(January 26, 2010) Santa Cruz, CA - On January 19th, after more than a year of continuous controversy, the FDA has released a statement naming the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) as a safety risk, allocating $30 million for independent research for a first-time, non-industry-funded study  in an effort to learn more about the health risks associated with BPA.  Bisphenol A is especially prevalent in baby bottles, and while consumer pressure and declining sales of BPA plastics have spurred the six largest, plastic baby bottle manufacturers to voluntarily remove BPA from baby bottles sold in the U.S., the chemical is still widely prevalent in consumer food and beverage containers sold around the world.

Bisphenol A, or BPA, is one of the world’s highest production-volume chemicals, and has been used for 40 years in plastic items such as baby bottles, food and beverage containers, and dental sealants. Independent studies have shown adverse health effects of BPA occur on the brain and reproductive system, as well as create metabolic diseases in laboratory animals.

In the human body, BPA mimics the estrogen hormone, and studies have tied the BPA compound to reproductive abnormalities and the increased risk of both cancer and diabetes. Infants and children are thought to be particularly vulnerable to the BPA compound because their reproductive organs and ability to metabolize chemicals are not fully formed.  In a statement in 2008, the FDA said BPA was safe in materials that come into contact with food, to which  critics accused the agency of using outdated studies that had been sponsored by the chemical industry, so the new cautionary statement by the FDA is a huge step in the right direction of consumer safety over corporate pressure.

There was considerable media coverage of the BPA baby bottle controversy last year. Scientist and expert Frederick vom Saal explains the situation like this: “The Japanese industry voluntarily removed BPA from can linings 10 years ago and thus, were able to reduce exposure to BPA by 50 percent.  Last year, Congress asked companies in the United States to take similar actions; however, companies have made no move toward compliance.”  In spite of this and tarried by pressure from chemical corporation lobbyists, the FDA still has no official plan to ban BPA from consumer goods.

The new FDA position is consistent with that of the National Toxicology Program made two years ago.  To avoid this health risk all together, choose BPA-free plastics, and avoid putting all plastics into the microwave and dishwasher, where they can release dangerous chemicals when heated, or degrade in the heat and excessive moisture.

Safe plastics that use polyethylene (#1, #2, and #4) and polypropylene (#5) require the use of less toxic additives. They also are non-chlorinated. Avoid choosing products that use polyvinyl chloride (#3), polystyrene (#6), and polycarbonate (#7) which typically contains bisphenol A (BPA) and is found in baby bottles and/or sippy cups.

About the author: Elizabeth Borelli is the Founder of Nubius Organics, an eco-conscious mom, and an environmental activist. She began www.nubiusorganics.com to bring her knowledge of safe, healthy alternatives to a greater audience, and to share valuable  information, resources, and green solutions with the public, the media, and parents to be.

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by Beth Doane

Since organic apparel and food products are still new to so many consumers, I wanted to spell out some easy answers as to why it’s practical, ethical and increasingly easier to consume organic products.

According to the Organic Trade Association, “Organic refers to the way agricultural products are grown and processed. It includes a system of production, processing, distribution and sales that assures consumers that the products maintain the organic integrity that begins on the farm.”

I always recommend buying certified organic since it more safely ensures that a strict code of standards and guidelines have been followed. For example, when we purchase the cotton for Rain Tees from our Peruvian organic cotton farmers, the rolls of cotton come with specific paperwork that certifies it was grown and harvested organically. Before the tees can enter the U.S.A. and be declared organic this paperwork must also be presented to U.S. customs.

Here is a short list on why buying organic is the way to go.

No Crazy Chemicals

Organic farms don’t use chemicals, artificial fertilizers or harsh pesticides, so they are filled with only the crops themselves and natural wildlife! This also ensures that those nasty chemicals don’t make contact with your skin if the crops are woven into clothing, as millions are every day. Growing crops in a natural environment also keeps the land healthy and sustainable and ensures naturally fertile soil and waterways that stay free from pollution.

No Evil Pesticides

The conventional textile industry is sadly one of the most polluting industries in the world, which is why more and more consumers and apparel producers are demanding organic fabrics. More than a quarter of the world’s insecticides are used for growing conventional cotton. These insecticides kill countless animals, plants and insects, and pollute our soil and waters. Pesticides also contain known carcinogens (agents that have been proven to cause cancer), which is bad news for farmers and the rest of us.

Not only are pesticides toxic, they are also pricey to use. Furthermore, money from our taxes pays to remove these harmful chemicals from our water supplies so that they don’t leak as much into our drinking water. The EPA has had to step in on more than one occasion where pesticide run-off has killed hundreds of thousands of fish in our waterways. If pesticides are killing our fish, why are we ok with them being all over our foods and cotton crops?

