In writing this book, I’ve encountered many wonderful scientists and campaigners. Some are aware of the danger of pesticides and are trying to save us from that. Others are raising the alarm about what fluoride is doing to us or the risks of heavy metal contamination. Still others are warning about the hazards that plastics pose to the planet and to all life upon it. Some are trying to stop the dumping of sewage into our water, some are campaigning for air that is safe for our children to breathe.
Some have been researching and writing for decades about the dangers of nuclear power, and others about the greatly underestimated risks that mobile phones, mobile-phone masts, microwaves and wi-fi pose to us and to wildlife. A few scientists have actually noticed and documented the vast increase in cancer, neurodegenerative disease and other illnesses that is resulting from all of this. And this is not just among humans; experienced vets are noticing that our dogs are not living as long as they used to.
Each of these scientists and campaigners is doing a vital job. Each is holding one piece of the puzzle. It may be impossible, intellectually and emotionally, for anyone to hold The Whole Picture, but something like that is what I’ve attempted, perhaps rashly, to do in this book. It has felt, at times, like living in what Douglas Adams called the Total Perspective Vortex.
Yet it’s certainly not complete; there are numerous topics I haven’t had space to cover, such as noise pollution, light pollution or occupational illness from exposure to specific chemicals.
So how do you, dear reader, choose what to do? Take it slowly. The information is yours, now, to do with as you will. Every little helps and each change makes a difference. You don’t need to make all the changes at once! Even with a growing awareness of the overview, you will probably feel drawn to one particular issue more than another. For yourself, the first steps are eating organic, filtering your water, moderating/mitigating your use of mobile phone technology and going through your home with a fine-toothed comb and chapter 7 in hand. In terms of campaigning, go where your passion takes you. Pretty well any campaign you might be inspired to join is mentioned in one of the first six chapters.
The Power in You
This is about reclaiming control over our own health. I have to admit, I don’t particularly like thinking of myself as a ‘consumer’ – the word seems to reduce a human being to just a mouth, endlessly wanting STUFF. But consumer power is real: if we can overcome our shopping addiction and stop buying all these unnecessary toxic products, manufacturers will stop making them.
If we support the alternative, safe, natural products, those alternatives will thrive and so will we. In the end it’s about breaking the ‘tyranny of convenience’, and creating new habits, especially in our homes, so home can become again the sanctuary it is meant to be.
Most challengingly, when we find ourselves asking the inevitable question ‘But surely they wouldn’t allow all this stuff to be sold if it was dangerous?’ we need to face up to the answer: yes, they would, and they do. There is no ‘they’ looking after us; companies are just looking after their profits, while governments look the other way. It’s up to us.