Some people are visual. They need to SEE a message to fully understand it. Imagine, some people don't actually want to read new studies showing the ill effects of toxic chemicals on our bodies and the environment. Some don't want to read more news about what is harmful to themselves and their families (among the other depressing news).
You can't really blame them.
Many of them (us!) are simply exhausted parents. Bleary eyed, barely doing all the parenting and life work they need to do to keep things going.
So, if you know anyone who hasn't tuned in to learn about the problems with chemicals and toxins in our cosmetics, show them this. The Story of Cosmetics has a way of capturing attention and simplifying this critical issue-- and the film builds on the momentum of support for the Safe Chemicals Act of 2010.
Why should you care? There is a growing body of research showing links between many of the chemicals in our personal care products and serious diseases and conditions. Chemicals like triclosan, phthalates, parabens are in most cosmetics. Phthalates are often labeled as "fragrance". Triclosan is labeled as an "antibacterial."
And no one is looking at their synergistic effect on our bodies, especially those who are developing and growing at rapid rates: our children. The companies who make these products are using many chemicals that have never been independently tested for safety. That's right, never.
This post is part of the Green Moms Carnival this month. You can check it out soon at Organic Mania.
7 comments:
Hi Katy,
Thanks for your contribution to the Carnival!
While like you, I appreciate the film, I'm not sure it's going to achieve its desired aims. I think there is some hyperbole in the film that is just galvanizing the opposition. In other words, it's not going to convert any skeptics. For that, I think the Environmental Working Group film does a far better job. If my post weren't SO LONG already, I would have added that too.
See you at Blogher?
Lynn
It's alarming enough that we are using these products. But when you consider that they're being slathered on children, it's even more upsetting. I hope that, if nothing else, The Story of Cosmetics helps to raise our awareness enough so that people start asking the hard questions.
I think it's important to remember that not only did this all begin based on the 1950s mindset, as is stated at the 4 min 47 second mark, but so too are the test methods we use to evaluate these chemicals.
The larger problem we are facing is that we have "tested" and deemed "safe" tens of thousands of chemicals on animals only to find that the some results are not accurate. It's time to use human-relevant non-animal testing practices as outlined by the National Academy of Sciences report, "Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy in 2007."
The potential for chemical reform is quite exciting, but it should be done in a way that doesn’t sacrifice millions of animals (for toxicity testing) in the name of better protection for human health and the environment. We need Congress to mandate and create market incentives to use nonanimal methods and tests.
Before I understood what chemicals and by products companies use to make baby and adult care products I just bought anything but now I am an educated mama because of the information available in websites like yours-Thank you for efforts)-:
For me this video reminds of the funny kids at school who attract attention by saying scary things.
As Lynn has pointed out, anybody who is sceptical about green things generally is going to have all their prejudices confirmed by this video. It is highly emotional but contains not one fact.
What isn't so obvious is that it is cowardly. If they have the money to make and heavily promote this video they have they money to take court action against the people putting the toxins in the shampoos. Win or lose they would get the evidence out in public that way.
Only they don't have any evidence.
Hello again Colin,
I think the point of the video is to raise awareness of this problem. The idea of toxins in, toxins out, is common sense, but is often overlooked.
There is a growing body of evidence about the problems of toxins in our everyday products-- look around the news. Just yesterday, a New York Times article linked environmental endocrine disruptors to early puberty in girls (as early as 7 or 8).
Just wondering who you work for now? It would be great if you would disclose if you are with a PR firm for the chemical companies. Sometimes they appear on this blog with similar viewpoints.
Thanks for commenting!
Katy
Katy
If chemical companies did employ PR firms to post on blogs like this I would say that was a responsible and positive contribution to the debate. I wish they would. And maybe they do, but they aren't doing a very good job are they?
But I am not remotely a PR person, just a scientist. The people with the big budget who use PR techniques are the Environmental Working Group. You only have to look at the production values of this video and the way it is being promoted online using an army of bots to see that.
I am just an individual. I am the David fighting Goliath. Toxins in, toxins out is a sound bite. Ask yourself this question - how does that phrase help anyone make a decision? If anything it is a reflection of a 1950s mindset when we believed that all you needed to do was assess toxicity and the job was done. The reality is that you need to look at how chemicals behave in the environment. You need to consider the way things break down and how they might accumulate in the food chain. The black and white world of some environmental campaigners is good fun and an easy sell but it undermines the hard work of actually understanding what is really going on.
Post a Comment