10 Very Easy Ways to Save Money on Energy Bills, and Save Energy as Well
1) Turn down your thermostat and wear a sweater. Turning your thermostat down just 2 degrees will save about about $15.00 a month...that's not chicken feed!!
2) Unplug your electronics when not in use, and don't forget to turn your computer OFF when you are finished. You can save $6.00 to $10.00 per month, depending on how many electronics you operate.
OKAY, THAT'S $21.00 TO $25.00 A MONTH IN YOUR POCKET !! READY TO SEE SOME MORE??
3) Low Flow Shower Heads use less water...ergo, you use less enegery to heat the water. Insulate the hot water tank and reduce the temperature two degrees. You'll never notice the difference, but your water bill will go down about $3.00 a month per person using the shower and you'll save approximately $10.00 per month in energy costs.
4) Clean the condenser coil on your refrigerator and allow the unit to operate more efficiently. Every time you hear your 'fridge running, it is costing you more. And if you plan on replacing your refrigerator, make SURE you get an Energy Star model.
5) Clean or replace your furnace filter every two months. This will increase the furnace efficiency and save you money.
6) Make sure your dishwasher is FULL before you use it. A full dishwasher is more energy and water efficient. BONUS..research has established that dishwashers do a better job, with less water, than hand washing. Not to mention that it allows your manicure to last longer!!
7) Do all your high energy use activities before 7:oo a.m. or after 10:00 p.m. Because fewer people are doing laundry, running a dishwasher, or showering at these off-peak hours, you reduce you energy requirements and cost. Bonus.....many areas of the country charge MORE for power during hours of peak useage, especially during summer, so you could see additional savings depending on where you live and the tim eof year.
8) Weather proof your home. Check, or add, insulation. Seal cracks around windows or doors which cause drafts, and your furnace to run more. Apply weatherstripping around doors. Install double pane windows and apply for the energy credit.
9) Don't let your dryer cool down before tossing in the next load. Your dryer won't have to run as long to "heat up" again. BONUS.....removing clothes from the dryer while they are still warm helps to prevent wrinkling, which virtually eliminates having to iron them. Save time and money!
10) Replace all light bulbs with CFL's. They even make attractive models for ceiling fans and light fixtures now, so there is no excuse. CFL's use less than half the energy of an incandescent bulb. BONUS......using CFL's can also reduce your need for cooling. Incandescent bulbs give off 90% of their energy as HEAT. If you've ever tried to apply make-up on a summer day in a bath room lit with incandescent bulbs, you know exactly what I mean!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Make Up Chemicals to Avoid
Is that lipstick worth risking your health?? Is having thick eyelashes or that beautiful bronzer??? Read the labels on your cosmetics products and approach with caution, especially here in the U.S., because cosmetics products sold here do NOT need FDA approval or safety testing. The following is just a small listing of the many chemicals found in cosmetic products.
Phthlates, DBP or DEHP; these are endocrine disrupters which can cause birth defects and damage to the reproductive system. These are also carcinogens linked to premature breast development, damage to the testicles, liver, lung and kidney cancers. These chemicals are already banned in the European Union ( E.U.) These are typically found in nail polish, hair spray, hair straighteners, body lotions, and deodoraants.
Lauryl Sulfates (SLS) and Sodium Laurel Sulfates (SLES): these are disrupters of the nervous system, known skin irritants, can damage the eyes, suspected carcinogen linked to liver and kidney damage. These are banned in the E. U. and in South American. Typically found in toothpaste, shampoo, bath salts, bath and body gels.
Parabens: These mimic estrogen in the body and have been strongly linked to breast cancer. These also act as a hormone disrupter and can cause skin rashes as well. These chemical preservatives are found in a huge list of products including hair styling products, foundations, concealers, mascaras, skin creams, deodorants, sunscreens, and hair color. They are currently banned in Sweden and Japan and will most likely soon be banned in Britian.
Formaldehyde: Can be listed under a large number of other names, including Diazolidinyl Urea, DMDH Hydantoin, Formalin, Methanal, Methylene Oxide, Morbicid Acid, Oxymethylene to name a few. Banned in the E.U. This is a known carcinogen, and can disrupt the immune system. Additionally it causes allergic reactions, contact dermatitis, headaches and is an irritant to the mucous membranes. It has been linked to eye damage, joint pain, chest pain, depression, and fatigue. This is a cheap disinfectant that mixes easily with water. It is typically found in shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, liquid antiseptic hand washes, skin lotions, bubble bath, hair care products, antiperspirants, nail polish, talcs, mascara, mouthwash and make-up removers.
