Without even realizing it, it seems like I'm addicted to petroleum...
Fossil fuels and petrochemicals have a detrimental effect on our environment and health. From the hazardous effects of Alberta's tar sands on animal and human populations, from the damage caused by oil spills and deep sea drilling to marine life--the effects of which are still not entirely clear--to other forms of oil exploration and drilling, which involve interrupting ecosystems, it's pretty clear how fossil fuels are detrimental to the environment. And of course, there's that whole climate change thing... Sure, driving a car and limiting the amount we as individuals use fossil fuels is important in addressing climate change, but the primary polluters are industrial manufacturers. Besides limiting the amount of fuel we use, lobbying governments, and pushing for change in other ways to address our socioeconomic addiction to petroleum, the biggest change we can make as individuals is to boycott or avoid purchasing products that contribute to pollution. The less chemical processing, the less manufacturing involved, the better. The only problem is that so many of our products contain petroleum and petrochemicals. And, beyond simply being associated with environmental hazard, petrochemicals have a detrimental effect on human health, primarily affecting hormone and endocrine function. Petrochemicals have been linked to development and mental health concerns, cancers, and lung problems (Ecology Center, 2003).
The Ecology Center's "The True Costs of Petroleum: Body Map" is a great source of online information. It lists a number of different petrochemicals and where they can be found. It lists phthalates as a common group of petrochemicals with endocrine disruption properties that can be found in cosmetics, toothbrushes, food packaging, toys, aspirin, hair spray, tampon packaging, and more. Tampons and sanitary pads can often contain synthetic fibers that are derived from petroleum. The same goes for synthetic fabrics. The pesticides and plastics involved in growing and packaging food are also huge sources of petrochemicals in our lives. However, perhaps the most common are all the lotions and potions we use on our bodies, heads, and faces.While I generally try to buy local from the farmer's market, and organic as much as possible, the food options in Peterborough, Ontario are not necessarily as plentiful as other cities. I try my best to, at least, purchase as whole of foods as possible and foods that do not involve a lot of (or any) packaging. If I had taken enough time this summer to buy some veggies in bushels and do a ton of canning and freezing, I could perhaps be eating only local this winter, to reduce my footprint. But, alas, this is not an option for me. I am stuck to grabbing whatever winter veggies I can from the market and skeptically making my way through the aisles of the grocery store. I feel like there is a great deal of politics involved in eating, and that's not just because I am writing my thesis about it. So, I won't get into what I buy here or how I justify it. I think that's another conversation to be had, but feel free to ask.
But, as I've said, what I've let go it my commitment to petroleum-free, vegan products. I know that Lush is a great place to look for natural, vegan products. Their products do contain parabens, but they are naturally derived from vegetables. However, Lush is a pretty expensive place to shop. Through all the researching that I did online and looking into products and chemicals (I still mix them up sometimes), I tend to be the most comfortable with Kiss My Face shampoos and moisturizers. Although, I have also found some other local options through small business people in the farmer's market and local health food store. I have been a big fan of using Dr. Bronner's soap for a long time. It's fair trade and eco-friendly. It's great when diluted for washing your body. You can also use a small amount diluted for your laundry, for washing your floor, and for other cleaning. I have also used it to wash my hair, but found that it was very drying. But, this can be remedied with a good conditioner. The good thing about Dr. B's is that you can buy it in huge 4 L containers too, so you save in the long run on packaging. This month I purchased a huge jar of coconut oil. Okay, not the expensive, extra-virgin, ultra-organic kind, but a regular jar. I rub it on my body as a moisturizer and I use it to moisturize my hair. I also just wash my hair less. The other big switch one can make is to using soap nuts (re-usable and natural seeds that you throw in the laundry) instead of laundry detergent, or to an old-fashioned soda-based powder detergent in a cardboard box. You can find both of these things at the health food store near you. I know that The Soap Works makes a good laundry powder. So many of the products we buy involve a ton of plastic packaging produced with petrochemicals. I have e-mailed Dr. Bronner's and Kiss My Face to ask if they take packages that are mailed back to them to be re-filled. But, alas, I haven't received a response, although, both companies do sell larger re-fill versions of their products.
Switching back to eco-friendly products was pretty easy. Well, I do kind of miss that super-minty whitening toothpaste... Sure, they cost a little more, but I also find that I don't need to wash my hair as much, or use as much soap when it's not loaded with artificial moisturizers that block my pores and make me sweat more. I've also gone back to thinking about experimenting with making my own products. But, in general, any kind of natural oil makes a great moisturizer on its own. For a lot of folks, this might be too much on the face, which is understandable. While there are some interesting recipes on the Internet, I think, for myself, personally, I'd rather just stick to buying a moisturizer from a company I trust that uses naturally derived parabens as preservatives rather than petrochemicals. For this, I like Lush, especially because they use recycled materials for their packaging! But, I realize I am in a place of privilege to be able to say I prefer lush products. So, I think when it comes down to it, we should just do the best with whatever we can afford. At first, I gulped at my first purchase of coconut oil, because it can be so expensive. But, a little goes a long way, and I use it for everything. So, it depends how we think about it.
The other big switch I made was to burning beeswax candles rather than traditional paraffin wax tea lights, which contain petrochemicals and pollute the air. Beeswax candles instead clean the air. They are very expensive, it's true, but I bought two HUGE candles, which should last for a very long time.
Finally, I was reading an article entitled "Eco-Kitchen" in the November 2011 issue of Alive magazine that pushed me into another frenzy. The article mentioned plastic containers, wax paper, plastic packaging and other petroleum-laden products that have made their way into our lives. I tend not to use any kind of plastic wrap, paper towel, etc., but rather glass jars to store my food. But, the article also mentioned VINEGAR. I use vinegar to clean pretty much everything from my yoga clothes, to my toilet, to my bathroom mirror, to my kitchen counter. It's natural... or so I thought. It turns out that most of the acetic acid in that dirt-cheap vinegar we buy at the grocery store, apart from being stored in a petrochemical-based plastic bottle, is also synthetically derived from.... PETROLEUM PRODUCTS!! This caused a giant "what the f***" moment for me. Now what am I supposed to do? I suppose I could possibly switch to cleaning with natural, chlorine-free bleach diluted in water to clean my house. Apparently there is some hope, though. "Natural" white vinegar from a health food store is apparently petroleum-free. "Oh great, so I'm doing to spend $8 on a tiny jar of this stuff when I go through maybe a jar like that a week? No thanks!" I still don't have a real solution. Lemons aren't local, so there's that whole transportation thing, when it comes to cleaning with lemon juice. And, there really is nothing else that gets the stink out quite like vinegar. I am a big fan of Benefect, which I use for cleaning sometimes. I bought it at the yoga studio (it's supposed to be a great mat spray), but I mostly use it around the house. It's more expensive that natural vinegar, so it's not really a solution. So, I haven't completely gotten rid of the petroleum in my life. But, at least I'm more aware of what's out there.
I know a few years ago when I started researching this stuff, I found it really worrying and stressful. Everything was evil. I suppose I still kind of feel that way... deep down I know there is something tricky to every choice we make as consumers. But, I suppose what's changed is my attitude. I used to have more of a militant attitude, where I needed to purge my life of all morally dubious dealings. So, every decision became an ethical crisis. I suppose now I can just say that maybe I'm just jaded. Maybe I'm a little cynical? It's not that I don't think that my actions as an individual can't make a change on the world. Rather, it's that I feel that I understand that the real problem here is the culture, the economy, the politics, and the entire social system that continues to make these particular choices available. Our ecological crisis will not be solved by consumers being guilted and coaxed into choosing one option over another. No, this is a deflection from the real problems of industrial pollution, and industries which continue to produce health-hazardous and ecologically harmful products for a profit. Sure, as consumers, we can pick the ethical, expensive option and hope that all others go out of business. Except that most folks are poor and can't afford to be spending $10 on shampoo. Heck, buying shampoo is even a luxury. So, instead, as a society, we need to re-evaluate what's important. We need to demand a certain standard from governments, businesses, manufacturers, etc. Or, we need to topple this whole system and make a better one.
