Take organics revolution beyond grocery store.Byline: GUEST VIEWPOINT By Aimee Code For The Register-Guard Organic products are found increasingly in the commercial mainstream, The Register-Guard reported on July 22. This is a welcome trend, and everyone who has contributed to it deserves our thanks for taking steps to improve the health of people, animals, land and water. Our collective decision to buy responsibly has created a large market for organic products. But there is more to be done than just buying organic food and clothing. We can to do more to make our homes and lifestyles healthier, for there is a broader organic vision that we can all strive to achieve. The vast majority of Americans still have weed and bug killers in their homes that contain the very chemicals they are trying to avoid by buying organic food. No one wants to be overrun 1. overrun - A frequent consequence of data arriving faster than it can be consumed, especially in serial line communications. For example, at 9600 baud there is almost exactly one character per millisecond, so if a silo can hold only two characters and the machine takes with pests, but there are alternative ways to control common problems, such as ridding the kitchen of sugar ants The sugar ant (Camponotus consobrinus) - also known as the banded sugar ant - is a relatively large ant, exclusive to Australia, identifiable by their orange-brown bodies, black head and mandibles. by sealing cracks and crevices and fixing leaking faucets, in addition to wiping down counters and keeping the dishes clean. Just last year scientists concluded that insecticide insecticide Any of a large group of substances used to kill insects. Such substances are mainly used to control pests that infest cultivated plants and crops or to eliminate disease-carrying insects in specific areas. use inside the home during pregnancy and childhood increases the risk of childhood leukemia leukemia (l  kē`mēə), cancerous disorder of the blood-forming tissues (bone marrow, lymphatics, liver, spleen) characterized by excessive production of immature or mature . Our kids deserve healthy places to live.
Changes also need to happen in our neighborhoods. Pesticide-free parks are springing up all over the Northwest, including here in Eugene. Pesticide-free parks ensure that our children and pets can play where their health is not threatened and those with chemical sensitivities will not suffer when the family is out on a Sunday picnic. A dedicated group of people can create a pesticide-free parks program in their community. Dedicated parents also can work to ensure their kids are being adequately nourished nour·ish tr.v. nour·ished, nour·ish·ing, nour·ish·es 1. To provide with food or other substances necessary for life and growth; feed. 2. in school. Currently, chemically grown food is what's being fed to our kids. Yet school districts can follow the example set by more and more families and serve organic food in the lunchroom. In fact, the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides is working closely with Idaho farmers to make Idaho famous for organic potatoes. And we want to see those potatoes make their way into school cafeterias. This is the coalition's vision, a vision that we can turn into reality with citizens' participation. We are also looking to our elected officials for responsible leadership. The Oregon Legislature can support Oregonians' desires to limit their exposure to hazardous pesticides by learning from their counterparts in Idaho, where the Legislature passed a law providing clear direction for residents to reduce the risk of West Nile virus West Nile virus, microorganism and the infection resulting from it, which typically produces no symptoms or a flulike condition. The virus is a flavivirus and is related to a number of viruses that cause encephalitis. . Residents of Idaho can opt out of pesticide pesticide, biological, physical, or chemical agent used to kill plants or animals that are harmful to people; in practice, the term pesticide is often applied only to chemical agents. spraying programs by presenting their own abatement A reduction, a decrease, or a diminution. The suspension or cessation, in whole or in part, of a continuing charge, such as rent. With respect to estates, an abatement is a proportional diminution or reduction of the monetary legacies, a disposition of property by will, when plans that show how they will prevent mosquito mosquito (məskē`tō), small, long-legged insect of the order Diptera, the true flies. The females of most species have piercing and sucking mouth parts and apparently they must feed at least once upon mammalian blood before their eggs can infestations. Ada County, where Boise is located, followed the state's lead by creating sample plans for people to follow. This effort to put mosquito prevention first, before spraying, is a common sense response to West Nile virus. There always may be naysayers, those who don't believe a pesticide-free world is possible. But the public already has spoken - organic has gone mainstream. This year, NCAP NCAP New Car Assessment Program NCAP Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides NCAP Network Capable Application Processor (from IEEE standard 1451. turns 30 years old. Since we started our work, the public's perception of pesticides has shifted dramatically. Let's keep building on this vision. Aimee Code of Eugene is the water quality coordinator at the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (www.pesticide.org or 344-5044). |
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