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As the mercury dips, some people turn to alternative sources to ward off the cold. Too often, these practices lead to accidental deaths and injuries.

"Ovens and stovetops should never be used for heating, and space heaters should be kept away from children, animals and flammable objects," says Dr. Paul Pepe, chairman of emergency medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

People who have fireplaces should also check their chimney and flue for leaves and branches, and allow for ventilation and fresh air when using the devices. And if everyone in the house develops a headache at the same time, check for carbon monoxide right away, Dr. Pepe adds.

(12-09-08)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that small traces of melamine are not harmful in most foods, but does agree that strict limits need to be set and imposed by regulators before taking items off store shelves. The safety experts at the meeting in Ottawa, Canada, also decided that while melamine should not be in any food, a maximum amount of 0.2 milligrams per kilogram of body weight is tolerable daily.

Learn more in the article Investigating Melamine: Is This Chemical in Some Dinnerware and Sippy Cups Harming Our Children?

(12-09-08)

A new guide released just in time for the holiday shopping season empowers parents and consumers worried about toxic chemicals in toys, baby products and the home to find safer products. Pass Up the Poison Plastic – the PVC-Free Guide for Your Family & Home lists the most common consumer products made out of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic and suggests safer PVC-free options.

PVC, also known as vinyl, is the worst plastic for our health and environment, releasing dangerous chemicals that can cause cancer. The Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ), who coordinates a national campaign to phase out PVC, released the new guide. It can be downloaded for free at www.besafenet.com/pvc.

"We need to take personal responsibility for the health and environmental impacts of the products we purchase," says Mike Schade, co-author of the guide and PVC Campaign Coordinator for the Center for Health, Environment and Justice. "We've created this new guide to empower consumers to find safer solutions to PVC, the most toxic plastic for our health and environment. We can help build consumer consciousness and demand for safer, healthier products by purchasing PVC-free products."

Learn more at www.besafenet.com.

(12-09-08)

With the holiday season in full swing, leading online pet health and wellness resource WebVet.com emphasizes the importance of identifying and addressing a number of potential seasonal hazards facing our cats, dogs and other small pets.

Webvet offers several veterinarian-approved tips to keep in mind during the holidays:

• Chocolate: Chocolate is off limits for pets. The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is to pets. Theobromine and caffeine are the toxic ingredients.
• The tree: Use wire to safely secure your tree and prevent curious pets from pulling it over on themselves. Also watch out for the tree preservative often put in the water around the tree trunk. If ingested, it can cause gastrointestinal problems in cats and dogs.
• Seasonal plants: Poinsettias get the bad rap as the most poisonous, when actually they are fairly low on the toxic scale. Other problematic holiday plants to keep out of reach: Christmas cactus, mistletoe, holly, cedar, balsam and pine.
• Table scraps: Rich, fatty foods are often holiday favorites, but they can result in life-threatening pancreatitis. Anything salty, spicy or greasy qualifies. Bones from chicken or turkey can splinter in the stomach. Keep table scraps out of reach, and be sure the garbage isn't accessible to your pet.
• Ornaments: Tinsel can be too fascinating for a cat to pass up as a snack. Small decorations hanging low on the tree can be gobbled by both dogs and cats, and intestinal blockage can result.
• Holiday guests: Guests aren't always used to keeping track of pets – and someone leaves the door open and out the pet will go. Besides alerting guests to your furry escape artists, make sure you have a way of tracking the pet. That means either a microchip, or at the least, a rabies tag or ID tag with your contact information, the vet's contact information or both.

(12-09-08)

With the holiday season approaching, a Cornell environmental analyst has made an illuminating discovery: Many Christmas light sets contain such high levels of lead that they exceed limits set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for windowsills or floors.

"Whether exposure to lead in Christmas lights affects blood lead levels in humans is unknown, though research increasingly shows that any exposure to lead – especially by children – is hazardous to health in that it is implicated in a wide range of health concerns," says Joseph Laquatra, a professor of design and environmental analysis in Cornell's College of Human Ecology, who led the study. "No standards exist for lead content in this product, and no protocols exist for conducting tests on it."

The study, conducted with Lelia M. Coyne, a chemist and certified lead risk assessor in Lincoln, Neb., and Mark R. Pierce, a Cornell extension associate in Laquatra's department, is published in the December issue of Journal of Environmental Health.

