This OpEd was published in Comment Central on 15th January, 2025
In the modern West, everyone knows that ‘natural’ means good and ‘artificial’ means bad. End of story. It is a mindset that has been drilled into us for all sorts of products; from food, to cosmetics, household products, or even energy. The basic idea is that anything created in a lab (or by other science-based methods) is by definition synthetic, polluting and unhealthy.
In contrast, so-called ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ products are depicted as fundamentally healthier and cleaner than their synthetic counterparts. Simultaneously closer to nature and less of a burden on the natural world, they are sold as a kind of lifestyle cure-all – a way to save the planet while treating our body like a mountain temple.
Continue reading “Anti-science paranoia is creeping onto our shelves”