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This week my wife and I finally did something we've been talking about for a
long time: we disposed of all our nonstick cookware. Why? Because there's
increasing evidence that one of the chemicals used to produce these convenient
surfaces, perfluorooctanoic acid or PFOA, is likely to cause cancer in humans.
The US Environmental Protection Agency is concerned enough about the use of PFOA
to call for its total elimination by 2015. It is used not only in nonstick
cookware, but also in stain-resistant textiles (such as carpeting, upholstery,
and Gore-Tex fabrics) and in grease-resistant food wrapping (used by many
fast-food restaurants and pizza parlors). Teflon is the most popular of many
brand-name products, all of which use PFOA as an aid in the manufacturing
process.
Unfortunately, the total elimination of PFOA may not be economically or
technologically possible by 2015. This negatively impacts the environment as an
industrial pollutant and as a consumer good. There's not much the average person
can do when it comes to environmental emissions, but we can avoid the consumer
goods.
That's why my wife and I replaced our cookware with stainless steel. It may not
be as easy to cook with and to clean up, but that's a small price to pay for
eliminating a potential carcinogen. If you are unable or unwilling to make the
change, be sure to avoid scratching the surface and cooking at high heat.
Cooking at high heat is never a good idea, in terms of what it does to the
nutritional value of food. It's an even worse idea when it comes to nonstick
cookware, since the high heat causes it to emit toxic fumes.
You may also want to eliminate stain-resistant textiles and grease-resistant
food wrapping. Many years ago we eliminated carpeting from our home in favor of
hardwood floors. Before that time, however, I can remember carpet cleaners who
would spray our carpeting with Teflon after cleaning in order to make it stain
resistant. The next day our young children would be on the floor, absorbing who
knows what. The same went for our upholstered furniture and draperies. Pizza
boxes, microwave popcorn bags, French-fry sleeves, and the paper wrapping for burgers
are other favorite hideouts for PFOA.
All this can be eliminated by discriminating consumers. The risk may be small
but why take even a small risk when it can be so easily avoided? It's no
different than hydrogenated vegetable oils. These are the worst food products on
the market when it comes to cardiovascular health, so why eat any at all? Even
very small quantities add up over time to cause big problems. The short-term
conveniences and benefits are not worth the long-term hazards and consequences.
So take the action that will protect you and your family today. Lower your risk
of cancer and heart disease. Do what you can to avoid coming into contact with
or consuming harmful substances. Then lend your voice to the growing consumer
movement in favor of environmentalism and ecological justice. That way we cannot
only avoid toxic substances for ourselves, but for others including future
generations. It is, as Bono recently said
Click, the right thing to do.
Coaching Inquiries: How careful are you to avoid toxic substances? What steps
could you take to avoid more toxic substances? How could you become a change
agent not only for yourself and for your loved ones but for all the world as
well?
 To reply to this Pathway, use our
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Wellness Coaching programs and to arrange for a complimentary wellness coaching
session, use our Contact Form or
Email Bob.
May you be filled with goodness, peace, and joy.
Bob Tschannen-Moran
LifeTrek Coaching International
121 Will Scarlet Lane
Williamsburg, VA 23185-5043
U.S.A.
Telephone: 757-345-3452
Fax: 772-382-3258
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