Slow Death By Rubber Duck

It hasn't taken me this long to read a book since I was a child. And, this is really a good thing! I majored in Creative Writing and English when I was in college, so getting through 32 novels in a semester was quite common. I learned how to speed read and still get what the book means. But, Slow Death By Rubber Duck was packed with soooo much important knowledge, I had to read it very slowly to catch everything. And it was written in very simple terms. You should see how many pages are folded with underlined material!!

Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie, 2 amazing Canadian environmentalists, got together and locked themselves in a room for 48 hours, intentionally exposing themselves to 7 toxic chemicals. They tested their blood and urine numerous times throughout the experiment to see how much of the chemicals their bodies had absorbed. They did limit exposure to these chemicals (as much as they could) weeks prior to the experiment, plus tested their levels beforehand. The scary part about the experiment is that every chemical they exposed themselves to are in products that we use every day. Some examples are: they sat in a room that had just been STAINMASTERED, drank coffee from a polycarbonate french press, ate white tuna from a can, washed their hands with antibacterial soap, ate food microwaved in Rubbermaid tupperware, used lotion, brushed their teeth, drank out of a Coke can, sat in a room with air fresheners, and ate pineapple from a can. The amounts of toxic chemicals that turned up in their bloodstream and urine is disgusting!!

Slow Death By Rubber Duck goes into major details about phthalates, PFC's (Teflon), PBDEs (flame retardants), mercury, triclosan, 2,4-D, and BPA. You will learn the history of the chemicals, what dangers they possess, hear scientists research, see the results from the 48 hour experiment, learn about things you should avoid, and so much more. I highly suggest giving this book to someone who doubts why you have made any life changes when it comes to chemical exposure. It will blow their minds!! I thought I knew it all before I read Slow Death By Rubber Duck, but I was extremely sick to my stomach after putting it down. I say this in a good way, because with knowledge comes power. And from all of this disturbing knowledge, I will be able to pass along a greater message.

After reading the history of these chemicals and how most were spawned from other dangerous chemicals, I now understand why they are in the things that they are. Greed has created powerful marketing giants and allowed fear and convenience to keep the consumer purchasing them. The sad thing is that none of these toxic chemicals are truly needed, yet billions of dollars are made each year because we still buy them. Why do we feel the need to smell good all of the time? Why do we need a toothbrush handle that is antibacterial? Is it that hard to cook slower on a cast iron than it is with non-stick pans? Can't we just use glass or steel instead of lining cans with BPA? I about lost it when I found out BPA lined the cans of Ella's formula and that food wrappers, pizza boxes, and popcorn bags are coated with PFC's. If you've ever wondered why your burger was so greasy but it didn't soak the wrapper, that's why.

Some people just don't want to know. I get it. But, these chemicals are affecting our children's children without us knowing it. If we want to live in a healthy world, then we have to take a stand. Thankfully, the Safe Chemicals Act 2010 was just introduced into congress this week, so maybe our voices will be heard. You can always do your part by Asking Congress to pass the act by clicking here. I was able to write 3 NC congress members in a pre-written letter in 2 minutes. It's that simple!

You can get Slow Death By Rubber Duck at Amazon for $16.50!