If you haven’t met me, I’m Jennifer Taggart. I blog as TheSmartMama. I’m a mom of 2, an attorney specializing in environmental and consumer product law, author of Smart Mama’s Green Guide: Simple Steps to Reduce Your Child’s Toxic Chemical Exposure, former environmental engineer, co-founder of 3 Green Angels, XRF wielding fierce non toxic green mama.

My blog grew out of my story that begin when my mom handed me Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring more than 25 years ago. The chapter that started with the silenced frogs because of DDT moved me to take action to be green. I took small steps – annoying my parents with reminders to turn off the lights and conserve water. I went to college and studied to become an environmental engineer. I worked as an environmental engineer - first as an intern at East Bay Municipal Utility District working on the toxic air emission program and then for Rocketdyne. I went to law school at night while working full time to practice environmental law.

I wanted to save the polar bears and the whales. But my efforts weren’t focused on me personally – it was all for a greater good.

I got married.

I tried to have kids. I had two miscarriages. Unexplained miscarriages.

I started questioning what I was eating, what I was slathering on my skin, what I was using to store my food. Were any of these things contributing to the miscarriages?

And then I got pregnant and stayed pregnant. The very global idea of being green became extremely personal. I did not want to expose my baby-to-be to mercury (in contaminated seafood), bisphenol a (in certain plastics and canned food linings), phthalates (in virtually all synthetic scents, including cleaning products and beauty products), and more. I started using my experience and education to read labels and to question the products I was using and to figure out how I could reduce my toxic chemical exposure and our children’s toxic chemical exposure.

When I was in a car accident with my son to be at 29 weeks, and I faced the risk of having him prematurely, I realized I would do just about anything to protect him.

And when he was born, I realized I would do anything to protect him.

And if I was willing to do that, then why would I expose him to toxic chemicals when alternatives exist? Why would I expose him to the 1,4 dioxane in Johnson & Johnson’s Head to Toe Baby Wash when I could use a product without 1,4 dioxane? Why would I use plastics that leach bisphenol A when I could use alternatives without BPA?

I’m not a helicopter mom by any stretch of the imagination. Anybody who knows me knows I’m not. But when it comes to toxic chemicals in our products when they are ready available alternates, why would I choose to expose my children?

At my new mom breastfeeding class at The Pump Station, I found out that the information I had gathered was of interest to other moms. So I started talking about, and then teaching classes on reducing toxic chemical exposures, and then I wrote the book and started the blog to share what I knew. And how you can reduce or eliminate toxic chemical exposures with simple steps. You don’t have to spend lots of money. Something as simple as taking off your shoes can reduce your toxic chemical exposure.

My journey continues as I call out companies and products for greenwashing. As I work with other moms to unite our voices for real change – such as eliminating environmental causes of cancer.

I’ve also launched a business related to my blog, and I use a Niton XRF analyzer to test consumer products for lead, cadmium and more. My XRF testing was part of the CPSC’s consideration to initiate a recall of 12 million McDonald’s Shrek glasses.

I use my blog and twitter (@thesmartmama) to promote my brand and my book as well as to inform and educate about toxic chemical exposures and the very easy simple steps anybody can do to reduce or eliminate those exposures.

I’m trying to change the world we live in. To reduce or eliminate toxic chemical exposures. To have parents have enough information to make informed choices. My goal is to eliminate lead as the top preventable environmental childhood poison – there is no reason our children should continue to suffer the effects of lead exposure – and to reduce or elimate childhood toxic chemical exposure from household cleaners, pesticides, beauty products and more. 

So, that’s me. I think my journey would be amazing as part of Project Mom Casting. I’ve definitely got  opinions, which of course, makes for exciting reality tv. So, pick me!

But I’ve got some more energy now so I’ll be posting again. Thanks for your patience.

So, I’ve been meaning to do a post because I do think it is important, particularly when it comes to recognizing the amazing contribution of women in science, engineering and math. And then on March 2, 2010 I participated in a Twitter party as part of #gno on getting kids involved in science and math. During the party, we end up talking about how to get girls more involved, and one of the ways I think to get them involved is to our kids about the amazing achievements of women.

