The Straits Times today reprinted an LA Times story on the health effects of Bisphenol A (commonly used in plastic and paper) on human health (link to LA Times story: Scientists issue warning on chemical).

I have to admit I got a little depressed reading this one. The list of women’s illnesses most possibly caused by BPA reads like a family and personal history. I am wary of canned food and plastic anyway, but now this really takes the cake.

Salon.com has a longer story: Two words: Bad plastic
Scientists now fear a chemical used in baby bottles and CDs, food cans and dental sealants, can disrupt fetal development and even lead to obesity.

Can a person live without plastic? There was a time plastic was not so prevalent in our lives. Now it’s given so much trust and lauded for being so hygienic and convenient, I find it hard to communicate to people why I hate it and want to avoid it as much as possible. It’s hard keeping my mouth shut so I don’t look like cuckoo to my gynae. But right now, my resolve to eliminate plastic as much as possible from my life is renewed.

That said, I think I’m still going to have a hard time of it. It’s damned impossible to buy food or groceries without plastic in Singapore. Something about East Asian and Southeast Asian modern society loves plastic; everything is packaged in it! So many household good are made from it! We eat off of it! In fact, I think this blogger, Living Plastic Free in 2007, even for all the challenges she has faced, has it easy.

I must be careful not to get upset with my aversion to plastic, but it’s really tough when I can see its effects on human and environmental health. Perhaps the only thing I can be thankful for is that its adverse effect will mostly just affect those with the largest carbon footprint on the earth…? Depressing, indeed!