What does ‘environmentally friendly’ mean?

For many the idea of only using products that are environmentally friendly makes perfect sense. It makes so much sense that it is hard to understand how it could not make sense to some.

I was recently asked , how can you tell the difference between something that is environmentally friendly and something that is not? Take dish soap for example.

Now , if you were on an island and had to clean a vessel for eating what would you use? Likely some sort of relatively clean water , salty or fresh and some kind of abrasive , perhaps some sand or plant matter.

Fast forward to modern day living. You are at the store considering what product to buy to clean the dish you are bound to eat off. Does it need to be florescent green? Does it make sense to use chemicals that would otherwise be toxic to the body? Given that the chances are high the product you are about to buy is contained in a plastic vessel which already indicates an environmental load do you chose a product that will biodegrade easily or something that will kill the natural flora of the soil, of the water and of the creatures it comes in contact with. How will you dispose of this product?

These are some fundamental questions that must be answered when assessing the environmental impact of a substance. Some of these questions can be self directed and others can be assessed by reading packaging. Reading and understanding the implications of various designations can be confusing at times. Sometimes the least amount of information can allude to the most accessible source. Picture a cardboard pint  container of locally grown , non certified organic strawberries versus a plastic container with USDA certified organic strawberries from Mexico. The local ones will probably be more expensive , but who is really paying for your cheap “organic” strawberries. Are they really ‘organic’ given that they travelled 3000 miles to get to you which means the environmental impact of those miles likely outweighs any benefit derived from using less toxic pesticides.

“Whats wrong with neon dye?” All dyes, unless they are directly plant derived ( like onions skins which give a yellow tint or beets which give a reddish brown tint) are toxic to varying degrees. In nature bright colours are used often as a tool to attract prey either for mating or for consumption. Our bodies are made by the earth and natural processes. Our bodies function most optimally when we are in direct relationship to the raw elements; Wind, Water , Earth and Fire. In some cultures wind is divided into Air and Ether.

If a substance cannot be sourced from nature directly then by no doubt it has been processed. The degree to which an element has been processed will affect its impact both on our bodies and the earth, which are one in the same. So in choosing environmentally responsible choices we must ask, ‘how far away from nature is this item I hold?’. Additives including dyes, preservatives, stabilizers , emulsifiers while not inherently toxic by their nature often distance something from its whole form which means the body and the earth will have a harder time recognizing it and therefore processing it.

Antibiotics, pesticides, preservatives and other chemical constituents also create disturbance in the body’s ability to distinguish self from non self and can cause disease symptoms especially when we are trying to convince our selves ( our cells) of the edibility of something would never have been considered food by our ancestors.

So when assessing whether something is earth friendly or not ask yourself, ‘would I want this item in the soil where I grow my food? Would I want this item in the water i drink?’ Because, that is where its going to end up and while it may have been easy to pretend that the earth is big enough to hide all the toxic garbage we make and don’t want to see…we are running out of space to hide. The animals are dying, because the natural resources we need to survive are no longer clean, no longer natural. Our breathing is laboured. We can no longer digest the rancid and toxic remnants of food we once recognized.

It is integral that we ask ourselves “what is environmentally friendly, how do I know the difference?” and it is integral that we remember how to recognize instinctively what will nourish us, what will heal us and what will fortify our relationship with the natural world with which we are inextricably a part of.