Aimee's changes
11. Lice
LICE! Yes, every month at school the critters find their way to another victim so I have been doing research for when it will be our turn. It seems that the real menace is the over-the-counter remedies that parents still insist on using on their children with the recommendation of doctors and pharmacists alike. Their toxicity is truly terrifying and as a cure, they are completely ineffective. Side effects of using these pesticide-based treatments on children include: "seizures, behavioral changes, attention deficit disorders, cancer, skin diseases, and even death have been reported to the National Pediculosis Association's registry by people who have used chemical treatments to get rid of head lice or scabies." (www.headlice.org) The director of my son's preschool has been there for over 20 years and seen countless outbreaks of lice and her tried and true solution is: lollipops and a fine comb.
Please see the following page for information on ingredients of the most commonly found lice shampoos on the market:
~ Aimee
10. Vote Change
For American viewers of the blog:
Vote change. Super Tuesday is February 5th and the big show is in November so here's your homework:
Democrats:
Dennis Kucinich
John Edwards
Barack Obama
Hillary Clinton
Republicans:
Still trying to figure out opposable thumbs. Check back when they realize they are losing (August is the best time to roll out new merchandise!).
9. Shoes
My boy is extremely active + has big feet = new shoes every 3 months!
And because he will wear nothing but Crocs, I have been wondering what to do with all of his old torn/worn out pairs. First of all, Crocs will replace rivets and straps, so no need to throw those ones out. My son's whole preschool is full of kids who will wear nothing but Crocs so the school newsletter mentioned a few months ago that Crocs is developing a recycling program. So if you have them, hang onto them and I will update this posting as soon as I hear back from the company. Some info from their site: Crocs are nontoxic, resin-based, podiatrist-approved and hey! made in Canada. They also have a program called SolesUnited which, like Tom's Shoes, pledges to donate one pair of shoes per each pair purchased. They also donate $5 from the sale of pink shoes to breast cancer research, so in general, they seem to be great corporate citizens. Better than buying Nike anyway.
~ Aimee
Response from Crocs:
Crocs, Inc. will be launching a new recycling program, SolesUnited, in early 2008. SolesUnited is a first of its kind program created in response to the desperate need for quality footwear in impoverished countries and areas affected by tragedy. Blending environmental and humanitarian efforts, we are collecting, regrinding, and remolding your old Crocs shoes into new and donating these to people in need of shoes around the world.
If you would like to donate your shoes for recycling purposes, please send them to one of the following addresses below.
Crocs Recycling - West
3375 Enterprise Ave.
Bloomington , CA. 92316
Crocs Recycling - East
1500 Commodity Blvd.
Lockbourne, OH 43137-9277
8. Happy Holidays
I really have very very little good to say about the holidays. I watch the materialist orgy with renewed awe every year and just pray some angry shopper doesn't mow me over in a parking lot in a post-consumer-frenzy rage. I am a big fan of internet shopping therefore and my favourite site for gifts is: http://www.savethechildren.org/gifts/. This year, instead of the run-of -the-mill greeting cards, scarves etc., they have posted some incredibly meaningful gifts, such as "Send a girl to school for a year" ($56!). The teens in your life may resent you, but hey!, they will anyway. Happy holidays to all!
~ Aimee
7. Lights Out Los Angeles
Count me in this Saturday October 20. From the site:
"Lights Out Los Angeles is a city and county wide energy conservation event on Oct. 20, 2007. We invite the entire city and county of Los Angeles to install one compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) and turn off all non-essential lighting for one hour...
We estimate that turning lights out in Los Angeles for even one hour could save as much as 15 percent of the energy consumed on an average Saturday night."
~ Aimee
6. Stainless cookware
My sister-in-law Janet was visiting from Vancouver and lucky for me cooking in my kitchen (she's a fabulous baker!). She noticed my brand new Calphalon set (the cheap version available at Target) and said "You need to get rid of those." "But, Janet, the research says: this particular nonstick coating does not enter the bloodstream." Janet: "Who's research?" OK. So now I have a cheap version of a really expensive stainless steel cooking set.
~ Aimee
5. L.A. recycling improvements!
Ok, I know this isn't really my own "make the world/my home a better place" entry but I am just so happy I need to share:
Los Angeles blue bins now accept dry cleaner bags, plastic grocery bags, styrofoam, all plastic takeout containers, etc. I know it's better not to use them in the first place, but it's a positive step. If only diapers could go in the green bins...
~ Aimee
4. Packed lunch woes
So, when you have a kid in nursery school and it's 11pm and it's time to pack a lunch, what happens? Baggies, and foil and plastic film oh my! The waste was driving us crazy! Not to mention the inevitable news about plastics being toxic (possibly) to our children (never would have guessed). Especially our boy children. The mom who runs the newsgroup for our school sent out an email directing parents to check out reusablebags.com for some alternatives, which led me down a path toward BPA-free plastics and reusable sippys for school lunches. Here's some great FAQs for parents about vinyl lunch bags, plastics and reusable cups:
http://www.reusablebags.com/help.php?id=2#help40
Lynn: great link for glass baby bottles: newbornfree.com. There may be a better one in Canada too.
~ Aimee
3. Personal Care
I have started consulting Environmental Working Group (cosmeticsdatabase.com) and Healthy Child/Healthy World (healthychild.org) before purchasing personal care products such as makeup, toiletries and products for my son. I have learned with horror (formaldehyde in mascara?!) what we put on our faces and in our hair, not to mention what winds up in rivers, lakes and oceans as a result. Special thanks forever to Lynn for telling me about ewg.org and to my Mom who told me about Jane Iredale products (cause I'll never give up lipgloss and foundation!).
~ Aimee
2. Hazardous Waste
There is a permanent hazardous waste collection centre not too far from my house here in L.A. so I have made the commitment to deliver all such materials produced by our household to this site. This is one of those beautiful improvements that is both free and easy. So, from now on, all of the following go into a bin in the garage until drop off day: paint and solvents, cleaning products, aerosol cans, all medicines, household batteries, fluorescent tubes, anything containing mercury. My pet peeve is discarded electronic equipment, and thankfully I can take all of it there. This includes old phones and computer gadgets, tvs, small appliances, and (mom's and dad's rejoice!) electronic toys! You know, the ones from China with lead paint and uranium parts that your child gets from relatives and immediately puts in his mouth. Those. For you Americans out there, this does not include ammunition and explosives. Cell phones are recycled here in California at these sites but also at Whole Foods, but I suggest sending them to nonprofits that then ship them to Afghanistan/N. Korea and other areas where small communication devices are in high demand. I'll get those links to the blog asap. Hey, your local domestic violence shelter probably could use a few.
~ Aimee
0. If you must drive...
So I am posting this pre-weekly-challenge item to Aimee's list, because it's so cool.
Aimee lives in LA, where veggie cars abound (they haven't hit Canada like they have in the US, and especially California), and she has converted a diesel, courtesy of Lovecraft Bio Fuels. Their other car (because everyone in LA drives everywhere) is a hybrid. Excellent.
By the way, if you're interested in converting your diesel car to bio diesel or veggie oil, there are conversion kits (no, you can't convert non-diesel cars - the engine works differently).
~ Lynn