I live near East Palestine and it’s scary to hear people repeatedly say there’s nothing to worry about when common sense suggests otherwise. You give good food for thought about the everyday things we encounter that I honestly hadn’t given any thought to. Thanks for the eye opener.
I can only imagine the concerns of people in that area. Like you said, there’s a level of common sense that we can feel in our bodies & to be told to ignore that is so frustrating. It’s really eye opening when we start to put all of these things into context. It always helps when we can see where we play a role. I hope that as people start to realize the direct connection to their own health, it inspires all of us to do better where we can.
This is very eye opening! And Yes! We definitely need to act on this immediately! I’m going to start purging plastics and vinyls from my home but what can we do to help improve on the air quality to remove these toxins now? I can appreciate an air purifier… but that’s more plastic introduced into my home. I have quite a few plants already, but are there any specific m to removing these chemicals that you can recommend?
Yeah we are not going to escape plastics any time soon, but we can make a huge impact dropping them where we can. One of the easiest things we can do is open our windows. Allowing the air to circulate can cut down on VOCs. Vacuuming (ideally with a HEPA filter and dusting with a damp cloth are also helpful. It’s amazing how dust adds to our exposures. Removing our shoes at the door is a big help too. From there, reducing the things we bring into our home (like the products I listed) help reduce what we have to filter out.
Great article…..this is an overwhelming topic and you chunked it down so as a reader I could find ways to STOP some of what seem like simple things that I’m doing that contribute to this enormous problem. With that said, thank you for so adamantly jumping in last week when I casually mentioned that I needed to get a new shower liner for our jacuzzi tub where my hubby relaxes in a hot jet bath while breathing the fumes of that old plastic liner. It took a little shopping (not my forte’) to find a new liner made of 100% polyester. They are in most stores but they are on the shelves with dozens of others with confusing descriptions of luxury and beauty(?). It was a small step but there was a sense of satisfaction when I realized there there is NO new plastic liner smell. And then of course….I’m wondering about many features and luxuries in our home where we are endangering our own health and contributors to an unhealthy environment in the world around us. Jeez…..one step at a time. But a huge thank you for planting awareness and knowledge that I can get my head around. Also I think this unusually cold & wet winter we are having in So California has us breathing indoors more than ever — really causes pause for thought …& action.
Several of my family members live in East Palestine, PA. They are advised to test their water and soil, and now, they are suggesting people get blood testing done every 6 months if they live in the area. Frightening! I’ve shared your email with my mom to pass on to family. (My mom LOVED it!) You’re always so informative and uplifting, Karen.
Oh wow! That has to be so scary for everyone! Thanks for sharing my post. Glad it was uplifting. Such a tough subject matter but all need to lean into those tough spots if we want to see change. Will continue to think of your family members in the weeks, months ahead.
Wow! Lots to think about. Thank you for all the great info! I will definitely never look at a plastic shower curtain the same way again, or any plastic for that matter.
I’ll be diving into more research on the products I’m using.m, and begin to replace them one at a time.
I live near East Palestine and it’s scary to hear people repeatedly say there’s nothing to worry about when common sense suggests otherwise. You give good food for thought about the everyday things we encounter that I honestly hadn’t given any thought to. Thanks for the eye opener.
I can only imagine the concerns of people in that area. Like you said, there’s a level of common sense that we can feel in our bodies & to be told to ignore that is so frustrating. It’s really eye opening when we start to put all of these things into context. It always helps when we can see where we play a role. I hope that as people start to realize the direct connection to their own health, it inspires all of us to do better where we can.
This is very eye opening! And Yes! We definitely need to act on this immediately! I’m going to start purging plastics and vinyls from my home but what can we do to help improve on the air quality to remove these toxins now? I can appreciate an air purifier… but that’s more plastic introduced into my home. I have quite a few plants already, but are there any specific m to removing these chemicals that you can recommend?
Yeah we are not going to escape plastics any time soon, but we can make a huge impact dropping them where we can. One of the easiest things we can do is open our windows. Allowing the air to circulate can cut down on VOCs. Vacuuming (ideally with a HEPA filter and dusting with a damp cloth are also helpful. It’s amazing how dust adds to our exposures. Removing our shoes at the door is a big help too. From there, reducing the things we bring into our home (like the products I listed) help reduce what we have to filter out.
Great article…..this is an overwhelming topic and you chunked it down so as a reader I could find ways to STOP some of what seem like simple things that I’m doing that contribute to this enormous problem. With that said, thank you for so adamantly jumping in last week when I casually mentioned that I needed to get a new shower liner for our jacuzzi tub where my hubby relaxes in a hot jet bath while breathing the fumes of that old plastic liner. It took a little shopping (not my forte’) to find a new liner made of 100% polyester. They are in most stores but they are on the shelves with dozens of others with confusing descriptions of luxury and beauty(?). It was a small step but there was a sense of satisfaction when I realized there there is NO new plastic liner smell. And then of course….I’m wondering about many features and luxuries in our home where we are endangering our own health and contributors to an unhealthy environment in the world around us. Jeez…..one step at a time. But a huge thank you for planting awareness and knowledge that I can get my head around. Also I think this unusually cold & wet winter we are having in So California has us breathing indoors more than ever — really causes pause for thought …& action.
All very good points. And I’m glad you were able to find a shower curtain that is 100% polyester. It’s the safest option & will last you a long time.
I will definitely start more of those recommendations today!
Wow, you did it again Karen!!! I better get busy going from room to room to see what should definitely GO. Thanks for all your knowledge.
Several of my family members live in East Palestine, PA. They are advised to test their water and soil, and now, they are suggesting people get blood testing done every 6 months if they live in the area. Frightening! I’ve shared your email with my mom to pass on to family. (My mom LOVED it!) You’re always so informative and uplifting, Karen.
Oh wow! That has to be so scary for everyone! Thanks for sharing my post. Glad it was uplifting. Such a tough subject matter but all need to lean into those tough spots if we want to see change. Will continue to think of your family members in the weeks, months ahead.
Wow! Lots to think about. Thank you for all the great info! I will definitely never look at a plastic shower curtain the same way again, or any plastic for that matter.
I’ll be diving into more research on the products I’m using.m, and begin to replace them one at a time.
Thanks for the nudge!