Our handy index by topic (below) makes it easy for you to look up a question you have about a specific toxic or alternative. NOTE: * You can use your browser's search function to find a specific keyword on this page. (It's usually under the Edit menu and called Find.) * Or just browse the content below to see what's available!
	The Recent Issues page describes and offers links to our most recent issues.

The most recent issues are also listed on the City of Sebastopol website at www.ci.sebastopol.ca.us/Connect-With-Us/Newsletters/Toxics-Education-Program-(STEP).

We welcome your questions, feedback, and suggestions for future articles.

I also want to thank the City Council and City staff for their work in making The Next STEP possible, and for the other local folks who have supported this project in various ways. This currently includes thanking Jim Gleaves for his editorial assistance.

Best regards -

Patricia Dines
Writer, Editor, Public Speaker, & Graphic Artist
Editor & Graphic Designer, The Next STEP

Recent reader feedback

"Thank you heartily [for] your excellent two-page newsletter! I've learned so much from it that I would not have thought to research by myself. It's also a striking example of good citizenship at work!"
- Glenna Elliott

"Just wanted to say thank you for all your positive information. My husband and I are trying for our second child and I really appreciated the article regarding autism cases being higher when exposed to flea shampoos for animals. This was a great eye opener for me and I plan on using only non-toxic cleaners pre-pregnancy and forever afterwards. This type of information really does help all of us -- so again, thank you....I am so happy to be a part of such a caring community."
- A Sebastopol Resident

Now it's even easier to find the information that will help you create a healthier, less-toxic home for yourself and your loved ones. And, when you do this, you help create a healthier world for everyone!

• What toxic products should you consider avoiding?
• What are the actual health and environmental risks from these products?
• What are the viable less-toxic (and often less-costly) alternative approaches you can use?

This index to past issues of The Next STEP newsletter helps you find out!

To look up past issues by category - look in the alphabeticized left column in the table below for your topic of interest. Then click on the newsletter issue number on the right side. A PDF file of the issue will automatically download to your hard drive.

You can also use your browser's Find function to search for a desired keyword. (It's usually under the Edit menu.)Or just browse the list to see what's available and strikes your interest!

If you need a PDF reader - click here www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.

QUICK START: For a quick overview of some of our common topics and their keywords, see XXI/1.

