Welcome!

Welcome to Paradigm Exchange! Although I've already established the intention of my blog above, I believe a deeper explanation is warranted. I have created this blog in response to my relentless independent research on environmental issues and in response to the encouragement of my family and friends who have so willingly been my main audience to share my newest environmental concerns and research findings. It's time I stop dominating dinner conversations, phone calls, etc. and let them read about my findings on their own time as well as open the door to others who may be interested in reading about issues affecting our environment, health, and society. My intention is to present the facts and pragmatic solutions in a manner that's educational and interesting to a broad audience. With many sites and information misleading us with greenwashing, unnecessary propaganda, and/or "somewhat" green approaches, it's my hope to establish a clean venue for exchanging ideas and research. Please let me know if you find any information I post to be misleading and feel free to play devil's advocate with me. I chose the name Paradigm Exchange as a spin off of Thomas Kuhn's coined term "Paradigm shift", defined as a radical change in thinking from an accepted point of view to a new one, necessitated when new scientific discoveries produce anomalies in the current paradigm. I find this fitting in that we are amidst a "green" revolution, in the way we think and do. Science has shown us the devastating effects of our old ways of living. Once educated it is unacceptable to continue to live by the old format. Let us exchange the old paradigm for the new. Enjoy!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Examples of "eco-poseurs" and "greenwashing"

Perfect examples of the latest eco-poseurs and greenwashing:
  • Earlier this year, following a new trend in making clothing out of recycled PET bottles, Sears introduced a men's suit made out of plastic bottles. What, how, and why??!! I did a quick Wikipedia search to find out "how". Apparently recycled plastic bottles are processed back into PET flakes and used as the raw material for a range of products that would otherwise be made of polyester, including clothing. Okay, well "why" would we want to wear polyester or any "hybrid" synthetic clothing in the first place?!! Natural polyesters and a few synthetic ones are biodegradable, but most synthetic polyesters are not and why have plastic fibers rubbing up against you? I think we can find a better use than clothing for recycled plastic!
  • Woven Wrapper Purse - This "eco-friendly" purse is woven out of recycled juice pouch wrappers. Okay, granted they are made by a women's cooperative in Philippines...does that make them better? and they are Fair Trade...on sale for $71.95....wow, really? Sorry I just think these purses are ugly.
  • "All natural" and/or "organic" skin care products that still include paraben or any sort there of....or how about anything with "eth" and PEG. California Attorney General sued Avalon Natural Products, Whole Foods 365, Beaumont Products (manufacturer of the Citrus Magic brand), and Nutribiotic in 2008 for selling products that tested close to or in excess of 20 parts per million for 1,4-Dioxane (considered a probable human carcinogentic by the EPA and formed during the process of "ethoxylation"...hence the "eth".
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