So, I thought I would share some of the perhaps not so well known women that have inspired me.

One is Alice Hamilton (1869 – 1970). If you don’t know about her, she was the first woman appointed to the faculty at Harvard University. She was a true pioneer in the field of toxicology. She was a leader in the field of occupational disease. She focused on the plight of workers, linking exposures in the workplace to the diseases they suffered, before occupational health and safety was recognized. Her work lead to reforms, protecting the health of thousands of workers. She is considered the founder of occupational medicine and was the first woman to receive the Lasker Award for public health.

Another is of course Rachel Carson (1907 – 1964). She doesn’t qualify as lesser known, but she is a role model for me. A scientist and ecologist, and she is probably most famous for writing Silent Spring. Silent Spring warned us of the dangers of misusing pesticide, and spurred significant changes in pesticide regulation and a ban on DDT inthe US. It also spurred a grassroot movement for environmental reform.

Another is Gertrude B. Elion (1918 – 1999), an American biochemist and pharmacologist. She developed many new drugs, including one that lead to the development of AZT.

Those are just a few of the women that have inspired me. What about you?

Mold isn’t a toxic chemical, so to speak, but mold growth does concern most of us and can negatively impact indoor air quality.  Molds can cause health problems.  News reports have linked mold exposure to a range of adverse health effects, from minor allergic reactions to brain damage.  Infants are more susceptible to adverse health effects from mold exposure than healthy adults.

Molds are microscopic fungi. They are found everywhere. You cannot not and should not try to keep your home mold free. Molds can grow on virtually any organic substance, as long as food, moisture and oxygen are present.  They play an essential role in nature, breaking down dead organic matter, such as fallen leaves.  Molds are also useful to us.  Penicillin, for example, is obtained from a specific type of mold.

Molds reproduce by releasing tiny spores.  These spores are invisible to the naked eye.  The spores float through the air, both indoors and outdoors.  They can also be transported by water and insects.  If the spores land on a surface with the right conditions, they can start growing and forming mold colonies.  Mold will grow if it has moisture and nutrients.  Many building materials, including wood and sheetrock, provide enough food to support mold growth.  In fact, even the dust settling on building materials or furniture can be a sufficient food source for molds, if moisture is also present.

The presence of mold in your home’s air is normal, but mold growth should not be permitted.  Mold can cause adverse health effects, most typically allergic type responses.  It is generally accepted that a greater risk of health effects is associated with a higher concentration of mold spore counts over background levels. 

Mold growth is usually indicated by signs of water damage or water intrusion, discoloration, a musty or earthy smell, or visible mold growth.   If you have problems with dampness or moisture, or have had a water leak or water damage, you may have the necessary conditions to facilitate mold growth. It is estimated that almost 50% of U.S. homes have dampness or mold problems. Since mold can trigger respiratory problems and asthma type responses, molds and dampness conditions may well contribute to the rising incidence of asthma in the US. It is estimated that 21%, or 1 out of 5, of current asthma cases in the U.S. are attributable to dampness and mold exposure.

Mold and the damp environments are linked to several adverse health effects.  The Institute of Medicine’s comprehensive review of available studies found sufficient evidence of an association between the presence of mold or other agents in damp indoor environments and asthma symptoms in sensitized persons, cough, hypersensitivity pneumonitis in susceptible persons, upper respiratory (nasal and throat) tract symptoms and wheeze.  A review of available studies found a thirty percent (30%) to fifty percent (50%) increase in a variety of respiratory and asthma-related outcomes associated with building dampness and the presence of mold growth.

Infants and children may be affected more severely and sooner than others by exposure to elevated concentrations of mold. A study found significant increased risk between lower respiratory illnesses in the first year including croup, pneumonia, bronchitis and bronchiolitis and high indoor air levels of certain molds.  The study concluded that the risk of lower respiratory illnesses in infancy was increased by exposure to high fungal levels. The Institute of Medicine’s review found the evidence suggestive of a link between mold or other agents in damp environments and lower respiratory illness in otherwise healthy children.  Exposure to molds in infants may increase the risk of developing asthma.  In fact, one study found that exposure to mold and dampness in homes doubles the risk of asthma development in children.

