toy makers fight for exemption

A new federal crack-down has some toy manufacturers up in arms. Originally, the Consumer Product Safety Act was put in place in 2008 in order to combat the influx of tainted children's toys manufactured, largely, in China. This led to the recall of some 45 million toys and other children's products. The new regulations put in place call for more safety testing and a reduction in the permitted amount of lead. So where's the problem? This Safety Act is extremely vague, making it unclear what exactly falls under the title of "children's product". For example, a pack of paperclips sold at an office supply store does not need to adhere to the guidelines, while paperclips that are packaged in a children's science kit must be tested for lead. The vagueness of the act has placed extra hardships - cost or otherwise - on smaller, independently operated toy makers. In a revised draft, released this month, the commission granted exemption to model train makers and several others.

NY Times article
handmade toy alliance

corn

review of michael pollan's ominvore's dilemma

food inc documentary website

king corn documentary website

food fight documentary website

• over the past three decades, consumption of high fructose corn syrup has increased 1,000%
• more than $50 billion paid to corn farmers in the past decade
• the prevalence of obesity in children 6-11 has quadrupled in the past 25 years; in adolescents 12-19.5 it has doubled

innocent till proven guilty?

New York Times article on BPA (bisphenol A)

While some have written it off as "junk science", others are not taking the presence of bisphenol A (BPA) in their plastics or their bodies lightly. A presidential panel on cancer and the environment concluded that the link between BPA and several diseases, including cancer, is growing; BPA is one of many that fall under the title of "endocrine disruptors". Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that act on the body's receptors in cells - in the case of BPA, it acts similarly to estrogen hormones.

After reading Nina Baker's The Body Toxic, I too, am beginning to question the safety of man-made products and their dubious chemistry. Unfortunately, current U.S. policy states that chemicals are only banned if they are proven to be harmful. I am strongly in favor of the European Union's "precautionary principle", which states that if there are any plausible health concerns related to a specific chemical, it is banned until proven otherwise.

There are simple and easy steps to reducing BPA exposure, however. Plastics that contain the chemical are clearly marked with a "7", although not all items labeled "7"' contain it. Secondly, stop microwaving plastic containers! Once microwaved/treated with boiling water, BPA's rate of leeching into food or beverage is increased by a startling 50% (Baker). I don't know about you, but the phrase "better safe than sorry" sounds especially appealing in the case of endocrine disruptors.

keepin' abreast

Finally! Smaller-breasted women are speaking out against the super-padded bras that are typically advertised to them. Its extremely demoralizing to subscribe to the marketing ploy that if you're lacking up top, you're insufficient and therefore should spend as much as possible in order to pad your way to a more "desirable" bust line - which, by the way, isn't fooling anyone. "Often a push-up bra stands away from the body in an unflatteringly way that makes even the most assured woman wish she had more to 'fill' the cup" (NYX). Several labels (many of which are listed in the article) are coming up with designs that actually Fit and Flatter a woman's body. It's time to stop being shamed into hiding behind perceived societal ideals and love yourself.

how to insert hyperlinks

1. go into the "edit html" tab
2. type in: <*a href="URL GOES HERE">LINK TEXT GOES HERE <*/a*> (delete the *'s)
3. thats it!

a href is the reference anchor and the <*/a*> indicates that the link is now over. make sure you remember that part or your entire text will become linked.

here's an example of what it will look like

here's an example of what happens if you don't close the link

magilla guerilla

examples of subversive art

designers, visionaries and other stories

a. my attention span loves essays
b. out of all the selected readings, chapman's designers, visionaries, and other stories goes beyond the standard "evole with the world" mantra. chapter one disproves the idea that in order to prevent harm we must stop consuming - the self-loathing that inevitably follows is completely contrary to progress. instead, rerouting our old habits is key. designers can help in this rerouting process if their work allows for measured improvements - promoting models of long-term sustainability.



also, the preaching-to-the-choir method is totally ineffective. if the point of sustainable design is to reduce mankind's impact, successful designers must go where the biggest impacts lie (not with like-minded people, that's for sure).