Download Green Living

Green Living
Change your life inside and out.
“A journey of one thousand miles starts
with a single step.” Chinese Proverb
Why change?
 Join a growing “Sustainability Revolution”
 For personal health as well as the
environment.
 Because we can make a difference.
Getting Started
 Pick something from the top ten list of
sustainable steps and commit to it.
 1) Eat organic – reduce personal and global
exposure to dangerous chemicals
 2) Going Carbon zero – balance your output
 3) Recycle – this can cut the waste stream
by 75%
 4) Deny disposables – just glass or mugs,
lunch containers
Getting Started
 5) Switch to natural personal care products –
keep chemicals off your body and out of the
environment
 6) Use natural lawn care – reduce over half a
billion pounds of synthetic fertilizers entering
the environment
 7) Cleaning with green products – keep toxic
chemicals out of your home and out of our
water supply
Getting Started
 8) Filter your tap water – remove chlorine
and fluoride, decrease exposure to
phthalates
 9) Increase energy efficiency – reduce
dependence on fossil fuels
 10) Stay informed – join organizations
that support green efforts
Sustaining Health
from the Inside
 Think about where your food comes
from, remember you are what you eat.
 Buy organic whenever possible
 Grown in soils without chemical fertilizers, not sprayed with
herbicides or pesticides, not processed with high heat and
preservative chemicals to extend the shelf life
 WWII chemicals applied to our food
 Over 70,000 chemicals introduced in the last 100 years.
 We consume about 14 lbs. of chemicals a year just from
additives and synthetic chemical residues. We have on average
500 manmade chemicals circulating in our blood.
Sustaining Health
from the Inside
 USDA standards:
 - be produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and
the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future
generations
 - organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are
given no antibiotics or growth hormones
 - organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides;
fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering;
or ionizing radiation

Some things to keep in mind when buying food and products:




- Natural does not mean organic and/or healthy
- Free-range does not mean organic
- Hormone-free does not mean organic
- The word “organic” on something does not mean that everything in the
product is actually organically grown
 - The use of the USDA seal is voluntary, so if you don’t see the seal, it does
not mean a product is not organic
Sustaining Health
from the Inside

Tiers of Organic Labeling
 100% Organic
According to USDA’s national organic standard, products labeled as “100
percent organic” can only contain organically produced ingredients. Products
containing 100% organic ingredients can display the USDA Organic logo and /
or the certifying agent's logo.
 Organic
To be labeled as "organic," 95% of the ingredients must be organically grown
and the remaining 5% must come from non-organic ingredients that have been
approved on the National List. These products can also display the USDA
organic logo and/or the certifier’s logo.
 Made With Organic Ingredients
Food products labeled as "made with organic ingredients" must be made with
at least 70% organic ingredients, three of which must be listed on the back of
the package and again, the remaining 30% of the non-organic ingredients
must approved on the National List. These products may display the certifier’s
logo but not the USDA organic logo.
Sustaining Health
from the Inside
 Be careful of fish.
 Mercury contamination
 Farm raised fish have high
levels of dioxin,
polychlorinated biphenyls,
antibiotics, anti-parasitic
drugs
Sustaining Health
from the Inside
 Eat low on the food chain.
 Environmental costs of eating beef – huge
water and land consumption.
Sustaining Health
from the Inside
 Filter your water
 How to get quality water in cities where you find
chlorine, trace metals like arsenic, lean and
aluminum, added floruide…bottled water…NO!
 Plastics leach phthalates into our water and food
 They act as estrogenic endocrine disrupters which means
they mimic the female hormone estrogen in the body.
 Less landfill waste
 Use an inhouse water filtration product
 Use glass bottles or if this is not feasible use
Polypropylene (#5 PP) or #2HDPE OR #4LDPE
Sustaining Health
from the Inside
 Reduce sugars and sodas
 Americans eat nearly 160 lbs. of
sugar a year
 Sugars have been linked to
increasing caloric intake and fat
storage in our bodies setting the
stage for obesity
 Consumption of HFCS has
increased at the same rate as
obesity in America
Sustaining Health
from the Inside
 Cut fried and processed foods
 Decrease intake of chemical
preservatives and additives and
flavorings
 Avoid “white stuff” – sugar, flour
 Decrease boxed foods, mixes,
hydrogenated oils, canned
soups, white rice and canned
vegetables
Sustaining Health
from the Inside
 Ban plastics as much as
possible.
 Most dangerous are
Phthalate-rich vinyl (found
in food packaging, toys,
baby pacifiers, floor tiles,
etc.)
Sustaining Health
from the Outside
 It is not just what you put in your body but what
you put on your body that can have profound
impacts for your health and that of the planet.
 Your skin is the largest organ of your body,
more like a sponge than a barrier.
 Garlic test.
Sustaining Health
from the Outside
 Choose natural, organic – fiber
clothing
 Cotton is the most intensive
pesticide-use crop in the world
 Synthetic fibers like acrylic, nylon
and polyester are coated in
formaldehyde finishes that give off
plastic vapors a the fabric is
warmed.
 Children’s fire resistent clothing –
use polybrominated diphenyl ether
(PBDE) – linked to brain and
thyroid development problems
Sustaining Health
from the Outside
 Buy safe personal care products
 Don’t put it on your skin if you wouldn’t eat it.
 Don’t buy it if you can’t pronounce all f the
ingredients easily.
 There is no FDA mandate to test the safety of these
products before they go to market.
 Main things to watch out for:







