Green Daily

Number five plastic is ubiquitous. Your prescription bottles have it, your yogurt containers, the lids to your soda bottles, and more. Well, I found a little something out that I thought might interest all of you out there in Greenville.

Stonyfield Farms will take their yogurt containers back if your community doesn't recycle #5 plastic and you can't stand the idea of throwing them away. I tend to use my quart containers of #5 plastic for other things (paint brushes, leftovers, bulk catnip), but usually I end up needing to throw some away.

Stonyfield explains on its Website that the company chose to go with #5 because it can use less plastic in making the containers than if #2 were used. Moreover, many communities don't actually recycle wide mouthed #2 containers. The company believes its reduction in packaging outweighs the benefits of using #2. But if you aren't happy throwing away your #5, you can send your clean yogurt containers to the company. Their people will recycle them for you.

One more thing about #5 - more communities are recycling them. St. Louis, for example, happily accepts #5 plastic. Houston and Chicago do, too. Check out your community's recycling page to figure out what's available in your area.

This is the second case of the deadly virus in two weeks. A two-year old girl contracted the virus in her hometown in the central Chinese province of Hunan. It's unclear how she contracted the disease.

H5N1 is the bird flu virus that's not easily transferred from birds to humans, but a recent outbreak of the virus amongst humans has caused concerns that the virus has mutated, making it easier to use a human as its host. While most avian flus are asymptomatic, this particular strain is deadly for poultry, and potentially lethal for humans. Amongst poultry it spreads thoroughly and rapidly.

The girl was taken to the hospital last week, but her symptoms have worsened. Another woman recently died from the virus. She contracted it after buying ducks at a market in the Hebei province.

[via BBC]

In the ever-ongoing battle over Bisphenol-A or BPA, Scientist Frederick vom Saal weighs in. The resistance to ban the use of BPA or at least label it by the manufacturers is not unlike tobacco company tactics. Vom Saal even goes as far as to say that companies that make BPA laden products will one day get "sued into the Stone Age."

Vom Saal has been studying BPA and its effects since 1995. He has had his worked published many times over and has testified in front of congress. Over the past decade he has linked the ingestion of BPA with obesity, heart disease and cancer. Vom Saal is certain that the chemical is shortening lives.

Organic and natural mattresses are all the rage, for adults and especially for babies, with models made from soybeans, stuffed with husks and infused with green tea, according to a recent NY Times article. But how do you know what you're really buying? It turns out that no governmental agency regulates the labeling of mattresses as "organic" or "natural," and various trade groups don't offer guidelines either.

There is also disagreement about the toxicity of conventional mattresses, varying from the opinion that they are a source of great exposure to toxins, to the opinion that mattresses are nothing to worry about. Polyurethane foam used in mattresses can emit volatile organic compounds (V.O.Cs). Manufacturers did voluntarily stop using fire retardants like P.D.B.E.s, however questions remain about the fire retardants that replaced them. There are also concerns about the mattress covers, which are often made of vinyl. Natural mattresses are often made of latex foam, but even that is often blended with a synthetic.

As for now, customers are on their own trying to figure out what they're buying, but one thing is certain, one can't rely on the label "organic" or "natural" in this category.

I've run across all sorts of stories this year about exotic eco-meats, from camel steaks to rat sandwiches. But that was all in a distant land called the non-US. Now, it looks like the trend has made it to North America. Cheap, carbon-friendly, and relatively safe -- raccoon meat is reportedly working its way back to the table in some American homes. Some call it the other dark meat, others call it disgusting, people are apparently warming up to the idea of eating the pervasive varmints.

Why are people all of the sudden opening their minds to the previously taboo source of protein? Your guess is as good as mine. Though I'm sure that the low price tag doesn't hurt. Raccoon meat generally costs $3 to $7 -- per animal. And as I mentioned, it's pretty green as well. Still, others swear that they eat Rocky Raccoon for his delicious flavor. Maybe this quote from Missouri Department of Conservation biologist Jeff Beringer can help put it in perspecitve:

"During grad school, my roommate and I ate 32 coons one winter. It was all free, and it was really good. If you think about being green and eating organically, raccoon meat is the ultimate organic food."

Personally, I prefer animals that don't eat out of my trashcan.

Vicks VapoRub can cause respiratory distress in kids under the age of 2 when applied under the nose, said researchers from Wake Forest yesterday. According to the researchers, using the product this way can cause a young child's airways to swell and fill with mucus. The researchers advise that parents should never use any over-the-counter cold medicines, including Vicks, on any children under 2 without consulting with your child's doctor. While the researchers only tested Vicks, they warned against similar products including generics.

A Proctor & Gamble spokesman said that the product is labeled that it should not be used in children under the age of 2 in any way, without a doctor's advice, and never under the nose. The researchers advised that no one should use it under the nose, regardless of age.

As to the safety of Vicks VapoRub in general, it rates as a 4 on the Cosmetics Database safety scale, rating as Moderate Hazard.

