Rocket Fuel in Drinking Water...Biocides in the Soil!

Well, unless you are from a different planet (I sometimes feel that I am, but back to the topic at hand) you most likely are aware of a Global Movement to help the environment. For years we have trashed it...thrown it out like a bad prom dress, but guess what? That taffeta number is showing up again all over the place! And worse than leg warmers or stretch pants! Okay, so I'm speaking figuratively, but the truth is that there are so many toxins out there today...toxins that are affecting your health, your children's health, and the heath of future generations. It's time to stop polluting our world and to stop others from doing it too! (I find that it is harder to stop the folks who are knowingly trashing our planet, because greed and money seem to always go hand in hand, don't they?). I will step down off of my soap box to expand a bit...

You are probably pretty well versed on the issue with plastics (#s 1, 2, 4, & 5 are the safest; avoid purchasing products with any other label), hormones in dairy and meat/poultry, and global warming, but what about rocket fuel in your water and biocides in your soil?

Perchlorate is an oxidizer in rocket fuel. It occurs naturally in the environment, but is also manufactured for things like rocket fuel, fireworks, and the airbags in your car. And while "they" often tell us there is a quantity of any chemical/toxin that "poses no threat" to humans, I rarely believe it. Perchlorate has been found in water sources near areas that manufacture it, but also in other areas.

Why get on the band wagon of keeping water sources clean? Because perchlorate is absorbed by your thyroid. A proper functioning thyroid gland is necessary for healthy development in children. If you still have a baby on infant formula, you may want to think twice about ignoring the toxins your baby is ingesting. Perchlorate has been found in infant formula, and then when you mix it with water that also contains perchlorate...now you've got "unsafe" levels of it in your baby's body. Read more about it at the Environmental Working Group and judge for yourself.

Biocides are a funny thing. I recently learned about them when my son's doctor and I were exploring what antibiotic might work for him. Nothing touches my child's body or is ingested by him unless I know what is in it. For a boy with two auto-immune disorders, we don't take foreign substances lightly...and by foreign, I don't mean from another country! (Although, that is an issue too for medicines....generic medicines are often made in China. Did you know that? Does that make you wonder what's in them?)

Anyhow, biocides are chemicals designed to kill a living organism, usually in a selective way. For example, ever use RoundUp for your weeds? That is a biocide. Chlorine? Another biocide...think about where you might find that...your local swimming pool or even your drinking water. Good stuff, yum! In all seriousness, I do not take these chemicals lightly.

So why are biocides on my mind? First, because of the pesticides and herbicides we use to sterilize our lawns and gardens. (We shouldn't be using them, by the way. Mother Nature has a wonderful process of selecting the fittest for survival...she doesn't need us destroying all the important microbes, insects, and such that are necessary for a healthy food web). Second, because biocides are used in antibiotics, which you might need to take one day. And third, because as I have found with most all chemicals created by man, there always seems to be A DARK SIDE - a side that negatively affects all of us, whether we are aware of it or not.

Now, I am not a scientist nor an expert on biocides, but it seems to me that we can reduce our use of them in many areas of our life so that the ones that are absolutely necessary will actually work and that scientists don't have to keep inventing new ones because pathogens are outsmarting the old biocides and no longer working. Like antibiotics and hand cleaners, we can go overboard and use something too much. Clearly.

This is a new topic for me, so I will continue to explore it, because as a parent and an educator, I am very, very concerned about the health and well-being of my child and the children with whom I work. They deserve better than what we have been giving them...they deserve a healthy, clean planet...and a future.

Why Greenify?

I have heard, I think, every reason in the book for why people do not buy organic/natural goods. The reasons range from "Who cares!" to the more pragmatic responses, which are that buying organic is expensive and inconvenient. True. No one should debate that organic goods DO cost more money...and in some cases, a lot more. It is also true that finding organic and natural products is not always easy. But have faith....there is a green world out there, and it's not really that far from your reach....nor does it have to break your bank.

I know this seems like the worst time in your life to greenify--I mean the economy is in shambles, our own budgets are pinched, and we're trying to find jobs, keep jobs, and not go crazy in the process. But really, this is the best time ever to greenify your life because you can be part of the process from the beginning, and create healthy habits for you and your children...and (gasp) save money in the long run!

Where does one start? With food, of course! It is perhaps the easiest and most mainstream organic thing out there. You should buy organic for everything, because there are all kinds of nasty things in conventional foods that you wouldn't want your worst enemy to consume, so why should you and your family? So here are a few tips to make your grocery shopping a bit easier:


Fruits & Veggies
Grow Your Own! (cheapest option) - Victory gardens are all the rage again, and you don't have to be a major do-it-yourselfer to accomplish the feat of planting an organic garden in your yard. Your local plant nursery probably has some inexpensive or free workshops you can attend, as well as your local organization of Master Gardeners. If you are lucky enough to have some farms near you, urban or rural, they often offer classes and workshops at nominal prices, too.

• The upside: you can choose how much and of what kinds of fruits & veggies you wish to grow; your garden will look and smell amazing, attracting important garden helpers to your yard such as birds, bees, and butterflies
• The downside: gardening is labor-intensive...you'll have to be in your yard often; fruit trees take many years to become well-established and bear fruit; if you don't want to be watering your garden for an hour each day, you have to set up an irrigation system, which is not rocket science, but does take some set-up time and a good number of trips to your local hardware or home improvement store

Shop at Your Local Farmers' Market (economical option) - Organic farming is growing quickly and you are likely to be able to find some good options for shopping at farmers' markets in your area, unless you live in really hot and arid states, in which case all I can say is move on down to the grocery store option below.

