The top stories at EcoSalon for the first week of 2012. 

A new year is exactly the right time to question – am I in the right job? Here are 10 telltale signs you need to do exactly that.

Could you create just one canful of trash this year? This lady can show you how.

We show how you can strut your stuff like Alexa Chung.

…and start the year with the “big clean” called Oosouji.

Finally, if you’re heading further afield this year, these 40 Gorgeous Photos of Europe may give you a few ideas!

The Grand Tour and beyond.

We’re all familiar with the rolling hills of Tuscany, the cliffs of Santorini, the Eiffel Tower in Paris. But Europe is so much more than classic postcard images. As the continent’s Eastern half becomes more accessible, spots like the ports of Dubrovnik, the caves of Slovenia, and the Renaissance towns of the Czech Republic are becoming more popular as travelers venture off the traditional backpacker’s route. As everywhere, sustainable tourism practices are needed to protect this region’s intense natural beauty.

(above) Appenzell Innerrhoden, Switzerland

Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK

Telc, Czech Republic

Cyprus

Bua, Sweden

Reykjavik, Iceland

Istanbul, Turkey

Mariazell, Austria

Kiev, Ukraine

Crete, Greece

St. Petersburg, Russia

The Pyrenees, Aquitaine, France

Wick, Scotland

Aalesund, Norway

Berlin, Germany

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland

Capri, Italy 

Karkonosze, Poland

Postojna Cave, Slovenia

Paris, France

Margam Park, Wales, UK

Dresden, Germany

Barbarin, Spain

Berg, Austria

Florence, Italy

Copenhagen, Denmark

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Luster Kommune, Norway

Porto, Portugal

Boka Kotorska, Montenegro

Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia

Lanzada, Spain

Castelluccio di Norcia, Italy

Moscow, Russia

Skradinski Buk, Croatia

London, England, UK

Lake Baikal, Siberia, Russia

Neuchâtel, Switzerland

Santorini, Greece

ALSO CHECK OUT:

40 Gorgeous Photos of North America

40 Gorgeous Photos of Asia

40 Gorgeous Photos of Latin America

25 Photos of Islands Threatened By Climate Change

EcoSalon’s weekly playlist pick from 8tracks.

After a week of hanging out with a Swedish friend and talking about various adventures on the other side of the Atlantic, I was having serious Europe withdrawal. Solution? I have officially deemed Sundays “Pretend You’re in Europe Day.” This consists of listening to only European music for the entire day – well, except for your morning dose of NPR of course – making some type of European dish for dinner and then topping it all off with a foreign language film, full of serendipitously galivanting in European metropolises. You know exactly what kind of film I am talking about.

My first official Pretend You’re In Europe Day was fueled by French music. Imagining myself drinking a cafe au lait in a French cafe makes any dreary Sunday about eleven times better. But since sometimes you just need a little escape, your Pretend You’re in Europe Day can be any day of the week, and what better day then Monday? To get you started, here are three of the French inspired mixes that we just can’t get enough of today: French, The French Playlist and Cafe de la Paix.

On Music Monday we bring you a featured playlist from one of our favorite music sites 8tracks. From indie rock to electro pop we hope it’s a playlist that kicks your week off right. 

Image: boliston

ColumnWhat exactly is the French Paradox? Turns out it’s just a different attitude towards food.

Mes amis, let us take a moment and go francophile. But first let me preface this by acknowledging that there was in fact a time when my love affair with France hit a dark spot.

A longtime francophile – “Anna, do you really have to always pronounce croissant with a French accent?” – I did what any person in love would do: I moved. But somewhere along the line, France stopped being the romantic place it once had been. My newfound relationship with the place, once seductive and alluring, turned commonplace, and in the midst of dealing with French bureaucracy, I was no longer intrigued by the je ne sais quoi.

But like any good relationship, distance did it some good, and now France and I are back to where we once were, with me constantly craving a taste of French culture. Which brings me back to food.

