The Health of Your Community:

 So began Charles Dickens' Tale of Two Cities.  And so it is now.  We live in an exciting, tele-connected small world.  Knowledge is expanding exponentially.  Possibilities are endless.  Opportunities abound.  And yet, the world has never been so polluted, so populated and so vulnerable. 

Our communities reflect this dichotomy.  Cities are exciting, vibrant places, full of fascinating, happening people.  But they're also dirty, stressful, polluted and sometimes dangerous.  Is the answer to go "away" to the country and telecommute?  Though being away from the city may be calmer and safer in many ways, there are a lot of other aspects, especially social, that a person would have to consider before making such a move.  (Here's one person's suggestions--Britt's page)  Also, being "away" from the city may not be your comprehensive personal solution to pollution, because unless you're moving to a mountaintop, there's no "away" anymore.    Well water in rural areas may be contaminated from any number of sources including leaking septic tanks, old military bases, waste dumps, leaching from mine tailings, and of course the herbicides and pesticides sprayed on farms, gardens, and roadsides.  In fact, in certain agricultural areas, pollution and toxic dangers can be much worse than in most urban locales, because there is less regulation, monitoring, and enforcement of environmental health standards.

In some cases, unfortunately, it may be advisable to uproot and actually move out of a "toxic community."   Do you suspect that your health, or that of your family is impacted by the pollution?  For example, if you're living east of Los Angeles, and your child has asthma, or you're living down-wind of a refinery, an electrical generating plant or in a neighborhood where black particulate matter can be wiped off cars and window ledges on a daily basis, and persons in your household are suffering from respiratory illnesses, cancer, chronic fatigue, or a host of auto-immune illnesses--then the best answer may be to move. 

Usually the situation is not so drastic however.  We believe that in general the solution to pollution is in how you address the situation, not how far you try to run away from it.

The first part of the solution, which is applicable to every situation, is to continue to do everything possible to control your immediate environment as outlined in the Consumable Toxins,  Personal Care,  Personal Environment and Work Environment sections of our website.  You will want to steadily improve all aspects of your diet, as well as your home, garden and hopefully work environments.  If you live in your own home, you can also increase the number of trees and shrubs around your house, which will help to cleanse pollutants from the air.  Strategically planted shade trees can also play a major role in reducing the cost of cooling your home in summer, while still leaving windows closed during the afternoon when outdoor air pollution tends to be heaviest.  Unfortunately, planting trees is not a short-term solution.  Creating health and beauty takes time and planning.

While water pollution tends to be the main threat in rural areas, urban areas tend to suffer more from air pollution.  In the U.S. and many parts of Western Europe, moderately effective enforcement of clean air laws beginning in the early Seventies has improved the air in many cities.  Millions are healthier today thanks to the dedication of environmental activists and the courage of caring legislators from decades past.  Nevertheless, unhealthful air still finds its way into urbanites' lungs--the main causes being, of course, stationary sources such as factories and refineries, and "non-point" or moving sources such as cars, trucks and buses.  People and homes near freeways, bus terminals, and heavy traffic areas are also more affected by particulate matter such as diesel exhaust, which recent research shows can be very damaging to health. Though in recent years greater efforts have been made to reduce water pollution in coastal areas, the bays and shores near cities are often polluted from toxic run-off as well as dumping of partially treated sewage.  This won't affect you directly unless you swim in it, or eat locally caught fish. 

Questions should be asked when buying real estate in urban areas.  What was the area before it became houses?  Is there a history of oil production, or an old toxic or solid waste dump or chemical plant in the area?

Suburban areas tend to be less toxic, but appearances can be deceiving.  The same questions about "What was here before there were houses?" should be asked.  In the infamous case of Love Canal, a middle-class suburban neighborhood was built on the spot where a chemical company used to dump its waste.  People got sick--very sick--and a concerned housewife grew to become a major national environmentalist.  Another suburban source of toxins is golf courses.  As beautiful as they are to look at, dozens of chemicals (in one case we know of, over 100 different chemicals) are used to keep them green and lush. Gas station "excavations," which are usually done because of leaking underground gasoline storage tanks, can also emit toxins into the air, at least while the clean-up is underway.  (The same applies to the environmental remediation of industrial sites, which are more likely to occur in the impoverished parts of cities).  Finally, suburbanites living under major high-tension electrical lines may suffer from damaging effects of "electro-magnetic" pollution, commonly referred to as EMF.

Regardless of whether you live in an urban, suburban, or rural environment, you can make a difference in its health.  Beyond implementing the basic personal environment solutions available to you, there is an incredibly wide range of opportunities available to wed your talents to your concern for the health of your community.  The first step is to become informed about the toxic threats that face you and your family out in the community.  Read local newspapers and identify your local environmental groups.  Local environmentalists will be able to help you identify problems of toxicity if you're not already aware of what they are and how serious they are.  (There are also services, and in some cases kits, that can test for water quality, radon gas, and carbon monoxide.) 

Once you know what toxic influences and environmental degradation need attention in your community, we suggest you think a bit about which ones concern you most, and dream a little about how your special talents and unique personality can make a contribution.  Are you reserved but have a knack for writing?  Do you love to meet people, to listen, learn, and teach?  Do you have a gift for keeping things organized?  Are you good at research and like investigating things?  Do you enjoy working with your hands?  Are you a fighter, or perhaps a leader?  Can you make signs and banners?  Are you good on the phone?  How are you at folding and stuffing--those underrated, yet crucial skills to the success of any nonprofit?   Whoever you are and whatever talents you've developed, and whether you've got a little or a lot of spare time, you can find opportunities to, as Tolstoy said, "add your light to the sum of light."  Our communities and our planet need a detox as much as most of us people do.  It can change your life. 

Click Here for some ideas on easy ways to get started: http://www.domainearth.com/links/links.html

Related Articles: Britt's page, Consumable Toxins, Personal Care, Personal Environment and  Work Environment. 
 

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