TIP TALKS
The e-Newsletter of the
Toxics Information Project (TIP)
December, 2013
*****************************************************************************************************
IN THIS ISSUE
**TIP ACTIVITIES: Gearing Up for 2014,
One Activity In Which We Haven’t Engaged
**HEALTHY HOLIDAYS: A Great “Cutting Costs” Food Tip,
Holiday Shopping Tips, 12 Surprising Uses for Orange Peels
(And TIP’s own holiday booklets, online)
**GOOD NEWS: GMO Bans in Several Places,
Less Drugged Up Meat
***********************************************************
TIP ACTIVITIES:
**********************************************************
GEARING UP FOR 2014
Things will be quiet for a bit – we’ll be distributing
“Cutting Costs While Cutting Chems” booklets…
(Let us know if you can be an “elf” – pick some up to
pass along to libraries, cafes, etc., in your neck of the woods).
Otherwise, we will get ready for contacts with legislators
and others about the GMO Labeling concern and bill, using
surveys and petitions for research and education, and seeking
places to show films and have discussions.(Help if you can!)
NOTE: WHAT WE HAVEN’T DONE –
Your E-Mail has been filled with appeals from all sorts of
organizations lately, right? Guess who hasn’t sent out a
single one? Doesn’t mean we don’t need support like
everyone else – we’re just more quiet about it. Consider:
EASY WAYS TO SUPPORT OUR WORK:
BENEFIT TIP WHILE SURFING OR SHOPPING THE WEB
at: www.goodsearch.com/?charityid=818190
BENEFIT TIP WHILE SHOPPING ON THE WEB AT:
www.igive.com/welcome/warmwelcome.cfm?c=38382&m=0
OR MOST OF ALL, MAKE A DONATION:
Mail a check to Toxics Information Project (TIP) at:
P.O. Box 40572, Providence, RI 02940
(We are a tax deductible organization)
************************************************************
A “CUTTING COSTS” SPECIAL –
ORGANIC WHOLE WHEAT PIZZA!
(Just sampled one to make sure it’s really yummy!)
Whole Foods Market actually has a pre-made Organic
Whole Wheat Pizza Crust (Dough)– for only $2.00! It is
hidden down at the bottom of the frozen pizza section.
No mixing, no rolling – just stretch out nice and thin, turn up
the edges & bake at 400 degrees. We found it works best
to pre-bake for about five minutes, then load with organic
pasta sauce (maybe 75 cents for this) some (cooked)
frozen mixed peppers from Trader Joes ($1.69 bag),
cheese of your choice (perhaps another $1), and anything
else that suits your palate, then finish baking. Feeds 3 or 4,
depending on how hungry you are, at around $1.50 to $2 each.
Who says healthy has to cost a bundle?
*********************************************************************
LESS TOXIC HOLIDAY & SHOPPING TIPS
(Don’t forget to check out the great info in TIP’s own
Healthy Holiday Handbooks/Hints on our website at:
http://toxicsinfo.org/thoughts.htm)
Many of you are likely thinking about last minute holiday shopping.
In your haste to find that perfect gift for family, friends and loved
ones, don’t overlook thinking “green” so that you avoid purchasing
gifts that contain toxic chemicals.
FROM EWG: NEW SKIN DEEP MOBILE APP
Your smartphone is about to get a lot smarter about safer
cosmetics. EWG's Skin Deep Mobile App is here!
You deserve information about your moisturizers, shampoos
and more available at your fingertips - in a robust, easy-to-use app.
Most people use cosmetics and other personal care items
without a second thought, believing the government makes
sure they're safe. Not so. No health studies or pre-market
testing are required. EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
is the world's largest personal care product safety guide. EWG
has launched this App to provide you with easy-to-navigate
safety ratings at your fingertips for a wide range of products
and ingredients on the market.
This Skin Deep app has information and online safety
assessments for more than 79,000 personal care products,
2,500 brands and 9,000 ingredients, culled from product
labels and from scientific and industry literature.
Download the app for your iPhone or Android today!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/skin-deep/id703155791?mt=8
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.skindeep.mobile
***********************************************************************
FROM CARE2.COM: 10 Things to Avoid This Holiday Season
www.care2.com/greenliving/10-things-to-avoid-this-holiday-season.html
**************************************************************************
FROM CHEJ: PVC-FREE HOLIDAY GUIDE
One basic step is to look out for PVC (aka vinyl) - the poison plastic
which is used widely in fake Christmas trees, lights and in products
wrapped and put under trees. Vinyl is the most toxic plastic for
children’s health and environment. Here are a few tips for avoiding
PVC in common holiday products for this holiday season:
PRODUCTS & TOYS FOR INFANTS/CHILDREN: Look for toys
and infant products labeled PVC-free, phthalate-free or lead-free -
and checkout guides on PVC-free products
(http://chej.org/campaigns/pvc/resources/pvc-free-products/)
and products & toys known to be made out of PVC
(http://www.healthystuff.org/).
