A Common Chemical Dangerous for Pregnant Women, A NEW Study Reveals

As the committee hearing and debate goes on this summer over the Safe Chemicals Act of 2010 even more information has come out about the links between the chemicals in our homes and the danger it poses to our health. This serves as an urgent reminder that consumers need the Safe Chemicals Act of 2010 to help protect them.

In mid-June, multiple national news outlets reported on a new study published by Environmental Health Perspectives that found further links connecting PBDEs – a common chemical used as a flame retardants in carpets, mattresses, couches, and electronics -  to problems with the thyroid hormone in pregnant women. The study, which looked at 270 pregnant women, found that women with higher levels of PBDEs in their bodies had lower levels of the thyroid stimulating hormone in their bodies by anywhere from 10.9 to 18.7%. These levels meet the definition for sub-clinical hyperthyroidism – indicating an early stage of thyroid malfunction. When the thyroid malfunctions (know as clinical hyperthyroidism) pregnant woman can possibly have children with birth defects, suffer from in-uterine growth problems, experience miscarriages, or have stillbirths.

What’s most shocking about the study, researchers note, is that the levels of PBDEs that were tested in women and caused sub-clinical hyperthyroidism is fairly typical among American women. These are risk that most American woman – who are exposed to products like conventional mattresses, carpets,  foam couches, and electronics – face. This is due in large part to antiquated flame retardant regulations, most companies refusal to use non-toxic alternatives in products that we use, and poor regulation of toxic chemicals by federal agencies. Matthew S. Tejada, the executive director of Air Alliance Houston*, believes that these types of discoveries about how our home environment effects our health aren’t going to end. He says “On the health perspective, the horror story is only going to get worse. The deeper we dig as more research is done, we are only going to find [out] more about the nasty impacts of what we buy.”

As more studies like this one are released and as we discover more about the dangerous chemicals in products we use everyday, it’s becoming increasingly clear that we need regulations to protect us as consumers so that we don’t have to live in fear. The Safe Chemicals Act can protect us and it’s something we need NOW. Tejada says “For decades we just let these chemicals go totally unregulated. The way food and medicine are regulated is [good], but the regulatory structure formed by the EPA is so weak that it’s effectively not regulated.” The Safe Chemicals Act is a strong start towards something that has enormous potential to help us as consumers find safe products for our family and ourselves, helping to ensure that we are protected from chemicals like PBDEs. Click here to send a letter to congress and find out more about what you can do to support the Safe Chemicals Act of 2010.

If you’re wondering what to do now though, the best way to protect yourself is by researching what’s in the products in your home and making smart decisions by choosing non-toxic alternatives that we are sure are safe for our homes and our families.

Find out more:

The Environmental Health Perspectives Study Profiled Here

LA Times – Household Chemicals Linked to Reduced Fertility

Slate Magazine – Why are flame retardants required in furniture anyway?

* Air Aliance Houston is a group that works on outdoor and indoor air quality in the Houston-Galveston region. To see their website click here.

Habitat for Humanity Happy Hour – July 13th at New Living

We recently partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build a healthy home for a low income family on their “Green Street” project. We are incredibly proud to have been involved, so come learn more about what we did and celebrate the completion of this project with Habitat for Humanity. Complimentary food and drinks will be provided.

We are really thankful for Parducci Wines, the first carbon neutral winery in the United States, and Any Occasion Rentals for sponsoring us!

Please RSVP to events@newliving.net

Worried about toxic chemicals in products? Congress is too!

Although industry, doctors, and virtually all of us have known for a long time that there are many products on the market that contain toxic chemicals harmful to our health, little has been done to change this by our local, state, and national governments. That is until now. A bill was recently introduced into the U.S. Senate (with a similar one in the House of Representatives) that will help protect us against harmful chemicals in products.

In April, Senator Frank Lautenberg (NJ) introduced the Safe Chemicals Act of 2010, a bill that will change the way that chemicals are tested and how products are manufactured and “fix” what Sen. Lautenberg believes to be our “broken” system for determining chemical and product safety. The bill intends to shift the burden of proof to corporations. If passed, manufacturers will have to provide the EPA with a minimum data set for each product they make – proving its safety. The EPA will then be able to question manufacturers, test chemicals, and possibly require changes where the most dangerous chemicals are concerned. At this time the EPA can only require testing of chemicals once they have evidence that a chemical is dangerous. Sen. Lautenberg believes that “those who make the chemicals …ought to be responsible for testing them first before they’re released to the public, instead of having the EPA play detective to search and try to find problems.”

The legislation, which is being supported both by social and health groups like the Safer Chemicals Health Families coalition and members of the chemical industry – comes from the realization that the Toxic Substance Control Act (TCSA) failed to protect the health and safety of Americans adequately. Since it was passed 34 years ago, the TSCA has only required testing of 200 chemicals and restricted the use of 5 – this is of the 80,000 chemicals being used in consumer products today!

