The kids are heading back to school. So how about choosing more environmentally healthy products this year for your child’s and the environment’s sake?

On of the most important considerations to make is the storage and transportation of lunch.

Choose non-lead painted lunchboxes

Avoid lunchboxes made with lead and PVC, which are, based on research, likely two unsafe lunchbox materials.

Check for lead safe or even better, lead free labels. The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) found lead in the PVC (vinyl) lining of several lunch-box samples it tested. Lead is a neurotoxin and can lead to consequences on a child’s development. Children are only exposed to small amounts of lead through their hands holding a lunch box or through their food if it’s stored unwrapped inside the bag. However, researcher and health professionals believe that this exposure over time can lead to enough lead accumulation to cause problems for your child.

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IFOAM, the International Federation of Organic Movements, encouraged farmers worldwide to adopt organic agriculture methods, governments to integrate investment and support for organic agriculture. Further, IFOAM denounced the abuse of water by corporations in industrial agricultural systems.

During the16th annual Organic World Congress in Modena, Italy, IFOAM said that degradation of drylands is caused by over cultivation, overgrazing and deforestation, and results in soil exhaustion and soil erosion. It diminishes soil productivity, reduces food production and deprives land of its vegetative cover. It also has negative affects on areas not directly involved, because desertification can also lead to floods, soil salinization, deterioration of water quality, and silting of rivers, streams and reservoirs.

Organically managed soils are more resilient both to water stress and nutrient loss, and thus have the potential to counter soil degradation. Organic farmers feed their fields with organic matter that enhances degraded soils. Micro-organisms help to create a stable soil structure, and water and nutrient retention capacity increases due to a high level of organic matter and permanent soil cover, allowing a substantial reduction in the amount of water needed for irrigation.

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In the market for a new shower curtain? Here`s some information you might want to consider before heading to the store.

Often wondered about the smell of a newly purchased vinyl shower curtain? According to researchers at Center for Health, Environment, and Justice, many vinyl shower sold at major retailers across the country emit toxic chemicals that can cause serious health problems, such as damage to the liver, as well as to the central nervous, respiratory and reproductive systems.

Vinyl shower curtains sold at 19 retailers across the country have been linked to serious health problems because of the toxic chemicals they emit in the air. These chemicals can persist for up to a month and can cause consumers to feel sick, gives them a head-ache, and makes them feel nauseous.

The Virginia-based Center for Health, Environment, and Justice has notified 19 major retailers of their findings and encouraged them to stop selling the PVC shower curtains.

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Infrared energy, also known as radiant heat, is a form of energy that heats objects directly through a process called conversion, without having to heat the air in between. Our sun is the principal source of radiant energy.

Far-infrared rays are part of the sunlight spectrum which is invisible to the naked eye. They are also known as biogenetic rays. Scientists have proven that these rays promote the growth and health of living cells in humans, animals and plants.

Far-infrared light penetrates beyond the skin level and is absorbed by cells below, whereas visible light is mostly bounced off the skin surface. Near-infrared is mostly absorbed at the skin level and raises the skin temperature. Far-infrared can penetrate up to 4 centimetres, causing resonance with water molecules and resonating with cellular frequencies. Thus, FIR can revitalize human cells and tissue by warming the body from the inside.

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Germany has banned a family of pesticides that are blamed for the deaths of millions of honeybees. The German Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) has suspended the registration for eight pesticide seed treatment products used in rapeseed oil and sweetcorn.

The move follows reports from German beekeepers in the Baden-Württemberg region that two thirds of their bees died earlier this month following the application of a pesticide called clothianidin.

"It's a real bee emergency," said Manfred Hederer, president of the German Professional Beekeepers' Association. "50-60% of the bees have died on average and some beekeepers have lost all their hives."

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Health Canada is the first regulatory body in the world to declare Bisphenol A (BDA) dangerous. This initial assessment is considered a step toward a ban. The Canadian government is expected to ban baby bottles containing the controversial chemical within the next few months. A draft report by Health Canada found the chemical to be potentially dangerous to infants and the environment.

A study in the US found that 95% of people tested had been exposed to BPA. The chemical is most commonly found in food cans, plaster water containers and baby bottles.

Health Minister Tony Clement said that the levels of Bisphenol A that most Canadian adults are exposed to are not harmful. He also said that Health Canada's research indicates that it is safe for Canadians to drink water out of hard plastic bottles.

Health Canada will work on decreasing levels of BPA in the lining of metal food cans, including baby formula.

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Teflon is among the most popular cookware in America. Lately, there has been an increased concern about the potential dangers of some chemicals used in non-stick cookware.

Several studies show that non-stick cookware can release toxic chemicals at high heat. The consumer watchdog Environmental Working Group commissioned studies about the heated topic. Apparently is only takes a few minutes to reach temperatures producing dangerous fumes.

The vapors released can cause flue like symptoms in humans and can kill birds. Some studies indicate that a synthetic chemical used in the non stick cookware maybe a carcinogen for humans.

Cookware with nonstick coating can be especially health hazardous if the coating is scratched or otherwise damaged.

Health hazardous fumes can emit from many household products: Nonstick pots, pans, stir fryers and woks, pizza pans, bread makers, cookie sheets, griddle pans, skillets, waffle irons, deep fryers, roasting pans and cake pans.

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It may be surprising to learn that playing video games can improve your memory and even prevent dementia. Several manufacturers have produced games such as, Posit's Brain Fitness Program, Mindweavers MindFit, and Nintendo's Brain Age. Ryuta Kawashima, a professor of neuroscience at Tohoku University, claims to have seen, "Marked improvements in people with dementia who are set simple mental tasks that require them to use the prefrontal cortex to restore brain function."

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In Live Blood Analysis a small drop of blood is taken from the fingertip by a quick poke. The fresh blood is then placed on a microscope slide and observed through a high powered microscope using a dark field condenser.

This type of microscope illuminates the blood sample from the side and details appear against a dark background (hence the name dark field). This technology illuminates nearly invisible micro organisms, which then can be seen.

Standard lab microscopes, using the brightfield method, shine light straight through the specimen. Through this angle tiny particles remain invisible. Plus, the direct heat of the light tends kills the red blood cells faster.

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