Allergic reactions to mold are relatively common.  About ten percent (10%) of the population is allergic to mold.  Allergic reactions to mold include sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, runny eyes, throat irritation, coughing, and skin rash.  More severe allergic reactions include allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, allergic fungal sinusitis, and hypersensitivity pneumonitis.  Molds can also trigger asthma attacks in asthmatics with mold allergies. 

Molds can also evoke an irritant response.  Mold exposure can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs in both people who are allergic to molds and in people who are not allergic to mold.  Most molds emit microbial volatile organic compounds (“mVOCs”).  These mVOCs are the cause of the musty or earthy odors encountered with some molds.  The mVOCs may cause irritant responses in some individuals.  Exposed persons have reported headaches, fatigue and nausea resulting from exposure to mVOCs.  Also, beta-1,3-glucan is a major structural component of almost all fungal cell wells.  Exposure to beta-1,3-glucan is associated with headaches, although researchers are investigating the contribution of beta-1,3-glucan to irritant responses to mold.

Molds can cause infection, especially in susceptible people, although this is an uncommon adverse health effect of mold exposure.  That being said, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that nine percent (9%) of hospital-acquired infections are caused by molds. It is important to keep immuno-compromised or otherwise sensitive individuals out of environments with elevated mold concentrations.    

 Some molds release small molecular toxins, called mycotoxins, under certain conditions. Mycotoxins may cause toxic effects in people.  In news stories, the molds that are capable of producing mycotoxins are often referred to as “toxic molds.”  Despite media hype, considerable debate exists in the scientific and medical communities about claimed toxic effects resulting from mold exposure by inhalation.  Both toxic effects resulting from ingesting mycotoxin-contaminated foods are well known.  But toxic effects resulting from inhalation of molds and mycotoxins is unresolved despite several high profile lawsuits and news reports.  Claimed toxic effects include wheezing, difficulty breathing, nasal and sinus congestion, light sensitivity, blurry vision, watery or runny eyes, sore thrown, cough, skin irritation, chronic fatigue, immune suppression, aches and pains, loss of memory, constant headaches, mood changes, diarrhea, and brain damage.  The health effects associated with long term exposure to mycotoxins are unknown.    

Molds only produce mycotoxins under specific environmental conditions.  So, just because you have a mold known to produce mycotoxins does not mean that the mold is in fact releasing mycotoxins.  Molds known to release mycotoxins under certain circumstances include Stachybotrys chartarum, Aspergillus versicolor and several toxigenic species of Penicillium.  When mycotoxins are present, they occur in both living and dead mold spores, and may be present in materials that have become contaminated with molds. The infamous “toxic black mold” discussed in news stores is Stachybotrys chartarum.  “Stachy” is a greenish-black mold that can grow on materials that contain cellulose, such as drywall or sheetrock, ceiling tiles and wood.  Not all greenish-black molds are Stachybotrys chartarum. It does not grow on glass or ceramic tiles or cement, so the mold in your shower is most likely not Stachy. 

So what can you do? It is important to limit mold growth by preventing the germination and growth of mold.  Key to mold growth is water.  Moisture makes mold happy.  Without water, mold growth cannot start.  Water damage, excessive humidity, water leaks, condensation, flooding, and water intrusion are all conditions that can lead to conditions that foster mold growth.  If you see signs of water damage or water intrusion, such as bubbling paint around a window sill, or staining at a ceiling corner, signal conditions that are likely to lead to mold growth and you should take action. Molds can colonize quickly.  Some molds germinate in four to twelve hours.  Left undisturbed, a mold colony can start forming within 24 to 48 hours after a water leak or water intrusion problem.  A quick response to water intrusion, including fixing the source of the water, can stop mold from growing. 

