Wakefield, 5 July 2011 -- You care about the environment - you want to learn more about what's happening environmentally all over the world - and you like to laugh? Grist is for you. As part of the 'Grist dared me to make a change' series, Grist writer Mike SanClements is doing a plastic purge. Here is his vow: "For two weeks, starting July 5, I am going to eliminate as much plastic as possible from my life. I will not purchase anything packed in or containing plastic. I will not eat any foods packaged in plastic. I will not use hygiene products packaged in plastic (except this recycled plastic toothbrush I already have, as no toothbrush would just be nasty), nor will I create any plastic waste."

We've teamed up with the fine folks at Grist - this top notch on-line environmental news source with a twist (a twist of "gloom and doom with a sense of humor") - to offer you the chance to support non-profit, independent environmental journalism at its best, and at the same time maybe even get a complimentary airtight stainless steel container from us if you hurry. The first 65 people to support Mike in his plastic purge by donating $25 or more to Grist will receive a container. The harder you laugh, the better your chances are. 

Wakefield, 8 June 2011 -- Water: The precious, gorgeous lifeblood of Mother Earth. Today is World Oceans Day! Celebrate by recognizing and loving the deep seas of blue that connect us all around the world and provide a haven for so many forms of life. If you want to learn about plastic pollution in the oceans, take a look at these key sites: 5Gyres, Algalita Marine Research Foundation, Chris Jordan's Midway: Message from the Gyre.

At the World Ocean's Day site maintained by The Ocean Project, you can find a variety of ideas about how to celebrate this day and make a difference. For a few examples...read on...

 Image credit: 5Gyres
(taken during a trawling expedition through a subtropical ocean gyre collecting plastic debris for research purposes)

- Take the Seven C's Pledge

- Clean up a watershed near you

- Wear Blue, Tell Two - wear blue clothing to raise awareness about ocean conservation, and share two pieces of info about why it's important to raise ocean awareness - here are a couple of suggestions...

--- The diverse wealth of life in the oceans is in trouble. Climate change has already been linked to the killing of coral reefs. Coupled with destructive fishing practices, there is a dramatic decline in many types of fish and sea life we depend on. Calculate your carbon footprint and look for ways to reduce your contribution to climate change. Here are some resources and carbon calculators you can use: David Suzuki Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency, Government of Canada, StopGlobalWarming.org, The Nature Conservancy, Berkeley Institute of the Environment

--- Learn about ocean species at risk, and if you eat seafood, choose species that are abundant in supply, low in environmental contaminants, and fished or farmed without harm to the oceans and coasts. The Blue Ocean Institute and the Environmental Defense Fund provide superb overviews of the issue and solid, well-researched guides (including separate sushi guides) to help you understand what seafood is the best for promoting sustainable, healthy oceans and minimal intake of chemical toxins. 

Wakefield, 22 April 2011 -- As we often say, we consider every day Earth Day. But it's a powerful thing to have one day of the year when Mother Earth is celebrated more intensely and by so many worldwide simultaneously.

On this Earth Day, we have chosen to highlight an important new book released this week - Plastic: A Toxic Love Story - that focuses on our societal relationship with plastic, and some of the fundamental ways this complex, colorful, and, yes, often toxic substance has impacted the world and each person in it. Seasoned journalist Susan Freinkel shares reflections on her personal relationship with plastic by guiding the reader through the history and life cycles of a cast of characters we can likely all relate to in some way:  a comb, chair, Frisbee, medical IV bag, disposable lighter, grocery bag, soda bottle, and credit card. Engagingly written and scrupulously researched, the book is sure to open many eyes, and elicit many exclamations of, 'Wow, I had no idea!'  

Freinkel interviewed people involved with plastic in numerous contexts and on various sides of the issues. From the plastic chair manufacturer ("Plastic is so much better than anything else!") to the neonatal specialist ("We all thought plastics were inert, safe. We didn't have to worry about it. Then as the research came out, it became more and more evident we needed to pay attention") to the biobased polymer advocate ("all plastics aren't created equal") to the anti-plastic activist ("You have to prioritize what's important in your life."). Freinkel is hopeful that the current human relationship with plastic will evolve to a better place. Her book is a solid overview of the role plastic plays in our lives. While not especially suggestive of ways to take action to address the plastic in your own life or beyond, it will make you think, and think twice, about all the plastic around you. And we think that is a very good exercise.

When the publishers first contacted us to ask if we would be interested in promoting the book by contributing to their Earth Day Plastic-free Prize Pack, we were immediately interested. And now having reviewed the book, we are happy to recommend it with enthusiasm. We contributed several products to the Prize Pack and are in good company with other organizations committed to decreasing plastic consumption and use. The sweepstakes ended at 11:59 p.m. ET on April 25, 2011. One winner was chosen in a random drawing.  

Wakefield, 30 March 2011 -- A groundbreaking peer-reviewed study by the Breast Cancer Fund (BCF) and the Silent Spring Institute (SSI) on the effects of plastic food packaging was announced today, and has been published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. It is entitled: Food Packaging and Bisphenol A and Bis(2-Ethylhexyl) Phthalate Exposure: Findings from a Dietary Intervention. Laboratory studies with animals have link endocrine disruptors, including bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, to various adverse health effects, but this appears to be the first peer-reviewed study involving human test subjects.

The researchers provided five San Francisco Bay Area families with three days worth of fresh organic food - stored only in glass, not canned or packaged in plastic - and the family members also avoided packaged foods prepared outside the home.  The families were tested before, during and after eating the fresh food for three days, and the results were stunning. Their levels of endocrine disruptors decreased dramatically, in particular bisphenol A (BPA), which showed a 60% decrease, and Bis(2-Ethyhexyl) Phthalate (DEHP), a 50% dip. The upshot:  Decrease your exposure to plastic packaging and you decrease your intake of endocrine disruptors.

Both BPA and DEHP are commonly used in food packaging; BPA as polycarbonate plastic for drinks and the epoxy liner of most canned goods, and DEHP as a softening agent in many plastic wraps. BPA has been linked to numerous health problems including chromosomal and reproductive system abnormalities, impaired brain and neurological functions, cancer, cardiovascular system damage, adult-onset diabetes, early puberty, obesity and resistance to chemotherapy. DEHP has been shown to interfere with hormonal signaling and male reproductive development in laboratory and human studies.