If passed, this bill has the power to offer consumers real safety when they are purchasing products for themselves, their families, and their homes because they will know that the chemicals in the products they are using will have been reviewed by the EPA. Although this bill won’t fix all of our chemical problems, it is the biggest step in the right direction we’ve ever seen congress take when it comes to toxic chemicals. This oversight is, in our view, a clear demonstration by congress that they are finally putting our health first.

Find out more information:

A Full Summary of the Bill from Sen. Lautenberg’s office

News Page on the Safe Chemicals Act by Safer Chemicals Healthy Families

More Information on how to Tell Congress Your Feelings About This Act

New Legislation for Benefit Corporations

There are currently just over 300 B Corporations in America (we are one of those), and that number is sure to rise now thanks to new legislation in Maryland and Vermont. Realizing that what is best for shareholders is not always what is best for citizens, Maryland became the first state to enact legislation protecting and incentivizing socially responsible companies, referred to as Benefits Corporations.  Vermont followed in May, and similar legislation is currently under consideration in New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Washington, Colorado, and Oregon. This legislation encourages companies to adopt socially responsible policies through tax incentives and legal protections from shareholders interested solely in profit. Supporters of this legislation, such as Jeffrey Hollender, co-founder Seventh Generation says this legislation is, “part of a larger transition to a more just, equitable, and sustainable economy. It’s the beginning of creating institutions that support that transition.”

The idea of a socially responsible company is a direct reaction to 20th century American capitalism, which was driven by profit. New Living operates with a focus on social responsibility by:

- Making our communities healthier by providing products that are non-toxic and part of safe indoor air quality

- Sparking local economic development by producing healthy building materials locally

- Educating installers and contractors on how to protect themselves from toxic materials

002 Magazine – New Living: The place to go for eco-home improvement

From the January issue of 002 Magazine

In a world where green is marketing’s new goldmine, it’s important to keep an eye on the ball. Store shelves everywhere are awash with household products that claim to be environmentally friendly, but it takes a keen eye to separate the real deal from the fray.

“Make sure the products you are putting in your home are not ‘green washed’,” says Jeff Kaplan, owner of retail store New Living. “It’s important to ask questions when buying materials to find out how a product is actually made, what’s in it, what kind of labor standards are used and how it is transported. That is what we are trying to do with New Living.” Read the rest of this entry »

forGreen Marketing & Design is now a New Living Coworker!

forGreen Marketing & Design is a strategic marketing and design firm who offers its clients the opportunity to take a leadership position in the eco and healthy living movement through strategic brand positioning and coordinated campaigns utilizing the latest interactive technologies.  forGreen’s offers a harmonious mix of web communications, social media marketing, public relations, support collateral, as well as viral resourcing and strategic networking. Their primary mission is to accelerate the process of positive social and environmental change by helping market those who share the same vision. Their website is forGreen.com and owner/speaker Mary Frances Blatchley can be connected to on twitter: maryfrancesb, yahoo: mfb0404 and at Linked In. Welcome to New Living Mary! Find out more about New Living Coworking.

Greetings from New Living's First Intern

If you are familiar at all with the store and the wonderful people who work inside, you may have noticed a new addition to the team. That new addition would be me, Megan McPherson, and I have been serving as New Living’s merchandising intern for about a month now. The staff at New Living has taken on the task of not only starting a new business but also teaching someone completely foreign to their business all of the ropes… what a load! In the coming months I will be helping New Living maintain and display their store merchandise while also assisting in the big move into our newly finished and fabulous store!

Read the rest of this entry »

Shipping Container adapted as sales office for Green Condo's

On the corner of Waugh and Hyde Park in Houston, Texas, Joey Ramano of Harvest Moon Development has adapted a 20-foot shipping container into a sustainable “green” design for the offices of Mirabeau B. Condominiums. Powered by the solar panels, their last energy bill was NEGATIVE $193.

Their proposed 14 unit condo development boasts an array of sustainable design components from green screens and roofs to energy efficient HVAC systems and a water retention system. The developers are aiming for LEED-Silver rating.

New Living provided the bamboo floors and non-toxic paint for the shipping container.

Watch the video
Learn more about the development, Mirabeau B.

New Living on Great Day Houston

New Living was featured on today’s airing of Great Day Houston. Jennifer and I spent 12 minutes speaking with Deborah Duncan about how our products help to create healthier, cleaner, safer homes. We presented some of our green cleaning products, paint, and organic bedding to help you go green at home. To be showcased on the show is just another reminder that Houston cares about its well-being and its impact on our planet. We gave each audience member a sample of our home made laundry detergent, and let Deborah relax on one of our organic mattresses.  Deborah did a wonderful job of capturing what New Living is all about.  She is even planning to come by the store to get some non-toxic paint for her home!

Organic Mattresses in the New York Times

The New York Times recently ran an article about the organic mattress industry. The article, “The Stuffing Dreams are Made of?”, does a wonderful job discussing what is in organic mattresses, as well as how these materials may harm or help you. New Living is currently carrying several lines of organic mattresses including  Keetsa and Natura World, please call us or come by to order one. Learn more on our detailed FAQ page.