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Greetings!
Sunscreen Poisoning Us and Our Children? (Green Vom.com)
My 30 year old daughter Katie is outrageously funny at times. She says things that sometimes give people pause but laughter usually follows. Hard to get just the right flavor to this one but when something disgusts her, she says "Eeeewwww. Vom.com." When I read the Environmental Working Group's "Hall of Shame" list last week about sunscreens, I have to admit, vom.com (sounds like a website I could start) followed by feelings of rage, anger, frustration and a teeny tiny bit of discouragement all ran through me. People, we have to wake up. We have to get excited about reading labels and about making healthier choices. We have to believe that there is NO voice louder than the consumer voice AND we have to PUMP UP THE VOLUME! Our lives depend on it.
 Needless to say, I hope this gets your attention and I hope you take time out of your busy life to follow the link and educate yourself about sunscreens.
But just in case you don't - here are a few highlights from EWG's Sunscreen Guide for 2011 for your reading pleasure:
"Hawaiian Tropic Baby Stick Sunscreen SPF 50 - Hawaiian Tropic's website claims "Less Chemical Sunscreens" for this baby sunscreen stick. Truth is, it contains two chemicals that don't belong on a baby's skin - the hormone disruptor oxybenzone and a form of vitamin A called retinyl palmitate. A recent federal government study shows retinyl palmitate may speed up the growth of skin tumors.
The final straw? The UVA protection factor for this sunscreen is less than 10 - a far cry from the 50 SPF plastered on the package. It's not good enough to be sold in Europe."
Mrs. Green's reaction: the printable version? It's for BABIES, it has chemicals in it that may accelerate skin tumors and they make false claims about the protection level. Are you kidding me right now?
"Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection SPF 55 - The label of this product says "mild as water." We don't think so.
The label also warns, "Stop use and ask a doctor if rash or irritation develops and lasts." And you wouldn't want a child to swallow it like water. The label adds, "keep out of reach of children" and "get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away."
Sunscreen makers can make exaggerated claims because the industry is unregulated. FDA officials have been promising they may wind up their deliberations later this year - and then give the industry a year to adjust. If that's the case, the rules may be ready for beach season - in 2013. In the meantime, EWG has created this guide to give consumers information they need to make the right decisions for themselves and their families."
Mrs. Green's reaction: OMG - so it's mild as water but it's poison and you have to keep it out of the reach of children. But it's fine to put it on their skin? And it may cause a rash or irritation? Non sequitur? Irritating MY skin just reading it? Are we, as consumers, really that clueless? What am I missing? Vom.com indeed.
Okay - so you might be thinking "well, if I just pay a bit more, I am sure to be safe." Not necessarily. One more...
"Elizabeth Arden - Eight Hour Cream Sun Defense for Face, SPF 50 - If you read the claims on the label - "helps protect your skin from sun exposure while hydrating for up to 8 hours" - you might think one coat would protect you until long after lunch. Not so.
Even though sunscreen makers like Elizabeth Arden can add stabilizing additives to slow down the pace with which the cream breaks down in sunlight, this product simply does not last for hours and hours on the skin. Sunscreens wash off in water, run off with sweat, rub off on clothes and towels - and deteriorate in sunlight.
Experts advise reapplying sunscreens every 2 hours max. Paying $30 for 8-hour hydration may not be the best choice for your wallet."
Mrs. Green's last words on this subject? I BEG you to read this entire article to educate yourself. And I really hate to beg but you are worth it.
The Big Announcement - Revisited Hopefully, you read, rejoiced AND marked your calendars when you read our announcement two weeks ago - but just in case: Mrs. Green is moving her radio show - to the Internet! Our first show will be a live broadcast on July 2nd at 12:00 PM PST. Please plan to listen on the Internet, on your iPhone, your Droid or your Blackberry. When you go to Mrs. Green's World, you will be just one click away. We are counting on you to tune in and we hope you will help spread the word!
 Our first guest will be Deron Beal, founder of Freecycle. Deron started Freecycle by sending emails out to about a dozen friends or so, inviting them to come by his place and take whatever they wanted - for free. They are now a global organization. Please see write up on Deron and Freecycle below.
Sea of Green - newest sponsor of Mrs. Green! At the risk of sounding REALLY corny, the folks at Sea of Green had me from hello. First of all, THEY called ME about advertising right after Mrs. Green first got started - seems like a very long time ago. They have been supportive of the mission and vision of Mrs. Green and are now stepping up from being a loyal advertiser to being one of our proud sponsors. Yes, they are Arizona's ORIGINAL urban garden store. Yes, they offer great and FRIENDLY information about hydroponic growing indoors, organic gardening, and so much more. And YES, they are opening their newest store in Tucson on July 1st. Mrs. Green will be there with green bells on - as well as lots of people who can't wait for a location on the eastside. In the meantime, check out their Hands on Grow Lab. (Little known fact, Mrs. Green loves to drop in at their 4th Avenue location cuz Benjamin and company are so friendly and it feels like the Little Shop of Horrors - in a good way of course!) |
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Three Things You Should Know about Miraval!
Whose idea was it for me to write only THREE things about all of the wonderful companies and people and organizations who are part of the mission and vision of Mrs. Green's World? Oh well...
- You really won't find you anywhere else. I didn't know what that meant until I went there. I found me and I can't wait to go back to find me some more!