Topic	Volume/Issue
2,4-D (herbicide)	I/4
ADD/ADHD, toxics, and mainstream food	See ADHD-Autism below.
Air fresheners, healthy	V/5, VII/2 (Also see Perfumes & Scents for information about hidden toxics and healthier alternatives.)
Allergies and colds, could the symptoms be from pesticide exposure?	VIII/2
Animals hurt by toxics (wild creatures)	IX/2. Also see Bees, Birds, Pets, Environmental harm, Wildlife, Seafood and Sea Creatures, and Christmas plants toxicity.
Animals (when pests)	XXII/5. Also see the specific animal here.
Ammonia (problems)	II/1
Ants	Start here! XVII/1. More information at: I/4, I/5, IV/6, VII/1, XVIII/3, XVIII/4
Aphids	I/5
Apple trees, protecting from (coddling) moths	XIX/3
Arsenic in our drinking water	XIII/2
Art supplies and cleanup, toxics and options	XVI/2, XVI/3
Artificial sweeteners	See Sweeteners.
Assessing toxics, and prioritizing your toxics reduction	V/4, XIV/5, XIV/6, XVIII/4, XIV/6, XVII/6, XXI/1
Autism and toxics	See ADHD-Autism below.
Baking soda (less-toxic cleanser)	IX/5. Also see Healthier Housecleaning & Cleansers below.
Batteries (toxicity, recycling)	I/6 (Update on this topic: Officials now say that no batteries should go in the trash and are considered toxic waste), IV/4, VII/4, XV/6
Beauty products, toxics, regulation	See Body care products, Perfumes & Scents, and Nail polish.
Bees (threatened by toxics, essential for food supply and nature's functioning)	VII/4 (To see this article as a webpage, click here), XIII/4, XIX/4, XX/4
Beliefs, that can stop toxic action	XVIII/4
Birds (threatened by toxics, what we can do)	XIV/5
Bhopal, India (toxics release, harm)	VI/5, VIII/6
Biodegradable Resolution (City)	II/1
Blackberries (cut back in winter, tips)	VI/2, XIII/5, XXII/1
Bleach, disinfecting, be cautious with	XX/3. Also see Household cleaning.
Body burden, toxics found in our bodies, health impacts, how to reduce, how to test	II/5, III/3, XI/1, XII/1, XII/4, XV/4, XIX/5, XX/4, XXI/2
Body care products, toxics in, disposal	X/5, XIV/3, XIV/4, XIV/5, XV/5, XX/6, XXI/2. Also see Perfumes & Scents
Borax (less-toxic cleanser)	II/4
Boric acid (less-toxic insecticide)	VII/1. XVII/1
BPA, toxic in many household items	XIV/2
Broom, Scotch	See Scotch Broom
Bug repellants, toxic and less-toxic options	II/5, III/4, VI/4, XVI/4, XX/4. And see Catnip for mosquitoes.
Building, ecological	See Green Building
California Healthy Schools Act	I/2, II/5 (To see these articles and more, click here.) Also see Children.
California regulation of toxics	See Government policy.
Cancer and pesticides	See Pesticides & Health (cancer) below.
Candles, including scented -- toxics in some, and healthier alternatives	XVIII/6. (This article plus footnotes/sources is at www.healthyworld.org/candles.html) Also see Perfumes & Scents and Holidays, winter.
Carpenter Bees	XII/2
Carwash (soapy water harms environment; options)	VII/4
Cars, toxics in that "new car" smell	XII/5
Car seats, for children	XXII/4
Cartridges (reusing ink & toner cartridges)	IV/1
Cats	See Pets below
Catnip (for mosquitoes)	II/5, III/4. And see Mosquitoes.
Centennial Garden (Sebastopol)	II/2
CFLs & mercury	See Fluorescent light bulbs, below
Chemical industry (lobbying blocks change)	XII/6
Children - Health issuse from toxics - Protecting from toxics - Teaching to work cooperatively with nature (IPM)	II/5, III/3, IV/2, V/4, VI/5 (Healthy day care bill), XII/2, XII/4, XII/6, XVI/2, XVIII/6, XXII/4 Also see California Healthy Schools Act
China, toxics in products made in China	VII/5 (To see this article as a webpage, click here), VIII/6
Christmas holidays	See Holidays, winter.
Christmas plants (toxicity)	I/6
Christmas trees (pesticides on)	XVI/6
Chlorine	II/1
Chlorpyrifos (organophosphate insecticide)	I/2, III/5, X/5, XVI/3, XXI/5, XXI/6.
Cigarettes (toxics in stubs)	XVI/5
Cleansers & healthier housecleaning	See Healthier Housecleaning & Cleansers.
Clopyralid (herbicide found in compost)	II/3, III/3
Clothes, toxics hidden in, how to avoid	XII/5, XXII/1
Cloth, recycling	XVIII/5
Communication, effective, on toxics issues	See Persuasion.
Community level action (a vital part of personal protection from toxics; groups to support)	XX/5
Companion planting	I/2
Composting	I/6, II/3, III/3, VII/5 (To see just this article as a webpage, click here), X/1
Computers, proper disposal	See Electronic Waste below
Cookware, Teflon, issues and options	XI/2, XI/3, XXII/2
