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March 22, 2014

Toxic Sex & Toxic Spills.

toxic sex

Many of us have experienced toxic sex. But this may surprise you.

If you happen to use lube in the bedroom (if you know what I mean), you might want to use your bedroom eyes to read the label before getting busy.

Why? Because most intimate-use products—especially personal lubes—contain toxins like parabens, sodium benzoate, glycerin, petrochemicals and even propylene glycol—a common ingredient in brake fluid! Not the kind of fluids one would expect to find in an intimate moment. And who wants toxic sex? Not me.

Speaking of fluids . . .

Duke Energy was just caught pumping wastewater from two toxic coal ash lagoons into a canal that drains into Cape Fear River, thanks to aerial surveillance photos released by WaterKeeper Alliance. The river feeds drinking water sources downstream. Duke not only admits to the pumping, they say it was part of routine maintenance allowable by permit and they’ve been doing it since the fall of 2013! What? Back in February, they spilled tens of thousands of tons of coal ash (a toxic pollutant) into North Carolina’s Dan River—the third largest spill of its kind in U.S. history.

Do not despair—there’s some encouraging news. The increased competition for water between different industries is forcing oil and gas drillers to invest in on site water treatment. That means treating wastewater and re-using it instead of irresponsible dumping plus potentially putting less of a drain on this precious resource. With the big oil’s deep pockets, it’s the perfect storm for testing water treatment technologies that would otherwise evaporate due a lack of funding.

Listen to this Green Divas myEARTH360 Report for more.

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Editor: Bryonie Wise

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