Latest posts in Queen of Green

Born pre-polluted

Smoke stacks have traditionally been the way we view pollution but that's about to change (Credit: Brent Danley.)

What would you say if I told you we're all polluted?

It's called our human or chemical "body burden." And day-to-day exposure to harmful pollution might look like this: flipping pancakes with a non-stick frying pan and then washing up with an antibacterial soap. How else do pollutants get into you? Check out this diagram about toxic chemical exposure.

The unfortunate truth is we're born this way. Born pre-polluted.

We know pregnant women shouldn't drink or smoke because those chemical residues travel from mother to baby. But what if expectant mothers were told to avoid the local park because it was sprayed with pesticides the day before, or to stop shopping for shampoo and deodorant with fragrance? Sound extreme?

A U.S. Environmental Working Group study looked at the umbilical cords of 10 babies back in 2004. They detected on average 200 industrial chemicals and pollutants which included pesticides, stain repellents, flame retardants, plasticizers like phthalates,…

Are the kids alright?

Cousins strolling in grandma's woods (Credit: Sharkbait via Flickr)

Girl Guides of Canada asked me to give the keynote address on Eco-Day, part of their 100th anniversary celebration. I was to speak on an outdoor stage to 1,800 girls between the ages of eight and 12, at 8:30 a.m. Really.

Other than a thin connection to Twilight (that vampire movie) — I know a makeup artist that worked on set — I wasn't immediately sure what I was going to say.

I decided to pull out the "when I was your age" card. At nine I'd said, "One day David Suzuki and I will be like this" and crossed my fingers.

I didn't really know what David Suzuki did for a living. I just knew, from watching The Nature of Things that he liked animals and was passionate about saving the planet. And I loved spending time in nature.

As a kid, I spent weekends and summer vacations on my grandparent's farm. I lived to do chores like milking cows and took breaks by the creek catching frogs which meant plucking blood suckers off my legs when I decided rubber boots only got in the way. But did you know that today most kids can name 1,000 corporate logos but can't identify 10 plants and animals found in their own backyards? Very sad, because kids who spend time in nature grow into adults that care about protecting it.

In fact, Richard Louv's book Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder links the lack of nature…

Greenwashing is so yesterday, today it's pinkwashing

Pink ribbon tied to painted toes (Credit: D Sharon Pruitt via Flickr)

I recall exactly where I was when I first heard about pinkwashing. It was a hot summer day. My vacation in the Canadian Rockies was in full swing — the horses were fed and watered after a day's ride. Time to kick back and relax.

By the light of my headlamp — my third day without a shower — I read Not just a pretty face: the ugly side of the beauty industry, by Stacy Malkan. (I know, so fitting when you're out camping, no makeup let alone a mirror in sight!) Chapter 6: Pinkwashing really struck a cord.

What's pinkwashing? It describes "the activities of companies and groups that position themselves as leaders in the struggle to eradicate breast cancer while engaging in practices that may actually contribute to rising rates of the disease."

A nonprofit group called Breast Cancer Action in the U.S. runs Think Before You Pink — a website urging consumers to take a critical look at pink-ribbon products and promotions. Not that all pink-ribbon campaigns are illegitimate. But before you buy, they suggest you ask some critical questions: How much money goes to the cause? What exactly is it supporting? What's the company doing to ensure its products don't actually contribute to breast cancer?

Transparency is a core value these days — from human relationships to how we vote. So why shouldn't we demand it from companies…

Are fragrances leaving you breathless?

Performing the sniff test on soap for sale at Salt Spring Island's Farmers Market (Credit: Nina Legac)

Scent and I don't get along as well as we used to. But there was a time, not long ago when I shopped for products based solely on smell. I shopped with my nose. The more coconut, mango and vanilla aromas in a shampoo or lotion, the better.

My fragrance addiction wasn't limited to my morning primping routine either. I had an army of air fresheners going 24/7. Turns out masking the fumes from my cigarette-smoking neighbour had me bathing in chemicals like formaldehyde (a carcinogen), naphthalene (a suspected carcinogen) and xylene (a neurotoxin). How was I to know those toxins were undercover, camouflaged as 'ocean breeze' and 'forest fresh'?

I was being led around by my nose. Now I know better. Fragrance is a combination of hundreds of chemicals, most derived from petroleum or by chemical synthesis. And it won't matter how good you are at reading labels, because the precise ingredients that go into "fragrance" are kept a secret.

You might feel better knowing that Health Canada systematically tested fragrance ingredients for safety in your personal care products. But they don't.

On the other hand, Environmental…