Green Tips
March 2012
Avoid Chemical Air Fresheners —
The problem: Air fresheners can contain dangerous ingredients like dichlorobenzene,naphthalene, and formaldehyde. Conventional scented candles aren't much better. Many are made from petroleum-based paraffin wax, which releases carcinogenic soot when burned, and some have lead-core wicks, which release toxic lead into the air when burned. Linked to: respiratory irritation, cancer.
The solution: Avoid candles and air fresheners with synthetic fragrances. Instead, leave out a bowl of baking soda to absorb odors, and switch from paraffin to 100-percent beeswax or soy candles with cotton wicks. To test a candle wick for lead, rub the tiip on a piece of paper. If it leaves a mark, there's a lead core in the wick. This method doesn't work with candles that have been lit already, so when in doubt, throw them out.Purge PVC from your Shower Curtain (and elsewhere) —
The problem: Polyvinyl chloride, also known as PVC, or the "vinyl" in your vinyl shower curtain, is a plastic that's dangerous to people and the environment at every stage of its lifecycle. DEHP, an additive used to soften many vinyl products, is aphthalate. These toxins are linked to: endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity, and cancer.
The solution: Avoid PVC products for your bathroom or anywhere in your home. PVC is often recognizable by its distinctive odor (think that "new shower curtain" smell). When shopping for a shower curtain, look for a non-vinyl one. Ikea and Vita Futura both make polyethylene vinyl acetate (PEVA) liners, which are PVC-free. You can also get a hemp curtain from green companies like Rawganique.com and Greenfeet.com. Hemp dries quickly and is resistant to mildew.Source: www.greenamerican.org
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ONE AT A TIME
A physics teacher in high school, once told the students that while one grasshopper on the railroad tracks wouldn’t slow a train very much, a billion of them would. With that thought in mind, read the following, obviously written by a good American . . .This probably sounds crazy, but just yesterday I was in Wal Mart looking for a wastebasket. I found some made in China for $6.99.
I didn’t want to pay that much so I asked the lady if they had any others.
She took me to another department and they had some at $2.50 made in USA . They are just as good.
Same as a kitchen rug I needed. I had to look, but I found some made in the USA and they were $3.00 cheaper. We are being brain washed that everything that comes from China and Mexico is cheaper. Not so. That is also why I don’t buy cards at Hallmark anymore. They are made in China and are expensive. I buy them at Dollar Tree….50 cents each and made in USA .
Check this out. I can verify this because I was in Lowe’s the other day for some reason and just for the heck of it I was looking at the hose attachments…
They were all made in China .
The next day I was in Ace Hardware and just for the heck of it I checked the hose attachments there.
They were made in USA . Start looking …..
In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else – even their job. So, after reading this email, I think this lady is on the right track.. Let’s get behind her!
My grandson likes Hershey’s candy. I noticed, though, that it is marked made in Mexico now. I do not buy it any more.
My favorite toothpaste Colgate is made in Mexico … Now I have switched to Crest. You have to read the labels on everything…. Good idea . . .. One light bulb at a time . . ..
This past weekend I was at Kroger . .. . I needed 60W light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets.
I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off-brand labeled, ” Everyday Value …” I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats they were the same except
For the price . . . The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in MEXICO and the Everyday Value brand was made in – get ready for this – the USA in a company in Cleveland , Ohio …
So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that are made right here…
So on to another aisle – Bounce Dryer Sheets… Yep, you guessed it, Bounce cost more money and is made in Canada … The Everyday Value brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA! I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at almost half the price!
My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA – the job you save may be your own or your neighbors!
If you accept the challenge, pass this on to others in your address book so we can all start buying American, one light bulb at a time! Stop buying from overseas companies!
(We should have awakened a decade ago….)
Let’s get with the program and help our fellow Americans keep their jobs and create more jobs here in the USA …
I passed this on . .. . Will you???
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Water in the Neighborhood Film & Discussion
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