Eco-Mamas

Chemically Scented Candles--Does your Nose Know?

EARTH TALK
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: I just read an article that said air fresheners contain chemicals that can cause health problems when inhaled. Are scented candles any better?

        -- Leanne Chacksfield, Cincinnati, OH

Like most air fresheners, many scented candles contain and release phthalates, potentially harmful chemicals that have been linked to the disruption of hormonal systems and other health problems in people exposed to them. Burning candles can also emit small amounts of acetaldehyde, formaldehyde and naphthalene, organic chemicals that are also potentially harmful and that can leave nasty black soot deposits on floors and other surfaces.

According to Pamela Lundquist of the nonprofit Children’s Health Environmental Coalition (CHEC), this black soot deposit “is primarily made up of elemental carbon, but may also contain phthalates and volatile organic compounds like benzene and toluene, which can cause cancer and neurological damage.”

Children can easily ingest these chemicals if their hands have been wandering and end up in their mouths. The chemicals can lodge deep in the lungs, disrupting the lower respiratory tract, exacerbating existing problems like asthma, and potentially causing other longer term breathing problems.

Get Your Kids Active!

It's a beautiful thing to see kids take a stand for what they believe in. Especially since as parents, one of our greatest hopes is that just a wee little bit of our moral compass in will rub off and help them navigate the world around them, perhaps making it just a little better than it was before.

Alex Scaperotta and Jordan Reichgut noticed that many people in the school pick up lines idle their cars. They learned through research that unnecessary idling wastes gasoline and releases CO² into the atmosphere, which accelerates global warming.  They thought that a good place to start would be to get parents of Cider Mill School students in Connecticut, to commit to not idling their car in the pick up line or anywhere else.

They formed a kids' action group called Little People, Big Changes, and give presentations about what other kids can do to create positive change.

Their message was simple:  IF YOU IDLE YOUR CAR FOR TEN SECONDS OR MORE, YOU ARE USING MORE GAS THAN TURNING YOUR CAR OFF AND ON.  In addition, they learned that idling is unnecessary to “warm up” your car (the best way to warm it up is to drive it) and idling is in fact harmful to engines – causing more gasoline residue to build up in the engines, exhaust system rusting, and more.

Another kids' action group is Roots & Shoots, which promotes environmental activism in youth. The group was started by Dr. Jane Goodall in 1991, after meeting with a small group of students in Tanzania who wanted to work together to solve local, environmental issues. Today, Roots & Shoots encourages kids to learn about environmental, animal and humanitarian issues affecting our world, share insights and ideas, and grow as a mentor and community leader.

 

It's a beautiful thing to see kids take a stand for what they believe in. Especially since as parents, one of our greatest hopes is that just a wee little bit of our moral compass in will rub off and help them navigate the world around them, perhaps making it just a little better than it was before.

Alex Scaperotta and Jordan Reichgut noticed that many people in the school pick up lines idle their cars. They learned through research that unnecessary idling wastes gasoline and releases CO² into the atmosphere, which accelerates global warming.  They thought that a good place to start would be to get parents of Cider Mill School students in Connecticut, to commit to not idling their car in the pick up line or anywhere else.

They formed a kids' action group called Little People, Big Changes, and give presentations about what other kids can do to create positive change.

Their message was simple:  IF YOU IDLE YOUR CAR FOR TEN SECONDS OR MORE, YOU ARE USING MORE GAS THAN TURNING YOUR CAR OFF AND ON.  In addition, they learned that idling is unnecessary to “warm up” your car (the best way to warm it up is to drive it) and idling is in fact harmful to engines – causing more gasoline residue to build up in the engines, exhaust system rusting, and more.

Another kids' action group is Roots & Shoots, which promotes environmental activism in youth. The group was started by Dr. Jane Goodall in 1991, after meeting with a small group of students in Tanzania who wanted to work together to solve local, environmental issues. Today, Roots & Shoots encourages kids to learn about environmental, animal and humanitarian issues affecting our world, share insights and ideas, and grow as a mentor and community leader.