As a culture, we have long been intrigued by the idea that French women don’t get fat. But that concept stretches across an entire nation, giving us the French paradox. How does one consume cream, butter and ample amounts of cheese and still manage to be perfectly in shape? Our Anglo minds have a hard time grappling with this question, but really it all comes down to how we think about food, and in France it’s all about having a respect for what’s on the plate in front of you. A way of life instead of a lifestyle choice.

Ultimately the French Paradox isn’t a paradox at all, it’s just about a few simple values that we could easily start incorporating into our own lives, no matter where we live.

Food Is Culture

Although local love for the national cuisine may be failing, an appreciation for good food in France has never diminished, and the commitment to keeping the tie between eating and feeling good is alive and strong. Take Le Fooding for example. Deemed “A taste of the times,” it’s a restaurant guide/food festival/food news site, and one that’s committed more to putting the “feeling” back into food.

“We are about having food with fun, and with a smile,” Le Fooding’s founder Alexandre Cammas told the Los Angeles Times. And herein lies the French paradox: food is directly tied to emotional well being. French people don’t eat because they have to, they eat because it’s a valued part of their day and their culture.

Food Is Food

As Maurice Edmond Sailland (pen-name Curnonsky) once said, “Fine cooking is when the things you have cooked taste as they are.” A roasted chicken with a rich sauce may sound decadent to our American-trained stomachs, but as it turns out, real food is not only healthier, it’s also cheaper than the fast food, high caloric alternatives.

Real food isn’t processed, and it certainly doesn’t come vacuum packed and wrapped in styrofoam, and hitting up the market every day for a basket of vegetables instead of potato chips quickly leads to a healthier society.

Food Is Quality

When kids aren’t allowed to eat ketchup in the cafeteria anymore – unless it’s for the once a week burger – you know a country is doing something right. Meanwhile we’re sitting back and only barely touching the surface of the issue, with all kinds of ridiculous backlash, including the likes of Sarah Palin touting the benefits of sweets.

But the French know that when it comes to children, they have to set an example. “France must be an example to the world in the quality of its food, starting with its children,” said Bruno Le Maire, French Minister for Agriculture and Food.

Food is Tradition

Although you’ll certainly find a few cupcakes in France, food fads don’t hit like they do on our side of the Atlantic. Deep down, the French know what they are supposed to eat: whole grains, fruits and vegetables, dairy and protein. Sure, the supermarket has over 100 kinds of yogurt, but 100 kinds of yogurt is much better than 100 kinds of sugary breakfast cereal.

Because food is tradition, there are certain classic staples that remain part of the culture. You’d be hard pressed to find a French person who doesn’t know a thing or two about cheese, and wherever you are in the country, if you just take time to ask, it won’t take long to learn what the regional specialty is and who in town makes it.

Food Isn’t Treated as Unlimited

Most of us, even broke 20-somethings, have the ability to buy way more food than we need. Compare this to places where almost entire household incomes go to sustaining a family, and you begin to see the disparity. Unfortunately because it’s hard to resist a good thing, even though we don’t need everything that we’re able to purchase, we still have a tendency to consume it and that means larger portions and more of them. French people eat until they are full, and then stop. Those French women consuming all that heavy cream and butter? They do it in moderation, knowing their personal limits.

Food is Joie de Vivre

Everyone has to eat, so why not enjoy the moment, preferably with friends? Eating with others has not only emotional benefits but also means you’re not sitting in front of the television alone, mindlessly moving your hand from chip bag to mouth. Food is meant to be enjoyed; given the time it took to get from the earth to your plate, it deserves to be enjoyed.

Want to be more French? Don’t just whip up a coq au vin or grab a croissant with your coffee for breakfast tomorrow. Eating French isn’t about the specific dishes, it’s about the entire process. Think about what you eat, where it comes from and enjoy the process of consuming it and who you’re eating it with. In fact, c’est simple.

