Women's Health & the Environment

Yesterday I attended the conference "Women's Health & the Environment" in Pittsburgh. It was a sobering experience and I learned some disturbing facts:
Babies born today still have DDT in their bodies.
Chemicals we use every day have never been tested, so there is no way of assuring us that they are safe.
The following disorders have been linked to toxins: attention deficit disorder, learning disabilities, diabetes, obesity, cancer, infertility, even Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
Women were targeted because they make most of the purchasing decisions in a home. The idea is, of course, that we go out and use what we learned in our everyday lives, work, and our homes.
A great website I learned about is the Environmental Working Group, http://www.ewg.org and http://www.ewg.org\women. One of the many goodies on this site is a link to a cosmetics database (www.skindeep.com) where you can search for non-toxic cosmetics. I also received a free book, "Slow Death by Rubber Duck" by Rick Smith & Bruce Lourie, who also spoke at the conference.
Because nowadays there are many more non-toxic cleaning products available than there were years ago, I have already been using them for a while. I came away from the conference with the resolve to replace our personal care products with safer ones. Some other tidbits I learned:
Buy organic
Eat low mercury fish
Filter drinking water
Avoid canned food whenever possible
One of my concerns was not addressed yesterday: If the products we use are so toxic to our bodies, what is their effect on the much smaller bodies of birds, insects, and aquatic life?

A New Officer

When I joined a Toastmasters club one and a half years ago, I had no intention of becoming an officer. After all, I just joined to gain speaking experience before starting my new endeavor of giving presentations about backyard habitats. Fast forward to now, and I am suddenly the newest officer of Toastmasters Club #144, the Vice President PR. My role will be to promote our club in the media, send out newsletters, and greet guests, among others.
Are you wondering whether Toastmasters is for you? Check out www.toastmasters.org to find out more information or to locate a club near you. Whether you are a student or professional who needs to improve his/her speaking skills, or simply want to join to make new friends--you will be welcome with open arms at a club near you.
I'll see you at our next meeting!