by Umbra Fisk
Send your question to Umbra!
Q. Dear Umbra,
In
light of Lisa Hymas’ current
series on GINKing,
can you fill us in on the most eco-friendly forms of birth control currently
available?
Keeping
It Kid Free
Seattle
A. Dearest Kid
Free,
Indeed the “green inclinations, no kids” (GINK) posts have caused quite the stir. I’ve only dared to
poke the issue with a 10-foot pole a few times in the
past, but I think it’s a topic that deserves its place in the sun. I’ve also
broached the subject of contraception previously,
but it’s been several years and is totally worth another look.
Any form of birth control is greener than no birth control at all, as it aims
to prevent the addition of yet another human to our already overburdened planet
and its resources.
But let’s say that going permanent with a vasectomy or tubal ligation (truly green, GINK-approved, no more condom waste) is not yet a commitment you’re ready to make. Fair enough. No judgement here. I’d certainly hate to have to eat my words should a mini-Umbra pop into the picture down the road.
Also, I completely understand if you are abstaining from abstinence. The next best option, effectiveness-wise would be an IUD, which either contains copper or releases the hormone progestin, as do implants. Both IUDs and implants are quite small and last for years; however, I’d probably opt for the copper as the greenest choice, what with synthetic hormone production and all.
But not comfortable with the IUD? Birth control shots, rings, pills, and patches work just fine—they all release progestin or a combo of progestin and estrogen. Aside from the hormone issues, the plastic film over the plastic cover in the paper box, which contains a zillion-page booklet of all the awful things that can happen if you take the drug, seems like overkill packaging-wise for something you use every single month. Hey, birth control companies, can’t you just give each patient one little booklet for the duration of the prescription?
My second fav option behind the copper IUD in terms of eco-ness is a reusable barrier—a diaphragm or cervical cap. Both basically get in the way of the sperms’ journey to the egg and can last a couple of years. However, in terms of effectiveness, 15–25 pregnancies result each year out of 100 women with this method—the same as with male and female condoms. And speaking of old faithful, ah, the condom. Indeed they do produce
some waste, but in the grand scheme of things (i.e., possibly producing another
human being), I’d say it’s somewhat inconsequential. Especially given that
condoms, most of which are made of biodegradable latex (though chemical
additives can complicate the process), represent 0.001 percent of trash
American households produce annually. But whatever you do, don’t flush that
condom: In addition to wasting water, it’ll just end up as a sewage solid, and
the sewage staff will have to pick it out and put it in the trash themselves.
Vom.
And if you
feel slightly stifled by your BC options, take this stroll through the evolution
of birth control, and thank your lucky stars that we’re no longer bound
into chastity belts, having to blow up condoms before use, or using a
vagina-scalding gem called Lysol douche.
Ouchily,
Umbra
Q. Hello,
Umbra!
The
massive company I work for recently got Keurig machines. I noticed that the K-Cups are not recyclable and are made from
“other or #7 plastic” which is not healthy when heated.
Anything
in mind that can be done (e.g., posting about them on Grist!) other than me calling them and asking them to change it
(which I have four times now)?
Have
a good one!
Ron
M.
A. Dearest
Ron,
So annoyed myself with these little individual-cup-producing plastic
buckets of coffee, despite the fact that the company says it’s “researching alternatives
to the K-Cup portion pack’s petroleum-based materials.” Normally
I would consider this one of those small things not to sweat so much, but it’s so easily avoided. According to parent company Green Mountain Coffee Roasters’ website, more
than 2.7 million K-Cup portion packs were brewed every day in 2008 alone. That’s
a lot of unnecessary plastic whiling away the years (and years and years) in
the landfill—not to mention the petroleum that went into making them.
You
said you’ve called “them” four times and asked them to change it—who are you
calling? Your supervisor? HR? Maybe talk to your boss to make sure you’re
contacting the right people within the company first. Then get a posse
together. Several voices are much louder than just one—even if it’s heard four
times over. Start a petition or draft an email everyone can send to show the
peeps in charge that there are lots of employees that feel the same way you do.
And be sure to offer an alternative—like coffee grounds and a reusable filter
(actually, I see that K-Cups even has a reusable
filter option). It always chaps my hide when people say they disagree with
an idea but don’t offer up any sort of alternative.
Or
perhaps some guerilla-marketing-style, anti-single-serve-coffee posters near
the machines would do the trick. Additionally, I always find it helpful to
include cute pictures of puppies when
I want to get a point across. Best of luck to you!
Javaly,
Umbra
Q. Dear Umbra,
Some
years ago I read about a study that recommended a nontoxic way to sanitize
counters: two spray bottles—one with vinegar, one with peroxide. Spray till damp;
the order doesn’t matter. Let dry.
I
can’t find a reference for this. It seems like the USDA did the study.
Kathy
Salt
Lake City
A. Dearest
Kathy,
Good
memory—that was more than a decade ago! However, it wasn’t the USDA; it was
Susan Sumner, a food scientist at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University, who discovered vinegar and peroxide’s combined sanitizing power,
which she found would kill almost all Salmonella, Shigella, and E. coli
bacteria. And it’s not just for counters; you can use it to clean cutting
boards and vegetables too (just give the veggies a rinse with water after
spraying them).
Sumner in Science News Online in 1996: “If
the acetic acid got rid of 100 organisms, the hydrogen peroxide would get rid
of 10,000, and the two together would get rid of 100,000.”
All you
need is regular white vinegar and 3 percent hydrogen peroxide (the same stuff
you’d buy at the drugstore) in two separate spray bottles—don’t mix the two in
one container, as it can form a weak peracetic acid, which can be highly
corrosive. Spray one and then the other onto the surface; the order doesn’t
matter. And voila!
Bacteria-freely,
Umbra
Related Links:
Why even the childless should care about school lunch
A teacher openly crusades for better school food—and gets seared
We need birth control, not geoengineering