Pesticides and Produce EWG Article

Best Friends Forever? Produce Growers and Pesticide Makers Deepen Their Bond

9 for Organic

In the produce aisle you may notice stickers on produce with a 4 digit code. 5 digit codes that begin with 9 indicate organic and those that begin with 8 note GMO foods. Something to be aware of when shopping for produce. For more information check out this post at Enviroblog. A handy thing from the post is a link to all the codes for produce. You can search and see what each code is so you can see exactly what you are getting.

Wash Your Produce

This time of year more and more produce is available in North America as harvest time is here. However, all those tasty fruits and veggies need to be thoroughly cleaned of pesticide residue. Lifehacker comes through again with a recipe for a produce wash.

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 20 drops grapefruit seed extract (available at Whole Foods or your local health food store or you can substitute lemon juice in a pinch)

• Combine all ingredients in a large container. Then, transfer to a spray bottle with a pump. Spray mixture on produce (avoid using on mushrooms), let sit 5 to 10 minutes and rinse.

Doesn't get much simpler. Enjoy the harvest!

The Healthiest Foods

Normally, I have made posts about unhealthy foods and the downsides associated with them. I found a list of 33 healthiest foods on Earth. They are fruits and vegetables and there is table that lists them and their benefits.

As I gather more and more information about food and health it looks like fruits and vegetables are the only way to go. I guess the transition to being a vegetarian is the hardest and it probably won't be any easier during BBQ season. In our home we have tried to minimize meat consumption and make a conscious effort to eat vegetarian dinners several times a week and at least one meal a day. Changing habits around eating will be the hardest part as your body will adapt, and over time, I'm sure you'll find the thought of steak unappealing. Also, if you can grow a lot of your own you can have fun gardening and minimize your pesticide intake too.

Top Produce To Buy Organic

Here is a reminder of which produce you should considerer buying organic. These fruits and vegetables have been tested and contain the highest levels of pesticides.

Fruit- Nectarines, Peaches, Apples, imported Grapes, Strawberries, Pears, Raspberries and Cherries

Vegetables- Celery, sweet Bell Peppers, Potatoes, Lettuce, Spinach, Carrots, Green Beans and Cucumbers

Other foods to consider buying organic- Rice, Oats and Nuts.

For a complete list, provided by the Environmental Working Group, click here.

Organic Food Value

Food is getting more expensive. Organic food already is so getting good value is important. How to get the best value for your buck? Check out this list at Greenopolis. The real beauty of this one is that it says what you should buy organic and what you don't need to by comparing pesticide load. This can shave a few dollars off the grocery bill and still keep you eating healthy. Pesticides are not the only concern but a notable one.

I think growing a few yourself if you can is a good bet. Check out Patti over at Garden Girl TV for tips on how to do some small scale gardening at home and you can grow what you like.

Shopping for Food

Buying fresh and local food is rapidly becoming the way to shop for groceries. Awareness of the economic and environmental benefits are also increasing. The hard part is finding the stuff. Here are a couple of tools to help you.

In the U.S. the Department of Agriculture has a Farmer's Market Search that allows you to search by various criteria to find the closest market to you. When you are shopping these markets just make sure that they are actually selling produce they grow and not what they bought wholesale.

Another handy tool is from Epicurious. It is a Peak Season Map and shows you what is in season in a given state. It has links to recipes using that fruit or vegetable as well so you can plan your fresh, local meals accordingly.

Please share any other tools, tips and tricks from your area that help you shop for local produce.

Growing the Lawn

Many people have lawns. A lot of them are obsessed with growing the "perfect" lawn. I had a post last year about lawns and their impact. Recently I watched a short film titled Gimme Green about America's lawn obsession. The film is described as a humorous look at this obsession but it also makes you realize how far we have to go to become sustainable and sensible. We clearly have to change our perception of what is aesthetically pleasing and put it in the context of how it will affect our lives. If you get a chance watch the film and maybe change your lawn care habits or replace your lawn with something else.

Environmental Impacts of Smoking

The health effects of smoking cigarettes are widely known. But walking around you still see many people smoking. What are the environmental impacts? I haven't really looked into it in great detail but I have some ideas.

