Abortion pills, often confused with Plan B (the morning-after pill), and historically referred to as RU486 (mifepristone), are part of a broader category of reproductive health medications that women have been using for decades. But they are not the same thing.

Plan B is emergency contraception used shortly after unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy from occurring. Abortion pills, by contrast—typically a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol—are used to terminate an early pregnancy after it has already begun. These medications have become the most common method of abortion in the United States.

Related: scientist shows how her brain changes on birth control

While there are documented health effects if misused, these pills—both emergency contraception and medication abortion—have significantly increased sexual freedom and reproductive autonomy for women. And these effects catch on in the Middle East, where abortion is illegal for for the most part. Most women in the Middle East, and increasingly now in parts of America, if you can believe it, do not have reliable access to abortion pills or even Plan B.

Years ago, I worked with writer Loolwa Khazoom researching a piece for Vogue or Harper’s on an abortion boat, a Dutch-flagged ship that operated off the coast of countries like Spain when abortion was illegal. Women would be taken into international waters where Dutch physician Rebecca Gomberts could legally perform abortions on her floating clinic. She said, “I figured we would sail from country to country and help X number of women per day.”

It was a workaround that was creative, controversial, and telling.

Today, the workaround is digital and under threat.

I am not arguing here whether abortion should or should not be offered on moral or religious grounds. That is a private decision. But the fact that the United States is now moving to restrict the mailing of abortion pills like mifepristone means that some states that have outlawed abortion may end up with women’s lives on their hands.

A recent federal appeals court ruling has moved to block the mailing of abortion pills and require in-person dispensing, challenging long-standing FDA guidance that allowed telehealth prescriptions and pharmacy access. Medication abortion—often prescribed online and delivered by mail—accounts for the majority of abortions in the U.S., and about one in four had been accessed via telehealth.

Related: Turkish woman first to receive womb transplant 

US states where abortion is illegal

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Idaho
• Indiana
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Oklahoma
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• West Virginia

Like I said, there are a variety of reasons why women seek abortions.

In the Middle East, except in countries like Turkey and Israel, premarital sex is not socially accepted. Of course people have sex secretly and then deal with the consequences according to local customs and doctors who often work quietly behind the scenes. In Egypt, for instance, social pressures have led to practices like hymen reconstruction surgeries. These realities exist regardless of the law. Read here about the creative ways Muslims stay virgins in Arab countries.

In Turkey, many parts of the country are conservative and if you are renting a hotel with a man you do need to say you are married and use his last name. Honor killings still happen. In a shocking case, an 18-year woman Oya Budak was murdered by her fiance after he discovered she was pregnant by her rapist. She was raped by someone familiar to her and did not disclose this fact prior to them making an arranged married.

Women in conservative societies can face severe consequences for pregnancy outside marriage, including violence. The stakes are high. I know a doctor whose patient was killed after not receiving an abortion in time.

Restricting access to abortion pills does not eliminate abortion—it pushes it underground or across borders.

In the U.S., people are already finding ways around restrictions. Some travel across state lines to access care. Others rely on telehealth providers in states with legal protections, or order abortion pills online from international services operating in legal gray zones. Some use misoprostol-only regimens, which are widely recognized as safe and effective. Information networks, encrypted consultations, and nonprofit support systems have become part of the new infrastructure of access.

Restricting access to abortion pills will not stop abortions. It will only make them harder, riskier, and more unequal.

While I do believe marrying young and having children young might be a stable path for some (something I wasn’t taught), I will leave my kids with that decision to make.

If your are connected to the Palestinian cause, where abortions are not legal, maybe you can use some online warrior energy and help women EVERYWHERE get access to abortion pills. Here are the countries in the Middle East with access to abortion pills:

Middle East abortion access (updated)

The post Abortion Pills, Plan B and Mifepristone and what the new US mail ban means appeared first on Green Prophet.

A new study from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York offers a striking insight into how the environments we are born into can quietly shape our brains years later. By analyzing naturally shed baby teeth, the ones tucked under pillows for the tooth fairy, researchers have reconstructed a detailed timeline of exposure to environmental metals during pregnancy and early infancy. What they found reads like a forensic map of vulnerability.

The study, published in Science Advances, followed children from the PROGRESS birth cohort in Mexico City, tracking them from the womb into adolescence. Using a laser-based technique, scientists were able to read the chemical composition of baby teeth much like tree rings: each layer revealing exposure to metals such as lead, manganese, zinc, and magnesium at specific developmental stages.

This approach allowed researchers to pinpoint not just what children were exposed to, but when, and timing, it turns out, is everything.

Two critical windows emerged as especially sensitive: the first between weeks 4 and 8 after birth, and the second between weeks 32 and 42. During these narrow periods, higher exposure to metal mixtures correlated with measurable differences in later brain structure, connectivity, and behavior.

Adolescents who had higher exposures during these windows showed increased symptoms linked to anxiety, attention challenges, and mood disorders.

