Day One: There Is a New Green in Town

When I was little, green was a color. Years later, it became a movement that could save the 500,000 penguins I saw when I traveled to Antarctica. Today, there is a new, broader and more personal definition of green. It is all about the health of our families. It's this new green that made me change everything about the way that I live. All because of what happened to my son one afternoon in New York City nearly 5 years ago.

Book excerpt, p. 1

"My son Spencer had just turned three when, one day, I noticed he was coughing a lot. At first, I didn't think anything of it. Kids get sick. I told him to lie down, thinking he'd be fine -- it was just a cough. A short time later I realized that his heart was pounding, as if it were trying to beat right out of his chest. Terrified, my husband Roger and I rushed him to the hospital. At the emergency room doctors placed our son on oxygen and gave him strong steroids to help clear his airways. We spent the next two nights in the intensive care unit. The doctors told us he had something called reactive airways dysfunction syndrome -- a form of asthma.

Asthma? How did our little boy develop asthma? We'd never heard of asthma coming on so suddenly. We were confused and sick with worry.

We talked to our son's doctor. We talked to other doctors. We asked questions but never got satisfactory answers. Ultimately, we knew our son's condition had to be either genetic or environmental. Neither my husband nor I had any family history of asthma, going back for four generations. So we concluded the cause was environmental.

I've spent most of my career working as a consumer reporter, so I knew how to dive right in and begin researching. It didn't take long to discover that the United States is in the midst of an asthma epidemic. One in every thirteen school-age children in the United States has asthma. Asthma in children younger than five has increased 160 percent since 1980. Nine million U.S. children under the age of eighteen have been diagnosed with asthma. Asthma is the most common chronic childhood disease in the United States, and it's the third leading cause of hospitalization among children younger than fifteen. The suspected cause of these stunning changes? At least six well-designed epidemiological studies have found one answer: a strong link between the use of certain cleaning products and asthma. That stopped me cold. The cause of my son's asthma may have been me. I may have been poisoning my own son."

I've done an enormous amount of research (check out the 160 endnotes in the book!) since then and I wanted to share it. My book Green Goes With Everything: Simple Steps To A Healthier Life and A Cleaner Planet (it's already hit the New York Times Best Sellers List in its first two weeks!) is a simple, fast, down-to-earth primer on the ways our homes can make us sick, and what we can all do to help transform them into the safe sanctuaries we want and need them to be. It's written for all of us who care about our health and the health of our families.

In my book, I expose the toxic truth behind many of the household products we use every day -- from laundry detergent to toothpaste to lipstick. I explain how these and other seemingly benign stuff can harm us and our children. I offer an array of alternatives, and show you that we're never helpless: Every day, we have the power to make better, smarter, safer choices.

Up next on the Green Goes With Everything agenda: the pollution in our homes and even our bodies! Stay tuned...

Comments

[CCairo]

And, conveniently, Ms Sloan Barnett's husband, Roger Barnett, just happens to be Chairman and CEO of Shaklee Corporation, "the leading provider of premium quality, natural nutrition and personal care products, environmentally-friendly household cleaning products, and state-of-the-art air and water treatment systems." Don't get me wrong, I love a green convert and converting others, but I'll be mighty annoyed if Shaklee starts getting pimped all over the place. I think full disclosure to your readers about potential conflicts of interest would be honest and appropriate, don't you Ms Barnett?

[Tags]

Hear, hear!

[kiki15]

And I believe his former company invented the magazine scent strip. I guess they've both had a change of heart. It's admirable that she's putting her status and wealth towards something that benefits others. She could have easily done something different--or nothing. But it's easy to go completely green when you're a billionaire's daughter. Not so easy for people on the other end of the economic spectrum. Hopefully Sloan will find a way to help those who can't afford to go green and get their children out of neighborhoods where asthma is rampant.

[research]

Good call folks!

asthma may indeed be caused or made worse by toxins, but another theory says it's lack of exposure to germs when young:

http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/1031002421.html

[mamacat]

Good article! Everything I buy I try to get without dyes or perfumes. I noticed a long time ago that they make me sick.

On a slightly related matter, years ago I read an article in Scientific American magazine which illustrated the clouds of pollution coming out of China. With the aid of satellites scientists have been able to watch massive clouds of air pollution form over China, and then go over the Pacific Ocean, over North American, over the Atlantic, over Europe, and back over to Asia. We may have thought we were cleaning up our own air when we sent our manufacturing jobs overseas, but China has much laxer air pollution regulations than does the West, and we all have to breathe the same atmosphere.

[ivoteforsmartpeople]

We use products full of all kinds of perfumes and other chemicals. Our homes nad office buildings are built to be "energy efficient"....by stopping all inside/outside air transfer. It doesn't take a genius to figure that our bodies are going to be overwhelmed by all that sealed in junk and be allergic or otherwise react.

The current trend of spraying everything with a covering scent instead of actually CLEANING it has poisoned Me. I actually have to ask for a hotel room that was not "cleaned" Today so that the level of perfumes has diminished enough that I can just Breathe (and not get a blinding headache) in the room!

And don't get me started on the people who drown themselves in some perfume and then go to work, restaurants, and theaters where others are physically sickened by their Smell!

[athenasword]

I absolutely feel your pain! I am so chemically sensitive and perfumes and cleaning products are the worst. I don't think I could ever go back to working in an office setting because of this. I get so physically ill and mentally aggitated, bordering on panic.

I am so pleased that there is a growing awareness about this.

Another wonderful book I highly recommend is: "Is This Your Child", by Dr. Doris Rapp. Her studies are on children but it is easily translated to adults.

[BatMasterson]

Yeah, I wish we could open the windows in my office building and get a breeze but I guess people do have a tendency to jump out of them...

