Environmental Psychology: Denial

This semester I am lucky enough to be the teaching assistant for Environmental Psychology, a class I would have wanted to take anyway, were I an undergrad. I plan to pass on some of the things I learn, because I think they are very valuable in understanding human behavior towards the environment.

One of the first topics we covered in class was defense mechanisms. Though many of Freud's theories are no longer accepted in modern psychology, his conception of defense mechanisms remains relevant and particularly useful in conceptualizing attitudes towards the environment. According to the theory of defense mechanisms, these are strategies that we all employ when we want to be able to simultaneously acknowledge reality while reducing our anxiety.

Not surprisingly, the most relevant defense mechanism to environmental issues is denial. Because our situation is so frightening, it's too troubling to acknowledge, so we deny that the problem even exists. Since the implications of the problems are so devastating, the strength of our denial tends to be quite powerful. And it makes sense; if all of this could somehow just not be true, I think we would all want to live in that world.

In thinking about denial, I realized that even though I believe in climate change and fully acknowledge the severity of our situation, I still like to enter denial-land sometimes. I think it happens in subtle ways; I start to let the comfort of denial distance me from the anxiety of thinking about the state of the environment. Maybe its just too anxiety-provoking to fully acknowledge it at all times and incorporate it into our perspectives in day to day life.

Another thing that makes denial easier is that most of the people around us seem to be in denial as well. If we really are on the brink of collapse, shouldn't all the people around us be in a state of panic? But they're not; they are walking around, going about their daily lives, and worrying not about environmental problems, but interpersonal problems. I think we take our cues from the people around us to interpret what we should and should not be afraid of, and if everyone seems to be fine, then everything is fine, right?

I think its difficult to know how to reconcile what we know about our planet's precarious state with our daily lives. We can all make small changes in our behavior or join a "green" organization, but none of it seems proportional to the size or urgency of the problem. I think if there were some concrete thing we could all do together to "fight" global warming, maybe get together and beat some styrofoam cups with a bat, we would all do it. And I think we would feel much more productive.

In a way, denial is a neat trick that we play for ourselves, to protect our egos or reduce our anxiety. But here's the thing about denial- denying something doesn't make it any less true. Climate change doesn't care if we believe in it or not. And living in a state of denial can be adaptive in the short-term for some problems, but in this situation, it could be our downfall.

DIY Cleaner Bonanza!

Welcome to the DIY cleaner bonanza where all your DIY cleaning dreams come true!

The following is an assortment of DIY cleaner recipes that I either found online or have gathered over the last few years. I’ll add comments under the ones I’ve tried before- others would be for more experimental use. I think the toughest areas for DIY cleaners to be on par with store-bought options are dishwashing and laundry. I think it’s still beneficial to make your own, but I think you may need a bit more trial and error and patience. If you make something that doesn’t quite cut it, don’t throw it out- try mixing equal parts home-made with store-bought. You’ll still save money and you may be able to perfect your recipe over time. Also- many of the ingredients are the same across recipes- this means that you may have more cost up front; but, luckily, you will be able to use the same ingredients to make many household cleaners. Over time you can save a LOT of money! And you get to feel empowered by doing it yourself! One last note- you really can’t go wrong with mixing together simple solutions such as baking soda and vinegar for cleaning most things, so don’t worry if you don’t have all the listed ingredients.

All purpose cleaning spray #1:

Makes 32 oz.

2 C water

½ C distilled white vinegar

1 teaspoon castile soap

¾ C hydrogen peroxide

20 drops tea tree oil

20 drops lavender or lemongrass essential oil

*I really like this recipe and have made it numerous times. I don’t worry about getting the proportions exactly right or if I’m missing one of the ingredients. You can always leave out the hydrogen peroxide and you would still have an effective cleaner.

All purpose cleaning spray #2:

½ C baking soda

1 C vinegar per gallon water

optional- dash of castile soap

drop or two of essential oils such as lavendar

*I like this one because its so simple and you’re likely to have all the ingredients already!

