The Green Zone with Linda Mason Hunter
For past Green Zone tips check out: https://www.lindamasonhunter.com/about
AUGUST 2025
What are ultra-processed foods?
Ultra processed foods are formulated to be “craveable” – designed to be tasty, cheap and ready-to-eat. The Environmental Working Group defines ultra processed foods as food products that contain one or more of certain functional ingredients, including artificial colors and flavors, non-sugar sweeteners, emulsifiers and thickening agents. These ingredients, mostly produced by industrial processes, are broken down and combined to form foods through industrial techniques, such as molding into shapes or extrusion through a machine to make, for example, puffs or flakes. This process creates many popular breakfast cereals, packaged cookies, frozen pizza, even some “healthy” granola bars.
But not all processed food is ultra-processed. Oatmeal, peanut butter and pasta are processed but they’re not ultra-processed – they’re made with just a handful of ingredients and may retain significant nutritional value.
But if the oatmeal has been pre-cooked and dried, with fruit flavoring thrown in, it can be thought of as instant. Pasta that's been preserved as part of a ready-to-eat meal has also been transformed. Both might have started out as minimally processed but in these forms, they are ultra-processed.
For more info on ultra-processed foods, get your free Guide to Food Additives from the Environmental Working Group at ewg.org.
Source: The Environmental Working Group, ewg.org.
Hawaii passes law keeping cell towers away from homes and schools
It’s slow in its adoption, but several cities and counties in the U.S. are now limiting construction of cell towers close to homes and schools due to health concerns. The newest is Hawaii County, commonly known as the Big Island, which recently enacted the first regulation of its kind in the state, paving the way for other local jurisdictions to follow suit. According to the Environmental Health Trust, Hawaii County, with a population of over 200,000, is the largest community in the U.S. with 600-foot installation setbacks.
It’s notable that Hawaii County passed a resolution in 2020 calling for a halt to 5G deployments until independent testing can determine the safety of radiofrequency radiation emissions generated by such infrastructure. Earlier this year Hawaiian Telcom unveiled an ambitious plan to make Hawaii the first fully fiber-enabled state by 2026, which would allow all Hawaiians to rely on fiber-optic cables rather than wireless networks for internet connectivity.
Source: “Hawai’i Passes Law Keeping Cell Towers Away from Homes and Schools,” Environmental Health Trust, July 5, 2025; https://ehtrust.org/hawaii-county-passes-law-keeping-cell-towers-away-from-homes-and-schools/.
Check out EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to fruits and vegetables
Eating fruits and vegetables is essential for a healthy diet. But do you know which ones are tainted with a host of pesticides and which ones are not? If you don’t eat certified organic, there’s really no way to tell. That’s where the Environmental Working Group’s Shopper’s Guides can help. Each year EWG updates its lists to be current, using Department of Agriculture data. The Clean 15 list represents those items with the least amount of pesticide residue, and the Dirty Dozen lists produce with the highest residue.
Here are some examples of what you will discover when checking out these lists: Do you love peaches? I do. But peaches pack a punch when it comes to pesticide contamination. Almost all commercial peaches are contaminated with pesticides—some as many as 19 different pesticides on a single peach. A pesticide called Fludioxonil, for example, linked to hormone disruption, was found on 90% of peaches tested.
But it’s not just peaches that may surprise you. Potatoes are on the Dirty Dozen list, as are blueberries for the third year in a row.
You can rest easy by eating fruits and veges on EWG’s Clean 15 list. Bananas and cauliflower joined this year’s list. Other standouts include avocados, papaya, pineapple and onions.
You can get these lists on the web at ewg.org.
Source: “The 2025 Dirty Dozen;” https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php. “The Clean 15”; https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/clean-fifteen.php/. The full list: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/full-list.php
U.N. court rules countries have duty to limit greenhouse emissions
This is great news for environmentalists who have not had much good news lately. The United Nations’ highest judicial body ruled last month (July 2025) that nations have a “duty” to prevent environmental harm and are obliged to limit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, which come primarily from fossil fuels.
