SUKKOT:

Sukkot and Ecology: Food for Healthy People and a Healthy Planet

ACTIONS FOR THE HOME

1. Reduce the exposure of your family to dangerous pesticides. Although children are particularly vulnerable to pesticides on fruits and vegetables, eating fresh fruits and vegetables is still good for your health and essential in children's diets because of the vitamins and nutrients they provide. A number of shopping and eating habits will protect your health and your children's health. Click here for more information about pesticides and food.

Purchase "organically grown" products. "Organically grown" food is grown and processed using no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. All health food stores and many supermarkets now stock organic products. Click here for more information on organic foods.

Wash all fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly with a very diluted solution of mild dishwashing detergent and water, or under running water with mild soap.

Buy organic baby foods. Because of their special vulnerabilities, pesticides are especially dangerous to infants and small children.

Peel fruits and vegetables that were grown with pesticides (unless produce is clearly labeled as organically grown, you can assume that it was grown with pesticides). Discard the outer leaves of leafy vegetables and the fat and skin from meat and poultry (many pesticide residues collect in fat).

2. Seek alternatives to pesticides in your own garden and home. Pesticides marketed for home use are not guaranteed to be safe; indeed many of them are found to be at dangerously high levels after application by untrained citizens. You can eliminate the use of fertilizers, weed killers, and pesticides and still have healthy and attractive lawns and gardens. Check with local garden centers about alternatives to chemical pest control.

Sources for Healthy Home and Garden Products:
Gardens Alive! (alternatives to pesticides); Seventh Generation, Gaiam, and Real Goods (non-toxic cleaning products)

3. Advocate for protection of human health and the environment. To be informed about environmental and public health issues and to receive action alerts regarding important times to write to your members of Congress, join COEJL Action. Sign up here!