Ok, I couldn’t help but ride on that bandwagon…(a la Time Magazine Cover) I know, don’t go there. But let’s switch the topic NOW.
So, are you GREEN ENOUGH? I’ve admitted in my previous post that I am most certainly GREEN to all this green stuff. I’m not the image of a granola crunching, negative heel wearing, tree-hugging mamma who is in-tune with my chakras…and I’m not dissing any of you who are! Trust me, because you’re already ahead of me in soooo many ways!
It all started with an interesting question, “what are the ingredients on your cleaning products?” And me, startled to find NONE…and none that I would understand anyway! We can all imagine the list of 20 ingredients with just as many letters in each word, right?
Well, SHUT. THE. DOOR!
Have you noticed?
They aren’t there, sista!
Now, do we as consumers care? Do we live in a society that generally accepts and trusts what is put on the shelves in our stores? I don’t know about you, but I’ve always believed that everything is rigourously tested and absolutely safe for us. Yes, there is testing but to what levels? Is good enough, really good enough?
And what do all those labels mean? 100% natural, green, earth friendly? I think we’re all interested in being more health conscious and eco-friendly but some of us just simply trust what’s out there. It’s all good right? Buzz… Not necessarily. Call it GREEN WASHING, if you will. We are constantly bombarded with “green labels” but realistically not all green is equal. And how do they justify the labels anyway?
It’s truly up to us to do the research and make our own choices. This time, I’m really listening. It’s in my nature to trust..until something goes wrong. Well, apparently the “wrong” is right under my nose and knocking on the door…no, wait…it’s gone past the door. Ugh!
I just returned from a luncheon with TV Broadcaster and best selling Author, Gill Deacon who not only has done extensive research on the chemicals we are exposed to in our everyday lives but she is also a breast cancer survivor. Talk about a wake up call!
Gill hosted an intimate lunch & learn on behalf of Seventh Generation – a national brand of household and personal care products for health and the environment. She stated very simply “our bodies are like buckets…we can only handle so many drops”.
Did you know that the average North American woman uses at least a dozen chemical products before even leaving the door in the morning….let me count…yep.
What goes ON our bodies go IN as well. From lipstick to moisturizers to laundry detergent we are giving our bodies a real cocktail of chemicals. BUT what will it take to change? Ok, some people say they don’t really give a hoot about the future of the environment (they think someone else is going to figure it all out)…but remember, what goes around comes around. The chemicals you may not care about go into the oceans and lakes then eventually comes back to us.
Gill says “It’s really about long term, cumulative effect that we should be paying attention to.”
So, to answer that question of “Are you green enough?” I KNOW I am not. But I also don’t feel judged. I know it’s a choice. I am going to take some steps to minimize exposure to everyday toxins. It’s hard to break from tradition but little steps, right?
Seventh Generation voluntarily lists ALL their ingredients on their labels. Their representatives also tells me that their testing exceeds that national standards. And if you’re wondering about those labels? (100% natural, green, etc). They don’t use them. They’ve researched and found that consumers don’t really understand the labels and get confused. The ingredients speak for themselves. The company is also good about answering any questions consumers have.
For more information and where to find Seventh Generation products please visit their website at seventhgeneration.com
BTW..I couldn’t help but to notice the healthy glowing skin on Gill Deacon and on the Seventh Generation Representative at this event. Seriously! I’ve got Gill’s book on my must read list! There’s Lead in Your Lipstick: Toxins in Everyday Bodycare and How to Avoid Them (Penguin 2011)
