7: The Human Experiment

This week in IGS we watched clips of the documentary " The Human Experiment." The few clips that we watched was enough to make me want to see the whole thing. Luckily, it was on Netflix. Over the next few days I finished it, and some of what I learned was astonishing. I had no idea the kinds of toxins and harmful chemicals I was being exposed to on a daily basis. The primary toxin that was featured was biphenyl A. BPA is a common chemical used in plastic. It can be found in everything from water bottles to rubber ducks. We have now learned that BPA can cause brain and behavior problems. We have learned it is a carcinogen and can cause heart problems, and this is only the beginning. I frantically checked my own water bottle to see if it said anything about being BPA free. Nothing. With my new knowledge I knew it was time for an upgrade, and I bought a new toxin free, metal water bottle that was as organic as water bottles get. Feeling slightly better about my water bottle situation, I still knew there was more to the story. Some of the facts I learned were unbelievable. After watching the documentary and doing some further research it is clear to see the linkage between the dramatic increase in autism, cancer risks, brain problems and infertility rates and the dramatic increase in chemical usage in the world. Right now in the United States 80,000 chemicals are being used to create the products we see in stores. Of those 80,000 chemicals, 200 have been tested for our safety.

What we must remember of this is that we have a choice. Us, the consumer can do our research to see what is safe for ourselves and our families. Huge corporate companies cannot thrive if the consumers do not by their products. If we check for ourselves, we can turn to companies who use green chemistry. Companies who invest their time to care for their consumers by using healthy materials and green chemistry are the companies we should be giving our money to anyway. Corporate companies are not going to tell us their products are going to hurt us, so it is up to ourselves to do the research, make smart decisions and save yourself and your families from the human experiment.