An obvious one is packaging. Little bits of foil and plastic blow everywhere. Another one is the butts all over the place. Each one is loaded with chemicals after it is used and that stuff could leach into the water supply. The growth and processing of tobacco uses many resources and chemicals as well. The energy that goes into the harvesting, processing and retailing of tobacco has to be huge. Add to this the extra stuff people are exhaling and it adds up to a serious environmental impact. If you smoke a pack a day you're probably contributing a fair bit to environmental degradation.

This is why I feel the importance of trying to link our daily behavior and consumption patterns to the world around us. It is really tough and we'll all be guilty but we need to think about it and see where we can change.

Take Action Against Pesticides

I found this online and decided it would be great to get information out there. Also, this demonstrates the importance of being aware of what is going on in government and to take action. I have modified it a little to have the links fit my page better and took out some repetition at the end but the content is untouched.

CALLING ALL FRIENDS OF MOTHER EARTH,


WARNING!!! You are currently being consulted by the Ontario government about a government proposal to intentionally expose you to non-essential chemical herbicide mixtures and their toxic breakdown products.

This consultation period runs until February 17, 2008.

This issue can be boiled down to one sentence: The Ontario government proposes to expose you and your family to non-essential chemical herbicides so that you can do your small part to slightly increase shareholder profit margins for multinational forestry corporations.

The government will implicitly interpret silence by the public during this period of “consultation” as ACCEPTANCE of the government’s proposal. Comments from all jurisdictions are invited. Chemicals leaving Ontario’s boreal forest will reach the fresh-water shorelines of Manitoba, Quebec, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.

The tool being used by the government to consult the public on this matter is called the Environmental Registry (http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca Registry # 010-2248).

DIRECT LINK TO GOVERNMENT PROPOSAL

DIRECT LINK TO GOVERNMENT COMMENT FORM

(Go to www.WhiteMoose.Ca for easy direct links - Online registry form to comment directly to the government – 2 minutes of time required)

The proposal is divided into several sections, and comment on all is aspects would be appropriate. The proposal is that:

1 – We ban non-essential chemical herbicides and pesticides from being applied in municipalities (GREAT)
2 – We allow non-essential chemical herbicides and pesticides to be applied on Golf Courses (???? WHAT ARE THEY THINKING ???)
3 – We allow non-essential chemical herbicides to be sprayed in pristine wilderness area’s of Ontario’s Boreal Forest ( A TERRIBLE POLICY !!! )

Give praise where needed (Item 1), and scorn where the policy is lacking (Item 2 and 3). Send in comments as an individual AND also as a group (Environmental Group, First Nation, Sporting Club, etc.). Encourage all of your friends / family / colleagues to submit their comments. The alternative is that their vote will be interpreted in favor of being exposed to these chemicals. With enough public scorn for allowing non-essential chemical herbicides to be sprayed in Ontario’s forests, we can now impact the legislation. THIS IS YOUR CHANCE !!! FEBRUARY 17, 2008 DEADLINE !!!

The non-essential chemical herbicides that you will be exposed to by the forestry industry include 2,4-D which is 50% of the herbicide mixture commonly known as “AGENT ORANGE” … and glyphosate, which is commonly known as RoundUP and known to cause mortality to amphibians.

http://www.fsccanada.org/SiteCM/U/D/62F5E3D4D35870D8.pdf

Medical, environmental, and social justice organizations have vigilantly demanded a ban on the application of non-essential chemical herbicides and pesticides within municipalities, citing health and environmental concerns.

http://www.flora.org/healthyottawa/

http://pesticidefree.ca/OntBanStatement.pdf

While the government proposes to ban the application of glyphosate and 2,4-D based herbicides within municipalities in recognition of the health and environmental impacts, they have taken the opposite approach to forestry.

Ironically, the Ontario government proposes that we continue to spray these same chemicals in the boreal forest, rejecting effective alternatives currently used in other provinces (most notably Quebec with a complete ban on herbicides in 2001) and other regions (Scandinavia).

