Andrea Donsky, Co-Founder of NaturallySavvy.com
Public Mistrusts Nuclear Power, Report Says
Nuclear power is exploding. Right now there are 50 nuclear reactors being built worldwide, and more than 100 are slated for construction over the next 10 years. But a position paper published in the journal Science and authored by 16 social science researchers from institutions throughout the U.S. indicates the Blue Ribbon Commission on Americas Nuclear Future is failing to address public conce...
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This Week on Naturally Savvy August 13th, 2010
We have a lot of great new articles on Naturally Savvy this week to help you live a more natural, organic and green life. Tired of sitting on the sidelines? Kaci Bathurst shares her new perspective in New Goals After Sport Injuries. Think your cat is suffering from more than just the summer heat? Then read Kimberly Thompson’s article to learn more about Cat Hyperthyroidism and Thyroid...
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Solar Technology in Clothing
Bulky solar-powered gear is nothing new, but imagine charging your iPod or cell phone while you jog along the beach, read a book in the park, or bike to work invisibly, from the clothing you wear. Implausible? Not really: Researchers at the University of Southern Californias Viterbi School of Engineering have produced flexible transparent carbon atom films that could change the way we coll...
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Rising Temperatures Threaten Yellowstone
There is plenty of debate surrounding the potential effects of climate change, but a new study published in the journal Ecology offers a glimpse into the future of meadow ecosystems in the face of global warming. Diane Debinski, a researcher at Iowa State University, has been studying meadows in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for 18 years, and her data presents a potentially grim pictu...
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Global Warming Slows Coral Growth in Red Sea
Global warming is wreaking havoc on plant and animal populations around the world: Polar bear habitats are melting, giant trees in Yosemite are thinning, and branched coral in the Caribbean has been largely killed by bleaching due to warmer water temperatures. Now researchers believe global warming is also responsible for slowed growth of one species of coral in the Red Sea. A new study pu...
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Russia Closer to Floating Nuclear Power Plant
Does the idea of a nuclear power plant floating in the ocean leave you a little nervous? It may sound far-fetched, but Russia is rapidly moving forward with plans to develop the worlds first floating nuclear power plant—and Russias nuclear agency, Rosatom, took a big step forward with the project on Wednesday when the barge was put into the water. According to a Reuters article, environmen...
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Kabul Facing Water Shortage
Refugees returning to the Kabul Basin in Afghanistan may face a big problem in the coming decades: a drinking water crisis. Research from the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that in the next 50 years, the areas drinking water needs will be six times greater than they are today. To compound the problem, water resources in the Kabul Basin are expected to decrease should global climate chang...
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PeliCAN T-Shirt Raises Funds for Oil Spill Relief
Online T-shirt seller Threadless is at it again. Known for pitching in for a good cause, the company is donating all proceeds from the sale of an oil spill-inspired T-shirt to the Gulf Restoration Network, an environmental organization that is actively working to provide independent monitoring of the BP Gulf oil spill. The PeliCAN shirt features an oil-soaked pelican taking flight, oil dri...
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Drug Manufacturers Tied to Drugs in Water
A five-year study conducted by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) researchers has found that pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities are a significant source of pharmaceuticals that enter the local environment. From 2004 to 2009, USGS researchers tested outflow samples from two wastewater treatment plants in New York State where more than 20 percent of the water received by the plants is from p...
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MIT to Cut Energy Use 15 Percent by 2013
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is partnering with NSTAR, a Boston-based utility company, to reduce the institutes electricity use by 15 percent by 2013.Dubbed MIT Efficiency Forward, the plan is expected to save 34 million kilowatt hours of electricity in three years—enough energy to power more than 4,500 Massachusetts homes for a year. And NSTAR says MIT will probably exc...
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Shampoo, Detergent Source of Chemicals in Drinking Water
Ingredients commonly found in shampoo, detergents and fabric softener may be the precursor of a suspected cancer-causing chemical in treated wastewater.In a study published in Environmental Science & Technology, researchers reported that harmful nitrosamines form from quaternary amines, which are found in many consumer products, and since pretreatment with ozone or chlorine does not re...
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Nook's Baby Mattress Made with Natural Latex and Organic Wool
Choosing the right crib for your baby can be a bit daunting. And then theres the sheets and bumper pads and mobile. But when it comes to the mattress, just think Nook.Nooks Pebble Mattress was designed for optimal air flow, breathability and with natural materials in mind—so you wont have to worry about toxic off-gassing or nasty microbes like you would with a typical mattress.Nook ma...