No GMOs

A GMO (genetically modified organism) is a man-made organism created in a laboratory. Think “frog genes inserted into seeds that will grow corn.” Literally. Organic farming does not allow genetically modified crops because they create absolute environmental havoc. And no one really knows the long term affects of GMOs.

You’re Supporting Ethical Farming

Organic farmers are following their morals and ethics and not necessarily their pocketbooks. It takes a lot of time and money to be organic and most farmers can’t afford the expense, which makes organic farming less common. Organic farms are inspected by international bodies and have to follow extremely strict guidelines. Organic crops may also yield smaller harvests because, without pesticides, sometimes the crops are consumed by wildlife. So, the right thing is not always the easiest, but as more farmers grow organic and more consumers buy organic, it will be so much easier to find organic products at lower cost.

It Feels So Good!

The number one thing we hear about our organic collections is “It feels so good!”  Organic cotton can actually feel softer than regular cotton products and, after all of the careful steps and diligence it takes to produce organic cotton, it just feels better in our hearts too, I think.

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About the author: Beth Doane is a fashion designer and consultant focusing on eco-conscious product development and marketing. She founded and designed the internationally acclaimed Rain Tee collection and Andira International.

On March 3, 2009 a school in Longmont, Colorado, got the green light on a parent- and student-inspired greenhouse project that will provide a space for teachers to communicate traditional subjects in a non-traditional setting.

Flagstaff Academy is a Preschool – Middleschool public charter school within the St. Vrain Valley School District with a mission to provide a science and technology-focused liberal arts curriculum that promotes excellence, teamwork, respect, and a lifelong love of learning.

First envisioned by Flagstaff parent Leha Moskoff, the greenhouse will provide an opportunity for students to participate in hands-on learning experiences that bring science and the environment to the forefront. Flagstaff Academy currently uses an integrated and challenging curriculum based on the Core Knowledge curricular sequence.

“The greenhouse will provide a living classroom for the teachers at Flagstaff to be creative with,” said Moskoff. “It provides a hands on approach to learning that many students require to truly learn a skill. And, the greenhouse will be mostly filled with edible plants that many students have never liked or tried.  Being a part of the growing process, from start to finish, creates a connection to the food we put in our bodies.  Children are more likely to try vegetables if they help grow them.  If we can introduce healthy food choices to our children, imagine the health of our future!”

The proposed greenhouse will be a 33-foot geodesic dome-shaped structure with 850 square feet of usable space- enough room for a class of 30 students. The dome will be manufactured by Colorado-based Growing Spaces Growing Domes, is able to be assembled in one weekend. Thanks to grassroots fund raising efforts by families at the school, Whole Foods Market in Boulder, has already pledged $750 toward purchasing the structure and volunteered manpower to assemble the greenhouse on build day. After hearing about the school’s approval of the project, Moskoff’s classmates at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition also pitched in by donating over $1,000 in just over an hour. These student donations were generously matched by IIN’s administration to equal $3,000.

At the request of the Flagstaff’s Board of Directors, Moskoff carefully reviewed the school’s course work for grades K-5 and identified at least three topics in each year that would directly relate to the greenhouse. In addition there are hopes of raising garden produce for use at the school.

“The sense of community that transpires from a shared goal is powerful,” said Moskoff.  “It makes us all feel good and like we are truly creating a better world for ourselves and our children.  For me, this is what fund raising is all about.  If someone is able to donate funds for our greenhouse, I encourage you to do so.”

The Greenhouse Committee at Flagstaff Academy is currently looking for grants, corporate sponsorships, and individual donors to help them reach their goal of $23,000 for the purchase of the “classroom” greenhouse. Interested parties should contact Flagstaff Academy at (303) 651-7900 or by mail at 1841 Lefthand Circle, Longmont, Colorado, 80501.

- The Team at GenGreen

Here in Northern Colorado, we are lucky to have access to a variety of great resources for learning about sustainability. The folks at the Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Association, who bring us the RMSLA Fair every fall, have just kicked off a workshop series that’s bound to be a hit with environmental enthusiasts and novices alike.

Two different sets of workshops are offered this year. One is called The Sustainable Building and Energy Series, and the other is The Abundant Backyard Series. Here is a quick rundown of the different workshops and their areas of focus:

Intro to Renewable Energy for Homeowners and Businesses: March 28-29

Attendees of this Fort Collins workshop will learn about the full scope of energy use, service and demand. They will explore solar resources and their applications in passive, thermal and photovoltaic energy systems as well as study wind energy systems, geothermal, energy storage, and off-grid and grid-tied systems. This workshop will also cover the economic considerations of the renewable energy investment, including cost, rebates, incentives and rate of return. Cost is $225 for the 16-hour event.