Many of the metals studied—such as manganese, zinc, magnesium, and lead—are commonly encountered through food, drinking water, and the built environment.

“This study shows that when exposure happens matters just as much as what the exposure is,” said senior author Megan K. Horton, PhD, MPH, Professor, Environmental Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “Our findings shift prevention from broad early-life exposure concerns to protecting children during specific high-risk windows.”

Lead author Elza Rechtman, PhD, Assistant Professor, Environmental Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, emphasized the broader environmental significance: “What surprised us most was how precisely these vulnerable windows emerged. Exposures occurring during just a few critical weeks—especially in early infancy—were linked to measurable differences in brain structure, connectivity, and behavior more than a decade later. These findings highlight how environmental policies that reduce metal exposure during pregnancy and infancy could have lifelong benefits for brain health.”

“The results suggest that environmental regulations and public health policies may need to focus more specifically on protecting pregnant people and infants from metal exposure in food, water, and housing,” added Dr. Arora.

This isn’t about a single toxin causing harm, the researchers note. Instead, it’s about a complex cocktail of everyday exposures: heavy metals found in food such as fish, water, and pesticides from the urban environments interacting with a developing brain at precisely the wrong moment. About 4% of children in the study showed behavioral scores in the clinical range, suggesting real-world implications for mental health.

Brain imaging backed this up. MRI scans revealed that early exposure was linked to changes in how different brain regions communicate, subtly rewiring that may only become visible years later in behavior or emotional regulation.

For researchers, this marks a shift toward what they call “precision environmental health.” Instead of broadly warning about early-life exposure, the goal is now to identify, and protect, the specific developmental windows when the brain is most at risk. It’s a more targeted, and potentially more actionable, way to think about prevention.

The researchers noted that simple steps that may help reduce exposure include:

• Ensuring safe drinking water
• Careful food preparation and sourcing
• Reducing exposure to known environmental metal sources

The implications ripple outward. For families, it reinforces the importance of reducing exposure to contaminants in water, food, and housing, especially during pregnancy and infancy. For clinicians, it suggests that environmental history should be part of how we understand long-term mental health risks. And for policymakers, it raises a sharper question: are current environmental regulations precise enough to protect the most vulnerable moments of human development?

In a warming, industrialized world where environmental exposures are shifting, this kind of research feels necessary. The idea that a few weeks of exposure early in life could echo across a decade reframes how we think about both risk and responsibility. How we help reduce exposure to toxins is another story.

A brief history: Mount Sinai as a Jewish hospital

Mount Sinai Hospital in New York was founded in 1852 by members of the city’s German Jewish community as the “Jews’ Hospital,” created to serve Jewish immigrants who often faced discrimination in existing medical institutions. It quickly became a center not only for care but for medical training and innovation, open to all regardless of background. Over time, it expanded into one of the leading academic medical centers in the United States, shedding its sectarian name but retaining its roots in community care, social justice, and scientific leadership, which are values that continue to shape its research today.

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Is artificial turf bad for your health? Artificial turf, the green plastic surface designed to look like grass, has been sold to homeowners as a clever compromise: a green-looking yard without mowing. It survives heavy use and, in dry places like the Middle East, California, or Texas, it can replace thirsty lawns. Yeah it paints a nice verdant green cover in dry places or under trees where the grass won’t grow, but if you start using it, it’s function is just tricking your eyes.

Related: how to safely remove artificial turf from your backyard

But the evidence points to a more inconvenient truth we’ve known all along. Synthetic grass can bring real health and environmental trade-offs.

Some risks are immediate and obvious. Artificial turf can run dramatically hotter than natural grass in full sun, increasing the risk of heat stress, dehydration, blistering, and burns to your skin. Real grass respires and releases moisture throughout the day. Plastic grass does not. Field measurements and reviews have repeatedly found synthetic surfaces can become dangerously hot, especially in direct sunlight. A 2024 study in Frontiers in Sustainable Cities noted that artificial turf can reach very high surface temperatures and worsen urban heat island effects. They’ve even proposed ways for cooling it down in cities using water, the very thing that astroturf was designed to solve.

A 2025 evidence summary from Canada’s National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health reached similar conclusions, highlighting heat, skin abrasions, and exposure concerns. “Human exposure to chemicals from artificial turf playing fields can be reduced by washing hands and avoiding infill and fibre ingestion by infants and children,” they write. Is that something we want kids playing on?

Even Bryan Johnson, the longevity entrepreneur known for trying to optimize every aspect of his life so he can live forever, recently posted on X: “Guys, I’m an idiot. All this time I’ve spent trying not to die, I had toxic turf in my backyard.” He added that artificial turf contains crumb rubber infill made from recycled tires. His phrasing was dramatic, but the underlying point stands: you can spend heavily on health while surrounding yourself with industrial plastics.

