The “Green Chemistry” Initiative
California has taken it upon itself to inform consumers exactly what their decisions in the market place entail, thus connecting us all back to the center of the famous environmental foot print. The theme is that: Indeed, You Do Matter! The myriad of issues concerning waste production has broken down into regulation and accessible information.
The current practice of risk assessment entails a very complex account of exposure and damage before the chemical is ever restricted. This makes hiding the dangers of hiding chemicals much easier to do. Thousands of chemicals are being used in manufacturing, but safety data is available on only a small percent. According to the California governor, “instead of paying attention to the toxic substances in our everyday products only when it comes time to throw them away into the landfill we will now pay attention…when the product is designed, manufactured, used and recycled.”
Electronics and retardants of today’s products are so extremely toxic and the contaminants slither into the health hazard category in an uncontrollable manner. As they escape into factories, workplaces, water supplies and land fills they will now be met with more regulation and legislation.
Although measuring “how green is green?” is still a grey are when the product is green and the overall footprint is bad. The ten years that this proposed initiative would take is much worth the secrets of the undisclosed world of trade.
H.O.P.E encourages all consumers to be conscious of their choices, because a can of worms is lurking behind the shiny products behind the shiny store windows.
Tags: carbon footprint, chemicals, consumerism, green, industry, legislation