Common sources of water are:

• Water leaks into the structure, such as the roof, walls, or floors;
• Flooding from the outside sources, such as storm water, overflowing streams, storm surge, etc.;
• Flooding from the indoor sources, such as overflowing sinks, tubs or toilets; air conditioner drain pans; or sewer systems;
• Indoor plumbing leaks;
• Broken water pipes;
• Condensation caused by indoor humidity that is too high or surfaces that are too cold;
• Indoor plumbing leaks or broken water pipes;
• Outdoor sprinkler spray hitting the walls or improper landscaping drainage that allows collection of moisture against the building;
• Inadequate ventilation;
• Humidifier use;
• House plants, especially if overwatered; and
• Moisture from our bodies, including sweat, wet hair on pillows, and respiration.

You can keep an eye and nose out for mold. Mold growth is signaled by discoloration, musty odors and visible mold growth. For example, discoloration around baseboards or on walls may indicate mold growth. A musty or earthy smell may indicate hidden mold growth. If you have a noticeable musty, moldy or earthy odor, you should check around for signs of water intrusion or water damage, or discoloration.  You can also try using a moisture meter to check the moisture content of building materials.  For example, if you smell a noticeable musty odor in one corner of a room, but don’t see any signs of discoloration or water damage, you can use a moisture meter to test the moisture content of the sheetrock or other building material.  An elevated reading may signal a water problem behind the walls, and possibly a mold problem. 

Visible mold growth pretty clearly indicates mold.  Visible mold growth may look fuzzy, cottony, velvety, powdery, or sooty, and may be green, white, black, red, orange, yellow, blue, or brown.  If you have visible mold growth, it is important to properly address it.  However, most regulatory agencies do not recommend testing to determine what type of mold it is.  All molds should be treated in the same manner in terms of health risks and removal.  The old adage applies – be safe, not sorry.  Of course, there may be specific reasons to determine what type of mold you have.  If you can’t tell whether it is mold or not, place a small drop of household bleach onto the suspected spot.  (Borrow some from a neighbor if you are a green mama that doesn’t use bleach.)  If the stain loses its color or disappears, it may be mold.  If it doesn’t, it probably isn’t mold.  Of course, try this only if it is safe to do so and wear appropriate personal protective equipment.

You will never eliminate all mold and mold spores from your home.  But, you can control indoor mold growth. 

Fix water problems.  Molds cannot grow without moisture.  So, don’t make the mold happy.  If you fix plumbing leaks and other sources of water intrusion as soon as possible, then you will eliminate the environment that molds need in order to thrive.

Control humidity.  In your home, keep humidity levels below sixty percent (60%) or even below fifty percent (50%) if you can.

Use your eyes and nose.  Your eyes and nose can tell you a lot.  That musty odor?  A good indication that mold is present.  Signs of water damage?  A good sign of a water problem that might lead to mold.  If you see or smell mold, fix the moisture source and then remediate the mold.

Ventilate.  Make sure you have and maintain adequate ventilation in “wet” rooms, such as the bathroom, the kitchen, the laundry room, the basement, and the mud room.  Again, controlling moisture and humidity is the key to preventing mold growth.  And an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

Remediate mold.  The appropriate remediation of mold will depend on the area covered by mold growth and the material(s) involved.  Check the resources for information about mold cleanup.

Be safe, not sorry.  All molds should be treated in the same manner in terms of health risks and removal. 

Dry completely.  If you do have a water intrusion problem, then make sure you fix the problem, remediate the mold, and dry out completely.  After fixing the water problem and remediating the mold, make sure you dry out water damaged areas completely.  Porous and semi-porous materials may need to be disposed of if they get moldy or wet.

Change filters.  If you use an air condition or dehumidifier, make sure you change the filter regularly in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

Discard moldy items.  Don’t be a packrat!  If you have moldy books, magazines, newspapers, clothing or other items, then appropriately discard them. 

Limit houseplants.  Houseplants, especially if overwatered, can contribute to dampness.  Mold can grow in the soil and on the bark and leaves. 

When cleaning up mold, you need to wear appropriate protective gear, which means a mask to prevent breathing in mold or mold spores (use an N-95 respirator), wear gloves and wear goggles. Whether you should cleanup mold yourself or hire a professional depends on the size of the area affected and whether the water is sewage or not. If the area is less than 10 square feet (less than about 3 feet by 3 feet), you can probably handle it yourself. But, if the area was contaminated with black or sewage water, contact a professional. If you are ill, hire a professional.

