2008 July | The Canary Report

October 2011-- During the next six months, The Canary Report will be dedicated solely to me sharing my experiences while on the Gupta Amygdala Retraining program for MCS. If you'd like to be notified by email when blog entries are made, please subscribe in the right hand column below. During the entire six months, this blog will remain online but Our Canary Report network and forum will be offline and inaccessible to our members. Thank you for all your support! Aloha, Susie

The City of Wyndham is the fastest growing municipality in Victoria and the third fastest growing in Australia (southwest of Melbourne). According to Wyndham’s website, the city is supported by one of the state’s most dynamic and progressive local authorities– and I believe them.

The city’s website includes pages and pages of beautiful photos and user-friendly information about sustainable living, recycling and waste disposal, indigenous flora and fauna, how to grow your own food, how to use plants to remove toxins in the home, and the use of non-toxic household cleansers complete with recipes (excerpt below).

Toxic chemicals in the home impact our health, causing ailments that range from respiratory ailments to cancer. A US EPA study on indoor air quality found that the use of common cleaning products result in levels of several Volatile Organics Compounds (VOCs) that are on average two to five times higher indoors than outdoors. During (and for several hours immediately after) certain activities such as paint stripping, levels may be at 1,000 times the background outdoor levels. Natural non-polluting alternatives are available to replace many common cleaners and some products such as paints, paint strippers, and other solvent-based products. Solvents should be used with extreme caution and with adequate time and ventilation for the toxic chemicals to leave the indoor space before you go back into it.

Home made dishwashing blend

1 litre – Liquid Castile soap

24 drops – lemon essential oil

10 drops – mandarin essential oil

8 drops – citrus seed extract

Mix in a plastic squirt bottle and shake before each use. Change the blend of essential oils to suit your fancy.

When washing greasy dishes add half a cup of vinegar or lemon juice to the wash.

Simple sink cleaner

1/4 cup baking soda (bi-carb)

1/2 cup vinegar

3 drops lavender, rosemary, or any citrus essential oil.

Mix all ingredients. Rinse sink with hot water, wash with sink cleaner, rinse again with hot water. Probably using half this mixture would be adequate.

Mould and Mildew Prevention Formula

2 cups water

8-10 drops of citrus seed extract

2 teaspoons tea tree essential oil

4 drops juniper essential oil

Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle. Spray and leave on affected areas to rest for a few hours, then wipe off. Respray and leave without rinsing.

Check it all out on the links above. This is a CITY GOVERNMENT website. Awesome.

Hey, look at this darling sign you can order for your lawn from the National Coalition for Pesticide-Free Lawns. I want!! I also love how they’ll send you some tips about how to talk to your neighbors & others about pesticides.

Show your neighbors that pesticide-free lawns are important for the health of children, families, pets, the environment and the community. Buy a Pesticide-Free Zone lawn sign for $13 and display in your yard. At eight inches (8″) in diameter, the aluminum enameled sign will not rust and will retain its bright colors for years.

Order online or by calling Beyond Pesticides at 202-543-5450. You can also order a “Freedom from Pesticides is Every Body’s Right” bumpersticker with white letters on a blue background. With the sign you will receive a Pesticide-Free Zone Owners Manual that gives you tips on what it means to be pesticide-free and how to talk to your neighbors and others about pesticides.

Link

Program sends low-income New York City kids to the country to experience some fresh air and rural life.

THE FRESH AIR FUND, an independent, not-for-profit agency, has provided free summer vacations to more than 1.7 million New York City children from low-income communities since 1877. Nearly 10,000 New York City children enjoy free Fresh Air Fund programs annually. […]

We are looking for families who want to extend an invitation to a 9-12 year old. We really need more families who want older children and boys.

Please email Angie, angie@freshair.org, immediately and she’ll speed you through the process! Or, you can call us at 1-800-367-0003 (212.897.8900) — ask for Angie.