In its first-ever ruling on climate issues, the International Court of Justice said any breach represents an “internationally wrongful act” and can lead to reparations for countries suffering the consequences if a “causal” link can be shown.
The ruling is nonbinding and won’t force any immediate policy changes. But it will put more pressure on industrialized countries to live up to their pledges. It will also more widely open the door to climate cases around the world, giving leverage to those trying to hold corporations and high-polluting nations to account. Courts across the world could cite the International Court of Justice ruling in their decisions.
Humanity is on track to blow past its goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) compared with preindustrial levels. The 10 hottest years have all come over the past decade. This is not just a legal question; it is a matter of survival. The ICJ’s decision brings us closer to a world where governments can no longer turn a blind eye to their legal responsibilities.
Source: “U.N. court rules countries have duty to limit greenhouse emissions,” by Chico Harlan; The Washington Post, July 23, 2025; https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/07/23/world-court-climate-ruling/
Coca Cola to add cane sugar alternative
At RFK Jr’s. suggestion, Coca Cola is adding a cane sugar alternative to its original Coke product made with high fructose corn syrup. So, it looks like some time this fall we’ll have a choice when purchasing Coke in a grocery store.
According to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, the switch is aimed at reducing chronic disease and childhood illness. Nutritionists disagree; scientific studies do not show substantial benefits in using cane sugar as a substitute. Replacing one sugar with another isn’t going to have much effect on health.
High fructose corn syrup, a staple of sugary snacks and drinks, including Coke, gets a bad rap for contributing to obesity and diabetes, but all types of sugar do that. Both have similar effects on weight, blood pressure, and body mass index.
Kennedy allies cite concerns over pesticide residue commonly sprayed on corn. It’s true that glyphosate, an active ingredient in Roundup, is linked to cancer.
Many US customers are already familiar with the Mexican version of Coca Cola made with cane sugar because it is widely imported. Donald Trump, for one, allegedly prefers that version in his daily consumption of Diet Coke. Some of Coca Cola’s other drinks, such as teas and lemonades, already use cane sugar.
Nutrition experts bristle at the focus on the type of sugar in the drink instead of whether people should be drinking it at all. To actually improve health, the focus should be on less sugar, not different sugar, they say.
Source: “Coke confirms cane sugar change. RFK Jr. calls it MAHA win. Is it?” by Rachel Roubein and Caitlin Gilbert; The Washington Post, July 22, 2025; https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/07/22/coke-cane-sugar-health-rfk-jr/.
JUNE/JULY 2025
WHO-funded study finds strong evidence linking cell phone radiation to cancer in laboratory animals
A World Health Organization-backed study determined with a high level of certainty that there are links between cell phone radiation and two types of cancer in laboratory animals— malignant heart tumors and gliomas (a type of brain cancer). This is significant because every agent that causes cancer in humans will produce it in laboratory animals when adequately tested. The review prompted a swift response from experts who agreed that, “Given this high level of certainty, government policymakers worldwide should immediately move to revise their radiation exposure limits to protect public health and the environment.”
In the meantime, it’s wise to take simple precautions to reduce exposure.
- Keep your cell phone away from your head and body.
- Avoid carrying your cell phone on your body at all times.
- Avoid using your cell phone when the signal is weak or inside metal vehicles and elevators.
- Use airplane mode and turn antennas off when not in use.
- Children should only use cell phones for emergencies.
- Do not charge a cell phone near your bed.
- Minimize talk time on your cell phone.
Find more tips for safe cell phone use on my website, lindamasonhunter.com.
Source: https://ehtrust.org/who-funded-study-finds-rf-emf-exposure-increases-incidence-of-cancer/
https://ehtrust.org/10-things-you-can-do-to-reduce-the-cancer-risk-from-cell-phones/
Kudos to the State of New York for holding the fossil fuel industry accountable for climate change
In December, 2024, New York’s Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul signed a law requiring fossil fuel companies to pay for climate damage repair. The new state law requires the companies responsible for the bulk of emissions produced between 2000 and 2018 to pay out roughly $3 billion a year for the next 25 years.
State Senator Liz Krueger, a co-sponsor of the historic bill, called it a “shot that will be heard ‘round the world.” “Too often over the last decade, courts have dismissed lawsuits against the oil and gas industry by saying that the issue of climate culpability should be decided by legislatures,” she stated. “Well, the Legislature of the State of New York — the 10th largest economy in the world — has accepted the invitation, and I hope we have made ourselves very clear: the planet’s largest climate polluters bear a unique responsibility for creating the climate crisis, and they must pay their fair share to help regular New Yorkers deal with the consequences,” she continued.
This makes New York the second state to pass a law like this. The first was Vermont in June, 2024. Due to New York’s massive economic, cultural, and political influence this bill will have far-reaching effects.
We are living a lie
An astronaut who spent 178 days in space reveals a "big lie" he realized while on his journey in outerspace. In one of his 2,842 orbits around the Earth from the International Space Station, Ron Garan experienced a reality shock common among astronauts. By observing the Earth from space, he realized, viscerally, that the planet is a unique, fragile and interconnected system.
It has to do with the Earth’s atmosphere, a thin, fine layer, almost like paper, he said he could almost touch with his hands. "I realized that everything that sustains life on Earth depends on this fragile layer" he explained. It’s what protects all life forms from hostile conditions of space.
For Garan, this highlighted a paradox: we prioritize economic growth at the expense of the natural systems that sustain us. "We're living a lie," he stated.
We treat problems like global warming, deforestation, and loss of biodiversity as isolated issues when, in fact, they are symptoms of a larger problem: human disconnection with the planet. As long as we do not change this mentality, we will continue to be in crisis.
The solution is a radical change of priorities. Instead of thinking about "economy, society, planet", we should reverse the order: "planet, society, economy." Environmental health should be the basis for all other decisions. This is the only way we will really evolve, he says. We will not have peace on Earth until we recognize that everything is interconnected.
Source: https://bigthink.com/life/overview-effect/
Study shows CT scans contribute to cancer burden
New research published in the Journal of the American Medical Associationestimates that 103,000 cancer diagnoses, or 5% of all cancers, could result from the 93 million CT scans performed in the U.S. in 2023 alone. This puts CT scans on a par with other well-known cancer risk factors, like alcohol, cigarette smoking and obesity.
Unlike MRIs and ultrasound, CT scans use ionizing radiation to create cross-sectional images of the body, providing more detail than X-rays. Doctors use CT scans to diagnose afflictions from tumors to kidney stones to life-threatening diseases and injuries, such as aneurysms and blood clots leading to stroke. But CT scans have potential harms, as well. Scientists long ago established that ionizing radiation emitted by CT scans increases cancer risk.
Use of CT scans has surged 35% in the last 20 years, partly due to low-value, potentially unnecessary imaging. The amount of radiation a scan emits fluctuates widely and can be far higher than necessary with the operator, not the machine, making the difference. The dose at one scanning facility can be 50 times stronger than at another.
It's important to balance benefits with potential harms. Discuss with your doctor how important it is to get any particular scan, and how you might receive as small a dose of radiation as necessary.
Source: “Study highlights cancer risk from millions of CT scans performed annually,” by Ronnie Cohen. National Public Radio, April 16, 2025. https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/04/16/g-s1-60488/ct-scan-cancer-risk-ionizing-radiation
The inestimable value of friendship
I’m a big fan of Native American cultures, those who placed the highest value on the simple life, usually lived out of doors, with keen and enduring respect for nature. The things they hold sacred never fail to inspire me.
One of my favorite books is The Soul of the Indian, by Charles Alexander Eastman. In the chapter called “The Family Alter,” he defines true friendship. In this passage he writes from the male point of view, but his words are just as true for women as they are for men. So please keep that in mind as I read:
“Friendship is held to be the severest test of character. It is easy, we think, to be loyal to family and clan, whose blood is in our own veins. Love between man and woman is founded on the mating instinct and is not free from desire and self-seeking. But to have a friend, and to be true under any and all trials, is the mark of a man!
