The Straight Goods - Rehab for
drugged-out lawns - Break the chemical dependency cycle for the
environment and for your health
Subject: The Straight Goods - Rehab for drugged-out lawns---
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 2000 10:57:18 -0500
From: Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization: Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)
To: Paul Helliker <phelliker@cdpr.ca.gov>
Director, State of
California, Department of Pesticide Regulation
Dear Mr. Helliker, I thought you might like to
read an article entitled: The Straight Goods - Rehab for drugged-out
lawns - Break the chemical dependency cycle for the environment and for
your health - By: Suzanne Elston.
Last week, the American Academy of Neurology
released a pesticide study that has environmental and health activists
on both sides of the border nodding in agreement.
According to the study, pesticide use in the home
and garden increases the risk of developing Parkinson's disease, a
chronic nervous disorder characterized by a fine slowly-spreading
tremor, muscular weakness and rigidity. The preliminary results from
this study mirror what is already known about the increased risk of
Parkinson's disease associated with occupational exposure to pesticides.
Researchers found that people who had been exposed to pesticides were
about two times more likely to develop Parkinson's disease than people
not exposed to pesticides.
Since 1994, when a Statistics Canada report linked
non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with pesticide use in farmers, an increasing
number of victims are speaking out about their widespread use
The damaging effects that pesticides can have on
the human body are becoming more widely accepted by the medical
community. Since 1994, when a Statistics Canada report linked
non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with pesticide use in farmers, an increasing
number of victims are speaking out about their widespread use.
In 1938, just 7 known insects and mite species
were resistant to pesticides. By 1984, there were 447 resistant species.
(With an exponential increase in the rest - and there are only
about 1,000 insect pests.)
Sadly, few people are listening. The worldwide
pesticide market continues to grow at a staggering rate. It's estimated
that global sales of pesticides have increased to $31.25 billion (U.S.)
in 1996 from $2.7 billion in 1970. What's startling about these figures
is that on a per acre comparison, the use of pesticides in urban areas
is 15 times greater than in agricultural areas.
This dramatic increase is due in part to a spiraling chemical
dependency that began as a business opportunity. The so-called perfect
lawn is a fabrication of the industry that aims to provide it. Pesticide
companies have seen a marketing opportunity and seized it. There is
nothing either sinister or illegal about their actions. But once a
cycle of chemical dependency has been established, our lawns require an
increasing quantity of chemicals just to survive. In the process, we are
also destroying our lawn's natural ability to protect itself against
so-called pests. The more chemicals we use, the more resistant the pests
become. The Worldwatch Institute reports that in 1938, just 7 known
insects and mite species were resistant to pesticides. By 1984, there
were 447 resistant species, including many major agricultural pests.
For "do-it-yourselfers", it's possible
to go organic with a little work and some basic information.
The good news is that we can avoid exposing
ourselves, our families and our environment to a potentially lethal
toxic soup without putting lawn care companies out of business. If the
goal is to provide job opportunities, there is another way. What these
companies could offer are alternative systems that improve lawns and
gardens without chemicals. Keep in mind that developing a healthy,
chemical-free lawn takes time. Organic gardening experts estimate that
it takes three to five years to break the chemical cycle and allow
beneficial insects and micro-organisms to return completely to the soil.
If that doesn't provide an opportunity for long-term lawn care
contracts, I don't know what does.
For "do-it-yourselfers", it's possible to
go organic with a little work and some basic information. To begin the
process, lawns should be aerated, and any thatch build-up - i.e. dead
grass and root fibres - removed. Applying a pest-resistant species of
grass seed and clover is also recommended. Grass should be cut no less
than three inches high.
Pesticide alternative: Ladybug larvae are known
to eat 30 aphids - greenhouse and garden pests - per day.
Correct watering is another major lawn care factor.
Over-watering causes shallow roots, which leaves lawns unable to
tolerate dry periods. Rather than light daily watering, a good soak -
about 2.5 cm- no more than once a week is suggested. To conserve water,
check to make sure there hasn't been a heavy rainfall within the last
seven days. Allow water to penetrate deeply to the root system to
encourage root growth. Evaporation is a problem when watering is done
during the heat of the day, so water in the early morning. Evening
watering can leave roots damp, which promotes fungal growth and leads to
an unhealthy lawn.
A number of innovative new tools are available that
make pulling dandelions and other weeds relatively effortless. The best
time to weed is after a rain or watering, when the ground is soft.
Suzanne Elston is a syndicated newspaper columnist,
radio commentator and motivational speaker, but considers being a parent
her most important job. Her most recently published work is a
contribution to Sweeping the Earth: Women Taking Action for a Healthy
Planet. Along with her husband Brian and their three wonderful children,
she lives in their the family's 1827 farmhouse. Suzanne can be contacted
at selston@tvo.org. Suzanne's Straight Goods column appears bi-weekly.
Get More/Do More - The World Wildlife Fund's (www.wwfcanada.org)
booklet "Reducing Your Risk From Pesticides" suggests buying
organically grown foods, avoiding freshly sprayed lawns and opting for a
pesticide-free garden. For a free copy, call the WWF toll-free at
1-800-267-2632.
For more information about the American Academy of
Neurology; visit its Web site at http://www.aan.com.
PANNA (Pesticide Action Network North America) is a
great resource. The site has a fully searchable database and lots of
informationabout health effects and alternatives to pesticides; go to
http://www.igc.apc.org/panna.
- Need information about organic gardening? Check
out www.tvorganics.com. This Vancouver based company is the first
Canadian website to offer a full range of organic fertilizers,predatory
insects, and organic seed, all in Canadian dollars.
Source url: http://www.straightgoods.com/item347.asp
Well Mr. Helliker, simply using composted
chicken manure correctly will eliminate grubs in days, moles in weeks
and weeds in a few years. But, I forget, professional pest control
operators can only use your "registered" POISONS to
"control" those pest problems in California.
Why is that STILL true?
Respectfully,
Stephen L. Tvedten
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