The idea of going green has begun to take place more so now than ever. Most products that are being sold such as cosmetics and some cleaners are advertising that they are made from natural resources and consumers assume that this automatically makes them safe to our use. But, this is far from reality because most of these products are in fact not as safe as they are put out to be. Products such as the shampoos, creams or even body washes that we use for our children also fall into this category. These products that should be considered safe and free from these dangerous chemicals are not and it can be harming our own children. The Environmental Working Group’s Skin Project conducted a survey of 3,330 parents asking them which products they used on their children. Their results, these children were being exposed to over 61 different chemicals of which most haven’t been tested to be safe. To make matters worse most companies are not checked on to see what chemicals they are putting into their products. Due to the lack of safety regulations and testing our children’s health are being put at stake. So, when asking the question of how safe these products are, I think the answer can be found by researching the physical effects they have on the children. As The Environmental Working Group’s Skin Project stated children don’t have the proper physical properties to stop the chemicals, found in these products, from getting into their brains. This can cause many physical and mental damages to a child. The reality is the ingredients in our cosmetics are not safe. If they aren’t safe for our children’s products that are labeled to be, much less are they going be for adults. This is why it is important that as a parent and consumer we look for products that are safer for ourselves as well as the environment. Groups such as Responsible Shopper aid in the decision making of which companies produce safe products, and the different ways in which we all can make a change by educating ourselves and becoming involved with these issues. Discovering that even the products we use for our own babies can be harmful made me think that we definitely need to become more aware of what we are using. And, also where these materials used to the make the products are coming from.
Those that are being oppressed, whether it is because of race, gender, or social status, get caught up in the cycle that is harming our environment. But, I am not saying they are the cause of our environment issues rather they are being dragged into it. An example that was given from the short clip of The Story of Stuff the narrator explained how some of the people that were being oppressed or not of value were being pushed to work for factories. These factories made products that are harmful for us and the environment. So, I think that the issues of oppression and the environment go hand in hand. The oppressed feel the need to consume more to feel better and, in turn it keeps the cycle of demand high, and so we continue to use our resources.
Works Cited
EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. Children’s Products. Web. 8 Nov. 2011. <http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/childrens-products/ >.
Green America. Responsible Shopper. Web. 8 Nov.2011. <http://www.greenamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/about.cfm>.
The Story of Stuff [Video]. (2009). Retrieved November 8, 2011, from <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GorqroigqM&feature=player_embedded>.
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