If just 25% of U.S. families used 10 fewer plastic bags a month, we would save over 2.5 BILLION bags a year! Have you ever seen something like this? I was swimming on this beautiful clear beach in Bali.  The sand was pure, there were no fish around – I was in heaven, as I am always scared about what is lurking beneath the water.  Well, then I ran into this huge piece of garbage in the water,let’s just say there was some minor screaming involved.  I know that I am partly responsible for all the garbage in our waterways, and that was a great reminder to me about how much damage we are doing.

The amount of dioxin in the average person’s body has declined by more than 50% since the late 1980s.

I hear so much about dioxin lately and the health problems that it causes that often times I feel like dioxin levels must be on the rise and becoming more and more of a problem.  I even got an email today that made it sound like we were all going to die because of dioxin – it was a little dramatic. The great news is that levels are declining and it is just that public awareness has risen.

This has been a huge and very serious issue, that I do not want to take lightly.  Even though levels are down, there is no safe level of dioxin. Yet, it is encouraging to see how far we have come since this issue was raised.  I know a lot of us often feel discouraged with the state of the world, but there are things out there that are getting better. People are listening and changes are happening.

Sources:

Dioxin is a byproduct of incineration and other industrial processes.  Heating food in the microwave in plastic containers, freezing in plastic containers, diesel exhaust, cigarette smoke, and open trash burning are some of the others.  The main problem is found in our food supply, with 95% of our exposure from the food and drink we ingest.  Eating fatty food is one of the highest sources of dioxin that enters your body. 

Health Concerns:

The EPA, in 1994, classified dioxin as a serious public health threat.  There are no safe levels of dioxin.  It can cause reproductive and developmental problems at levels many times lower than the levels that have been attributed to cancer.  This is because these chemicals mimic or block the production of estrogen and progesterone. It has also been linked to immune system and hormonal system problems.  To break this down a little more : birth defects, inability to maintain pregnancy, decreased fertility, reduced sperm counts, endometriosis, diabetes, learning disabilities, immune system suppression, lung problems, skin disorders, lowered testosterone levels…it is a serious problem.

What is being done:

What is interesting is that a 2003 study determined that the general public is experiencing a seven-fold lower level of dioxin exposure and body level today than it did 30 years ago.   Also, environmental releases of dioxin went down 90% from 1987 to 2000. This has been attributed to improved emission controls, voluntary actions on behalf of industry, and the closing of a number of facilities.   Since dioxin does occur naturally in the environment it can never be eliminated, but we can do a lot to reduce the levels. 

Read more at:

Dioxin Facts

EPA Dioxin Report

Did you know that the average person in Africa uses 3 gallons of water a day.  This is the same amount that the average American uses to brush their teeth.  The average American uses 100 gallons of water a day.  Some use 15 gallons just heating up their shower in the morning.