Laundry Detergent (http://diynatural.com/simple-easy-fast-effective-jabs-homemade-laundry-detergent/):

1 bar of shaved bar soap

1 C borax

1 C of washing soda

*Caveat: I haven’t tried this one yet. I have, however, been adding borax and baking soda to my laundry loads and then just using a little bit of detergent. Natural detergents can be really expensive so I’m trying to get the most mileage out of them. Relatedly, I read in the newspaper that most people add too much detergent to their laundry and they end up with clothes that still have detergent in them even once the cycle is over. If you have a front-load washer, you can see if you’re clothes are still soapy by running them through the wash without soap. If you see suds, you’re using too much detergent. I’m sure you could also do this with a regular machine by opening the lid mid-way through the cycle to take a peek.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner #1 (http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/homemade-natural-toilet-cleaner.html):

2 T baking soda

1 T olive oil

1 teaspoon of lemon or other scent

Toilet Bowl Cleaner #2 (http://www.marthastewart.com/goodthings/diy-toilet-bowl-cleaner):

Let ½ C vinegar sit in toilet for a few minutes (or ½ hr for hard water), brush and flush

Add ½ C borax to remove stains, let sit overnight if needed

Toilet Bowl Cleaner #3 (http://www.bukisa.com/articles/158363_how-to-make-toilet-bowl-cleaner):

2 C water

2 C white vinegar

1 C hydrogen peroxide (sold at Walgreens in first aid aisle)

2 ½ C baking soda

optional: 20-30 drops naturally antiseptic oil such as lemon, lavender, orange or grapefruit

Mix everything together besides the baking soda. When ready to use, add ½ to ¾ C of the solution first and let sit for a few minutes. Use toilet brush to scrub, the add ½ C of baking soda (be sure to sprinkle on parts not covered by water).

*I haven’t tried any of the toilet bowl cleaners yet but I’m weirdly excited to try them.

Dishwasher detergent (http://diynatural.com/simple-effective-jabs-homemade-dishwasher-detergent-rinse-agent/):

½ C borax

½ C washing soda

¼ C citric acid (can be bought online or at a specialty beer store. If unavailable can use 10-15 unsweetened lemon Kool-aid packs instead but don’t use any other flavor)

¼ C kosher salt

mix together. When ready to use add white vinegar to rinse compartment. Add 1 T of the detergent mix per load

*I tried a similar recipe (minus the salt, I believe) and had to mix with regular detergent to get the job done. Hopefully the salt is the key ingredient!

Shower cleaner:

I just tried this today after getting a tip from my friend: sprinkle borax on the floor of your shower and scrub with a sponge or brush. Most effective when dry or it’ll just dissolve. This works wonders for getting rid of soap scum. I would recommend wearing gloves, though; borax is less toxic than other cleaners, but it can still irritate your skin and eyes.

See this webpage for many more DIY cleaning recipes (including natural air freshener!): http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm

*They include information on the cleaning properties of many natural ingredients.

*The air freshener ideas are great (did you know that commercial air fresheners coat your nasal passages to reduce sense of smell??). I find the idea of simmering water with cinnamon and other spices on the stove particularly appealing, especially this time of year! My friend was actually just telling me about this great natural present she received: spices such as cinnamon and cloves combined with an orange in a jar with instructions to heat in water for a great home fragance! What a great DIY gift idea!

Happy cleaning!

Soap Sachets

Last night my friend gave me a deliciously fragrant soap sachet made by the Zum soap company. If you’re not familiar with Zum, they make wonderful natural soap from goat’s milk. They use pure essential oils and offer a variety of amazing scents. I couldn’t stop smelling it and wanted to buy more. Unfortunately they were sold out at Whole Foods, but the nice sales lady showed me how to make my own. It was really easy and fun and made an equally delicious-smelling sachet. These are nice because you can make a small size and decorate as you want. They would also make great gifts.

I just bought three Zum bars, picking Cinnamon, Lavender-Mint and Eucalyptus as my scents. Then, per the sales lady’s instructions, bought these cloth tea bags to use as the sachet pouch.

Using a carrot-peeler, I peeled little curls off the soaps, mixing the different kinds together.

Then you just fill the bags with the peels and you’re done!

