It may only cost you a buck, but chances are much of the stuff you’re buying at dollar stores comes with a toxic price tag, according to a newly released report by the Campaign for Healthier Solutions, a coalition of more than 100 health and environmental orgs.
It tested 164 products from U.S. dollar stores, including toys, jewellery, school supplies and other household items, and found 49 per cent contained two or more hazardous chems above levels of concern. Nearly a third of vinyl products failed to meet regulated limits for hormone-disrupting phthalates in toys.
Organizers are now lobbying three discount retailers, including Dollar Tree, which has over 200 Canadian locations, to bring in chemical management plans the way Target and Walmart have. Campaigners say low-income people are “are already disproportionately being exposed to environmental harm” and shouldn’t be have to take in more chems via dollar store goods.
They’re also asking government regulators to make sure dollar stores comply with toxins laws. For more info, see nontoxicdollarstores.org.
Eating organic lowers your pesticide levels
Looking for extra motivation to switch to organic food? New research published in Environmental Health Perspectives confirms eating an organic food diet significantly lowers pesticide residues in your body.
Scientists looked at a multicultural cross-section of 4,500 adults from across the United States and assessed their dietary exposure to common organophosphate pesticides. Those who ate organic food “often or always” had 65 per cent fewer pesticide residues in their urine.
The next step, say the researchers, is to examine the connection between dietary exposure to pesticides and various health problems, including neurological issues.
Ontario squashes carbon tax talk
Goodbye carbon tax, we hardly knew ya.
Just as the environmental community was getting excited about the possibility of a carbon tax in Ontario’s future, provincial Finance Minister Charles Sousa put the kybosh on it, at least for this spring’s budget.
Sousa told reporters, “There is no discussion at this point in regards to what you’re asking about.” He did, however, note that the ball is already rolling for Ontario to get in on the cap and trade game.
At the federal level, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau has just said he’d set up national carbon targets and let the provinces run whatever carbon reduction scheme they choose.
ecoholic@nowtoronto.com | @ecoholicnation
