*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/
*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/>