To add some flair, you can sew on buttons or add a ribbon.

Soap!

I wanted to do a post about soap because I've been wondering lately what the difference is between an old-fashioned basic bar of soap and antibacterial soaps or gels. This is especially relevant since we're entering cold/flu season and everyone seems to be increasingly germaphobiac. I kind of toe the line on this issue: I don't consider myself to be particularly afraid of germs and usually try to avoid hand sanitizer because I believe that being exposed to some germs is beneficial for immunity. Plus, I've always thought that soap and water do the trick just fine. However, there are definitely times when I'm grateful for hand sanitizer because it is convenient and at least gives me the feeling that my hands are cleaner (think outhouse usage).

I did a little light (ok very light) research on the topic and here is the gist of what I found. Soap works by doing two things: decreasing the water's surface tension and binding to bacteria, dirt, and oil. Parts of water are water-loving and others are water-phobic. The water-phobic parts (the fatty acids) can bind to other water-phobic agents such as molecules of dirt or bacteria. Then they become encapsulated in a water molecule and so are washed off. So soap does eliminate bacteria from the skin; it just helps by washing it off versus killing it off as with anti-bacterial agents.

Some points to consider are that most antibacterial agents need to be left on the skin's surface for two minutes in order to actually kill of the bacteria. Some bacteria are beneficial- such as those that eat our sweat! It's possible that over time, bacteria could develop into more resistant strains as a result of antibacterial use. Both the Center for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration have said that antibacterial agents are not superior to regular soap and that there may even be harmful effects to using antibacterial products. In fact, one website I perused mentioned that most common diseases are viral and so not prevented by antibacterial agents anyway.

You may be wondering what the difference is to bacteria whether they are washed off or eliminated using antibacterial agents in terms of resistant strains of bacteria developing. I think the idea is that antibacterial agents such as triclosan could accumulate in the environment through the water supply and enter the soil. As they are more prevalent, strains of bacteria that are resistant will have a survival advantage. I wonder if it also matters that bacteria that are washed off could still live on and thus maybe preclude the development of more resistant bacteria.

I think there are situations in which alcohol-based antibacterial agents would be beneficial such as in hospitals or in situations where washing with soap and water isn't possible. But I think that I will try to limit my antibacterial use. I prefer to wash my hands with plain ole bar soap and water. I find that it's not as drying to my hands and I like that it doesn't require any packaging. And when using natural soap without fragrances or added antibacterial agents, you don't have to worry about adding these ingredients into the water supply. Another point is that I seem to remember when antibacterial hand gels came on the market back in grade school. This was the era of going to Bath and Body Works every weekend to buy scented lotion and body wash. It seemed to me that over night antibacterial hand gels were everywhere. However, I'm guessing we were all just fine before that- I don't know about you, but I usually get a few colds per year regardless of whether I use hand sanitizer or not. Sometimes there's nothing better than a pure natural bar of soap.

How to unclog drains without toxic chemicals

Trying to unclog drains without resorting to Drano or another heavy-duty product can be really tricky. Clogged drains by nature are stubborn to more natural gentle techniques.

What's wrong with good old-fashioned Drano, you ask? My simple response to this question is, do you really want to pour a product that is strong enough to melt your hair away into the water system or risk getting some on yourself? I still have an unused bottle of Drano from before I knew of better methods. The bottle warns, "Keep out of reach of children, harmful if swallowed. May burn eyes, skin, and mucous membranes on contact." The warning label also mentions that if it is mixed with other cleaning products it could "release hazardous gases or cause violent eruption from drain." Yikes. Interestingly, the bottle does not seem to include a full ingredient list. It mentions that it contains sodium hydroxide and sodium hypochlorite. A few highlights from Wikipedia on these substances:

* "Sodium hypochlorite is a strong oxidizer. Oxidation reactions are corrosive, solutions burn skins and cause eye damage, particularly when used in concentrated forms."

*Solutions containing more than 40% sodium hypochlorite are considered hazardous by the NFPA (NFPA 430, 2000).

*"Chlorination of drinking water can oxidize organic contaminants producing trihalomethanes, which are carcinogenic."