Cosmetics, toxics in	See Body Care Products.
Cover crops	I/5
Covert Lane landscaping	II/1
COVID-19 (coronavirus), Stay at Home, make good use of time, disinfecting	XX/3, XX/6
Crabgrass, lawns	XV/2. Also see Lawn care, Landscaping, and Gardening.
Cups (cleaning stains off less-toxically)	XVIII/4
Dandelions	II/4, XVII/2. And see Weeds.
DDT	XII/3
DEET (mosquito repellant, issues and options)	VI/4, XXII/3. See Bug Repellants for information on toxics and less-toxic options.
Denmark Pesticide Phase-out on State-owned Property	VI/1
Diatomaceous earth	I/2, I/4
Diazinon (organophosphate insecticide)	III/5, XVI/3
Disasters release toxics	XVII/6, XVIII/1. See Lifecycle costs.
Discarding properly	See Toxics Disposal.
Disinfecting, less-toxic options, and caution, including with chlorine bleach	XX/3, XX/6. Also see Household cleaning.
Disposal of toxics	See Toxics Disposal.
Detoxify air, with plants	V/5
Doctor, help health issues	I/5. Also see Health problems.
Documentaries and movies on toxics impacts and reduction, and other eco-issues	XI/2, XIX/5
Dogs	See Pets below
"Dollar" store toxics	XV/3
Drift, pesticides, on neighbors, in air and water	VIII/2, XX/2
Drain declogging	IX/5, XI/3, XIV/3, XXIII/4
Drought, saving water, graywater system, avoiding toxics	XV/4
Dryer sheet toxics and options	XV/1
Dursban	See Chloripyrifos above
Earthworms	I/6
Earwigs	V/4, XXII/4
EcoDesk	IV/4
Edible flowers	II/4
Electric cigarettes (e-cigs)	See Vaping.
Endangered species, toxics threaten	XVI/3
EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)	See Government policy below
Essential oils (and cleaners)	IV/1
Electronic waste (e-waste) - toxics in computers, proper disposal, etc.	IV/5, IX/4, XV/1. Update to our articles: E-waste company CRC in Santa Rosa has gone out of business. In its place is eWaste Sonoma Computer and Electronics Recycling 707 755 0371, www.ewastesonoma.com. Unlike most e-waste dropoff points, they will look for ways to reuse items that are donated. They will also take "anything with a plug" -- toasters, vacuums, etc. Still, we advise first looking for other ways to offer items for reuse -- on craigslist, nextdoor -- to schools -- etc.
Environmental harm of toxics	I/1, III/4, III/5, V/1, V/2, V/6, IX/2, X/5, XI/6. Also see Bees, Animals hurt,  Lifecycle costs, and Wildlife.
Evaluating toxic risk	See Assessing toxics and prioritizing reduction.
Fertilizers, organic (how to identify on the label; the word "organic" is not enough)	XV/3
Fire disaster release toxics	XVII/6, XVIII/1. See Lifecycle costs.
Fish, toxics in	XI/4, XII/3, XII/4, XIII/4, XV/4
Fleas	I/4. Also see Pets.
Flame retardants (including PBDEs)	See PBDEs.
Flowers, hidden toxics and finding safer options, including locally	XVI/6, XVII/3. Also see Edible flowers.
Fluorescent light bulbs (and mercury)	IV/2, IX/3, XV/6, XXII/3
Fluoridation of water in Sonoma County	XIII/2
Fog, mercury found in	XVI/2
Food, and toxics	III/3, X/5, XII/1, XII/4, XIX/6, XX/1, XX/2, XX/4, XXI/4. Also see Organics, affording, below.  Also, for healthier food storage, see XXI/6. (An enhanced version of that article, with lots of bonus information, is at www.healthyworld.org/HC.html.) Also see Sweeteners.
Formaldehyde	XI/4
Fragrances, toxics in	IV/6
Frogs, impacted by toxics	V/6
Fruit trees, protecting	Apples XIX/3.
Gardening (including by the seasons)	I/5, II/1, II/3, III/2, IV/2, VI/2, VII/2, XI/3, XII/2, XIII/1, XIII/5, XXIII/1. Also look under your specific issues and products, plus Landscaping, Lawn care, Companion Planting, Composting, Crabgrass, Snails & slugs, Whiteflies, Sticky barriers (against insects), Dandelions, Rose care, Tree care, Fertilizers organic, Weeds, Seed saving, Permaculture, and Government policy.
Gas stove	XXI/3
Glyphosate (herbicide ingredient, used for instance in Roundup)	I/3 (To see this article as a webpage, including the footnotes referenced in the newsletter PDF, and other additional information, click here.) V/6, XI/6, XV/6, XVII/5, XIX/1, XIX/5, XXII/4
Government policy about toxics, including regulation, product safety, and innovative programs
- U.S. federal toxics regulations, TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act)	IX/6, X/4, X/6, XI/5, XI/6, XII/2, XII/6, XIII/6, XIV/1, XIV/6, XVI/4
- U.S., EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and (CPSC) Consumer Product Safety Commission	VIII/4, IX/2, IX/6, X/5, XI/2, XI/6, XII/1, XIV/6, XVI/4, XXI/5, XXI/6.

