People ask me where I got the word “toxemian.” It’s this simple: I made it up to describe people who are living unsustainable lifestyles, and to label the lifestyles, cultures, and individual practices that are damaging to Earth.

 

I never Googled it, or looked it up in a dictionary. I simply thought it sounded appropriate for unsustainable ways, and I started using it.

 

Now I hear that other people are starting to use my word. In September of 2008 I was told that the word is going to be used in a Hollywood film to describe a character who is living a greatly unsustainable lifestyle.