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Katherine Butler
Katherine is a Los Angeles-based writer with East Coast inclinations. She has written for the small screen, with credits including Disney Channel's The Replacements and USA's In Plain Sight. When not writing for River Wired, she likes to hike around the canyons of Los Angeles.
Blog
Athletes Go Green Aug 1, 2008
Sexy Green Cheerleaders, Super Surfers, and One Tall Eco-Warrior
So it is summer Olympics time and athletes are converging on Beijing. And with China shutting down factories and limiting cars in an effort for clean air, the environment has never been more at the forefront. So in honor of... more
The Goods on Eco-Friendly Sunscreen Jul 24, 2008
Celebrity Dermatologists, Chemicals, and SPFs – Oh My!
So unless you are currently wintering on the moon, you’re probably slathering on sunscreen every time you leave the house. You follow the trends, you listen to celebrity dermatologists who mantra “sun block....sun block.....sunblock." (Shout out to my UCLA dermatologist... more
Green Alternatives to Pesticides Jul 19, 2008
Manage Bugs without Toxins
You know how it starts. You walking into your bathroom or kitchen, and you see one. Then you see another. And then you realize you’ve been invaded by a swarm of marauding intruders intent on taking down life as you... more
T. Boone Pickens: Building Wind Power in America Jul 16, 2008
Old-School Oilman Moving into Alternative Energy
When T. Boone Pickens founded Mesa Petroleum in the 1950s, he took $2500 and turned it into a three billion dollar oil empire. This guy is about as old-school oil man as you can get. But Pickens is a business... more
5 Quick Tips to Green Your Home Jul 5, 2008
Go Green and Save Money
Yep, it’s trying times out there. Gas prices, food prices, housing prices – you have to wonder if we’re going to be able to entertain our kids with rousing stories of hard 00’s like our grandparents did with the Depression.... more
Top 10 Green Excuses Jul 4, 2008
For the Next Time You're Caught in a Compromising Position....
If you’re reading this article, odds are that you’re probably at least a light pale green in your commitment to Mother Earth. (That or you’re a friend or relative I’ve harassed to read my blog – you guys rock!) So... more
How to Green Your Date Jun 29, 2008
Recycling Eco-Tips to Spark Green Love
So you’re a good-looking guy or girl. And you care about things like carbon footprints and global warming and slapping “Gas prices are my fault!” stickers on the back of a Yukon. Okay, maybe you don’t care THAT much, but... more
How to Green Your Gifts Jun 25, 2008
Offset Your Carbon Footprint by Giving Green
We’ve all been there – three bridal and two baby showers in a month, a graduation or two, and that thank you gift you somehow feel responsible sending your landlord’s cousin’s wife who once brought up your mail. Oftentimes, people... more
What Americans Misunderstand About Environmental Shopping Jun 2, 2008
Getting the Goods on Greenwashing
Americans tend to go green in primarily one way – they shop green. This is a recent trend – and I for one am not complaining. It’s been a long time coming. I’ve been green since I was a teen….ager.... more
Lenny Kravitz Hearts The Brazilian Jungle May 23, 2008
Rockstar Communes With Nature
In yet another reason to stop the de-forestation of the Brazilian jungle – Lenny Kravitz has been living in it! Recent reports revealed that Kravitz apparently wanted to “get away” after his last album failed to do as well as... more
I would suggest that you really do your homework before you choose your sunscreen. Google "chemical sunscreen" and see what comes up! The best naturally occurring, most stable physical sunscreen on the planet is zinc oxide. I've found that Soleo Organics All Natural Sunscreen from Australia which performs well, both in and out of the water, represents a clear evolution of choice to people who are looking for clean alternatives. It contains no chemical uv absorbers nor synthetic preservatives, and is also biodegradable so it won't harm sensitive marine environments, yet has over 22% zinc oxide in it!
A truly Eco-friendly product could be a German innovation. HelioVital is a high-tech system for sunscreen and utilisation of solar energy.
HelioVital is a broadband suncreen filter made with high precision to assure optimal tanning levels, safe SPF and temperature. HelioVital sunscreen film filter out the dangerous and damaging invisible UVA and UVB rays from the sunlight before they reach and harm human skin, hair and eyes. The IR rays that cause us to sweat were reduced to bring the temperature and sweating down. The innovative HelioVital filters let the biopositive, vitalizing and tanning sun rays go through, so you can truly enjoy the healthy sun, without chemicals to be pouring on your skin. Therefore no side effects such as chemical or hormonal influences can be derivated from HelioVital. In Europe HelioVital has the quality feature of a medical device and the innovation was awarded several times. www.heliovital.com
A couple of other brand's have been touted as safe by the Environmental Working Group (researchers who analyze beauty products):
1. Keys Soap SPF 30
I personally have tried this one. It's effective, goes on smoothly, but it has a funny smell. Kind of like tree bark. I think it's the cumin and black pepper ingredients. Contains no parabens, PABA, or oxybenzone. Just zinc and some essential oils and such. But the container is not recyclable, which I didn't know purchasing it (from online).
2. Trukid Sunny Days Mineral Sunscreen
3. California Baby SPF 30
4. Badger SPF 30
I would love to try them all, but that gets a bit pricey, and may be a tad wasteful. As I run out of one, I'll try a new one until I find the one I like.
To truly be Eco-friendly a product should also have recyclable packaging, use non-aerosol pumps, on top of being 100% Vegan, not tested on animals and effective. To limit the burden on the environment, KINeSYS is the ONLY Carbon Neutral sunscreen manufacturer, purchasing the carbon offsets when manufacturing product. www.kinesys.com
thanks completely anonymous poster!
That's a great idea! Unfortunately, we don't get the Sunday newspaper, though my wife has suggested that we start to get it again.
We use the comic section of our Sunday newspaper to wrap gifts.
Editor-in-Chief, RiverWired.com
You are so right -- see what the heat does to your brain?? We removed a layer of clothing and corrected it. Thanks.
By the way, it's magnates, NOT magnets...
But what do I know? I'm just a stupid flat-earther.
I was once paid in seal pelts in disposable styrofoam containers. They used to deliver them to the office in 57 Chevys. Does that count?