Must-Read: Triclosan

The only hand sanitizer you should be using

Sprout is one of our fabulous retail stores in San Francisco, and their blog post this week is an important one, all about the chemical Triclosan and why you should beware. Found in everything from dish soap to hand soap to hand sanitizers to cutting boards (!), Triclosan is just about everywhere, touting "antibacterial" powers. Like BPA, it's a controversial substance that has an overwhelming presence in the U.S. market, but is being slowly banned in the EU. (Countries like Norway, Great Britain and Denmark have taken steps in the past 10 years to remove Triclosan from their communities. Isn't is amazing how far the U.S. is always behind...?)

Read Sprout's full article and interview with CleanWell founder and chief scientist Dr. Larry Weiss here.  Not to sound like an ad, but just remember: CleanWell, made from natural thyme oil, is truly the only hand sanitizer anyone should be using.

Sustainable Rock

Pickathon's official dishware, by Bamboo Studio

The fact that Pickathon exists and is so successful is one of the many reasons Portland is such an amazing place to live... What is Pickathon, you ask? It's an "indie roots" outdoor music festival that just went down this past weekend on Pendarvis Farm, about 20 minutes from downtown Portland. If it's not the most eco-friendly festival happening, it's up there. This year it became the first large outdoor music festival to eliminate single-use dishes and utensils. Bamboo Studio provided the official, stylish Pickathon dishware, which I am proud to be able to say I used! (Would have been prouder if I'd remembered to pack my own dishes, but alas...)

In the end, however, it's all about the music. And there was tons of amazing music at Pickathon, including my favorites, Fruit Bats. (You MUST see their new music video below!! You will laugh hard, I promise.) Eric's wife Annie Beedy took the best photos, as usual. Click the link for a real feel...