- Miraval is a resort, an award-winning spa AND a great getaway. Good things happen there. You don't want to leave but when you do, you want to share the wonder of Miraval with others and then ask them to go back there with you. How do you explain magic?
- Your stay at Miraval is ALL inclusive. There are tons of free classes and interesting presentations. Trust me when I say YOU are worth it. We are ALL worth getting away from our crazy lives to step into the magic of Miraval and be reminded of what it is like to live life in balance. As for me? I like to spend lots of time at the pool just being! Miraval requires that you sign their no cell phone use (except in your room and one designated area) so you really can just be (quiet, that is.)
Invest in yourself and plan a visit. You will thank me.
Single Stream Waste? It's Not What You Think
Believe me when I say my YouTube days are far from over. There's too much of a ham (green, cruelty free ham of course) inside of me waiting to come out wanting to make just that ONE video that gets a million clicks in 3 days. Jason Tankersley, friend, supporter of Mrs. Green, and owner of The Fairfax Companies, would probably agree with me that the one we did on single stream waste is not going to be THE one. Nevertheless, I hope you will click through, find out what single stream waste is and know how important it is to recycle your waste. Check it out - make a difference one click at a time! We'll be back...
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Calling All Staycationers!
It's official - the voting has begun and is over today, June 22 - You are just one click away from letting your vote count AND today will be your last chance. We hope you take advantage of it!
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Upcoming Shows
June 25
Neb Yonas, Chapman Tucson - National Trends in the Auto Industry
Neb Yonas, General Manager, Chapman Tucson. With gas prices inching up to $5/per gallon before summer and with the impact of the Tsunami on Japanese imports, Neb will have lots to share with us about what car buying trends he is seeing in the industry nationwide. Neb has his finger on the pulse of this constantly changing, volatile, fast-paced industry. This show sponsored by TEP.
 July 2
Deron Beal - founder of Freecycle
Deron and Freecycle are a world phenomenon - thus our invitation for Deron to be the first guest on Mrs. Green's World Radio Network. Deron started Freecycle by sending emails out to a dozen or so friends, inviting them to come by his place and take whatever they wanted - for free. Truth be told, Deron was a collector of all known things that were rapidly taking up any available living space and his wife said - enough already! The Freecycle network is now made up of 4,949 groups and has over 8,514,235 members around the world. And I hope at least half of them will be listening live! This show sponsored by The Fairfax Companies.
 July 9 Carolyn Parrs - Women of Green Women of Green is a news source and online community with a singular purpose: To be the change we need in the world right now. How are they doing it? By turning up the volume of the voice of women on behalf of our planet, and the web of life that it supports. Sounds like they have quite a few things in common with Mrs. Green. It's an intriguing concept and one I can't wait to explore with Carolyn. I am totally impressed with the women from around the world who are a part of this expanding community and am eager to find out more. This show sponsored by The Fairfax Companies.  7/16
Sarah Kauss, Founder, S'well Bottle Trying to describe the essence of who Sarah Kauss is just doesn't lend itself to mere words. Powerhouse, visionary, social environmentalist, chic eco-chick, sets her goal to be in "O" Magazine and makes it? Sarah and her team at S'well have a vision for the world that doesn't include plastic bottles and one that does included every human being having access to fresh drinking water. From the beginning, S'well has partnered with WaterAid and every purchase of a S'well water bottle helps support WaterAid's programs to bring clean drinking water to the world's poorest communities. And did I say I LOVE my S'well bottle? Tune in to find out about Sarah, her mission and why Mrs. Green is such a huge believer. This show sponsored by The Fairfax Companies.  7/23
Laurie David: Practically Green Practically Green is a mission, a movement, a website, a Facebook page, a blog, a robust data base - in other words - a community. It started when one woman (Susan Hunt Stevens) had a son who was diagnosed with serious food and environmental allergies when he was one year old. Laurie David will share with us how it grew from Susan's mission to helping make healthy green living easier and more enjoyable for millions of people who want to be greener to where it is today. I honestly can't wait for this one. This show sponsored by The Fairfax Companies.  7/30
Jacquie Ottman: The New Rules of Green Marketing Jacquie Ottman was working with Fortune 500 companies, government officials, Hollywood celebrities, educators and plain old consumers back when green was just a color. She knew the rules were changing so she wrote a book about the strategies needed to play by the new rules. She is a sought after speaker, an internationally known and well-respected author and consultant to organizations all over the globe. I will talk with Jacquie about her book The New Rules of Green Marketing and strategies, tools and inspiring ideas for sustainable branding. This show sponsored by The Fairfax Companies.  8/6
Ann Cooper: Renegade Lunch Lady Ann's life's work? To transform how we feed our children in school each day, from highly processed to highly nourishing food - one school lunch at a time. Ann has formed a network of people throughout the United States and the world working to change the way our children are eating. They are challenging outdated school district spending policies, commodity-based food service organizations, political platforms that fail to mention child health and ultimately the USDA. Imagine - she wants our kids to have wholesome, nutritious, delicious food at school. OMG - another "I can't wait" for Mrs. Green. |
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Mrs. Green's World GREEN TALK RADIO Show
Please remember to tune in to Mrs. Green's World every Saturday at 12:00 pm Arizona time, live streaming on the internet at www.mrsgreensworld.com.
Spread the Green Word!
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Mrs. Green welcomes your comments and feedback:
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