Phthalates (labeled as DBP, DEHP)
DEA and TEA
Formaldehyde
Bronopol
Dimethyl dimethyl hydantoin
Parabens
Imidazolidinyl urea
Sustaining Health
from the Outside
 Filter your shower and bath
water
 Chlorine vaporizes and in
inhaled and absorbed by your
lungs
 Attach an inexpensive carbon
filter to your showerhead.
Sustainability in the Home
 Conserve by increasing efficiency








Seal up the cracks
Turn down the thermostat
Replace the light bulbs
Turn off the lights
Conserve water
Lose the plastic
Buy recycled paper
Look for Energy Star label
Sustainability in the Home
 Clean green
 Common household chemicals
can be hazardous and natural
solutions more economical
 Laundry products – major source of
water pollution, health problems
 Other all purpose cleaners, glass
cleaners, hand dishwashing
detergents and disinfectants can
have a variety of dangerous
chemicals and may even be
considered hazardous materials
Sustainability in the Home
 Furnish for health
 Indoor pollution must be
considered
 Off-gassing chemicals, flame
retardants, formaldehydebased stain guards
Sustainability in the Home
 The right paint
 Number one ingredient
are solvents to help
paint spread evenly, and
VOC’s (volatile organic
compounds) originate
from solvents
Sustainability in the Home
 Replace or remove
carpets
 Made from synthetic fibers
 Emit hazardous chemicals
including neurotoxic solvents
like toluene and xylene, and
benzene a potent
carcinogen
Sustainability in the Home
 Breath easier
 Open your windows, use
houseplants, use a highefficiency particulate air
(HEPA) vaccuum
Sustainability in the Home
 Say “no” to disposables
 Grocery bags
 Cups and plates
 batteries
Sustainability out of the
Home
 Green your yard
 Natural means of pest and weed control
are more effective than synthetics since
strong plants produce their own pest
and weed control
 Pesticide poisoning is the second most
common cause of household poisoning
in the U.S., and pesticides have been
linked to high rates of leukemia
development
 Air pollution from power equipment
Sustainable Country
 Support “natural electricity” –
choose to support options with local
power companies such as solar
and wind generated energy for your
home
 Go Carbon Zero – offset your
output by buying credits with
reputable organizations
 Live near work – decrease output,
increase quality of life, or choose
public transportation
Sustainable Country
 Beware of energy vampires
– computers, refigerators,
keep freezers full, set hot
water heater at 120 degrees
or less, replace conventional
lights with compact
florescents.
 Buy locally – support
farmers markets and small
business
Sustainable Country
 Keep your car tuned up and save
 Go hybrid
Going Green
 Know that you can make a
difference with each new choice
you make including behavior
changes and product changes.
 Be empowered with knowledge for
a healthier life and a healthier
planet for future generations.

Lecture information based on a book titled, “Living
Green: a practical guide to simple sustainability” by
Greg Horn. Found online and in our library.