Before you clean up a moldy area, it is critical that you have eliminated the moisture source. If you haven’t, then mold will just come back. Once you have taken care of the moisture source and are ready to tackle the mold growth area, seal off the rest of the house. Cover heat registers or ventilation ducts/grills. Then bag and discard all moldy items. You must discard all porous materials – sheetrock, carpeting, etc. Then, use soap or detergent to clean with hot water and scrub the area affected by mold (for solid surfaces). After cleaning, rinse clean and dry, perhaps using a wet/dry vacuum. Before tackling a mold clean up project, I encourage you to read the EPA’s A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture & Your Home.

Let me address one myth about mold. Please keep in mind that it is a MYTH you should routinely use bleach during mold cleanup. As stated by the EPA, “‘the use of a chemical or biocide that kills organisms such as mold (chlorine bleach, for example) is not recommended as a routine practice during mold cleanup.” And, just killing the mold is not enough, which is what bleach does. You must remove the mold. Dead mold can still cause allergic reactions in some people so mold must be removed.

For very minor mold spots in your shower, you can try 2 tablespoons tea tree oil with about 10 ounces of water in a spray bottle.

Ruby

I wanted to share with you a post I did for Los Angeles Moms Blog – Betrayed: A Sparkling Love Affair with Macy’s Is Over. (And I apologize for the typos if they haven’t been corrected yet.) I don’t know if you have seen the news reports, but the venerable Macy’s is charged with selling rubies that have lead filled glass added to them. And cubic zirconia as diamond. And other such misdeeds. The post has links to the various complaints if you are interested.

It really is disturbing to me that Macy’s would sell composite, glass filled stones as the real thing. I think you will find it just as disturbing.

I mean I understand that you can sell whatever you want for the highest price that you can get. But Macy’s did not disclose what is was selling. I know from every one of my shopping experiences at Macy’s that I have never, ever, ever been told that the stones could be composite, or could have glass filled fractures, or anything like that.

I find it even more disturbing that weeks after the story first broke on Good Morning America, Macy’s is caught doing it yet again at 3 stores by CBS 5. One of the stones that CBS 5′s undercover reporter purchases after being assured that it is real is 50% leaded glass. You would think after having gotten caught, Macy’s would have cleaned up it acts.

And then for Macy’s to admit in its statement responding to CBS 5 that it does indeed sell glass fracture filled gemstones makes me incredibly angry. I have several pieces of fine jewelry (as opposed to costume jewelry) from Macy’s. I now question whether every piece is “real” or full of glass. And god forbid it is leaded glass.

Macy’s – if any of my pieces are fracture fill glass, you better take back every single piece of jewelry. I swear that this breakup will be expensive for you.

(BTW, the law firm that filed the class action has an informational page. I have no affiliation with the law firm whatsoever, although I have talked to the attorney handling the matter about the lawsuit.)

• Give Your Name. Signing petitions to elected officials may seem like it won’t make a difference, but sometimes just a collection of people taking a stand has real power.
• Micro-Volunteer. You don’t need money to give time, and now with companies like The Extraordinaries, you don’t really need that much time, either.  Just download one of their phone apps, and you can volunteer with those ten minutes you’re waiting at the doctor’s office.  You can help translate a nonprofit page into a foreign language, fact check for reporters, review congressional bills, even tag images for the Smithsonian.  So you can do what you can, when you can, and still make a difference.
• “Friend-raise”. Social networking is a great way to keep in touch with friends, acquaintances, and family members.  And now, it’s a great way to raise awareness about your favorite nonprofit or cause.  Over 26 million people actively use the Causes application on Facebook, and influence others to join their cause.  You can support your cause by merely inviting your friends to join or posting your charitable actions in your status message.
• Transform your search engine.  We’ve ushered in a new age of technology, relying on search engines for answers from the momentous to the mundane.  Why not fight desertification, global warming, and habitat loss at the same time?  Don’t just search, Ecosearch.  Ecosearch is a search engine that uses Yahoo technology and helps reforesting trees and safeguard water resources in the Amazon region, which constitute today one fourth of the fresh water reserves of our planet.  For every 10,000 searches, Ecosearch and Aquaverde (their nonprofit partner) plant a tree in the Amazon and in the Canary Islands.  The website even keeps a running count of how many trees have been planted and how many more searches are needed to plant another tree.
• Donate your email. What better way to make a donation than to have someone else pay for it?  replyforall is a free cause email signature that is automatically inserted into your outgoing email messages. You choose your cause, personalize the information to appear in the signature, and you’re all set!  replyforall then shares the advertising revenue with its nonprofit partners allowing you to donate without cash.  Now you can raise awareness, drive donations for your cause of choice and monitor your impact all by doing what you do everyday – email. 

