i'm off to watch an inconvenient truth and slit my wrists....

i very rarely watch tv --- i'll turn it on for family guy or seinfeld but that's really about it -- but i'm really glad it was on this morning, otherwise i probably would not have even paid attention to this.

so pete had turned on pbs for Bill Moyers' Journal. i'd never watched it before and i'm kind of glad because my poor catholic guilt-prone conscience couldn't bear watching it regularly.

today (and if you follow the above link, you'll be able to read about the story i watched), was about a chemical in plastics called bisphenol A. despite my granola-tendencies, i hadn't really cared much about the chemicals in plastics because, eh, i'm lazy. and, dude, i work at a nonprofit and i'm involved in another. i think i'm doing pretty well as far as honoring my civic fuckin duties.

anyhoo. hah. that last statement is really funny because it couldn't be farther from how i really feel. i feel incredibly..... outraged, really, when i think of this story and others like it. stories showing the sheer ignorance of people (me included!).

anyhoo! back on track. you should watch the video. i was impressed that it included such up-to-date information on gvnt action (for a video, i mean). i don't really know enough about the issue to know how dramatized it was but i've done a bit of reading and i think it's safe to at least say that this may not be on par with global warming but shouldn't go ignored.

"Canada has been the first country in the world to conduct risk assessments on a number of chemicals of concern, as a result of a new initiative announced by the Prime Minister on December 8, 2006 known as the Chemicals Management Plan," said Minister Clement. "We have immediately taken action on bisphenol A, because we believe it is our responsibility to ensure families, Canadians and our environment are not exposed to a potentially harmful chemical."

CBC's story had a great ending:
What alternatives can I use?
Use glass, stainless steel or porcelain containers, especially for hot food or liquids.
For baby bottles, choose glass or look for hard plastic bottles without bisphenol A. They can be found at health food stores and some baby stores.
For preserved goods, opt for glass jars or canned goods that do not have liners containing BPA.

guess i have to focus on the plusses --- it's too beautiful out to be depressed!