• The upside: good prices on organic foods; often a better variety to choose from than the grocery store, at least for seasonal produce; the time from when it was picked to when it goes into your mouth is much shorter than grocery stores; you are supporting your local economy and farmers by buying their goods
• The downside: some towns only have markets open from May through October, so you're stuck shopping at a grocery store in the late fall and winter months; farmer's markets typically sell seasonal produce and you will not be able to find foods that cannot be grown in your environment (now many of you may see this as a downside, but actually, as much as we all love tropical fruits, purchasing them means we are contributing to a huge carbon footprint...think of how far your mango must travel to get on your plate)

Shop at Your Local Grocery Store (most expensive) - For many folks, this is a good place to start, because you are already programmed to drive to your local supermarket. Now, don't forget your canvas, reuseable bags when you go!

• The upside: convenience as you can get many other household needs all in one place; variety, as grocery stores often get organic foods from other countries that are in summer while we're freezing to death (or getting frizzy hair from the rain!)
• The downside: organics tend to be substaintially higher at grocery stores than at farmers' markets; I can buy fresh eggs at my farmers' market for $0.18 per egg, while the market sells them for $0.43 per egg....that's more than twice as much per egg; also, your food is quite old by the time it hits your table, as it can take 5-8 days (at least!) for product to be harvested and then arrive at your local grocery store; you may also be inclined to buy foods that don't typically grow in your region or at a particular time of year, which contributes to global warming (yes, I'm talking about eating watermelon, tomato, and cucumber in December...read the label to see where they are coming from...Mexico and Chile namely!); the fruits and veggies may not be from local farms, which means your local economy is missing out

You will have to shop at a grocery store for organic coffee (unless you are lucky enough to have an organic coffee house in your 'hood), bathroom supplies, baking needs, etc. Most grocery stores these days offer a few green options for most things, so no more excuses, get to it!

Now, if you are really adventurous, I challenge you to change all your household cleaners and body products to organics, too! Here's the scoop on these products:

Household Cleaners - traditional cleaners really mess up oceanlife, blow brain cells (okay, this is not from any scientific research, but read more about it to see what scientists really do think), and are generally really bad for the environment. So, what are your options? The best bets I have found are vinegar, baking soda, Bon Ami, lemon juice, and hydrogen peroxide.

Vinegar - use it to clean your kitchen and baths; to break down the gunk in your sink monster (you know, the garbage disposal!) when added after baking soda; and diluted with water, to clean floors (yes, even hard wood!)

Baking Soda- this multi-use wonder is great to use as a mild abrasive in your kitchen and baths; to unclog drains, accompanied by vinegar, and my all time favorite- to make toothpaste!

Bon Ami - use it in kitchens and baths as a mild abrasive and to get out mold and mildew stains; check out their website to see how "green" they are and to read the great info they have on toxic chemicals often used in homes

Lemon Juice - great for getting out stains in kitchens and baths and for freshening your sink monster's nasty breath!

Hydrogen Peroxide - use 3% solution to kill bacteria in your sinks, toilets, showers, you name it, but use gloves and eye protection as it is a strong oxidizer

Of course, we all know to keep chemicals out of reach of children, even these not-so-toxic choices. Still, I'm compelled to remind you!

Body Products - Your best bet is to check out your beloved product on the Cosmetic Safety Database. Personally, if a product scores a 3 or above, I don't use it. If you take inventory with your current products, I'm betting that at least 90% of your products will fall into the "moderate" to "high hazard" categories. After you have calculated the hundreds of dollars you wasted on products that contain engine degreasers (sodium laureth sulfate) and carcinogens (parabens), pack up your toxic body products and drop them off at your City's site for hazardous wastes. No, you can't put them down you sink...think of the poor fishes on the other end! After you've wiped your tears with your new, chlorine-free tissue that you purchased at the grocery store with your chlorine-free toilet paper and paper towels, take a few minutes to look at the products on the Cosmetic Safety Database that are safe, and make a list for what you'll need to purchase. Following is a list of some brands that I have tried (and liked):

Shampoo/Conditioner: Burt's Bees; Terressentials; Aubrey's Organics; California Baby

Toothpaste: I make my own out of baking soda, water, and peppermint oil, and store it in a glass jar. I have not found a toothpaste worthy enough for me to purchase, but I'm sure there are some out there.

Soap/Bodywash/HandSoap: California Baby; Dr. Bronner's

Sunblock: California Baby; Badger; TruKid

Lotion: Burt's Bees; California Baby

Hair Gel: Bumble & Bumble; Weleda

Hair Spray: Clinique (non-aerosol); got2b In Control

Overwhelmed yet? It is daunting, but taking it a step at a time is the only way you'll survive this major lifestyle change and not go completely insane. Each week, vow to change 1 more thing to green. Here is a suggested plan:

Week 1 - buy organic fruits and veggies.

Week 2 - buy organic/natural cleaners (or make your own!) + week 1.

Week 3 - buy organic body products + weeks 1 & 2.

Week 4 - visit your local hazardous waste dump to deliver all of your toxic household chemicals and body products. Still keeping up on weeks 1-3, right?

Week 5 - take a deep breath of clean air (as your home is now free of toxic chemicals), kick your feet up and take the week off before you attempt to banish greenhouse gases in a single bound next week (of course while remembering weeks 1-3).