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The Enviroblog Top 10 in 2008: What was on our minds?
If you, too, are a blogger, then you know how fascinating it can be to look at stats. Which posts were super popular, read across the nation - or globe? And which were duds, appreciated by none. What were we talking about way back then, anyway??
Well, we had a peek at our numbers the other day and found some pretty popular ones we like enough to share again - our way of highlighting the hottest toxic topics of '08.
Not surprisingly, the very top 3 were all about Bishpenol-A, the everywhere chemical that science has shown is really just not good for us. Simple as that.
- Cheatsheet: BisphenolA What is it? Bisphenol A is a toxic plastics chemical found in polycarbonate plastic and the resinous lining of food cans. What are the possible health effects? In April of 2008, the National Toxicology Program raised concerns that exposure to BPA during pregnancy and childhood could impact the developing breast and prostate, hasten puberty, and affect behavior in American children.
- Your BPA Questions, Answered When we posted a little analysis of the new research on the toxic plastics chemical bisphenol A (BPA) leaching from polycarbonate bottles, we had no idea how many questions it would inspire. This month, instead of the usual Ask EWG feature, we've put together a post in which we answer as many of your BPA questions as we can.
- This may be worse than we thought A lot of people have those reusable polycarbonate water bottles; you can't go to a college campus these days without seeing students carrying these multi-hued bottles around as they make their way through classes. Well, a couple weeks back researchers at the University of Cincinnati released a startling new study showing that many of these bottles leach bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine disruptor, into water that is being stored within the container.
- Ask EWG: How should I wash my fruits and veggies? How should I wash my fruits and veggies? Is water enough, or should I be using one of those bottled produce washes they sell in the supermarket?
- Back to school: Are we ready? Are we non-toxic? I was pretty delighted when a quick trip around the green parent blogosphere simplified my job immensely. In hopes of spreading this wealth, check out these handy how-to's and see if you, too, can make your back-to-school shopping a little less toxic this year.
- Cheatsheet: Phthalates Phthalates are a common industrial chemical used in PVC plastics, solvents, and synthetic fragrances. They've been around since the 1930's, and now they're pretty ubiquitous; when they tested 289 people in 2000, the CDC found phthalates in all of the subjects' blood at surprisingly high levels.
- Making make-up safe for kids So lets say, hypothetically, that your four year old has begun begging for a play makeup set. Some parents would react with a firm but gentle "no stinkin' way, sweetcheeks." I can understand that sentiment -- children grow up fast enough without the aid of adult trappings.
- Healthy home tips for parents Just yesterday I listened to EWG President Ken Cook give a terrific presentation in San Francisco based on the influential cord blood study we did a few years ago. During the Q & A, someone asked a question we hear often: If you could recommend one thing we should all do to improve the environmental health of our families, what would it be?
- Ask EWG: Which formula is best? I am unable to breastfeed for medical reasons. How can I choose the best possible formula for my child?
- Unilever takes a bite out of your face cream If you follow our work on cosmetics, you know that companies have free reign over what they put in your products. FDA can't require companies to test products for safety before (or after) they're sold, and unlike for food additives and drugs, FDA doesn't review or approve cosmetics before you buy them.
It is our sincere hope that by this time next year when we review the hottest toxic topics of '09, we'll have put much of this behind us and be celebrating safer products for all. It's actually more than our hope, it's what we work for every day here at EWG.
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