U.S. President's Cancer Panel Highights Plastic as Problematic: Recommends Precautionary Approach

Wakefield, 14 May 2010 -- On May 6th, the President's Cancer Panel released a landmark report entitled REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL CANCER RISK What We Can Do Now. The report raises clear flags about chemical regulation and the dangers of certain chemicals to health. Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times op-ed columnist Nicholas D. Kristof read the landmark 200-page report and has written a succinct overview of the report in his opinion piece New Alarm Bells About Chemicals and Cancer. He describes the President's Cancer Panel - which is made up of three reknowned cancer experts who review the US cancer program and report directly to the President - as the "Mount Everest of the medical mainstream" and "the mission control of mainstream scientific and medical thinking". Most refreshingly, the report firmly advocates a shift in the regulatory system from a reactionary to a precautionary approach, including taking preventive action in the face of uncertainty regarding the effects of many chemicals on health.

There are detailed sections on various chemicals that leach from plastics - including endocrine disruptors like bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates - and the report even makes the following recommendation, and many others, to individuals for implementation in daily life:

"Storing and carrying water in stainless steel, glass, or BPA- and phthalate-free containers will reduce exposure to endocrine-disrupting and other chemicals that may leach into water from plastics. This action also will decrease the need for plastic bottles, the manufacture of which produces toxic by-products, and reduce the need to dispose of and recycle plastic bottles. Similarly, microwaving food and beverages in ceramic or glass instead of plastic containers will reduce exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals that may leach into food when containers are heated."

How encouraging that the medical and scientific mainstream are finally aware of and even recommending preventive precautionary action regarding the dangers associated with plastics.

24 handy lemon tips

By Green Living Tips | Published 08/10/2007 | home , family , clothing , cleaning

Lemons - the versatile fruit
Lemons - a fruit with a wonderful fragrance, great in food and beverages, but also very handy for multiple purposes around the home!

Lemons have been cultivated by humans for over a thousand years. The fruit in mentioned in tenth century Arabic literature, but was probably first grown in Assam, India.

Lemons are high in vitamin C, have an anti-bacterial effect and are thought to posess antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic properties. The juice consists of about 5% acid, which also makes them useful for a variety of household purposes.

Selecting and storing lemons

The best lemons are those that have smooth, oily skins and are heavy for their size. They should be bright yellow with no green tinges. Lemons will keep for up to a week at room temperature, two to three weeks refrigerated. Lemon zest (peel) can be frozen for months.

Juicing lemons

To get the most juice from a lemon, it should be allowed to reach room temperature, or microwaved for a few seconds prior to juicing. Using your palm to roll the lemon on a hard surface can also help improve juice yields. If you only need a little juice, some people pierce the end with a fork, squeeze the amount needed, cover the holes with tape and then store in the fridge.

There's so much more to lemons than just using them in cooking and making lemonade! Here's a selection of handy tips. Remember to test in inconspicuous areas first.

Ant deterrent

Pouring lemon juice around areas that ants frequent is said to repel them.

Air freshener

An equal amount of lemon juice and water added to an atomizer will create a wonderful synthetic chemical-free green air freshener for your home.

All purpose cleaner

Again, an equal amount of lemon juice and water added to a spray bottle is an effective kitchen and bathroom cleaner and can also be used on walls (spot test first).

A small amount of lemon juice can also be added to vinegar based cleaning solutions to help neutralize the smell of the vinegar.


Microwave

Heat a bowl of water and lemon slices in your microwave for 30 seconds to a minute; then wipe out the oven. Stains will be easier to remove and old food odors neutralized.

Fridge

Half a lemon stored in your fridge will help control and eliminate unpleasant smells.

Chrome/copper/brass

Rub a lemon juice and baking soda paste onto chrome or copper, rinse and then wipe/buff with a soft cloth or paper towel.

Toilet

Mix 1/2 cup borax and a cup of lemon juice for a powerful toilet cleaner that will leave it smelling extra clean!

Lime scale

Use a half lemon to clean the lime scale off a sink or taps/faucets; rinse well.

