I am excited to report that my hometown is going green! The Huntington Beach city government is implementing changes to reduce the amount of electricity it uses and developing a green building program among other efforts. “Energy consumption, transportation needs, urban development, and health and safety are just a few municipal issues that are connected to our ability to create a sustainable future.” states Mayor Keith Bohr.

You may have heard that many red lipsticks contain lead.  Well can you imagine that the foundation that you apply to your face every day may be toxic?  I have found a great source that will allow you to search the cosmetic products you use to see how safe they really are.  http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/splash.php?URI=%2Findex.php

I hope yours are all safe!

Did you know that some fruits and vegetables have higher concentrations of pesticides than others?  I found an enlightening guide to purchasing produce. 

Produce one should always buy organic due to the high concentration of pesticides in the non-organic include: Peach, apple, bell pepper, celery, nectarine, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, grapes (imported), carrot and pear.

Non-organic produce that has minimal pesticides and are deemed safe to eat  include:  Onion, avacado, sweet corn, pineapple, mango, asparagus, sweet peas, kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, papaya, watermelon, broccoli, tomato and sweet potato.

This and other helpful information can be found at http://www.foodnews.org/ .

I always buy organic when it is available, but this information will help me make the right buying decisions and rest at east when some organic produce is not available.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics recently reported that many of our children’s bath products have cancer causing ingredients and other contaminants in them, even though the manufacturers are not reporting it on their labels.  The study took random unopened children’s bath products from different places in the country and sent them to an independent laboratory.  The laboratory found contaminents in a large percentage of the products that were not listed on the manufacturers labels.  For more information and to take action click on this link.   http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5500/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1090