The sign at my local coffee shop reads, “Coffee first, questions later.” My sentiments exactly, which is one of the many reasons I go to Café on the Corner.  Other reasons it’s my favorite place include their delicious jalapeño cream cheese, Chelsea Clinton’s shining face hanging on the wall; and, most importantly, they have organic shade grown, fair trade coffee choices.

Shade grown coffee is pretty much what it sounds like—coffee grown in the shade. The coffee plant by nature loves shade and the best quality beans come from coffee plants that grow slowly under the rainforest canopy. But because of the high demand for java (501 billion cups consumed every year), rainforest trees are being chopped down and are being replaced by a quicker growing, sun-tolerant variety. These coffee bushes are doused in chemicals and fertilizers to make them grow faster and to keep up with the demand (Mmm…There’s nothing like a cup of warm pesticide residue in the morning…).

In addition to the many health risks of this practice, the natural habitat for songbirds—and many other species, including howler monkeys, iguanas, ocelots, peccaries, pumas, and tree frogs—is greatly reduced when their homes are chopped down and replaced with coffee.

My other, more noble reason for purchasing organic coffee—the fair trade label. Simply put, when a product is fair trade certified the label guarantees consumers that strict economic, social and environmental criteria were met in the production and trade of an agricultural product. In this case, fair trade coffee ensures that the vast majority of the world's coffee farmers get a fair price for their harvests in order to achieve a decent living wage.

If you would like to learn more about this cause, and also find out where to buy organic shade grown fair trade coffee in your area check out this site.

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The Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Vermont, an organization in which Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (PPNNE) is a member of, released the first Body Burden study to be done in Vermont.  Body Burden studies test to find what chemicals we have in our bodies.

The report, Toxic Exposures in the Green Mountain State, tested the bodies of six Vermonters for a variety of common chemicals found in the environment and consumer products.  These chemicals - including bisphenol A (BPA), mercury, organochlorine pesticides, and flame retardants known as Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) – have all been linked to harmful health impacts ranging from cancer to neurological damage to birth defects.

The amount of each chemical found in the bodies of participants varied widely.  According to the study:

• BPA was found in every participant and levels of the chemical in three of the participants exceeded the national norm;
• Levels of mercury were found in four participants, each time equaling or exceeding the national norm;
• Seven types of organochlorine pesticides were found in the blood of all participants, and DDT – banned in 1972 – was found in the bodies of five of the six Vermonters; and
• Twenty different types of flame retardants were present in all of the participants, and Deca was found in all but one of the Vermonters.

“We participated in this study because as one of the largest providers of reproductive health care in our region, we believe it’s our responsibility to help our patients and communities understand the link between their health and the products they put in and on their bodies.   It is part of our role as health care providers to educate our patients about how to reduce their exposure to harmful contaminants,” said Ellen Starr, V.P. of PPNNE Health Center Operations. Read the rest of this entry »

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My husband and I recently learned that our 12½ year old dog, Stella, has lymphoma, a relatively common canine cancer. Although we suspected that something serious was going on when we brought her to the vet, the diagnosis was devastating.

As any pet lover knows, Stella is not just a dog. She’s a beloved member of our family. We “adopted” her after having two miscarriages, and refer to her as our “firstborn” and “big sister” of our kids. And despite a couple (OK, a few…) really distasteful habits, she’s pretty much the perfect dog. Easy going. Gentle. Great with children.

Desperate for alternatives, I turned to the Web. Since lymphoma is one of the most common malignant tumors in dogs, I found loads of information—and lots of heart breaking stories from pet owners who were equally desperate to find cures for “Bear,” “Kodi,” and “Marty.”

The main treatment for lymphoma is chemotherapy. But spending thousands of dollars on chemo and visiting the vet twice a week, simply isn’t an option for our family. Not to mention the side effects and invasive nature of the regime… 

Our goal is to make Stella’s last days as comfortable as possible—and to enjoy her company for as long as we can. So, when I came across some information about treatments that promise to do just that, my hope meter soared.  

According to numerous sources, including Ted Schneck, author of “Curing Canine Cancer: Natural Cancer Treatments That Work,” cleaning up your dog’s environment is one of the top things you can do for them.

“Our environment is filled with chemicals that we use every day. Pesticides for the lawn, ammonia and chlorine for cleaning around the house, chemicals in our foods, the list goes on and on. All of these can be helpful in some areas of life, but they’re DREADFUL for your dog fighting cancer.... That's why to give your dog a fighting chance these chemicals need to disappear from his environment fast.” 