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Breast Health: Bras and Thermography
I turned 40 this past January and it seems the topic of conversation since January 11 has been, When are you going for a Mammogram?I have been going for routine breast exams since I was in my early twenties as my maternal grandfather (yup—my grandfather) was diagnosed with breast cancer back in the 90s. Luckily it was caught early, treated and he is fine today (he is 89 years old).I s...
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5 Fab Clothing Swap Themes
Its spring, and that means its time to break out the warm weather wardrobe. We all seem to find a few pieces in our wardrobe that just arent cutting it anymore, so now is the perfect time to host a clothing swap with friends.A clothing swap is a great way to give good clothes a new lease on life, even if that life is no longer with you. But if youre looking for something a little more than...
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Brazil's Hydroelectric Dam Project Halted
A controversial hydroelectric dam project that would have forever changed a portion of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil has ground to a halt.Earlier this week, Federal Court Judge Antonio Carlos de Almeida Campelo granted a preliminary injunction to suspend the preliminary license for the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam project citing danger of irreparable harm. He also canceled the constructi...
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Homemade Choclate Body Scrub
If youre looking for a natural way to get your body ready for the summer, we have a homemade scrub that is truly decadent.Last year Jane Large wrote about de-stressing techniques in Relax and Rejuvinate Inside and Out. She shared some great tips, including a recipe for a relaxing chocolate body scrub. Check out Janes recipe below.Jane Larges Chocolate Body Scrub Find the best-...
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American Idol, Natalie Cole & Jim Carrey
Okay, Ill admit it—I enjoy watching American Idol. I like the try-outs, and like millions of others, I especially wanted to tune in this year to watch Ellen.While watching an episode in February, something in particular stood out for me: They showed a clip of one of the male contestants saying how nervous he was when he got on to the stage to sing in front of the millions of viewers. I rem...
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My 'Healthy' Trip to Walt Disney World
I have two children—a five-year-old girl and an almost-seven-year-old boy. So back in January, when my husband suggested we take a trip to Disney World for March Break, I agreed it would be a great experience for my kids since my daughter is in awe of princesses and my son loves roller coasters. I wanted them to experience Disney World at least once as innocent children who would enjoy the trip...
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Should Smoking Be Banned in Public?
On a recent vacation to my hometown, I became very disturbed by something.Everywhere I went—be it a shopping mall, my hotel, the rest stop on the highway, and even the restaurant we went to for dinner—there was always a token smoker or five who would gather in front of the entrance of a public building and light up a smoke.Now, Im all for equality, but not when it comes to harming oth...
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Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Living
About five months ago, I completely changed my diet. I am now gluten- free and dairy-free. I know—sounds dreadful. But the funny thing is, it has changed my life. Why, you ask? Well, I noticed that every time I ate something with wheat or dairy in it, I wouldn't feel right. Be it gas and bloating, lightheaded and/or tired, I always had a symptom that would appear within an hour or so of eat...
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How I Met Joe Jonas—The Jonas Brothers
While shopping at Whole Foods Market a few weeks ago with my family, my husband spotted a teenager who looked vaguely familiar wearing shiny black shoes and skinny jeans. My husband said, I think theres a famous person in the store because there were some teenage girls asking him for his autograph. I think it might be one of the Jonas Brothers—but Im not sure.I have two young kids—a six- a...
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Lessons from a Six-Year-Old
My son started Grade 1 this year, and he had very mixed emotions going into it. He was excited to be a big boy, but he didnt want to leave behind playing in the pirate nook and dressing up as Spiderman during free play.For those of you with kids in grade school, you can appreciate what a major jump it is going from Kindergarten to Grade 1. Not only for us parents (you can always tell the G...
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Pink (Yup, the Rock Star) and My Kids
While spending some quality time with my kids today (its Labor Day), they asked me to show them Pinks So What video. (I know, I know—not the best message for kids, but they love the song and wanted to see it.)While watching the part at the end, my son (who is six) looked at Carey Hart and said Mom, how come that man in the video has food coloring in his hair? (NOTE: he has jet black hair w...
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SIGG Bottles Contain BPA
People are pretty upset these days over SIGGs recent announcement that their reusable water bottles made before August 2008 contain trace amounts of BPA. Many people who are concerned about Bisphenol-A (BPA), the environment, or chemicals leaching into their water, from Hollywood Celebs like Julia Roberts to everyday moms like myself, have already made the switch to reusable water bottles month...
