Each year
more than 43,000 children under age six are exposed to concentrations of
pesticides high enough to cause cancer, respiratory illness, and central
nervous system damage.
You
can make the difference by purchasing or raising organic produce and flowers.
Organic
farms increase biodiversity by not using pesticides and provide habitat
for wildlife as well as food - they support 57% more wild plant species,
three times more non-pest butterflies, and 44% more birds than conventional
farms.
| Five
best and worst fruits and vegetables to consume in terms of pesticide
residues: |
Lowest
pesticide residues: |
Highest
pesticide residues: |
1 |
Broccoli
|
1 |
Peaches |
2 |
Bananas |
2 |
Winter Squash |
3 |
Peas (canned
or frozen) |
3 |
Apples |
4 |
Sweet Potatoes |
4 |
Green Beans |
5 |
Corn (canned
or frozen) |
5 |
Pears |
Wash and peel your
food (with a little dish soap) to remove pesticides.
Purchase organic eggs
from free roaming chickens.
Drink organic milk
free of antibiotics, pesticides, and growth hormones.
It
takes the same amount of water to float a destroyer as it does to produce
a 1,000 pound steer.
Save your heart and
the planet, eat fish instead of red meat - or eat natural and vegetarian.
Plant a container
garden if you don't have a yard. Go to www.earthbox.com for information on the EarthBox portable container gardens or call 800-925-5737.
Use natural
pest management and beneficial
insects instead of pesticides.
Use compost instead of fertilizer.
Plant native plants.
Go to www.localharvest.org or contact your state's organic-certifying organization for names of organic
growers in your area.
|
