Study Connecting Vaccines and Autism is Retracted from Publication

I said I wouldn't post about vaccines again.  Really.  I did.  But this I can't really help.  I know Non-Toxic Readers have strong opinions about vaccines.  It is a hot button issue I decided not to touch anymore.

But this is just too big. The New York Times reports that the study linking autism to the MMR vaccine has been retracted.  This study was often cited by the anti-vaccine groups as proof the of damage caused to children from vaccines.  From the Times:

"A major British medical journal on Tuesday retracted a flawed study linking the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to autism and bowel disease.

The retraction by The Lancet comes a day after a competing medical journal, BMJ, issued an embargoed commentary calling for The Lancet to formally retract the study."

I found this very interesting, specifically, the faults with the study.  I also just heard this report about the issue on NPR. It featured the much maligned Dr. Paul Offit, author of Autism's False Prophets, co-inventor of the rotavirus vaccine and chief of infectious diseases at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia.  I found his interview quite compelling and thought provoking.

The Cadmium in Jewelry Saga Continues

More news this week about cadmium in jewelry proving it is not just Claire's that has been selling toxic jewelry to our children and families.

Turns out, even expensive jewelry is containing the toxic metal.  The Center for Environmental Health found high levels of cadmium at Aeropostale and Sax Fifth avenue stores.  Both companies have pulled the offending jewelry off store shelves.

Aeropostale didn't have the typical double speak and limited, stunted response.  They called for no cadmium in their jewelry-- none, even though cadmium still hasn't been banned in jewelry.

The Washington Post article said, "Aeropostale, Inc. went one step further, saying Thursday that from now on, no amount of cadmium will be acceptable in its jewelry - and that suppliers will have to prove products are clean with independent lab testing.

The announcement from Aeropostale was significant because it represented the first time a company has said it is effectively banning cadmium in adult jewelry. Aeropostale has more than 900 locations in the United States and Canada."

Right on Aeropostale!  

Sax on the other hand, was cagey, and only doing anything under threat of a lawsuit.  Be weary, jewelry buyers!  At least there is some progress, and we know this problem is not limited to cheap jewelry made in China (the Aeropostale jewelry was made in India).

A Wake Up Story from Healthy Child Healthy World (and it's not pretty)

A Wake-Up Story from Healthy Child Healthy World on Vimeo.

This speaks for itself.

Crayola: Take Back the Markers!

 

As green thinking parent, I shudder to think about the many Crayola (and Expo) markers that have been sent to the trash in my classroom, and now that my kids are older, in my house.  I am usually pretty mellow about things, but when they don't put the lids back on a marker, I get particularly antsy. Uptight.  Saying in a high pitched voice, "make sure it clicks!"  and "where did the lid go?"  with serious urgency.

Because despite my critical analysis of most of the items that come in my house, art materials aren't up to the same standards.  I don't buy any of it from the dollar store, because I know it will last maybe one day, and is probably toxic.  To create art, Crayola markers are widely available, cheap, and we use them all the time.  I've seen some nice non-toxic art supplies from MightyNest, Rossie Hippo, but I just haven't gone green on this one.  I don't have a hundred extra bucks to order groovy art supplies from my favorite greenie and natural stores.

And I'm thinking most of America is in this same boat.  We really just need Crayola to take back and recycle or reuse their plastic markers. Can you imagine how much plastic waste this would save from our landfills?  And how many parents would rejoice (and  sleep better with less guilt!)?   Crayola makes 500 million markers every year and they are made from polypropylene #5 plastic, not widely accepted at recycling facilities.  I've never heard of a recycling facility allowing markers!

All Crayola really needs to do is employ the same philosophy as many European companies, and be responsible for their products cradle to grave.  The manufacturer should take on responsibilty to keep their products out of the waste stream.  It's called Extended Producer Responsibility -- making companies cover the end of life costs of the products they make (what a brilliant idea). 

It is in this spirit that Amy Sunback started this group on Facebook, called Take Back the Markers: Help Convince Crayola to Recycle Their Markers.  Join her and grab the attention of Crayola.  After joining the group I also learned I never need to toss another marker.  While I would like to see Crayola take responsibility for this, there still is a way to recycle those dead markers.  Just head to Terracycle (whose other products have been reviewed here) and learn about their Writing Instruments Brigade.  I will be starting one of these at my school, because Expo markers only last a few months and I have been wincing as I throw them out for years. 