Laundry

For bleaching purposes, add 1/2 cup of lemon juice to the rinse cycle and hang clothes outside to dry.

A teaspoon of lemon juice thrown into your wash can also help your clothes to smell fresher.

Dishes

A teaspoon of lemon juice added to your dishwashing detergent can help boost grease cutting power

Drains

Hot lemon juice and baking soda is a good drain cleaner that is safe to use in septic systems.

If you have a garbage disposal unit, throw in some lemon peel from time to time while it's working in order to keep it smelling fresh.

Chopping boards

Rub lemon juice into your wooden chopping board, leave overnight and then rinse. Wood chopping boards appear to have anti-bacterial properties anyway, but the lemon will help kill off any remaining nasties and neutralize odors.

Glass and mirrors

4 tablespoons of lemon juice mixed with half a gallon of water makes an effective window cleaner

Degreaser

Straight lemon juice can be used as a general degreaser

Furniture

2 parts olive oil or cooking oil mixed with 1 part lemon juice makes for an excellent furniture polish!

Hair

To lighten hair, dampen it with lemon juice and sit out in the sun for an hour. This does work, I tried it myself. Hey, it was the 80's!

I've read that the juice of a lemon mixed with one cup warm water makes for a great hair conditioner. It should be allowed to stay in your hair for a few minutes then washed off. Exercise caution if you have a sensitive scalp.

Cuts, stings and itches

A small amount of lemon juice pour onto minor wounds can help stop bleeding and disinfect the injury (it will sting a bit). Lemon juice applied to itches, poison ivy rashes and wasp stings is said to relieve discomfort.

Hands

The smell of fish can linger on your hands, even after scrubbing with soap - rubbing your hands with lemon juice will neutralize the smell and leave your hands smelling wonderful.

Isn't it incredible how we have so many environmentally harsh cleaning chemicals in our homes when nature already offers most of what we need! Have some helpful hints for using lemons in and around the home? Please add them below!




Michael Bloch
Green Living Tips.com

Baking soda - 30 handy tips

My original article on baking soda being an earth friendly household chemical replacement was mainly about what the substance is and how it's made. I also briefly touched on a few useful tips in how the substance can be used, but in this article, I've jotted down a stack of baking soda tips - some of these I've tried myself, others I'm yet to give a whirl.

Special note: always spot test any home concoctions first before going all out. That doesn't just apply to baking soda, but any tips provided on GreenLivingTips.com - or any other site for that matter :).

Kitchen

- A bowl of baking soda in your fridge will help remove excess moisture and absorb odors.

- Sprinkle some in your veggies crisper and cover with a cloth or paper towel for crisper veggies that last longer.

- Sprinkle baking soda onto a damp sponge for cleaning out your refrigerator and benchtops without scratching.

- Dissolve a couple of tablespoons of baking soda in water in a microwave safe bowl, then bring to the boil in your microwave. Allow to sit for a minute or two, then you should easily be able to wipe out any baked on stains, plus your oven will microwave will smell fresher too.

- Sprinkling baking soda in the bottom of rubbish bags will help to control odors as you add trash.

- To give your dishwasher a good clean, run it through a cycle and use baking soda instead of detergent.

- Baking soda can be thrown on stove fires to extinguish the flames. The carbon dioxide generated when the powder burns starves the fire of oxygen.

- Wash chemicals and pesticides off fruits and vegetables in a pot filled with water and 3 - 4 tablespoons of baking soda added.

On a somewhat related note, here's something interesting I came across. Baking soda is sometimes used when boiling vegetables to preserve their color. That practice is not recommended as it destroys the vitamin C content of vegetables.

General home

- Anywhere that moisture is a problem, such as cupboards under sinks, place a bowl of baking soda to help control humidity. You'll need to occasionally stir the powder for maximum effective life.

- Crayon or texta marks on walls? Try applying baking soda/water paste on an old toothbrush and lightly brush the affected area.

- Water stains on wooden floors can be removed with a sponge dampened in a solution of baking soda dissolved in water.

