Clean The Environment or Clean the Dishes

This article can be found at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/science/earth/19clean.html?ref=science

    Change is hard. Especially when it doesn’t work out in your favor. This article explores a big issue that everyone in America, and everyone in the world really, is fighting: changing to a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.
    The story is primarily about dishwasher detergents becoming less effective ever since the nationwide reform to reduce the amount of phosphates in detergent products. Phosphates turns out to be the critical ingredient in detergent, and so consumers have reported drastic reductions in cleanliness. In an effort to prevent phosphates from ending up in local water supplies, the new environmentally friendly cleaning products actually end up not working as well. So it brings up the question: How much should we sacrifice for the environment?
    This is a big one: “From hybrid cars to solar panels, environmentally friendly alternatives can cost more. They can be less convenient, like toting cloth sacks or canteens rather than plastic bags or bottled water. And they can prove less effective.” An interesting notion the author, Mireya Navarro, brings up is how lifestyle changes in the name of the environment “can run up against longtime habits and even cultural concepts.” I think we can all relate to this, and as such, I believe this is an extremely relevant and interesting article. It is also well-written, not too biased, honoring the words of consumers and professionals, as well as providing plenty of pertinent information on phosphorous pollution and the cleaning product industry today.