I never thought much about mold , until my first child was born. We came home from the hospital and discovered greenish black mold covered the wall behind the family bed. With a three-day-old baby in my arms, I wasn’t wasting time with testing. My husband and I called the landlord, told him he could keep the security deposit, and we moved in with my father that night. Of course, a brush with mold doesn’t always trigger such rash action. Once I came out of my post-partum, mama bear phase, I felt a little sheepish about giving up our beautiful little cottage—and our security deposit. But recent...

My daughters love strawberries and pretty much anything made with strawberries. I don't know that I've ever met a kid who doesn't. Do your kids? If they do, I urge you to take two minutes today to help stop a looming toxic legacy. As Heather Pilatic, Co-Director of Pesticide Action Network North America , wrote on the Healthy Child blog this week: More than 80 percent of the nation's strawberries are grown in California and, unless we take action, many of these farms will soon begin using a fumigant (a pesticide injected as a gas to sterilize the soil) known as methyl iodide.The science on...

Most moms assume that chemicals used to make everyday products are tested for safety. It's common sense — but they are not. From baby bottles made with bisphenol-A (BPA) to carpets containing formaldehyde, dangerous chemicals are in our homes, and the products we use every day. With each new scientific report linking toxic chemical exposure to a serious health problem, it becomes more obvious that the law intended to keep harmful chemicals in check — the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976 — is not working. Now, we have the chance to fix this problem - and moms are taking the lead...

More and more parents are expressing deep concerns about the quality of food being served in schools. And, many are still unaware that there might be anything to worry about. Healthy Child Healthy World is taking our Eat Healthy program to the next level by joining forces with Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and MomsRising to help propel national efforts to improve school food. Are you interested in helping? The first step is helping us determine what the main concerns of parents are and how to best empower them. We've developed a very short survey and we need to get as many people as possible...

The secret is out: the toxic chemicals industry is designing a PR campaign for survival! Bisphenol A in baby bottles, water bottles, and food cans. Formaldehyde in furniture. Phthalates in air fresheners, soft plastics, and fragrances. The manufacturers of these chemicals are not taking the push for regulation lying down (despite their public claims of support for safety). Don’t be duped! View the spoof video the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families coalition created to galvanize public support for Congressional action, and have fun with a pretty serious issue. The characters you will meet in...

When I was young, I volunteered for various organizations and I participated in an academic extracurricular group known as the Future Problem Solvers of America, but that was the extent of my adolescent efforts at having a positive impact on the world. I don’t think I had ever heard of anyone young doing something world changing (sheltered child I was) and I certainly didn’t feel empowered to be the first. Today, kids blow my mind and give me enormous hope for the future. Consider just these five: • Adora Svitak , a 12-year-old who is a published author and was the youngest speaker at the TED...

It's become so common in our culture to assume we need things - a lot of things. Over-consumption is not only a strain on our bank accounts and environment, it can also be harmful to our health. Whether there's a warning label or not (usually not), many of the things we buy have associated health risks. Here are ten toxic products , in no particular order, that you don't need. And, once you read about them, you probably won't want them either. Be aware that different homes may have different products that are more toxic than these. This is just a basic list of some of the most commonly...

What’s in your paint, detergent, art supplies, furniture, and textiles? You probably don’t know, since there’s typically no ingredients list on the label. But, even if you wanted to know – you don’t necessarily have the right to know. Even more disturbing, the government agency in charge of regulating the chemicals in these products doesn’t always have the right to know. According to a new report released by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), “The public has no access to any information about approximately 17,000 of the more than 83,000 chemicals on the master inventory compiled by the...

Just when you thought the BPA battle couldn’t get any more frustrating… Consumer Reports just published a study where they found BPA in food from nearly all cans tested – including those marked “BPA-Free.” Grrrrr. According to the release: “Consumer Reports' latest tests of canned foods, including soups, juice, tuna, and green beans, have found that almost all of the 19 name-brand foods we tested contain some BPA. The canned organic foods we tested did not always have lower BPA levels than nonorganic brands of similar foods analyzed. We even found the chemical in some products in cans that...