Researchers tested the lead levels of 10 sets of indoor/outdoor Christmas lights, some recently purchased in Nebraska and New York, others from the 1970s. The researchers found detectable levels of lead in all of them; and all were above EPA/HUD regulatory limits for equivalent areas of windowsills and floors. They also found no significant differences in lead levels among manufacturers, year of purchase or how many years the lights had been used.

Lead is used in the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) jacketing of the Christmas light cords to prevent them from cracking or crumbling and to make them resistant to heat, light and moisture damage, says Laquatra. Lead makes up 2 to 5 percent of PVC jacketing in different types of wires.

While some products are starting to have warning labels, there is no coordinated drive to encourage manufacturers to pursue alternatives, Laquatra says. "Consumers should be aware that lead is in all appliance cords," he says, noting that although American manufacturers have been moving away from using lead as a PVC stabilizer in the last five years, at present there is no way to know how much lead exists in jacketing or in various products without independent testing.

When it comes to Christmas lights, the researchers point out that lead could be ingested from hand-to-mouth contact after handling the lights; lead also can be released into the air during installation and removal. The researchers recommend that children not handle Christmas lights, and that anyone who does should wash their hands immediately after handling.

(11-25-08)

For many Americans the loveable black lab or tabby cat is considered a member of the family. And while being environmentally responsible is something that is often expected from your human family members, why should Fido be exempt? Eco-savvy entrepreneur, green business author and eco-chic lifestyle expert Kim Carlson offers these fast facts to help reduce your pet's carbon paw print:

• Go Gourmet – Most pet food found at the grocery store is created from 4D meat, otherwise known as "Dead, Dying, Diseased or Down (Disabled)." This is often unhygienic and unhealthy. Swap the generic chow-chow for natural and organic pet foods that use meats that are raised in sustainable, humane ways without added drugs or hormones.
• The Scoop on Poop – In a perfect world, all animal feces would make it into a compost where it could decompose or act as fertilizer. Now city-dwellers also have an eco-friendly option: scoop your dog's doo into a biodegradable bag so it isn't immortalized in a plastic bag at the local landfill for the next century to find. Find your feline some eco-friendly litter. Not only is it better for the environment but it's better for Fluffy's little lungs, which can be coated with carcinogenic silica dust found in most clay litters.
• Before All That – When deciding to get a pet, make sure you choose one from the local adoption or rescue center. There are more than 70,000 unwanted and homeless pets in animal shelters nationwide. Waiting for a pure breed animal can be risky and expensive. In addition, these breeders often only have two goals in mind: to make more animals and get more money. As a result, they often overbreed, inbreed, offer poor veterinary insight and dreadful food and living conditions.
• On a Tight Leash – While it's tempting to let your pets run wild, it's better for the environment around you if you keep your dog on a leash and your cat indoors. This will reduce the damage your rambunctious puppy will cause to the flora and fauna and will limit the number of birds your cat brings to you as its new chew toy.

(11-25-08)

Looking for some quick ways to save money at home this holiday season? Here are 5 easy steps everyone can take from Pur Water Filters:

1. Stop buying bottled water. Instead use a reusable bottle with water filtered by PUR Water. This small change can save one person up to $600 every year. And you'll feel better knowing your family is getting the cleanest water possible.

2. Turn your thermostat down. Decreasing the temperature of your house by one degree can save you up to $100 a year.

3. Wash your clothes in cold water. Ninety percent of the energy used for washing clothes is spent on heating the water. Using cold water can save you up to $65 per year.

4. Buy food with less packaging. If just one out of the 10 products you bought had little or no packaging, it could save you up to $30 annually.

5. Drive the speed limit. Most cars get the maximum miles per gallon at speeds between 45 and 60 miles per hour. So driving 75 mph instead of 65 mph is like paying an additional $1.50 for every gallon of gas you buy.

(11-25-08)

Name of Product: Insulated Black-Out Roller Shades and Insulated Roman Shades

Manufacturer: Green Mountain Vista Inc., of Williston, Vt. They were manufactured in China.

Hazard: The black-out roller shades and insulated roman shades have a continuous looped bead chain that when not attached to the wall or floor, hangs loosely by the blind, posing a fatal strangulation hazard to children.

Incidents/Injuries: CPSC received a report of a 2-year-old girl from Bristol, Conn., who suffered a near strangulation June 2008, when she placed a loose bead cord loop around her neck and then slipped off the radiator where she was standing. Her 5-year-old brother lifted his sister, who was gasping for air, from the cord entanglement. She vomited and had deep neck bruising, but has since recovered from her injuries.

