Consumer Reports March 09 green roundup
Here’s the latest news and advice on greener products adapted from the March 2009 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
CARS
Good news about subcompact cars. Unlike cheap economy cars of yesteryear, Consumer Reports says modern small cars have amenities and safety features you’d expect on larger cars. The exception is electronic stability control, an important safety feature that is more difficult to come by than our auto testers would like to see. The Honda Fit tops other cars in this group. Get the complete Subcompact cars report (full report available to subscribers).
F00D
Is “natural” pet-food really natural? There’s no standard definition for the term “natural.” But it implies food has few or no synthetic ingredients. Find out what other pet-food labels really mean.
HEALTH
Research links medications and phthalates. New research from Harvard University, Boston University, and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found phthalate metabolites in people taking certain medications. The study identified 47 drugs that might contain phthalates, which are used to make the coatings for some drugs. Metabolite levels were significantly higher in people who reported taking at least one of four phthalate-containing medications. They were mesalamine (a colitis treatment), didanosine (for HIV), omeprazole (an ulcer treatment), and theophylline (for asthma and lung disease).
HOME & GARDEN
A green-branded glass cleaner that’s transparent about safety. Glass cleaner manufacturers aren’t required to put safety information on the outside of the container, but some provide it voluntarily. Seventh Generation is one brand that Consumer Reports says has safety information that’s easy to see. Get the full story on ConsumerReports.org.
Low-VOC paint claims put to the test. In its latest report on interior paint, Consumer Reports tested the VOC content of finishes that makers maintain have no VOCs and several high scorers that are marketed with no special claims. VOCs were detected in every paint, though none exceeded any applicable government limits, and some paints had lower levels than others. Find out what other green claims on paint mean and get the complete Interior paint report (full report available to subscribers).
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