GREEN TEAM TIDBITS

The Green Team is providing ideas for actions people can take in their daily lives to support the health of our planet. Most actions are small and doable. How many can you make a habit?

WATER CONSERVATION TIP

Running your faucet for 5 minutes uses as much energy as running a 60 watt light bulb for 14 hours. Remember to turn off the faucet when you brush your teeth.

SPRING CLEANING

You can make effective, non-toxic cleaning products using baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice and soap as ingredients. For example, here is a recipe for an all-purpose cleaner:

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons non-antibacterial liquid dish soap

In a 16 oz. spray bottle, add the vinegar and fill with water. Add dish soap last. Add lemon juice if desired.

Find more green cleaner recipes here.

SAVE THE BEES

We depend on bees to pollinate 70 out of our 100 crops—from apples and blueberries to watermelon and zucchini, yet the world’s most widely used class of insecticides—called “neonics”—is a key factor in the devastating die-off of bee colonies.  Simply put:  fewer bees = less food.  

Bayer is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of bee-toxic neonics. In addition to producing aspirin, Aleve, One A Day, and Alka-Seltzer, this German chemical giant also invented neonics that have topped $1.5 billion in annual in sales.  

Consumers yield power with their purchasing dollars and their voices. Collectively, we can help combat this issue.

Write a letter to NRDC (National Resources Defense Council) asking that Bayer discontinue producing neonics that are negatively impacting bee colonies and our food supply. Share this information with family and friends and encourage them to share their voices. Let’s flood NRDC with letters that will be forwarded to Bayer.

NRDC Address:   40 W 20th Street, 11th floor, New York, NY 10011