Global Boreal Forest
http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=354

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boreal_forest

Government Maps of the boreal range
http://canadaforests.nrcan.gc.ca/maps


If you have any concerns with or disagree with the government proposal, you must communicate these thoughts to the provincial government during this scheduled “consultation” period ending February 17, 2008.

The chemical herbicides are being applied to kill unwanted vegetation in the boreal forest. Alternatives being implemented in other jurisdictions of the boreal forest include:
- planting larger, nutrient loaded seedlings immediately after harvesting as opposed to waiting years after harvest to replant 2” seedlings.
- manual tending (machete)
- mechanical tending (brush saw)
- animal grazing (sheep)
- controlled fire burns

Manual release techniques are known to greatly increase local employment opportunities for forest dependent communities. Many of the multinational forestry companies operating in Ontario are also operating in Quebec (which banned herbicides in 2001), and have adapted to using alternative methods in that province. However, they then insist that in Ontario, herbicides are an absolutely necessary tool to regenerate the forest.

In 1999, the 35th Senate Subcommittee on the Boreal Forest published a report titled, “COMPETING REALITIES: The Boreal Forest at Risk.” The subcommittee recommended that, “All herbicide and chemical pesticide use in the boreal forest should be phased out as soon as possible.”

http://www.parl.gc.ca/36/1/parlbus/commbus/senate/Com-e/bore-e/rep-e/rep09jun99-e.htm

Many people have asked me, “Why should it matter to me whether chemical herbicides are being sprayed in Ontario’s boreal forest? I don’t live in the forest, or even the country.”

The truth is, Ontario’s boreal forest is very connected to the rest of the province and indeed, the world … and one such CONNECTION COMES FROM THE MOVEMENT OF WATER.

Ontario’s boreal forest is a massive piece of land, and is broken into drainage basins emptying into James Bay, the Great Lakes, and the Ottawa River. The boreal forest is the headwaters to all communities drawing from the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River way. Chemicals leaving the boreal forest reach the shorelines of Manitoba, Quebec, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. Of course, when these chemicals reach the ocean, they find their way to the shorelines of all Canadian provinces.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Canada-Drainage.png

http://www.ec.gc.ca/water/images/info/pubs/primer/prim12-e.htm

http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/freshwater/distribution/drainage

http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2005/5284/
(Ground water recharge great lakes – US Government)

http://ottawariverkeeper.ca/files/ottawa_river_watershed.pdf
Chemical contamination of the headwaters that supply our drinking water is a serious concern. A little over seven years ago, the combination of source water contamination and an inoperable water filtration system had deadly consequences for many in Walkerton, Ontario.

Justice O’Connor made many recommendations to prevent future incidents, one such being that we implement a multi-barrier approach to ensure the safety of Ontario’s drinking water. He stated, “Source protection keeps the raw water as clean as possible to lower the risk that contaminants will get through or overwhelm the treatment system.”

http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/about/pubs/walkerton/part2/Chapter_3.pdf

The report also indicates that source protection is the required barrier to prevent chemical contaminants from reaching our drinking water.
Discussions with water filtration technicians in Toronto and Ottawa indicate that the filter systems were never designed for chemical herbicides, and are inefficient in removing such chemicals.

http://ottawa.ca/city_services/water/27_1_1_en.shtml

http://www.toronto.ca/water/supply/supply_facilities/rcharris/pdf/water_filtration_process.pdf

In a report titled “Up to the Gills, Pollution in Great Lakes Fish”, Environmental Defence notes fish consumption advisories due to toxic contamination of the Great Lakes watershed. In regards to pesticides, the report indicates, “Pesticide exposure is linked to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, leukemia, neurological problems, reproductive abnormalities, immunotoxicity and cancer. Children are at particular risk from pesticides because they are more vulnerable to the effects and have greater exposure to the chemicals. While some municipalities around the Great Lakes have instituted bans on cosmetic pesticide use, there is still widespread use in the Great Lakes basin for domestic, commercial and agricultural purposes.”

http://www.environmentaldefence.ca/reports/pdf/Up2TheGills_final.pdf
The effect of acute exposure to these chemicals over decades is largely unknown, as is the effect of exposure to multiple pesticides simultaneously.

