may 06

Invest in Energy Efficiency

MinuteMorningMonth
  • Look for the ENERGY STAR label when buying new appliances.
  • Sealing and insulating your home is the most cost effective way to reduce your energy bills. Seal cracks, gaps and holes and add insultation. New ENERGY STAR doors, windows and skylights use the latest technology to save energy and protect your home. 

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apr 30

Battling Roaches Without Pesticides

MinuteMorningMonth
  • To get rid of roaches, clean spills immediately. Sit and use plates, don't wander around eating and spilling crumbs.
  • Rather than using toxic sprays to kill roaches, lay out boric acid in crevices and places where children and pets won't come into contact with it and wipe down all surfaces of spills and crumbs, even stove grease.
  • Wipe down your pantry and shelves if there is evidence of roach activity there. Get out the caulk and seal all cracks around water pipes, electrical fixtures and outlets, baseboards, etc. Vacuum under and behind the refrigerator, in addition to any other nooks and crannies where crumbs might have drifted.
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apr 04

Not Safe for Baby?

MinuteMorningMonth
  • Select fragrance-free or unscented products. Phthalates, hormone-disrupting chemicals, are frequently added to products, along with many other chemicals, as fragrance.
  • Contact the makers of a couple of your favorite brands of beauty, personal care or baby products and ask them if there are phthalates in their products. When manufactorers hear from hundreds of customers, they start to pay attention.
  • Take stock of you medicine cabinet. Don't be fooled by the words "natural" or "organic" in the product name. Even products that are USDA certified organic can contain chemicals; most packaging identifies the percentage of the ingredients by weight that have been certified organic
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mar 05

Saving Energy, One TV at a Time

MinuteMorningMonth
  • Reduce the brightness setting of your television and look through your television's menu system for energy- or power-saving modes.
  • Use power strips to switch off televisions, home theater equipment, and stereos when you're not using them or when you go out of town. If you're buying a new TV look for a unit that includes a built-in DVD player and POD slot, they usually consume less energy in standby mode than separate components.
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feb 13

Playing With Dangerous Pesticides

MinuteMorningMonth
  • Don't spray pesticides in your home. If you do it yourself, use less toxic methods like soaps, baits and traps. If you hire someone, choose a certified specialist in Integrated Pest Management. Find one at greenshieldcertified.org/. Green Shield Certified is an independent, non-profit certification program that promotes effective, prevention-based pest control while minimizing the use of pesticides.
  • Ask your neighbors to avoid using pesticides on their lawns, so they don't accidentally cause harm to children or pets in the neighborhood.
  • Find out what pesticides are used at your child's school, at the park and in the playground. Ask the school district and the county to switch to Integrated Pest Management methods. Give them the tools they need at http://www.ipminstitute.org/school.htm.
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