Amines (DEA) (TEA) (MEA): This chemical family is banned in the E.U. This preservative and foaming agent can disrupt hormones, is corrosive to eyes, causes contact dermatitis and reacts with a host of other chemicals to form carcinogenic nitrosamines. These are linked to both kidney and liver cancers. Typically found in shampoos, soaps, hairsprays, sunscreens, foundations, concealers, eyeliner, talc, face powders, shaving creams, and hair coloring products for BOTH men and women.
Propylene and Butylene: These chemicals are banned in the E.U. This moisture retainer is a cheap substitute for glycerine. It is linked to brain, liver and kidney abnormalities, depression of the central nervous system, pulmonary edema, hypoglycemia, skin rashes, dermatitis, respiratory and throat irritation. This chemical group is a neuro-toxin that weakens proteins and cellular structure. These are typically found in deodorants, body lotions, body washes, hair conditioners, hair gels, creams, hand wipes and lipsticks.
Thimerasol: This chemical contains mercury which causes brain damage and is linked to birth defects in babies exposed in the womb. Mainly found in mascaras.
As you can see, by the end of the day, unless you are using natural and organic skin care products, you will have exposed yourself to a literal chemical soup. The cosmetics companies cannot, or will not, tell us how these toxins accumulate in the body, how they all interact or what the long term effects might be.
While many all natural and organic products may cost a bit more because they are are not using cheap chemicals, aren't you worth it ?? Visit http://www.naturesownstore.com/, and find eco-certified mascara and foundation, along with a host of other good-for-you products! To find out what is in YOUR cosmetics, visit the Skin Deep Cosmetics Data Base
Phthlates, DBP or DEHP; these are endocrine disrupters which can cause birth defects and damage to the reproductive system. These are also carcinogens linked to premature breast development, damage to the testicles, liver, lung and kidney cancers. These chemicals are already banned in the European Union ( E.U.) These are typically found in nail polish, hair spray, hair straighteners, body lotions, and deodoraants.
Lauryl Sulfates (SLS) and Sodium Laurel Sulfates (SLES): these are disrupters of the nervous system, known skin irritants, can damage the eyes, suspected carcinogen linked to liver and kidney damage. These are banned in the E. U. and in South American. Typically found in toothpaste, shampoo, bath salts, bath and body gels.
Parabens: These mimic estrogen in the body and have been strongly linked to breast cancer. These also act as a hormone disrupter and can cause skin rashes as well. These chemical preservatives are found in a huge list of products including hair styling products, foundations, concealers, mascaras, skin creams, deodorants, sunscreens, and hair color. They are currently banned in Sweden and Japan and will most likely soon be banned in Britian.
Formaldehyde: Can be listed under a large number of other names, including Diazolidinyl Urea, DMDH Hydantoin, Formalin, Methanal, Methylene Oxide, Morbicid Acid, Oxymethylene to name a few. Banned in the E.U. This is a known carcinogen, and can disrupt the immune system. Additionally it causes allergic reactions, contact dermatitis, headaches and is an irritant to the mucous membranes. It has been linked to eye damage, joint pain, chest pain, depression, and fatigue. This is a cheap disinfectant that mixes easily with water. It is typically found in shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, liquid antiseptic hand washes, skin lotions, bubble bath, hair care products, antiperspirants, nail polish, talcs, mascara, mouthwash and make-up removers.
Amines (DEA) (TEA) (MEA): This chemical family is banned in the E.U. This preservative and foaming agent can disrupt hormones, is corrosive to eyes, causes contact dermatitis and reacts with a host of other chemicals to form carcinogenic nitrosamines. These are linked to both kidney and liver cancers. Typically found in shampoos, soaps, hairsprays, sunscreens, foundations, concealers, eyeliner, talc, face powders, shaving creams, and hair coloring products for BOTH men and women.
Propylene and Butylene: These chemicals are banned in the E.U. This moisture retainer is a cheap substitute for glycerine. It is linked to brain, liver and kidney abnormalities, depression of the central nervous system, pulmonary edema, hypoglycemia, skin rashes, dermatitis, respiratory and throat irritation. This chemical group is a neuro-toxin that weakens proteins and cellular structure. These are typically found in deodorants, body lotions, body washes, hair conditioners, hair gels, creams, hand wipes and lipsticks.
Thimerasol: This chemical contains mercury which causes brain damage and is linked to birth defects in babies exposed in the womb. Mainly found in mascaras.
As you can see, by the end of the day, unless you are using natural and organic skin care products, you will have exposed yourself to a literal chemical soup. The cosmetics companies cannot, or will not, tell us how these toxins accumulate in the body, how they all interact or what the long term effects might be.
