Celebrate Earth Day, Every Day

(April, 2011) Between gloomy economic news and downright scary environmental forecasts, it’s tough being a consumer these days. But that hasn’t stopped four out of five shoppers from buying green, and almost 20 percent are purchasing more environmentally-friendly products, despite the economic downturn. Even those whose financial situations are only fair or poor say they don’t mind paying more (up to 15 percent) for eco-friendly products. But they want labels they can trust, like “certified organic.”

Planetary Health
Dying forests, melting glaciers, an endangered species list that’s steadily growing, droughts, and violent weather around the globe are just some of the indications that our home, Earth, is in peril. Don’t wait for Earth Day to make changes that will protect the planet’s and your own health. Here are a few ideas:

• Bike to work (or keep one at the office for running errands without using fossil fuels). You can save time and money while improving mental and physical health. If cycling’s not feasible, use public transportation or car pool, and walk as much as possible.
• If you don’t already, compost; food scraps and yard waste comprise nearly one-quarter of the trash generated in this country.
• Weatherize your home to reduce cooling and heating costs
• Clean green. Substitute vinegar for fabric softeners in your rinse cycle, and string a clothes line. Remove stains with baking or washing soda, castile soap, glycerin, hydrogen peroxide, or club soda. Look for natural ingredients in air freshening, cleaning, and pest control products.
• Know the energy-efficiency of appliances. If you’re upgrading your TV, nix plasma screens, which use three times as much energy as rear-projection sets and approximately 20 percent more than liquid crystal displays (LCDs).
• Cut down on plastic use, which is increasingly linked to health risks such as heart disease as well as environmental damage.
• Buy paper products with recycled content (particularly post-consumer fibers.

Labels You Can Trust
Organic agriculture not only protects soil, species diversity, and water but also uses less fossil fuel while protecting farmers, farming communities, fish, and consumers from synthetic pesticides.

The organic label means that foods and other goods are nationally certified to be produced without persistent and toxic pesticides and herbicides, genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), irradiated materials, sewage sludge (a source of heavy metals, drugs, and other toxins), synthetic growth hormones, and antibiotics. While organic food is a bit more expensive, many consumers believe it’s worth it. For example, pediatrician Alan Greene, MD, has managed to eat only organic foods for the past three years, and while he admits it’s been a challenge (especially when traveling), he has been surprised to learn “how few people know that organic means without pesticides, antibiotics, or hormones.”

Organic cotton farming also exerts a low impact environmentally—and is safer for people as well. Look for the organic cotton label in everything from personal care (sanitary products, cotton puffs, and ear swabs) to clothing, home furnishings, and toys. In addition, organic cottonseed is preferable in animal feed.

Also look for “certified organic” (for food-grade ingredients) and (coming soon) “made with organic” in personal care products. Avoid triclosan, registered as a pesticide but used as an antibacterial in commercial toothpastes. And look for natural beauty aids and personal care products that don’t contain allergens, artificial colors, carcinogens, DEA, irritants, and suspected endocrine disrupters, including glycol ethers, parabens, phthalates, petroleum byproducts, SLS, toluene, and xylene.