On the Bonobo Challenge, we talk a lot about things you can do to help the environment - like turning off lights, recycling and riding your bike to school - but there is another way too! It is so important that all of the products we use in and around our homes are non-toxic, organic, bio-degradable and safe for the environment. So I went searching for a ‘safe for the environment genius’ to give us the low-down, and I was so lucky to find Debra Lynn Dadd.

Hailed as “The Queen of Green” by the New York Times, Debra Lynn Dadd has been a pioneering consumer advocate (which means she tells people helpful information about the products they are buying) since 1982, specializing in products and lifestyle choices that are safer for human health, animals and the environment. She is the author of Home Safe Home which was the first book of its kind and reveals the hazards of common household products and their healthy alternatives. This book is such a powerful resource that it has been in print since 1984!

We were thrilled when Debra wanted to do an interview with us…here is part 1:

Bonobo Kids: Debra you have so much information on the web! Which of your sites do you think the Bonobo Kids would find most useful?
Debra Lynn Dadd: I think that everyone working to save the environment should visit, use and share Debra’s List and the Green Living Q&A blog. Debra’s List gives extensive lists on natural alternatives for everything! Some examples are cleaning products, body care (like lotion or sunscreen), toys, candles and house paint. And when you go to the Q&A blog you can search old questions and answers or ask me and my readers a new question. My readers are the best and they know so much! We always answer as many questions as possible!

BK: How did you get into the world of finding non-toxic items for your home?
DLD: About 27 years ago, I became very sick and didn’t know why. My symptoms were incredibly random. Eventually, I found out that I had something called MCS, or Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, and I was becoming totally disabled. The common treatment for MCS at that time was to give the sick person small amounts of the toxic chemicals that were making them sick.

BK: That seems completely backwards! Why would you want more of what was making you sick!?!
DLD: Exactly! I knew intuitively that ingesting the chemicals was making me feel worse. So, what I did instead was I learned where the toxins were and I removed them all from my life as best I could - starting with my home. There were no resources at the time, so I had to do the research myself. The result was my first book, Home Safe Home. I think it’s lasted for so long because it was the premier book on how to make your home toxic safe.

BK: Can you tell us how the work you do within the home connects to the environment?
DLD: I had this big realization: I can make my home as safe as I want to, but the environment is so polluted! It occurred to me one morning that the environment is supporting my existence, I can’t be alive without the air and rain and other species which means that I’m not separate from the environment, we are all one system, we are all connected. So, if I want to live and be healthy, there has to be an environment to support this. We all have to understand that we live with this truth, and we have to cooperate to make it work. When you start at home, you make a difference - starting with yourself is the place to begin. But, then, you have to continue the work out in the world.

Coming next, Part 2: How Debra Lynn Dadd is saving the environment!!! She is very courageous - just wait until you hear what she’s doing!

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