Editor’s note: This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’s weekly column at EcoSalon, Foodie Underground, discovering what’s new and different in the underground food movement, from supper clubs to mini markets to the culinary avant garde.

Images: carolus124, pdbreen, Mike Towber

Who says mobile home camping is for old people?

Have you ever found yourself wondering, whatever happened to Right Said Fred? Of course you have, unless you’re too sexy to admit it. Sit down. Park it. I have some news for you: this September in a field somewhere in Worcestershire County England, Right Said Fred is headlining Vanfest 2011.

What, pray tell, is Vanfest? It is the world’s largest event for owners, lovers and enthusiasts of the Volkswagen Transporter Van. More than 8,000 vehicles and 25,000 people are expected to attend.

Imagine events like a Cooking in a Camper Contest wherein contestants are given an hour to prepare a three-course meal (in their camper) and a Show & Shine competition for the shiniest and prettiest camper. Experts from Germany are being flown in to lead a VW tuning workshop.

In a word, it’s going to be wicked. Like this van:

Wicked Campers is a van rental company that specializes in travel and “wicked paint jobs,” as seen above.

Vanfest 2011 takes place from September 9-11 and promises to be every bit as exciting as in years past. It’s been going on for 17 years now, growing in tandem with the popularity of a sub-culture that’s swept the British Isles and the continent itself: the Camper Van Traveler.

Here in America, our equivalent of Vanfest might be the parking lot of an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet en route to a National Park or Great Lake. That’s because we think of our vehicular campers as retired seniors with massive pensions and even bigger motor homes.

Not so in Europa, where highways are dotted with sleek German engineered VWs like The California (oddly not available in the US) or refurbished classics, sometimes converted to biodiesel and other times manufactured to be eco.

My cousin-in-law in Brighton, UK has one; she and her husband simply motor off whenever they fancy. Color me jealous.

My neighbor in Spain has one and my tummy bubbles with envy every time I see him load his kids, bikes and wife into the van for another impromptu Andalusian adventure. His VW campervan is red, like a Porsche. It’s not fair.

And I’ll never forget the sexy Mediterranean couple I pitched a tent next to a few years ago in Cabo de Gata. They pulled up in their camper van and engaged in a silent ritualistic dinner prep, their bodies tan and lithe, the smells wafting from their trunk making me regret the pizza I grabbed in town.

Europe is particularly campervan friendly because it’s home to some of the finest campgrounds in the world; you can even pitch a tent in Paris, totally vagrant-free in a family friendly lot. Granted, it might not be most fuel-efficient form of travel, it is certainly kind on the wallet, energy-efficient in that you needn’t rely on a hotel to power your holiday, and fosters community.

Just take a look at these photos from Vanfest 2010.

Tell me, where would you rather crash for the night: here or the Holiday Inn?

Images: Wicked Campers; Lloydi; Little Peppercorn;

With A/W 2011 fashion events currently underway here in Europe, many journalists and reporters are all already rather burnt out from a schedule that just does not quit. Perhaps this is why traveling to some of the other shows provides insight and a tempo that allows one to enjoy the host city at a pace that seems a bit more natural and sustainable. My recent trip to Berlin for a spectrum of sustainable fashion happenings was a great opportunity to learn about both local and international fashion talent, as well as the dynamic agenda of Berlin’s edgy and inviting green scene.

Berliners definitely love fashion despite their beloved city’s industrial gray palette and bone-chilling temperatures. During my excursions out and about the town, not a single cab driver held back from commenting on the sartorial goings on. Posters everywhere also featured Mercedes Benz Fashion Week ads side by side with eco fashion billing. Even cooler? The organizers of Lavera Showfloor Berlin’s runway events opened up many of their evening shows to the public. This in my opinion is a great way to energize a city’s populus in the depths of winter as well as helping to spread the message of sustainable fashion goodness.

