Filtered water

Reporter
msnbc.com
It is hard to argue the fact that waste management has become a large problem in the world, with landfills growing to enormous sizes and recycling rates remaining dismally low. The number of plastic bottles produced by the bottled water industry and subsequently discarded by consumers has only exacerbated this problem.

According to a 2001 report of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), roughly 1.5 million tons of plastic are expended in the bottling of 89 billion liters of water each year.

Besides the sheer number of plastic bottles produced each year, the energy required to manufacture and transport these bottles to market severely drains limited fossil fuels. Bottled water companies, due to their unregulated use of valuable resources and their production of billions of plastic bottles have presented a significant strain on the environment.

The authors of the WWF report suggested that water bottles be washed and reused in order to lessen their negative impact on the environment.
Unfortunately, reusing plastic bottles further compromises the quality of the water, due to the fact that more and more phthalate leaches its way into the water as the bottle gets older. In another suggestion, the authors recommended that bottled water companies use local bottling facilities in order to lessen fuel expenditures for transportation needs.
Regrettably, local bottling further compromises water quality due to the reduced health standards for in-state bottled water production and consumption. It seems there is no feasible solution to this problem. The bottled water industry causes a severe strain on the environment, but solutions to this environmental damage significantly lessen the quality of water in the bottles.
Bottled water, due to several factors, is clearly not a healthier or purer alternative to tap water. Also, bottled water is outrageously expensive when compared to the cost per gallon of tap water. If one is choosing only between tap water and bottled water, tap water is plainly the more economical, and, in many cases, the healthier choice. Despite this assertion, tap water does not remain without its problems.
The concerns over the quality and safety of tap water that sparked the growth of the bottled water industry are still entirely present.
Tap water is nowhere near free from dangerous contaminants.
The most recent and innovative solution to the problems of low water quality has come about in the age of water filters.
Water filters currently provide the best and healthiest solution to the problems of both bottled water and tap water. 

The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), America’s main law governing chemical safety, requires the government prove chemicals are harmful instead of requiring manufacturers to prove they’re safe. As a result, virtually every American is exposed to hundreds of toxic chemicals every day.

We recently had the opportunity to speak with two EDF scientists in this field: Richard Denison, EDF’s Senior Scientist specializing in policy, hazard and risk assessment and management for industrial chemicals and nanomaterials; and Caroline Baier-Anderson, EDF’s Health Scientist providing technical and scientific support on chemical regulatory policy, air toxics and nanotechnology.

Read more: http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=52312

The best products to detoxify your body: http://www.marketamerica.com/annanathankagan/index.cfm?action=shopping.wpGoShopProducts&skuID=13145

Stabilizers

Include Propylene Glycol.  Propylene Glycol is used in antifreeze, hydraulic fluids and as a solvent. The material safety data sheet on this ingredient warns to avoid skin contact. Propylene Glycol is implicated in contact dermatitis, kidney damage and liver abnormalities; it can inhibit skin cell growth in human tests and can damage cell membranes causing rashes, dry skin and surface damage. Is this in your moisturizer? You can find it in cosmetics, toothpaste, shampoos and conditioner, lotions, deodorants, baby wipes, processed foods and many more personal care items. Studies have shown that it is retained in your system.  Find more about it and other risks of cosmetic ingredients in: www.ewg.org.

Preserving Ingredients

These appear in almost all cosmetic creams, and include triclosan, and methyl paraben (other forms are: propyl, ethyl, and butyl). Following is an excerpt from an article in the September 2002 issue of Happi (Household and Personal Products Industry) — a chemical industry trade journal “Cosmetic Product Preservation” by Jabbar Mufti:

“Typical preservatives used in the cosmetic industry include methyl paraben, ethyl paraben and propyl paraben and their derivatives. They disable activity in the bacterial wall to prevent fungal contamination. This action continues when the product is on the skin and may be absorbed into the skin tissue, taken up by the blood stream and ultimately reside in the major organs. The preservative action is so stable, it continues to work while inside the body, limiting the normal enzyme activity of the body. How do we know this? Autopsies performed on cancerous tumours have shown residues of methyl-, ethyl- and propyl parabens.”

What Alternative Do We Suggest?

Paraben free cosmetics-Motives offered by Market America.  http://www.marketamerica.com/annanathankagan/index.cfm?action=shopping.wpSearch

You are welcome to do your own research.

Two recent reports raise disturbing questions about the safety of commonly used cosmetic preservatives. They also make very clear why smart consumers are seeking safe and natural preservative systems. The first report—a recent study from the journal Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology—raises disturbing questions about the safety of a group of commonly used cosmetic preservatives known as parabens. Consumers who check labels will see parabens listed on a wide range of cosmetic and personal care products.

Leave-on products such as facial makeup and skin lotions are of greatest concern because of the long exposure time and opportunity for migration via the skin into the bloodstream. The recently discovered estrogenic effects of certain synthetic chemicals, such as the parabens, and their subsequent effects on the endocrine system of humans and wildlife, is of growing concern—especially in relation to women’s risk of breast cancer. Reproductive abnormalities in young boys exposed to such chemicals either prior to puberty or as fetuses also may increase risk for undescended testicles, testicular cancer, sperm abnormalities and prostate disorders.Article in Organic News: http://organicanews.com/news/article.cfm?story_id=5

Just found out about the bamboo Socks! Unlike other anti-microbial fabrics, which require a chemical treatment, bamboo fiber clothing is naturally anti-microbial and requires no harmful chemicals. It contains an agent, “bamboo kun”, that prevents bacteria from cultivating on it. Bamboo apparel is comfortable, thermal regulating and will keep you cooler, drier, warmer and odor free.Today, almost 1 million acres of forest vanish per week.  This alarming rate of deforestation has forced many world economies to rethink their business and manufacturing practices.  A sixty-foot tree cut for market takes 60 years to replace.  Meanwhile, a sixty-foot bamboo cut for market takes 59 days to replace.  Bamboo is officially recognized as the world’s fastest growing plant and has a tensile strength comparable to steel.  Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on this planet and provides the best canopy for the greening of degraded lands. (Some species of Bamboo grow as much as 4 feet a day).  Its stands release 35% more oxygen than equivalent stands of trees.  Bamboo can also lower light intensity and protects against ultraviolet rays.