It was recently announced that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will begin regulating the 3rd largest polluter of mercury into the environment, the concrete manufacturers, by severely limiting the amount of mercury dispelled by their manufacturing plants. Environmental needs finally beat the industry lobbyist in Congress. Good signs for the environment.

The most astonishing part of the announcement is how they put a price tag on the estimated health benefits to the public and the environment. The EPA estimated that while the cost to comply to curb mercury emissions from concrete kilns may be pricey, the savings would represent around $6.7 to $18 billion in health and environmental benefits. The announcement is a positive one but it sheds light on a truth that may be lost on many of us. Governments and health agencies, much like insurance companies gauge risks and benefits, always have to calculate the costs between the risks to public health and the environment and over-regulating business and industry. In other words, if the price to eliminate toxins in our bodies and eco-system is more than the price to allow toxins in our bodies, the public’s health will always loose.

It’s a sad truth that we should all know. Another example is in Japan where the government has to battle with being honest with the true health risks of the power plant disaster which may send the public into a panic and gauging an acceptable amount of risk to public health. The brave workers who’ve battled to control the melt down mostly likely only have about a decade left to live but they are heros and their families will be taken care of. However, we never read about these risks in the news, so not to frighten the public. To a different extent we see the same occurring with organic produce and the risk of chemical fertilizers and pesticides found on conventional produce. The pesticides found on conventional produce won’t kill you in one fell swoop. It’s the build up of toxins in our bodies and the environment overtime that is deadly.

There’s always going to be an “acceptable” level of poisons in our environment that ruling bodies, state agencies and supreme authorities will accept. But it doesn’t mean you should accept them. Why is it that it takes someone to develop cancer before they begin drinking organic fruit and vegetable juices? Why is the human condition set so that it takes someone to hit rock-bottom before they decide to change for the better? We’re sure a psychologist can answer that question. Well if that’s the case, our planet is almost set to change for the better, because in the next few decades we’re on a path to hit rock bottom. The answer to sustainable happiness is out there. We’ve all known the right answer for years and its time we start following that path. What we are saying is, don’t accept what ruling bodies and government agencies decree as a ‘safe’ level of toxins in your food, home, schools and environment. Decide for yourself what is safe.

Or better yet, find out what that bare minimum health standard is and sail, soar and fly far above that standard as high as possible because the lowest common denominator of health standards is nothing but a calculated risk. It’s like playing rock, paper scissors with your life and those of your loved ones. Many of us out there in the world have decided to live with the health risks put out there by the fast food industry, tobacco industry, conventional farming industry as well as low cost, toxic manufactured goods from China, and decide to live with the consequences. And the consequences of those decisions is living in the world we now live in, a mediocre, subpar existence for most of us on the planet with lackluster creativity and health. We at Treeliving implore you not to choose the lowest common denominator of health, those minimal and acceptable toxic standards set by some agency designed to keep cancer rates and health levels at an acceptable standard.

You end up paying health care in one of 2 ways. You either pay the money up front to eat healthy, buy organic and spend that extra money to feel better now (which by the way the benefits are immediate) or you eat poorly, discover a health problem and pay thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in health care cost (which by the way, you feel sluggish and unhealthy until that point). So make the right decisions everyday for the health of your family and your loved ones. Thank you Don’t forget to play our facebook game “planting seeds” for a chance to win $2,500 plus another $2,500 that will be donated in your name to the charity of your choice. Pass those green ideas forward.

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