Post by lasagnasshole on Apr 24, 2014 11:37:07 GMT -5
OK, so talk to me about plastics. I know they're bad and blah blah blah.
I am seriously considering replacing all our water bottles and travel coffee mugs with stainless steel (although not for a couple of months...money, yo).
But what do I do about lunch? I only work in the office 3 days/week, and I bring my lunch in a two-tiered monbento. Occasionally I heat stuff in it (I know, I know), but it's usually just cold food. Here's the thing: my commute involves about 1.5 miles of walking per day, plus I often stand for part of my train ride. On Wednesdays, I commute to work with my regular bag, gym bag, and laptop bag. On Fridays, I have to bring all of that home. It gets heavy enough that I'm considering just buying my lunch on Wednesdays to literally lighten my load on the morning commute.
I need something LIGHT! I already feel like a beast of burden!
Organic: We try hardest to do organic beef and tortilla chips organic. I can usually find organic lettuce boxes that are good quality too. I pretty much count on all organic options to be right there along side the non-organic version and we don't go to any place special.
GMO: again just corn (tortilla chips) is important to me.
I buy OTC "green" cleaners but don't go the vinegar route. I don't make anything.
I'm still not convinced on the BPA free thing for me, but I don't have any big plastic-heating-related routines, either, I don't think? If I had a genetic pre-disposition or family history of cancer I'd probably be more strict about it.
You know what's working out well? Those silly reusable sandwich bags. I just keep one in my purse permanently and keep refilling it with crackers. I feel like it holds more that a ziplock too.
@ related:
I'll have to ask DDs derm if she cares about parabens.
Apparently having organic meats is important for growing girls. Not a big deal since she hates meat right now. Sorry I don't have a good source .
OK, so talk to me about plastics. I know they're bad and blah blah blah.
I am seriously considering replacing all our water bottles and travel coffee mugs with stainless steel (although not for a couple of months...money, yo).
But what do I do about lunch? I only work in the office 3 days/week, and I bring my lunch in a two-tiered monbento. Occasionally I heat stuff in it (I know, I know), but it's usually just cold food. Here's the thing: my commute involves about 1.5 miles of walking per day, plus I often stand for part of my train ride. On Wednesdays, I commute to work with my regular bag, gym bag, and laptop bag. On Fridays, I have to bring all of that home. It gets heavy enough that I'm considering just buying my lunch on Wednesdays to literally lighten my load on the morning commute.
I need something LIGHT! I already feel like a beast of burden!
Stainless steel bento boxes. Doesn't help for warming, but it's something.
Post by lasagnasshole on Apr 24, 2014 11:46:03 GMT -5
Ugh. More things to buy.
I really want to do what's environmentally friendly and healthy and whatnot, but damn, between water bottles, coffee mugs, and lunch boxes, there's probably easily $150 worth of stainless steel shit I'm "supposed" to buy.
I don't really feel my glass containers add too much weight to my work bag. I also walk about a total of 1.5 miles per day. I also keep a glass plate at work for days my food doesn't come in glass containers.
Raisins are a cruel, nasty, unnecessary thing to do to an innocent grape. Grapes have a higher calling of juice, wine and jelly.
Mmmm wine. You lost me at jelly, so we'll just focus on wine.
I dislike them because they can kill my dog and those shrived little bastards can be hard to find depending on where you drop them. Raisins are the shit that keeps me up at night. Ok, I don't take it that far, but I am more skeptical of raisins than any other food because they're sketchy little bastards.
Raisins are a cruel, nasty, unnecessary thing to do to an innocent grape. Grapes have a higher calling of juice, wine and jelly.
Mmmm wine. You lost me at jelly, so we'll just focus on wine.
I dislike them because they can kill my dog and those shrived little bastards can be hard to find depending on where you drop them. Raisins are the shit that keeps me up at night. Ok, I don't take it that far, but I am more skeptical of raisins than any other food because they're sketchy little bastards.
Pretty much everything ever is bad for you in some way at some dose (Tox 101: Dose makes the poison). The things I worry about: Nano. Endocrine disruptors. Fragrances (What is in that? Oh you mean you won't tell me? Let me think about that... no. I like not being sensitized and not mucking up my asthma). Flame retardants (but these are HARD to avoid).
I buy organic milk for the kids (but for omega-3 content, not *ingredients*), try to buy organic produce (avoiding the most pesticide laden non-organics), avoid heating plastic, not buying cheap *questionable* toys from no-name companies, and using "safer" chemical based products (like avoiding oxybenzone in sunscreen).
Post by mominatrix on Apr 24, 2014 12:17:11 GMT -5
At least here, stainless steel water bottles are VERY available at places like goodwill. I don't care if it has a company logo on it or somesuch... we have a ton of them that we port pretty much whenever we leave the house.
the #1 thing I'm doing right now, that hasn't been mentioned above, is growing my own vegetables.
H built four 4' x 4' boxes
Totally totally easy to make: buy two 1 x 10's in an 8' length for each box. Cut it in half (4' long) (if you don't have a saw, most Home Depot or Lowes type places will make a cut like that for you. Use three wood screws (longish ones, maybe 2") to put each corner together. Done and done.
You put them down over newspaper, cardboard or landscape fabric. Fill the boxes with dirt-like stuff (look up Square Foot Gardening for a good mix of soil, vermiculite, coconut coir, etc)... and plant.
Because Square Foot Gardening is all about efficient use of space, we're going to have a redonculous amount of veggies in these four small beds...
Post by Velar Fricative on Apr 24, 2014 12:22:14 GMT -5
I've seen some references to "nano" and would like to know what that means. I should probably brace myself for the answer because I'm sure it'll be in something I use all the time.
