Editor's Note: The following was submitted by Sharon resident and parent Judy Heap. 

As a parent, I have tried to learn about creating a healthy environment in my home. I use an air-popper instead of the more convenient microwave popcorn. I used low-VOC paint in my son’s room and green cleaning products. I don’t use k-cups due to the environmental impact. I have a small organic garden, and got more organic vegetables from the moose hill CSA all summer. I pack my son’s lunch in small stainless steel containers, avoiding plastics, disposable containers and juice boxes. I have signed petitions to label GMOs and donated to environmental causes.

I wrote to the school committee on Aug. 15, 2012 proposing a ban on staff and student use of perfume. This is a personal issue for me, due to my own allergy and my son’s suspected allergy. It is also a general health issue, given the high number of carcinogenic and hormone-disrupting chemicals in perfume. I was recently informed that the ban did not pass. I have also noticed a lot of little flags on lawns, denoting pesticide use in our “naturally beautiful” town.

When I was in high school in the mid-1980s, I gave a speech on the dangers of second hand smoke. By 2004, smoking was banned in nearly all public indoor spaces in Massachusetts. I was not involved in that movement, but I applaud it. Like smoking bans, perhaps “green” causes will seems like common sense one day.  

I have seen the teal ribbons for ovarian cancer, pink everything for breast cancer, and puzzle pieces for Autism. Perhaps we should raise awareness of health, and not diseases. Websites such as www.mnn.com andwww.ewg.org have a wealth of information.

I urge everyone to re-think the choices you make in your home, and ask your school and workplace to do the same.