He wrote:

“Artificial turf contains crumb rubber infill made from recycled tires, which leaches chemicals including PFAS, heavy metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These compounds are linked to hormone disruption, carcinogenicity, and systemic inflammation. I don’t know how I missed it. It makes me question my basic competence in life. What gets me is that I try so hard to survey the world of potential idiocy. Then I find out there’s a monument to idiocy sitting right in front of my face that I was blind to. I’m removing the turf, yet I’m still stuck with this seemingly unsolvable problem of how to not be an idiot.”

Then there are injury patterns. Several reviews have found that some lower-extremity injuries, especially certain non-contact injuries, may be more common on artificial turf than on well-maintained natural grass, though results vary by sport, footwear, and field condition. Sliding on astroturf can cause turf burns, which are not only painful but can become infected if not treated properly. Children and athletes are particularly exposed, as they fall, slide, and breathe close to these surfaces.

The harder question is chemical exposure. Many synthetic fields use crumb rubber infill made from recycled tires. A growing body of research shows these materials can contain metals, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalates, PFAS, and other chemicals of concern. A 2024 systematic review in Environmental Health Insights and a study by the NIH found potentially hazardous concentrations of chemicals in turf infill and fibres, with exposure pathways raising concern, especially for children.

The NIH writes, “Cancer risks were identified for ingestion exposure to PAH in children with pica and heavy metal exposure via dermal, inhalation and ingestion pathways. Non-carcinogenic risks were identified for the ingestion of cobalt in a child spectator and the ingestion of arsenic, cobalt, thallium and zinc. Potentially hazardous concentrations of chemicals were found across both artificial turf infill and artificial turf fibre samples; bioaccessibility of these chemicals varied.”

A 2022 review in Environmental Pollution was more direct, concluding that chemicals identified in artificial turf include known carcinogens, mutagens, and endocrine disruptors, while noting that human evidence remains limited and under-studied.

It would be false to say science has definitively proven that artificial turf causes cancer in everyday users. It has not. Science is methodical and slow, and long-term effects take years to measure. But it would also be false to say the issue is settled or harmless. Even the US EPA’s crumb rubber research effort, updated in 2024, did not conclude there was no risk; it characterized exposures and acknowledged that a full risk assessment is still incomplete. In plain terms: chemicals are present, exposure happens, and long-term health impacts are not fully understood.

The ecological problem of astroturf

Artificial turf is essentially a plastic carpet. It sheds fibers and dust that can enter drains, soils, and waterways, contributing to microplastic pollution. It also seals the ground. Natural grass supports soil life, cools the air, and participates in ecological cycles. Plastic turf does not. It does not cool like vegetation, does not support biodiversity, and does not age well. When it wears out, disposal becomes another environmental problem.

In arid cities, synthetic turf is often marketed as a “green” alternative to water-hungry lawns. But replacing one ecological problem with a heat-trapping plastic surface is not real progress.

Alternatives include native planting, shaded courtyards, permeable surfaces, gravel, regional groundcovers, and climate-appropriate design.

Artificial turf is not automatically poisoning everyone who touches it, but it is not a neutral surface either. Plant local species, use permeable materials, and design for life—not plastic.

Related Green Prophet reading:
Microplastics in plastic aligners
Qatar’s World Cup groundwork and the logic of synthetic surfaces
More Green Prophet coverage on microplastics

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When my kids were around seven, dry, itchy, eczema patches appeared behind their knees. A Chinese skin doctor told me eczema is “asthma of the skin.” It sounded strange at the time — neither child had breathing problems — but the idea stayed with me. Skin, like lungs, is an interface with the environment. What we breathe, what settles in our homes, the air pollution outside, even microplastics, all of it may shape how a child’s immune system learns to respond.

Now a new study from researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Weill Cornell Medicine, and collaborating institutions offers a biological explanation for why eczema so often begins in childhood. Published February 25 in Nature, considered the best science journal, on the planet, the research identifies a brief early-life window when the skin’s immune system is wired to overreact to allergens.

Eczema affects nearly one in four children and frequently appears in infancy. It can also precede asthma and food allergies, a progression sometimes called the “atopic march.” Until now, scientists have struggled to explain why allergic skin disease is so tightly linked to early childhood.

The team focused on dendritic cells, the immune sentinels in the skin that detect environmental triggers. In young mice, these cells behaved differently than in adults. They didn’t overreact to everything. But when exposed to common allergens such as dust mites and mold, infant mice developed strong skin inflammation, while adult mice did not.

The difference appears to lie in timing and immune programming.

“We found that allergy risk is shaped very early in life, when the skin’s immune system is biologically programmed to overreact to allergens, with important consequences for understanding how immune-mediated diseases emerge and should be treated,” said senior author Shruti Naik, PhD.

In early life, dendritic cells were unusually active and quick to trigger allergic inflammation. When researchers blocked this pathway, the young mice did not develop skin allergies. The team also discovered that infant mice lack normal levels of stress hormones that later help keep immune reactions in check, effectively removing a natural brake on inflammation.

Importantly, signs of the same immune activity were found in skin samples from children with early-onset eczema, but not in adults. That suggests this early-life immune window may also operate in humans.

