Why Tyent?

Official: Housework Might Be Harming Your Health

Posted by: Rhona Reid On February 27, 2018 7:00 am

“Housework?  It can’t kill you, but why take the risk?” goes the fridge magnet/meme/Birthday card for your sister.  

But within that little lol, is a grain of truth.  Research just published in the American Thoracic Society’s Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine has found that using chemical-laden cleaning products every day has a detrimental effect on lung health.  If you use cleaning sprays regularly, then the impact can be the equivalent of smoking a full pack of cigarettes every day.  

Breaking News:  Cleaning really is bad for your health.
The Dangers of Chemical Cleaners

The research is pretty thorough, with scientists following 6000 test subjects over a 20-year period.  The findings observe that the chemicals inhaled from everyday …

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The Great American Water Taste Test!

Posted by: Rhona Reid On February 22, 2018 12:00 pm

In early February, the 18th annual Great American Water Taste Test took place at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.  

After days of testing, judges finally found some clean tap water in America.

Over two days, water samples from around the country were blind-tasted by a panel of judges, tasked with finding a winner.  What are they looking for?  Taste, smell and clarity are the watchwords according to The National Rural Water Association, the main sponsor of the event.

Water Good Winner!

After some serious sipping, the gold medal was awarded to Arcadia Water Utility of Wisconsin, which beat off some stiff competition from the City of Salisbury, MD Paleo Water and the Southeast Water Users District, ND, …

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Plastics – The Global Crisis That Won’t Go Away

Posted by: Rhona Reid On February 15, 2018 12:00 pm

Single use plastics take five minutes to produce, five minutes to use and 500 years to break down, the vice-president of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, told reporters recently.  

499 years to go.

In a move that highlights just how catastrophic the risk of choking the planet in plastic really is, the EU has announced a plan to ensure that by 2030, all packaging on the continent must be reusable or recyclable.

No More Plastic Imports to China

The move is partly in response to China announcing that it will no longer accept plastic waste imports.  For years, EU countries have met their own higher recycling targets and reduced landfill by shipping the excess to China.  Here, the large-scale manufacturing …

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The Best Valentine’s Gift Ever!

Posted by: Rhona Reid On February 13, 2018 7:00 am

The day of love is almost upon us.  Whether you think it’s a cynical ploy to extract whatever disposable income you have left after the Christmas frenzy or the most romantic thing since Romeo scaled a balcony to compare Juliet’s beauty to the sun; you’ll be hard pushed to avoid it.

Give your Valentine the best gift EVER this year.
Go Hearts or Go Home

Manufacturers and stores seemed locked in an unspoken battle to make as many things as possible heart-shaped.  If you’re marking the day of romance at home, why not pick up a pair of heart-shaped tuna steaks?  They’ll go pretty well with the heart shaped fondant potatoes and heart-shaped chocolate mousse.  The message?  Go hearts or …

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Water, Water Everywhere…

Posted by: Rhona Reid On February 7, 2018 12:00 pm

It sounds obvious, but water is everywhere at the moment.  From Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water cleaning up during awards season; the reckless craze for so-called “Raw Water”; the fact that South Africa’s Cape Town is about to reach Day Zero when the water runs out, and closer to home, that America’s own water supply is barely out of the news these days.  

Water is making headlines every day.
What Do We Want From Water?

Water is big news.  Of course it is, it’s a massive part of our lives.  We depend on it for life itself and yet we’re all guilty of wasting it from time to time.  So how did we become so complacent about …

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Why Reverse Osmosis Is NOT the Answer to Chromium-6

Posted by: Rhona Reid On February 6, 2018 7:00 am

The cancer-causing contaminant Chromium-6, brought to the public gaze by Erin Brockovich, is at levels exceeding public health goals in 50 states.

Chromium-6 – Here to Stay?

Millions of people are trying to find a workable solution to protect themselves and their families and to avoid drinking contaminated water.  

What Reverse Osmosis Water Does to the Pipeline

A reverse osmosis water system is sometimes touted as a possible solution on both a domestic and municipal level.  After all, it removes contaminants and that’s the goal, right?

Unfortunately, reverse osmosis is not a solution on either front.  On a city-wide basis, aside from the prohibitive cost of building the plant, the stripped-back water – though admittedly free of contaminants – …

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Half of All Americans Have Radiation in Their Water

Posted by: Rhona Reid On February 1, 2018 12:00 pm

According to this report published in January by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), 173 million people – around half of all Americans – have been exposed to radiation in their drinking water.  That means an increase in the possibility of developing certain types of cancer and can also have a detrimental effect on fetal development.  

Radioactive elements enter our groundwater…and stay there.
The “Erin Brockovich” Chemical

By studying 50,000 water systems countrywide, the EWG found that millions of people across 50 states are drinking water that contains radioactive contaminants; including the most commonly-occurring radioactive element, radium.

In Texas – one of the worst affected states – up to 80% of homes are supplied with water containing potentially dangerous levels of …

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The Environmentally Friendly Odd Couple?

Posted by: Rhona Reid On January 30, 2018 7:00 am

 
Back in November last year we talked about America Recycles Day, a great cause supported by Keep America Beautiful.

We all need to do more of this.

Now, it’s easy to think about the bottled water industry being right at the other end of any “Earth-friendly” scale, but some recent news is heartening and perhaps surprising.  

Planet-Friendly Partnership

On January 17, at the 2018 Keep America Beautiful National Conference, the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) announced that it would be sponsoring the Keep America Beautiful initiative. 

“We stand committed to helping Americans better understand recycling and its potential for economic, environmental and community benefits by working with all stakeholders—manufacturers; the waste management industry; government entities; other nonprofit

…
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Resolution?  What Resolution?

Posted by: Rhona Reid On January 25, 2018 12:00 pm

If you’re among the just-over-half of the population who didn’t make a New Year resolution, then by now you might fall into one of two camps.  The first is being oblivious to the whole thing and simply getting on with life without the pressure/pleasure of a self-imposed goal to work towards.

Does your Near Year resolution look something like this?

The second camp includes those who look on with a touch of envy at the bright-eyed fervor of those winning at their resolutions.  They have a goal.  A “thing.” Something to help pass the long, decidedly un-festive January days.  Dry January?  Veganuary?   At this stage of the month, if you haven’t given something up, then you might be feeling a …

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Just Add Salt?  The New Way that Salt is Harming Our Health

Posted by: Rhona Reid On January 23, 2018 7:00 am

Something else has been identified as a potential health hazard in our water.  To add to the cocktail of potential contaminants that flow out of taps across America, salt has recently been identified as the latest water worry.  

Do you really need more salt?
How Our Soil Gets Salty

Increased use of road salt is a major cause, as is mining, fossil-fuel production and the use of some fertilizers.  The salt seeps into the ground where excessive sodium dislodges the stable soil minerals such as calcium and potassium, changing the composition of the soil itself.

Of course, whatever is in the soil will end up seeping through to our water supply.  The salty water eventually trickles through the layers of …

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