I also felt that to include a mass email as a subject for one of my blog entries I needed a responsible approach and thought  going to one of my favorite sources for forwarded information emails, whether they be true or not, http://www.snopes.com would be the solution.  You see one of the problems that now arises from these often frightening emails is so often they are only about spreading fear of one kind or another and nothing else and have little to no proof to back them up.  So, when something like the Cocoa Mulch email comes around it seems like just more of the same, when it’s not.  There are issues with Cocoa Mulch and toxicity for our companion dogs and cats.  It’s something one should give serious consideration to before using (like clumping clay cat litters – we’ll do that one real soon) whether you have 4 legged companion animals or not as the wildlife in your yard could also possibly be impacted.  If it’s something you are already using, please, do some research as you might find you want to reconsider.  The information shows that there’s enough to also say, in some instances, it could be safe to use as well.  I prefer to err on the side of extreme caution in instances where all kinds of safer options exist and so I made the choice not to use Cocoa Mulch.  And, besides, I actually like my yard to smell of vanilla (it’s great for resolving the smell of animal waste of all kinds).  You have to make that call yourself.  Make it a well informed one and check out this page at snopes:  http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp