The title refers to three basic mantras to follow when considering any lifestyle choice, according to Sustainability Strategist Lewis Perkins. He and several other 'Green' advocates gave us an amazing amount of information to ponder on at the recent Green Spa Network Conference (http://www.greenspanetwork.org/). For instance, did you know that the rise of autism and ADHT has a significant correlation to the increased usage of pesticides? Am I surprised? Not at all! Growing up, I had 3 relatives who had autism and at the time (70's and 80's) no one knew anything about it. And although Dustin Hoffman's portrayal of an austistic savante in the movie Rainman brought Autism into the spotlight, the Center for Disease and Prevention issued findings that the prevalence of autism had risen to 1 in every 110 births in the United States and almost 1 in 70 boys.
In Us...According to Lohas (Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability) 90% of our main crops are genetically engineered so much so that pollen has drifted and tainted the native crops of Mexico. Pesticides if you didn't know it yet, come from petroleum products. Cloned animals are already in the food system. And 25% of global warming is attributed to our food production system. On the other hand, organic farming utilizes 30% less energy and organic food is 30% higher in antioxidants and 25% more in 11 essential nutrients. Conventional milk contains 3 to 5 pesticides while organic milk provides 35% more in essential fatty acids.
On Us...what did you use this morning? Studies show that the average person uses 10 cosmetic products (including hair care, skin care and perfume) which immediately exposes them to 126 different ingredients. There are 85K synthetic chemicals in commerce. Of the 12.5K that exist in cosmetics, 80% have not been assessed for safety. If you don't believe that products on your skin can have that much of an effect on you, Beauty & Wellness Expert Rona Berg suggests that you cut a piece of garlic and tape it to the inside of your wrist for ten minutes. You will notice that eventually, the taste of garlic will be in your mouth.
Around Us... Over 400 billion gallons of polluted chemically laden laundry detergent water are released into water systems that enter rivers, lakes and the oceans every year. That same water feeds the fish we eat, seeps into the groundsoil where our plants take root, and it evaporates into the air we breathe.
So why aren't we being more socially responsible and looking out for ourselves? Is it because organic and natural tend to be more expensive? But think about this, would you rather pay the farmer or the hospital? If you haven't watched it yet, then you need to watch 11 year old Birke Baehr speak about 'What's Wrong with our Food System" on You Tube http://bit.ly/9FFavO. If he gets it, then so should we.
Unfortunately, Greenwashing (the perception that the environment is being taken cared of) has made us less discerning of our choices. Even more, each one of us wonders what we can do to make a difference. Visionary Mineral Cosmetic Maven Jane Iredale who began in 1994 created this mission statement for her Green Team - "One person can't save everything, but every person can save one thing...".
Being "green" is no longer a trend. It's a lifestyle...
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