Daily Loaf

Yes, we here in Tampa Bay may live in a highly populated metropolitan area with a huge carbon footprint, but you can now rest a little easier when I tell you that we didn’t make the list of The 15 Most Toxic Places to Live (courtesy of The Mother Nature Network). This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try to live greener lifestyles – let’s just start taking notes now and learning from some of the locations on the Toxic 15 list on what not to do and why we should be more conscious of the environment.

Some of the cities that did make The 15 Most Toxic Places to Live were Chernobyl, Ukraine (I’ll let you guess why); the Citarum River in Indonesia – the most polluted river in the world; Linfen, China – the city with the most air pollution (laundry turns black when hung out to dry); the Yamuna River that flows through Delhi, India – used for waste disposal, drinking and bathing; and Lake Karachay, Russia – named the most polluted area in the world by the Worldwatch institute on nuclear waste because, thanks to the nuclear dumping by the Soviet Union, one hour of exposure at this spot will guarantee you a lethal dose of radiation.

Video after the break.
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The $500 billion beauty industry is embraces a message that tells women they must correct, conceal and camouflage. Peel away the glitz and glamour, says Stacy Malkan, co-founder of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and author of Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry, and you’ll expose the toxic truths lurking beneath the beauty industry’s seedy underbelly. Malkan shares five of the biggies that the major beauty purveyors would rather keep under wraps.

1. Many skincare products contain chemicals toxic to the skin

“A mind-boggling array of products contain chemicals that sensitize skin and trigger skin problems such as rashes, redness, acne, and other symptoms of contact dermatitis”, says Malkan, who notes that doctors often misdiagnose these problems as eczema and prescribe drugs such as steroids or immunosuppressants. Then, of course, there are the toxic chemicals that are known or suspected causes of long-term health effects such as asthma, infertility, learning disabilities, and cancer—ingredients that companies persist in including despite the fact that they “already know how to make great products without these hazardous chemicals,” she says.

2. Companies that donate to breast cancer research still use carcinogens in their products
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The Issue

Only 5% of pesticides reach target weeds, the rest ends up in our water supply or the air we breathe. Runoff from fertilizers pollutes streams and lakes and cause algae blooms, depleted oxygen and damage to aquatic life.

Research has found that dogs exposed to herbicide-treated lawns can double their chance of developing lymphoma and bladder cancer.

Of 30 commonly used pesticides: 16 are toxic to birds, 24 to fish, and 11 to bees.  In the U.S. alone, pesticides poison approximately 65 million birds each year.

Prolonged exposure to pesticides can cause increased incidences of cancer, certain organ damage, asthma and allergies. Read the rest of this entry »

What is it about immortal blood sucking broodaholics that makes women swoon?  Is it the danger?  Is it the biting?  Because trust me girls, I can nibble your neck and I’ve been known to walk fast with a pair of scissors in my hand.  Or perhaps it’s something unattainable to us, the meek mortal man.

Vampire stories such as Twilight and True Blood are currently the hottest things on the market from books, to film/TV and even sex toys.  What gives?  The thought of having my blood removed from the warmth of my veins does not get me wild in the pants.  But the ladies, the ladies do love their undead bad boys.  They want to be taken to the edge and peer over the side.  It drives their juices and makes their heart feel a new sense of life.  The thought that you could be laying with your lover and in the throes of passion and he could take your life must be a mighty intoxicant.  But give me a shot of tequila over a chalice of blood any day.

Edward Cullen does have quite a few more desirable qualities than say Count Dracula.  For one he doesn’t consistently look like he’s heading to the opera.  He’s a moody, anti-social, and more Abercrombie than Hot Topic.  And you’d being lying if you couldn’t admit those eyes are DREAMY. Read the rest of this entry »

Before you run out and splurge on your “organic” products, there are many things you may want to understand. The marketing campaigns from the companies who provide these foods tell you the benefits, and there are benefits, but fail to share all of the facts from the scientific community.

I must admit, when I began research for this article, I was expecting to paint a more negative picture about the organic movement. I just felt like there had to be criticism since most of our knowledge about organic food production comes by way of the folks who make the most money from its consumption. That’s like the fox guarding the henhouse. Instead, however, I find a highly regulated industry with a wealth of scientific data to support organic foods but, unfortunately, an equal amount of problems with it. Therefore, I’ll highlight what I’ve learned and you be the judge. Read the rest of this entry »