Description: This recall includes all insulated black-out roller shades (colors: white, cream, harvest, light sage) and insulated Roman shades sizes 48, 60 and 72 (colors: white, natural, sage, sienna, blue, goldenrod, mahogany, terracotta). The shades have RN number 107875 printed on the care label of the shade and identify the manufacturer on the "Installation and Care Instructions."

Sold at: Country Curtains, Plow & Hearth, The Linen Source, Sturbridge Yankee Workshop, Ann & Hope, The Sportsman's Guide, Target.com, The Curtain Shop of Maine, and Solutions Catalog. Sold nationwide from June 2005 through September 2008 for between $60 and $200.

Remedy: Consumers should immediately check their window coverings to see if the tension device is attached. If not attached, immediately stop using the window coverings and contact Green Mountain Vista Inc. to receive a free repair kit. If the consumer is not able to install the tensioning device, contact Green Mountain Vista for further instructions.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Green Mountain Vista at (800) 639- 1728 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's Web site at www.gmvista.com.

Note: CPSC reminds consumers to examine all Roman Blinds and shades in their homes. If looped pull cords are present or exposed inner cords are found on the back of blinds or shades and children are in the home or occasionally visit your home, please consider replacing them with blinds or shades that do not have exposed pull cords or inner cords. (11-25-08)

Name of Product: IRIS and ALVINE Roman Blinds

Distributor: IKEA Home Furnishings, of Conshohocken, Pa. They were manufactured in India.

Hazard: Strangulations can occur when a child places his/her neck in an exposed inner cord on the backside of the roman blinds.

Incidents/Injuries: On April 4, 2008, a 1-year-old girl in Greenwich, Conn., became entangled in the inner cord of an IKEA Roman Blind and strangled. The child was in a portable playpen that was located underneath a fully lowered roman blind. She was found partially suspended with the inner cord of the blind wrapped twice around her neck.

Description: This recall involves all sizes of IRIS and ALVINE Roman Blinds in white. The blinds have a sewn-in label at the top edge of the blind with the IKEA logotype, article name (IRIS or ALVINE), 5-digit supplier number 19799 or 21369, four digit date stamp (YYWW) and the words "Made in India". On the bottom edge of the blind there is a sewn-in orange/white safety warning label. The blinds are made from 100% cotton.

Sold at: IKEA stores nationwide from July 2005 through June 2008 for between $7 and $30.

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled Roman Blinds and return them to any IKEA store to obtain a full refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact IKEA toll-free at (888) 966-4532 anytime, or visit the firm's Web site at www.ikea-usa.com.

Note: CPSC reminds consumers to examine all Roman Blinds and shades in their homes. If looped pull cords are present or exposed inner cords are found on the back of blinds or shades and children are in the home or occasionally visit your home, please consider replacing them with blinds or shades that do not have exposed pull cords or inner cords. (11-25-08)

The American Bankers Association Education Foundation and volunteer bankers are giving youth a credit reality check, with a serious conversation on the responsible use of credit.

"America's youth is listening when we talk about the economy and their financial futures," says Laura Fisher, ABA Education Foundation director. "We are in the midst of a national teachable moment on credit use and bankers are seizing this opportunity to educate future generations."

Celebrating its sixth anniversary, Get Smart About Credit Day brings thousands of bankers and students together for lessons on developing good credit habits, such as paying on time, using credit wisely and not borrowing more than you can repay. "This is a tough time for everyone, but it's not the time to let up on financial education," Fisher says. "Just as interest in hybrid cars went up with prices at the pump, there's an interest in financial management that needs to be met."

The ABA Education Foundation also encourages parents to strike while the iron is hot and use this opportunity to talk to their children about using credit wisely:

• Talk openly about money with children. Communicate your values and experiences with money. Encourage questions and be prepared for tough ones.
• Explain the difference between needs and wants, the value in saving and budgeting and the consequences of not doing so.
• Be an example of a responsible money manager by paying bills on time, being a conscientious spender and an active saver.

Consumers are also encouraged to use Get Smart About Credit Day as a time to take A.C.T.ion when it comes to their credit. The A.C.T. Credit Pledge calls for consumers to:

A: Assess your debt.
C: Check your credit report for errors.
T: Take the information and create a plan.

"When it comes to credit and personal finances, the worst thing someone can do is idle in neutral and do nothing," says Fisher. "They need to take A.C.T.ion."

Learn more at www.getsmartaboutcredit.com.

(11-03-08)