Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen of 2014

Every year, the Environmental Working Group puts out two lists.  One is a list of the most pesticide contaminated produce (Dirty Dozen), and the other is a list of the cleanest (Clean Fifteen).  Both lists have grown beyond their initial numbers, and there are now 51 items listed in the Dirty Dozen/Clean Fifteen, this year.

The Dirty Dozen (in order from heaviest pesticide load to lightest) and Clean Fifteen (read from bottom to top if you want to find the cleanest produce first):

1. Apples
2. Strawberries
3. Grapes
4. Celery
5. Peaches
6. Spinach
7. Sweet Bell Peppers
8. Nectarines - imported
9. Cucumbers
10. Cherry Tomatoes
11. Snap Peas - imported
12. Potatoes
13. Hot Peppers
14. Blueberries - domestic
15. Lettuce
16. Kale/Collard Greens
17. Plums
18. Cherries
19. Nectarines - domestic
20. Pears
21. Tangerines
22. Carrots
23. Blueberries - imported
24. Green Beans
25. Winter Squash
26. Summer Squash
27. Raspberries
28. Broccoli
29. Snap Peas - domestic
30. Green Onions
31. Oranges
32. Bananas
33. Tomatoes
34. Watermelon
35. Honeydew Melons
36. Mushrooms
37. Sweet Potatoes
38. Cauliflower
39. Cantaloupe
40. Grapefruit
41. Eggplant
42. Kiwi
43. Papayas
44. Mangoes
45. Asparagus
46. Onions
47. Sweet Peas - frozen
48. Cabbage
49. Pineapples
50. Sweet Corn
51. Avocados

So, when you are rolling through the aisles of the grocery store, be sure to choose organic produce for most items, if it's possible.  If it's not, then use this guide to choose the best options for you, and your household.

Green on the level

I feel like there are many environmental blogs, and publications that alienate a good number of people by trying to guilt them into doing more, or not even giving alternatives to help make better decisions.  It seems to be either you are an environmentalist, or you're not.  I think that approach does more harm than good.

Because people have varying levels of interest in the environment, I will be using a system to help people determine which articles they may find more interesting, practical, or accessible.  Of course, this is purely subjective, based on my own interpretation.  I hope everyone will read most of what I post, but I understand that not everyone will be interested in certain topics, or depth of coverage of a topic.

Without further ado, the levels of green that will be used as tags on articles from now on:

Mint Green - These will be easily accessible articles.  They will have easy steps to take at home, or will be a quick read.  More often than not, they will be lists.

Pistachio Green - These articles will have a little more substance.  More than just a simple list, they will have some back ground information, but not a lot to make it easier to take in the information.

Emerald Green - Again, these will get a little deeper, and may be more technical in regard to the subject matter.

Jade Green - Getting to be deeper reads now.  These will be more scientific in nature, and will have references for your own review.

Forest Green - These will be pure science reads.


Posts will probably fall more into the Mint, Emerald, and Forest categories, but for ones that are in between, Pistachio and Jade will be the go-tos.

Which category are you most interested in?

Dirty Dozen 2011

So, the other day, I posted the "Dirty Dozen"; a list of fruits and vegetables that more readily retain pesticides versus those that do not.  I saw today that the Environmental Working Group has released an updated list:

1. Apples

2. Celery

3. Strawberries

4. Peaches

5. Spinach

6. Imported nectarines

7. Imported grapes

8. Sweet bell peppers

9. Potatoes

10. Domestic blueberries

11. Lettuce

12. Kale/collard greens

The group also lists the "Clean 15," or those that rank lowest in pesticide residues. These are:

1. Onions

2. Sweet Corn

3. Pineapples

4. Avocado

5. Asparagus

6. Sweet peas

7. Mangoes

8. Eggplant

9. Domestic cantaloupe

10. Kiwi

11. Cabbage

12. Watermelon

13. Sweet Potatoes

14. Grapefruit

15. Mushrooms

Again, this something to keep in mind when allocating your food budget.  Try to go organic where you can.  

Why?

I was talking with a friend of mine yesterday, and we were discussing how confusing, and overwhelming "green" decisions can be.  The need to take into consideration everything from biodegradability, to what kind of chemicals are leaching from plastics, to which companies use sustainable practices, and which ones test on animals is a lot to reconcile.

The way that I approach this is to consider what is best for my situation, and my family.  I know, that sounds really self-centered.  I typically have a problem with Johnny-come-latelys, and that statement reeks of that type of attitude.  The truth is, I have been interested in "saving the planet" for as long as I can remember.  I was even getting my family to recycle when I was about 12 years old.  (Not easy.)  I had found a book called "50 Simple Things Kids Can Do To Save The Earth" (the latest version: http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Things-Kids-Save-Earth/dp/B003F76HOS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306689435&sr=8-1), and I became an eco-warrior.  You wouldn't know that by looking at me, or the way I live now.  I don't garden (I have a notoriously black thumb), and I need air conditioning in the summer to survive.  However, I do recycle everything that I can, I drive an economy car, and we just got our first compost bin in the backyard.  (I really, really want to love gardening!)  I buy organic, and am trying to become more of a locavore, but, admittedly, it's hard to break the grocery store habit.

Ultimately, I would like this to be a place of discussion, and ideas.  I think that education really is the key to the future, and I've always known that we can do better than to say "you're either with us, or you're against us" in the environmental world.  Once you start, it's easy to keep that momentum going, and even fun to find new ways to be green.  I must disagree with Kermit, and say, "it is easy being green."  Sometimes, it just takes baby steps.