“This work was only possible through a true clinic-to-lab collaboration—where insights from pediatric patients shaped the questions we asked in the lab,” said co-author Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD, PhD.

The findings reinforce something environmental health researchers have long argued: early life is not simply a smaller version of adulthood. It is a distinct biological phase with its own rules and vulnerabilities.

“Children are not simply small adults when it comes to immunity,” said Dr. Naik. “Their immune system follows a unique set of rules, and recognizing that difference is essential for understanding—and ultimately preventing—allergic, immune-driven diseases that begin in childhood.”

According to the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, “The skin is the largest organ in the body and plays many essential roles, including maintaining a protective barrier, providing immunity, and communicating with the outside world.” 

To manage eczema the clinic suggests managing triggers like dry skin, heat, and allergens, alongside using thick, fragrance-free moisturizers, soap substitutes, and prescribed steroids to control symptoms. I did notice that my kids’ skin problems started when we were living in the Middle East when the air was polluted and the temperatures hot and dry.

Related: Air pollution causes asthma in Cairo

For Green Prophet readers, the takeaway is clear. The first years of life may represent a critical window when environmental exposures: dust, mold, indoor allergens, pollutants, microplastics, all shape immune trajectories in lasting ways. If scientists can find safe ways to calm this early-life immune pathway, it may be possible to prevent allergic disease before it spreads from the skin to the lungs or gut.

The study is titled “Peripheral immune-inducer (pii)-DCs drive early life allergic inflammation.”

The post Why does eczema so often begin in childhood and how can we prevent it? appeared first on Green Prophet.

American kids seem to grow a foot on average bigger every generation. We all attribute meat and chicken, probably with extra hormones for the change in body size over generations. And as my teen boy starts his big growth spurt I try to feed him meat so he can reach his height potential. I remember by friend Ofer, a vegan, worried about his boy growing. His son Kai is now over 6 feet tall. The kid wasn’t growing along with his peers, so Ofer thought the vegan diet might be slowing his son down.

Is there something to risk when feeding our children a plant-based diet? The science now has answers, and it comes from a country of more vegans per capita than anywhere in the world.

A new study from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers and the Nutrition Division of the Israeli Ministry of Health suggests that a vegan diet can support rapid growth in children and that infants and toddlers who are vegan catch up with their peers by the time they are aged two.

The research was published last week in JAMA Network Open. It’s yet to give answers about growth and vegetarianism in teens.

This study analyzed a decade of records (2014–2023) of 1.2 million children provided by the Israeli Ministry of Health, which tracks the development of approximately 70% of the children in the country.

This massive dataset allowed the team—led by Kerem Avital, MPH, and Prof. Danit R. Shahar, PhD, of BGU —to move beyond small-scale debates and provide population-level evidence. They found Infants from vegan households closely tracked their omnivorous peers across all measurements, weight, length, and head circumference, with mean differences that were clinically minor (WHO z-score <0.2) and diminished further when adjusted for birth weight.

By age 24 months, stunting rates remained low across all dietary patterns (3.1% for omnivores, 3.4% for vegetarians, and 3.9% for vegans) with no statistically significant differences in odds between groups.

“In the context of developed countries, these findings are highly reassuring,” said Kerem Avital, lead researcher and PhD candidate at Ben-Gurion University. “The data suggests that with the proper environment, plant-based diets do not compromise the fundamental physical development of infants.”

As veganism moves from a niche lifestyle to a global health trend, BGU’s research provides the scientific “bridge” needed to inform international public health policy and nutritional counseling for the next generation.

As for now, we only have anecdotal information that a high-protein vegan or vegetarian diet does not impact growth heights in teens heading into adulthood. Michael Peterson, a father of 2 teenage boys in Ottawa, Canada, wondered if being a veggie kid might affect the growth patterns of his kids.  

“My kids both went vegetarian for a number of years during some formative time,” Peterson tells Green Prophet. “I have a 6’1” 18-year-old and a 5’7” 15-year-old who I am sure based on his griping about body ache is about to burst up again.

We try and feed them wholesome, home made, veggie-based with mixed protein. With the youngest’s rock climbing obsession we have had to up the protein which he prefers getting from animals, however, he is very conscious of getting from multiple sources. Grains, nuts, etc.”

Rebecca Wolf, a mom and occupational therapist in Arizona shares her experience raising vegetarian kids: “My kids have been raised vegetarian/pescatarian since birth. They also eat eggs and dairy. They are all in the 95%+ height category for their ages.”

Skipping steak, we find out from science and anecdotes, may not stunt a child’s growth; it might challenge our assumptions about what fuels it.

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Toddlers develop and grow through movement, touch, exploration, and play. Occupational therapy helps guide that growth with activities that support daily skills, confidence, and awareness. These playful tasks do more than entertain; they help toddlers build the foundation for physical control, coordination, and independence.