[lollo3]

Insighfull and thought provoking...thank you SB for spreading the Green word, and in how to apply it to our every day world, which is often the most difficult part. You hear a lot of rhetoric about being green, but aside from driving ugly looking cars, and changing lightbulbs, mainstream media does not talk a lot about every day applicatrions that can have a huge impact on persons or on the environment. This is a welcome addition!!! Bravissima!

[athenasword]

Glad to see another wonderful book on this subject. The effects of toxins and chemicals that are found in most perfumes, cleaning products and other common household products are devastating for children. Other things like glues, inks, fabric coatings, etc. produce similar problems - memory loss, tantrums, irritability, headaches, fatigue, asthma, inability to concentrate...

I have worked with many clients doing Healthy Home consultations (in conjunction with feng shui) and when these products are removed or reduced the change is quite noticeable.

Green is better for the Earth, but also much better for us humans!

[BatMasterson]

Do us all a favor and leave Feng Shui out of it. Mixing science with woo-woo BS only sullies the rep of the science. If you want to do Healthy Home consultations and Interior Design go for it and everybody will be better off just don't pretend to have a magical reason for putting a mirror or fountain somewhere beside it looks good.

Otherwise godspeed.

[Stephen308]

There's not a lot to respond to here. I don't believe in the "man made global warming worse" religion but I certainly support clean energy, healthy eating, cleaning up the air in our homes.

As a home owner who has insulated, changed out my bulbs, have double-pane windows, an efficient furnace, and who purchased a car that gets 50% more mileage than my old car,and we use our community recycling of paper, glass, cans, and plastic....I'm running out of things to do for the environment.

In our home we filter the air because of my own allergies. Eating healthy, I do. Lots of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, avoid saturated fats, whole-grain low-glycemic starches, and some appropriate supplements. Don't forget exercise. My wife and I have a home gym and work out daily, only rarely skipping it.

Things have changed haven't they? I remember things like bread commercials "Wonder bread, helps build strong bodies in 12 ways" or some such thing. Now we know that white bread is missing the nutrition and fiber we need. And that many breads are almost as bad as sugar because they have over refined starch and spike the blood glucose levels. We know so much more, it's a different world.

[kuastar]

"Now we know..." should read "Now that we are paying attention, we realize..."
"Don't consume white flour products" was one of the primary directives of my orthomolecular physician 45 years ago. If you don't like the lag time between the research and the mainstream media reporting it better do your own. If you want to max your health and longevity.

[BatMasterson]

get rid of your Sacred Cow. If you think that putting billions of tons of CO2 in the air doesn't do anything then what proof do you need? More like what will you except?

[Stephen308]

You should abandon your radicalism. It causes you to put words into my mouth which I didn't utter and to say silly things.

I merely do not believe that carbon causes or even significantly contributes to global warming. More and more peer reviewed scientests are now speaking out against the "Man made global warming worse" religion. Did you know that last year North America had more snow covering than in the past 50 years? Did you know that the temperatures have been declining for 10 years now? They are relatively "high" but within ONE STANDARD DEVIATION meaning only higher by a fraction of a degree of variation you can expect in one year.

Have you EVER given any SERIOUS thought to this? You should.

I believe that radcialization is NOT required. Belief in politically correct left wing agenda's of the day is not Required.

I like many am opposed to pollution and feel there is a vast middle ground and opportunity for people to come together and deal with pollution....without requiring them to accept far left belief systems.

I would ask you to think, to be moderate, to be honest, to not be manipulated and radicalized, to not push propaganda because you see yourself as a "cultural warrior for the left".

[AbrahamSadegh]

Thank you Arianna and thank you Sloan for the "Green Goes with Everything: Simple Steps to a Healthier Life and a Cleaner Planet."

We should keep the concept of the "Survival of the wisest" coined by Jonas Salk always in mind and keeping the green going with everything is being on the right path.

[JodyMcg]

Look. I don't have kids. But still it's good to be consious of all the products that we use. First I buy animal friendly. I try not to buy products that are animal tested. Then I try to buy products that are eco friendly. I also try to buy products that don't have toxic fumes or are toxic in any way.I buy hormone free if I have to buy dairly. Now I'm down to 20 items at the store.Short list. Not too expensive. I'll be looking forward to your book. I'm always looking for ideas.

[bbc3341]

Other causes of asthma: cigarette smoke, stressful parents (might just be a smoking related factor), antibiotics, c-sections, chlorine, and yes, household products like glass cleaner, furniture sprays, and air fresheners... but by far it is genetic factors that contribute to most cases of asthma, so even if you eliminate all of these dangers, asthma could still be unavoidable... fortunately, it is treatable.

[juangault]

I was hoping some day that when a child is born, the DNA of the child is compared with the legal father and stated on the birth certificate if the child is his biological offspring or not. If the legal father is sterile, and the sperm was from an agreed anonymous donor, then all is well. But without proof of paternity, lots of genetic diseases pop up without rational cause. This might prevent a lot of problems further on in the marriage for obvious reasons as well.

[Vocal]

Hi,

I'm looking forward to reading your blog. I do hope in future articles you actually give us some information on what might be some of the environmental causes of asthma - just a sentence or two would have been great. As written, I feel that I am expected to buy your book (which I might do), without much to support the environmental causes you are supposing here.

Could it be household cleaners, laundry detergent, scented products? A simple teaser line or two would have been great. As it is written I will read your blog again a time or two and if it remains vague, you can then count me out as a reader. Hope that you read this Sloan and address this.

Thank you.

[marcosweb]

welcome!
always great to have another "greenie" to read.

here's a great article on 5 ways your home is making you sick.

http://www.livinggreenmag.com/natural_home_garden.html

looking forward to more of your work!

good luck.