Archive for the ‘Product Reviews’ Category

Clean Air, Inside and Out: Innovative Labs

Tuesday, May 8th, 2012


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As spring turns to summer in North America, many of us are putting on our “taxi driver” caps and ferrying our kids between lacrosse, soccer, playgrounds and parks and other outdoor events and activities. Some of us however, have kids like my son Elliot who seems to be “allergic” to spring, a time of year when his seasonal allergies kick in big time, and every day becomes a battle between letting him spend time outdoors with his friends and playing sports versus suffering the consequences of bad allergies triggered by pollen and spring time allergens.

Indoor air quality becomes a top priority as we try to find a reprieve from the hostile environment outside. The following post was sent to us by Aneliese Ramsay, Client  Marketing Specialist, with Ino-Labs.com whose company has developed a new technology to create cleaner indoor air and to remove “volatile organic compounds” or VOCs such as bacteria and viruses from the air. Join us as Analeise explains how this new technology works.

Improving Indoor Air Quality: Guest Post, Aneliese Ramsay

According to a recent report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Individuals spend 90% of their time indoors where the levels of pollutants may be 2 to 5 times, and occasionally 100 times higher than outdoor air. Harsh chemicals such as formaldehyde, acetone, ethanol and aldehydes can produce symptoms such as burning eyes, sore throats, skin irritation and long term exposure can also lead to cancer. In addition, according to the Center for Disease Control, as climate scientists show us the increasing linkages between climate change and extreme weather events, mold and bacteria become a more common concern in homes and buildings that are inundated with floods and storm weather events. Realizing the need for cleaner indoor air, Innovative Labs developed a new technology to remove VOCs such as bacteria and viruses from indoor air.

Aneliese tells us that, Innovative Labs was started for the express purpose of solving environmental challenges that affect global well-being; focusing on a problem and then engineering a solution. Innovative Labs team of engineers and scientists developed a unique photo catalytic oxidation (PCO) air purification system that has been designed to address the concerns of formaldehyde, ozone and VOC pollution. Innovative Labs took on a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) challenge to scientists, to develop air purification technology for trailers supplied by FEMA which were housing many of the displaced citizens of the 2005 New Orleans hurricane disaster. It turned out that these trailers were exposing occupants to high levels of formaldehyde and other VOCs’ off-gassing from the composite wood and other materials used in trailer construction. With the linkages between climate change and extreme weather becoming more evident and playing out more often, there could be an increase in trailer use in communities impacted by severe weather events so solving these indoor air quality problems are of increasing importance.

According to Innovative Labs, the technology behind their air purification system, the Sonoma Breeze, is unique in the industry. Air is continuously drawn into the air purifier, where a strong UV light activates a long-lasting titanium dioxide photo catalytic reactor core, breaking down and destroying airborne biological contaminants, odors, pollutants and dangerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The result is pure air free from formaldehyde, bacteria and viruses. The benefit of Innovative Labs technology is that does not emit ozone, and can remove 90% formaldehyde on a single pass, giving consumers a way to mitigate exposure and promote a healthy lifestyle.

For more information on innovative labs visit ino-labs.com. While ClimateMama hasn’t tried out this new technology yet, we are interested in finding out if you have and what you think. Also, do let us know if you have any other tips you want to share for keeping the indoor air your children breath clean and clear!

On our quest to keeping our outside air clean if you haven’t done so already, consider signing on to the Moms Clean Air Force petition to defend clean air and fight mercury emissions and other toxins emitted by power plants!

Yours,

Climate Mama

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Chuck McCutcheon: On Climate Change Advice and Your Kids

Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012


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At ClimateMama we have the good fortune of meeting so many wonderful and committed people, who from so many different perspectives, work together to help us understand and communicate the reality and urgency of the climate crisis. Someone we met recently that we would love to introduce you and the kids in your life to, is journalist and author Chuck McCutcheon. Join us as we get to know Chuck a little better.

What inspired you to write your book, What are Global Warming and Climate Change, Answers for Young Readers?

I’ve been a journalist living all over the U.S. since the 1980s and have seen what an extremely important issue climate change has become. Since moving to Washington, I’ve focused on the political debates about it. I had written another book on the world’s first nuclear waste garbage dump, and subsequently my publisher, University of New Mexico Press, asked me if I would write a book on nuclear energy as part of a new series on science and environmental books for middle-school students. I said I’d rather address climate change.

