your colleagues which involve the feeding of genetically modified Golden Rice to human subjects.”
Open any pregnancy or baby book, and you’ll find that list: the baby essentials, the things you absolutely cannot live without. While many accessories are easily recognized as frivolous, certain items are truly indispensable: the basic necessities for life with a baby.
Or are they?
In this weekly series, we’ll be looking at several baby essentials that really aren’t. They may be useful in certain situations, but if money or space is tight, or if you’re just looking to simplify and reduce consumerism and waste, here’s how to get along just fine without these so-called “essentials.“
Nanotechnology refers to a field whose theme is the control of matter on an atomic and molecular scale.
It involves the manipulation of matter at the nanometer (nm) scale, which is one-billionth of a meter. The nano scale is so incredibly tiny that a human hair (which is about 50,000 nm thick) is huge by comparison.
A student research project funded by the EPA is looking in the most unlikely places for triggers to diseases like asthma: furniture cushions.
