Goal For The Green

Did you know that 2 out of 3 Americans Are Concerned With Toxins Found in Common Household Products?
Seventh Generation and Breast Cancer Fund Joined Together to Discuss the Importance of Removing Toxins From Our Lives.  I want to share this news in light of the fact that October is Brest Cancer Awareness Month, and this is news you should know.

I'm getting plants - yah to less toxins and bad EMF! (Photo credit: Tricia Wang 王圣捷)

According to a recent study, with findings released in BURLINGTON, VT by Marketwire – on September 19, 2012 – Nearly two-thirds of all Americans (64%) say they are “concerned” or “very concerned” about potentially harmful chemicals and petroleum-based ingredients found in everyday personal care, household cleaning, laundry and baby care products, according to the study.

Top concerns of petroleum-based products are “long term health effects” (75%) and “absorption through the skin” (71%). Concerns were similar across age, gender and other demographic categories.
Commissioned by Seventh Generation, a leading maker of renewable household and personal  care products, the study questioned 1,000 Americans to gauge awareness, attitudes and concerns about ingredients found in products they use daily, for themselves and for children.

“The level of concern voiced by the American public represents a mandate for immediate, sweeping systemic change,” said Seventh Generation CEO John Replogle. “It’s a big issue with consumers. And, it’s getting bigger.”

Full results of the study were unveiled recently during a news conference and panel discussion featuring Deepak Chopra, Seventh Generation CEO John Replogle, and Breast Cancer Fund CEO, Jeanne Rizzo.

According to Deepak Chopra, M.D., a recognized expert in the field of wellness and sustainability, the study suggests Americans are undermining their wellness through daily exposure to toxins, found in products that we use daily. “The elimination of toxins awakens the capacity for renewal,” said Chopra.

So, how do we go about eliminating toxins from our lives?

Study Findings Show Toxic Concerns are High,and Biobased Awareness is Low.
The Study questioned respondents on an array of issues, including awareness of “biobased” products. These products are defined as “products made with renewable agricultural content such as plant, animal, marine or forestry materials.” The respondents were questioned about their attitudes toward the use of petroleum-based products, and petro-chemicals, found in many common consumer products.

According to the study, Americans are concerned about potentially harmful chemicals in their household cleaning (66%) and personal care products (65%), as well as laundry (63%) and baby care products (60%).  In this study, it is noted that percentages combine “concerned” and “very concerned” responses. Notice by the percentages, that more than half of the people questioned are quite concerned.

When asked specifically about petro-chemicals in personal care, home cleaning, laundry and baby care products, top concerns of “long-term health risks” (75%) and “absorption through the skin” (71%) were followed by “potential skin irritation” (69%), “inhaling toxins” and “negative impact on the environment” (both 60%). This also poses  health concerns that can no longer be overlooked.

In fact, more than half (54%) went so far as to agree that “brands should be required to post warning labels on their packages if their products contain petro-chemicals.” Nearly two-thirds (60%) reported that they are “likely” or “very likely” to seek bio-based products the next time they shop.

“This study shows that people understand what science is telling us — that exposure to toxic chemicals in our everyday products increases risk for many diseases, including breast cancer,” said Jeanne Rizzo, president and CEO, The Breast Cancer Fund. “As more and more people begin to connect the dots between toxic exposures and disease, they say, ‘Enough! No more toxic trespass! We want safer products!'”

This has become a critical issue, that many of us have not been aware of.  So, begin reading the labels on your soaps, shampoos and laundry detergents. It’s a matter of our health, our children’s health, and the health of our environment, for generations to come. Together we are working toward a better, safer and “greener” future for us all.

Click this link to view the info-graphic full size
http://blogs.worldwatch.org/nourishingtheplanet/infographics/
This link is to a very explanatory article about the graphic
http://blogs.worldwatch.org/nourishingtheplanet/feeding-the-world-sustainably-agroecology-vs-industrial-agriculture/

As you will notice, agroecology can help protect and restore degraded soils, improve biodiversity, decrease pollution, and encourage communities to learn and become more involved in agriculture, no matter what the terrain is like, or the soil condition.  This is because, agroecology operates within the natural organization of an environment. It can create diverse agricultural systems, that are more resilient to dramatic weather events, making it an increasingly sound and viable option for feeding the world, no matter what the climate is like. This is something that can be implemented NOW, not years from NOW!

Take your time and look the article and the graphic over.  Your comments are encouraged and appreciated, especially on such an important topic.

Together we are working toward a better tomorrow and a “greener” future!

Guest Post by Georgia Halston

Buying a solar panel system has become common place for those who can afford it. Many have their own motives, but few fall out of the realms of the main two reasons: to save money and to save the environment, and the new ground-breaking discovery is good news on either front.

The University of Texas at Austin, was founded in 1883 and of its alumni, the institute can boast: award winning director Wes Anderson, First Lady Laura Bush, actor and award winning screen writer Owen Wilson and Nobel Prize winner John Maxwell Coetzee. Joining the illustrious ranks of these modern greats will be by chemist and Professor: Xiaoyang Zhu.

Zhu is the lead author on the study that discovered the true potential of solar panels and how tapping into that potential could lead to globally relevant changes in the field. The overall conclusion of the study was that:

Photovoltaic cells produce electricity directly from sunlight (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“The efficiency of conventional solar cells could be significantly increased”.
Professor Zhu goes on to state that:
“It’s possible to double the number of electrons harvested from one photon of sunlight using an organic plastic semiconductor material.

“Plastic semiconductor solar cell production has great advantages, one of which is low cost,”

“Combined with the vast capabilities for molecular design and synthesis, our discovery opens the door to an exciting new approach for solar energy conversion, leading to much higher efficiencies.”

Source:  http://www.utexas.edu/news/2011/12/15/dark_state/

The possibility of the efficiency change of solar cells, according to the report, is a staggering 50%. This means, that if the new research is put into practice and the technology is manufactured based on the new findings, every owner of a solar panel energy system could see twice as much output from the sun’s rays.

As well as the domestic sphere, Zhu’s discovery can also have amazing repercussions in the business world. Commercial solar panels should be more than an afterthought for medium and large businesses looking to cut costs. In times of economic downturn, large corporations need to be a lot less short sighted when it comes to cutting outgoings. At the moment it seems the loss of employees is the go-to option for too many employers, actions such as these, only act as stunting agents to an already crumbling economy.
Keeping staff and using alternative methods of cost cutting such as the use of renewable energy, especially with discoveries such as the one by Xiaoyang Zhu, are the some of the only methods of boosting business as well as the economy!