Real vs. Artificial Christmas Trees: Not an Obvious Answer

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 [...]

Health Canada Releases Test Results Showing BPA in BPA-free Bottles

We recently shared our thoughts on the test results obtained by Health Canada as well as our questions regarding the testing methods used.   Now, thanks to a tip from Kevin Brodwick (Thinkbaby’s founder), we’ve learned that Health Canada has released the results!  The study investigated migration of BPA from both polycarbonate and non-polycarbonate baby bottles [...]

The Disappearing Male

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 [...]

CPSC Proposes Exemption of Unfinished Wood Toys for Lead Testing

CPSC Staff recently proposed a common-sense solution to the burden placed on small toy makers and retailers by the CPSIA lead ban.  They suggested exempting toys made from materials that inherently do not exceed the applicable lead limit.  This would include products made with natural materials such as unfinished wood toys.
The memo released by the [...]

Should Toys Made in the USA, Canada and Europe Be Exempt from Lead and Phthalate Testing?

UPDATED 12/23/08 (see below)
My brain has been churning with the new CPSIA regulations on one hand, and numerous petitions calling for an exemption from testing for smaller toy makers on the other.  My first response was a feeling of distress over what many bloggers describe as the imminent doom of many small toy companies.  I [...]

Industrial Pollution Begins in the Womb: Ken Cook of EWG

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 [...]

President Bush Signs Legislation Banning Lead and Phthalates

Woohoo! This is momentous news, sure to cause waves of changes across the country.
The New York Times released the announcement, explaining that the new law prohibits lead, beyond minute levels, in products for children 12 or younger. The bill also bans phthalates, a chemical widely used to make plastic products softer and more [...]

New Legislation Would Remove Lead and Phthalates from Toys

Healthy Child Healthy World announced recently that the Safe Toy bill banning six phthalates and requiring lead-testing has passed in the Senate!
The final tally: the House voted 424 to 1 and the Senate voted 89 to 3 to pass this historic piece of legislation. Not only does it set a precedent to act with precaution [...]

Testing Your Own Baby Products for Lead

What if you’ve already been using baby bibs made with vinyl? You may want to test them yourself using a lead kit made for home testing.
The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) recommends using the LeadCheck, The Lead Detective and PACE Lead Alert brands in their article Test for Lead. CEH provides easy to [...]

Steering Clear of Lead in Baby Bibs

I’ve been aware of the dangers caused by lead exposure in children for some time now. But I’ve often wondered how in the world a baby bib could end up contaminated with lead. It turns out that lead is usually tied to the presence of PVC (also called vinyl) in baby bibs.
Throughout my [...]