Today's weather--60s and overcast--has been a wonderful salve after weeks of 90Fs. And tonight the low is 59F.
And as much as I appreciate the drop in temperatures, the gulf of 30ish degrees between the two--plus record droughts out west, record rain in the UK, record heat all over the US--brings climate change to the fore. We do the average as far as environmentally-conscious practices go, but I can't help but feel it really doesn't matter if I recycle one more can in light of such ecological disaster. Sure, I'll keep doing it, but it seems like the proverbial drop in the dirty bucket.
Showing posts with label environment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label environment. Show all posts
Friday, July 20, 2012
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Ms. Yuck
I was running low on shampoo, I noticed, as I picked up the bottle this afternoon. And as I shook it to determine just how much I had left, my eye caught the long list of ingredients--are they ingredients if you don't eat it? Anyway, not any of them could I easily pronounce. What was I putting in my hair? I have natural deodorant and natural toothpaste, both Tom's of Maine, eschew most other salves and such save some Burt's Bees hand lotion and lip balm, and whatever bar of herbal or glycerin soap I have on hand (when it's not Dr. Bronner's). But what was this stuff in my shampoo? So I asked Mama to look at the natural shampoos when she went to Trader Joe's today in advance of tonight's storm. And so she brought home a new shampoo, most of which ingredients I could pronounce, and some TJ's toilet paper! The shampoo I liked, the toilet paper I haven't tried yet.
Then tonight, Iwas cleaning the toilet with some of the only harsh chemicals we have left in the house (because if you're going to use harsh chemicals, it should probably be on the toilet, right?). I'd poured the blue stuff into the bowl and was readjusting the cap when the contents oozed all over my hands, having been caught under the cap. Blue stuff all over me. I washed it off me and the bottle and only then noticed the first aid warnings on the back: wash hands for 20 minutes and call poison control. Great. So, I did the former while Mama did the latter. Apparently, the acidity of toilet cleanser is a Ph-balance of 1, because of the bleach, I think. Yep, I might have a chemical burn. So I kept washing. 20 minutes. Now my hands were red and raw and cold from the tap and the rubbing. Luckily, no blisters appeared and there was no burning or tingling. I'd gotten off pretty easily, apparently. But the toilet didn't--I never finished cleaning it, just flushed the blue stuff away, and then tossed the last of the toxic chemicals in the house. What if the kids had found that bottle, even kept as it is behind childproof barriers? The blue goo looks like finger paint but it so much more dangerous. It's just not worth it.
Then tonight, Iwas cleaning the toilet with some of the only harsh chemicals we have left in the house (because if you're going to use harsh chemicals, it should probably be on the toilet, right?). I'd poured the blue stuff into the bowl and was readjusting the cap when the contents oozed all over my hands, having been caught under the cap. Blue stuff all over me. I washed it off me and the bottle and only then noticed the first aid warnings on the back: wash hands for 20 minutes and call poison control. Great. So, I did the former while Mama did the latter. Apparently, the acidity of toilet cleanser is a Ph-balance of 1, because of the bleach, I think. Yep, I might have a chemical burn. So I kept washing. 20 minutes. Now my hands were red and raw and cold from the tap and the rubbing. Luckily, no blisters appeared and there was no burning or tingling. I'd gotten off pretty easily, apparently. But the toilet didn't--I never finished cleaning it, just flushed the blue stuff away, and then tossed the last of the toxic chemicals in the house. What if the kids had found that bottle, even kept as it is behind childproof barriers? The blue goo looks like finger paint but it so much more dangerous. It's just not worth it.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
An Embarrassment of Toilet Paper
My mom once told me that my dad can handle a lot of economies but that reducing their AC use (in Houston) is not one of them. I like my AC, but I like my soft toilet paper more. And now, I feel guilty for the environmental impact: soft toilet paper is made from standing trees because recycled paper just can't be made soft. And, oh ugh, some of that is coming from old-growth forests here in North America. So Greenpeace has issued a ratings guide, which gives good enough marks to Trader Joe's and Seventh Generation, the only acceptable brands I'd heard of, and horrible marks to my preference.
But then I read here that I shouldn't really worry, that personal consumer choices often have little impact, even if they were to be adopted by the majority. At least I've done the first suggestion, which is vegetarianism. We don't do so well with driving less, though we drive less than we did when the kiddos were sleepless babes. The other experts basically had no suggestions, just saying that perhaps we could try buying more from developing nations (though he was the most skeptical about personal consumer choices) and that taxing pollutants would provide incentive to major corporations.
Maybe we'll continue with trying not to use paper towels or paper napkins, and maybe I can use less toilet paper. And I might try squeezing those recycled brands, just to see. Because, in the end, isn't it better to hug a tree than toilet paper?
But then I read here that I shouldn't really worry, that personal consumer choices often have little impact, even if they were to be adopted by the majority. At least I've done the first suggestion, which is vegetarianism. We don't do so well with driving less, though we drive less than we did when the kiddos were sleepless babes. The other experts basically had no suggestions, just saying that perhaps we could try buying more from developing nations (though he was the most skeptical about personal consumer choices) and that taxing pollutants would provide incentive to major corporations.
Maybe we'll continue with trying not to use paper towels or paper napkins, and maybe I can use less toilet paper. And I might try squeezing those recycled brands, just to see. Because, in the end, isn't it better to hug a tree than toilet paper?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)