While many all natural and organic products may cost a bit more because they are are not using cheap chemicals, aren't you worth it ?? Visit http://www.naturesownstore.com/, and find eco-certified mascara and foundation, along with a host of other good-for-you products! To find out what is in YOUR cosmetics, visit the Skin Deep Cosmetics Data Base
Friday, August 14, 2009
Lead in Your Lipstick????
Most consumers believe that the labels on their cosmetics offers protection from harmful chemicals and toxins. Unfortunately, this is just NOT the case. Personal care product ingredients, nor MOST consumer goods ingredients other than those added to foods, do NOT need FDA approval. They do NOT need health studies. They do NOT need any pre-market studies for safety. In fact some of the largest and richest cosmetics companies in the world routinely use "low levels" of toxic chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects and learning disabilities in their cosmetic products even though safer alternatives are available. WHY????
Because it is CHEAPER and allows for larger profits. The chemical companies and the cosmetics companies work hand in glove, continuing to produce and use these toxic chemicals which are frankly threatening the entire human species.
In 2004, the Red Cross collected blood and sent it to two different independent laboratories for analysis. Each person's blood contained HUNDREDS of industrial chemical compounds, pesticides, stain repellants, flame retardents, even PCBs which were banned in the 70's. But this was not blood from adults....this was blood from newborn babies, born in August and September of that year!! Lab results revealed 287 chemicals in BABIES CORD BLOOD, 180 that cause cancer in humans and animals, 217 that are toxic to the brain and 208 that cause birth defects or abnormal development. The US Centers for Disease Control studies show that EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US is contaminated with scores of synthetic chemicals that are known to be toxic. Studies show that even low doses of some chemicals can disrupt hormones, and interfere with normal development especially if the exposure occurs in the womb or in early childhood.
More than half of all cosmetic products on department store and drugstore shelves contain chemicals that can act like estrogen or disrupt hormone activity. In 1996, Dr. Theo Colborn documented countless reproductive and development disorders in wild life, such as sterile bald eagles and panthers with abnormal testicles among many others, and traced them back to synthetic chemicals which were interfering with the endocrine system. In 2006, Dr. Colborn tracked increasing numbers of such incidences, which she says is an "emerging pandemic of endocrine disorders in the Northern hemishphere". The evidence shows:
Chemical exposures at even lower levels than previously suspected can disrupt normal development
Genes and chemicals can work together in very unexpected ways to cause disease
Mixtures of chemicals can have very unexpected health effects
Early life exposure to synthetic chemicals can lead to health problems that do not show up until later in life.
The effects of chemicals are cumulative
The US Environmental Agency states that we've known for 25 years that phthlates disrupt the production of testosterone critical for the masculinization of the males species. The spectrum of de-masculinization, low sperm counts, testicular atrophy, undescended testicles and birth defects of the penis are so common in lab animals exposed to phthlates they have a name "phthlates syndome". Yet in 2000, CDC scientists founds the same sypmtoms occurring in humans on an increasing basis in the industrialized world!! In the same report, the data show that women age 20 to 40, CHILD BEARING AGE, had the highest levels of phthlates in their bodies. Women who could expose their babies, in the womb, to these chemicals. Why women??? Because we use the most personal care products.
In 2002, 72 of the most popular personal care products, selected from the Chain Drugstore Weekly which annually shows the most popular, were sent off to an independent laboratory. Of the 72 tested, more than 3/4 contained phthlates, and many contained multiple phthlates, yet not one label showed phthlates as an ingredient!!! Hair Spray, deodorant, hair gels, body lotions and every single fragrance tested. These were brands that you and I have probably used: Cover Girl, Pantene, Secret Dove, Suave, Salon Selectives, Clairol, L'Oreal, Revlon and even Healing Garden!! And this is just a mere fraction of the products on the shelves. Phthlates are already banned in Europe, and the large compaines who sell in Europe reformulated their products, eliminating phthlates and other chemicals in order to be able to sell them there, yet phthlates, lead and other chemicals are still sold in products in the US, though in 2004 Revlon and L'Oreal did agree to reformulate their products to eliminate chemicals already banned in the European Union. But what about all the rest of the cosmetic companies??
It doesn't stop with hair spray and body lotions, either. In 2006 TV station WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh tested 5 of the most popular lipstick s and found lead in every one!! In Los Angeles, station KCBS-TV found lead at levels of 0.2 and 0.4 parts per million in 4 of the lipsticks they tested. That is 2 to 4 times the FDA limit for candy. And since the average woman is expected to consume ( as in EAT) 4 to 6 pounds of lipstick over her lifetime, and since lead builds up in the body, how much lead is being passed on to a her baby in the womb??? And as we should all know by now, there is NO safe level of lead in a child's blood. And many if not most mascaras sold by the major cosmetics companies contain the chemical thimerosal, which is made up of brain damaging mercury !!
