Part I: Becoming the Nontoxic Avenger
I set out on this project knowing that removing all the toxins in
our environment will be a difficult task to achieve and also
knowing that, regardless of my efforts, there are some toxins I
won’t be able to affect.
Health
I went in to this project primarily for health reasons. Toxins in
our environment most likely have attributed to the health issues my
family has to deal with daily.
Environmental impact
As an environmentalist, knowing that the products that people use
like pesticides, herbicides, plasticizers, anti-bacterials,
bleaching agents and a whole host of other chemicals have a
severely negative impact on not only the flora and fauna, but also
on waterways and our air, makes me want to limit what we contribute
to this contamination.
Studies show
In this chapter, I focus on the studies done on the more alarming
chemicals and introduce some of the issues that will be explored in
the rest of the book.
Next steps in environmentalism
I have tried over the last several years to severely limit my
family’s impact on the environment and reduce our carbon
footprint.
Preventative medicine
We are already struggling with autism and cancer in the family. In
doing this project I was curious to see if there would be any
improvement in my son’s behavioral and neurological issues. Would
living a chemical-free life help push my husband’s cancer into
remission.
Answer three basic questions
I want to be able to answer three basic questions at the end of
this project. Can it be done? How hard is it? Does it matter?
Testing, testing, 123
In order to get an idea of what kind of impact I can make by
removing all these toxins, the most effective way of seeing any
progress is to get tested. What kind of toxin load am I carrying
around to begin with?
Falling for candles
With daylight hours decreasing in the fall, now is the time we
usually start burning more candles, but we are careful about the
kinds we choose.
Nail polish and removers
There has been a huge movement lately to remove some of the nastier
chemicals from nail polish. Toxins to focus on: Phthalates,
toluene, DBP, formaldehyde, acetone, benzophenone-3, fragrance,
ethyl acetate, parabens, DEHP
Tapping the tap water
I get our water tested to see what we are drinking. I also purchase
a filter that removes an impressive amount of contaminants. I will
also test our filtered water to double check and make sure the
filter is doing its job.
Sick building syndrome
My kids’ school building poses much more of a challenge. It is an
older building, most likely with lead paint and asbestos. The fear
of spreading disease, particularly in the age of swine flu, has
brought with it the age of antibacterials, hand sanitizers and
serious cleaning chemicals
Toxins to focus on: Lead, mercury, triclosan, pesticides, chlorine,
fluoride, PBDEs
Visiting the dentist
You wouldn’t think that there are toxins in your toothpaste, but
there are several things to watch out for even in your tooth
floss.
Sticky situation
In this chapter, I inspect all our storage containers and dishware
for BPA, ridding the house of plastic plates, cups and bowls and
ditching the non-stick pans.
HEPA vacuum cleaner, air filter and plants
Toxins like PDBE (flame retardants from furniture, electronics and
clothing) and lead can settle into the dust in the house, so
keeping the house clean by using a HEPA vacuum cleaner and air
purifier helps keep those chemicals out of our bodies.
Toxins to focus on: Lead, PDBE
Putting out the flames
Since PDBEs are added to our kids’ pajamas, we will be going
through all of their pajamas and replacing them with natural cotton
and other fibers.
Getting scared on Halloween
Between vinyl decorations, masks, toxic face paints and candles and
non-stick coating wrapping all those candy bars, Halloween is scary
indeed.
A hairy situation
In this section, I focus on shampoos, conditioners and styling
products.
Going au naturale
Hair coloring systems are so problematic they deserve their own
chapter. Toxins to focus on: PPDs, ammonia, parabens, lead,
fragrance
Foods we eat
I explore how difficult it is to “eat clean”, especially with kids
and when eating out and while travelling. I also go over
macrobiotic and vegetarian diets as a method of low-toxic eating.
Finally, I discuss the possible link between food additives and
colorings and ADHD and migraines.
Soaping up
Finding and replacing our bar soap and liquid hand soap with
natural soap is a relatively easy change. What isn’t so easy is
finding a facial cleanser that doesn’t contain some nasty
ingredients
It’s the pits
Antiperspirant. I go in search for an alternative and end up with
something totally nontoxic and homemade that works just as
well.
Going bare
Don’t look too closely at what is in canned shaving cream and
depilatories.
