If I hear one more time how “trendy” being “green” has become, I might explode. Wake up and smell the shade-grown-fairly-traded-coffee people.
Guest post by Wendy Gabriel
Living sustainably is not trendy; it’s a thoughtful, responsible way to live. It’s not just about putting your plastic bottles in the recycling bin; it’s about realizing that you should avoid the plastic bottle all together. It’s about really thinking about your impact on your community, your city and your world.
The converse of living sustainably is living in a way that is depleting the very things we need to survive. We need clean water, clean air and healthy food for our continued existence on this planet. Currently, the worldwide population and global demand for these resources are both greater than ever.
I know it’s not always easy. I also know that it’s imperative to make the effort.
There are all sorts of complex issues that people a lot smarter than me debate ad nauseum. But I believe if you use your God-given common sense, you’ll get it right most of the time.
For example, would you use a product in your home when the label says it’s harmful to humans and animals? Common sense says no. The next time you pick up a canister of Clorox wipes, read the label. Not only does it warn that it’s harmful to humans and animals, the two ingredients listed, dimethyl benzyl ammonia chloride .145 per cent and dimethyl ethyl benzyl ammonia chloride, are pesticides.
Would you put lotion on your baby if you knew it contained a known carcinogen? Does your favorite Johnson & Johnson baby care product contain a lot of ingredients you’ve never heard of? According to the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep cosmetic safety database, Johnson’s Baby Lotion Aloe Vera & Vitamin E contains ingredients that cause cancer, developmental/reproductive toxicity and allergies, among other things. Take a look at all your cosmetics.
Common sense dictates if the product is harmful for my body then the health risks are prevalent throughout the life span of the product. So, the product isn’t just bad for me, it’s bad for the workers who manufacture it, the community that lives by the manufacturing facility and the environment.
Take polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl). The health risks of PVC are prevalent throughout the life span of this plastic. From the manufacturing process, the use and the disposal, PVC causes health risks for the communities near the chemical plants, our children and our environment.
“PVC plants are disproportionately located in low-income communities and communities of color, making the production of PVC a major environmental justice concern. Communities surrounding vinyl chloride facilities suffer from groundwater and air pollution. In 1999, the federal government measured dioxins in blood samples taken from 28 residents who lived near PVC facilities in Louisiana. The testing revealed the average resident has three times more dioxin in his/her blood than the average U.S. citizen. Workers at PVC plants may face life-long health risks from exposure to cancer causing vinyl chloride and other hazardous chemicals used to make PVC. These health risks include angiosarcoma of the liver, lung cancer, brain cancer, lymphomas, leukemia, and liver cirrhosis.”
Source: Center for Health, Environment and Justice
I am all about Simple Tips for Green Living but I think we need to dig a little deeper and understand that we are all connected. What we do locally affects someone else regionally. And that effect spreads nationally and, ultimately, globally.
This is Wendy’s 2nd guest article here at Twilight Earth and we are glad to have her back. As a green living freelance writer, Wendy’s work has been published by the Chicago Sun-Times, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Reuters and Fox News. Her popular blog, My Green Side, offers simple tips for green living. You can also find her work at the Fargo Green Living Examiner, and you can listen to her on Wednesdays on WDAY, where she talks about Green Tips that we can all follow to make our lives more sustainable.
photo credit: Darwin Bell
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{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post, Wendy! I totally agree…so many sustainable choices come down to common sense when you really boil it down.
Great post, Wendy! Adam, thanks for giving other writers the opportunity to guest post. Cheers- Bethe @balmeras
Great article. I much prefer the term sustainable living than green, because of the implications you mention. The way you explain each point, just makes it become common sense to take such steps. Thanks!
Well said Wendy! It’s too bad our cultural common sense compass is so out of whack.
Am thrilled for the opportunity to write at Twilight Earth! Thank you!
