Skip to main content

We can never escape


The presence of plastics in our every aspect of our lives is becoming a greater concern for many people. We know that fish are eating plastics, then we eat the fish, there are microplastics in bottled water and recently it has become apparent that plastic particles are in the air we breathe. Plastics are in every aspect of our lives, but what we do not know is the impact they will have on our health.
            Many of the chemicals that make up plastics are dangerous to human health. They can be endocrine disrupters or even cancerous. When plastic is warmed, the chemicals in its makeup begin to leach into their surroundings, whether that is water or fatty tissue of an animal.
            A recent study found that microplastics were present in the deepest crevices of the ocean. Where did those micro plastics come from? The study determined that they were from clothing particles breaking off in household washing machines and going through the water systems. Another study found that women in remote locations, such as native Alaskans, have higher levels of pollutant in their breast milk than the average woman Meaning there is no where on earth safe from plastics.

Popular posts from this blog

Four years in and still figuring things out

Initially I was drawn into this world of sustainable living based on posts I had seen on social media. These ranged from very simple changes to reduce plastic consumption all the way to people that did not use toilet paper because it was too wasteful. ( Americans use more toilet paper than anywhere else on earth. )  This wide spectrum was incredibly daunting at first. How far was far enough? On the other hand, at what point would I become a social outcast for the ideas people were suggesting?             Then the real questions started popping up in my head. Were these people on social media even remotely correct in the assertions they were making? I did not have the foggiest clue. This is the point where I started to do actual research. I realized fact checking was going to be incredibly important in accepting this lifestyle change and convincing others that it is a worthwhile cause.   ...

There are two sides to every story

As I mentioned in my earlier posts, there are plenty of people that will push back against my choices. One such push back came in a GEG class quite unexpectedly. It was simply an off handed comment by my professor. I do not believe he intended as a slight against me in any way, but it really made me think about how people view my choices in protecting the environment.             I believe were talking about the impacts of disposable diapers and my professor said, “just wait until you have kids, things will change.” It really struck me in that moment that people see environmentalism as a trend. Something to be put on hold or given up when life gets in the way. To be clear, I was in no way offended by his comment, quite the opposite in fact. I took his comment to mean that I have work to do. Maybe I should give more credit to advocating for changes in the law. That would provide more legitimacy to the changes I ...

Not for the love of animals, but for sustainability

I do not necessarily subscribe to a specific diet. I do not claim to be vegetarian or vegan even if most of my meals meet those requirements. I guess you could call my diet plastic free. It sounds strange but that is the goal when I go shopping for food.             I was really inspired after reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. His book really focused on being in touch with the food we consume. So much of what we eat today is highly processed with added sugars, emulsifiers and stabilizers. Our great-grandparents probably would not recognize most of what America is eating today as food. Pollan’s advice for a healthy diet is, “eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” Image source.              It is well understood that the meat industry in the US is a major environmental problem.   Beef production requires a significant amount of na...