Caroline Cox, Author at Center for Environmental Health

Help Minnesota Mom Get Pesticide Spray Out of Her City’s Parks!

Jul 1, 2013Caroline CoxEnvironmental Justice, Food, Laws & Regulations, Tips

In cities and towns across the country pesticide-free parks provide healthy and good-looking places for families, kids, and pets to play. There are almost 100 parks without pesticide spray in the Pacific Northwest and there are many more in other parts of the country....

Amy Brenneman, Actress and Mom, Takes on BPA Labeling

Apr 9, 2013Caroline CoxChildren's Health, Food, Laws & Regulations, Personal Stories, Plastics, Uncategorized

Is BPA (bisphenol A) just one more acronym in the alphabet soup of chemical names that we all hear about from time to time? Well, yes it is. But it’s also one of the scarier parts of the alphabet soup. For starters, it’s one of the most widely used...

Cadmium in Jewelry Gets Headlines Again

Oct 16, 2012Caroline CoxChildren's Health, Legal Action, Tips

“Feds muff kid cadmium in jewelry crackdown”— Justin Pritchard, Associated PressBureaucratic inertia, too much acceptance of industry claims, a small budget, and a small staff of inspectors combine to make the Consumer Product Safety...

Artificial Turf: A Synthetic Chemical Stew

Oct 2, 2012Caroline CoxChildren's Health, Legal Action, Tips

In the 1960s, my high school (I’m giving away my age) had what is probably best described as a pathetic football field. Patchy grass that was almost as much sand as it was grass; decrepit bleachers that had room for a couple hundred people; and a small but...

Californians: Stop the Secret Spraying!

Sep 12, 2012Caroline CoxEnvironmental Justice, Food, Laws & Regulations, Tips

Remember the apple moth? The crazy days of apple moth eradication in 2007 may seem far away. Was it just a nightmare? Or did the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) really try to spray pesticides out of airplanes onto ten million people in an attempt...

CEH Finds Lead in Ginger and Plum Candies

Aug 7, 2012Caroline CoxFood, Legal Action, Tips

For all of you who are fond of ginger and plum candies, this is an important message. Please share it with everyone you know who enjoys these treats. For the last couple of months CEH has been buying and testing ginger and plum treats, especially at stores that...

If You Can’t Say It, Don’t Put It On Your Nails!

Jul 31, 2012Caroline CoxChildren's Health, Tips

Phthalates (say “thal-lates”) are a family of chemicals used in a wide variety of products, including food packaging, cosmetics, nail polish, perfume, and flooring. An elite team of health professionals from a trio of high-powered research institutions (Harvard, the...

CA Recognizes Cancer-Causing Chemical Used in Shampoos

Jun 28, 2012Caroline CoxChildren's Health, Laws & Regulations

California keeps a list of chemicals known to cause cancer and/or reproductive health problems. State scientists update the list as new studies emerge on chemicals, often chemicals found in common household products. Last week, California officially identified a...

CDC Makes Welcome Decision to Protect Kids from Lead Poisoning!

May 18, 2012Caroline CoxChildren's Health, Laws & Regulations

The leading public health agency of the federal government, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just made a welcome decision to protect children from lead poisoning. Responding to a decades-long effort by health advocates and physicians, the CDC says...

Ten Reasons Not to Use Pesticides- 2012 Edition

Apr 24, 2012Caroline CoxEnvironmental Justice, Food, Tips

Have you ever wanted to explain to your neighbor why it would be a good thing if he didn’t use chemicals on his lawn? Or explain to the principal at your child’s school why you’d rather she didn’t ask the custodian to spray for ants? Or remind...