When it's movie night at home and you're getting ready to break out the popcorn, using an air popper or jostling a pot of kernels in a heart-friendly oil on your stove top might be your best choices.

A report from the FDA indicates that a chemical coating used in microwave popcorn bags breaks down when heated into a substance called perfluorooctanoic (PFOA).

The Environmental Protection Agency has identified PFOA as a "likely carcinogen." Another study has found an acid that can be extracted from the chemical causes cancer in animals and is "likely to cause cancer in humans."

A second potential danger in microwave popcorn is diacetyl, an FDA-approved chemical found in the fake butter flavoring. There's even a debilitating respiratory disease called "popcorn workers lung" (the medical name of the condition is bronchiolitis obliterans), suffered by microwave popcorn factory workers caused by extended inhalation of the chemical's fumes. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, (NIOSH) concluded that diacetyl needs further study so that workers in the flavorings and snack industry are no longer at risk.

The Food and Drug Administration continues to study whether consumers can develop lung disease from inhaling diacetyl. In response to the concerns regarding the risks of diacetyl exposure, a number of microwave popcorn manufacturers have discontinued using it in their products.

Pop your own

Here's the way to make popcorn on your stove top: Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or grapeseed oil if you prefer a more neutral taste) into a heavy, 3-quart or larger pan and place on medium high heat. Put two kernels in, and when one has popped, pour in 1/3 cup of pop corn (white or yellow) and cover pan.

When corn begins to pop, shake constantly allowing steam to escape from popping kernels -- otherwise popcorn will lose its crunch. Remove pan from heat immediately when popping stops or it will burn. Pour into a large bowl and season to taste.

Related links:

• Six healthier alternatives to movie popcorn
• Bad news about movie popcorn

(Photo courtesy of istolethetv)

Doga: You bring your dog to class, do your poses, and encourage your canine companion to practice along with you.

In the video below, watch Bo and Coco do breathing, stretching and meditation.

As you will see, sometimes it works and sometimes the dog wanders off. If it doesn’t relieve dog stress, it increases bonding between pet and owner for sure. What more can you ask?

More from Care2:

• Pets Don’t Need a Treadmill
• People Who Walk Dogs
• Six Health Benefits of Having Pets

Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.

(Photo: FDA)

How is the egg industry handling the recalls? (Egg Recall List)

Yesterday, major newspapers ran a full-page ad from “America’s Egg Farmers” (I saw it in USA Today and in the New York Times). The ad displays an egg and text on a white background, nothing more.

The text is spare and notable more for what it does not say than for what it does. Here it is, with my translations in italics.

A message from America’s Egg Farmers.
(We want you to think that we are down home farmers of small flocks of hens in a lovely bucolic settings. We think this sounds better than “A message from egg agribusiness.”)

You’ve probably heard about the recent egg recall.
(We wish you hadn’t.)

As egg farmers, we’re concerned, and continue to work closely with the FDA and USDA to help ensure the safest and highest quality eggs possible.
(We don’t have to take any responsibility for this mess. We will let the FDA and USDA deal it.)

The potentially affected eggs, which make up less than 1% of all US eggs, have been removed from store shelves.
(Whew. The problem is solved. We don’t need to do another thing except work on public relations.)

You may be wondering if eggs are safe to eat.
(We wish you would just forget about this.)

Yes, they are.
(Fingers crossed!)

Thoroughly cooked eggs are thoroughly safe eggs, according to the Center for Disease control and the FDA. Eggs should be cooked until the whites and yolks are firm. (We know we are producing unsafe eggs. It’s not our fault if you don’t know how to cook them.)

To find out more information on this recall and the safe handling of eggs, please visit eggsafety.org.
(When you do, we will tell you how safe our eggs are and how well we treat our hens, and invite you to watch an FDA video on how to cook eggs properly.)

And remember, thoroughly cooked means thoroughly safe.
(It’s not our fault if you don’t listen.)

I think the egg industry has a lot to answer for. It needs to do better than this. OK egg industry, how about placing an ad that says something like this:

• We are devastated that this happened and our hearts go out to everyone who became ill and to their families.
• We are taking every step to make sure that this never happens again.
• We are deeply sorry that our industry did not voluntarily adopt safety procedures years ago, especially when the FDA first proposed egg safety rules in 2004.
• We take full responsibility as an industry for the failure of one of our members to obey the law.
• We will do everything possible to make sure that the victims of this incident are fully compensated for their medical costs and losses.
• We fully support food safety legislation and urge the Senate to pass S.510 immediately. It will give the FDA the tools it needs to do its job and help us produce eggs under the safest possible conditions.
• We apologize to the American public that our eggs are not safe enough and that we have not worked hard enough to make sure that they are safe.

I can dream, can’t I?

More from The Daily Green:

• Egg Recall List: How to Tell If Your Eggs Have Been Recalled
• The Dirty Dozen: 12 Foods to Buy Organic
• Simple Superfoods (and How to Cook Them)
• Eight Foods to Eat Raw, for Greater Nutrition
• Quicky, Health Breakfast Options

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc

Everyone loves a deal when shopping, but what are the best deals for fall? The Daily Green talked to four experts to find out how to become a "discount druid," as Jeff Yeager, The Daily Green's Green Cheapskate, calls end-of-season bargain-hunting specialists.

