Recent Green Weeks:
September 5:
Cook More Efficiently
August 29:
Use Cold Water for Laundry
August 22:
Find New Uses for Old Phones
August 8:
"Bee" Kind to Pollinators: Limit or Avoid Pesticide Use
August 1:
Reduce Waste: End Junk Mail!
July 25:
Encourage Pollination: Help Bees!
July 18:
Use Less Oil: Walk or Bike at Least Once this Week Instead of Driving
July 11:
Water Lawns and Outdoor Plants in the Morning or Evening Only
July 4:
Practice Safe Souvenir Buying
June 20:
Reuse Paper Scraps
June 13:
Safely Dispose of Hazardous Wastes
June 6:
Give New Life to Old Stuff
May 30:
Make Your Own Non-Toxic Cleaners
May 23:
Find Ways to Consume Less
May 16:
Reuse your food scraps and yard waste: make compost!
May 9:
Make Sure Your Seafood's Sustainable
May 2:
Use a Low Flow Showerhead
April 25:
Reduce Weight in your Vehicle
April 18:
Use a Reusable Water Bottle
April 11:
Switch to Fluorescent Bulbs
April 4:
Buy in Bulk
March 28:
Unplug Your Appliances When They're Not in Use!
March 21:
Turn Off Your Engine Instead of Idling Your Car
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"Bee" Kind to Pollinators: Limit or Avoid Pesticide Use
What to do:
July 25's green, Encourage Pollination: Help Bees! gave ideas for attracting bees and other helpful pollinators to your yard. Once they're there, keep them safe by avoiding pesticides. (Or, if you really need them, using them in a responsible and limited way.)
The National Academies' Plants for Pollinators page suggests using only pesticides targeted to whichever pest you need to eliminate and then using them only when pollinators aren't present. For further details and ways to avoid and limit pesticides, read the Audobon Society's 10 Steps for Responsible Pesticide Use . These steps emphasize the importance of correctly identifying and addressing the source of pest issues.
Why it Helps the Earth:
Pollinators like bees play an important role in ecosystems: plants rely on them to flourish, and birds and animals rely on the plants. Bee populations in the US are in decline due to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), which scientists are working to understand and prevent.
What the Research Says:
The US Department of Agriculture provides a page with links to various conservation programs for bees and other pollinators.
For information on Colony Collapse Disorder, including research and reports, visit Mid-Altlantic Apiculture's page on CCD. Links to this site, as well as to many others, are included on The USDA's website .
Why it Helps You:
Managing garden problems with limited pesticide use reduces children's and pets' (and even your own) risk of accidental poisoning. Taking informed and thoughtful steps to deal with garden problems also ensures that you get to the "root" of the problem!
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Last Revision: August 8, 2010