*promo sm* 😉

Dear Amanda: This is the most frustrating video I have witnessed in a very long time. Your first suggestion: change your habits. OK. Reasonable premise. WHAT HABITS? Do I buy sponges or no? Do I use only organic dish soap - if so, how do I know which ones are legit? Do I clean more or less often? Does this have to do with sanitation, the products I choose or the types of meals I cook. NOTHING in the video and no links and no hints and no other videos in your entire body of work that address the issues. Second suggestion: use healthier products and healthier items. Yeah - like what?! I have no idea what you're talking about and no context. Obviously, changing my habits does NOT include healthier products and items, so what the hell habits am I supposed to change? What eco-friendly non-toxic products should I use and how do I know a legit product from a "greenwashed" product. Yay, halfway through the video, I finally figured out that you recommend sustainable stone countertops. Concrete is a nightmare to maintain. It is dirty and impossible to clean no matter what you do and no, it's not "patina" it's just horrible ineradicable stains from EVERYTHING. Concrete stains arise water, food (even milk when properly and promptly wiped up leaves a stain), heat (yes, concrete scorches and gets burn marks), to simple dish soap; not just coffee and fruits. I would never allow in my kitchen having been cursed with it before. WORSE concrete is the most earth-toxic material in the entire arsenal of toxic building materials, far exceeding the carbon footprint and ecological cost of formaldehyde foams and toxic resins! As an experienced teacher, I can assure you that you should NEVER bring something up that you don't explain. If you didn't touch on changing habits you wouldn't need to explain it. OR if you mention habits, give an example and then direct the viewer to a resource that answers the question in detail. You do neither. You should also provide context for every single fact or suggestion. You ASSUME that everyone has the same definition of "non-toxic" and green and knows precisely what you're talking about without any definition of terms. Well, I'm lost. I don't know. Finally, I flatly refuse to use a material as damaging to the planet as concrete, and yet, mysteriously you never mention porcelain countertops or any of the other recycled materials (other than glass). You also don't cover recycled stainless steel countertops. Why not? I am designing a sustainable net-zero home. Specifically, I aim to create a house that is not toxic to people or the planet. I have found the BioDynamic Institute, but I'm going to have to wait until I'm back in the states to take any of the courses. Ditto buying books on the subject, which are also not available here. I was truly hoping your channel would fill the gap. Sadly, you are starting in the wrong place for me. I have no context, no definitions, no background. You ASSUME that I know and agree with your definition of non-toxic when, obviously, I don't (see my rant above about concrete countertops). You assume that I understand what habits you're talking about, but I am utterly clueless. You assume that I know how to suss out "non-toxic" products, but I don't. I need to find another way into the subject. 'Cause I'm not 'getting' it.