If you didn't catch it yet today (and you probably already have)...No Impact Man had a post on the "water issue". You can read it here: http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2008/03/bottled-water-i.html
I highly recommend reading the comments on his post as well. Sharon from Casaubon's Book posted a very intelligent idea about people implementing composting toilets instead of eliminating our waste into water that is eventually turned back into drinking water.
Let me be clear that I'm not advocating anyone stop taking their necessary medications. My daughters will not be stopping their meds anytime soon. However...(and don't you just love 'howevers'?)...a lot of the pharmaceuticals found in the water supply were not even prescription medications. Caffeine, ibuprofen (aka Advil/Motrin, etc.) and acetaminophen (aka Tylenol, etc.) are over-the-counter meds that you can buy at any supermarket, pharmacy and convenience store. And what about the antibiotics that were found? And the hormones from birth control pills that were found in the water supply? Are those 100% necessary pharmaceuticals?...yes and no. We definitely need antibiotics to fight bacterial infections and birth control for obvious reasons...but I think we can all agree that antibiotics are prescribed/used FAR more often than they need to be or should be. And...there are other good options for birth control as well.
So, I guess what I'm saying is: Do we really need to pop a pill for every little ache or pain? And isn't it a medical fact that antibiotics are meant for bacterial infections not viruses? Do we really need to have 5 cups of coffee...or are 2 cups sufficient? Do we need the venti, ultra-mega-huge cup or is the standard 8 oz. cup that our grandparents used sufficient? With the explosion of coffee houses, fast food restaurants (that offer soda more readily than water) and energy drinks (which are almost entirely caffeine and high fructose corn syrup)...we have made the consumption of caffeine our new national past time!
In my mind, it all goes back to the same thing...moderation, moderation, moderation. I do not need to drink 4 Mountain Dews a day! I like my caffeine as well as the next person...believe me...I do. But maybe I need to re-think my caffeine consumption... I will still use pain relievers for severe headaches, but maybe I need to re-think what constitutes a severe headache...
Between the oceans full of plastic debris and the country's water system full of trace amounts of pharmaceuticals...it is time to re-think what we are doing...on every level...in every facet of our lives. That's it...that's my new mantra. It just hit me like a ton of bricks as I typed it. My own little "epiphany"...
It is time to re-think what we are doing...
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8 comments:
So where were you during my "Rethink it" challenge? ;-)
I agree that our society is way-overmedicated, self and otherwise.
Chile...I'm a late bloomer.
I'm at the VERY LEAST 2-3 years behind everyone else...sad but true...
Hey, ducky! I found you through Fake Plastic Fish and wanted to respond to one of your pancake questions.
Anyhoo - I always make a double batch of pancake batter and cook up the whole batch. Leftovers keep in the fridge for a few days (they get eaten before they go bad) - just pop them in the toaster to reheat.
Just make sure your pancakes are a size to fit your toaster and not too little or you'll be tempted to dig them out with a fork - big no-no!! I'm sure you can reheat in the oven or toaster oven, and I've reheated in the microwave also (not as good as the toaster tho).
On the other hand (just to play devil's advocate or something) maybe the birth control pills are preventing many more people from coming into this world who will create even more pollution.
Human population is exploding all over the earth. Yes, we do overconsume. I am not debating that. But I wonder, even if all of us cut way, way back on our consumption, it won't matter if the population grows exponentially larger each decade. I think we've each got to take responsibility for our own consumption, of course, but also for how many new human lives we bring into this world.
There are certainly birth control methods that are better for the environment than hormone pills, but if the choice is a birth control method that won't be used 100% of the time vs. a pill that is taken religiously, I'd vote for the pill.
Just my 2 cents. I know this is a controversial issue in some quarters.
Beth--I agree with you. That's why I just barely skimmed that specific pharmaceutical. It is controversial, but we do need to take responsibility for our own actions and offspring. My point is merely...if a person will consistently use a different method--then I encourage it. However, if a person doesn't think they will use a different method 100% of the time and the pill works best for them then the pill is better than nothing!
Play devil's advocate all you want! I would rather we all discuss these things than pretend they aren't an issue!
You ladies are giving me courage to do a 'hippie' post on "too many people". I have avoided doing it because of the controversy.
It is the big answer to the big question.
Zero Population Growth was part of the hippie movement (It wasn't all about the purported free love stuff :) )
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Population_Connection
I was thinking the same thing, Beth. Besides...you can't really compare the pill to most other forms of birth control because it covers a lot more for a lot of woman than just pregnancy protection. (I may be a little too close to the issue; I just spent the past 4 years nursing one baby, pregnant with the next and then nursing him for 2 years. We tried every non-hormonal method and they all were horrifying compared to the pill. I ran to the pill with open arms after weening. TMI?) Oh...and let's not forget what the pill did for the advancement of women in the world!
Ducky- I agree with you about the antibiotics. I was hoping there were going to be some changes in how often they were prescribed after all the news of these super-coodies hitting the scene that were resistant to our best stuff.
Leslie, I'm behind you 100%. Just too much of a wimp to go there too strenuously on my own blog (although I did touch on it in this post: http://www.fakeplasticfish.com/2008/02/plastic-free-sex-part-2-pedro-offers.html). If you post it, we will come.
And Organicneedle, I totally agree about the overprescription of antibiotics, and it just kills me how everyday products are full of anti-bacterial chemicals these days. Like hand soaps that we wash down the sink every day. I had to BEG at my office for them to switch to a natural hand soap from anti-bacterial Dial, and then they would only get it for the sink on the floor where my office is, but not the other bathroom or kitchen upstairs.
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