My childhood summers were spent under the blazing sun. My teen tans were the product of baby oil and a “tanning blanket”. And now, my 40s are marked by wearing SPF of a similar number.
My kids, sadly, know nothing of days deliriously oblivious of melanoma and wafer-thin ozone layers. Their earliest memories of the beach are of Mommy chasing them down to slather them in sunscreen as they squirmed and squawked.
But sunscreen, though its intent is to protect us from skin cancer, might actually be exacerbating skin cancer, say some studies. What’s more, some evidence shows it might be exposing us to other cancers…and a host of other health concerns. It’s generally a chemical cocktail, offering up “areas of concern” according to the Environmental Working Group’s extensive analysis, including that favorite of personal care products, hormone disruption. And, of course, many of these products wash off to some degree in our waterways, wreaking havoc with marine life and water quality.
The best, or perhaps I should simply say “better”, sunscreens available to us in North America (as usual, Europe is way out in front in its offering of sunscreen products that are effective and safer) are those that sit on top of the skin – titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.
My fave block? All Terrain, which is available at many outdoor/camping stores and online. What’s more, the company is green to the core, packaging its products in recycled, recyclable or biodegradable packaging and insisting on all natural ingredients.

I confess I loved Barbie. LOVED her. And all her friends – mod-hair Ken (though I never did understand the appeal of stick-on facial hair), little sister Skipper, and African-American friend (though I was Canadian and lived in a world of white faces) Christie.
I had Barbie’s Porsche and tent-trailer. Her RV.
In fact, I still do, tucked away in a closet at the family cottage, where my own two daughters retrieve all-things-Barbie and indulge in hours of play with my childhood toys.
So my ambivalence about Barbie – and what she represents – surprises me.
On some level, I was aware of Barbie’s impossible body shape, though I didn’t develop an eating disorder. I shamefully admit to an unhealthy desire to be only infected with germs that render me nauseous and too weak to eat, in the hopes that I can drop five pounds while flat on my back. But that’s more the fault of laziness than Barbie.
I suppose, thanks to Barbie, I set my future employment standards high – fully anticipating a straight rise to fame and fortune as a writer (ha!) seeing as Barbie easily moved from being a rock star, to a teacher, to an astronaut on a marketer’s whim. And she could afford a Porsche. Clearly, for 70s-era girls, the world was our oyster.
And, of course, there was her Dream Home. No cat barf on the carpet. Grilled cheese mashed into the sofa cushions. Or unopened, overdue bills on her desk. Must be a dream cause it sure ain’t my reality.
But honestly, is Barbie to blame?
Perhaps my ambivalence owes not so much to what Barbie is…but what she’s not.
Barbie, as far as I know, has never attended a rally against climate change. Or signed a petition to keep gays from being incarcerated based on sexual orientation.
Her material possessions show little signs of a conscience. For example, why doesn’t she decorate her Dream Home with fair-trade handicrafts. Nope, it’s all new. It’s all flashy. It’s all toxic.
And her clothes. No second-hand threads for Barbie and friends (unless you’re playing with Mommy’s hand-me-downs). From faux-fur coats (in hot pink) to vinyl thigh-high boots, there’s not an eco-outfit in the closet. Organic cotton? Nope. Hemp? Ha!
And, of course, there’s Barbie herself, offgassing (sorry Barbie…but it’s true) toxins to our tots, though more recent versions are ostensibly PVC-free. In the recent past, even Barbie’s pets have been implicated in leaching lead.
But even the squeaky green Barbie can’t re-ignite my former loyalty.
Unless.
Unless Mattel offers up Activist Barbie, who carries placards and stages sit-ins and preaches non-violence in a Ghandi-esque way. Who organizes donations to homeless shelters, marches in Take Back the Night events and donates her Porsche to charity. Perhaps then she’ll have a fan in me once again.

Let me remove my rose-colored glasses and My Name Is…Pollyanna sticker for just a moment while I try to restore my heart rate and blood pressure to normal. I just got off my bike, after riding my three kids – two older ones on their bikes, youngest one on a tandem attachment to mine – to school. In that short distance, roughly two kilometers, my mortality was tested no less than thrice. That’s three times, for those of you who don’t love Shakespeare.

What’s more, my child’s mortality was tested. And while I’m wearing my big-girl Lycra cycling pants and can face certain threats, my little girl is seven. Wearing pig-tails.

Instead of seeing humanity in the faces of my fellow folk, today I saw only stupidity. And nothing pisses off a mother more than some idiot jeopardizing the health and safety of her child.

What’s surprising to me, though perhaps not to people less delusional about human nature, is that our cycling mishaps occurred in the wake of a spate of cyclists’ deaths this past week. I expected drivers to be more aware of cyclists than usual, but…no.

A just-proposed Ontario law would give cyclists a bit more room on the roads. And though the bill has been criticized as unenforceable and “utopian”, if it gets motorists thinking…and considering what a cyclist faces when they’re on the road (potholes, uneven pavement, rocks and debris, even a strong breeze can blow you off-course…), how can it be a bad thing?

And to date, I’ve been (mostly except for the occasional incident in my 20s) a law-abiding citizen; but I’m not waiting for this law to take effect.

On behalf of pissed off moms everywhere, I’m resorting to vigilante justice. A former pacifist, I’ve determined to arm myself with a water pistol, ready to aim and fire at the windshield of any driver doing something stupidly life-threatening. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll let loose with a stream of invective, censored only to protect my child’s notion of her mother as a nice person. (My GreenDrinks’ buddies and I considered, and then discarded, shooting people’s tires…my lawlessness has limits.)

It’s a shame when an otherwise nice mommy must resort to weapons of mass instruction to teach drivers how to share the road. And by share, I mean give me the space I need to arrive at my destination safely. Blood pressure normal. Heart rate fine. And no new expletives in my seven-year-old’s vocabulary.

(This blog ran originally on GreenMuze.)

Little girls love jewellery. At least my two girls do. And, well-meaning friends and relatives have kept them well-supplied with bling. But just when we thought the costume jewellery aisles were getting cleaned up – thanks to U.S. legislation restricting lead in jewellery – there’s a new metal showing up in Made In China kids’ products that poses potentially a greater threat to children’s health. Cadmium is a naturally occurring element, appearing in tiny amounts in soil. It’s the amount of cadmium that an investigation by Associated Press found in children’s costume jewellery that has health advocates so alarmed. Indeed, some pieces tested contained 91% cadmium by weight, according to this MSNBC article.

Cadmium builds up for decades in the kidneys, making even small amounts potentially dangerous for growing bodies. It’s also a  known carcinogen. And certainly deserves no place in children’s products.

The products were sold at (surprise, surprise!) Wal-Mart, Claire’s and some dollar stores.

My home has become a battlefield. My three child have drawn their lines in the proverbial sand, sharpened their tongues and unleashed their campaigns to destroy each other…and my sanity.

Lucky for me, I just learned – courtesy of a University of Rochester study – that all I need to do is immerse them in nature. Nature, it turns out, makes us nicer.

We’ve known the benefits of nature for some time now. We’ve heard of the studies in which patients healed faster when they had a window in their hospital room that allowed them a view of nature. We know that getting kids outdoors reduces evidence of learning disabilities. And we know that just a walk a day in a natural place (ie. not a mall) has been proven to improve the health and moods of seniors.

However, to date, there’s been no evidence – certainly not in my house –  that indicates that nature makes us nicer. At least until now.

It couldn’t be easier. The next kid to mouth off, take a swing at a sibling or let loose with the “s” word (“stupid,” of course), gets dropped off in the nearest forest. By the time I pick him or her back up, I expect someone a whole lot…nicer.

I’ve watched incredulously as the world prepares for a swine flu “pandemic”. The press, the debate, the money – all to fight a vague threat.
Yet, as we count down the days to Copenhagen and the Climate Conference that might well determine this planet’s – and our children’s future – I’m met with a deafening silence.
Thanks to the best science available and a now global acknowledgement by leaders that the data is valid, we know that climate change will alter the geographical landscape, rendering some places uninhabitable. We are aware that thousands if not millions will be displaced, environmental refugees in numbers we’ve never seen.
We have been warned of the increase in disease.
We understand the impact – thank-you Nicholas Stern – climate change will have on economies worldwide.
Sure climate deniers still exist. But, as evidence of human-caused global warming piles up and even the naysayers are being forced to admit that global cooling theories are not backed by science, what – exactly – are we waiting for?

We know that our planet’s atmosphere must stay below 350 ppm greenhouse gases if we wish to avert catastrophic climate change. Yet instead we’re lining up to be vaccinated for H1N1, which, incidentally, I had last week. Yes, I felt lousy. No, it wasn’t as bad as watching glaciers melt and hurricanes wreak havoc.

