Sugar Shock

I finally got around to buying candy-coated chocolate covered peanuts from the bulk section at Fairway-- because even paper bags of M&Ms are coated with plastic on the inside.

SunSpire Peanut Sundrops: $9.49/lb.
Peanut M&Ms: about $6.72/lb.

Buying food from the bulk section is often less expensive than packaged equivalents, but not always!

Although I shouldn't be too upset with the price difference. In addition to coming without plastic, the SunSpire candies "contain no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Their bright candy color comes from beet juice, beta carotene and natural caramel. Their yummy chocolate centers are made with rich milk chocolate, sweetened with evaporated cane juice and a touch of unsulphered molasses."

I can live with that. I guess.

Jenny McCarthy was on to something

...just the wrong something. Nicholas Kristoff has another excellent column warning of the dangers of pthalates, toxic chemicals found in many plastics and personal care products, and possible links to conditions like autism, breast cancer, and prostate cancer.

There is still no definitive smoking gun saying "Yep, toxic chemicals in the environment aren't just killing the planet, they're killing US". But the studies and peer-review journal articles are mounting.

Please, go read the whole thing.

How many more articles like this will it take before smart, well educated people will be aghast at the very idea of eating and drinking with plastic, and buying food swathed in plastic, swimming in plastic? Kristoff recommends avoiding plastics 3, 6 and 7-- but forks and straws don't come with numbers stamped on them to begin with, and are we to expect consumers to start examining all containers for plastic numbers on top of the nutritional labels? This is just crazy. Better to avoid the plastic altogether.

I have found a new guru!

In addition to the always inspirational Beth Terry of Fake Plastic Fish, there is a new star to add to the constellation of (Anti) Trash Bloggers: Bea, of Zero Waste Home

Here is an article about her in yesterday's New York Times.

Wow. Just...wow. I hope anyone who catches this will enjoy reading her posts as much as I am enjoying them!

More awesomeness from YouTube

Hat tip to http://riseaboveplastics.blogspot.com/

No, silly. You're supposed to say "Neither! I brought my own."

I loved this ad until I saw it was about some stupid car.