Also, the best deodorant I've ever used is Secret Clinical Strength. I guess if I'm going to die from deodorant poisoning at least I'll go out without smelly pits.
I am a materials engineer in the area of nano-composites. The use of nano-particles in cosmetics in powder form terrifies me. In order to handle nano-particles in powder form at work, I have to wear a full body suit, latex gloves, and a full-face respirator. And people are sprinkling that shit and breathing it in in their bathrooms. WTMF?! No. Just no.
I agree with concerns over nanomaterials in powder form, because of the inhalation potential. But I feel like nanoparticles aren't really a monolithic thing. The hazards will most likely depend on the material they are made of. But I handled powdered metallic nanoparticles with only gloves, safety glasses and a hood, so maybe I am too cavalier.
Perhaps the type of hazard is dependent on the type of particle, but I still think all nano-particles in powder form pose risk. Granted, my company takes the most conservative possible approach with regards to raw nano-particle handling, but even metallic particles require full suit, respirator, in the clean room.
Also, we are handling very large volumes of nano-materials so it may be different in a lab setting rather than production.
I'm pretty sure if I obsessed over this stuff endlessly, I'd get hit by a truck anyway. I try, I pay attention to ingredients (spending $3 extra dollars on frozen chicken nuggets does actually make a difference, hah), and I enjoy cooking from scratch when I can. But there just isn't enough time in the world to make it my hill.
Also, the best deodorant I've ever used is Secret Clinical Strength. I guess if I'm going to die from deodorant poisoning at least I'll go out without smelly pits.
FWIW the ingredient in Secret Clinical is the same as Dove regular; works like a charm and saves a buck. And Dove clinical is the same as Secret regular. Silly deoderant companies.
Perhaps the type of hazard is dependent on the type of particle, but I still think all nano-particles in powder form pose risk. Granted, my company takes the most conservative possible approach with regards to raw nano-particle handling, but even metallic particles require full suit, respirator, in the clean room.
Also, we are handling very large volumes of nano-materials so it may be different in a lab setting rather than production.
Some of it probably has to do with the differences in academia vs industry. I have found the safety regulations in academic labs lax at best. I also worked with 1 mg quantities or less. Working with silica powder actually scared me more for some reason.
Yes, this is very true. I work very closely with a university research institute and their safety practices give me chest pains. But they are dealing with a few grams at most and we're dealing with 10+ lbs of carbon nano-tubes at a time.
Silica is so obnoxious. Have you ever gotten it in your hair? So gross.
Velar Fricative - I would like to add that there is not so much a concern of inhalation when the nano-particles are incorporated into a solid or liquid medium. For example, in my work, raw powder-form nano-particles cannot be used without the PPE I described above. However, those same nano-particles can be incorporated into a polymer and pose no inhalation risk.
With that being said, most of the nano-particles being used in consumer applications are in products that go onto the skin. And we just don't know enough yet about their safety in that regard.
My work deals with nano-particles incorporated into polymers for use on aircraft and satellites, so you don't need to worry about wambam carbon-nano tubes killing you
Nano and skin absorption give me the squickiest feelings. The safety profiles just aren't there yet and what is there is enough to say "This seems like it could be a bad idea."
I really want to do what's environmentally friendly and healthy and whatnot, but damn, between water bottles, coffee mugs, and lunch boxes, there's probably easily $150 worth of stainless steel shit I'm "supposed" to buy.
GRRRRRRRRRRRR.
I feel ya. After that MJ article a couple months ago I dropped $200 on new stainless steel crap.
I took a class on risk assessment and toxicology a while ago. They discussed fun topics like how they determine how much mercury in fish is too much and why mouse models suck for determining carcinogenicity. My favorite topic was how we have no idea what long term effects nano-particles will have on the environment but they're widely used anyway.
I am a materials engineer in the area of nano-composites. The use of nano-particles in cosmetics in powder form terrifies me. In order to handle nano-particles in powder form at work, I have to wear a full body suit, latex gloves, and a full-face respirator. And people are sprinkling that shit and breathing it in in their bathrooms. WTMF?! No. Just no.
What kinds of come ethics have these nano particles?? My Naked 3 pallette???
I am a materials engineer in the area of nano-composites. The use of nano-particles in cosmetics in powder form terrifies me. In order to handle nano-particles in powder form at work, I have to wear a full body suit, latex gloves, and a full-face respirator. And people are sprinkling that shit and breathing it in in their bathrooms. WTMF?! No. Just no.
What kinds of come ethics have these nano particles?? My Naked 3 pallette???
Titanium oxide nano-particles are the most common in cosmetics. I don't wear makeup, so I can't tell you if your Naked3 has them. Sorry.
I don't have a lot to add but I love sugar in my tea, and a lot of it. Last year I started growing chocolate mint. I now put a small fraction of sugar in with two mint leaves and it is just as sweet.
Re: EWG. I take everything with a grain of salt from them. I use it and like the ideas they promote, but they are WAY overboard on *OMG INGREDIENTS!!!!!!!* sometimes. Much like everything else, good data and bad data all at the same time.
Post by UMaineTeach on Apr 24, 2014 13:38:58 GMT -5
stories like this freak me out with giving kids metal bottles, please teach your kids not to stick their tongues in the bottle or buy one that has a top to drink out of.
microwaving plastic resources seem to tell me that as long at the plastic is approved for microwave use then it is ok to microwave. I am having trouble finding non-nutter sources that tell me not to microwave plastic, but I am also having trouble finding recent research, it all seems to be 2007-2008ish.