When I was a nipper, one thing my mum impressed upon me was just how dirty money was. There's actually a very effective commercial on TV at the moment about how your chopping board has more bugs than your toilet seat, using a wooden board bedecked with succulent foods to make this point as it reveals itself to be a loo cover.
When you think about it (and it's bets not to at dinner time), there is probably nothing else that so quickly gets passed, literally hand to hand between us all.
Health not really Junkk.com's main area of consideration, but as it still falls under 'environmental' I found this piece worthy of not (excuse the pun):
It's about a U.S. Web site with the great title of Where's George? that tracks the geographical circulation of money, and as it, like diseases, is carried by people around the world, there's an opportunity to plot the spread of a potential influenza pandemic by tracking the circulation of dollar bills.
Where things do get closer to our area of interest is their point that human movement is a main cause of the spread of infectious disease, but with modern-day travel involving boats, planes, trains, cars and other means of transport it is virtually impossible to compile a comprehensive set of data on travel.
I'd hazard there's not much we can do about it, but it is a small but significant thing to note that our desire, determination and easy ability to travel long distances quickly that is adding another potent environmental burden (global pandemics) to the mix.
Now, wash your hands.
