Daniel Goleman, the author of ecological intelligence and many other outstanding books about how to save ourselves. One of his main concerns was about how knowing the hidden impacts of what we buy can change everything. Our innovations of green technology have become so interconnected and complex that it is difficult to find products, which do not leave a substantial ecological footprint. Ecological intelligence needs to be spread among the society and influence an increasing change. We need to recognize that everything we consume has a hidden price tag, which will in turn impact our lives. All the products have a hidden policy through its life cycle. Everything that is produced begins a life cycle. At the moment of the lifestyle the product goes through a life cycle assessment. This assessment will allow us to understand every step of the way- every single approach that is taken leaves a detemental effect of the environment.
Good guide will allow us to have a summarized outlook on the products impact and provides a radical transparency. Allow many may be mislead to believe that the “better” product is more expensive; this may in fact be false. Many precuts have be rated at low scores and yet they carry an incredibly high price. For example, another website which was launched, Skin-Deep is a site which provides information about chemical concerns in skin products and it has been revealed that the most expensive products have a high rate of carcinogens. Companies need to begin using the methods of life cycle assessment because overall the sellers know more than the buyers. Companies are created new forms and varieties everyday but they are not considering the danger they are forming. As a whole, we need to realize that “Green in such a mirage”. Even though having “green intelligence” may be the best way because of the minimal energy usage. However, we need to understand that every process adds to an ecological footprint.
We have entered a stage, which provides us with radical transparency where we are allowed to receive feedback from many as well as input our thoughts. Information will spread like an epidemic and allow us to be concerned about more important things. In order to get information, we need to take the time to seek for it. Although many of us are not capable of searching through a website for every product we consume- we can virtually search the good guide site and seek for alternatives for the popular products we consume. As humans, we are generally creatures of habit and consume the same products weekly. But should we change because of the issue of morality or for personal goodness. However, based on the change in the market economy “doing good has become the same as doing well”. One thing I found interesting about Daniel Goleman is his idea of living like insects. Perhaps he is right, his view suggest that we need to do everything together. Insects all follow a powerful pheromones so that they can find their goal.” If humans were able to work as a team together, we would be able to find the answers more efficiently. Even considering the action of living in a simplified lifestyle. We could be surrounded by less competition and less concern. But, every product that we create and consume leaves a social impact on each individual.
Take for example, simple items, which have been around for years and yet they are still using old methods, which use a lot of energy. Some examples are glass, sunscreen- which has been noted to destroy the coral reef in the ocean because of the pounds on sunscreen coming off in the water and the example I was intrigued by was cotton. I never realized the detrimental affect that cotton making leaves on the environment. However, it turns out that many toxins are extracted into the atmosphere. Also the process of cotton making increases chance of leukemia.
In earlier times cotton was produced by more sustainable techniques, which did not create as much of a health hazard as it does today. An increase in technology has transformed cotton making into a world of pesticides. The use of pesticides in cotton farming has increased the chances of threatening the health of people and increased the risk of depleting our environment. Just as seen in crop production and the transformation of nitrogen fertilizer, pesticides are life threatening! Organic industries have made an attempt to transform cotton production because conventionally- grown cotton is only taking about four percent of our farmland but pesticides are used at a rate of thirty to thirty-five percent. The worst part is that the plants only absorb about ten percent of the chemicals used and the rest eventually end up in our air, water and worst of all into our bodies.
We need to recognize that applying pesticides will transform into surface water and cause a greater imbalance in our ecosystems. Our man- made products take knowledge and power yet they are causing the major effects of the depletion of our ecosystems. Just as humans may become immune to certain medications or illnesses, animals and insects are capable of being resistant to pesticides. This may lead to an abundance of pesticides and generate danger to our diverse ecosystem. We have seen that biodiversity plays a large part of our environment because we are all interconnected. We each survive of each other. Therefore, we cannot put other species at risk because of cotton production that causes danger. EPA released a study in 1993, which states that almost one million birds are killed annually because of insecticides used in cotton production. I thought it was bad that thousands of crows died when the West Nile Virus broke out in the United States- but this is because of cotton! Cotton becomes a simple material that can be used in our soft shirts that we don’t think twice about. And yet, this simple soft “fruit of the loom” t- shirt may be killing species.
So I wondered, should we all start wearing organic cotton where there are no insecticides used? Granted organic cotton is portrayed as a better option because it is produced by safe and sustainable techniques. Also, it is believed that organic cotton farming leave a lower carbon footprint and consumes less energy and lets out less green house gases. It allows benefits an eco-friendly approach whiles omits the issues of toxic run off (which is killing thousands of species in our marine life everyday). Insecticides are really a form of poison to us and yet we consume and generally consume more energy. Daniel Goleman does remind us that organic clothing may still leave an impact on our environment because everything has a life cycle, but I believe that organic cotton production may be a safer bet. I believe that if we were to consume organic cotton, we would put our voices out there and add more words to the world about our environment.
The cotton is for your body, but the organic part is for the earth.
Our ability to have access to social networking is the key to change. The only way to find evidence of whether people are changing their way is to put our input out into the world. In earlier times, we were not concerened about the ecological footprint cotton may have left. We were concentrating of markets, trade and the ability to stay warm. However, today we have the knowledge and education to seek alternatrive to better ourselves. It is not the information that we are given, because those are just words- but instead it is the impact with make with the information that we world. We need to consider our option and our alternatives in a different way and approach a change of heart. Overall, there is no limit to our power and our moral value will always go hand in hand without economic power.
So, go to the store and walk through the aisles and take an extra second out of your day to make the better choice. Rather than consuming the product that you are accustomed to buying- buy something new and better. Not because it looked good last time, or anything of that sort. Try to make a change and realize that by supporting companies that produced hazardous products, we are only putting ourselves in more danger. The companies produce products and may not even know the effects it may lead to. BUT, we have the ability to write to Good Guide and request a change in ingredient and the process which is used in production. We can stop the killing of coral reef because an ingredient in sunscreen kills them. Perhaps, we were unaware that that sunscreen could have this effect of coral reef, but now we do. Now we have the information. So, now we can make that change.
- Goleman- Ecological Intelligence
- www.pbs.org/moyers
- EPA statistics
- November 30th, 2009- Professor Hirsch Lecture
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