“The highest type of friendship is the relation of ‘brother-friend’ or ‘life-and-death friend.’ This bond is between man and man, is usually formed in early youth, and can only be broken by death. It is the essence of comradeship and fraternal love, without thought of pleasure or gain, but rather for moral support and inspiration. Neither is anything required that is not in accord with the highest conceptions of the Indian mind.”
Source: The Soul of the Indian, by Charles Alexander Eastman, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, 1911; page 49.
Stay safe in the heat
It’s been hot this summer. Hot Hot Hot. And this is probably just the beginning of uncomfortable, sweltering summers. If scientific projections are correct, next summer will be hotter. And the next hotter yet. It’s time we all learned how to stay safe in the heat.
Scientists tell us extreme heat is exacerbating air pollution, creating a "double whammy" for health. Heat worsens air quality by trapping warm, stagnant air, preventing pollutants from dispersing, causing them to build up and become more potent. Sunny, hot conditions also accelerate the formation of ground-level ozone, a harmful air pollutant. If this weren’t enough, wildfires and the burning of fossil fuels intensify both of these problems.
Reducing health risks from air pollution, as well as heat, comes down to minimizing exposure. Here are a few tips:
(1) Regularly check local weather reports for air quality warnings.
(2) Limit time outside and avoid exercising outdoors when air is unhealthy.
(3) An N-95 mask can provide some protection but won’t stop gases like ozone or the smallest particles.
(4) When indoors, close doors and windows on high pollution days.
(5) Use an air purifier indoors to filter out pollutants.
(6) If you don’t have access to air conditioning, find an open cooling center, such as a movie theater or restaurant. Better yet, impose on a friend.
Source: “The twin crises of heat and air pollution,” by Christina Kelso. The New York Times, June 24, 2025
Worried about nitrates in your tap water? Get a reverse osmosis water filter.
It’s not new information that we have a water quality problem in Iowa. What is new is that it’s gotten so bad it’s threatening our drinking water. Last month--for the first time ever--Central Iowa Water Works banned lawn watering to prevent nitrate concentrations in treated drinking water from exceeding federal health limits. What’s more, according to a new report by Polk County, water in the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers, which supply water to Water Works for treatment, routinely exceeds the healthy drinking water standard. That’s scary. If Water Works can’t handle it, next thing we know water coming out of our taps won’t be safe for human consumption.
Research has tied elevated nitrate consumption to birth defects, colorectal cancer, thyroid disease and other ailments. Eighty percent of nitrate in the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers, the drinking water source for central Iowa, is directly tied to agriculture.
What’s the concerned consumer to do? Get a reverse osmosis water filter and install it under the kitchen sink. Carbon filters, such as those found in typical refrigerators, Brita pitchers, and most countertop water filters, don’t filter out nitrates. Neither does boiling water. Leaf Score, my go-to website for specific green products, recommends the Aquasana Optim H2O reverse osmosis water filter for $200. Find it at Leafscore.com.
Sources: “The best home water filters: our top picks,” by Leigh Matthews; Leaf Score, https://www.leafscore.com/eco-friendly-living-products/the-best-whole-home-countertop-and-shower-water-filters/#optim. “Polk County water report pins unhealthy rivers on ag pollution,” by Jared Strong, Iowa Capital Dispatch, June 25, 2025.
“Polk County report: Majority of central Iowa water pollution tied to farming,” by Barreda, Eller, and Hajj; The Des Moines Register, June 27, 2025.
“Reverse Osmosis Filters, when are they a good choice?” by Tasha Stoiber, Ph.D; Environmental Working Group, https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/reverse-osmosis-water-filters-when-are-they-good-choice
“Finding a water filter that works for you,” by Paul Pestano, Environmental Working Group; https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/finding-water-filter-works-you.
EPA to reconsider lifting the ban on asbestos
According to a mid-June filing, the Trump administration plans to reconsider a ban on the last type of asbestos still used in the United States, a move which could halt enforcement of the ban for several years during the reconsideration period, which is expected to take up to 30 months. It’s a major blow to a decades-long battle by health advocates to prohibit the carcinogenic mineral in all its forms.
