A while back we promised to keep you posted as news of the oil spill's effect on reproductive health emerged.

Well, here we are.

There was a terrific piece published by Kimberly Ines McGuire of RH Reality Check that doesn't speak specifically to the oil spill (though it is mentioned), but gives a cumulative and frightening history of oil refinery and chemical industry in the Gulf Region, and its effects on the health of residents.

One snippet in particular is rather haunting:

"Residents have tested positive for exposure to some of the worst reproductive toxicants—chemicals that have been linked to infertility, miscarriage, low birth weight, low sperm count, and developmental and respiratory disorders for children exposed in utero. This contamination of the air, water, and soil is so severe, and its effects so widespread, that the 100-mile stretch of Louisiana communities between New Orleans and Baton Rouge is known by residents as 'Cancer Alley.'"

You can read the entire piece here. 

After my usual spring-cleaning meltdown about the toxic ingredients in various cleaning supplies, I decided to research the "old school" methods.  I know there are wonderful products by companies like Seventh Generation and Ecover, but what did people do before they had these options?

Some interesting things I learned from Re-nest, an insightful website about green living:

• Add half a lemon to the dishwasher and your dishes will emerge sparkling and spot-free. (Instead of the mysterious blue stuff that gets sprayed all over our dishes now.)
• Cucumber slices will remove tarnish from stainless steel.
• Lime scale and soap residue can be removed by rubbing lemon on them-faucets or porcelain.

I certainly can't employ all of the 27 Household Uses for Citrus or fully wallow in the Secret Super Cleaning Powers of the Mighty Cucumber, but it is a start, and certainly preferable over the usual toxic culprits.

What are some of your favorite eco-friendly cleaning techniques?

Debbie Robins has written an insightful piece on the possible dangers lurking in feminine hygiene products for the Huffington Post.  She not only addresses the pesticide residue in tampons and the dioxin used to bleach them, but gives some astounding facts about the amount of chemicals we could prevent from entering the environment with even a small change in consumption behavior.

If we are so careful about what we eat, shouldn't we be holding everything we put in our bodies to the highest of standards?

While you check out letstalkperiod for more information, I am going to clean out the medicine cabinet.

We are a  blog dedicated to informing you about environmental health issues and, as such, we would be negligent not to mention the BP oil spill.

An examination of petroleum products is alarming enough, with links to breast cancer, etc. before this environmental tragedy. What this oil will do once it enters the food chain and remains there for decades and decades is unfathomable. Equally scary is how helpless we are in finding resolution and stopping the devastation from continuing.

As news rolls in about the affects on reproductive and womens' health, we promise to keep you posted. In the meantime, we leave you with some gallows humor:

...and here is an awesome video by UVM students about why this needs to happen: (if this doesn't display properly, just click here to view directly at youtube.)

Tell your lawmakers you don't want BPA in your life and click here to fill out a simple form that goes directly to your representative.

Submitted by our intern Julia...

Red and green don’t have to clash. In fact, they can be the recipe for an environmentally responsible period!

With many feminine products utilizing dioxins, bleach, and creating post-consumer waste (wrappers & applicators), perhaps it is time to try something new?  The Diva Cup, a concept the website claims is 75 years old, is a reusable silicon cup that comes in 2 sizes.  Model 1 is for women under 30 who have never given birth, and Model 2 for women over 30, or those who have given birth. It is inserted vaginally and covers the cervix.

After an initial investment of about $30-$40, it may be last time you spend money on "feminine hygiene products".  It can be purchased at www.drugstore.com or www.lunapads.com, and in many health food stores.

I'm a devoted user of the cup, but was initially hesitant. Inserting a cup into my vagina that simply collects the blood? Not feasible...until I tried. After a simple insertion, I only had to empty the cup once  a day, and often forgot I had it! When emptying the cup at home, you can wash it in the sink, which begs the question of public restrooms. This problem is solved by emptying the cup in the toilet.

Why stop with reusable grocery bags? The Diva Cup is an affordable change that makes a big difference for the environment and your wellbeing.