Making more health-conscious, environmentally friendly choices may not cure Stella, but it certainly can’t hurt. And, I know it will provide benefits for the rest of my family, too.*

*Check with your vet before giving your pet any medication or remedy. My vet cautioned that some of the recommendations I found online could actually make Stella’s condition worse.

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The more we learn about the 80,000-100,000 unregulated chemicals out there, the more we realize how dangerous some are to our health.  There is growing evidence linking chemical exposure to infertility, pregnancy loss, adverse birth outcomes, various cancers and other health issues. Can you believe that the steepest rise in infertility in past 13 years—an increase of 41%—has been for women 25 and under? It’s time to clean up these chemicals.

State by state, environmental health advocates are pushing for chemical reform and now Vermont has joined that effort. Representative Willem Jewett is sponsoring bill H.484, an act relating to the regulation of toxic substances.  This bill is a common-sense first step to removing toxic chemicals from everyday products, getting important chemical information into the hands of consumers and retailers, and engaging market forces to encourage innovation and safer technology.

PPNNE’s Senior Public Affairs Director, Chris Quint, testified in support of this bill today.  Here’s an excerpt from his testimony:

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Martin Luther King, Jr.

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, let’s take a brief walk down memory lane and reflect on the close relationship between toxic environmental exposure and the disenfranchised populations in America.

It wasn’t long ago that hazardous and polluting industries were predominantly located in Black, Latino, and indigenous communities. I’d like to say this is a problem of the past, but unfortunately it is still an issue. More than 4.5 million people reside within 1.8 miles of the country’s hazardous waste facilities.

The groundwater in these communities is polluted with hazardous chemicals such as benzene, trichloroethylene, and pesticides like DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane).  These toxins are inhaled on a daily basis by the populations living there, triggering such irreversible illnesses discussed in this article and also here.

In the 1980’s, after hundreds of years of oppression in so many poverty-stricken populations, the environmental justice movement took root. Today, community and environmental activists, including Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, continue to work towards legislation that will protect not only our environment, but the people living in it.

PPNNE believes that all people, regardless of race or income level, have the right to receive non-toxic health care. With that end in mind, we are working toward the goal of “doing no harm” with our practices by doing everything we can to minimize reproductive contaminants (such as mercury, latex, and vinyl) in our health centers. And, because we feel that it is appropriate and responsible for our government to do its part, we’re also working to eliminate harmful chemicals in our air, water, and food by advocating for better public policy.

We hope you will take some time today to reflect on how far we have come in this social, racial and environmental justice movement. Please also remember that the fight for a green world for all is not yet over.

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After my recent break-up with my long term boyfriend, I decided that instead of feeling bad for myself I would reflect on the things I was thankful for. Number one: I didn’t get that tattoo of a heart with his name in it.

Not all of us are this lucky.  If a wild night in Las Vegas has left you with a winking smiley face on your backside…Or if you’ve recently learned of the toxins in tattoo ink, and want to safely remove yours—I have some good news—there are now eco-friendly means to get rid of that unwanted tattoo.  

Typically, doctors use laser surgery to remove a tattoo. To avoid scarring, they must keep your skin 70 degrees or cooler.  They previously used a chemical called tetrafluoroethane to keep skin temperature down. Unfortunately, tetrafluoroethane is very toxic, greenhouse gas which has a lasting impact on the environment.

A carbon dioxide spray has been introduced as an alternative. Unlike the tetrafluoroethane, CO2 is dry ice spray that cools the skin before turning into gas, making it much better for the ozone layer.

So while we all make mistakes, at least we now have eco-friendly means of righting those wrongs.

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Cacao tree with fruit pods

Ah, chocolate! The nectar of the gods. It’s decadent, delicious, and, in some cases, full of ingredients you don’t want in your body. I’m not just talking about fat and sugar, which can be detrimental to your health (and waistline), but more insidious stuff such as pesticide residues or even lead.

While high-quality, conventional chocolate is unquestionably tasty—and has been shown to offer powerful antioxidants and other health benefits—there can be pesticide residues present in the cocoa powder used to manufacture it, which can have harmful effects on the body.