CHRISTMAS TREES: Most artificial Christmas trees are made with
PVC and sometimes contain lead. Purchase vintage aluminum trees,
or real, locally grown and sustainably harvested organic trees. You can
also purchase a live tree in a pot, which can later be planted outside.
ELECTRONICS: Avoid electronics such as smart phones and computers
containing PVC by consulting Greenpeace’s Greener Electronics Guide.
www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/toxics/electronics/how-the-companies-line-up
PACKAGING: Look at the packaging of potential gifts. Avoid the
three-arrow “recycling” symbol with the number 3 and/or the letters
V or PVC, indicating it’s made with PVC. If no symbol is present,
call the manufacturer’s question/comment line (usually a toll-free
800 number) listed on the package to find out what it’s made of.
For more on thinking green this holiday season see
The Huffington Post's Guide To Poison-Free Holiday Shopping.
www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/28/holiday-shopping-chemicals_n_4352827.html
***********************************************************************
12 SURPRISING USES FOR ORANGE PEELS
It’s citrus season, and, chances are, orange lovers have overloaded
their compost bins and garbage cans with peels. But that’s no place
for these workhorses — there are plenty of creative ways to use the
peels around the house. Read on for surprising ways to use orange peels.
But first, a word of warning. Try to buy organically-grown oranges when
reusing the peels whenever possible, especially if you plan to eat them
or use them on your body. The peels of conventionally grown oranges
are usually sprayed with pesticides and are not always safe to eat.
If you can’t but organic oranges, wash the fruit under cold water to
remove as much of the pesticides as possible. Read more at:
www.care2.com/greenliving/12-surprising-uses-for-orange-peel.html#ixzz2nkufY8rB
**********************************************************************
GOOD NEWS TO CHEER YOUR HOLIDAYS
(NOTE: Hard to find these days!
Please share any you come across with us!)
HUGE NEWS: HAWAIIAN MAYOR SIGNS GMO BAN INTO LAW
It’s official. On Thursday, the mayor of the Big Island of Hawaii,
Billy Kenoi, signed bill 113 into law. This bill prohibits biotech
companies from operating on the Big Island, and it bans farmers
from growing any new genetically altered crops.
Hawaii is joining Mexico, which last month banned (on an interim
basis) the planting of all genetically engineered corn, and Italy,
which in July became the 9th European country to ban planting
of Monsanto’s GMO corn.
Do you think GMOs should be labeled? If you do, you are far
from alone. The vast majority of people in the United States
would like to see the country join 64 other nations, including
all of Europe, in labeling GMOs. It’s a cause supported,
according to polls, by 93% of the American public.
Get the whole story here. www.foodrevolution.org/blog/gmo-news
**************************************************************************
FDA TO LIMIT USE OF ANTIBIOTICS IN FARM ANIMALS
www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=175682
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 11 (HealthDay News) -- As experts continue
to sound alarm bells about the rising resistance of microbes to
antibiotics used by humans, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
on Wednesday announced it was curbing the use of the drugs in
livestock nationwide.
"FDA is issuing a plan today, in collaboration with the animal
health industry, to phase out the use of medically important
[for treating human infections] antimicrobials in food animals for
production purposes, such as to enhance growth rates and improve
feeding efficiency," Michael Taylor, deputy commissioner for foods
and veterinary medicine at the agency, said during a Wednesday
morning press briefing.
Experts have long stressed that the overuse of antibiotics by the meat
and poultry industry gives dangerous germs such as Staphylococcus
and C. difficile a prime breeding ground to develop mutations around
drugs often used by humans. But for years, millions of doses of
antibiotics have been added to the feed or water of cattle, poultry,
hogs and other animals to produce fatter animals while using less feed.
To try and limit this overuse, the FDA is asking pharmaceutical
companies that make antibiotics for the farming industry to change
the labels on their products to limit the use of these drugs to
medical purposes only. At the same time, the agency will be
phasing in broader oversight by veterinarians to insure that the
antibiotics are used only to treat and prevent illness in animals
and not to enhance growth, he said. "What is voluntary is only
the participation of animal pharmaceutical companies. Once these
labeling changes have been made, these products will only be able
to be used for therapeutic reasons with veterinary oversight," Taylor
explained. "With these changes, there will be fewer approved uses
[of these drugs] and remaining uses will be under tighter control,"
Taylor said.
NOTE: Some are concerned that farms will cheat on this,
however it is a step in the right direction. And Mr. Taylor’s
Alma Mater, Monsanto, isn’t an antibiotic manufacturer, is it?
So he can at least offer some show of doing his job.
(Less conflict of interest than with GMOs)
*****************************************************************
CONTACT US WITH YOUR THOUGHTS,
COMMENTS, QUESTIONS!
**************************************************************
Liberty Goodwin, Director
Toxics Information Project
P.O. Box 40572,
Providence, RI 02940
Tel. 401-351-9193
Website: www.toxicsinfo.org
***********************************************