As a parent, how can I use your book to empower my own children?

My book is unique among ones on this subject in that I use a question-and-answer format to cover all the issues — the science, the politics, the potential solutions and what people can do to reduce their carbon footprint. I spent a great deal of time working with scientists, students and teachers to ensure the material was readable and accurate. So parents who read my book can ask their children questions, then discuss the answers. I also include several separate activities to enhance their understanding of the issue.

What is the key message/point you see that I can give my children about the following:

The seriousness of the crisis we face:
There should be no doubt by now that the earth is getting warmer at a much faster rate than in the past, and that humans are responsible. This isn’t a liberal or conservative view; it’s the scientific reality. Parts of the world already are being affected — in March 2012, leaders of the Pacific island nation of Kirbati said they were considering moving their entire nation’s population to Fiji because of the threat of rising sea levels blamed on climate change.

Our ability as individuals and as a nation to tackle it:
This isn’t something that should be left to politicians or experts to solve. Other positive societal changes have happened and become ingrained in everyday life because people took an interest and then took proactive action. The recycling movement is just one example. I’d like to think it’s incumbent especially on children to take an interest in climate change. It affects everyone. And as one student told me, “This is our generation’s issue. We’re going to be the ones who are paying for it.”

Steps we can take as a family:
I devote a whole chapter of my book to what families and kids can do. They range from always filling the dishwasher with full loads to planting trees, bicycling instead of driving, and making sure they buy energy-efficient appliances.

Empowerment tools for kids:
Several students I spoke with for the book became empowered through joining global warming clubs. Others were empowered by watching “An Inconvenient Truth.” But there are other ways. Above all else, I think it’s empowering for kids to learn as much as they can — my book includes a list of other books as well as a variety of websites devoted to climate change.

Empowerment tools for parents:
All those same suggestions apply for adults. Ideally, my book and others like it will motivate them to teach their children how important this is. I welcome any questions or feedback that parents might have. Visit my Website and Facebook page from more information and details!

Around the country, so many positive companies, organizations and individuals (like Chuck!) are working on climate change education, mitigation and adaptation; this is what keeps us at ClimateMama motivated, empowered and hopeful. Yet, we continue to be confronted by “loud voices” that want to deny the reality of climate change, and put roadblocks in our progress to steam the worst of the impacts of the changes that are already with us. This often come to us from unlikely and unsuspecting sources, including politicians and “think tanks.”

Grab the kids in your life, and show them two easy ways you can fight for Reality on Climate Change together today:

1. Urge Tennessee governor Halsam to support sound science on climate change and veto House Bill 368.
2. Sign the Climate Reality Petition, and keep climate denialism out of the classroom!

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Posted in Climate Mama News, In The News, Product Reviews, Schools and Colleges, Science | No Comments »

Toxic Body Burden – One Woman, One Earth: A Review of The Non-Toxic Avenger

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012


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What do you think? Does it sound like it has the makings of an action hero adventure? In fact, The Non-Toxic Avenger: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You by Deanna Duke is a personal, down to earth, step by step guide to understanding and appreciating what we put into our bodies, and the impacts both knowingly and unknowingly these products, foods and airborne substances have on us, each and everyday. Deanna helps us understand the depths and details we would need to go through to understand what types of toxins are in our bodies and what actions we would need to take to reduce these. One of the beauties of the book is that Deanna has done the hard part for us, and as far as our own bodies and our own individual “toxic burdens,” Deanna offers us different paths we can follow, both long or short, that can help each of us reduce the toxins in our own bodies too.

An interesting parallel that jumped out to me as I was reading Deanna’s book, was the tremendous challenge Deanna had in coming to grips with and then managing her own personal “toxic burden” juxtaposed with the “toxic burden” we are creating for our planet, and how difficult this is to come to grips with – both consciously and unconsciously.

Deanna Duke, aka The Crunchy Chicken, has been writing her successful blog by the same name for almost 5 years. Deanna is an urban “modern day” homesteader, who lives in Seattle with her husband, two children and her “three chickens, a rescued chihuahua and four fish.” Deanna’s blog is a real life account of how she and her family are working to lower their impact on the environment and at the same time reduce their exposure to toxic chemicals.

