Two recent studies have linked environmental issues to premature and low birth weight babies. First a study of Chinese newborns published in the Journal of Pediatrics suggests that pregnant women exposed to phthalates could have an increased risk of delivering a low birth weight baby. Those plasticizers commonly found in shower curtains, soft plastic toys, cleaning products and even personal care products mimic estrogen and may interfere with fetal development.

Another study conducted by scientists at the University of California found that women exposed to air pollution along highways and congested roads are more likely to deliver prematurely and suffer from preeclampsia. The findings were based on women living in the traffic-heavy area of Long Beach/Orange County, California.

So what can you do if your pregnant or planning to concieve?  Click here to read more

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By now you probably know that it’s easy to find a celebrity spilling their thoughts (in 140 characters or less) on Twitter—sometimes to the point that they’ll end up wishing they hadn’t—but the chirping social site can be used for more than just gossip and a peek into a lifestyle you’ll likely never be able to afford, Twitter can be a place to learn and to speak out (as in the case of the Iran opposition protests). So why not follow a few green celebrities who will let you into their jetset lifestyles (or electric car lifestyles) and, in the process, give you some ideas on the environment and what you can do to improve things. Here’s our list of 10 green celebrities who tweet (don’t have a Twitter? You can sign up here):

1. Ed Begley Jr., actor and author (edbegleyjr)

You can’t talk about green celebrities without mentioning Ed Begley Jr., who’s just as famous for his electric car promoting as he is for his roles at this point. On his Twitter you’ll find links to his website, excerpts from his book and notices providing you with plenty of places to check out Ed in person. Click here to read more

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Would you consider wearing reused and recycled clothing to an event requesting cocktail attire? Would you guess this Kat dress falls into that category? It does. You always need strappy summer dresses for weddings and seasonal celebrations, so why not choose a little black dress that’s made without creating new materials? Deux FM knows how to combine style and ethics so flawlessly that you’d never know.

The Kat cocktail dress has a flattering fit with seaming up top and a flared skirt to add volume on the bottom. And you’ve gotta love any dress than can hold its own in the fancy category and still have pockets. Click here to read more

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Tomorrow the country will be celebrating its Independence Day, and that means 4th of July fireworks will be lighting up skies all across America. Unfortunately those awe-inspiring explosions and breathtaking burst of color can do some fairly significant damage in the short time they’re streaking across the sky, contributing to air pollution and contaminating nearby bodies of water with harmful perchlorates. Knowing the eco-aftermath of firework shows that typically last 10 minutes or less can be disheartening and make it difficult to justify such festivities, but one day you may not have to feel guilty about taking in a pyrotechnic masterpiece. Researchers have been working on new formulas for fireworks that don’t include perchlorates and are made up of cleaner burning materials that produce less smoke. Click here to read more

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