A profusion of green products allows us to excuse ourselves from acting beyond our own households. But we can’t shop our way to safety. We must turn to politics, not just products, to solve our toxic problems.

One thing we know: bubbles burst. For writer Peggy Orenstein and residents of “eco-conscious" Berkeley, California, news of poor airquality near schools pierced the "green" bubble. Orenstein’s recent commentary, "The Toxic Paradox,” published in the New York Times Magazine, portrays the plight of parents who have "gone green" at home, only to realize they are having only modest effects on their kids’ overall exposures. Parents feverishly scan the Internet for green products to avoid headline-grabbing chemicals, only to learn that research implicates another chemical, another product. Orenstein’s commentary does little to help parents move through this frustrating reality. For Orenstein, community action is too fractious and individual action either irrelevant or futile. Parents’ efforts at home are partial solutions, yes, but they’re part of the problem, too. When products stymie political action, this creates another “toxic paradox” that Orenstein overlooks.

BPA (a constituent of some hard plastics), PBDEs (flame retardants), and other chemical acronyms float through playgroup and PTA conversations-- a sign that scientists have raised public awareness about the slow accumulation of pollutants in our everyday surrounds. Parents have stepped in to manage exposures in the absence of regulations. However, as sociologist Andy Szasz observes, we seek to "shop our way to safety.” This profusion of green products allows us to excuse ourselves from acting beyond our households. Herein lies the other toxic paradox: We can’t just turn to products rather than politics to solve our problems.

Full story: http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/editorial/the-other-toxic-paradox