*The slippery feel of bleach on your skin is due to caustic irritation or burns due to "defatting and saponification of skin oils and destruction of tissue."

*"Mixing bleach with other household cleaners can be hazardous."

*"It is estimated that there are about 3300 accidents needing hospital treatment caused by sodium hypochlorite solutions each year in British homes" (RoSPA, 2002).

*A recent European study indicated the sodium hypochlorite could react to generate chlorinated volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are emitted during cleaning and are toxic and probably human carcinogens. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_hypochlorite)

Now that you know to avoid Drano and similar products at all costs, how can you unclog drains in a safe way? There are some natural methods that I've read about online and tried. One method calls for pouring 3/4 cup baking soda down the drain followed by 1/2 cup of vinegar. Then you plug the drain with a rag or something to keep the erupting concoction in the drain, wait 30 minutes, then pour boiling water slowly down after it. I didn't have much success with this technique even after trying it about three times in a row. I'm guessing that with big clogs, this won't be effective. However, I do think that it would be a good thing to do on a regular basis to keep stubborn clogs from forming.

If it's too late for that, though, and the stubborn clog is already upon you, I recommend using a wire hanger technique. This takes a little time and muscle but it really is satisfying to yank the clog right out of the drain. All you have to do is untwist a wire hanger. You probably need a pliers or some such tool to do this. Then form the end of into a little hook. Some drains have a stopper that you can unscrew- see if yours does, otherwise you'll have to snake the wire down around it. Once you've got the wire in the drain, twist it around and pull it up periodically to see what treasures you find. I know this is probably really gross to most people, but I found it strangely satisfying to pull a giant ball of rotting hair out of my drain. I just stared at it with wonderment and repulsion for a few minutes. I didn't have the where-with-all to take a picture so the following photos come from a more recent unclogging experience and don't even come close to the atrocities I pulled out of the drain at my old apartment. However, they should give you the idea.

Sorry- I know that's really gross but I think it's good to have an understanding of what really is down in your drain- it's just your hair! It's not some strange scary thing mysteriously clogging your drain that you need to combat with chemicals strong enough to melt your face off! You can just pull out the hair-clog yourself! Another thing to keep in mind is the use of hair-catchers over your drains, especially in the shower, to avoid clogs from ever forming. By the way, this technique is very similar to that "drain snake" product you may have seen advertised on TV (should have patented this idea I guess), but why waste your money on that when you can make your own!

Paint

Sorry for the delay in posting! I just moved and I haven’t had internet access for a few weeks! In the spirit of issues related to moving, I wanted to talk about paint. One of the things I wanted for my new place was to paint a few rooms so that the whole apartment wouldn't be white. I had heard that paint contains something called VOCs that are harmful but I didn't know much more than that. I found the Environmental Protection Agency's website quite helpful for learning more about VOCs (http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html). Here are some of the highlights:

*VOCs= Volatile organic compounds which are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. This can include a variety of chemicals which may have adverse health effects.

*Concentrations of VOCs are higher indoors (one study estimates that levels are 2 to 5 times higher indoors than out!) and levels can be 1,000 times those outdoors during certain activities such as paint stripping.

*Examples of products that emit VOCs (just a few as there are thousands!): paints and lacquers, paint strippers, cleaning supplies, pesticies, building materials and furnishings, office equipment, and on and on.

*Symptoms of exposure: eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, loss of coordination, nausea, damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system.

*What evidence is there that VOCs are harmful? Some organic chemicals are known to be highly toxic while others have no known health effects. The EPA points out that toxicity depends on level and length of exposure and that at this point little is known about what health effects results from the levels of VOCs usually found in homes. However, many organic compounds cause cancer in animals and some are suspected, or known, to cause cancer in humans (gulp).