Topic	Volume/Issue
Government policy (contd) - U.S., other	IX/4, X/4, X/5, XI/6, XII/1, XII/6, XIV/1, XVII/6
- California regulation of toxics	VI/3, VII/6, VIII/6, XI/1, XI/2, XII/2, XII/6, XIII/6, XIV/1, XV/6, XIV/1, XX/6, XXI/5
- U.S. states and cities, other/overall	XII/2, XII/6, XVII/5, XXI/5. Also see Sonoma County Activities.
- Outside the U.S.	VI/1, VIII/4
- Overall/general	XII/1, XIII/6. Also see Pesticides, as well as your specific pesticide or area of use.
Graywater system, avoiding toxics in	XV/4
Green (ecological) building	III/5, IV/4, VII/4, VIII/3, XV/1, XV/2, XXII/2
Green chemistry	VI/3, VII/6 (To see this article as a webpage, with additional information, click here.), X/6, XI/1, XI/2
Groups working on toxics issues	XX/5, XXI/1. (Discussion of a few of my favorites, and tips for finding ones that match your priorities.) There are also groups mentioned in many of the topics in this Index.
Health problems related to toxics including pesticides, Overall. (Understanding the connection allows us to improve our health, save money, and reduce the other human costs of disease personally and in our community.)	XXIII/4. Also see Pesticides & Toxics
- Evidence of health problems from toxics	VI/2,VIII/3, IX/2, XI/1, XI/5, XII/1, XVI/1, XIX/6
- Toxics found in our bodies, related health impacts, and how to reduce	II/5, XIII/6, XV/4, XIX/5. Also see Body Burden.
- Diagnosis of symptoms, resources, medical view	I/5
- Health care costs	XI/5
- Protecting children	III/3, VI/1, XI/1, XII/6, XV/4
- Costs of disease	VIII/4, X/5
- Prevention shown to reduce disease	IV/5
- EU: Prevention must include toxic reduction	IX/5
Health problems related to toxics, specific illnesses
- Allergies& colds, symptoms mimic	VIII/2
- Developmental disabilities	XI/4
- Neurological harm	V/5, X/5
- Learning disabilities (ADHD, autism, etc.)	V/5, VIII/5, IX/2, X/5, XIII/6.
- Alzeimer's Disease	V/3
- Parkinson's Disease	II/4, V/3, VII/2, XI/5
- Cancer	II/3, III/5, X/4, XX/5, XXI/1
- Childhood asthma	IV/2
- Brain illness	V/3
- Prostate cancer	III/5
- Osteorarthritis	XIII/2
- Thyroid issues (and perchlorate)	IX/1. Also see www.healthyworld.org/thyroid.html
- Weight gain	X/2
- EI/MCS (Environmental Illness/ Multiple Chemical Sensitivity)	XI/1, IV/6
Health & beauty products, toxics, regulation	See Beauty
Healthier housecleaning & household cleaners	II/1 (overview) II/2 (vinegar for cleaning) II/3 (tea tree oil for mold) II/4 (borax for cleaning) IV/1 (safer scents; mold banishers) V/1 (oven cleaning without toxics) VI/3 (book recommendations) VI/4 (natural cleaners go mainstream) VII/2 (cleaning bathroom porcelain) VIII/2 (brief summary) IX/5 (baking soda for cleaning) IX/6 (hydrogen peroxide for deodorizing) X/1 (safe product disposal) XIII/1 (cleaning with pumice) XIV/2 (shoes track in toxics) XV/1 (dryer sheet toxics) XVIII/4 (Removing cup stains, avoiding illegal products) XIX/2 (tea tree oil) XIX/6 (the health harm of mainstream household cleansers) XXI/1 (pumice for porcelain -- in flexible sheets!) XXI/3 (clean showers and tubs, including mineral buildup) Also see Cleaning paint splatters on vinyl windows in XIX/1. And see your specific topics of interest -- laundry, cleaning ovens, removing stains on porcelain, etc.)
Herbs, edible native plants ("weeds")	XVII/2, XVII/3. And see Weeds.
Herbicides	See 2,4D, Glyphosate, & Clopyralid
Hidden toxics (in products you might not expect)	XV/3
Holidays, winter (reduce toxics, save money, be safe and healthy)	I/6, VI/6, VII/6, VIII/6, XV/6, XVI/5, XVI/6 (the text of this is also at this link Detoxing Your Holiday Greenery), XVII/6, XIX/6. Also see Candles above, plus our Ecoholidays webpage.
Home pesticide use (adds up, accumulates in water to significant levels)	III/4
Home repair	See Green Building
House, before buy or rent, evaluating	XIV/5
Housecleaning, healthier	See Healthier Housecleaning & Cleansers above.
Houseplants, less-toxic care	XVIII/5
Hydrogen peroxide, alternative cleaner	IX/6
Insecticides	See Chlorpyrifos, Diazinon, and Malathion.
Insect repellants (toxic and less-toxic options)	See Bug repellants.
Insects (essential and at risk; how to identify what you're seeing)	XIX/4. Also see Bees.
Invasive plants	See Scotch Broom
IPM (Integrated Pest Management)	I/1, II/6, VI/5 (teaching children)