The Non-Toxic Avenger takes this “a step further” and recounts Deanna’s journey to dramatically lower toxins in her family’s life and in her own body. Deanna starts with getting a “baseline” battery of tests to see what toxins are in her body, and then follows a step by step guide to try to find out where these toxins are coming from and then eliminate as many of them as possible. Is Deanna successful? You will need to read the book to find that out yourself!

Deanna is member of my Green Mom’s Carnival group – an amazing “collection” of women from around the country who blog on a wide range of issues, but who come together to blog monthly around an area of mutual concern; by the way this month’s Carnival is on climate change! The Green Moms support each other through general comraderie as well as through personal and professional advice. I have always been impressed with Deanna’s breadth of knowledge on subjects that come up in our Green Moms forum and her irreverent and humorous way of pointing out the facts to us on areas in her perview as well as her forthright way of helping us see and understand these facts too. Deanna “pulls no punches.” This book takes a more serious tone then Deanna’s blog, but her humor and knowledge shine through. When Deanna asked me to review her book I was both honored and more than a little curious.

As Deanna tells us in a recent interview with Retrohousewife Goes Green, If you do “nothing else” in trying to lessen your own body toxic burden, she recommends avoiding the following:

1. Bisphenol A: (BPA) found in plastics, canned foods, canned beverages
2. Triclosan: found in anti-bacterial soaps, toothpaste and a huge number of consumer products (almost anything that claims to be bacteria resistant)
3. Parabens: found as a preservative in many body care products.

Read you labels, see if these toxins are listed in things you use everyday..sometimes they are easily identified, other times they may be “lurking” but you will need to dig deeper then the label on the package.

What about our planet’s toxic burden, an issue that was always at the front of my mind as I was reading The Non-Toxic Avenger. Do we have a “Deanna” who we can consult, when it comes to steps we need to take to lessen our planet’s “toxic burden?” Is there a non-toxic “planet” avenger, who can “come to the rescue” like Deanna does, doing the hard part for us by helping us understand clearly what is making our planet sick, and then taking it the next step by helping us understand what we need to do to reduce and correct the damage we know we are causing?

In fact we have many Deanna’s, scientists the world over who are working with the UN International Panel on Climate Change or their National Academies of Sciences, independently and then collectively studying the changes that are happening to our planet, identifying causes and helping us work towards solutions. We have caring “mamas and papas” like you, who are helping your kids and families understand how we can all lower our negative impacts on the environment; teachers, politicians and business leaders helping us find ways to lead more sustainable lives.

Unfortunately, we also have loud voices trying to drown out the facts on climate change and minimize or turn us away from positive action. As Deanna shows us, it’s hard work to really understand what is going on. But the good news is that there are many people working on the “heavy lifting” part of the earth’s toxic burden story. So stay tuned to Climate Mama, the Crunchy Chicken and other Green Moms carnival sources as we help you understand this bigger picture, and break it down, step by step to things we can all do to help heal our planet.

Finally, as they say timing is “everything” and our review of Deanna’s book coincides nicely with a new series our friends at the Balancing Act are launching on January 30th. The show will follow the six month journey of four women who want to transform their lives in the areas of health, nutrition, fitness, beauty, lifestyle and empowerment. Tune in or visit www.thebalancingact.com/makeover for more information. I think Deanna’s book would be a great read for these women, and all those of us tuning in who are interested in creating our own transformational journey too!

The Facts: Deanna did send us a copy of her book for the review, but a free book doesn’t alter our review. What you get is our honest opinion – As you can tell, we REALLY enjoyed the book and learned a lot too! As well Climate Mama does blog regularly for The Balancing Act, where our posts help to educate woman around the country on the realities of climate change and what they can do to feel empowered to take action in this crucial fight!

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Posted in Climate Mamas & Papas, Food, Green Moms Carnival, Health & Fitness, In The News, Product Reviews | No Comments »

Greening the Holidays: Shopping Angst, Tips and Gifts

Saturday, December 10th, 2011


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T’is that time of year again, but quite honestly I am not sure how it snuck up so quickly! I feel like I am beginning to sound like my grandmother, who used to love to tell me how time marched on soooo much faster as she got older. So blame it on age, busy life, mild weather, whatever the reason or excuse, panic is now starting to set in as the holidays are fast approaching and my “shopping list” is still missing many check marks.