If you want to help but don’t live in these areas – BLOG about this program, tell your friends, recommend someone, or DONATE.

Found at boingboing.

Carpet company Nourison is offering Green Label products that they say have very little VOCs. I can’t vouch for this product being safe for people with chemical sensitivity, but it sounds interesting.

Green building is no longer a trend; it is a mainstay. Schools, healthcare facilities, businesses and public facilities recognize the benefits of building green, and governmental entities are even passing laws to mandate future green construction of public and private buildings.

Carpet, carpet pads and carpet adhesives contribute to green building in two important ways: helping reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and emissions and contributing to the growing use of recycle content for building materials.

Because people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors, it is important to do everything possible to maintain the quality of indoor air, especially for new construction and renovation.

Link

Here’s info on what the carpet industry is touting as Green Label. I’d really like to see NO VOCs, but this is a move in the right direction.

Today, indoor air quality (IAQ) is an important environmental consideration, especially since we spend approximately 90 percent of our time indoors. In 1992, CRI launched its Green Label program to test carpet, cushions and adhesives to help specifiers identify products with very low emissions of VOCs. CRI has recently launched its next series of improvements called Green Label Plus for carpet and adhesives. This enhanced program sets an even higher standard for IAQ and ensures that customers are purchasing the very lowest emitting products on the market. Using scientifically established standards, the Green Label Plus program symbolizes the carpet industry’s commitment to a better environment for living, working, learning and healing.

Link

Related Canary story on the dangers of toxic carpeting here.

Wild dolphins swimming at the bow of a boat. Heaven. Careful, it’s addicting.

Link

Fresh air!!!

Posted by Susie

Jul 162008

GreenHomesForSale.com

Posted by Susie

Jul 162008

Here’s a great web site that lists only green and healthy homes for sale.

Who will benefit from GreenHomesForSale.com?
We are people who are variously concerned about or sensitive to our environment. Some of us have degrees of chemical or other sensitivities to environmental elements and building materials that require high level clean and non toxic living and working spaces and others of us want to live in ecologically friendly homes.

About GreenHomesForSale.com
Our goal is to provide a high quality Internet venue to assist you to buy and sell green, healthy, and ecological homes. We believe GreenHomesForSale.com fulfills a need to help people find just the right home.

Link

Zeer is here!

Posted by Susie

Jul 162008

Check out this fabulous food website, Zeer, with reviews, communities, discussions, foodie confessions, product information, mobile shopping lists, organization tips and so much more.

Join Communities

Going green or organic? Looking for a healthier diet? Or are you passionate about wine, beer or your pet? With Zeer you can join communities that match your needs and interests and get advice that’s relevant to you.

Link

Thanks for the tweet Pistachio!

Pistachio Zeer is up: reviews, grocery lists, community, groups by allergies, diet restrictions, etc: “Healthy heart” “low gluten.” Ratable reviews.

Amanda at Enviroblog gives yet another reason why we need the Kid-Safe Chemical Act NOW.

So you’re imagining a toxic chemical that’s being used widely in consumer products, and you’re probably thinking that your imaginary self would want to avoid it. Wish her good luck, and then imagine this: there’s essentially no way to avoid it, not only because products that contain it aren’t labeled, but because not even manufacturers know when this risky chemical is being used.

The chemical is real, and it’s called chlorinated Tris. Angry? I imagine you are. I know I am. Chlorinated Tris is one of 80,000 reasons that we need a new chemical regulatory law.

Link

Photo: Cutest Baby Ever by Call It Crazy.

City of Wyndham promotes nontoxic lifestyle

Put a sign on your lawn: Pesticide-free zone!

A shot of fresh air: City kids in the country

Simply green: Plant paints, low VOCs

Green Label carpeting: Is it a trend?

Coming up for air: Be the dolphin

Fresh air!!!

GreenHomesForSale.com

Zeer is here!

Join Communities

Making the case for the Kid-Safe Chemical Act

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