Asheville Water could make common skin problems worse

If you have Eczema you need to get the chlorine out of your water!Chlorine is a toxic chemical with know health effects. It is also the preferred method for controlling bacteria and other potentially dangerous pathogens in Asheville water supply.

Our skin is our body’s number one defense against germs. The largest organ of the human body, it is a protective layer that keeps us healthy and protects our internal organs. There are so many factors that affect the health and condition of our skin. Eczema can make this even challenging because the moisture that we need isn’t produced as it should be.

There are a lot of external factors that affect an eczema flare up such as weather, lotions, makeup, soap, and laundry detergent. One factor that you may not realize that is so harmful to your skin condition is Chlorinated water. Most, if not all, municipally supplied water is treated with chlorine. Chlorine however is hurting us and not helping our water.

Here are some of the effects of chlorine on our skin and eczema.

First and foremost, chlorine dries out your skin. This is especially bad for people who have eczema because their skin already is dry and has hard time maintaining natural moisture. It can also dry out your hair as well. Swimming pools have a lot of chlorine in them to ward off bacteria If you’ve and spent much time in a pool or hot tub you know that dried out itchy feeling that is so common afterward.

There isn’t as much concentrated chlorine in your bathing water, however over time the chlorine’s effects take does damage to your skin because the levels of chlorine are still pretty high. After showering you can feel itchy, dry, and notice a rash. This is an uncomfortable feeling to have every day.

Showering is even more harmful than swimming in a chlorine treated pool. The hot water from your shower opens your pores, to cleanse, but the toxic gases caused from the steam and heat is easily absorbed by your skin; and even worse still you breathe it in, which is a direct transfer to your bloodstream. In addition to drying you out, you can prematurely develop wrinkles. To ease the itching feeling after your shower, you can use lotions or eczema oil to alleviate the irritation and bring some moisture back. There is also an option to install chlorine free shower-heads. Chlorine free water is the best defense against atopic dermatitis and wrinkles.

There are other harmful effects of chlorine in the water you bathe in and the water you drink. Chlorine is used to fight off bacteria in our water, yet it causes so many other detrimental health problems. In addition to causing atopic dermatitis or making it worse, it has also been known to cause cancer. If you drink tap water that has been treated with chlorine you run the risk of hurting your bladder, stomach, and breasts. It can also really flare up asthma attacks which are commonly associated with eczema. Chlorine, over time, will damage cell tissues.

Get the Chlorine out of your water an you will see improvement in the health of your skin, hair and overall wellness. You will be glad you did.
AP

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Plastic water bottles & food packaging; Safe or not safe?

This is very welcome and long overdue news. Let's hope the EPA holds true to their stated goals. Bisphenol A is a very dangerous chemical with long lasting negative environmental and human health concerns. It is one of the primary concerns with the use of plastics for food and water packaging. Lets hope we get this substance exposed for the damaging effects it has on our health. here's a lot of money opposing the exposure so it's good to see an agency with the power of the EPA targeting this issue; as long as the results are unbiased and actions are implemented. We'll be watching developments. Here is a link to a science journal article that only begins to tell the story of how big an environmental concern plastics are to all forms life on earth. As with many chemical impacts we are only begining to discover the potential of damage that has been done already. http://bit.ly/1EEnQ

EPA: ENVIRO NEWS PRESS RELEASE:

Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 1:06 PM
Subject: EPA News Release (HQ): EPA to Scrutinize Environmental Impact
of Bisphenol A

CONTACT
Dale Kemery
kemery.dale@epa.gov
202-564-7839
202-564-4355

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 29, 2010

EPA to Scrutinize Environmental Impact of Bisphenol A

Agency sets stage for action on BPA

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today
announced a number of actions to address the potential effects of
bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical used in the manufacture of a wide range of
consumer and industrial products. The BPA action plan released today
focuses on the environmental impacts of BPA and will look to add BPA to
EPA's list of chemicals of concern and require testing related to
environmental effects. These actions are part of Administrator Lisa P.
Jackson's comprehensive effort to strengthen the agency's chemical
management program and assure the safety of chemicals.

In January 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced
that it had some concerns about the potential human health impacts of
BPA and it would study the potential effects and ways to reduce exposure
to BPA in food packaging.

"We share FDA's concern about the potential health impacts from BPA,"
said Steve Owens, assistant administrator of EPA's Office of Prevention,
Pesticides and Toxic Substances. "Both EPA and FDA, and many other
agencies are moving forward to fully assess the environmental and health
impacts to ensure that the full range of BPA's possible impacts are
examined."

Food packaging represents the most obvious source of BPA exposure to
people and is regulated by FDA. Unlike FDA, EPA has authority over the
potential environmental impacts of BPA.  Releases of BPA to the
environment exceed 1 million pounds per year. BPA has caused
reproductive and developmental effects in animal studies and may also
affect the endocrine system. The EPA action plan on the environmental
impacts of BPA includes:

*       Adding BPA to the chemical concern list on the basis of
potential environmental effects.

*       Requiring information on concentrations of BPA in surface water,
ground water, and drinking water to determine if BPA may be present at
levels of potential concern.

*       Requiring manufacturers to provide test data to assist the
agency in evaluating its possible impacts, including long-term effects
on growth, reproduction, and development in aquatic organisms and
wildlife.

*       Using EPA's Design for the Environment (DfE) program to look for
ways to reduce unnecessary exposures, including assessing substitutes,
while additional studies continue.

*       And, continuing to evaluate the potential disproportionate
impact on children and other sub-populations through exposure from
non-food packaging uses.

EPA is working closely with FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
on research to better assess and evaluate the potential health
consequences of BPA exposures, including health concerns from non-food
packaging exposures that fall outside of the FDA's reach but within
EPA's regulatory authority.  Based on what this new research shows, EPA
will consider possible regulatory actions to address health impacts from
these other exposures.