Every year, I agonize over where to “draw the line.” It is as the saying goes, “wonderful to give”…but how best to balance giving in the consumer goods focus, pressure packed, “buy, buy, buy” world which commands us to “shop till you drop” culture that we live in, versus my own growing concern and fear for our environment. As my children grow older and have now entered their teens, and as my “eco-consciousness” pervades our home life, family discussions, and everyday purchases, I feel that the pressure to buy “a lot” of “stuff” is off and quality over quantity is recognized as a redeeming virtue.

So, now that I have that “off my chest” and “on the table,” what can I suggest to you to help make your shopping and gift giving more sustainable this year? I offer up 3 general tips, followed by a few specific “gift choices” that I would recommend, and one final Climate Mama “family tradition” holiday gift tip!

As a general rule,

1. Try to shop local, support local businesses, buy locally made products and services.
2. I personally do most of my “shopping” on line, from the comfort of my office or home; saving on gas and for me the frustration of going to the mall and all that that entails.
3. Wrap thoughtfully! Most of us love things that are wrapped, but remember that the average American throws out 4.5 lbs of garbage a day, most of it in packaging and this is on an average day not even during the holidays. Do you need a big box to put your present in? Won’t that box just go straight into the garbage? Can you wrap the gift with something that is reusable?

Now more specifically, for those lovers of books, here are my current top 3 climate change focused books, in a variety of categories:

1. Mousenet, by Prudence Breitrose – for the 8-12 set. Mice evolve and become computer-literate. They make an alliance with a ten-year old girl whose mother is a climate scientist, and who writes a treaty between the species: she will help them all get mouse-sized computers, and they will use their brilliant brains and their secret presence throughout the corridors of power to slow down the rate of climate change.
2. The Climate War, by Eric Pooley – For your “grown up” children. This is a true story of a group of people who set out to save the planet—or, more precisely, to preserve the planet’s habitability—through political action, and the story of those who stood against them. Their battleground was the American political system, which gave a natural advantage to the opponents of climate action.

3. Bothered by My Green Conscience by Franke James. For all kids, big and small. Written as a graphic novel, this book “contributes to greater understanding, respect for and positive action on the changing worldwide environment.”

Final Tip: A family tradition to share with you – giving a “gift from nature” that each family member creates for one other person in the family “secret Santa” style. Family member assignments are made ahead of time (but not too long ahead of time as the gift is meant to be simple, and while made to be kept, it also must be fashioned in a way that it can also go “back to nature” too, not into the landfill!)

As an extended family we spend the holidays together in a place where the sun shines most days and it is warm outside, so nature abounds. For my friends in snow covered climes, maybe a homemade creation from things found inside, would serve this idea just as well. This gift exchange, which takes place after the more traditional presents are given, brings laughter, tears and real joy to our celebrations as well as stories and memories shared again and again over the years!

This post is written in support and solidarity with the GreenMoms Carnival, hosted this month by Citizen Green. Check in to see what other “green moms” recommend and how they cope around the holidays!

Happy Holidays and here is to YOU and your lasting family traditions! We would love to hear about them, please share!

Yours,

Climate Mama!

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Posted in Climate Mama News, Green Moms Carnival, Holidays, Lifestyle & Fun, Product Reviews | 2 Comments »

Back to School, Naked and Climate Activism

Thursday, August 18th, 2011


Back to school, naked and climate activism – commonality, connection….let’s see. With a pending “arrest” for climate activism in my near future, going back to school and all it usually entails for busy parents somehow seems lower on the Richter scale for me this year BACK TO SCHOOLthan in past years. That being said, back to school is “looming and out there” and with two middle schoolers on my hands, and in my thoughts, I wanted to share a few of my musings, products ideas, and thoughts on staying calm and sane as that first day of school fast approaches.

First of all on the product end of things, at ClimateMama we often talk about how important it is to reuse, repurpose and “refind” some of those back to school items you tossed in your drawer and forgot about ie. items you bought and then didn’t have time to use but may be able to use again. Make sure to take an “inventory” of what you already have on hand before you head online or out to the store for school supplies.

