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Posted by on Monday, April 16, 2007 at 9:30 PM (PST)
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MY GREEN AWAKENING
- Liane Weintraub, Editor-in-Chief
I don’t know about you, but when I attend fundraising events I’m usually supporting people, not causes. What I mean by that is that I generally turn out to show support to a particular organization because one of my friends is dedicated to its work. They are almost always excellent and worthy causes, but usually that one evening is the extent of my involvement.
A few years ago my husband and I went to an event at our friends Jena and Michael’s home to show our support for an organization Jena is deeply committed to. At the time, the group was called CHEC (Children’s Health Environmental Coalition). It has since changed its name to Healthy Child Healthy World.
That night literally changed my life.
(Click here to read the Healthy Child Healthy World Mission)
We heard first-hand from founders Nancy and Jim Chuda about why, after the loss of their 5-year-old daughter from a non-genetic cancer, they founded the organization to protect other children. That means that Collette Chuda died as a result of exposure to something in her environment. Perhaps it was in the air, the water-- who knows? I was pregnant at the time, and everything I heard echoed in my ears. Fear gripped me, and the magnitude of how many unseen dangers lurked all around seemed paralyzing.
Afterwards, as I began to read more about how we as parents and responsible citizens of this planet could be proactive, the fear began to subside and was replaced by a sort of call-to-arms. I may not be able to influence everything my children come into contact with, but I decided to take as much control as I can over the things I could dictate. That meant our food, our household, our lifestyle. We had always eaten healthily, but organic now became essential. We even planted our own organic vegetable garden. Toxic cleaning products and chemicals were banned from our home and yard. The more I realized how making easy, everyday choices could safeguard my family’s health, the more dedicated I became to my new and improved lifestyle. It was simple… easy… fun! I delighted in the challenge of finder better alternatives to the potentially toxic things we’d had in our lives.
Gradually, I began looking beyond our immediate jurisdiction to see how we, as individuals, could influence governmental policies and decision-making on a more global scale. I don’t know if I’m a full-fledged “activist” yet, but I’m getting there! Worldwide, there has been an alarming rise in children’s diseases, including cancer, autism, birth defects and learning disabilities, and there’s strong evidence that shows that environmental hazards are serious contributing factors. This is a serious crisis that requires immediate attention, but I have to believe that it’s not all doom and gloom. If the word gets out and the world really does shift to embrace “green” the way it seems to be doing, then the damage can be fixed. It simply has to be. |
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