In December, EPA announced that it will, for the first time, use its
authority under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to list
chemicals that may present an unreasonable risk of injury to health or
the environment. The decision to list chemicals signals EPA's concern
about the risks that the listed chemicals may pose and the agency's
intention to address those risks. These actions are part of the agency's
efforts to strengthen EPA's chemical management program, utilizing
current authorities to the fullest extent possible, while continuing to
encourage legislative reform of TSCA, which has not been updated since
1976 and is in need of reform.

More information on EPA's BPA action plan:
http://www.epa.gov/oppt/existingchemicals

  
As always, thanks for reading. Visit again soon.

AP

www.AskAquaPro.com
AquaPro@AskaquaPro.com 

www.AquaProSolutions.com, www.AquaEnvi.org, www.AshevilleGreenPlumbing.com,

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Parents beware- From bad to worse!

I reported this broken pole and low hanging power limes to Progress Energy yesterday morning. This morning one of the ow hanging lines had been pulled down and was laying across the road. This is not at all an acceptable situation. The intersection at Brevard Rd and Davenport is a daily pick up and drop off point for students that ride the buss to school. (Progress Energy has since wrote to AskAsheville on Twitter and confirmed that those are not power lines, but cable lines. Thank you for following the community and responding!)
AH

Man Missing in Asheville - Palmer Avery

Asheville, please keep your eyes out for this missing man. Thank you. (Story via Asheville Vaudeville)

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Broken cable pole on Brevard Rd (not power pole)

Something to be cautious of. On my way out of West Asheville this morning I was surprised to see this broken utility pole. Just North of Davenport on Brevard Rd. Wires from the pole that cross over Brevard Rd were hanging low enough that they were almost pulled down by a passing garbage collection vehicle. I reported this to CP&L this morning. (Progress Energy has since wrote to AskAsheville on Twitter and they told us that this is a cable pole, not a power pole. Thanks!)
AH
AshevilleHappens

Business Spotlight: Kid Bean in Asheville NC

Melissa Zenz is the owner of Kid Bean. It is just her working there now, but that will be changing later this year when she moves the business and hires a few employees. Melissa incorporated the business in 2001 and relocated from Pompano Beach, FL in March 2006

"We researched relocations options for over a year and chose Asheville for a combination of appealing factors, including: lower crime rate, incredible ethnic/political/artistic diversity, large and supportive homeschooling community, abundant access to fresh/local/organic foods, numerous alternative healthcare providers, veg-friendly restaurants & markets, more suitable climate (having lived in both OH and in South FL, we prefer seasonal changes but temperatures that don't go too extreme in either direction) ,and, of course, the amazing natural beauty that surrounds all of Asheville. We spend as much time as possible near waterfalls, in the woods, on mountains, and in/near the water.

In addition to those reasons mentioned above, I love street musicians performing downtown, the plethora of free/low-cost/family-friendly events, that the city is large enough to offer an array of cultural and artistic activities but small enough to still feel like a small town, that I can drive 60 minutes or less in any direction and be in a fairly secluded natural setting for hiking/canoeing/wading, that I see black bears in my front yard even though I live in the city limits, that vegan and gluten-free foods are readily available in many restaurants and markets and that even non-veg restaurants here know what "vegan" means, and that I can see mountains all around me!

I apply the same principles and standards for ethics and environmental sustainability in both my business, KidBean, and in my personal life. For all the reasons mentioned above, Asheville is the ideal place for me to operate my deep green business and to live my dark green lifestyle. KidBean.com serves as a highly-refined filter for green baby products to help parents get beyond the hype to find the safest, truly eco-friendly, and labor-friendly options. Many other stores sell "green" products but no one else asks as many questions as we do nor has as high of standards as we do. *Link to the Play Kitchen.

My attorney, Thomas Beckett, has been indispensable, providing assistance with our relocation from FL to NC, advice on contracts and other legal issues, and networking. Pam Lewis from Advantage West has been wonderfully supportive and has helped us make mutually beneficial connections with other businesses. I also love Asheville Green Drinks—I always learn something new and make meaningful connections.

Self-Help Credit Union was a lifesaver in the fall of 2008 when they granted us a loan just as the market was declining. Julie Duriga, CPA, and Michael Hudkins, CPA, have been exceptionally supportive and have provided amazing service so I can focus on running my business instead of doing my taxes. Bill and Beth Johnson at The UPS Store in East Asheville have also been vital, providing fax and copy services as well as shipping assistance when we need it.

The top 3 products we offer and/or sell are organic toddler pillows, organic cotton baby and children's clothing, and wooden toys."

KidBean.com is the 2010 winner of the SafBaby Ethical & Environmentally-Conscious Retailer Green Award, a CarbonFund certified CarbonFree Partner, and has been a member of Green America since 2004. You can connect with KidBean.com on Facebook (KidBean), Twitter (KidBean), and LinkedIn (Melissa Zenz).

KidBean.com
Earth-friendly, labor-friendly, vegan products for your family.
Website: http://www.kidbean.com/
Email: info@kidbean.com
Phone: 828-299-3608


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Asheville Twestival 2010 - We Helped Save The World

The Asheville Twestival hosted by Club 828 started with a family time from 5pm - 7pm. Here are some of the beginning clips and then meet some of the people involved including Wendy http://Twitter.com/ItsWendyLou and Jose http://Twitter.com/h0zae. Taylor Martin's Engine gets rolling with some music and the party kicks in. The whole evening was focused on raising money for Concern Worldwide http://www.concern.net/ and allowing people an education, thus increasing the chances of them rising out of poverty. Thank you to everyone that attended, contributed and supported this great local effort with a global focus.

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