Lube and lines
In this chapter I ditch my favorite department store,
chemical-laden moisturizers and anti-aging products for coconut
oil.
Sunscreen and self-tanners
Trying to find a sunscreen that doesn’t contain toxins and
absorbers in them and is easy to apply and doesn’t make you look
like Casper is a challenge.
Putting on your face
In spite of the myriad of toxins in basically 99% of cosmetics in
the marketplace, there are some alternatives.
Death by medication
I want to focus on some of the toxins that we ingest in our daily
lives through the use of over the counter medications for pain
relief and cold and flu symptoms as well as prescription
medications
Cancer for Christmas
Artificial trees are made of vinyl and are full of lead and other
contaminants that are dangerous.
Good gift giving
This year will be a challenge in trying to find gifts for the kids
that aren’t laced with plasticizers and phthalates, PVC and other
plastics.
Detox
There is a lot of information out there regarding detoxing without
a matching large body of evidence backing it up
Love my carpet
The health risks of carpets including mold, dust mites, animal
dander) and pesticides.
Beds, pillows and furniture
In this section I investigate what other kind of toxins may be
lurking in our mattresses and pillows.
Testing the toys
With lead in toys being a recent and ongoing fear, I'll focus on
making sure that all of my kids’ toys are safe.
Cleaning products, bleach and drain cleaners
In this chapter I look closely at the ingredients in these often
used products, look for alternatives and see how they shape up.
Lawn and garden
The health and environmental implications of pesticides and
herbicides.
Work building
With all the electronic equipment in our workspaces, the exposure
to PBDEs is high.
Part II: What’s the verdict?
Final testing
I get retested for the same toxins I was tested for at the
beginning of the project.
What the results show
I compare the results to my predictions.
Is it conclusive?
Can we come to any meaningful conclusion based on my
experiment?
Where to go from here?
I re-explore which changes we made are worth keeping.
Things you can do
Looking for more help?
This section includes a list of resources.
$10 000 marketing and publicity budget
A publicist will be hired for national publicity campaign
Featured in Expert Urban Homesteader blog at Mother Earth News
OnLine
Excerpts offered to Seventeen magazine, Mothering, Parenting, Kiwi
Magazine, Mother Earth News and natural health magazines
Partnerships will be pursued with Seventeen Magazine and Teens
Turning Green, Stacy Malkan and Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and
Environmental Working Group
Author will be organizing a “Non-Toxic Week” event encouraging
people to sign up to take a non-toxic challenge. There will be a
Twitter promotion through Green Moms Group
There will be a blog tour with Green Mom Group bloggers and Blogher
network
Promotion on the author's blog www.thecrunchychicken.com
Advertising in Mother Earth News, Natural Home and Hobby Farm
Home
Review copies – between 50-70 review copies sent out to highly
targeted list, including author requests, our “hit list” and
appropriate media
Social media promotion – pre-publication posts on blog, Facebook
and Twitter @NewSocietyPub, book launch featured on New Society
home page, blog and book discussion forum, regular publicity
updates on Facebook, Twitter and website.
Deanna Duke: is an environmental writer, urban homesteader, and author of the highly acclaimed environmental blog, The Crunchy Chicken (www.thecrunchychicken.com). The focus of her work is in educating others on environmental issues and explaining how she and her family have not only converted to a low-impact lifestyle, but also reduced their exposure to toxic chemicals in their home, work and school environments. In addition to her blog, Deanna also writes as an Expert Urban Homesteader for Mother Earth News Online and is the Personal Care Consultant for the eco-makeover television show, Mission: Sustainable.
Deanna Duke provides wonderful insights in this very personal exploration of the toxic chemicals hidden in every single part of our lives. An important and timely guide to understanding our toxic world. - Bruce Lourie, co-author Slow Death by Rubber Duck In The Non-Toxic Avenger, Deanna Duke lays out what could otherwise be confusing information in a straightforward, non-hysterical, and relatable way. The beauty of this book is that readers can apply Deanna's nontoxic avenging in small or large ways, taking as tiny or as enormous a step as they like. Either way, it will make readers think a little harder about the things we humans surround, slather, coat, and feed ourselves with. It was an eye-opener for me. - Ree Drummond,author of
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