Great article, Wendy! It is so imperative that each of us begin to take responsibility for our actions. We can do this by reading labels as you stated and becoming more informed. The little choices that each of us make every day can add up to a huge impact to the betterment of our communities and ultimately the earth and all its residents. Thank you.
I absolutely agree on the point that we are all connected and on common sense. I think many people greenwash their own brains because they just don’t want to see the truth. I’m sure I’ve even done it myself.
When it comes to being green, a little frugality can go a long way.
“Wake up and smell the shade-grown-fairly-traded-coffee people.”?
You do realize that Fair Trade is an economic program — not an environmental one, do you? Fair Trade is no more “green” than microloans given to peasants in India.
If we slap the “green” label on everything, it ceases to have any meaning.
Not to mention that many would rightfully argue that Fair Trade — as a system based on an artificially set price floor & ceiling, independent of coffee quality — is unsustainable to begin with.
Thanks for this…I’ve heard too much about the green ‘trend’ too. I think the changes are true and lasting. As you say, they’re necessary for survival! It’s not a trend, it’s about waking up.
This is a wonderful article. In fact Adam, as much as I love your work, Derek’s work and Twilight Earth…I believe we should see more of this writer. Lots more.
Where’d you find her?
Best,
Christopher
Nice article Wendy. You nailed it. Now, how do we get the common sense to actually TAKE ACTION!?
Wow, some great comments! Thank you all for reading and to quote a very wise man, “As always, keep up the good fight and Alter the Eco!”
Ha, Ha, that comment from Christopher actually made me chuckle! I do agree with what he had to say though. Go Wendy!
Great article, and goes right along with my ‘disapproval’ of the green ‘lifestyle’ meme. A lifestyle is not a way of life. I live as green as I can, as sustainably as I can, and it is not a ‘lifestyle’! Acquiring more stuff so one can live the same way, but greener, as one has been living in the past, misses the point altogether.
signed.
one who lives simply, and can’t afford the magazine….
ps, looking forward to more from Wendy, too.
Bravo!
I would like to reiterate your good point about vinyl chloride. I recently watched a documentary called “Trade Secrets,” which is about the chemical industry’s discovery of and shocking reaction (inaction) to the effects of vinyl chloride exposure.
Wendy,
Thank you for your article. As a first time mom, I am strong advocate for natural baby care and baby safe products – cloth diapers, reusable baby wipes (from bottoms-up-baby.com), glass bottles, nothing micro-waved, etc. and am happy to have stumbled upon your post! I will be sure to not use Johnson’s Baby Lotion on my newborn.
What you say is very true. People should pay attention to what they are buying. I guess I feel that some of these chemicals can be avoided by buying certified organic products and making your own (for those who time and the know-how). I think our current state is due to convenience. People are not willing to do the research themselves because they want the quickest and easiest solution.
Where did you find your information on the chemicals in the products you mentioned?
Ha
Marie Franklin,
As I mentioned in the article, I am a huge fan of the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep cosmetic safety database and you can find a myriad of information at their site!
Wow- great post.
I feel like nowadays you need to be a scientist to discern what are the healthy options in the grocery store. Beyond that, its frightening to think about what is served to us when we eat out.
You are so right that this “trend” should stop being called “green”. These are good, common sense, sustainable living practices that should be done without having to think of them as “green”. Unfortunately, “green” has a bad connotation for some people, as in being perceived to be connected with a political leaning that’s opposite from some people (for some people green=liberal=goofy=not-to-be-trusted). “Common sense living practices” sounds good to me. Then it’s not tied to any politico-religio way of looking at the world.
“Green” is a trend, “sustainability” is what it is: a way to protect and nurture life with reasonable actions. Well done, Wendy.
Good post Wendy,, It is good to see other people taking this approach,, it’s not easy but it is simple, live greener and live sustainable,, thats the ticket!!!,,Been doing it for about 10 yrs. myself,,,,Peace to you and yours,,,, NY Homesteader