THE KEY.TO showroom floor (photo: Abigail Doan)

My agenda while in Berlin was to attend the GREENshowroom at Hotel Adlon and THEKEY.TO‘s ethical and sustainable fashion showcase. Both events are now regular fixtures during Berlin Fashion Week, although with a focus that differs somewhat in my opinion. The GREENshowroom puts more of an eco-luxe spin on their designer presentations, due in part to the posh setting in suites at the Hotel Adlon, just around the corner from the historic Brandenburg Gate. THE KEY.TO’s venue is a more of a raw space with a grassroots ‘conspiracy vibe’ pumping through the open hall. Both were well curated and offered a mix of old and new names, with attendees who seemed more informed than ever about the current state of eco fashion and the resourceful methods that designers are now experimenting with.

Isabell de Hillerin‘s A/W 2011 runway presentation (photo: Abigail Doan)

Isabell de Hillerin runway finale (photo: Abigail Doan)

I was fortunate to also catch local designer Isabell de Hillerin‘s evening runway presentation – staged in a renovated transformer station that was lit up like a mise-en-scène film set. Everywhere I ventured, the message seemed clear: art, fashion, and sustainable enterprises make for great dialogue provided that you can actually take the time to get to know the folks around you. Berlin is not really a scene for air-kissing fashion experts, and this is rather refreshing given the work that still has to get done on the sustainable fashion frontier.

Magdalena Shaffrin collection

Here are a few key things that I concluded during a three day span that seemed way too short to absorb the energy and creative spirit that was surely just revealing itself to me:

1) People love fashion, and we should not assume that they do not want to be a part of or participate in current initiatives. If we really want to create a “conspiracy” in (sustainable) fashion, then we should continue to find revolutionary ways to democratize fashion and future fashion week events.

ELEMENTUM Collection by Daniela Pais

2) There are indeed new markets for creating pieces that do more, while also looking genuinely chic and original. The European-made label, ELEMENTUM by Daniela Pais, is proof that six pieces can indeed by cleverly transformed into totally wearable ensembles. One simply needs to take the time to play with and accessorize one’s wardrobe. Garment construction that aims for zero waste can also be extremely wearable and trend defying.

KM/A design exhibited at THEKEY.TO showcase (photo: Abigail Doan)

3) In addition to recycling garments and textile waste materials, we have now entered an era where every single scrap counts. Designers can create the most remarkable and innovative designs out of seemingly useless bits and pieces that fall to the studio floor. This requires supreme technical artistry, though, not just a desire to be “thrifty” or “crafty”. The phenomenon of studio materials being factored in from start to finish is upon us. KM/A studio in Vienna demonstrates this with their hand-crafting of exquisite frocks and overcoats hand crafted out of 60s parachute textile scraps as well as recycled wool military blankets.

KM/A recycled military blanket coats

Additionally, Estonian designer Reet Aus has created a new platform, called Trash to Trend, where manufacturers and shops can submit information on their industrial leftovers and unsold garments. Sustainable fashion designers can then access this information and use desired raw material for their own collections.

Reet Aus recycled textiles collection at THEKEY.TO’s runway show

4) As the conversation about storytelling in clothing and the development of personal style continues, sustainable fashion designers are increasingly thinking and working as modern day anthropologists who now consider every aspect of how their design is used, interpreted by the wearer, and then continually updated to fit with each person’s lifestyle. As street style websites also continue to proliferate (though perhaps they have reached their peak?), we are more than ever considering what impressions we make and what narrative journey we embark on as we walk out the door. Knowing and working with your personal style is as vital to (sustainable) fashion as knowing what options there are for environmentally-friendly and socially-responsible designs.

5) And perhaps this is obvious, but there is never a substitute for quality. Several of the designers at this past week’s event have been working for years to create an ideal design equation that combines impeccable tailoring, innovative pattern cutting, attention to detail, the highest quality sustainable fabrics available, as well as a mission that addresses sustainable living and design. Collections by Camilla Norrback, Magdalena Shaffrin, Rianne de Witte, Isabell de Hillerin, and Reet Aus will never go out of style, and we should continue to support these refined fashion efforts and unique creative explorations. Fashion will reach the people if the story is a shared and lasting experience.

Main image courtesy of Elementum by Daniela Pais; Reet Aus runway image courtesy of THEKEY.TO and the designer

When it comes to Europe, I’ve always been a proponent of fresh baked baguettes, a good chunk of cheese and a bottle of local wine as your best bet for a good meal; European culinary travel means not always having to shell out a fortune for good food. But Europe is also the epicenter of fine dining, known for luxurious restaurants and elaborate menus that elicit a sense of upper class. But just like in North America, times are changing, especially in light of recent economic woes, making inexpensive cuisine the new European chic.

What’s the latest Euro trend? Draft mojitos. Hand muddled lime is apparently so passe, at least when the premixed version comes at less than four euros a pop, which is good for both consumers pocketbooks and bars that have until now seen a decline in their clientele. Sure, a draft cocktail is undoubtedly less classy than a hand shaken and stirred concoction, but who knows, maybe the new invention will become something like the PBR of cocktails.

But it doesn’t stop at drinks. Some of Europe’s longstanding street food favorites are starting to get their own levels of new-found respect. Just last week a pita and falafel joint made the Belgian GaultMillau list, which is on par with Michelin or Zagat in terms of ranking restaurants. In a down economy, low key, traditional joints are experiencing a sort of revival, with emphasis on frugal instead of typical definitions of fine dining. This idea of “Bistronomy” puts a focus on simple, classic flavors, for which European cuisine is already known. Now it just happens to be hip again. As the AP is calling it: “Gourmet grunge.”

And, as it turns out, it might not even be all on account of less money. Scaling back and returning to classic recipes might just be because of a general desire to simplify.

Fed up with overly fancy cooking, several chefs in France and some in Belgium have opted out of the Michelin rating system in recent years, complaining that it costs too much to maintain stars and no longer gives them the sheer joy of cooking with simple ingredients.

Which means that baguette picnic lunch just made it to five-star class.

Image: athomson

Drive small and thrive might well be the European motto. Green actions speak louder than words in Europe when it comes to energy and consumption and walking the walk. They ride bikes and walk more than we do to get around, use and waste less of our limited resources, have a different sense of space. Just don’t throw around terms like green and eco expecting everyone there to know what you mean.

Throughout my travels in Italy, the term “eco” got lost in translation – and I resorted to hand signs and terms such as nature and sun power to investigate the Italian practices or describe what I do for a living. Still, many signs show Europeans have as beat when it comes to practicing restraint in their lifestyles and consumption.

It could simply stem from resources like water and petrol being considered more precious. As a college student in England, I was told my gin and tonics lacked ice because freezing water for cocktails was frivolous. I suppose this also explained the dull hair many of us have witnessed in our European travels. Fewer showers are another concession to save. In this sense, French cologne is indispensable and might also be lauded as green.

Also woven into the culture is smaller, more economical cars and homes, due to population density, higher fuel costs and necessity. Honda Civics might be considered an adequate family car – not the minivan, which would be more for tourists. If you aren’t walking, biking or taking public transit, as more Europeans do as a matter of practicality and habit, then you are most likely tooting around in a compact (although power counts in certain circles where larger BMWs hold status).

“Whether in crowded cities like Rome or Budapest, or centuries-old villages, people get around on their own power,” notes eco travel writer, Wendy Worrall Redal. “It’s easier than negotiating jammed streets, finding scarce parking and paying $10 a gallon for gas. Age has nothing to do with it; you’re as likely to see a wrinkled grandmother toting a wheeled market cart or pedaling her cruiser, as you are more youthful cyclists.”

Here are some comparisons:

Banning Cosmetic Chemicals

Activists trying to rid our shelves and salons of toxic chemicals point to the fact the European Union has banned 1,100 chemicals in cosmetics, while the  Food and Drug Administration in America has only banned ten. The nasty agents the FDA approves cause cancer, birth defects, genetic mutation and organ damage. It appears our regulatory system has no authority to test cosmetic chemicals or require companies to conduct safety testing before selling. Definitions also vary. The FDA defines cosmetics on vague lingo to minimizing government interference form profiteering, while the The European Union Cosmetics Directive clearly puts thee health of the consumer first. Why are their laws more stringent? Undoubtedly the same reason why the government is loose on meat protections. It’s all about the money.

Cleaner Vino

First, there is the innate friendliness bred into the land. France was the first country to introduce anything remotely close to our concept of “organic” wine. Vineyards of the Loire region that involve small, organically-farmed estates, avoided pesticides as a matter of conscience to produce their grapes at a time Americans were pushing baby formula and frozen dinners. Beyond the spraying, is the transport of the bottle. A study analyzing wine carbon suggests East Coasters (New Yorkers and Miamians) are better off buying a Bordeaux than a Napa-based wine because the greenhouse gas emissions from shipping are far less than those from trucking.

Reduced Aviation Emissions

Speaking of transport, the European Union has led the way in reducing aviation emissions through its cap-and-trade system for carbon dioxide. Starting in 2012, all international flights landing in the Union must meet regulations capping emissions at 97 percent of the baseline (95 percent by 2012). The plan called for airlines with carbon shortfalls to purchase additional permits from European markets. Meanwhile, airport operator BAA has invested $1.65 billion on a green makeover of its terminal Heathrow East to cut carbon emissions by 40 percent. As the new home of Star Alliance Airlines, the upgrades involve solar panels on the roof, north-facing windows for natural lighting, and a new energy center using renewable resources for heat and air.

Eating and Drinking Less, Without Disposables

I will never forget a Weight Watchers meeting in which a member brought in a biscuit from England, saying they don’t supersize their teas with ginormous American-size chocolate chip cookies. The fact Europeans consume less food and walk more means they don’t struggle with diets the way Americans do. They also shun to-go cups, even at panini or espresso bars where if you need a paper cup to dash out, then you are clearly in too much of a hurry. Pasta isn’t piled sky high on a plate, but often served in an appetizer size portions, unless requested otherwise by an American. Again, the concept less is more is ingrained in the mentality – the same one that prefers quality over quantity. Sure, they smoke like fiends, but that’s another story.

Euro Trash: Switzerland Scores High on Recycling, While Europe As a Whole Lags

While there is a tendency to use less, Europe on the whole does seem to be lagging behind in the areas of recycling and composting trash. The BBC reported only 17.7 percent  of England’s households recycle, while the U.S recycles 28 percent of its waste. Still, Switzerland stands out as one country that is making strides, recycling 80 percent of its PET bottle drink containers, higher than the European average of 20 to 40 percent. The Swiss incentive is not just environmental, but also financial, since recycling is free while all trash bags require a sticker that cost one euro apiece. Without the stickers, trash will be left out to rot.

Images: pedrosimoes; Uggboy; idhren; my pouss; Mariamonastery; Kecko

Whenever I daydream on a particularly dreary day, I imagine walking along the streets of Paris, dressed, coiffed, and projecting je ne sais quoi, like the uniquely chic French girls. Like most Americans, I’m guilty of Euro-worship. Everything seems better across the pond: the food, the men, the beauty products. While we insist on injecting ourselves with Botox, European women seem to know how to age gracefully. But perhaps the secret to European healthy living lies in the fact that the European Union strictly regulates the extremely hazardous chemicals found in everyday products here in the United States.

To date, the EU has banned 1,100 chemicals in cosmetics; the Food and Drug Administration in America has banned only ten. In fact, Cover Girl waterproof mascara contains the same ingredient (petroleum distillates, an oil by-product) as Dr. Scholl’s Wart Remover-both of which are illegal in Europe. Shocking, right? While I would never intentionally coat my lashes with wart remover, I do apply mascara multiple times a day. When I realized that many of the chemicals banned in the EU-but found in FDA-approved beauty products-cause cancer, birth defects, genetic mutation, and organ damage, I wondered: why is our regulation system so different from (and, dare I say, less effectual than) that of our European neighbors?

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Bithionol?

If the U.S. has thus far prohibited only ten chemicals, you can imagine they’re pretty gnarly. As of 2010, the FDA has banned the following chemicals from any product sold in the U.S.:

• Choloroflurorocarbon
• Chloroform
• Halogenated salicylanilides
• Hexachlorophene
• Mercury
• Ethylene chloride
• Bithionol
• Prohibited cattle material (tallow and its by-products)
• Trichloroethane
• Zirconium

The names may sound like a foreign language, but these chemicals were available in aerosol hairsprays, shampoos, face creams, deodorants, and more up until a few decades ago. Several other chemicals found in fragrances, such as AETT (acetyl ethyl tetramethyl tetralin) and nitrosamines, can cause severe neurotoxic disorders and discoloration of internal organs. The fragrance industry voluntarily discontinued using these additives in the 1970s.

Unfortunately, U.S. law can’t prevent other countries from importing prohibited cosmetics. Mercury, used mostly in skin bleaching or whitening products, used to be a preservative in shampoos, bubble bath, hair color, deodorants, etc. As it’s absorbed through the skin, mercury causes brain, kidney, and lung damage. But cosmetics containing mercury are often smuggled into the U.S. from China or India. After a case of mercury poisoning from an illegally imported skin-whitening cream occurred, the FDA warned against using such products but was unable to take any further legal action.

The Sheriff of Makeup Town

When it comes to cosmetics, the FDA is largely a paper tiger. Unlike with food and drug additives, the FDA has no authority to test chemicals in cosmetics, to require safety testing before products reach the consumer market, or to recall products. Cosmetic manufacturers are wholly responsible for the safety of their own products and for making sure they adhere to the FDA’s guidelines. Companies also aren’t required to register their cosmetic establishments, file data on ingredients, or report cosmetic-related injuries to FDA.

Compare U.S. legislation with European law. The U.S. Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act defines cosmetics as products for “cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance.” The intentionally vague language gives manufacturers a lot of freedom to produce questionable merchandise without the risk of government interference.

By contrast, the European Union Cosmetics Directive (EUCD) defines a cosmetic as “any substance or preparation intended to be placed in contact with the various external parts of the human body (epidermis, hair system, nails, lips and external genital organs) or with the teeth and the mucous membranes of the oral cavity with a view exclusively or mainly to cleaning them, perfuming them, changing their appearance, and/or correcting body odours and/or protecting them or keeping them in good condition.”

In case that wasn’t clear enough, the EUCD mandates that products “must not cause damage to human health when applied under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use.”

While the EU has more protective and stringent laws toward cosmetics than the U.S. does, it also has the advantage of having each member state regulate products within its own national borders. Where we have one regulatory body, Europe has twenty-seven independent (but cooperative) organizations.

Blinding Us with Science

So who tests for unsafe additives in beauty products in the U.S.? The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), a self-policing safety panel, is the FDA’s main source of scientific data. According to its Web site, the CIR “thoroughly reviews and assesses the safety of ingredients used in cosmetics in an open, unbiased, and expert manner, and publishes the results in the peer-reviewed scientific literature.”

But despite its claims of “fair and balanced” results, the CIR is funded by the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC), an industry group of more than six hundred cosmetic companies. In fact, the PCPC reportedly spent over $600,000 on lobbyists in Sacramento to prevent the California Safe Cosmetics Act of 2005, a law that would have required manufacturers to post any unsafe ingredients on product labels, from passing.

