The Dirty Dozen
No it isn’t a WWII movie starring Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine. This is a list of foods that have high levels of pesticide residue.
Pesticides are meant to kill living organisms such as insects, invasive plants and fungi. But you and I are living organisms as well. Brain and nervous system disorders, cancers and hormone disruption are a few of the undesired effects linked to pesticides. Leafy greens, like spinach, are frequently treated with a neuro toxin bug killer that has been banned in Europe.
Not using pesticides and herbicides leaves a healthier planet for our wild neighbors as well. The increase use of pesticides after WWII brought on significant numbers of wildlife deaths. The use of DDT caused a dramatic decline in bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and brown pelicans as the DDT made their eggshells too fragile and the eggs could not survive.
Neonicotinoids are newer insecticides that are linked to bee colony collapse. These insecticides are absorbed by plants which make their pollen toxic to bees. Without bees, we will have no food.
Eating more fruits and vegetables is important for your health but most of us cannot afford to buy only organic. Here is how to choose your produce carefully.
Each year the Environmental Working Group informs consumers which foods are safe from pesticide residue. To lessen your exposure to pesticides on your produce, choose conventionally grown produce from the Clean 15 list. These items have been shown to have very little or no pesticide residues. And since they are grown conventionally rather than organically, they are easier on your budget. Load up on avocados, onions, sweet peas, pineapples and cabbage.
The Dirty Dozen, however, contain more pesticide residue than you may want to consume. For example, strawberries grown in California are frequently treated with up to 300 pounds of pesticides per acre! Choose organically grown produce from the Dirty Dozen list. Buy organic strawberries, spinach, nectarines and apples.
Or, grow your own! Burpee sells non-GMO (not genetically modified) seeds. Start a vegetable garden, plant an apple tree, or a blueberry bush. Your own home-grown fruits and vegetables taste better than what you buy in the grocery store and you can control how they are grown. No need for nasty pesticides or fertilizers. There are organic options for both.
A home garden can be a great lesson for your children as well. Many kids, as well as adults, do not know where their food comes from. Tomatoes grow on a vine, potatoes grow in the ground. Plant seeds and let your children watch their food grow. Studies have shown that children who participate in growing their own food make healthier choices for life.
We and our children are the stewards of this planet. We must take good care of it. It is the only one we have.
Tri County Wildlife Care, a local nonprofit started in 1994, is dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of our native wildlife and helping our community live in balance with wildlife. They envision a world where wildlife and people thrive together. For more information call (209) 283-3245, or visit pawspartners.org.
Pesticides are meant to kill living organisms such as insects, invasive plants and fungi. But you and I are living organisms as well. Brain and nervous system disorders, cancers and hormone disruption are a few of the undesired effects linked to pesticides. Leafy greens, like spinach, are frequently treated with a neuro toxin bug killer that has been banned in Europe.
Not using pesticides and herbicides leaves a healthier planet for our wild neighbors as well. The increase use of pesticides after WWII brought on significant numbers of wildlife deaths. The use of DDT caused a dramatic decline in bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and brown pelicans as the DDT made their eggshells too fragile and the eggs could not survive.
Neonicotinoids are newer insecticides that are linked to bee colony collapse. These insecticides are absorbed by plants which make their pollen toxic to bees. Without bees, we will have no food.
Eating more fruits and vegetables is important for your health but most of us cannot afford to buy only organic. Here is how to choose your produce carefully.
Each year the Environmental Working Group informs consumers which foods are safe from pesticide residue. To lessen your exposure to pesticides on your produce, choose conventionally grown produce from the Clean 15 list. These items have been shown to have very little or no pesticide residues. And since they are grown conventionally rather than organically, they are easier on your budget. Load up on avocados, onions, sweet peas, pineapples and cabbage.
The Dirty Dozen, however, contain more pesticide residue than you may want to consume. For example, strawberries grown in California are frequently treated with up to 300 pounds of pesticides per acre! Choose organically grown produce from the Dirty Dozen list. Buy organic strawberries, spinach, nectarines and apples.
Or, grow your own! Burpee sells non-GMO (not genetically modified) seeds. Start a vegetable garden, plant an apple tree, or a blueberry bush. Your own home-grown fruits and vegetables taste better than what you buy in the grocery store and you can control how they are grown. No need for nasty pesticides or fertilizers. There are organic options for both.
A home garden can be a great lesson for your children as well. Many kids, as well as adults, do not know where their food comes from. Tomatoes grow on a vine, potatoes grow in the ground. Plant seeds and let your children watch their food grow. Studies have shown that children who participate in growing their own food make healthier choices for life.
We and our children are the stewards of this planet. We must take good care of it. It is the only one we have.
Tri County Wildlife Care, a local nonprofit started in 1994, is dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of our native wildlife and helping our community live in balance with wildlife. They envision a world where wildlife and people thrive together. For more information call (209) 283-3245, or visit pawspartners.org.