Labels, how to read (to identify risks and avoid toxics)	V/4, XIV/5, XIV/6, XV/3
Laguna (ecosystem is unique, challenges to it, including invasive species, possible use of herbicides)	V/2
Landscaping, less-toxic	VI/2, XIX/1
Laundry, dryer sheet toxics	XV/1
Laundry, booster (borax)	II/4
Lawn care (avoiding toxics, including "weed and feed"; nurturing a healthy lawn)	IV/3, XV/2, XVII/3, XXI/2. Also see Lawn care, Landscaping, and Gardening.
Lawnmowers (pollution from some)	IV/5. Also see Lawn care, Landscaping, and Gardening.
Lead (toxic, health impacts)	IV/4, VII/5, XII/1, XII/4
LED lightbulbs	XXII/3
Lice, head (toxics, alternatives)	XVIII/2
Life Lab	II/6
Lifecycle costs of toxic pesticides (My Five Phases of Toxic Harm model considers harm caused at extraction/ production, transportation, use, storage/disposal, and emergency events)	VI/5, VI/6, XIII/1, XIII/4, XVII/6, XVIII/1, XXIII/3
Lightbulbs, disposal, including fluorescent bulbs and CFLs	See Fluorescent light bulbs
Local, less-toxic options	See specific category, including Flowers and Christmas trees.
Local groups and actions	See Sonoma County Activities, and look through this Index by topic.
Lorsban	See Chloripyrifos
Malathion (organophosphate insecticide)	III/5, VII/3, XVI/3
Medical, help with health issues	I/5. Also see Health problems.
Mercury (in fish, fog, and fluorescent light bulbs)	IV/2, IX/3, IX/5, XI/4, XII/1, XIII/4, XVI/2, XXII/3.
Mice	See Rodents.
Microplastics, including microbeads	XIV/3, XV/4, XV/6, XVI/1. Also see Plastics and Seafood and Sea Creatures.
Mildew & Mold	II/3, III/6, IV/1

Mosquito protection without toxics	VI/4, XXII/3. See Bug repellants.
Moths, apple trees	XIX/3
Moths, clothing	III/2
Moths, grain	III/3
Mothballs, toxic	XXII/4
Mowers, lawn (pollution from some)	IV/5. Also see Lawn care, Landscaping, and Gardening.
Movies, documentaries on eco-isses	XI/2
Nail polish, toxic, alternative	XXI/3
New York City No Spray Victory	VII/3
Natural disasters release toxics	XVII/6. See Lifecycle costs.
Ontario, partial ban of toxic pesticides	VIII/4
Organic food, and reduced pesticides in body	III/3, X/5, XII/1, XV/4, XIX/6. Also see Body Burden.
Organics, affording	VIII/5
Organic landscape care, including OMRI products	XIX/1
Organophosphates, category of materials (including the pesticides chlorpyrifos, malathion, diazinon, plus the nerve gas sarin)	See Chlorpyrifos, Diazinon, and Malathion.
Oven cleaning (without toxics)	V/1
Oxalis (weed)	IV/4
Owls	XIX/2
Paints & stains (toxics and alternatives; safe disposal; free sources; avoiding waste)	III/5, IV/4, XV/1, XV/6, XVIII/4, XVII/5. Also see Cleaning paint splatters on vinyl windows in XIX/1. And see Art supplies.
Park Side School (Sebastopol)	II/6
PBDEs	XII/4, XIII/6, XIV/1 (safer sofas update)
PCBs	XI/4
Pepperweed Project (Sebastopol)	V/3
Perfumes & Scents (toxics in; natural alternatives to)	IV/6, IV/1, XII/4. Also see Air Fresheners, Body Care Products, and Candles.
Permaculture	III/1, III/2
Personal care products	See Body care products and Perfumes & Scents.
Persuasion, on eco-issues, effective	XVI/1, XVIII/5. Also see my article "EcoPersuasion" at www.patriciadines.info/EcoGirl5g.html.
Pesticides & Toxics
- Overview of problems & alternatives	I/1, V/6, XVI/3, XVIII/4
- Assessing toxicity and risks of harm	V/4, XIV/5, XIV/6, XVII/3, XIV/5, XVII/6, XVIII/4
- Prioritizing your toxics reduction	See Assessing toxics and prioritizing reduction.
- Safety tips	I/1
- Calculating the full costs of toxic pesticides	VI/5, VI/6
- & Health	See Pesticides & Health.
- & Drift on neighbors	See Drift.
Pest control company/ professional, getting less-toxic help	XXI/5
Pest control, alternatives (companion planting)	I/2
Pets & Pet Care	And see Christmas plants, toxicity, above.
- Poisoned pet food	VII/3
- Pet care products (toxics and alternatives)	VI/1, X/1, X/4, XXII/6
- Cat litter (selection; composting)	V/1
- Cat repellent (vinegar)	II/2
- Rat poison harms, alternatives	IX/6
PFAS chemicals (toxic family of chemicals widely used in consumer products and in firefighting foams)	XX/5, XX/6, XXI/5, XXII/2, XXII/4, XXIII/2
PFCs (toxics such as PFOA)	XI/2, XI/3
Pharmaceutical contamination in our water and ecosystems; health harm; misuse; proper disposal	VIII/1, XV/5, XV/6
Pineapple (growing plant from top)	II/4
Plastics (toxics in, preventing harm, solutions)	VIII/6, XX/1, XX/2. All of these articles are also on webpage with additional resources. See Plastics1 (for VIII/6) and Plastics2 (for XX/1 and XX/2). XXI/4. Also, for healthier food storage, see XXI/6. (An enhanced version of that article, with lots of bonus information, is at www.healthyworld.org/HC.html.) Also see Microplastics and Seafood and Sea Creatures.
Poison oak	XIII/5
EMERGENCY POISON HELP LINE	XVIII/4
Poisonous plants, holidays	I/6
Pollinators	XIX/4, XX/4. Also see Bees.
