THE SOLUTION
I love technology and my way of life and have no desire to live in a hemp tent somewhere in the outback. So what can we do to reduce our exposure to these hazards without drastically modifying our way of life as we know it?
1. Educate yourself because knowledge is power. A healthy home begins with the products you buy. But, how can you make an informed choice when you are inundated with messages developed by public relations companies on behalf of their clients to influence your thought and behavior, news information, and public policy? I need you to notice this, question this, and be open to the possibility that it may not be based on fact, because until you do, you cannot make an informed choice about anything you buy. Read labels, good books, websites and journals written by reputable sources (I have a list on my website), and watch videos like “The Human Experiment, The Corporation, Toxic Sludge is Good for You, Thank You for Smoking, etc. Many of these are available on the Top 100 Documentaries or Films For Action on the internet. Teach your children to think critically and source information using Google scholar and scientific databases like PubMed to find ‘real’ information as opposed to relying on the news, social media, or personal opinions.
2. Build resilience. As the environmental becomes more polluted, your diet becomes even more important, because nutrition is your backbone in biochemistry. If you've got good nutrition, you've got a level of resilience against environmental insults; if you've got poor nutrition, you have less resilience. When you go from healthy food to processed food, you are doing two things: you're decreasing the nutrients and at the same time increasing the toxins, and this changes the whole balance of survival. So, it’s important to move away from processed food and buy fresh, local and organic produce that is in season from your local farmer’s market, green grocer, or butcher so that you know where the food comes from.
3. Partake in regular exercise, start a hobby, develop ways to deal with stress (get a job you are passionate about, meditate, exercise, do self-development courses etc.). Surround yourself with people who you aspire to be, do things that make you happy, and connect with nature as often as you can by taking regular breaks to the bush, mountains, or beach.
4. Be mindful about how you spend your money. Rampant consumerism is polluting the planet, wildlife and our bodies, and keeping millions of people in poverty. Think twice about buying a cheap t-shirt that you know will only last one season. Consider buying good quality clothes made from natural fibers by local suppliers (not sweat shops) or second hand stores (you’ll save a fortune!). The only reason why retailers continue to sell poor quality merchandise is because people buy it. Following consumer pressure, major retailers removed bisphenol-A containing plastic baby bottles from their stores, despite the regulators stating it was safe.
5. Join a cause! There are numerous examples in history where citizens have successfully rallied governments and industry to change their behavior. In the 1960s, thousands of families around the world collected their children’s baby teeth for analysis of the radioactive nuclide strontium 90, to prove widespread contamination from radioactive fallout from atomic weapon testing. This led to the signing of the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1963.117 I am developing a free Environmental Exposure History App to enable citizens to assess their chemical exposures. This will involve answering questions about your job, diet, home, and your overall health, to see if they correlate to specific symptoms or diseases. For more information, go to:
6. Assess your risk. We all choose to live with risks. I know when I get in my car that I could die in a car accident, so I choose a car with safety features and wear my seatbelt to reduce the likelihood of injury in the event of a car accident. And so it should be with your home. Once you have identified each hazard, assess how likely it will impact your health, in order to determine whether you need to do something about it.
For example, lead dust and asbestos whilst causing serious health issues, are not generally a problem unless you disturb them during renovations. As a small business owner, my cell phone is critical to my business. However, I can significantly reduce my exposure to harmful frequencies by texting, using the loudspeaker, or an earpiece.