1. What Is the Environmental Impact of Hair Dye?
What would be the environmental impact if all men and women stopped coloring their hair?
It’s a good question, with no easy answer. Some 1.43 billion units of hair dye are sold in the United States annually, and 75 percent of women use dye—a significant increase since 1950, when just 7 percent of women dyed their hair (12 percent of men today have used dye). The total amount of dye sold per year is probably around 92,000 tons, which sounds like a lot but is only 0.00067 percent of the 137 million tons of waste we dump in our landfills annually.
Hair dyes are not subject to the same rules as drugs regulated by the Food and Drug Administration; it was only late last year that the FDA finally banned the use of lead acetate from dyes. In the late 1970s, some chemicals were eliminated from dye because they were suspected carcinogens. At the time, studies found an increased rate of bladder cancer in professional hair dyers, as well as an elevated risk for diabetes during pregnancy.
If you’re wondering about ecofriendly dyes, check out the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database for green-rated hair color and bleaching options.
2. The EPA’s Latest Proposal Is Terrible News for Arizona Water ELIZABETH WHITMAN | DECEMBER 12, 2018 | 6:00AM
Arizona’s water problems could soon become much, much worse.
The Environmental Protection Agency proposed on Tuesday to roll back a major federal rule that, if finalized, would scrap protections against pollution and development for up to some 120,000 miles of streams in Arizona. As many as 3.2 million Arizonans rely on those streams for drinking water, one environmental group estimates.
The loss of these federal protections could be worse in Arizona than in any other state. At stake are not just streams but also Arizona’s wetlands, which are vital habitats for wildlife in this desert land.
“It’s massive for Arizona,” Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said of the proposal. “It’s going to be one of the states that loses the most.”
The rule that the Trump administration wants to sharply curtail is an Obama-era clarification over which waterways fall under the jurisdiction of the 1972 Clean Water Act. That rule, known as the Waters of the United States rule, protected certain ditches, lakes, streams, wetlands and other smaller bodies of water.
These are the waters and wetlands that would lose federal protections under the Trump administration’s proposal.
Center for Biological Diversity
When that original rule was enacted, in 2015, EPA data showed that 94 percent of streams in Arizona would be definitively protected. In these streams, fish spawn, and young fish and insects grow. Those streams also lead into larger rivers, which supply people with drinking water.
The proportion of waters that were protected by the Obama-era rule is noticeably lower in other states. EPA data have shown that in Florida, it’s 29 percent; in California, 66 percent; and in New York, 55 percent, according to Bart JohnsenHarris, a water advocate for Environment America, a group of environmental advocacy organizations.
These streams might be small, but they are important. They “feed into the more major bodies of water, including the Gila [River] and Santa Cruz [River],” Johnsen-Harris added.
Now, many of those streams could lose federal protections if the Trump administration’s proposal is finalized. After that, industries and developers would be free to dump pollutants into those waterways, or fill in wetlands, environmentalists say.
“Essentially, pollution becomes legal unless the state chooses to step in,” JohnsenHarris said.
In this case, “the state” would mean the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, which likes to advertise that it has sped up the permitting process for businesses and reduced “burdensome” laws and regulations.
In fact, it says it has done away with 48 of them — more so than any other state agency.
Environmentalists are skeptical that business and development-friendly Arizona would fill the shoes of the feds, especially if doing so would require cracking down on developers or other industries.
Arizona Game and Fish “will the state step up? It’s still a
Republican governor, it’s still a Republican legislature,”
Hart said. “It would be very easy for Arizona, or the Department of Environmental Quality, to simply look the other way if there’s a very powerful developer that wants to put in another development.”
He added, “The reason we have a federal Clean Water Act is almost explicitly because the states are so inadequate to the task of protecting clean water.”
Erin Jordan, a spokesperson for the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, said the department had not yet fully reviewed the 253-page regulation released earlier that day.
“In the coming weeks, ADEQ will review the proposed changes in detail to ensure we fully understand how they could impact Arizona waterways,” she said.
Sandy Bahr, director of the Grand Canyon chapter of the Sierra Club, said that Arizona lacked the expertise and resources to protect water the way the federal government does. “Our state laws do not come close to the Clean Water Act,” she said.
SHOW ME HOW The rolled-back rules would hurt wildlife and weaken protections for their habitat, Bahr said.
Among them are listed species like the Gila chub, the Southwestern willow flycatcher, and the Little Colorado spinedace, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.
3. FREE Green Living Lecture
Date: Thursday, Feb. 7
Time: 7 – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Scottsdale Granite Reef Senior Center, 1700 N. Granite Reef Road (northwest corner of McDowell and Granite Reef, behind the convenience store)
Come join in the conversation and be inspired to grow as urban gardeners share the benefits and how-to’s of growing your own healthy food, herbs, edible flowers and fruit trees in our desert environment. Learn about our planting and harvesting seasons, as well as the importance of seed saving. Hear the latest news about ancient grains. Includes a lively, interactive food tasting experience for all ages!
4. Do You Know How To Clean a TV Screen the Right Way?
Spots and smudges are not what you want on your television screen. AHS can help you get your tv screen spot free, improving your viewing pleasure.
The picture on today’s TV screens is better than it has ever been. Are you old enough to remember static and purple people? Having to constantly adjust the color and rabbit ears? If you are, then you know that the clarity today is truly amazing. You also likely know that if your TV is not brand new, the devices, including televisions, have a way of attracting dust. There are, however, a few guidelines for how to clean a TV screen properly. Just as important as what to clean it with is what not to put on a TV screen. Here are some things to keep in mind to safely remedy the dusty TV screen and get back to that amazing picture clarity.
First, Know Your TV Type
There are many confusing designations for the types of TVs used today: CRT, LCD, LED, OLED and Plasma. It is always a good idea to first consult your owner’s manual for cleaning instructions or go to the manufacturer’s website.
For Older CRTs…
Cathode Ray Tube TV’s have been disappearing since the early 2000s. These are the TVs that are the size of large microwaves. You may still have one. If so, the screen on one of these is all glass. And because of that, you can clean it the same way you clean your glass windows. Note that this is the only type of TV in which commercial glass cleaner is safe to use, though.
And All the Rest
Plasma TVs also have glass screens, but they also have an anti-glare coating. This makes the cleaning instructions the same as the more sensitive LCD, LED and OLED TV screens. NEVER use glass cleaner or any commercial cleaner that contains ammonia, alcohol or any abrasives. If you do choose to use a commercial TV screen cleaner, make sure it states on the label that it doesn’t contain these harmful ingredients. In most cases, however, a clean, soft, dry cloth, like a microfiber cloth, is all you need. Even paper towels may scratch the screen.
Next, Turn it Off
Before you start cleaning, turn the TV off, or even unplug it, and let it cool down. This will reduce the risk of static shock. An additional benefit of cleaning the blank screen? The dust will be easier to see.
Now, You’re Ready to Clean
If you use a dry cloth, move it in a circular motion like waxing a car. Apply very light pressure –– remember, these screens are pressure sensitive. Make sure you don’t push it off of its perch, if it’s on a shelf or stand. And turn the cloth over as you clean, to always ensure you’re wiping new areas with an unsoiled part of the cloth.
Have stubborn fingerprints or stuck-on dirt? You may have to use a liquid. Start with distilled water, though, and just dab a little on the cloth. If necessary, you can mix a very weak solution of mild dishwashing soap and water. Never spray anything directly on the screen, as that could result in unwanted streaks on the screen. If you use a spray, spray it on the cloth.
Source: American Home Shield