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The Reconnection — Eric Pearl
A couple of months ago I was looking through a local magazine and came across a seminar that was coming to town. The seminar was called The Reconnection and its focus was energy healing.The Reconnection was created by Eric Pearl. His mission is to spread the word about a new form of healing frequency he says came to earth about 20 years ago. According to Eric and other theorists, there is ...
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Radon and Radon Detectors
In October 2008, I attended a conference where Dr. Oz was the keynote speaker. He presented his list of the top things we should do to take charge of our health. On his list included tips such as: take a daily multi vitamin, exercise and check your home for radon gas.I was already familiar with the dangers of radon from an article I read on Dr. Mercolas website on how certain granite count...
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Stopping to Smell the Roses
Sometimes we get so caught up in our day-to-day life that we forget to stop, look around, and enjoy the work weve accomplished.I am 99.99% guilty of this.A perfect example of this happened to me this week. I was looking for some recipes on quinoa because I want to start eliminating wheat from my diet and begin cooking with more alternative grains such as quinoa and millet. I was chatt...
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Ear Infection Home Remedy Protocol
When my son was two years old he developed an ear infection for the first time in his right ear. At the time, he had a milk allergy so we were trying our best not to feed him any dairy. However, a week before he developed the ear infection I had given him some goat yogurt to try and shake up his diet. His pediatrician told me that because it was a viral infection (and not bacterial in...
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An Ode to Twitter Ft. Ellen Degeneres
Three years ago, in the Social Media zone, A website was born and was fairly unknown. Three guys from Silicon Valley––Jack, Evan and Biz–– Launched Twitter, a real-time information network, that is. From scribbles written on Jack’s yellow pad, The microblogging site has become quite a fad.The secret to Twitter is how people us...
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Welcome to the Twitterverse
Im a mix between a Type A and Type B personality. I work way too hard and Im a perfectionist, but I do believe in making time for family and friends. And if youre like me, the latter point can be hard because of our hectic schedules, family responsibilities and work commitments.Enter the real-time, information network (or so they like to refer to it): Twitter.I was first introduced to...
Read more...Granite Countertops
I was on my computer late Friday night surfing the internet when I came across an article in the New York Times with the following title: Your granite countertops may be killing you.It caught my attention because I just finished renovating my kitchen. My husband and I love the look of granite and decided to treat ourselves to granite countertops. Now, Im fully aware the media likes to scar...
Read more...The Adrenal - Thyroid Connection
Hypothyroidism runs in my family. Both my mom and sister have it and about 12 years ago I found out I had it too. I have regular blood tests to check my thyroid (TSH, T3, and T4) every six months to ensure my levels are optimal. (NOTE: I would recommend having your thyroid checked after giving birth as my condition worsened with each pregnancy.)About four months ago I was feeling extra tir...
Read more...Earth Day 2008—What About the Airlines?
Randy and I recently flew to NYC for an Earth Day event sponsored by Hachette Filipacchi. We were asked to be the guests of honor on that particular day to talk to the media and general public about living a natural and organic lifestyle and how this lifestyle has a positive impact on the environment. The event was super successful and it was great to see how an entire city came to life to cele...
Read more...Environmentally Friendly Dry Cleaners
I am blessed to receive emails on a regular basis from people who enjoy sharing their experiences. I recently received this one and I thought I would share it with all of you.Andrea _____________________When I have to use a dry cleaner I use one that doesnt use chemicals but rather a water based solution. My clothes are always softer and cleaner than before. Best yet they dont affec...
Read more...Expanding Our Capacity to Receive
Jennifer, our Law of Attraction expert, recently sent me something that I wanted to share with everyone. I think many of us can appreciate these wise words of wisdom from her.We have to ask the Universe to expand our capacity to receive everything that awaits us (as opposed to freaking out because we want it all to slow down). Freaking out only attracts more stuff to freak out about.R...
Read more...Wrinkle-Free Clothing
I was reading an article today on an upcoming popular trend: wrinkle-free clothing. It caught my eye because I really dont like to iron. My mom tells me it relaxes her, but personally I can think of many other ways to relax.So, as I began to read the article, I quickly learned the secret of how this interesting new process works: Soaking the fabric in formaldehyde and pressing it flat make...
Read more...Pet Food Recall
I have a 2 year old Golden-poo named Oscar who my kids adore. He is very sweet and has beautiful silky, shiny fur. Ever since he was a puppy, my husband insisted we feed him dry, natural pet food because the all-natural varieties of pet food are free of antibiotics, growth hormones, and preservatives—ingredients that we (my family) try to avoid ourselves.With the recent press regarding the...
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