Health Beauty & FitnessHealth, Beauty, Fitness Tips

Sometimes our budgets won’t stretch to slapping solar panels on our homes or installing wood pellet boilers. Or maybe you live in rented accommodation and do not have control over the heating and plumbing.

Yet there is one thing that everyone wears and everyone can buy. It will be a kindness to the earth and a kindness to the people who harvest the raw material.

We all wear knickers. Or as they might be more politely termed ‘pants’. Or in Victorian euphemisms ‘under clothing.’

Cotton is the most heavily sprayed and chemically treated crop in the world. For many of the workers who plant, tend and harvest this crop there is no special training on the dangers of handling toxic chemicals. For many developing world countries workers do not have unions who ensure that workers get protective clothing and masks so that they do not breath in the fumes from pesticides and herbicides.

In the 1960s DDT was used routinely in the seaside resort where we visited my aunt.

This was to kill mosquitoes, the scourge of the Eastern Seaboard in summer. Not good for tourism. Despite Rachel Carson’s warning about the damage to ecology from DDT in her book Silent Spring, it took well over twenty years before it was banned in the USA.

It was promptly exported to countries without a ban. In the 1970s my partner saw a dog die in agony in India; his owner thought he was helping the dog get rid of the fleas. There were no warnings about how to handle this chemical.

Statistics vary widely on the ill effects suffered by cotton workers in the ‘third world.’ Some estimate that there are 20,000 deaths caused by accidents to do with agricultural cotton growing.

Chronic illness is less easy to track in rural areas. Moreover, you have to have the will and the cash to pay someone to do a long term study. This may, or may not be forthcoming.

So I won’t argue the length or breadth or magnitude of the bad news for a cotton worker who has experienced the bad end of a chemical spill. It’s bad news for that person in one way or other. It’s bad news for their family if they become ill and cannot work and therefore, cannot support their family.

One action that everyone can do to help the environment and create a less polluted planet is to insist that every single piece of underclothing we buy – socks, t-shirts and knickers – be made from organically grown cotton, hemp, silk, bamboo or wool.

If capitalism and market forces rule the world then we need to convince the money powers that organic cotton is the only acceptable fabric to put next to our skin.

Like so many businesses, PetCareRx has initiated a Facebook conversation with people all over the country. For more than a decade, this licensed pharmacy has provided EPA- and FDA-approved medications at great prices. Anyone can ask questions of the experienced staff and receive guidance about great products and possible pet care treatments. As others ask questions and receive responses, every pet owner can read the comments and learn more about caring for their own four-footed friends. Whether the need is for medication, pet food, accessories or supplies, excellent prices are offered and orders are shipped quickly. Entries are made on the Facebook page to communicate the following:

• Company history – Some important information about the mission and awards provided to PetCareRx has been included on the “Info” section.

As a respected provider of pet supplies and medications, the longevity of the company speaks for itself.

• Product reminders – Twice each month, another product is highlighted on the “Wall” of the Facebook page. Seasonal products must be used at the appropriate time to address fleas, ticks and heartworms. Every effort is made to remind customers to order medications at the best time of year.

• Answers to questions – Potential customers can learn a great deal from current customers who ask questions on the Facebook page. This interactive approach allows the customer service representatives to answer the same question for multiple people.

Issues that arise should be addressed directly through the company website.

• Topical discussions – Customers have the opportunity to post a comment and ask other people for input. Anyone can initiate a discussion, which enhances the interactive conversation and provides input for the company to make improvements.

• Special savings – Some of the great savings opportunities are posted on Facebook to notify existing customers. Helping customers to save money is one of the missions of the company, and the Facebook page is another great way to keep a lot of people informed.

Online conversations bring companies closer to the people they are trying to serve. Open comments that are read over and over will provide valuable information to customers and the employees. Decisions can be made based on the chatter about a given product or service. Consistent updates are made to the page to remind customers to take advantage of every sale and order products ahead of the time they are needed. When customers post their successful pet care stories, other people are allowed to benefit from their experience.