When the Antarctic Ice Sheet melts . .
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Thursday, April 05, 2007
PLASTIC ! POISONOUS!
When I read Royte's chapter on e-waste and how poisonous that was, it scared the hell out of me. I acted first and had to get my two, very old desk-top computers out of my basement and I knew that poison was off my way. Little did I know what her next chapter held. On reading about plastics and learning that plastics are poisonous, my heart missed a bit. What! poisonous! I am surrounded by plastic all over my house. Plastic plates and spoons, plastic dishes to keep my left overs, plastic bags, and other plastic bathroom items. I was not sure if I was ready to trash all those items and I even did not know where to get replacement for them. Just learning that they are not good for our health and our environment was important, but it also did send chills down my spine. Did anybody else think the same? I am eager to finish her book but now am approaching every remaining chapter with caution as I expect her to talk of something that may be really bad to use, yet I may be using it everyday. Anyway, it is better to learn it than have someone benefit with my dollars in exchange for my health.
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1 comment:
Hi Joyce,
I was just wondering, how did you discard those old computers after you removed them from your basement?
Yes, Royte's "Satan's Resin" chapter is quite provocative. From reading that chapter, it's my understanding that toxins are released from plastics when they are burned or when they degrade in landfills.
I don't think toxins are released from normal wear & tear of using plastics.
Your response also reminded me of another point that Royte briefly mentioned: When we consider the interaction between our consumption habits and the environment, our decisions on what to do may be "agonizing."
On a more optimistic note, however, I think that making a small change to our daily routine, like using cloth bags instead of plastic bags, will result in seeing a big change in our community.
At least that's my hope, and I'm sticking to it!
:0) M
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