Resource Pointer #290
(Consumer Choices)
August 29, 2002

For copies of the following resources, please contact the appropriate publishers or organizations directly.

*Eating to Save the Earth: Food Choices for a Healthy Planet, 2002* Linda Riebel and Ken Jacobsen. Discusses the environmental consequences of meat and fish consumption, the merits of sustainable agriculture and organic foods, and simple methods to compost, recycle, reduce waste and conserve water and energy. Suggests shopping, gardening and menu choices for home, work, in restaurants, or while camping. 94 pages. US$9.95. Contact Celestial Arts, PO Box 7123, Berkeley, CA 94707; phone (510) 559-1600; fax (510) 559-1629; email order@tenspeed.com; Web site http://www.tenspeed.com/.

*Playing It Safe: Healthy Choices About Lawn Care Pesticides, 2002* Dr. Sheela Basrur, Toronto Public Health. Writen to encourage public discussion as Toronto considers restricting “non-essential” lawn and garden pesticides on private property. Provides information on public attitudes about alternative lawn care, pesticide effects on public health and the environment, and potential municipal by-laws and other tools to decrease pesticide use. Download free at http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/health/hphe/pesticides_playingitsafe.htm. Contact Health Promotion and Environmental Protection Office, Toronto Public Health, 277 Victoria Street, 7th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W2, Canada; phone (416) 392-6788; Web site http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/health/.

*Power to Your Pocket: California Consumers Guide to Energy Incentive Programs, 2002* Rhonda S. Mills and Ciara Jalandoni, Reference guide to programs that subsidize electricity and gas conservation and efficiency, including cash rebates, grants, tax credits, more. Lists programs by section: agriculture, business/commercial, industrial, nonprofit, residential, self-generation, special assistance, and clean vehicle programs. 300 pages. Free. Contact Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies, 1100 Eleventh Street, Suite 311, Sacramento, CA 95814; phone (916) 442-7785; email rhonda@cleanpower.org; Web site http://www.cleanpower.org.

*Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture, April 14 – October 17, 2003* University of California, Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. Six month course in organic gardening and small-scale farming; counts as 20 units of UC Extension credit. Most of the 35-40 students choose to live on site in a tent community. Tuition is US$3,250; some scholarships available. Deadline for applications: November 1, 2002 for US and Canadian applicants, September 1, 2002 for international applicants. For applications, contact Apprenticeship Information, CASFS, UCSC, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064; phone (831) 459-2321; fax (831) 459-2799; email apprenticeship@cats.ucsc.edu; Web site http://www.ucsc.edu/casfs.

*Designer Poisons: How to Protect Your Health and Home from Toxic Pesticides, 1995* Dr. Marion Moses. Discusses acute and chronic health effects of pesticides that are commonly used in homes and on lawns, pets and humans. Recommends nontoxic and less toxic pest control alternatives. Includes information on how to read pesticide labels, over-the-counter carcinogens, “natural” vs. “synthetic” pesticides, scented pesticides, more. 413 pages. US$19.95. Contact Pesticide Education Network, PO Box 225279, San Francisco, CA 94122; phone (415) 665-4722; fax (415) 665-2693; email pec@igc.org; Web site http://www.pesticides.org.

We encourage those interested in having resources listed in the PANUPS Resource Pointer to send review copies of publications, videos or other resources to our office.

PANUPS is a weekly email news service providing resource guides and reporting on pesticide issues that don’t always get coverage by the mainstream media. It’s produced by Pesticide Action Network North America, a non-profit and non-governmental organization working to advance sustainable alternatives to pesticides worldwide.

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