National Geographic Kids Show, Mama Mirabelle, Airs Earth Day Show this weekend-

We don't have cable. We are weak and get sucked into whatever pumped up drama is on TV, especially my husband. It is a problem for our productivity and creativity, and we weren't interested in exposing our preschooler to all those ads for things we don't need, are bad for her, the earth, but good for mega-corporations.

In light of that, she's seen a few movies, some shows, and whatever is on at friend's houses. But if I could buy a few channels ala cart (could someone make that happen, please?) I would buy access to PBS in a heartbeat.

So I was excited to get an email from someone at PBS promoting an Earth Day episode of a show called Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies. She sent me two shows for my daughter's viewing pleasure, which corresponded nicely with her having a cold.

For days now, too many times than I'd like to admit, she has watched the shows. They feature colorful cartoon African animals and real video clips of animals from all over the world. This is my favorite part. Many times kids don't see what the animals actually look like, and this is a great way to show kids actual footage of real animals in their habitats. Also, each show has a basic ecology theme, boiled down for preschool aged kids. And you can find activities that go with each episode on their website. The Earth Day episode, Kings and Queens of the Savanna, explains the circle of life, and will be shown on PBS this weekend.

U.S. Report issues "Warnings and Concerns" about BPA-

Finally! The National Toxicology Program, in its draft report, labeled BPA as a chemical of concern (shocking, I know, to anyone who has been reading anything about parenting lately, especially this blog and many others-). The National Toxicology Program's findings are used by the FDA and the EPA to regulate certain chemicals.

These findings are much different than an expert panel found just last year, but those studies have been widely disputed because of much of the study done by scientists hired by the chemical industry (no conflict of interest there!).

In this article from today's Washington Post, I learned that 3 states are considering outright bans of BPA: California (ah, the sunshine state may do it again), Maine, and New Jersey. Where is Vermont?

Now it looks like some politicians are paying attention, too, and calling on the FDA to regulate the use of BPA.

It's heating up folks. And everyone thought we were overreacting. Take action to tell baby bottle manufacturers to stop using BPA in baby bottles, and to not wait for government action (because we all know how long that can take) by clicking here. At least now we have some momentum on our side, and action will soon hopefully follow.

Canada moves on BPA, Labels it a "Dangerous Substance"-

Great news from north of the border. Two readers alerted me to the fact that Health Canada has labeled BPA (bisphenol A) as a dangerous substance, essentially paving the way for potential bans, action, or regulation of the hormone mimicking chemical. This forward thinking move could have international implications.

Turns out as a result many major Canadian retailers are pulling BPA containing bottles off the shelves to protect consumers. Check out a news video clip about this, here. And you can read more about it here.

Yet another area that the U.S. lags behind in. And I shudder to think where all those bottles will end up. Landfills, likely. But at least the many good folks in Canada (especially the wee ones) will not be exposed to this chemical anymore.

Thanks to John for these links and to chemicalsouplynne for the heads up!

New here? You can learn lots more by reading the posts labeled BPA in the right column of this blog. Strapped for time? Visit the Quick Tips for Busy Parents section on the left.

Celebrate Earth Day with your Little Ones-

In the coming days before Earth Day, I thought I would put on my old environmental educator hat and share some ways to discuss, share and learn about the earth with kids, and open up the idea for folks to comment and share any ideas they have as well.

For us, the snow is barely melting out there, so we have yet to be fully enveloped in spring.

One simple idea is to go outside with your child and have him or her listen, describe and count how many different sounds of spring he or she can identify. They can be something as simple as water dripping, mud squishing, birds calling, you get the idea. You can then discuss what is happening in nature at springtime (birds coming back, frogs and toads waking up and coming out, plants starting to grow, etc). From there encourage your child to tell stories about spring, make up songs, and create art that shares about spring in your area.

If you have an older child, and the warmer spring rains have started in your area, you can help frogs, toads and salamanders cross the roads safely when they are heading to their breeding grounds. Many nature centers have volunteers that organize and do this, but you can do it yourself as well. You just need to find a spot on a road where frogs, toads and salamanders cross in the spring (and often suffer high mortality rates). If you don't know where this might be, call your local nature center. You can then venture out with your child on a rainy night, with a flashlight and reflective clothes (if possible) and a bucket. Your mission in simple: walk along the road (being careful of cars, of course!), looking for frogs, toads and salamanders trying to cross. If you spot one, gently pick it up, or put it in your bucket (they are usually cold from the long winter, so they aren't moving quickly) and walk them across the street. Then set them down on the other side. Show your child how to do this, and then continue the quest. Not only will you be helping lessen the death rates of these incredible creatures, but you can go back and look up exactly what you found in a guide book or on the web. Here are some good resources about frog, toad and salamander crossing.

New Jersey Audubon Society's site

Defenders of Wildlife

This is a once a year amazing opportunity to see, close up, the amazingly beautiful spotted salamander (if you live in the eastern U.S.). Kids love their bright spots and long bodies, and helping them is an unforgettable experience.

You can find other Earth Day tips and green activities at The Savvy Source for Parents website and blog. This month, in honor of Earth Day, they are focused on sharing ways we all can lessen our impact on the environment. This site also shares many creative activity ideas for kids, preschool selection information, information on toys, books, and a really cool looking feature I have yet to explore that shares specific learning activity suggestions based on your child's developmental level and interests. Check it out here. The site is packed with truly usable information for busy parents.

photo by: www.MichaelCravens.com

Updates (Vermont's Lead Bill, and Nalgene and BPA)-

Thanks to a reader, Maria, I learned that Nalgene, that maker of the popular hiking/outdoor enthusiast type water bottle, has launched a new website touting their new BPA and phthalate free water bottles. She first read about it over at Z recommends.

Now this is strange. Is this the same company that I posted about a month or so ago, who on their website, staunchly advocated that BPA is harmless?

Clearly, they've been working on this for awhile. I noticed (as did the folks at Z recs) that the timing was very...interesting. They released the site the same week the Today show doctor told viewers not to by #7 plastics and held up a Nalgene bottle.

On the new website, they list their old bottles, and then the new bottles with the words "BPA and phthalate free". No discussion, just bottles available with toxic chemicals or not.

Wouldn't it have been nice if they made some public statement, saying just to be safe, they switched their whole product line over to BPA and phthalate free bottles, to protect consumers using a precautionary principle? Instead, they are still selling the #7s that we are all told to avoid, because they are, in the words of the Today show doctor, "a major health threat to families." Okay.

Vermont readers, I also testified again this past week in support of the Lead in Consumer Products Bill. The bill is now in a house committee, and with only three weeks left of the legislative session, time is tight. When I spoke, the Representatives encouraged me to tell supporters of this bill to contact them. If you live in Vermont, please visit this link to find out your Representative's contact information. Send them an email telling them to support the Lead in Consumer Products Bill so we can stop Vermont kids from getting their hands on leaded products, while companies make a buck.