The best way to satisfy your sweet tooth and minimize your risk of ingesting dangerous ingredients is to go organic. Organic chocolate is made from organic cocoa beans, therefore minimizing the use of pesticides. Plus, when eaten in moderation, it can contribute to heart health, suppress chronic coughs, add much-needed magnesium to the diet, help control blood sugar, and improve your mood. Not to mention all the ways it’s better for our environment.

Photos: Gary Coffey

Thank goodness there are now lots of places to buy organic chocolate, including Whole Foods, Hannaford and Shaw’s supermarkets, and Vermont’s own Lake Champlain Chocolates. (In the interest of full disclosure, you should know that my husband, Gary Coffey, works there.) Better still, with so many options to choose from , there’s no need to compromise on flavor!

 So go ahead and indulge—just remember to eat responsibly!

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The birth of a child is a highly anticipated moment.  It’s the culmination of months of preparation, patience, and dare I say it, resisting temptation. Everything from coloring your hair, to eating sushi, to drinking alcohol is put on hold the moment you find out you’re pregnant. Here’s another “no-no” to add to your list: artificial fragrances.

A study by the Environmental Working Group revealed 232 contaminants in the umbilical cord blood of 10 newborn American babies. Synthetic musks, common components of fragrance, were found in 7 of the blood samples.

These results are significant because artificial fragrances are toxic and have been linked to developmental illness, infertility, even birth defects and cancer.

What’s even more disturbing is due to labeling laws, the ingredients in fragrance products are considered “trade secrets,”  and do not need to be disclosed.

If you’re pregnant –or planning on it—here are some precautionary measures you can take:

• Choose products free of synthetic fragrance.
• Make your own cosmetics.  The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has great recipes.
• Be proactive. Contact the manufactures of your favorite lotions, perfumes, and lip balms, and encourage them to use non-toxic ingredients and to fully disclose this information on labels.

As wonderful as it is to look and smell nice, consider the risks of the products you’re using and their effect on your newborn.  By forgoing those toxic perfumes, you’ll be able to enjoy that new baby smell even more.

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After I read that we consume an average of 61 lbs. of high fructose corn syrup per year, I went on a HFCS witch hunt, which led me down an unexpected path. It seems the vast majority of sweetened, prepared foods include either high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners.

I've been aware of the dangers of artificial sweeteners, but I let my guard done. They have snuck  into foods I didn't expect:  frozen fruits, some frozen veggies, breads and other things we blindly throw in the cart when we are trying to rush through the market.  I used to just think "diet soda."

What astounded me is how artificial sweeteners have become the cornerstone of the diet industry, despite their very well documented risks. It seems nearly every food offers an artificially sweetened option: reputable yogurt brands, bread products, fruit drinks, salad dressings, marinades, not to mention "desserts", whipped cream, etc.  The story of how sweeteners came (and remain) in our food is an astounding one, and mostly has to do with our lack of regulations and a strong diet food lobby.

Artificial sweeteners were a $1 billion industry a decade ago,  and have since grown.  I came across a film released in 2004 by Sound and Fury, called "Sweet Misery," which links the dramatic rise in brain cancers to the release of aspartame into our foods in 1983.  The correlating data is shocking.

Good-bye occasional diet soda. (Twice a week, maximum. Really.) Hello agave syrup, honey, maple syrup and, well, high fructose corn syrup. I have to triage my battles. Once I recover from this research, I will take on high fructose corn syrup, though.

Here is a 10 minute snippet from "Sweet Misery". The full movie can be found here.

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The holiday season has arrived!  We are way behind, and there is still much to be done: shopping, baking, and my personal favorite—decorating and wrapping! According to estimates from the California Integrated Waste Management Board, almost 25 million tons more waste is created during the holidays.

Instead of using the typical non-recyclable plastic and latex decorations this year, why not go green? There are a number of things you can do to make your home look beautiful without having to worry about how to dispose of your decorations later.

1. Check out web sites that sell eco-friendly decorations, like Eco-Artware.com and Arcadia Home Inc.
2. Make your own! There are some great sites with different ideas/instructions for this; this site provides instructions on how to decorate with egg cartons and other fun products.Keeps the kids busy, too.
3. Read the labels—choose ornaments or wreaths that are that are made from recycled glass, metal, paper or plastic.

All of these alternatives to buying non-eco friendly products will pay off in the end—they can be recycled or used again year after year. As you celebrate this holiday season, be safe, be joyous, be thankful, be nice to your environment.

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