Issues > March/April 2005 (#107) > 10 Easy Things You Can Do Today for Your Family's Health and the Earth

10 Easy Things You Can Do Today for Your Family's Health and the Earth

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5. Save water in a second

The average faucet flows about 3 gallons of water per minute, so turn off the tap while you brush your teeth. Turn off the water while soaping in the shower, and you'll save as much as 40 gallons! Install an inexpensive sink and shower aerator, and reduce water consumption by up to 50 percent. Aerators mix air into the water stream, maintaining water pressure while reducing consumption. For faucet aerators, look for models rated at 2.75 gallons per minute (gmp) or below; for showers, look for models rated at 2.5 gmp. Available at www.Care2.com and www.NiagraConservation.com

6. Buy locally grown produce

Fruits and vegetables travel 1,500 miles to get to the dinner table, an astonishing waste of fuel when local farmers markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) groups are found in towns and cities nationwide. Buying local produce means better flavor and the chance to try varieties not sold elsewhere. It also helps keep small local farmers in business, which in turn preserves the countryside. To find a farmer's market near you, visit www.ams.usda.gov. To join a local CSA, visit www.nal.usda.gov, or call 800-516-7797.

7. Plant heirloom seeds

Monoculture and supermarkets have been replacing the wide variety of foods once enjoyed in the U.S. The result is that 63 percent of Native American crop varieties have disappeared since Europeans arrived on the continent. Planting heirloom seeds will help insure that more varieties don't die out. And, home-grown produce can't be beat for taste or freshness or abundant supply. For help in growing plants appropriate to your area, contact your local extension (find yours at www.csrees.usda.gov). Choose heirloom seeds from seedsofchange.com, naturalgardening.com or seedsavers.org. And to find garden items made from greener materials, see The Green Guide's Greener Garden Supplies Product Report.

8. Defeat house and garden pests without pesticides

Household pests are not only bothersome, but they can spread disease and cause allergic reactions. Toxic sprays are no solution: If the roaches aren't already resistant, they will learn to avoid poisoned areas. Plus, toxic sprays are just that—toxic—irritating skin and eyes, triggering asthmatic responses and poisoning children and pets. Worse still, children of mothers exposed to chlorpyrifos, now banned, had lower birthweights and smaller head circumferences than average and this risk may remain in other organophosphate pesticides still sold. Your least-toxic option to keep roaches and other scavenging insects at bay is with a four-pronged attack: 1) Keep your kitchen clean; 2) seal off cracks and crevices around pipes and radiators and between counters and baseboards; 3) place sticky traps with pheromones (available at hardware stores or shop.com) along the walls; and 4) place boric acid/sucrose baits along the walls and near food prep areas (but keep them out of reach of children and pets). For outdoors, see the Lawn Care Product Report.

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