So let's start voting with our dollars, and buy products made of natural or organic ingredients. There really ARE safer alternative to toxic chemicals that are better for you, your children and our world
Because it is CHEAPER and allows for larger profits. The chemical companies and the cosmetics companies work hand in glove, continuing to produce and use these toxic chemicals which are frankly threatening the entire human species.
In 2004, the Red Cross collected blood and sent it to two different independent laboratories for analysis. Each person's blood contained HUNDREDS of industrial chemical compounds, pesticides, stain repellants, flame retardents, even PCBs which were banned in the 70's. But this was not blood from adults....this was blood from newborn babies, born in August and September of that year!! Lab results revealed 287 chemicals in BABIES CORD BLOOD, 180 that cause cancer in humans and animals, 217 that are toxic to the brain and 208 that cause birth defects or abnormal development. The US Centers for Disease Control studies show that EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US is contaminated with scores of synthetic chemicals that are known to be toxic. Studies show that even low doses of some chemicals can disrupt hormones, and interfere with normal development especially if the exposure occurs in the womb or in early childhood.
More than half of all cosmetic products on department store and drugstore shelves contain chemicals that can act like estrogen or disrupt hormone activity. In 1996, Dr. Theo Colborn documented countless reproductive and development disorders in wild life, such as sterile bald eagles and panthers with abnormal testicles among many others, and traced them back to synthetic chemicals which were interfering with the endocrine system. In 2006, Dr. Colborn tracked increasing numbers of such incidences, which she says is an "emerging pandemic of endocrine disorders in the Northern hemishphere". The evidence shows:
Chemical exposures at even lower levels than previously suspected can disrupt normal development
Genes and chemicals can work together in very unexpected ways to cause disease
Mixtures of chemicals can have very unexpected health effects
Early life exposure to synthetic chemicals can lead to health problems that do not show up until later in life.
The effects of chemicals are cumulative
The US Environmental Agency states that we've known for 25 years that phthlates disrupt the production of testosterone critical for the masculinization of the males species. The spectrum of de-masculinization, low sperm counts, testicular atrophy, undescended testicles and birth defects of the penis are so common in lab animals exposed to phthlates they have a name "phthlates syndome". Yet in 2000, CDC scientists founds the same sypmtoms occurring in humans on an increasing basis in the industrialized world!! In the same report, the data show that women age 20 to 40, CHILD BEARING AGE, had the highest levels of phthlates in their bodies. Women who could expose their babies, in the womb, to these chemicals. Why women??? Because we use the most personal care products.
In 2002, 72 of the most popular personal care products, selected from the Chain Drugstore Weekly which annually shows the most popular, were sent off to an independent laboratory. Of the 72 tested, more than 3/4 contained phthlates, and many contained multiple phthlates, yet not one label showed phthlates as an ingredient!!! Hair Spray, deodorant, hair gels, body lotions and every single fragrance tested. These were brands that you and I have probably used: Cover Girl, Pantene, Secret Dove, Suave, Salon Selectives, Clairol, L'Oreal, Revlon and even Healing Garden!! And this is just a mere fraction of the products on the shelves. Phthlates are already banned in Europe, and the large compaines who sell in Europe reformulated their products, eliminating phthlates and other chemicals in order to be able to sell them there, yet phthlates, lead and other chemicals are still sold in products in the US, though in 2004 Revlon and L'Oreal did agree to reformulate their products to eliminate chemicals already banned in the European Union. But what about all the rest of the cosmetic companies??
It doesn't stop with hair spray and body lotions, either. In 2006 TV station WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh tested 5 of the most popular lipstick s and found lead in every one!! In Los Angeles, station KCBS-TV found lead at levels of 0.2 and 0.4 parts per million in 4 of the lipsticks they tested. That is 2 to 4 times the FDA limit for candy. And since the average woman is expected to consume ( as in EAT) 4 to 6 pounds of lipstick over her lifetime, and since lead builds up in the body, how much lead is being passed on to a her baby in the womb??? And as we should all know by now, there is NO safe level of lead in a child's blood. And many if not most mascaras sold by the major cosmetics companies contain the chemical thimerosal, which is made up of brain damaging mercury !!
So let's start voting with our dollars, and buy products made of natural or organic ingredients. There really ARE safer alternative to toxic chemicals that are better for you, your children and our world
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