[permaculture] Top Five Gifts Not To Buy
Keith Johnson
keithdj at mindspring.com
Sun Sep 16 23:55:59 EDT 2007
/*Snipped from:
http://www.planetfriendly.net/gifts.html
Thanks, eh?
K
PS I'm sure we can think of a few more.....?
And the gifts TO buy / make / grow...etc?
Top Five Gifts */*Not */*To Buy*/
*Perfume*. Many perfumes contain chemicals that can trigger allergic
reactions. Perfume is increasingly cited as a trigger for asthma,
allergies and migraine headaches, including potentially serious
reactions. Anyone in your building or vicinity can be affected. There is
no mandatory disclosure of perfume ingredients. "Natural" perfumes,
including "essential oils" are not necessarily any better. There are
plenty of other ways to make oneself attractive, rather than falling for
marketer's appeals to our fears of inadequacy, vanity and discomfort
with our own bodies. Many other products also contain perfumes -- buy
unscented products whenever possible. For an excellent article this
topic, see Natural Life Magazine's "Spraying Yourself With Toxic
Chemicals is Not Sexy": www.life.ca/nl/87/perfume.html
<http://www.life.ca/nl/87/perfume.html>
www.ourlittleplace.com/perfume.html
<http://www.ourlittleplace.com/perfume.html>
www.google.com/search?q=perfume+%22health+risks%22
<http://www.google.com/search?q=perfume+%22health+risks%22> ,
www.planetfriendly.net/health.html
<http://www.planetfriendly.net/health.html>
www.planetfriendly.net/health.html#enviroillness
<http://www.planetfriendly.net/health.html#enviroillness>
http://directory.google.com/Top/Health/Alternative/Non-Toxic_Living/
*Clothes That Need Dry Cleaning.* Most cleaners use a controversial
chemical called perchloroethylene. It is potentially harmful to their
staff, customers and neighbours. It's also a waste of time and money. So
stop trying to keep up with the Jones and wear something more healthy!
www.google.com/search?q=%22dry+cleaning%22+health
<http://www.google.com/search?q=%22dry+cleaning%22+health>
www.planetfriendly.net/health.html
<http://www.planetfriendly.net/health.html>
www.planetfriendly.net/living.html
<http://www.planetfriendly.net/living.html>
http://directory.google.com/Top/Health/Alternative/Non-Toxic_Living/
*Battery-Operated Toys.* The ingredients of batteries are highly toxic.
They should be disposed in a toxic waste site. Most people don't bother
-- this can lead to contamination of drinking water and crops. For the
most part, there's simply no need for it. There are often more healthy,
creative and intelligent things for kids -- and adults -- to do without
batteries.
http://directory.google.com/Top/Health/Alternative/Non-Toxic_Living/
www.google.com/search?q=battery+toys+alternatives
<http://www.google.com/search?q=battery+toys+alternatives>
*A New Car.* Cars are traps: they are bad for your health, your finances
-- and your children's chances of survival. The average Canadian spends
over $7,000 per year on personal automobile transportation, all expenses
included. The time you spend working to pay for your car, maintain it,
insure it, etc., is a waste of your life. For urban dwellers at least,
there usually are better alternatives, even in today's car-dominated
society. Be creative: try a combination of public transit, walking,
cycling, car-sharing, car-pooling, renting, telecommuting, flex-hours,
job-sharing. Work as close as you can to where you live, and choose or
create recreational activities in your area. If more of us did this,
lots of alternatives would arise as the market began to respond.
www.planetfriendly.net/living.html#transport
<http://www.planetfriendly.net/living.html#transport>
*Television.* Televisions sedate people. They turn brains to tapioca,
bellies to mush. They turn entire lives into missed opportunities. TV's
are a cheap escape, a controlled hypnosis. Like any addiction, the more
we do it, the worse things get and the more we feel we "need" the thing
we're addicted to. Things that once were natural for us to enjoy --
reading, conversation, exercise, thought -- no longer are. Even in small
doses, TV alters one's perceptions and behaviour and steals time from
the more important and enjoyable aspects of life. It's not so much a
matter of the quality of the programming. The medium itself is hypnotic,
non-interactive and socially unbalanced. Tired? -- sleep. Bored? -- read
a book. Stessed? -- take a hot shower. Energy to burn? -- go for a walk.
Lonely? -- call a friend, or make plans for tomorrow. There's almost
always something better than TV ...if only you don't turn it on! Do not
give a television to anyone you wish to see thrive and grow.
www.adbusters.org/metas/psycho/tvturnoff/
<http://www.adbusters.org/metas/psycho/tvturnoff/> www.tvturnoff.org
<http://www.tvturnoff.org> www.whitedot.org <http://www.whitedot.org>
www.turnoffyourtv.com/tv.links.html
<http://www.turnoffyourtv.com/tv.links.html>
http://directory.google.com/Top/Society/Activism/Anti-Media/
www.dmoz.org/Society/Activism/Anti-Media/
<http://www.dmoz.org/Society/Activism/Anti-Media/>
--
Keith Johnson
"Be fruitful and mulch apply."
Permaculture Activist Magazine
PO Box 5516, Bloomington, IN 47408
(812) 335-0383
http://www.permacultureactivist.net
Impeachment: It's not just for blowjobs anymore.
Switch to Solar Power the Easy Way
http://www.jointhesolution.com/KeithJ-SunPower
http://www.PowUr.com/KeithJ-SunPower
Blog: http://kjpermaculture.blogspot.com/
also Patterns for Abundance Design & Consulting
http://www.permacultureactivist.net/design/Designconsult.html
also Association for Regenerative Culture
also APPLE-Bloomington (Alliance for a Post-Petroleum Local Economy) It's a small world after oil.
http://www.relocalize.net/groups/applebloomington
also Bloomington Permaculture Guild
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