Second, it is really, really important, with school supplies and in fact with any products you buy, to support those companies that are taking a stand for sustainability, that are concerned about a product’s lifecycle and that try to incorporate recycled content as well as innovative packaging (less is more) into their designs. Let your kids be an example of their, yours, and your family’s efforts at living sustainably and promoting a healthier planet, one recycled pencil, binder, reusable water bottle, and lunch container at a time!

One company in particular whose products seem to be embodying all these things is Naked Binder. Lauren, from Naked Binder, had contacted me recently about trying out their products, and while I often leave the product reviews for my friends and the experts at the Green Moms Carnival, these binders intrigued me. On the home page of the company website, their goals are upfront and center: “sustainability, great design, preserving wilderness we love and giving back to education that helped us get here.” Pretty good mission statement from where I sit!

I admire the sustainability and educational stand this company is taking and I love the great products they are making. Naked Binder products are incredibly durable and are made in the USA out of 100% recycled board (97% Post Consumer Waste) which are 100% recyclable (closing the lifecycle loop!) Their binders contain no plastics, vinyl or toxins, and are priced the same as most vinyl binders. For my 12 year old daughter, an excellent “+” with the Naked Binder and their dividers folders is the “design feature” which allows you to easily decorate them yourself – something she does with her notebooks no matter what, but these are “made to order” for that!

Check out Naked Binder, you can’t go wrong. You can order their products directly from them, on-line, something I highly recommend for busy parents. On-line ordering saves you time and gas, lowering your carbon footprint. It is also a great way get your “green” back to school supplies, as depending on where you live, you might not easily be able to find great green products at your local school supply store.

Finally, as we get close to the one year “starting gate” for the next presidential elections race, politics in the USA already seems at its worst rather then at its best. As parents we want to put our best foot forward for our children and set a great example, not a cynical one. Join us and start the school year off on an exciting educational and relevant non-partisan political adventure by getting your family as well as your children’s schools involved and active with these upcoming special environment related events.

My Top 4 Climate Activism and Education Events for Back to School:

1. Tar Sands Action
2. 24 Hours of Reality
3. Moving Planet
4. James Hansen at Bergen Community College (for our NYC Metro Mamas and Papas)

Stay tuned to ClimateMama for updates on all these events.

This post is in partnership and support of the Green Moms Carnival, a group of dedicated green bloggers who each month join together to blog about a common subject, cause or event. Our Back to School Carnival is hosted by Miceala at Mindful Momma. The Green Moms Carnival post goes live August 22nd.

First Photo used through Flickr/Creative Commons: Credit K. Rain

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Posted in Climate Mama News, Green Moms Carnival, Lifestyle & Fun, Plastics & Plastic Free, Product Reviews, Schools and Colleges, Take a Stand: Action & Advocacy | 1 Comment »

Welcome to Climate Mama

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You are a mother, a father, a grandparent, an uncle, an aunt, a teacher or a child at heart. When you hear the Native American saying, “We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children”, it makes you stop for a moment and think. You love nature, travel, adventure and believing in a world that is special and unique. Climate change and global warming are words that alarm you, that often seem too big to get your arms around. You care about what’s happening to the world and notice small changes in your own life that seem to point in the direction of a threatened environment. But you wonder if these changes are real, and if they are you can’t imagine what you can do to help change what is happening.

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Climate Mamas and Papas

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Climate Change so often seems too big to get our hands around. We wonder where we can start and how we can actually make a difference. Each one of us has a different path that we will follow. Some of us cut a wider swath than others, but each of us has a role to play. We would like to introduce you to some amazing individuals, Climate Mamas and Papas who are making a difference, who are, through their daily lives, affecting the lives of all of us. They inspire us, empower us, and challenge us to reach for the stars, to strive to do the best we can to help change the crash course we are currently on with our environment. Lets meet some of these amazing people and find out what inspires them. Meet our featured Climate Mama, Janae Shields, today!

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Featured Partner & Campaigns

Earth Day New York promotes environmental awareness and solutions, all year long, through partnerships with schools, community organizations, businesses, and government entities; educating public and private policymakers through conferences and publications; and involving the general public in annual Earth Day events.

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