The issue of global warming has been causing many of us to re-examine out commitment to the environment. Buying a hybrid car or installing solar panels are great ideas, but the costs involved might be too high for many of us.

However, there are simple and inexpensive choices we can make starting today that will bring us closer to a collective goal of healing the environment. Spring will be here soon and many of us work on spring cleaning inside and outside our homes. This year, I would like to encourage my fellow Ballardites to choose non-toxic alternatives to common household products.

Indoors, try using vinegar, borax, baking soda, lemon juice or just plain elbow grease when tackling cleaning projects. In the yard, try using boiling water on weeds instead of herbicides, which can be toxic to children and pets.

Reducing the use of hazardous household products will increase air and water quality and there are many simple solutions available. You can find more suggestions at the EPA's EnviroSense web site (http//es.epa.gov/techinfo/facts/safe-fs.html) or at King Country's Department of Natural Resources and Parks site (http://dnr.metrokc.gov/).

As Earth Day approaches on March 20, lets work on cleaning up out environment too.

Beth Nauman-Montana

Ballard