Here are some natural remedies for cold season, that will at least help relieve the symptoms a bit.

There's water in our drinking chemicals ... I mean, there are chemicals in our drinking water. You know what I meant. A while back, Patricia reported that researchers had discovered that all sorts of pharmaceutical drugs swimming around in the nation's tap water. Now, thanks to the watchdogs at the Southern Nevada Water Authority we know exactly what they are.

After completing a tests on water from 21 US water utilities, researchers have compiled a list of the Ugly 11 (I couldn't come up with a better name for it). To avoid over sensationalizing the research -- which is probably what I should be doing -- I'll give you the disclaimer that these compounds were found in "extremely low concentrations." Take that for whatever its worth. Here they are in all their impure glory:

• Atenolol - a beta-blocker used to treat heart/cardiovascular diseases.
• Atrazine - banned in the EU, this organic herbicide is suspected of harming salmon populations and a lot of other bad mojo.
• Carbamazepine - a mood-stabilizer and anti-convulsant, used to treat manic depression.
• Estrone - a hormone blamed for gender weirdness in fish.
  
• Gemfibrozil - an anti-cholesterol drug, because we're fat.
  
• Meprobamate - a tranquilzer used to ease psychiatric symptomes, because we're crazy.
• Naproxen - a prescription anti-inflammatory.
• Phenytoin - another anti-convulsant used to treat epilepsy.
• Sulfamethoxazole - an antibiotic used to combat strep throat.
  
• TCEP - a reducing agent used in biochemistry, waterever that means.
  
• Trimethoprim - an antibiotic used to fight urinary tract infections. Vaguely ironic, because urine is one of the primary ways that it gets into our drinking water.

[via BoingBoing]

Turmeric - Not enough can be said about this slightly sweet, pungent, orange spice. Sprinkle it in your oatmeal, on your chicken, in your bath water... wait. Don't do that last one. But use it and feel it's anti-cancer and anti-inflamation properties work on your body. It's also known to be good for joint health.

Pomegranate juice - No, it's not just an expensive fad. This stuff apparently lowers blood pressure and is loaded with antioxidants. But don't take pomegranate juice instead of your blood pressure medication, got it?

Prunes - Yummy, sweet, sticky and full of antioxidants and digestive system goodness. An eating tip for those disgusted by the idea of eating a dried plum: Wrap it in prosciuto. For those who don't eat pork, try chopping up plums in a dried fruit mixture.

Pumpkin seeds - Loaded with magnesium and other minerals. Some say you can never have enough of these fibrous beauties. And you might consider eating more pumpkin, loaded with fiber and a great replacement for oil in cakes and sweet breads.

Sardines - You can't go wrong with them. Sardines are loaded to the gills with omega-3's and calcium. Vitamin B, potassium, zinc and more but no mercury. Really, what's a little fishy taste for all that beauty?

Blueberries - Frozen or not, blueberries have plenty of vitamin B and other great memory-saving properties. Eat them, and then eat more of them.


[via New York Times]

When I was a teenager the movie, "Arachnophobia" came out. I went with my brothers and cousins to see it at the local movieplex. We saw the afternoon show and when it finished we ran from the dark theater's exit signs, and through the dreary parking lot. We kept running until we were nearly to my house.

I don't scream at spiders today, but I'm willing to kill them, even when I know I don't have to. Sara Harris wants me and you to consider revising our approach to spiders. Harris lives in southern California, where the weather is perfect for all things, including black widow spiders. Harris recently wrote about living with black widow spiders instead of against or in fear of them. A black widow recently bit her, causing two days of horrific pain, swelling, itching and more. A mother, she compares it with childbirth.

But she also cautions against killing all black widows she finds, even now, after being bitten by a black widow and developing a sixth sense for knowing where they are. Instead, she suggests a respect and awareness. That spiders are just as much a part of the beautiful world as she is. They have a right to live. So she keeps her eyes out, and keeps her kid's eyes out. She tries to establish a sense of peace with her domestic enemies.

By the way, black widows are, indeed, black, shiny spiders with spindly legs. On their bellies you'll see a red hourglass marking. Black widows are venomous, but their venom won't kill a healthy adult or child. Infants and toddlers are at risk. If you are bitten, see your urgent care clinic or emergency room. Get ice on the wound to slow the venom.


[via Living on Earth]

That photo to the right? That guy really was bitten by a lot of bedbugs. He was cat sitting at someone else's apartment and woke up to this.

Bedbugs are many things. None of them friendly. They are tiny, dedicated, bloodsucking, fearsome and stick to all matter of clothing and furniture. And they have spread from New York across the country, braving the cold and the heat.

In Cincinatti, Ohio one in six people have had problems with bedbugs. Taskforces have been established in California, Massachusetts, Kentucky and Minnesota. The University of Florida and Texas A & M have both spent substantial amounts of money on clean-up and infestation control.

Burning clothing and furniture is frequently used as one way to ensure that the dreaded creatures are not still alive. No amount of Raid or Tea Tree Oil will get rid of them. Yep, those bedbugs are something.

Dirt has nothing to do with bedbugs. A clean, well-maintained home or business can still have bedbugs. This is not a bug of poverty. The creatures were wiped out with DDT, but now that the pesticide is no more, the bedbugs have returned, international travel helping them get around.

They could get you soon, creating itchy welts while you sleep. Some people are allergic to them, and can get quite sick when bitten. Their eggs are white and sticky, the size of a speck of dust. They hide in the crevices of furniture, particularly mattresses and they can live for years without food. When humans disappear bedbugs will still be around. So what can you do to avoid the bugs? Avoid places that have them, for one.

But it's hard to know when brushing against someone in the airport will result in a few bedbugs of your very own. Well, good night. And don't let the bed bugs bite.

[via LA Times]

A few years ago, the idea of socially conscious food pretty much began and ended with Newman's Own products. Over the years, however, as ideas like organic, sustainable, and fair trade have entered common usage, grocery stores, restaurants, and numerous food companies have laid claim to the socially conscious label. One of the latest is Me and Goji, a website that lets you design your own breakfast cereal.

Me and Goji comes pretty cloe to the platonic ideal of a perfect cereal website. In a clear, easy-to understand manner, it allows users to combine a wide-range of flakes, nuts, fruits, and flavors to make a personalized cereal. As customers add and subtract from their "bowl," the sidebar keeps track of the price and nutritional info of their concoction. Information about the origins and composition of ingredients is available at the click of a mouse, as are recommendations and advice. Having designed the perfect cereal, customers can name it, save the recipe, and order capsules of it. Delivery is quick and easy, and the saved recipe makes re-ordering a snap.

In addition to using all natural, organic ingredients, Me and Goji donates 5% of its profits to charity. Moreover, through initiatives like their October 2008 "[pink] and Goji" breast cancer awareness cereal they have increased knowledge of various good causes, while giving customers an opportunity to show their social conscience through their food choices. They even offer "green tags" to help users offset the carbon used in shipping!

Perhaps best of all, Me and Goji produces tasty, wholesome cereals. While socially conscious food is hardly a new idea, it's nice to see a company that makes it so incredibly good!

When it comes to dying the eco-friendly way, we've definitely given quite a bit of coverage to the vast array of green afterlife alternatives at Green Daily. And at the risk of seeming like I have an unhealthy fascination with morbid topics, this crazy bathtime product seems to beg for a discussion of a new subject in eco-friendly deaths -- the environmentally conscious suicide.

The Electric Bath Duck seems to have one purpose and one purpose only. Aside from the slow and insidious threat of phthalates, this rubber ducky is designed to give you instaneous results: electrocution. As morose as some may find it, there are a variety of ways to get the job done, and the suicide rubber ducky has to be close to the bottom of the list when it comes to resource consumption and carbon emissions. First, there's the wasted bathtub full of water, then the wasted kilowatts of electricity -- especially if that power was generated from a coal fired plant.

On a scale from 1 to 10, ten being the greenest, where do you rank rubber ducky suicide?

[via BoingBoing]

When it comes to the three R's, I'm about as gung-ho as it gets. Still, there are useful things that have been discarded ... and then there's junk. While there are some pretty good uses for junk these days, like building boats, and even fueling a Honda Accord -- one R that often gets tragically overlooked is Reduce. Never does that fact seem more obvious than in the case of hoarder Gordon Stewart, 74, who police believe died as a result of his improper garbage disposal habits.

According to a story in the Telegraph, Stewart rode his bike (bonus points for carbon friendly travel) through town often, collecting cardboard boxes full of junk and taking them back home. Police were called when neighbors noticed that they hadn't seen Stewart in a few days. When police entered his home, they found that every spare inch had been crammed full -- and that Steward had created an elaborate network of tunnels to get around.

The stench was apparently so bad that police called in the Specialist Search and Recovery Team -- a team that usually deals with underwater searches or contaminated sites. Authorities believe that Stewart died of dehydration, after being trapped in his own Garbage.

[via Boing Boing]

Actor Matt Damon is a charitable guy. That's no secret. He and Charlie Engle co-founded the H2O Africa Project to help communities in Africa gain access to clean drinking water.

If you or your children are gamers, you may already be familiar with Fable 2 from Microsoft's Lionhead Studios. The game is set in an open-ended, consequence-based fantasy universe and is available only on the Xbox 360. According to PETA, it is also a vegetarian's dream come true.

In their 2008 year-end awards, PETA awarded Fable 2 their prestigious Game of the Year honors, citing pro-vegetarian themes that teach gamers the real-life benefit of a vegetarian diet. Apparently, in the game your character can eat a plant-based diet to rack up "purity points", whereas eating meat will make your character fat and evil. PETA is certainly no stranger to gaming as they've recently caused a stir with their Cooking Mama: Mama Kills Animals Flash game, poking fun at the Nintendo game Cooking Mama which uses predominantly meat-based recipes.