Home Energy Efficiency: 9 a.m. April 4 in Fort Collins

Individuals will learn how to assess and audit their own energy use by making changes to lifestyle habits that affect it. This eight-hour class costs $95.

Green Building Design: May 18-21

This four-day workshop will focus on sustainable site assessment and blueprint reading, green construction methods and techniques, natural building techniques, water conservation planning, energy conservation methods, and sustainable materials and finishes. This workshop costs $515 and will be held in Fort Collins.

Basics of Poultry Management – Home Grown Eggs: Noon March 1, 9 a.m. April 11 and 5 p.m. June 11

If you’ll be taking advantage of the newly approved ordinance allowing Fort Collins residents to raise chickens in their backyards, this is the workshop for you. Topics include chicken coop space requirements, equipment and feed options, chicken physiology and gardening synergy. This four-hour class costs $40 and will be held in Fort Collins.

Chicken Coop: A Home for Your Flock: Noon, March 15 in LaPorte

Attendees will learn to build a coop by using salvaged and repurposed materials. Some of the other topics discussed will include passive solar possibilities, weather protection, and predator proofing. There will be hands-on assembly demonstrations. The cost of this four-hour class is $50.

Biointensive Gardening — Grow More Vegetables on Less Land: 10 a.m. March 29 and May 3

This workshop will help gardening enthusiasts learn how to maximize their food production for the space they have. Other topics include compost production, mulching, plant propagation, crop rotations, compan-ion/succession/inter-planting, seasonality, local-ized sustainability and seed saving. This four-hour class is $50 per person and will be held in Fort Collins.

Bee Guardianship — Introduction to the Top Bar Method: 10 a.m. April 12 in Fort Collins

Attendees will learn how to create a top bar hive for the backyard. The cost for this four-hour class is $60.

To register for any of these workshops or to learn more about RMSLA, go to www.sustainablelivingassociation.org.

By Charisse McAuliffe, founder and CEO of GenGreen LLC.

Staff Photo: Josh D. Weiss
Piper Davis, left, talks to friends as she wears an LED headlamp during lunch at Wesleyan on Wednesday. The school is taking part in the Green Cup Challenge and invited all the students to bring flashlights so the school could turn off several lights around the building.

Note: Jessica Felts is one of the most rockin’ Ambassadors GenGreen has ever know- and she’s been with us from the beginning! Miss Felts is a great example for youth everywhere that being young need not prevent you from making a significant, positive impact in your community!

Learn more about becoming an Ambassador here.

NORCROSS, Georgia – Jessica Felts wore a head lamp Wednesday, using it to illuminate her work in her classes at Wesleyan School.

The day before its winter break, the Norcross school encouraged students to bring flashlights to campus and conserved energy by turning off some lights in classrooms, hallways and the dining hall.

Wesleyan is one of 27 private schools – one of four in Gwinnett County – participating in the Southeast Green Cup Challenge, which encourages schools to reduce their electricity usage in February. The other Gwinnett participants are Greater Atlanta Christian School, Providence Christian Academy and Covenant Christian Academy.

“The end goal is to learn how to be better stewards of our resources,” Wesleyan teacher Alison Holby said. “We’re trying to educate the community that it’s not dramatic steps that need to be taken to be better stewards of our resources. It’s little steps we can take.”

While “Flashlight Day” was a grand gesture, it exemplified one thing schools are doing to reduce their energy consumption: turning off the lights.

“I was surprised by how receptive most of the students were to Flashlight Day … but a good 60 percent of the high school was very supportive, if not enthusiastic,” said Felts, the student founder of Wesleyan’s high school environmental club, Gen Green. “Overall, the competition has really brought awareness and united the lower school, middle school and high school on one major green endeavor.”

Felts said practicing good stewardship makes good fiscal sense.

In the first two weeks of the competition, Wesleyan reduced its energy usage by nearly 12 percent compared to the average from the previous three years, Holby said. With the school’s winter break beginning today, she said she was hopeful that decrease would increase.

Covenant Christian Academy teacher Pamela Krumpach said Georgia Power reported the school has decreased its electrical usage, but exact figures weren’t available. The Loganville school has switched some of its light bulbs with lower-wattage varieties and encouraged people to turn off lights when they leave a room.

“We are a Christian school, and our belief system is based in that God calls us to be good stewards,” said Krumpach, who is organizing the school’s Green Cup efforts. “I personally believe God has given us and blessed us with so much … and it’s incumbent upon us to take care of that beautiful gift.”

Greater Atlanta Christian School’s goal is to reduce the amount of electricity it uses by 10 percent compared to the average of the last three years, said Alan Henderson, chair of the school’s high school Bible department and co-chair of the Creation Care Initiative.