Pollution, pesticides in local water	III/4
Porcelain (cleaning stains off cups less-toxically)	XVIII/4, XXI/1
PVC vinyl	XIV/1
Rats, rat poison, harm pets and wildlife, alternatives and safe use	See Rodents.
Recycling	XIII/5 (green can), XVIII/5 (cloth). Also see Toxics Disposal below
Regulation, government	See Government policy, above
Remodeling, green	VII/4
Rodeo (herbicide)	See Glyphosate.
Rodents	VII/3, IX/6, XI/4, XIV/6, XVIII/5, XIX/2
Rose care, less-toxic	V/3
Roundup (herbicide)	See Glyphosate.
Salmon, pesticide buffer zone	III/5
Sanitizer, hand	XVII/1, XX/6. Also see Disinfecting and Household cleaning.
Santa Rosa activities	See Sonoma County Activities, and look through this Index by topic.
Schools and pesticide exposure	I/2, II/5, XII/2, XVI/5
Scotch Broom (invasive species)	V/6
Scents	See Perfumes & Scents for information about hidden toxics and healthier alternatives.
Seafood and sea creatures, toxics in	IX/5, X/5, XX/1. Also see Plastics and Microplastics.
Sebastopol, City of (toxics policy and use)	XIV/4. See STEP (about the program) and www.healthyworld.org/STEP.html. Also see Sonoma County Activities.
Seed saving	I/5
Sheet mulching (quick start garden)	III/2
Shoes, track in toxics and bacteria; solutions	XIV/2, XV/2
Shower curtains (toxics in; options)	XIV/1, XIV/4
Snails & slugs	I/2, VI/2, XXIII/3
Sofas and chairs (toxics in; options)	XIV/1, XIV/4. Also see PBDEs.
Solar Sebastopol, reduces toxics in air	III/6
Sonoma County activities around toxics (including Sebastopol, Santa Rosa, Petaluma, and beyond)	XVII/5, XIX/1, XIX/5, XX/2. Also see STEP and Sonoma County Toxics Disposal. And peruse this Index by topic.
Sonoma County 2017 fires	XVII/6, XVIII/1. Also see www.healthyworld.org/NBFires.html and www.healthyworld.org/NBFires2.html.
"Spray snow" (toxicity)	I/6
Squirrels	XII/3, XXII/4, XXII/5
STEP (about the program, including our activities and annual survey results)	I/1, II/3, III/4, IV/4, V/3, VI/3, VII/3, VIII/3, IX/3, X/3, XI/3, XII/2, XII/3, XIII/1, XIII/3, XIV/3, XIV/4, XV/3, XVI/1, XVI/5, XVII/3, XVII/5, XVIII/3, XVIII/6, XIX/3, XX/2, XX/3, XXI/1, XXI/3. Also see Sebastopol activities.
Styrofoam	XXII/6
Sticky barriers (against insects)	I/5
Stove, gas	XXI/3
Summer toxics issues and alternatives	VII/4, XVII/4, XX/4, XXII/4
Summerfield's Organic Celebration	IV/1
Sunscreen issues and healthier alternatives	IX/4, X/4, XVII/4, XX/4
Sweeteners, artificial and natural	XXIII/1. Also see the webpage version of this article, with citations, at Artificially Sweet.
Tanglefoot (for insects on trees)	I/5
Tea tree oil (an alternative)	II/3 , XIX/2
Teenagers, protect from toxics at work	V/4
Teflon cookware, issues and options	XI/2, XI/3, XXII/2
Telar (herbicide, chlorsulfuron)	V/2. (To see this article as a webpage, with footnotes, click here.)
Ticks	See Pets and Bug Repellants.
Tobacco (toxics in cigarette stubs)	XVI/5
Toxics disposal and other recycling	I/2, III/2, III/3, IV/2, V/2, VI/2, VIII/1, X/1, XV/5, XV/6, XVII/5, XIX/3, XXII/1, XXII/3. Also get local toxics disposal information, including about the toxics disposal site, at www.zerowastesonoma.gov. To find the next Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Event near you, see www.zerowastesonoma.gov/recycle-dispose/residents/hhw-collection-events. These occur in one Sonoma County town each Tuesday.