And let's not stop there. For a company that has become very successful from selling art supplies, Crayola needs to accept responsibility for their products' environmental effects.  Let's encourage them to take responsibility for their plastic waste. Write to Crayola on their comment page and encourage them to recycle their markers. 

Too tired?  Barely firing brain cells (believe me, I've been there)?  Cut and paste this into the comment field:

Dear Crayola,

Thanks for making a variety of art supplies for children.  I buy and use Crayola markers with my children, and I am also trying to teach them how to care for the environment.  It confuses them when their old markers are neither compostable or recyclable, but must be thrown in the trash.  Please take responsibility for the amount of plastic your markers are sending to the landfill, for future generations to have to deal with.  And too much plastic makes its way into our world's oceans.  It's time to develop a program to take back your markers to be recycled.  It is good for the earth, for our children, and ultimately, it will be good for your business.

It feels good to finally get this one off my chest.  It's been cooking for months.  Beth (from Fake Plastic Fish) will be proud. Thanks to Amy for bringing this to the forefront of my overworked and very tired brain.

image:   Thomas Hawk on Flickr under Creative Commons

Tell Your Senators No More BPA!

(from the lovely, hard working ladies at Momsrising)

In a staggering policy reversal this past weekend, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced there's now officially cause for "concern" about toxic Bisphenol-A (BPA) in food and beverage containers, but they stopped short of banning BPA from products children and pregnant and nursing women use everyday.

It's not enough to just announce "concern." We already know BPA is dangerous, and we know there are safer alternatives. It's time for Congress to take this issue to the next level to keep our kids safe.

Urge your U.S. Senators today to co-sponsor and support the Ban Poisonous Additives Act that will ban BPA from food and beverage containers.


Bisephenol-A (BPA) is one of the most pervasive chemicals in our modern lives. You've probably heard by now about BPA in baby bottles, but did you know it's also in most can linings and in many reusable food and beverage containers? With 2 billion pounds of BPA produced annually in the US, it's no wonder that 93% of Americans have detectable levels of BPA in their bodies. (Effects of BPA exposure can include breast cancer, infertility, prostate cancer, early onset puberty, ADHD, and obesity. Children, whose brains and organs are constantly developing, are particularly at risk and absorb BPA at much higher rates than their parents. Early exposure puts children at risk for adult diseases later in life, including breast cancer and Alzheimer's.) 2

The Ban Poisonous Additives Act (also known as the BPA Act) sponsored by Senator Feinstein would ban BPA from reusable food and beverage containers and prohibit the creation of new food and beverage containers containing BPA. 

With your help, we could permanently take BPA out of baby bottles, infant formula tins, and the countless food and beverage containers we use everyday.

This bill is a sensible measure that could fix a real problem -- and fix it quickly. That's why we've made it our goal to get Senators from both parties, and from every region of the country, lining up to co-sponsor this bill in January. With your help, we can make that happen. After all, the health and safety of our children comes first to us, and it should come first to our elected officials as well!

Ask your Senators to stand up for safe food for our kids by co-sponsoring the Ban Poisonous Additives (BPA) Act!

We already know there are plenty of safer alternatives to using BPA in containers. In fact, there are many stores, as well as states, which have acknowledged the human health risks of BPA exposure and have already banished BPA from their shelves. Last year, six of the largest manufacturers of baby bottles, including Playtex and Gerber, pledged to stop using in BPA in their products.  In addition, Kmart, CVS, Wal-Mart and several other prominent corporations have banned the sale of baby bottles containing BPA at their stores. Further, Canada has restricted BPA, and Minnesota, Connecticut, Chicago, and three New York counties have already successfully banned BPA from kids' products. In all, more than 30 states and localities in the US are considering legislation to regulate BPA this year.

Don't forget to take a moment right now to urge your Senators to Co-Sponsor the BPA Act Today, and then forward this message on to your friends:

Together, we can help make this a safer, healthier country for families across America.

New Post on MightyNest: Natural Chest Rub (no more Vicks!)

Oh, the joys of two hacking children prompted me to write this post over at MightyNest.  Anything to calm the poor coughing babies (without phthalates or petroleum) sounds good to me!