Woot! I am excited – I was on Martha Stewart Radio this morning. I’ve loved Martha Stewart Living magazine for years, and was just thrilled to be on the radio show this morning on homemade cleaning.

But then I got a call that stumped me.

A caller asked how to get stains out of her white Corian sink, indicating that my trusted remedy of baking soda and castile soap had failed. Since baking soda and castile soap substitutes for a soft scrub, I was surprised. And since I don’t have any Corian surfaces, I haven’t experimented.

And I didn’t know the answer. Which frustrates my Type A personality. So, I did some research, and most recommendations are for a soft scrub and, if that doesn’t work, a bleach based solution. Another popular recommendation is Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. But the caller wanted some more environmentally friendly and less toxic. I’ve come up with two solutions that are more eco-friendly than conventional cleaners:

1. Use a paste of baking soda and 3% solution hydrogen peroxide (what you find in most stores). Mix this up – you can even do it in the sink itself – and then let sit, covered, for a few hours. The recommendation is to cover with plastic wrap, but since I hate plastic wrap, perhaps just try a rag. After a few hours, just rinse clean.

2. If that doesn’t work, fill the sink with water and drop a couple of denture cleaning tables in. Again, let sit for a few hours.

The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser may also be a solution. Many people swear it is the best thing for getting stains out. Here’s the thing. It is made up of formaldehyde-melamine-sodium bisulfite copolymer. Although that sounds scary, the ingredients are basically all bound up in the polymer, and you really aren’t going to get exposure to anything offgassing like you might most conventional cleaners. It is hazardous if ingested. The reason I don’t like it is because it is a petrochemical based foam, and isn’t good for the environment – uses non renewable resources and clogs up the landfills. But in terms of a home’s indoor air quality, it shouldn’t affect it (any formaldehyde would be minute).

Anybody else have solutions for a white Corian sink stained with coffee?

So what does this have to do with algae and fungus?

To explain that, let me first explain how the FDA regulates food contact substances. Food contact substances are those items that are not directly added to food, but are in contact with food, such as packaging materials.  If a new food contact substance is proposed, or a new use of an existing food contact substance is proposed, a manufacturer must give the FDA notice of it unless there are existing regulation related to the used or the substance or use is considered “Generally Recognized as Safe” (or “GRAS”).

This voluntary GRAS notification program was proposed in 1997.  In 1997, the FDA abolished its existing procedure by which it approved petitions to designate substances because the FDA did not have the resources to review and approve the petitions.  Under the GRAS notification process, a manufacturer informs the FDA that it has determined that a substance or use is GRAS, as opposed to petitioning the FDA to approve the use or a substance is GRAS.  As explained by the FDA, if the manufacturer’s determination is correct, the use or the substance is not subject to any legal requirement for FDA review and approval.  In fact, since the GRAS notification process is voluntary, a manufacturer may market the substance or use without informing FDA if the manufacturer determines it is GRAS or, if FDA is so informed, while FDA is reviewing that information.  Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?  As long as a manufacturer determines the food contact substance or use is GRAS, it can go ahead and market it.

What is “safe” for these regulations?  According to the implementing regulations, the term “safe” means “that there is a reasonable certainty in the minds of competent scientists that the substance is not harmful under the intended conditions of use.  It is impossible in the present state of scientific knowledge to establish with complete certainty the absolute harmlessness of the use of any substance.  Safety may be determined by scientific procedures or by general recognition of safety.”