- Sprinkle some baking soda into your vacuum bag to help reduce musty/pet smells being spread throughout your house when vacuuming.

- Sprinkle baking soda on rugs and carpets before vacuuming as a deodorising treatment. Most carpet powders you buy are baking soda based! Just a brief note on this - not recommended for areas that are very humid as the baking soda may stay in the carpet.

- Mops can really stink out areas where they are stored. If your mop is getting on the nose, don't throw it out, try soaking it in a mixture of 4 tablespoons baking soda and a gallon of water for a while.

- Stains on porcelain sinks, toilets and plastics can be removed by applying a layer of baking soda and then using a damp sponge . I found this to work particularly well on a water stain in a sink that couldn't be shifted otherwise without the use of heavy duty chemicals and scratching the surface.

Plumbing

- As an alternative to caustic soda for clearing blocked drains, throw a cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by a couple of jugs of boiling water.

Garden

- Baking soda can deter ants - pour a solid line in areas of activity and they won't cross it.

- Mix a tablespoon of baking soda, a teaspoon of (earth friendly) dish detergentent and a gallon of water to make a spray for treating roses against black spot fungus.

Laundry

- Work a baking soda and water paste onto stains prior to washing to help remove them from the fabric

- Half a cup of baking soda added to a full load of washing will help brighten your wash and remove odors.

Workshop/auto

- Mix a paste of baking soda and vinegar and apply with a pot scourer to remove light rusting

- A baking-soda/water paste applied to chrome surfaces, allowed to dry then buffed off will leave chrome shining!

- Baking soda applied to fresh grease and oil spills on your garage floor will draw away the oil, which can then be scraped off.

Pets

- Baking soda lightly sprinkled and mixed into cat litter will help control odor.

- Eliminate odor after you've cleaned up pet accidents by sprinkling over the dampened area with baking soda; allow to dry and then vacuum.

Personal

- Whoofy shoes getting you down? Get a couple of old socks, fill up the toe secitions with baking soda, place into the offending shoes and leave overnight to help remove odors.

- A thick paste of baking soda and water applied to bug bites can provide relief.

- A half teaspoon of baking soda mixed into a glass of water can act as mouthwash.

- Sprinkle baking soda onto regular toothpaste to create a whitening toothpaste

Miscellaneous

- To clean jewelry, use a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water, apply the mixture the piece, allow to sit for a couple of minutes, rinse off and then polish with a soft cloth.

- Sprinkle your Christmas tree with baking soda to mimick snow - a much more environmentally friendly alternative to some of those chemical snow sprays!

With so many uses you'll likely use a lot and buying baking soda in small boxes probably won't be too economical. Have a chat to your local baker who may be able to supply you with larger quantities or try contacting a bakery supplies company as some sell direct to the public.

You can also save money on baking soda by re-using it. For example, once it has served its purpose as a fridge deodoriser you can put it down your sink to help keep your drains clear.

Phew, that's quite a list of baking soda tips - it's such a versatile substance and certainly a greener way to get many jobs around the house done. My list is by no means exhaustive and I'm sure I've missed a bundle of ideas and applications! Please add your own tips below!

Michael Bloch
Green Living Tips.com

Comment #68 (Posted by Angie Ringler)

I have been using Baking Soda shampoo for over a year and have more volume than ever in my hair. my husband says he is never going back to traditional shampoo.
Add 1 TBLS baking soda to 1 cup water. Pour half over your hair, scrub as usual, pour the rest, scrub and rise. Then use a vinegar conditioner - 1 tsp apple cider vinegar to one cup water. pour over entire head and rinse. I reuse large flavored creamer bottles and mix four washings at a time.
Keep a container of baking soda under the bathroom sink and you always have shampoo. (I use the restaurant style condiment bottle, cut tip bigger so I can just squirt out an estimated Tablespoon into the bottle, it doesn't have to be exact measurement).
I buy 12 lbs for $6.00 at Sam's Club!
So easy, better for your hair and skin, healthy for Mother Earth and super affordable.
I look forward to trying the other suggestions listed of deodorant and toothpaste. Great article.