Known as “white” asbestos, chrysotile asbestos is banned in more than 50 countries for its link to lung cancer and mesothelioma, a cancer that forms in the lining of internal organs. White asbestos, however, has been imported for use in the United States for roofing materials, textiles and cement as well as gaskets, clutches, brake pads and other automotive parts. It is also used in chlorine manufacturing.
According to the filing, the agency will reconsider removing the rule’s bans on the import and use of asbestos in the production of chlorine, and the installation of new asbestos-containing sheet gaskets in chemical manufacturing and other facilities.
Asbestos production in the United States stopped in 2002 but the material is still imported, much of it from Brazil. The presence of asbestos in older homes added to the health risks for firefighters battling the California wildfires this year.
Asbestos is linked to an estimated 40,000 deaths annually in the United States.
Source: “EPA plans to reconsider ban on cancer-causing asbestos,” by Hiroko Tabuchi; The New York Times, June 16, 2025.
Removing pesticide residue from produce
I’ve always wondered what is the best method for removing pesticide residue from fruits and vegetables. Soaps, detergents, bleach, and produce washes don’t seem to do the job well.
Now, the Environmental Working Group (my go-to for many green tips) offers a basic guide. To compile the guide, EWG scientists reviewed dozens of peer-reviewed studies to help determine the efficacy of four common methods of washing. All four can lower pesticide concentrations, but they might not remove all traces of residue from all produce. There’s no one-size-fits-all. Some produce is harder to clean than others, and some pesticides are more difficult to remove than others.
Here are some best practices, courtesy of the Environmental Working Group (ewg.org).
1. Rinsing with tap water: Hold the produce under running water, gently rubbing and rotating it with your hands. For firmer items, like potatoes and carrots, use a produce brush.
2. Soaking in tap water: Fill a large bowl or clean sink with tap water. Soak produce for 10-15 minutes. Take the produce out of the water, rather than pour the water out, so dirt can settle to the bottom. Rinse under water to remove any remaining residue on the surface.
(3. & 4.) Soaking in baking soda or distilled white vinegar. In a large bowl or sink, mix a teaspoon of baking soda for each cup of water. Or mix one part vinegar to three parts water. Soak produce for 5-10 minutes. Take the produce out of the water, rather than drain the water out first so dirt can settle to the bottom. Rinse under running water to remove any remaining residue on the surface.
No matter which method you choose, after you’re done remove excess water from the produce with a clean towel or salad spinner.
Some fruits and vegetables are more difficult to clean than others:
For produce with inedible peels, like avocados, first rinse the surface with water to prevent transfer of contaminants to the inside of the fruit or vegetable.
For softer fruits and vegetables, such as berries, soak them in water, then gently rinse and rotate them to avoid damage.
For tough produce, like root vegetables, scrub using a brush or cloth under running water to remove dirt.
For leafy greens, first soak them in water, then rinse well to clean hard-to-reach spots missed by a quick rinse.
When you have specific questions on living green, it’s always worthwhile to check out EWG’s website, ewg.org.
Smart meters come with safety risks
Smart meters are used by utility companies to remotely measure how much electricity, natural gas, water, and other utilities we use. These devices, which have replaced analog, human-read meters on the outside of most U.S. homes, use electromagnetic radiation to gather and share information about consumption levels in the home. It is estimated that 77% of U.S. homes have smart meters installed, whether or not residents are aware of it. But are these meters safe, and can we choose whether or not they are installed in our homes?
The Massachusetts state legislature is currently considering emergency measures to assure citizens a choice of meters. In speaking before the legislature, Dr. Kent Chamberlin, President of the Environmental Health Trust, advised against installing smart meters, saying they are a significant source of harmful radiation,” and they radiate a lot more than we’d guess considering the small amount of data that needs to be transmitted.
Smart meters also present cybersecurity risks, Dr. Chamberlin testified saying how easily burglars could use them to remotely monitor when people are in their homes. The good news is that hardwiring meters to the internet can address both of these problems while still allowing utility companies to monitor usage remotely. Dr. Chamberlin is urging the legislature to pass bills that would “allow citizens to opt out of toxic utility meters.”
For more info on smart meters check out The Environmental Health Trust: https://ehtrust.org/health-risks-posed-by-smartmeters/