So how does this voluntary GRAS notification process work?  Well, this is where infant formula comes in.

If you’ve used or are using formula, you probably know some manufacturers supplement their infant formula with DHA and ARA.  But, some manufacturers use DHA and ARA extracted from laboratory-grown fermented algae and fungus and processed with hexane, known as DHASCO and ARASCO, although not identified as such on the list of ingredients.

DHASCO and ARASCO are structurally different from the DHA and ARA found in breast milk, which doesn’t necessarily mean that they cause problems. The manufacturer of DHASCO and ARASCO submitted a notice to the FDA stating that DHASCO and ARASCO added to infant formula are GRAS. The FDA responded to the notice that it had no further questions. But, the FDA and the manufacturer recognize that some infants have adverse reactions from consuming infant formula with DHASCO and ARASCO such as diarrhea, bloating, vomiting, jaundice, apnea, flatulence, and other gastrointestinal problems. Nevertheless, the manufacturer maintains they are GRAS, so the manufacturer is free to market them. And these infant formula products are not labeled to indicate the presence of DHASCO and ARASCO (as opposed to DHA and ARA), so you can’t tell when buying formula.

So, if your baby experiences problems with formula, it may not be an allergy but a reaction to the DHASCO and/or ARASCO, but you can’t even tell by looking at the formula label.

And the GRAS program doesn’t really seem to determine safety.

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As environmental writers and bloggers, we know that part of good stewardship is sharing information, but we also know we cannot make change without DOING something.

So The Good Human & Twilight Earth, along with Grass Stain Guru, Lighter Footstep, My Green Side, A Little Greener Every Day, Fake Plastic Fish, Allies Answers, Natural Papa and me have teamed up to carry our message with one united strong voice. Our message is that great organizations exist out there which are suffering in this economic downturn through decreased donations . . . and they need our help!

So we have decided to give you, our readers, a voice and a choice. We have decided to take on a very simple fundraising mission, and we are asking you to donate just $1.00. A single dollar; that’s all. Who cannot afford a buck even in these times? We know you can spare a dollar to help out our fellow humans! But how do we all decide which charities to give 100% of all monies raised to? Well, we are going to put it to a vote and let you guys decide. The 10 websites participating have chosen 5 charities for all donors to vote for, and we are going to let you guys choose which two of them will receive the all monies donated.

Our purpose in doing this is three-fold

• It gives YOU a voice. As loyal readers and stewards of our environment, we want to offer you the opportunity to make a difference without breaking the bank.


• It gives the two charities with the most votes some much appreciated funds to continue their mission


• It allows all of us an opportunity to connect as a community of like-minded people working for the common good of ourselves, our families and our planet.

So, we’ve selected Healthy Child Healthy World, Kiva, Sustainable Harvest, Environmental Working Group and Water for People. Take the poll and help us choose the recipients of our collective donations.

If the community of folks who care about our planet cannot come together to rise up to a challenge, who will? That is why we are asking you for a $1 donation. While $1 may seem insignificant all by itself, by pooling our resources together we really can make a difference in these tough economic times. $1 is less than the price of a candy bar and can usually be found under the seat cushions of your couch (unless you have small children, then you won’t have any change in your couch. At all. Because they hunt for it.)

Won’t you help 2 of these charities with your $1 donation? (Now, if you want to give more, please – feel free. We won’t stop you! And by all means, send this to everyone you know so we can raise even more!) Because I’m having trouble, to vote, head over to The Good Human and vote for your favorite of the 5 charities we picked and to make your donation. I’m sorry – I’m lame and couldn’t get the codes to work.

We ask that you please donate a dollar to the charity pool if you are going to vote, and know that even if your absolute favorite does not finish first or second, all the money donated will be going to worthwhile causes. If everyone we know who reads our sites, our Twitter feeds, our Facebook sites, etc. donates just $1, imagine the impact we can have as a group. And please, spread the word! 

Times are tough and our collective might can really help them out. The results will be tallied two weeks from today, and we will write another article detailing the amounts and the two charities who garnered the most votes and will be receiving the money collected.

 It’s only $1, so please donate!

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