"They're the folks in Sports Authority trying on 50%-off Speedos right now, as the full-price winter parkas are being put on display," Yeager says. But there's a lot more to fall bargain-hunting than teeny bikinis.

(Photo: The Toyota Yaris is among the
most affordable fuel-efficient 2010 cars,
starting at about $12,000.)

Cars, bikes, even boats

September is when automakers will be rolling out out the next (2011) model year cars, so it's among the best times to get a good deal on a new 2010 model year car, Yeager says.

Consumer Reports agrees that September is a great time to buy current year-model cars, if you're hunting for a deal: "You'll save money up front because dealers want to clear old inventory."

Yeager notes: "The same can be said for shopping for a new bicycle in the fall. Next years models are being released, and stores are anxious to get rid of excess summer inventory."

If you're in the market for a kayak or canoe, too, now's a good time for a deal on the last of this year's models, according to Bill Kennedy, owner of Kenco, a 28-year-old independent outdoor gear shop outside Kingston, N.Y. "You can buy them at cost or below cost this time of year," he says.

Interestingly, now's not a bad time to shop for a snowboard, snowshoes, or cross-country skis, if you don't mind buying this year's model before next year's hits the store in a month or two, Kennedy said.

Trees, shrubs, and plants

Especially if they are varietals that won't flower until next spring or summer, fall is a perfect time to invest in some lawn and garden beautification. Retailers count on people losing interest in their yards as the warm weather wanes.

But fall is one of the two best times to plant trees and shrubs — early spring is the other, but prices will be higher then. Perennials are always a better bargain than annuals, in the long run, because they will re-emerge year after year.

"A few years ago, I bought $900 worth of perennial plants for only $30 — they were already marked down by 80%, but I offered to take everything they had left in order to help them make room for mums, pumpkins, and other fall fare," Yeager says. "It never hurts to ask."

Potting soil, pots, and other gardening equipment are typically discounted too, says, Diane MacEahern, author of Big Green Purse. If you need a new lawn mower, fall is the best time for a deal — preferably on a less-polluting electric model. But any 2010 or 2011 mower should be a whole lot cleaner than the old model in the garage.

MacEahern also recommends checking for deals on drip irrigation systems, sprinkling timers, and other devices that can help you keep next year's lawn and garden thriving while using water efficiently.

Deck and patio furniture – and the patios and decks

(Photo: Jupiterimages /
Getty Images)

Deck and patio furniture, along with grills and grilling equipment, are often deeply discounted at this time of year as people turn away from their yards and back indoors.

For anyone planning ahead, though, this is the perfect time to buy. If you're buying wooden patio furniture, consult the National Wildlife Federation's annual sustainability scorecard, or shop at The Home Depot, Pottery Barn, Target, and Jensen Leisure Furniture, which now stock only wood furniture certified by the Forest Stewardship Council for sustainability.

If you're investing in a new patio, porch, or deck, now may be the best time to find a deal on a contractor, too, Yeager says — just be sure to ask for an "off-season discount."

Same goes, at least during late summer and early fall, for home weatherization work, according to MacEahern. This makes things like insulation or a new storm door triply lucrative because of labor and materials discounts you can snag before the real cold weather hits, because of the energy you'll save on heating your home this winter, and because big federal tax credits that pay up to $1,500 for many projects are good only through December 31, 2010.

(Photo: New Leaf paper,
100 sheets - $7.19 at
Office Depot.)

Back-to-school supplies and (some) clothes

Believe the hype! Back-to-school sales are generally the best time to stock up on things like pens, pencils, notebooks, and backpacks, according to Brooke Kalein, the deals editor for Wisebread.com. "They run the lowest prices right at the beginning of the school year," she notes.

For clothing too, Kalein recommends buying winter coats now because you can buy last year's styles cheap.

And MacEahern says that throughout the Northeast and much of the rest of the country, parents can wait for end-of-season discounts on fall clothing, since it hasn't been getting as cold as it once did in October and even November.

"In terms of clothing, 'green' clothes have a tendency to be more expensive than others," MacEahern says, "so buying them at the seasonal sales cycle is a great time to add them to your wardrobe."

Premium outdoor apparel is also on sale now, as Kennedy knows. His store's clothing, from designers like Patagonia, is discounted as much as 50%. "I go and buy my stuff this time of year," he says with a laugh.

(Photo: Gloria Dawson / The Daily Green)

Fresh food

Fall is a good time to find the best prices on locally grown, fresh foods, MacEahern points out, since harvest time means lots of farmers have lots of produce they're trying to sell at the same time.

"It's a great time to shop at farmers' markets," says MacEahern, who lives in Tacoma Park, MD, a suburb of Washington, D.C., where farmers' markets abound. "Now, there is so much food in farmers' markets that it's really cheap. I got these beautiful organic tomatoes for $3 a pound. It's more expensive than a grocery store, but it's a great price for organic tomatoes."

Kalein said that Amazon.com is also running a good discount on organic and fair-trade foods right now as well.

• 7 Home Improvements Worth $1,500
• 50 Healthy Foods for Under $1 a Pound
• 5 Ways You're Wasting Money in the Bathroom
• How to Pack Your Bags Like a Cheapskate
• 30+ Surprising Money-Saving Tips

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc