Our carbon footprint is a small part of our ecological footprint. In addition to greenhouse gases and our carbon emissions, we dispose of many things with our rubbish on a daily basis that stay in the environment for a long time.
In addition to plastic bags and packaging and synthetic materials that are slow to degrade, there are also lots of toxic substances, which cause a number of environmental issues.
It is incredible that nowadays one can still buy thermometers containing significant amounts of mercury and a range of very toxic chemicals, such as those contained in most household paints. For example, let me cite what it says on the label of a gloss paint manufactured by a well-known British manufacturer (ICI/Dulux). It indicates the paint contains "volative organic compounds which contribute to atmospheric pollution". Oh dear, and I just wanted to paint a door, I didn't want to destroy the environment. The label continues: "Contains ethyl methyl ketoxime. May produce an allergic reaction. Contains white spirit. Avoid contact with skin and eyes. Do not empty into drains and watercourses. Some local authorities have special facilities for disposing of waste paint."
It is scandalous that manufacturers are still allowed to sell this kind of thing and rely on the consumer to dispose of it safely. Everyone knows that most people will at the very least wash their brushes in running water in the sink, and the majority will dispose of the empty or not-so-empty pot of paint in the rubbish, which will end up at a landfill and add to the toxicity of the environment through the rainfall that drains through the landfill.
There is an impressive range of organic paints in the market already and there is the know-how to produce all sorts of household paint without any toxic component. Why then are manufacturers allowed to sell household paints that are toxic to the environment?
Turpentine remains one of the most popular items in art shops. A look at the label of another well known British manufacturer (Winsor & Newton) says: "Toxic to aquatic organisms, may cause long term adverse effects in the aquatic environment." This is from a product that is meant to be a medium for oil paints and also the most popular solvent to clean oil paint brushes, which needless to say is then disposed down the sink and ends up in the ocean via the sewage systems.
Governments must scrutinise the toxicity of substances more closely and forbid manufacturers from making them available to the public. There is the technological expertise to replace these subtances by harmless equivalents.
The general principle of sustainable development is to transform our ecological footprint into something that is self-degrading and can be absorbed in our planet's natural cycles. We should eradicate the use of non-degradable synthetics and toxic substances. For example, the use of formica in furniture and plastic components makes no sense when nature gives us wood as a perfect and high-quality element to manufacture our furniture.
CARBONICA - PROTECTING THE WORLD'S RAINFORESTS
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