Sustainable Living

Hey everyone!

Sorry that I couldn't be in class on Wednesday. I heard that Desiree' gave a great guest lecture:)

My article for the week was on Sustainable Living. The link to the article is here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wel

lness/sustainable-living-gurus-guide-to-

life/2011/03/23/AFR8iQqC_story.html

The article mainly talked about a man named Jeffery Hollender. He is one of the co-founders of Seventh Generation which is one of the earliest brands of environmentally friendly and socially responsible household products.

Hollender just wrote a new book called Planet Home, where he addresses many aspects of sustainable living. The book "details everything from eco-friendly condoms to fair-trade coffee while also serving as a call to arms to adapt a higher consciousness about sustainable living. His message is this: “What you do at home can impact the world around you, and the world around you can impact what you do at home.”

I thought it was really interesting how a person would create a wholeistic approach of sustainable living. I like the idea that it is a life style and not just something you do.

In an interview with the Washington Post, Hollender even touched on the issue that we have discussed in class.

If someone can do only one green thing in their home, what should it be?

Buy less stuff! It is more important to buy less stuff than to buy green stuff. We as a society consume way too much, and the planet simply can’t bear the impacts. Try this: Go for 30 days and, other than food, toothpaste and gasoline, don’t buy anything new. You’ll see how addicting consumption is. Buying less stuff is something that everyone can participate in, whether you’re 8 or 80.

This answer was also interesting to me.

What have you discovered about cleaning products that would surprise people?

The dangerous effects of the chemicals in these products that we don’t think about, like chlorine, can be shocking. When you mix a chlorine-based cleaner with an ammonia-based cleaner, it produces a gas that will quickly send you to the hospital and possibly kill you. Products are way overpowered for the job they have to do, but we want immediate results so we pull out the heavy guns and don’t pay attention to the collateral damage. It’s like having a bazooka to kill a fly!

See you in class,

Sarah