If you’ve been alive in the last 10 years, you’ve likely heard of GMOs — Genetically Modified Organisms. This is a hot and polarizing topic these days, especially when it comes to genetic modification of food. So what do I, as an environmentally- and health-conscious scientist think of them? In a nutshell – I support […]

Wow! It’s been a long time since I’ve written anything for this blog, so there’s no better time than now to turn over a new leaf and get those creative juices flowing again! Over the last few years, I’ve had the distinct impression that a lot of people would like to switch their purchasing habits […]

Most people are unaware of the prevalence of chemical flame retardants all over their homes and workplaces. From mattresses to furniture to electronics, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs slow down the burning of flammable materials. But at what cost? PBDEs are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) — once they get into your body, they stay there […]

Some of the most widely used creations from the “petroleum revolution” of the 50s and 60s are the multitude of plastics that exist in our world today. Plastics can be considered to be either the most wonderful creations of all time, or the bane of our modern existence. There’s no doubt that plastic has revolutionized […]

We hear a lot these days about “The Cure”, whether it’s for cancer, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, heart disease, or a multitude of other diseases. What we hear far less of though, is practical information on how to prevent all of these things. Why is that? Wouldn’t you rather not get a disease instead of suffering […]

So how many readers would say that they own some swanky vinyl goods? I’d wager to say every single one (including me)…Vinyl, a.k.a. polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is everywhere. From kids toys to faux leather furniture and clothes, to packaging for all sorts of items, it’s pretty much impossible to avoid. But did you know that […]

OK, let’s resume this list. In my last post, I left off after 6 ingredients: fragrance, triclosan, formaldehyde releasers, parabens, FD&C colours, and PTFE + PFOA. So on with the list: 7. polyethylene glycols (PEG): PEGs are used as penetration-enhancers, dispersants and texture-modifiers in cosmetics, lotions, toothpastes, etc. Usually listed as PEG-100, PEG-20, etc. on […]

Every day, most of us slather on multiple “products” for our bodies: shampoo, conditioner, soap, shaving cream, lotion, lip balm, perfume, deodorant, multiple makeup products, etc., etc., etc.. What we don’t always think about however, is what’s in all those things. Today’s mainstream body care products are nothing like what our grandparents used. They are […]