I’m left with this one thought: If only climate change could be pinned on a pig. Then maybe the world would rally its forces to keep it at bay.

(This is my September 2009 Virtuous Consumer column, which runs in a number of regional parenting publications in the U.S. and Canada, including About Families, Charlotte Parent and Carolina Parent)

Kids’ rooms are often their sanctuary – to escape a tough day at preschool, retreat from an annoying sibling or retire after a tiring day of learning to use their words instead of their fists.
It’s up to us to make that place as safe and healthy as possible…

1. No vinyl, and that’s final
Many blinds are made of PVC, polyvinyl chloride, which frequently contains lead and hormone-disrupting phthalates. Instead, opt for window coverings made of natural materials – wood, cotton, linen…

2. Remove old carpet
Sure, carpeting is warm and cozy, but carpet fibers harbor dust mites, pesticides, animal dander, bacteria, lead dust, and cleaning product chemicals, all of which children disturb, churn, and inhale as they crawl and play. Synthetic carpeting is the worst offender, adding adhesives, glues, and stain-proofing chemical vapors into the air. If finances allow, remove carpeting and stick with bare floors — add an area rug made of wool, sisal or other natural fibers, if desired. If that’s not feasible, clean the existing carpet with eco-friendly cleaners and vacuum often.

3. Paint it healthy
Finding zero-VOC paints is easier than ever. If you’re still not convinced they’re worth the extra cost, consider this: volatile organic compounds in paints include benzene, formaldehyde, kerosene, ammonia, toluene, and xylene, all known carcinogens and neurotoxins. Exposure can worsen asthma symptoms and cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, and in some cases liver and kidney disease.

4. Non-toxic furnishings
Sure they’re cheap, but pressboard laminated wood and particle wood generally contain formaldehyde. Seek out unfinished solid hardwood painted with zero-VOC paints or finishes. Mennonite or Amish furniture makers often create eco-friendly baby and kids’ furniture, including cribs, high chairs, and playpens. If you must choose particleboard or pressboard (or if it’s a hand-me-down), the Children’s Health and Environmental Coalition recommends that you seal it with a water-based sealant to prevent off-gassing.

5. Add a plant
A two-year NASA study in the late 80s revealed that common houseplants can significantly reduce indoor pollutants, such as benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene. Consider Gerbera daisies, peace lily, bamboo palm and spider plant.

Leslie Garrett is author of The Virtuous Consumer: Your Essential Shopping Guide for a Better, Kinder, Healthier World (and one our kids will thank us for!). Visit her at www.virtuousconsumer.com

On the one hand, we’ve got increasing news reports that today’s generation of kids is the first that likely won’t live longer than its parents’ generation. On the other, we have nutritionists in the U.S. encouraging consumers to follow its “Smart Choice” endorsements of various food products which indicates a “better than” choice. One of its better-than products? Froot Loops. While I concede that Froot Loops is a better choice than…say…Twinkies or crack, its disingenuous to put it forth as something nutritious.
It’s tough enough as a parent to convince your children to eat healthy, whole food. I may have a fridge stocked with organic broccoli and grassfed beef, but my kids are begging for Lucky Charms and Go-gurt. I had always hoped my children’s rebellion would be focused on joining the Young Conservatives or perhaps working for General Motors. Instead, they seem hell-bent on finding themselves at the bottom of a bag of Doritos.
And now, they likely have some nutritionist endorsing their desires as a “smart choice.”
Perhaps. But in my estimation, the only thing smart about Froot Loops as a choice is to put an end to global overpopulation.

Though the dangers of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are increasingly well known (lead, hormone-disrupting chemicals, non-recyclable, offgassing for years, etc. etc.), it’s not always easy to source back-to-school stuff for our kids that’s free of the ubiquitous chemical. For one thing, it’s cheap to manufacture — making it a darling of dime-store back-to-school stuff. While you might see PVC stamped on various items (plastic pencil boxes, for example) it’s more likely you’ll find no evidence of what the item is made of. However, give it a sniff. PVC has a distinctive beach ball or shower curtain smell (I’m always reminded of the smell of my Barbie camper, Christmas morning circa 1973). If it smells, turn up your nose at it, figuratively speaking.
PVC is common in backpacks (the ones with plastic on them depicting cartoon characters are often culprits), running shoes (again, avoid plastic-y shoes), and raingear, among other things. To find out more, click here for a great guide to PVC-free school supplies.