Although I abstained from pork for five years, I admit that I do love bacon, especially burned.  I recently had a colleague ask why I liked my bacon burned.

“To burn all of the gristle and fat off and give it crunch,” I replied. 

“They say that the charred part of the bacon can cause cancer,” he informed me.

“Well, I guess I’m ahead of that curve,” I responded.  “I’ve already had cancer.”

After all, almost everything I’ve ingested or come in contact may have carcinogen causing properties.  Inhaling New York City exhaust – check.  Cooking my food in a Teflon pan – check.  Drinking out of BPA plastic water bottles – check.  Eating fruit preserved in pesticides – check.    I try my best to educate myself of the effects of environmental and household toxins and rectify my actions.  But, what about all the products or environments that we do not know yet have cancer causing properties – cell phones, makeup or swimming in the community pool?  (The European Union has already banned various cosmetic for carcinogen causing properties.)

Or what about the levels of toxins available in each product and how we absorb it?  It’s clearly wrong to take a shower in DDT, but what about eating a few strawberries laced with tasteless and odorless pesticide?  It’s clearly wrong to drink out of BPA plastic water bottles, but what is the quality of the water contained within a BPA-free bottle? (Check out the documentaries Blue Gold and Tapped for the answer to that one.)  It’s clearly wrong for a bus’ exhaust to be coughed in your face, but what is the quality of the air that you breathe anywhere?

It’s easy to say that we should be more knowledgeable about the products that we use and eat and the environment that surrounds us.  The majority of the answers are only an internet click away.  Some days I can get lost in all of the PC do-gooding, but I remind myself, “Just do your best.”  I invest in domestic plants that improve the quality of air inside my apartment (rubber plants, certain ferns and ivy) and bring a BPA free bottle with a built-in filter most places I go.  I use natural mineral makeup, clean with essential oils and try to buy organic, although I struggle with that debate and the regulations in place.  And, today I brought my drink container (cleaned, of course) back to my favorite chain store for tea and they refilled it for free because they’ve never had anyone bring a cup back before!  I’ve always been a bit of an environmentalist, so it’s an added bonus that I am slowly purging my life of cancer causing products and environments.  After all, I can have my bacon and eat it too.

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