I was devastated to learn last week that the number of monarch butterflies who made it to their winter stomping grounds in Mexico plunged 59% from 2012 to 2011, continuing a downward trend of several years. In New York where I live, the parade of monarchs passing through each spring and fall is our Great [...]
Tag Archives | pesticides
12 Most Important Foods to Buy Organic (2012)
Fact: You cannot get rid of all the pesticides on conventionally grown fruits and vegetables simply by washing them. In the latest government tests analyzed by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), pesticides were found on 68 percent of food samples after peeling and washing. This is of concern because small doses of pesticides and other [...]
12 Most Important Foods to Buy Organic (2011)
Pesticide residues often remain on produce even after you wash it. Therefore, it’s best for your health and your family’s to buy organic fruits and vegetables. If you can’t afford to by everything organic, the best strategy is to focus on the fruits and vegetables that are most likely to expose you to multiple pesticides. [...]
To Raise Healthy Children, Reduce Exposure to Toxins
Nowadays, raising healthy children requires more than keeping them safe from germs. It also requires protecting them from toxic chemicals pervading their everyday environment, from phthalates, BPA, organophosphates and PBDE flame retardants to lead and mercury. For tips on how to reduce your children’s risk, read, print and share my latest This Green Life column [...]
What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You
The invisible chemicals present in everyday products include toxins that pose serious long-term health risks. That’s why I pulled together a new page for you on Staying Healthy. Take the time to learn about these hidden dangers and how to avoid them. Your health is worth it. Really.
Green Eating
Local, seasonal, organic, unprocessed, etc. I’ve covered these food topics and more in my writing over the years. My new Green Eating page explains the principles and links to the pieces. Among the more interesting items are columns on sustainable wine, coffee and chocolate, as well as a couple on the importance of eating less [...]
12 Most Important Foods to Buy Organic (2010)
Last weekend, I got a friendly warning from a farmer at our local Greenmarket. Holding up the big, beautiful bell pepper I’d selected, he said, “You may find a little friend inside.” Friend? I cast an uncomprehending look at him. “We don’t use pesticides,” he explained. I assured him I preferred the little bug I [...]
Safe Bug Spray for Kids and Adults
Is it safe to use an insect repellent on your kids — or yourself — that contains DEET? And are there any safe and effective alternatives? IN SHORT: DEET-based bug repellents may carry some risk, depending on the concentration of DEET in the product and the individual’s health and chemical sensitivity. For a safer, effective [...]
12 Most Important Foods to Buy Organic (2009)
If you can’t afford to get all your food organic (how many people can?), you will be interested in the latest edition of the “Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides” from the Environmental Working Group, which lists the fruits and vegetables with the highest and lowest pesticide loads. EWG says its research shows that “people who eat [...]
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This Green Blog is the companion blog to NRDC's This Green Life, a green living column written by Sheryl Eisenberg for the Natural Resources Defense Council. (Subscribe to get it for FREE each month.)
Sheryl has also written "Greentips" for the Union of Concerned Scientists and designs websites for environmental groups and others with her firm, Mixit Productions.
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