The best occupational therapy activities for toddlers support sensory, motor, and self-care development through simple, purposeful play. Each activity, from exploring textures to stacking blocks, encourages new abilities that help children navigate their world with greater control and curiosity. The following sections explain how these activities shape early learning in practical, meaningful ways.

Sensory bins with textured materials for tactile exploration

Sensory bins give toddlers a safe space to explore touch and texture. They contain materials such as dry rice, beans, sand, or water beads. These setups help young children practice fine motor skills and improve tactile awareness, which supports other occupational therapy activities for toddlers.

Occupational therapists often use sensory bins to help toddlers tolerate different textures. A child who feels uneasy with certain sensations can gain comfort through short, guided play sessions. Using tools like scoops, cups, or small toys also strengthens grasp and hand-eye coordination.

Parents can adapt sensory bins for home use. For example, soft fabrics, smooth stones, or textured balls create variety. Simple themes such as “farm animals” or “colors” add interest without distraction. Therefore, these sensory experiences not only engage toddlers but also support their overall sensory and physical development in a calm and playful way.

Finger painting to improve fine motor skills and creativity

Finger painting helps toddlers build fine motor control through simple, hands-on play. They move their fingers across a surface, make marks, and mix colors, which strengthens small hand muscles. These movements prepare them for later tasks such as holding a pencil or using utensils.

The activity also supports hand-eye coordination. Each motion requires the child to guide their fingers with intention and accuracy. As they press, swipe, or dab paint, they learn how pressure changes create different effects.

Beyond physical skill, finger painting encourages creativity and decision-making. Toddlers choose colors, shapes, and textures, which helps them think independently. The freedom to create without rules also reduces stress and builds confidence.

Therapists often use this simple art form during sessions because it combines sensory input with purposeful movement. The mix of texture, color, and motion provides both enjoyment and developmental progress in one engaging activity.

Stacking blocks to develop hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness

Anthroposophic, Waldorf School toys by Bella Luna are made from wood and natural paint

Stacking blocks helps toddlers build control over how their eyes and hands work together. Each time a child picks up a block and places it on another, the eyes guide the hands to match movement with sight. This activity helps the brain connect visual input with fine motor action.

Children also gain early math and spatial skills through this type of play. As they place blocks of different shapes or sizes, they learn about height, balance, and position. They start to notice patterns and how objects relate to each other in space.

In addition, stacking encourages focus and problem-solving. A tower that falls teaches a child to adjust hand pressure or block position next time. Over time, these short moments of trial and error help them think ahead and plan movements more carefully.

For toddlers, simple block play offers a practical way to strengthen coordination while keeping play natural and fun.

Water play activities to improve sensory regulation and motor planning

Water play gives toddlers a safe and natural way to explore textures, temperatures, and movement. The gentle pressure of water helps the body feel calm and organized, which supports sensory regulation. It also encourages attention and body awareness in an enjoyable and familiar setting.

Simple tasks such as scooping, pouring, or squeezing sponges help children plan and carry out actions with both hands. These activities strengthen hand muscles and improve timing and coordination. Using cups, spoons, or small toys helps toddlers practice grasp and release control.

Therapists often use colored water or bubbles to add a visual element that keeps children motivated. As they repeat actions and test what works, they learn how to adjust pressure and speed for different results. This process naturally develops problem-solving and motor planning skills through play that feels both engaging and meaningful.

Simple self-dressing tasks to build independence and fine motor control

Toddlers gain early independence by practicing simple dressing tasks. Activities like pulling up socks, pushing arms through sleeves, and fastening large buttons help them use both hands together. Each task promotes finger strength and coordination, which supports other daily movements.

Parents or caregivers can make practice easier by laying out clothing in order and choosing loose garments with simple fasteners. This setup helps toddlers predict each next step and reduces frustration. Short, playful sessions keep them focused without pressure.

Repetition supports progress. As a child improves, adults can add new challenges such as using zippers or matching shoes. These small steps help toddlers build confidence while learning the patience and control that dressing requires.

Conclusion

Toddlers grow through hands-on play that builds fine motor control, sensory awareness, and problem-solving ability. Occupational therapy activities help them practice real-life skills such as grasping objects, stacking blocks, or learning to use a spoon. These tasks strengthen independence while keeping therapy enjoyable and natural.

Parents and caregivers can support development by mixing playful tasks with daily routines. For example, finger painting can train hand strength, and simple cleanup chores can improve coordination. Activities that encourage movement and exploration help children gain confidence in their own abilities.

Each child progresses at a different pace, so activities should match the child’s needs and comfort level. Regular observation and gentle guidance keep progress steady.

In short, structured yet playful occupational therapy helps toddlers develop important skills for daily life, giving them a stronger foundation for future learning and independence.

All activities should be age-appropriate and supervised by an adult. If you have concerns about your child’s motor development, consult a pediatrician or therapist.

The post Which Occupational Therapy Activities Are Best for Toddlers’ Development? appeared first on Green Prophet.