*How to reduce exposure: always use lots of ventilation when dealing with any of the products mentioned or any you think might be harmful (it's usually not hard to tell- most have an unpleasant odor!). If you think something in your house such as paneling contains formaldehyde, the EPA recommends removing the source. The EPA also mentions that cans of unfinished products can still emit harmful compounds (inconvenient but true), so they recommend trying to only buy quantities you will use-up or removing what's left over. Most of these types of products (or all) cannot be thrown away in the typical fashion- you will have to contact your local government or organization in your community that collects toxic household wastes. I would also add buying plants that are known to reduc household toxins to this list. Also, buy paints with low or no VOCs.

*Two compounds to avoid: methylene chloride and benzene. Methylene chloride is know to cause cancer in animals. This compound is found in products such as paint strippers, adhesive removers, and aerosol spray paints. It is converted to carbon monoxide in the body and can cause symptoms similar to carbon monoxide exposure. Benzene is a known human carcinogen. Main sources are tobacco smoke, stored fuels and paint supplies (EPA doesn't specify what this includes), and automobile emissions in attached garages.

*When dealing with paint, VOCs are found both in the base and the colorant, so even if a base is low or no VOC, adding color can raise the VOCs a lot. Another important distinction is emission versus VOC content. A paint can be low VOC and still emit VOCs; this is why it is important to measure emissions. GreenGuard, a company that says it is an industry-independent tester, certifies paint companies that meet its standards. You can look for this certification when shopping for paint.

Well, that was certainly enough to scare me. Wanting to avoid VOC's or at least use low VOC paint, I headed to Home Depot to check out the selection. There were two brands at Home Depot that I found that were either no VOC or low VOC: FreshAire (no VOC) and Martha Stewart (low VOC).

The Freshaire brand seems to be the real deal. They provide more information in their brochure and state that there are no VOCs in the paint or the colorant. They also say that the paint does not have a chemical odor and they are certified by GreenGuard. Finally, the packaging (including the can), brochures, and samples are all recyclable and printed with soy ink. My landlord did the painting for me so I can’t attest to whether or not the paint smelled but I’m pretty happy with the result:

I used a Martha Stewart color in the living room:

If you are interested in looking for no VOC paint, this website lists a whole bunch of brands to look for: http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_paints.htm

If you’re wondering how performance of VOC paint compares to no VOC, you can read these consumer reports articles:
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/home/2008/04/vocs-in-paint.html

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/march-2009/home-garden/interior-paints/overview/interior-paints-ov.htm

Unfortunately you can’t see their actual results unless you subscribe but I still found the articles helpful. They suggest that lower VOCs can mean lower quality or different performance so that may be something to keep in mind.

DIY Sachets

Do you ever feel like Trader Joe’s can read your mind? I feel like they always have just what I want (and a few other things I didn’t even know I wanted!). Case in point: I have been wanting to make my own sachets with dried lavender and so of course when I walk into Trader Joe’s last night there is a basket with bunches of dried lavender and a little notecard that read “Make your own sachets.” So nice to have a grocery store that can grant your every wish!

I just love the smell of lavender- it always makes me feel more relaxed.
Anyway, here’s what I did to make really simple sachets (fragrant things that go in clothes drawers that I don’t know how to pronounce):
1. Pull the lavender of the branches. I cut off the branches one-by-one and collected the lavender buds in a container.

2. Cut squares out of old fabric. Be sure to use a breathable fabric such as cotton. You can even use things such as old pajama bottoms that have perhaps ripped down the backside (I wouldn’t know anything about that).

The cutting doesn’t have to be straight because you’re just going to gather into a pouch.

3. Place a bit of lavender on each square.

4. Gather into a pouch and tie a ribbon or piece of yarn around the top. You can twist the fabric a bit to make sure the lavender stays inside. And you’re done!

I made a few smaller ones first and then increased the size a bit.

These would make great presents and you can add a little sprig of lavender in the bow if you’re giving as a gift:

Another variation, if you have more time, would be to sew the squares shut. Or, you could add other dried herbs – I want to try rosemary or mint. You can also make an eye pillow with the left-over dried lavender by combining it with rice or wheat berries for some weight. I have a homemade eye pillow that my sister gave me for christmas one year that I use every night. It still smells like lavender, and the scent, combined with the weight on my eyes, always helps me relax and fall asleep.
If you have left over lavender sprigs, display them in a vase: