The Soft Landing Blog » Fire Retardants

Real vs. Artificial Christmas Trees: Not an Obvious Answer

Alicia — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:35:20 +0000

At first glance, artificial trees seem to make more sense as a long-term solution when considering cost, ease of use and the reusability factor. Artificial trees actually have some eye appeal these days, as compared to the days when they were manufactured by a toilet brush company. Cutting down a living tree seems like a bad choice for the environment and it’s also a yearly investment during the most draining time of the year.

So how is a family to make the right decision? Is it a no-win deal when every aspect has been taken into consideration? No, not really – because there is more to both sides of this story . . .

Artificial Trees: The Dark Side

Most artificial trees are made from PVC plastic. Not only is PVC loaded with toxic chemicals, its production also results in emission of dioxin and ethylene dichloride.
Lead is often used as a stabilizer in PVC to make artificial trees more resistant to light and weathering. Lead has been linked to kidney, liver, neurological and reproductive system damage. Some Christmas trees are even required to carry warning labels because they shed lead-laden dust, exposing children to the toxic chemical.
Other non-renewable metals and plastics are used to make artificial trees.
Many artificial trees are treated with flame retardants, and yet they can still catch fire.

Real Trees: The Bright Side

While pine trees contain resins and other aromatic chemicals that can damage the respiratory tract, causing chronic respiratory disease and asthma, fir and spruce trees do not contain the same irritating chemicals.
They are a natural, renewable, reusable, recyclable source.
Live evergreen trees absorb carbon dioxide and other gases while they are growing, and emit fresh oxygen. Approximately 1 million acres of holiday trees growing in the United States supply about 18 million people a day with oxygen.
Organic, pesticide-free Christmas trees are becoming more widely available.
You can support U.S. made products and farmers by purchasing live Christmas trees, because they are grown in all 50 States.

As you can probably guess, my husband and I took the kids on our traditional trek to find the perfect live Christmas tree again this year. We found a beautiful blue-green fir and we’re enjoying the fresh aroma constantly! It’s also a wonderful opportunity to support a local business too

The Disappearing Male

Alicia — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:00:16 +0000

Wow. I’ve been immersed in the world of environmental toxin hazards for years, but The Disappearing Male documentary was shocking. It has a Doomsday feel to be sure, but the dramatic increases in genital deformities, low sperm count, sperm abnormalities and testicular cancer in males can no longer be ignored.

We’re just beginning to see the fall-out of chemicals that go vastly unregulated and untested. While it’s true that we can’t avoid every chemical, we can – and should – avoid known endocrine disruptors. Carve out 45 minutes to watch this video and share it with others – we owe it to our children.

Background Info Provided by CBC on The Disappearing Male

“We are conducting a vast toxicological experiment in which our children and our children’s children are the experimental subjects.” Dr. Herbert Needleman

The Disappearing Male is about one of the most important, and least publicized, issues facing the human species: the toxic threat to the male reproductive system.

The last few decades have seen steady and dramatic increases in the incidence of boys and young men suffering from genital deformities, low sperm count, sperm abnormalities and testicular cancer.

Some researchers say that declining male fertility rates could be the first sign of extinction.

At the same time, boys are now far more at risk of suffering from ADHD, autism, Tourette’s syndrome, cerebral palsy, and dyslexia.

The Disappearing Male takes a close and disturbing look at what many doctors and researchers now suspect are responsible for many of these problems: a class of common chemicals that are ubiquitous in our world.

Found in everything from shampoo, sunglasses, meat and dairy products, carpet, cosmetics and baby bottles, they are called “hormone mimicking” or “endocrine disrupting” chemicals and they may be starting to damage the most basic building blocks of human development.

>> READ Nora Chute’s excellent take on this documentary on Healthy Child Healthy World’s blog.

Which Tiny Love Baby Products are BPA and PVC Free?

Alicia — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 23:40:25 +0000

Tiny Love Musical Stack and Play

All Tiny Love products are BPA, PVC and Phthalate-free!

I don’t think I’ve ever been so surprised by a toy manufacturer. Their Quality Assurance Director went on to shock me even further by confirming that they use only cloth free of flame retardants as well!

Tiny Love products also undergo rigorous safety testing for comtaminants like lead. They also pass both the American Standard Safety Test (ASTM-963) as well as the European test (EN-71).

Tiny Love is obviously concerned about our children’s safety and their goal is to provide high quality toys made without toxic chemicals of any kind.

They offer a huge list of unique developmental toys including the famous Gymini Activity Gym. Shopping for baby gifts just got easier

Industrial Pollution Begins in the Womb: Ken Cook of EWG

Alicia — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:30:36 +0000

Enviroblog shared a stunning video today in their article Please Don’t Disrupt My Endocrines. It’s an eye-opening look at the umbilical cord blood study, Body Burden, completed by the Environmental Working Group. The Kid-Safe Chemical Act is a direct result of the study – and you’ll understand why the Act is necessary after you watch the video.

Click here to view the embedded video.