Wholistically Green
Keeping Environmental Impacts in Mind with Every Decision You Make
A look at some of the areas beyond home energy use, gas mileage and food where green-minded consumers need to be alert.
Buying organic food, adjusting your thermostat and driving less are all good ways to start living greener, but there are many other things we buy and do that have an impact on the planet. Living green means taking a hard look at every aspect of our lifestyles, not just our food and travel habits.
Consider these issues, each of which might affect our purchasing and lifestyle decisions at varying points in our lives:
Pesticide use in the floral industry. Most cut flowers sold in the U.S. today come from Latin America, where farmers fearful of not being able to supply pest- and blemish-free flowers to the lucrative U.S. market use large amounts of pesticides and other chemicals (see AlterNet). The result? A majority of floral workers, some of them children, in some Latin American countries report suffering from headaches, nausea, vision problems, breathing problems, rashes and birth defects. The solution? Buy locally grown or organic bouquets from suppliers like Organic Bouquet Inc., California Organic Flowers or other growers certified for sustainability.
Potentially harmful chemicals in perfumes and cosmetics. More than 9,000 of the substances used in cosmetics and personal-care products have not been studied for safety, according to the Environmental Working Group (see its Skin Deep report on cosmetics. Some of the chemicals include phthalates, which disrupt normal hormonal processes and can threaten reproductive health, and potentially carcinogic substances like formaldehyde. The solution? Choose natural products and scents, or make your own.
The environmental costs of fabric- and furniture-making. Non-organic cotton is made from a crop that relies heavily on pesticides, while man-made fabrics can be finished with chemicals like formaldehyde. Pressed-wood furniture, meanwhile, requires chemicals and glues that can emit vapors for years, and solid-wood furnishings can come from unsustainable sources in the rainforests and elsewhere. The solution? Choose natural, organic fabrics, and sustainably grown, solid-wood furniture. (For more information, see Wellbuilding or the Forest Stewardship Council).
The resource-intensive nature of the average workplace. Standard inks are petroleum-based, which means they're using up fossil fuels. And non-recycled paper relies on the cutting of trees, large quantities of energy and chemicals, while generating water and air pollution. The solution? Choose soy-based inks and recycled paper, and keep your hard-copy printing to a minimum, relying on email or electronic documents whenever possible. (See Environmental Defense's Paper Calculator to learn more about the environmental costs of office paper).
The health and environmental hazards of children's toys. From concerns about phthalates in teethers and other soft plastic toys to reports of worker abuse and pollution in the countries where many toys are manufactured, children's toys can create plenty of reason for concern. Your best option? Choose environmentally friendly and fairly produced toys made of long-lasting, green materials. For a wide selection of retailers who specialize in such toys, search the database at Co-op America's National Green Pages.