When you hear the word “playground,” eco-friendly may not come to mind. Playgrounds are designed for children to play freely and exert energy. They serve as community hubs for locals to gather and exchange commonalities. In addition to the allotted recess time, playgrounds also provide schools with the chance to offer outdoor teaching lessons. 

Schools and parks are continuing to prioritize sustainability efforts as more people learn about the impact of certain actions on the planet. As a result, these institutions are considering how to pay it forward and making greener choices. Playgrounds can play a part in a sustainability initiative, providing an opportunity to further concentrate on protecting the earth while also functioning as a play area for kids. Here are three ways schools and parks are reducing their environmental footprint with eco-friendly playgrounds. 

1. Utilizing Sustainable Materials

One way that schools and parks are thinking about Mother Earth first is by using sustainable materials in their infrastructure. Today’s playgrounds can be built with eco-friendly materials, many of which are recyclable or natural materials. For instance, surfacing can be from rubber mulch made from tires. This soft surfacing is splinter-free and will help brace accidental falls and tumbles too. Bamboo — a renewable resource — can be used in various playground structures as well as fencing. 

In terms of playground equipment, many pieces can be made using recycled plastic or recycled wood. Recycled plastic often looks like traditional plastic; it’s just made from leftover materials that could have ended up in a landfill. Wood can be highly durable and long-lasting, especially when treated correctly. It can be used as wood chips for ground cover or bolted together to build new equipment or make seats for picnic areas. 

One of the main concerns with using sustainable materials is that it won’t look like a modernized playground. This couldn’t be farther from the truth! Many of these recycled, sustainable materials can be painted and purchased in fun and vibrant colors. You may just be surprised to see the possibilities. And upon first glance, many visitors may not even realize that the playground is eco-friendly in the first place. 

2. Adding Natural Elements

A playground in the middle of an open field is nice, but it can be more attractive with landscaping around it. Incorporating natural elements into the playground and surrounding areas can beautify the space and promote a sense of calm and well-being. Seeing a butterfly land on a nearby plant or watching a tiny bud pop open into a pretty flower are awe-inspiring moments that will delight children. It also promotes a sense of connection to nature.

When thinking about which natural elements to add, look at your space first and consider what your guests would like most. For instance, a few larger trees can provide shade for standing adults watching the children play. Adding a row of low bushes around the perimeter of the playground can help create a natural barrier from the play area to the park. Logs and stumps can also be used to help designate play zones. 

When bringing in these plants and other natural elements, be sure to consider biodiversity as well. Native plants and trees will attract local wildlife while also holding true to the area’s needs. There’s a reason that certain plants survive better in different parts of the world. A palm tree isn’t going to thrive in snowy Vermont, after all! It may be helpful to conduct some research or hire a professional botanist or horticulturist to design the space. Doing so will help ensure that the area is landscaped with the area’s needs in mind.

3. Reducing Waste 

Lastly, schools and parks that are focused on sustainability should also consider ways to reduce waste within the play area. Solar-powered lighting is an option to keep the playground well-lit without using up any electricity. These devices can be purchased at hardware stores or big box retailers and placed around the area. They are often triggered by low lighting, meaning just as the sky is turning dusk and children are being called back inside, the lights will go on. Solar panels are more of an expense, but can be particularly beneficial to school yards when large areas need to remain lit throughout the night. 

Another way to reduce waste is to focus on recycling and composting. Having clearly labeled bins for recycling and compost bins in handy spots around the playground can deter guests from throwing garbage in the trash can. For example, if there is a nearby picnic bench, be sure to place both containers near it. Of course, this type of system requires some education as well. Look for bins that designate what can be recycled and what can be composted. 

Schools can add composting to their curriculum and education so children know the benefits of throwing scraps of food into the bin as opposed to chucking it in the garbage. Science teachers can even do an outdoor lesson on where the compost goes and how it turns the soil into nutrient-rich food for the plants. Small steps can make a big impact when it comes to reducing overall waste and protecting the planet.

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Playgrounds have long acted as social hubs for both adults and children. They bring people from all walks of life together, and they promote health in many ways. Now, however, they are advancing into the future as the environment demands. More citizens are insisting their parks are clean, green, sustainable spaces. And of course, eco-friendly playgrounds have a huge role to play in this movement. Here are the top ways in which these playgrounds are reshaping community green spaces for the better. 

They Act as Outdoor Classrooms

Children are struggling to learn more now than ever. More children are diagnosed with learning disabilities, and many others find it difficult to sit still. Much of the reason for that has to do with being stuck inside a classroom. For thousands of years, human children ran and played in their early years. It makes sense that they would learn better in spaces that encourage this kind of movement regularly. 

One of the most obvious ways in which these eco-friendly playgrounds transform green spaces is by acting as learning hubs. Because the playground equipment is typically made from recycled rubber, plastic, and wood, it integrates well into the natural environment. There, children can learn about the ways their playgrounds are good for the earth and what recycling looks like in real-time. And they can run, jump, and play all the while. 

