The Good, the Bad and the Toxic

By: Tracy Himes | Special to the Independent Tribune
Published: October 17, 2010

As an optimist, I live in a constant state of hopefulness, so I always like to dwell on the good news. When it comes to our planet, we need all the good news we can get! So let’s start there first.

The Good

The good news is that we live on a sustainable planet, we always have and I believe, we always will. Planet Earth has operated for thousands of years without any of the environmental concerns we have today for air, water and land pollution. It can take care of itself with no help from us. Furthermore, our planet has all the built-in resources than we could ever need, many of which are renewable, meaning they’ll continue to be available forever.

Here’s some more good news we all need: we can each make a difference with the smallest changes, the littlest effort and with little or no expense. We just have to know how, where and what…(we already know that the when is now).

Right now, there is an urgent need for public support on legislation that can begin to turn the tables…more good news! Look into the Kid’s Safe Chemical Act of 2009, the Toxic Chemical Safety Act of 2010, and the Senate’s subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health. They are all worthy of your support…our legislators are listening, so we need to speak up!

The Bad

It is obvious, isn’t it? We should never have let it go this far and if we don’t act quickly, it will be harder to achieve our goals for a healthy planet. In 1970, when Earth Day was started and Dr. Seuss wrote “The Lorax” (a highly recommended must-read), folks in all corners of the globe realized what we needed to do to take care of the earth and its natural resources, but many of us did not listen and heed the warnings; certainly our own government did too little to curb the damage or inform the people of the facts.

Some people believe that environmental concerns are bogus, political or just for some manufacturer’s financial reward. Some think that the topics we’re talking about here are only opinions, held by left-wing liberal activists. But if you begin to read the research and verify the facts, you cannot ignore the signs. At the risk of sounding like an alarmist, I have to share the really bad news, along with the good.

Take a look for yourself at the staggering statistics on air quality, asthma and respiratory diseases. Look at the extreme increase in reproductive problems, fertility issues, allergies and skin disorders. Consider the disturbing display all around us of early puberty. All of these have been directly linked to our household products and every day environmental exposures.

“What’s going on?” Scientists and governments around the globe have studied environmental health, done tests on rats and multiple lab and field studies to prove that our choices are making us all sick. The silver lining in this bad news is that it’s not too late, we can actually reverse most of the damage that our generation has seen.

The Toxic

We will cover one “toxic topic” at a time in future columns. We’ll discern the real stuff from the “greenwashing” and marketing fluff. Then you will be informed, so you can decide on the steps you’re willing to take to make a difference…for your community, your family and yourself. Baby steps, Giant impact!

Ignorance is not bliss. My theory is that whoever said otherwise must have been ignorant, so how could they know?! But, now we know, and we must determine the facts, make the simple changes and help rid toxins from our life completely…”In Honor of Planet Earth”. Stay tuned!

In H.O.P.E.,
Tracy Himes (“Verde Mom”)

Tracy Himes is LEED Accredited in New Construction, is an Independent Founding Eco-Consultant for Chartreuse, local speaker and operates www.VerdeMom.com.

The Good, the Bad and the Toxic

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