“GACS is participating in the Green Cup Challenge because it fits well with our commitment to being good stewards of the resources God has given us,” Henderson said. “Though the final results are still a week away, we have already seen a reduction in energy consumption on campus. Faculty, staff and students are doing more and more little things to cut consumption, all of which adds up to big savings.”

Sean Chapman, Providence Christian Academy’s high school principal, said the need for conservation is becoming more important. The school’s Green Cup Challenge, led by teacher Ashley Keeton, is raising awareness among the students, he said.

“In the world they’re going to live in as adults, if they don’t understand and do it (conserve), the world won’t really be an inhabitable place, I don’t think,” Chapman said.

(By Heather Darenberg – This story originally published in the Gwinnett Daily Post)

I’ll be the first to admit I never thought a game of Texas Hold’em could ever have anything to do with increasing your knowledge about sustainability…but I have been proven wrong.

The folks at Green Foot Forward, were thinking way outside the green box when they came up with Eco Deck, a deck of 52 playing cards, each one featuring original art work and an eco-tip, fact, or solution to help educate and improve everyone’s green life.

At first the idea seemed trivial, but then I stopped to thinkabout it… who among us doesn’t have a resistant friend or two? Those friends that love to play devil’s advocate, trash soda cans in front of you, and leave their car idling in the street when they come to pick you up, just to get your green hackles up?!

This is the way you squeeze the green in. You invite anti-eco friend to your house for a friendly game of cards, and then you bust out- THE ECO DECK. Instead of the usual hearts and spades, you deal out a hand of DYKs about water, solar energy, environmental disasters and environmental solutions! So whilst anti-eco friend is contemplating his potential gin rummy, he’ll also be improving his environmental I.Q. and just might learn a thing or two about saving the earth that he never knew before…talk about a conversation starter!

CLUBS cover eco facts from how burning coal and bad car mileage link to air pollution.

DIAMONDS give water tips and facts, and remind us that over 2 billion of our brothers and sisters are in need of clean drinking water.

HEARTS relate to electricity and energy derived from solar and wind.

SPADES remind us about past man-made ecological disasters and the very real problems we face from
Global Warming problems we face as humans.

Eco Decks are crafted from sustainable forest paper, starch based laminating glue, vegetable based printing inks, and made in the U.S.A. As the environment changes (hopefully for the better), so will Eco Decks tips, facts, and solutions.   Join the GFF mailing list and receive annual updated cards for FREE.

Learn more about Green Food Forward at www.greenfootforward.com

- The Team at GenGreen

It’s coming down to the wire and i haven’t even begun to send off cards or gifts to loved ones back home. If you are also feeling the impending doom of procrastination breathing down your neck, have no fear. The last, and possibly most stress relieving, installment of the GenGreen Gift Guide has arrived just in the (St.) nick of time.

Books! The marvelous and almost-lost art of reading books which stimulates the mind and imagination…giving the gift of books is a no-brainer for the holidays and one that’s easy to do sustainably.

Take for instance a great little company called New Society Publishers: an activist publisher focused on solutions and social change. New Society specifically offers books that serve as tools to build, well, just that- a new society. As their site states, “[Our books will] help you to know the talk, and walk the talk. They’re packed with analysis that’s hard to find, ideas to keep you current, inspiration for the daily struggle, and practical tools to change the world.”

A few really cool titles I found while browsing their online catalog:

Guerilla Gardening: A Manualfesto by David Tracey

The Trouble Maker’s Teaparty: A Manual for Effective Citizen Action by Charles Dobson

Bothered by My Green Conscience: How an SUV-driving, imported-strawberry-eating urban dweller can go green by Franke James

The best part? Ordering online means you can have the book shipped directly to the lucky recipients, making books the perfect choice for far away friends and family.

Check them out at NewSociety.com

- The Team at GenGreen

If you’ve ever wished for an easy way to compare colleges based on their levels of sustainability, your wish has been granted.

Published by the Sustainable Endowments Institute, the College Sustainability Report Card assesses the performance of 300 U.S. public and private colleges and universities across 43 indicators in nine main categories, including green purchasing policies, energy efficiency, recycling, and composting.

Only 15 schools nationwide received an A-, the highest grade awarded this year.

The Report Card is currently the only independent sustainability evaluation of campus operations and endowment investments available, and is meant to serve as a tool for high school students in selecting a college and for college students in improving sustainability on their campus.

And the best part? Information contained in the Report Card is freely accessible on GreenReportCard.org, which is the first interactive website to provide in-depth sustainability profiles for hundreds of colleges in all 50 U.S. states and in Canada. The site allows you to view side-by-side comparisons of up to 10 schools, make donations to help keep the Report Card fee-free and a whole section about how you can get involved and use the Report Card to encourage sustainability practices on your favorite campus.

- The Team at GenGreen