Sustainable Materials Minimize Costs

The next, and perhaps most obvious way eco-friendly playgrounds impact community spaces is through cost savings. Many cities are on tight budgets and are even under-resourced. They can barely make ends meet when it comes to roads, streetlights, and emergency services. They’re unlikely to be able to spring for a brand new, state of the art playground plus the surrounding park trails, plants, and water features. 

An eco-friendly playground goes a long way toward saving the city money. This is obviously also true for schools and churches that want to create new play spaces for the kids. The equipment can come in at a lower cost because the materials have been repurposed. They’re also usually cheaper to maintain because the equipment is designed to last in a natural environment over time. Thus, the entire green space ends up being a good investment for the community. 

Energy Efficient Materials Reduce the Carbon Footprint

Sadly, landfills and trash have become overwhelming on the planet to the point of microplastics running through virtually every space. This includes in our water and even in our bodies. There are islands of floating trash in virtually every ocean, and humans continue to buy and dispose of items every day. The best move municipalities can make is to encourage citizens to reduce, reuse, and recycle, And the best way to do that is by example. 

That’s where recycled materials for playgrounds come in. When eco-friendly playgrounds are made from recycled tires, old wood, bamboo, and hemp, the spaces have a much lower carbon footprint. They last much longer, manufacturing them doesn’t harm the environment, and even when they do end up outliving their purpose, they can be recycled and reused again for a new product. The carbon footprint of a playground like this is incredibly low. 

Eco-Friendly Practices Conserve Natural Resources

The cost of a playground is only one way in which it impacts the community. It also has a lasting effect on the surrounding environment. Maintaining the park’s lights after dark is a hefty cost. Running water to splash pads and restrooms also takes its toll on natural resources. Oh, and the plants need to be watered regularly as well. While most communities have long considered playgrounds and parks worth the drain on the environment, there’s no defying their carbon footprint. 

Until now. Eco-friendly playgrounds can provide myriad solutions to stressed resources. Cities can install sun shades that act as surfaces for solar panels. Any energy used to run the entire park can be provided by those panels. The Parks and Recreation Department can also practice rainwater harvesting and recycling. That way, splash pads, fountains, and features never waste water. And the sprinkler system can run on harvested and stored rainwater to water drought-resistant plants when necessary. 

Increased Interaction with Nature Promotes Health

Finally, the entire purpose of these eco-friendly playgrounds is to be green. If there’s anything Americans need more of, it’s time in green space. People in the United States of all ages are more stressed out, more depressed, and more anxious than ever. It’s no coincidence that those same citizens spend less time outside, less time exercising, and less time in social settings than ever before. 

These playgrounds encourage people to spend more time in nature. Kids can get ample exercise scaling wooden structures, building forts, rolling in the grass, and climbing trees. Meanwhile, parents can walk around a pond, play pickleball on a court, or just relax on a bench while their kids play. And those without kids can meet new friends, have a picnic date, and more. All of these activities and more promote mental, physical, and emotional health of everyone involved. 

In the end, eco-friendly playgrounds are an ideal answer to the problems of climate change and exhausted resources. They both reduce their cities’ carbon footprint and save the cities money, and promote the health and well-being of the members of the community who visit.  And as a bonus, they offer an opportunity for kids of all ages to start learning about the important role of environmental stewardship. They’re heartwarming, welcoming spaces that serve the greater good.

The post How Eco-Friendly Playgrounds Are Reshaping Community Green Spaces appeared first on Green Prophet.

A silent chemical assault is underway. A new nationwide study has revealed that children in the United States — especially toddlers aged two to four — are regularly exposed to dozens of industrial chemicals during their most vulnerable developmental years. Many of these chemicals are not even on the radar of public health monitoring systems.

The study, published in Environmental Science & Technology, tested urine samples from 201 young children as part of the NIH-supported Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program. Researchers screened for 111 chemicals commonly found in household items, plastics, food packaging, cosmetics, and furniture.

Related: why glass is emitting more microplastics than plastic bottles

What they found is deeply unsettling: 96 chemicals were detected in at least five children. 48 were found in more than half. 34 were found in over 90% of the children — including 9 not tracked in national health databases like NHANES.

“These are not rare or accidental exposures,” said Deborah H. Bennett, the study’s lead author and professor of public health at UC Davis. “This is a daily, invisible flood of chemicals entering the bodies of children at a stage when their brains and immune systems are still forming.”

The Toxic Alphabet of Modern Childhood

Phthalates and phthalate alternatives – Found in toys, food wrap, vinyl flooring, and shampoo

Parabens – Used in creams, cosmetics, and even medications

Bisphenols (BPA, BPS) – Found in plastic containers, canned food linings, and receipts

Benzophenones – Common in sunscreens and cosmetics

Pesticide residues, flame retardants, and combustion byproducts – Lurking in food, furniture, and air

Children are especially vulnerable. Their smaller bodies mean higher exposures per kilogram, and behaviors like crawling, mouthing toys, and touching floors mean they are constantly in contact with contaminated surfaces. In some cases, the children’s chemical loads were higher than their mothers’ levels during pregnancy, pointing to postnatal environmental sources — the home, the daycare, the playground.

Related: the problems of Dollar Store plastic

The data also revealed disturbing patterns: Chemical exposures were highest among younger toddlers and racial/ethnic minorities, reflecting systemic environmental injustice. While some older chemicals like triclosan and certain phthalates are decreasing (likely due to public pressure and reformulations), new unregulated substitutes like DINCH and emerging pesticides are on the rise.

Swapping out banned chemicals for understudied alternatives is what scientists call “regrettable substitution.” It’s regulation on a delay — and children are paying the price.

What Can Parents Do to Reduce the Toxic Burden?

While we can’t control every exposure, there are concrete steps caregivers can take:

Avoid plastics labeled #3, #6, and #7, which may contain bisphenols and phthalates

Buy “paraben-free” and “fragrance-free” personal care products. Buy or make your own food wraps from fabric scraps and beeswax. Package lunches and food in steel, not plastic containers.

Ventilate homes, dust with a damp cloth, and consider buying air cleaners with HEPA filters

Wash hands before meals, especially after outdoor play or contact with plastic items

Limit pesticide exposure — wash produce well and consider organic options when possible

A Call for Chemical Accountability

Ultimately, this is not just a parenting issue. It’s a policy failure. Most of the 40,000+ chemicals used in consumer products in the U.S. are poorly regulated, with minimal long-term health data.

As Green Prophet has reported before, environmental chemicals are linked to declining fertility, disrupted hormones, obesity, and neurodevelopmental disorders — all of which are now rising in childhood populations.

“This study should sound the alarm,” said Jiwon Oh, postdoctoral scholar and co-author of the study. “We urgently need better biomonitoring, stronger chemical safety laws, and corporate transparency. Our children shouldn’t be the test subjects for industrial shortcuts.”

This is a pivotal moment. Conscious parents and policymakers alike have the opportunity — and the obligation — to push for a healthier future. Because these chemicals aren’t just in the air or water — they’re in our children. And that makes this not just a science story, but a moral one.

The post Toxins in tiny bodies: American children are carrying invisible chemical burden appeared first on Green Prophet.

Getting at least 30 minutes of daily summer sun in the first year of life may mean a lower relapse risk for children who are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) later, according to a study published on February 12, 2025, online in Neurology, Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The study also found if a child’s biological mother had at least 30 minutes of daily sun during the second trimester of pregnancy, the child had a lower risk of MS relapses. The study does not prove that sun lowers relapse risk for children with MS, it only shows an association.

Multiple sclerosis is a disease which prevents the nerves from sending signals to the body to move, sense or function. MS is not present at birth. It develops as the immune system matures. Less than 1% of people who have MS are diagnosed before age 10. But there is an association and genetic risk.

“It is important not to spend too much time in the sun without sun protection, however greater exposure to sun has been tied in previous research to a lower risk of developing MS in childhood,” said Gina Chang, MD, MPH, of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and member of the American Academy of Neurology. “It’s encouraging that our study found that greater sun exposure during early development may also be beneficial in helping to reduce disease activity in children who are later diagnosed with MS.”

For the study, researchers looked at health records from 18 MS clinics across the United States to identify 334 children and young people with childhood-onset MS age four to 21. Participants were within four years of experiencing their first symptoms. The median follow-up time was 3.3 years.

To determine sun exposure, participants’ parents or guardians completed questionnaires that asked how much time the participant and their biological mother had spent in the sun at various periods of life, what kind of clothing they typically wore and how often they used sunscreen.

Of the total group, 206, or 62%, experienced at least one relapse during the study. Relapses were defined as new or returning symptoms lasting for at least 24 hours and separated by at least 30 days from the last MS attack, without a fever or infection.

They found that of 75 participants who had 30 minutes to an hour of daily summer sun during their first year of life, 34 children, or 45%, had a relapse. Of the 182 participants who had less than 30 minutes of daily summer sun during their first year of life, 118 children, or 65%, had a relapse.

After adjusting for factors such as tobacco exposure in the first year of life, season of birth, the type of MS medication taken and use of sun protection such as sunscreen, hats and clothing, researchers found that 30 or more minutes of daily summer sun during the first year of life was associated with a 33% lower risk of relapse compared to less than 30 minutes of daily summer sun.

Researchers also looked at sun exposure for the biological mothers of the children.

They found that 30 minutes or more of daily sun during the second trimester of pregnancy was associated with a 32% reduced risk of relapse for their child with MS.

“Our findings suggest that sun exposure in early childhood may have long-lasting benefits on the progression of childhood-onset MS,” said Chang. “Future studies should look at how time in the sun at other time periods before and after MS diagnosis affects disease course, to better guide sun exposure recommendations for children with MS and to help design potential clinical trials.”

A limitation of the study was that it relied on participants’ parents or guardians reporting their sun exposure and use of sun protection, which they may not have remembered accurately.

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