Santa is going to die!

At a recent festive tree lighting in Seattle, Mayor Greg Nickels used his speech before the lighting of the lights to bring a new global eco-threat: If we don't stop using normal light bulbs, Santa and his reindeer will die! He then proceeded to pass out energy efficient bulbs.
Apparently scaring kids into using the bulbs will stop the icecaps from melting and save Santa from drowning.
There is also a letter that Nickels wrote:

Use Air Fresheners And You Could Die.

Did that title get your attention??
So the actual situation isn't as dire as it sounds. But its still pretty bad. A recent study by Natural Resources Defense Council found that 12 out of 14 popular air freshener products contained a chemical known to be harmful to the health of humans. Phthalates, known to cause reproductive problems and hormone disruption in humans, were found in virtually all air freshener brands, including several Walgreens-branded air fresheners that the popular retailer has now pulled off its shelves.

In a hopeful lapse of judgement, neither the FDA or the EPA test air fresheners for homes, meaning consumers could be exposed to unknown chemicals without warning.

Only two products tested by the NRDC -- Febreze Air Effects and Renuzit Subtle Effects -- contained almost no detectable levels of phthalates, yet the twelve other products tested positive for the chemical even though some were labeled "unscented" and none of them listed phthalates as an ingredient.

This just raises the question as to how many lethal chemicals we are being subjected to each day in our own homes. Maybe its time that the government starts filtering new products? Or maybe we should start using nature's air fresheners instead of ones made in factories?



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Today's Green News: A Summery

Loblaw's Superstore in Milton, Ont., has become the first big-box store in North America to ban the plastic bag. Galen Weston, Loblaw Companies Inc.'s executive chairman, tells CBC News Morning about the grocery chain's green initiative.
[Source: CBC.ca

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Organic fashion includes silk dresses, certified organic t-shirts and linen jeans. 'Under the Canopy' is an organic clothing line out of Boca Raton. They've designed a line that's eco-friendly down to the natural dyes.

Owner Barbara Cavanaugh says, "The main fabric we're using is organic cotton and that means the cotton is grown without the use of any kind of pesticides."

That's a big deal when you consider that 25-percent of the world's pesticide use goes to growing conventional cotton, according to the World Health Organization.
[Source: Fristcoastnews.com

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