From the Gulf of Mexico, to plastics everywhere, and the dangers of phthalates.

by Nick
(Montreal)

In a heartfelt article in the Huffington Post, author Stefanie Iris Weiss writes about the connection between our addiction to oil, its use in plastics, and the toxic chemicals that enter our homes. With phthalates getting a special mention.

She is right to make those connections. The ubiquitous use of plastics in our lives is firmly connected with our dependence on oil. Other than a few new bio-plastics, almost all plastics are derived from petroleum.

Ongoing events in the Gulf of Mexico show how damaging the oil itself can be to our environment and health. But even when all is well in the oil fields, the products derived from oil spread their dangers throughout homes, office and vehicles.

Here is a quote from her article:

“We're absolutely, resolutely, and irrefutably addicted to oil, but not in the way that you might think. It's not all about the way you fill your tank at the gas station. I'm talking about the ubiquitous presence of plastic in our lives everyday, in every way. Look around the room you're in right now. Plastics rule us. They are in the keyboard you're typing on, the mouse you're clicking, the screen you're reading these words on, they're in your TV, your refrigerator, your microwave, your DVD player, your remote control, your suitcase, your contact lenses, your toothbrush, and much, much frighteningly much more. Petroleum is also in shampoo, cleansers, moisturizers, lubes, and just about every personal care item you can name. And many plastics aren't just keeping us on a steady diet of oil -- they are literally making us sick. Welcome to the scary world of phthalates. Check any conventional product in your medicine cabinet that has "fragrance" on its ingredients list, and you can be sure that it's a bottle of endocrine-disrupting poison.”

Read the full article here...