There are lots of interesting comments so far. Good times!
I agree that there is an unfortunate lack of consensus out there about toxicity and that it is a very broad topic. It certainly does seem like some toxicity is inevitable in our world, but what I've noticed over the years is that what we consider--or know--to be toxic has changed and is still changing. For instance, there has been a stir as of late over the dangers of Bisphenol A, a chemical found in some plastic bottles (actually, there had been a stir in some circles over this for years prior to the recent boon of attention it has been given). Here's an article that just came out recently about Bisphenol A's presence in canned goods:
globeandmail.com: The hidden chemical in cans
What I find interesting is that there is a community, I guess you could call it, that has been vocal about the dangers of environmental toxins such as BPA for years. Some common (albeit somewhat oversimplified) culprits off the top of my head are:
Teflon (esp. when heated at very high temperatures), cleaning products, synthetic carpeting, detergents, sodium lauryl and laureth sulfate (a chemical found in most soaps and shampoos to produce better lather), food preservatives, DEET (chemical in mosquito-repellant)
So I'm wondering which, if any, of the above will end up like BPA. I tend to agree with the poster who mentioned the difference between living long and living well. The impact of such environmental toxins on our long-term health (more so than short-term) is something that I think should be examined more closely.
And MikeMartial, that's an interesting example. It makes me wonder about the people who spend their lives surrounded by such toxins (of course, they'd be of a different nature than those found at Ground Zero...I'm talking about some of the items listed above as well as your garden-variety air pollution, etc.). These people go to the doctor complaining of any number of ailments and are often given medication to treat the symptoms of their ailment when in reality, their bodies may just be overwhelmed with an accumulation of foreign, unhealthy substances.
In the past, I've seen some argue that the body is designed to rid ourselves of such substances and "cleansing" isn't necessary. But I've also read (and tend to believe) that: a) we're living in a time that is filled with these toxins; b) we're not fully aware, as noted above, of how dangerous some of our everyday surroundings can be; and c) we do not live (exercise, relax, etc.) and eat (diet high in fiber and nutrients) in such a way that helps our bodies rid ourselves of these toxins.