Toxics, hidden, in products you might not expect	XV/3
Toxics in products and regulation issues (U.S. and international)	VII/1, VII/5, VIII/1, X/1
Toys (toxics in)	VII/5, VII/6
Tree care	XIX/3
Triclosan, antibacterial in consumer products	XI/6, XIV/1, XV/1. Also see Body Care Products.
TSCA, U.S. federal toxics regulations (Toxic Substances Control Act)	See Government policy.
Urban pesticide use (home use adds up, accumulates in water to significant levels)	III/4
U.S. regulations, federal and state, especially California	See Government policy.
Vaping	XIII/6, XIX/6. Also see our XIX/6 article plus added links at www.healthyworld.org/vaping.html.
Vinegar (for cleaning)	II/2
Vinegar (for weed control, in some situations)	IV/3, XVII/4
VOCs (in paints)	III/5
Volunteering, Sebastopol	II/2
Wasps	I/4, XIX/4, XXII/5
Water supply (pesticides and toxics in our water, locally and nationally; protecting our water from toxics)	III/4, V/1, VII/4, XI/2, XII/2, XII/3, XIII/1, XIII/2, XIV/2, XIV/3, XV/4, XVIII/1
Weeds (the toxicity of common products, and the less-toxic solutions)	I/3, I/4, III/2 , IV/3 , IV/4, XIII/5, XIV/4, XV/2, XV/3, XVII/3, XVII/5, XVIII/3, XIX/2, XXIII/2. (And see the next two lines.)
Weeds you can eat (re: "weed" plants that are actually herbs traditionally used for food and healing!)	II/4, XVII/2, XVII/3
Weed and feed (contains toxics)	XV/3, XVII/3
West Nile Virus (and mosquitoes)	VI/4
Whiteflies	XIII/1
Wildlife, toxics harm	XVI/3. And see Animals hurt, Seafood and Sea Creatures, Environmental harm, Rodents (re: rat poison), and Mercury (re: in fish).
Windows, cleaning (less-toxic solution)	VII/4, XX/4
Winter toxics issues and alternatives	See Holidays and Blackberries (trimming). And look under your specific topic in this index.
Wood, toxics in, with solutions and alternatives	V/5, XXII/2
Work, possible toxics at work	V/4
Yellowjackets	See Wasps.
Zero Waste Sonoma	XIX/3. Also see Sonoma County Toxics Disposal.

An excellent source of information about less-toxic alternatives for pests of all varieties (animal, plant, and insect) is the book "Common Sense Pest Control", by Olkowski and Sheila Daar. The definitive book on the subject, it has very thorough information on pest life cycles, habits, and methods of control. 706 pages, including a detailed index. At $39.95, most people don't need to own one, but check at your local library or environmental resource center. (The Sonoma County Library has it.) If they don't have it, consider getting them one, as an excellent way to support a less-toxic community.

For lots of great information about properly disposing of everyday waste and toxics, see the Zero Waste Sonoma website at www.zerowastesonoma.org. This includes information on where to discard paints, batteries, lightbulbs, and much more. For more about what they do, see our article at XIX/3.

For information about Sonoma County and area toxics, organics, and environmental and political information and action, see our Sonoma County Resources Page.

For more information about organics and other alternatives to toxics, see our Toxics and Alternatives Resources Page.

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