Reports from environmental and public-health groups, like the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, have often directly contradicted the “safe” findings of the CIR. In a 2007 study, the Environmental Working Group found that:

• One in thirty products sold in the U.S. fails to meet industry or government safety standards.
• Nearly four hundred products sold in the U.S., such as Crest Whitestrips and Neutrogena daily face cream, contain chemicals banned in Japan, Canada, and the EU.
• Ninety-eight percent of all products assessed contained one or more ingredients never tested for safety.

However, even with the CIR’s reports readily available, many cosmetic companies continue to create products that defy safety guidelines. Since the CIR has the authority only to “advise,” not to regulate, these products are still sold in stores all across America. U.S. companies often create safer products for their European market and sell the more dangerous versions in American stores.

Many companies acknowledge the danger of the chemicals in their products but insist that using the product as directed minimizes health risks. But before you lather, rinse, and repeat, remember that trace chemical amounts accumulate over time in the human body, and the CIR’s tests don’t account for lifelong use. Your daily body wash might contain a small, permissible amount of phthalates, but over the course of several years, the amount of phthalates in your body can reach extremely unhealthy levels.

A Safer Lipstick, a Healthier You

These days, if you’re not eating free-range, organic, all-natural food, expect to drop dead any minute-at least, that’s what your vegan-fanatic neighbor would have you believe. But Americans are so concerned with what they put in their mouths, they forget to watch what they put on their skin. I’m no different: a trip to Whole Foods’ produce section gives me a sense of superiority, but I still wash my hair with Pantene Pro-V.

Before you pull a Henry David Thoreau and become a hermit in the woods, remember that you can get involved. Tell your congressional representative your concerns about effecting stricter legislation, and try to buy products whose ingredients you can recognize easily. CosmeticsDatabase.com is a wonderful resource for toxicity levels of brand-name products. It’s inevitable that my body will encounter a fair share of toxic chemicals over a lifetime-thank goodness for my liver!-but if I can make small changes to my daily routine, my body will thank me in the long run.

Article by Bijani Mizell for DivineCaroline. First published May 2010.

Related DivineCaroline posts:

• The Price of Beauty: What’s Lurking in Your Cosmetics?
• When It Comes to Beauty, It Ain’t Easy Being Green
• How to Tell if Your Beauty Products Are Actually Natural

Image: Akira Ohgaki

Spain’s Alta Velocidad Espanola train is destined to win the race against carbon emissions.

Spain’s Alta Velocidad Española (AVE) high-speed rail service is providing a greener, and more enjoyable way to travel short distances. For example, approximately six million people travel the 325 miles between Barcelona and Madrid each year. In previous years, 90 percent of those people have been taking it to the skies to do so. The number of jet-setters is lower these days, with frequent short-distance travelers choosing the speedy train.

According to analysts, rail travel emits one-fourth of the carbon dioxide emissions created by flying or driving. With such large numbers of people regularly taking the train instead of flying, it should really help toward reaching the country’s goal of reducing its carbon emissions by 20 percent in the next decade.

Although the rail service will generously aid in environmental efforts, most passengers on the AVE do not choose the service because it’s greener, they choose it because they like it better. The trains are comfortable, offer numerous amenities and don’t require passengers to check in early. The last point is particularly important to business travelers who frequently journey back and forth between cities.

Soon all of Europe’s short-distance routes may be dominated by high-speed trains rather than airplanes. The shift is considered a huge advancement toward the EU’s fight against harmful emissions. In this matter, the US is still lagging behind. Spain alone is expecting to budget $80 billion for rail travel, while $8 billion has been set aside for the entire United States. The good news is that steps are in place for greener, easier and more enjoyable travel for everyone.

Editor’s note: Article by Katie Leavitt. Originally published by our friends at Tonic.com. Tonic is a digital media company and news source dedicated to promoting the good that happens each day around the world. Tonic tells the stories of people and organizations who are working to make a difference, by inspiring good in themselves and others. Be sure to visit them and say hi, and follow Tonic on Twitter, too!

Image: dominguin