By Heather May
Reprinted with permission from the Salt Lake City Tribune.
Salt Lake Tribune
Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Government and business deserve their share of the blame for harming the planet.  But have you considered your own contributions?

Your home may be the source of twice as many greenhouse gas emissions as your car. In fact, you probably have a gas guzzler in the garage. And you may have your own "toxic spill" to clean up - under the counter. Chemicals meant to shine sinks and add foam to shampoos and conditioners could be making you and the planet sick.

That's why it's time to practice environmentalism in the home and body, say creators
of a 12-week course being offered in Salt Lake City.

The class, called Pollution Prevention and Environmental Action through Community
Education (P2EACE), is part of a move to get residents to take responsibility for the
globe's health, instead of leaving it to government or business (see story at right).
"Instead of saying, 'I hope the government cleans up the lake,' we wanted to step
back and say, 'Where does it begin?,' " said Wendy Mendenhall, president of The Arts
Organization Institute, which is sponsoring P2EACE, along with Salt Lake City and
the Environmental Protection Agency. The inaugural program ends this month and
another begins in May.

"It really starts in this home," she said, touching her chest. "This is the ultimate
environment."

CHEMICAL CONCERNS
And it needs help, said Linda Chaé, a Colorado-based spokeswoman for the
ToxicFree Foundation, who taught one of the courses.

She warns that repeated, daily exposure to chemicals found in everyday products -
from cleansers to makeup to deodorant to laundry soap - cause memory loss,
migraines and cancer, among other ailments.

While the products are sold in grocery stores across America, Chaé said the
government doesn't regulate the industry. "There is no one in Washington with a
white lab jacket looking out for us," she said in an interview, adding that the
chemicals remain in the air long after they're used, harming babies and pets.

The Environmental Protection Agency says the levels of organic compounds released from household products are higher indoors than outdoors. The EPA agrees there are health effects, but says little is known about them.

California stepped into the regulation void in 2005, passing the nation's first law on
chemicals in cosmetics. The "Safe Cosmetics Act" requires manufacturers to tell the
state if their products contain ingredients that cause cancer or birth defects.

The foundation has a list of Chaé’s own "Deadly Dozen" chemicals to avoid. Her short list includes DEA (diethanolamine), MEA (monoethanolamine), TEA (triethanolamine) and PEG (polyethylene glycol). To read Chaé's full list, go to
http://www.sltrib.com/homeandfamily .

Her advice to consumers: Read labels and then demand that your stores carry safe
products.

"I'm all for the fish and the mammals and the ocean and the forest, but I'm No. 1 for
the human being," Chaé said. "Chemicals we rub on our body have far more impact
on our immediate health than how we recycle our trash. Both are important."


Larissa Jones suggests returning to the basics. The Salt Lake City resident taught a
class on using essential oils, or aromatherapy, to improve the air.

"The use of most of the household products is not necessary," the aromatherapist
and herbalist said in an interview. "We need to go back to what our great-grandmothers

did. Baking soda and vinegar can clean all kinds of things."
Essential oils, or oils distilled from aromatic plants, add disinfectant power and can
smell good. However, Jones cautioned, the oils can be 50 to 100 times stronger than the plants and can irritate the skin and lungs.

Another cleaning solution is plants. Cactus and Tropicals' Brandie Balken extolled
their power to P2EACE students and offered five low-light plants that are good at
humidifying the air and eliminating common toxins: the peace lily, Chinese
evergreen, lady palm, mother-in-law's tongue and spider plant.

"If I go to somebody's home and they don't have plants, I wonder what's wrong
with them," she said.

P2EACE explores what you might expect - how to save energy and water, and the
value of recycling and taking TRAX or a bus. But it also includes lectures on building materials, nutrition and clearing clutter.

The class of 20 took a trip to the landfill. They tried traveling without using a
petroleum-dependent car. Students were asked to analyze their habits: Did they eat
organic food? Shop at locally owned stores? Recycle and buy recycled products?
Most of the students already were living a green life: Two biked to class. One had
recently moved to cut down on her commute. Another refers to herself as an
"environmental Nazi." But even the greenest said they found ways to improve.

INSPIRING CHANGES
Scott Cooney, who created an environmentally friendly lawncare business, has made small changes based on the class. He installed cotton-based insulation in his attic and saved $30 a month on his winter gas bill. He changed his toothpaste to one with essential oils, and urged his roommate to use a nontoxic deodorant.

"You have to change the places where you shop. You have to think it through," he
said. "It takes awhile getting used to the lifestyle change but it's fun and it's really
healthy."

It can also be more expensive. Organic products and green-building materials cost
more up front, but some costs can be recouped over time.

After a class trip to the dump, Ashley Patterson, who is already an expert as she
owns a green-building center, said she may start buying cereal in bulk or making her
own granola because she learned the plastic bags in cereal boxes can't be recycled.

She said living green is about taking small steps that lead to big changes. She should
know. She started using alternative transportation one day a month and now she
uses her bike as transportation and never drives unless she's with someone else.
"The take-home message is, as individuals there's, what, 300 million of us in the
United States? If we all make good decisions, we can all have a huge impact."
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Contact Heather May at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 801-257-8723. Send comments to
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THINK GREEN

• 12 million barrels of oil are used each year to manufacture 100 billion plastic
• shopping bags in the United States. Paper bags aren't much better for the earth. Use canvas or string.
• The average American generates 1,700 pounds of trash a year. And 75 percent
• of what is dumped could be recycled.
• When a car idles, carbon monoxide emissions are at their highest. Don't idle
• more than two minutes.
• Reducing your weekly mileage by 20 miles will decrease your annual carbon
• dioxide emissions by 1,000 pounds.

- Source: Salt Lake City and Elise Lazar
Want to take the class?
The next 12-week course for Pollution Prevention and Environmental Action through Community Education (P2EACE) runs Tuesdays from May 16-Aug. 8, 7-9 p.m. at 150 S. 600 East, Suite 2C, Salt Lake City. The cost is $500. Call 801-468-1212 or e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .