Growing fruit and vegetables...naturally

If you are about to start a veggie patch or plant a fruit tree it’s worthwhile doing a bit of research before you start. Did you know that a lot of the seeds and plants that you purchase are from chemical and pharmaceutical giants Monsanto, Dupont and Bayer. If you buy these seeds they will need chemicals to survive and grow. Those chemicals are then in your fruit and vegetables so in essence if you think you are growing an organic garden, you are not.

But there is hope. I discovered a great organisation called Seed Savers Network. This network will assist you to find, grow and even distribute locally adapted seeds that are free from chemicals.

Check out http://www.seedsavers.net/

Another great way to rid yourself and your family from chemicals!

Amanda
http://greenmeoz.blogspot.com/

Plastic toys

Have you noticed how plastic toys have taken over your house? Everything is plastic now - what happened to the good old fashioned wooden toys? Well they still exist but it is just a matter of finding them.

If you have kids you know that they will put just about everything in their mouth. Now if you stop to consider that the plastic toy they are currently biting on probably contains Bisphenol-A and other toxins, would you let them? BPA in particular, has not been banned in Australia and many other countries so there is a good chance that your childrens toys contain it.  So what? 

Well BPA is a endocrine disruptor and causes abnormalities to the thyroid hormone.  Thyroid dysfunction is common in children with autism and can cause other other neurodevelopmental disorders.  The thyroid hormone is also critical for brain development in early life, and even small alterations in hormone levels can have serious consequences; long-lasting and perhaps irreversible consequences in terms of brain function.

That's good enough reason to ditch the plastic and switch to wooden toys. But before you go out and purchase those wooden goodies just make sure they are not a cheap imitation and painted with toxic paint. 

Want to read more about BPA and its affect on children?   Check out this new article on CNN Health.

Amanda

http://greenmeoz.blogspot.com

Follow the green love

Follow me on Facebook and keep up-to-date with great green specials on all my products.

Green Me OZ on Facebook

This weeks special - Retro 70's Stainless Steel Cup Set (set of six in cover) for just $38 including postage - that's a savings of over $15!

BPA-free, funky design - great for picnics, camping, glovebox or everyday use.

Toxic BPA

A big thank you to 60 Minutes for their story on Bisphenol-A (BPA). Perhaps now people will start to take notice. To the people that think this is just a scare tactic to get mothers to buy a product, well it is in so many of our products, not just baby bottles. And besides, do you want to take the risk?


Today I will put up more information on BPA but in the meantime you can check out the 'About BPA' tab or some of my past blogs.


If you would like to show your support to get BPA listed as a toxic chemical please sign my campaign suggestion at GetUp! to get BPA on the toxic chemical list. Thanks 


http://suggest.getup.org.au/forums/60819-campaign-ideas/suggestions/1900085-put-bisphenol-a-bpa-on-the-toxic-chemical-list?ref=title


Amanda
http://greenmeoz.blogspot.com

World Environment Day

Today is World Environment Day - a day for positive environmental action. I try to make everyday (well almost) a positive environmental action day but on this day across the globe, people come together to bring awareness about our environment and take action.

So what are you going to do? Well it really is up to you - perhaps plant a tree, plant a veggie garden, walk instead of take the car, teach your kids about recycling, pick up rubbish, turn off the tv or turn off the lights. These actions all have a positive effect on our environment.

Funny enough our day started with my girls getting up at 5.30am. They were playing in their room quite well until 5.45am when we had a power blackout.  5.46am screams from two little girls!  So we all got up and sat in the dark for a while, then lit a candle and played together. A great way to start World Environment Day I think :)

Whatever you do I hope you have a beautiful day on this beautiful planet. Go outside, take a good look around you and appreciate the wonder of nature and the World we live in.

Amanda
http://greenmeoz.blogspot.com

Taking action against BPA

For some time now, through my blog, facebook page and website, I have been sharing information about Bisphenol-A (BPA), what it is and what studies are showing. I do this in the hope that I can help people make informed product choices that help them look after their health and wellbeing. 

BPA is a toxic chemical that is used in so many of our products. Studies show how bad this chemical is and the potential health affects on us yet it is still not banned here in Australia or listed as a toxic chemical.  So I've decided to step it up a bit and have submitted a suggestion to http://www.getup.org.au/ asking for them to take action to help get BPA listed as a toxic chemical in Australia. By doing this it will help spread the word about how bad BPA is and hopefully more people will start to choose BPA-free products.

I would love your support. - please click on the below link and submit your vote.

Submit your vote here  or if you can't click on the link go to this address http://suggest.getup.org.au/forums/60819-campaign-ideas/suggestions/1900085-put-bisphenol-a-bpa-on-the-toxic-chemical-list?utm_source=suggest.getup.org.au&utm_campaign=ShortUrls&utm_medium=facebook

Please help me put Bisphenol-A on the toxic chemical list here in Australia.


Share me and spread the green love :)

Amanda
http://greenmeoz.blogspot.com/

Microwave popcorn toxic?

Nooooooooo, not the microwave popcorn! But alas, yes.  Apparently microwave popcorn bags are lined with toxic perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). This possible carcinogen when heated releases the toxins into the popcorn which you then eat. Yuck.

A good reason to go for the good old fashioned popcorn.

Share me and spread the green news.

Amanda
http://greenmeoz.blogpsot.com/