Last time we checked in with Ashley Judd, she was struggling with her ambivalence toward plastic battery-operated candles. It looks like she opted for the old-fashioned kind last night at her uncle’s birthday party, but Judd should know that candles release pollutants when they are burned:
Burning candles can be bad for the environment in a number of ways. The components of the candle are the primary source of environmental problems. Paraffin candles, for example, produce a number of byproducts when they are burned, including greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. Paraffin is also a petroleum product, making it a nonrenewable resource and adding to pollution through oil spills and other issues associated with the oil extraction process. Candles also produce soot, a particulate material which can be a lung irritant, and scented or treated varieties may release harmful chemical compounds when they are burned.
And that’s not all:
The wick is also an issue. Some candles are made with wicks that have additives like lead and zinc, which can release harmful gases when they are burned. While lead wicks are banned in some parts of the world, these bans are hard to enforce, and it is relatively easy to find them, unfortunately. You may also want to consider packaging; many candles, for example, are packaged in plastics that are thrown away, rather than paper or biodegradable wrapping.
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If you can believe it, it gets even worse:
Yes, that’s right. The tweet says “iOS,” meaning it was posted from a dreaded Apple device.
Planet Earth weeps.
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