Connecting all of the dots

Green living usually means two things: either you are trying to save the "environment", or you are trying to protect your health. Many times an action does both, sometimes not. But, almost always, they both protect biodiversity.
Think that new vinyl smell is bad for your health? Probably not so good for other vertebrates either.

...(L)aboratory studies indicate phthalates cause a broad range of birth defects and reproductive impairments in animals exposed in utero and shortly after birth (e.g. Marsman 1995; Wine 1997; Ema 1998; Mylchreest 1998, 1999, 2000; Gray 1999; CERHR 2000). Phthalate exposures damage the testes, prostate gland, epididymis, penis, and seminal vesicles in laboratory animals (e.g. Mylchreest 1998); most of these effects persist throughout the animal's life. Phthalates have also been shown to bioaccumulate in fish tissue and to affect estrogen levels in fish (Jobling 1995).

Prefer organic food for your kids? Also better for nearby birds and other wildlife.

It is estimated that of the roughly 672 million birds exposed annually to pesticides on U.S. agricultural lands, 10%– or 67 million– are killed. This staggering number is a conservative estimate that takes into account only birds that inhabit farmlands, and only birds killed outright by ingestion of pesticides. The full extent of bird fatalities due to pesticides is extremely difficult to determine because most deaths go undetected.

Giving up number 7 plastic? The amphibians will thank you.

A new study reveals that by interfering with thyroid hormone, exposure to low levels of bisphenol A (BPA) slows the rate at which tadpoles develop into frogs. Thyroid signals are necessary both for normal frog metamorphosis and for human development. In these experiments, exposure levels similar to those found in human infants kept certain genes from turning on, thus delaying tadpole development.