According to Tony Clement, the Ontario Minister of Health, ”The PMRA requires laboratory toxicity studies on standard surrogate species in order to predict effects of active ingredients and their formulations on non-target species. The PMRA does not receive information concerning environmental interactions with other pesticides when considering registration of pesticides in Canada.” (December 21, 2007)

http://www.ontariosportsman.com/pesticide-documents/Ministry-of-Health-Petition-Response-Herbicides-boreal-forest_Dec2007.pdf
Now is the time to spread the word about this proposal, and make your voices heard before February 17th. Tell your friends, family, and colleagues that they are being consulted right now on a dangerous proposal to expose them to non-essential chemical herbicides. If they say nothing, government interprets this to mean that they accept this proposal.

This could be the best and perhaps only opportunity to put a stop to the poisoning of our collective water basin. Let the Ontario government know how you feel about sacrificing our health and the environment to slightly increase shareholder profit margins for multinational forestry companies.

Please share this message as widely as possible.

Warn your friends and family that they are being consulted and silence = acceptance of government proposal = non-essential exposure to chemical herbicides which are proposed to be banned in municipalities for health / environmental concerns !!!

Indoor Gardening and Energy Drinks

I found on Aaron-n-Jen.com a three part video on indoor gardening. They found the videos at Garden Girl TV which is a pretty interesting site.

One solution to the issue of rising food prices and minimizing the environmental impact of agriculture is to grow your own food. I plan on trying to follow these indoor gardening experiments and see how it works out. Maybe I'll find somewhere to set one up at my place.

Also, I did some reading today about kale and making your own energy drinks with a juicer. Apparently kale has powerful antioxidant properties and is anti-inflammatory. It is also high in vitamins K, A, and C. I found a recipe for an energy drink in the Globe and Mail written by Chef David Lee who is co-owner and executive chef at Splendido in Toronto, Canada. I found the article online but I'm not sure if it will be a valid link for long as many newspaper sites lock content after a period of time. If it doesn't work I'll add the recipe in the comments section later. I plan on buying a juicer in the near future as I'm tired of buying 1 liter containers of Bolthouse Farms stuff. We really like their products but they are just a little pricey for the amount we drink. I figure a juicer will pay for itself in a year. I just have to find the right one.

I might be ambitious since it's the start of a new year with plans of an indoor garden and a home made energy drink. The drinks I can do but the indoor garden is a stretch due to space. I'll let you know how it works.

Versatile Vinegar

I've been using vinegar for a lot of things around the house. The Vinegar Institute, has a list of uses for it. Personally, I use it to clean my kitchen counters, stainless steel fixtures and sinks, as a weed killer on my stone walkway, windows and mirrors and have started adding it to my laundry recently. It is much cheaper than all the products it replaces and I buy it at Costco. Much safer for everyone in the house and anyone who uses it. I even noticed that the Scott's environmentally friendly weed killer's main ingredient is acetic acid so why pay more.

There are many chemical products around the house we can replace with safer alternatives. Vinegar is one that is inexpensive and useful in many ways.

100 Mile Diet

The 100-mile diet, or any variation, is not about weight loss. It is about eating local and minimizing the impact on the environment with your food choices. A three week story was recently in the Globe and Mail about how one family managed. It is an interesting take on how you can adjust. They did make an exception for coffee, and I agree with that one.

If the articles are locked use this Google news search. Usually they work from there. To see the extensive coverage on this topic if you search in Google News you will find a lot of articles. Maybe one for your area to help you along.

Week1, Week2, and Week 3

Happy eating.

Eat Your Lawn

This video is under 3 minutes and highlights a project on converting lawns to vegetable gardens. Look at these statistics from the EPA and see how much actually goes into lawn care in the U.S. If that was converted to productive gardens imagine the global impact?

Self Extinction by Agriculture

Came across this article today and thought I would share it with my readers.

Self Extinction by Agriculture

I was hungry until I read this. Organic foods are great, but I feel the price must come down for more people to make the switch.