Do you have “green” insurance?

iStock image

Homeowners insurance – check

Car insurance – check

Green Insurance – excuse me, say what, hello?

If you’re at all confused let me explain. The other night on CNN’s Toxic America, Dr. Sanjay Gupta ask some hard and point-blank questions to some “certain” individuals. One of these “certain” women pointed her accusing finger at greenies – suggesting that we are paranoid, over-the-top and unable to prioritize “real” concerns when it comes to our children’s health and safety.

I have to say, I was pretty impressed with the good ‘ole doc for staying calm and composed under what seemed to be a clear denial that chemicals pose any danger. WHAT? It is a good thing I have been practicing my breathing techniques because I could hardly believe that “this woman” could sit in front of America and deny health concerns in using products with toxins that are slowly killing us.

So here’s where it gets really good. She actually states that “we” paranoid folks need to better prioritize our safety concerns by focusing on real dangers like making sure our kids are wearing bike helmets, installing smoke detectors and buckling our kids up in the car. I do not believe that just because we are choosing organic non-toxic products for our families, that we are saying it’s okay for our kids to climb over seats in vehicles driving down the highway without a safety belt or giving them matches to experiment with. Sheeesh.

So why then are we portrayed as alarmists? There is no PROOF that chemicals will cause cancer or other health problems? Hmmm….

I guess that leads me then to wonder why any of us pay outrageous amounts of money towards health insurance policies? According to this woman’s theory, wouldn’t health insurance be a form of paranoia? There is no PROOF that we might get sick or hurt and need health insurance, right?

Wrong-O grumpy little teddy bear lady on CNN…this is not how we protect ourselves. It is not fear mongering to buy into the idea of health insurance….just as it is not fear mongering to refuse chemcial based products that MIGHT cause harm. If we can avoid them, why would we not? This to me is called, green insurance.

Green insurance is a policy that I am not willing to overlook. It’s a policy that I am willing to invest in to protect my children and my family – as I think many of us eco-parents want to do. It is not about PROOF or PRIORITIES dear friend, it is about PROTECTING. The facts are that we do NOT know what harm some of these chemicals might cause in the long-term.

So as for my family?

• We will continue to do our best with the knowledge we have!
• We will continue to wear our bike helmets…just in case.
• We will buckle up in our vehicles…just in case.
• We will check the batteries in our smoke detectors…just in case.

And guess what?

We will consciously choose non-toxic, chemical-free products that are made without risky ingredients such as mineral oil, petroleum, phthalates, BPA and preservatives from companies who use sustainable practices that benefit our planet and our bodies…

Why?

…just in case.

For more info on this special 2-part series – http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2010/toxic.america/

Lynn

Lynn Stone is the founder of the go-to green living blog for parents, SmilingGreenMom.com. Lynn’s goal is to help others “be the best green they can be” through her affordable tips and encouraging posts. A contributing writer for multiple blogs and websites, Lynn enjoys cooking, garage sale shopping, traveling, relaxing with her family and dreams of owning an eco-friendly log cabin one day! As a former competitive swimmer, she values wellness and living an active lifestyle and hopes to one day participate in a triathlon. Follow her on Twitter, @SmilingGreenMom and Facebook.