Buta Full Life

Welcome to a place for those who are smart, passionate, and committed about living healthy, dynamic lives. We're smart about diet, nutrition, supplementation, and lifestyle. We're passionate about our environment and our impact upon it. And, we're committed to doing what we need to do to get the results we want to live our beautiful lives.

Friday, September 07, 2007

Is it a girl or a boy?

Usually, this basic question we ask about newborns, “Is it a boy or a girl?” is pretty evident. But will it become more difficult in the future?

For some aquatic animals-frogs, salamanders, fish and other marine species today, that question is murky at best. More frequently, species are hatching without defined gender, with dual gender, and immature gender, and disturbed gender (primarily males turning into females). Does that make you concerned?

Nonylphenols and the parent compound, NPE, nonylphenol ethoxylates (say that three times fast! :-) ), is an endocrine system disrupter, ESD, and has been significantly linked to gender change in aquatic animals. (downloadable WWF brief )

NPE’s are really, really good at allowing degreasers, pesticides, emulsifiers, etc. to attract and lift off organic material, like greasy stuff, and disperse it in water.

Do you ever wash your clothes?

Getting the gunk off clothes is the whole point of doing laundry, isn’t it? And that’s how NPE’s are getting into our waterways- through the sewer system via our laundry and other personal care products.

Not good.

And the stuff doesn’t very biodegrade-ie break down into harmless byproducts. NPE’s break down eventually into nonylphenols that are more disruptive then the parent compound. And, this “child” doesn’t biodegrade.
  • 17% of the NPE biodegrades before
  • 37% reaches the wider aquatic system and
  • 6% reaches sludge that used for fertilizing our food?

What’s being done?

Some companies are phasing out and/or are searching for better alternatives. If you would like to avoid contributing to the contamination from your household, just click here for the alternative Get Clean product line I recommend and use in my home. Every product is biodegradable and safe for you, your home, and whoever is wearing your laundry!

And, six organizations, the Sierra Club, the Environmental Law & Policy Center, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Association, the Washington Toxics Coalition, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and UNITE HERE have petitioned the EPA this past July to regulate the use of NPE’s in certain industries. This issue has broad support!

But who is talking to consumers who have the voice to do something about it?

I am!

Please help me be the change I wish to see in the world by passing along this link, inviting me to present the 200 Household Initiative to your friends, organizations, churches, your local elected officials, and other groups who care about the environment.
617-504-4971.
bfli@buta.org

Thanks for reading!

Susan

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