Cosmetic Pesticides
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Cosmetic Pesticides
Date:
Fri, 18 Oct 2002 06:13:44 -0400
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
cc: Christine Whitman whitman.christine@epa.gov
TREA Talk, The newspaper of the Thames Region Ecological Association
Fall, 2002. Cosmetic Pesticides By Patty Webber, R.N., co-chair, London
Coalition Against Pesticides.
The anti-pesticide lobby continues to be strong despite attempts by the pesticide industry to discourage us.
Industry-generated studies proclaim the safety of pesticides, but the facts remain the same...many chemical pesticides are dangerous toxins, harmful to the environment, and to all life. If anything, the evidence today against chemical pesticides is stronger. We know that commonly used pesticides are linked to life-altering, near death and sometimes fatal experiences. Neurotoxic effects such as Parkinson's disease, aggressive behavior, and learning disabilities in children; reproductive disorders including hormone disruption, birth defects, stillbirths, infertility and endometriosis; immune system breakdown evidenced by chemical sensitivities, allergies, asthma, and cancers, all have been linked with pesticides.
Using pesticides for the goal of a grass monoculture lawn, that is to say, for purely cosmetic reasons, involves unacceptable risks, exposing human life, pets, and wildlife to unjustifiable hazards. Living in the toxic stew of today's environment, it may not be possible to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that lawn chemicals are at fault, but absence of proof is not proof of absence. We must utilize the Precautionary Principle and err on the side of caution. No one's right to use lawn chemicals should take precedence over another's right to the highest level of health possible. If there is even a small chance that the use of lawn chemicals will contribute to another child developing leukemia or the exacerbation of an asthma attack, it's a simple no-brainer, don't use it.
The fact also remains that safe and effective alternatives are available for lawn care. The industry may claim that we need their products, but remember that these companies are in business, and their ultimate goal is profit, not health and well being. The use of boiling water and vinegar, garlic and other simple, safe and inexpensive lawn and garden pest remedies could seriously harm the industry's bottom line. The time has come for industry to read the writing on the wall, and adjust their product lines and lawn care practices to those of a more environmentally friendly nature.
The list of prominent organizations calling for restrictions on the cosmetic use of pesticides continues to grow...recently the Canadian Public Health Association joined such groups as The Canadian Cancer Society, The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, The Ontario College of Family Physicians, The Canadian Environmental Law Association, World Wildlife Fund and The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment.
Communities all over the country are working toward the enactment of bylaws restricting chemical pesticides for cosmetic use, as Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Hudson, Quebec have done. Where does the City of London stand? Their approach is of a frustratingly lukewarm nature. After declining to fulfill the wishes of thousands of Londoners for a restrictive bylaw, a steering committee was organized to implement a "Community Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program". In other words, not much will change because IPM effectively condones chemical pesticide use, and, despite the lack of a recognized accreditation process, many lawn care companies claim to be already practicing IPM.
LCAP volunteers are present at community events, educating, distributing literature, and providing informative speakers to interested groups. Is what we are doing effective? We think so. It is our latest flyer, designed for distribution to homes displaying the Pesticide WARNING signs (required by law to stand on the lawn for 48 hours after a lawn care company has disseminated toxic chemicals), that seems to have touched a nerve in a locally operated company. LCAP has been ordered through a law firm, to cease and desist distribution of what was considered to be innocuous, basic lawn care info, and encouragement to get one's lawn off of drugs.
The battle rages on, but we are winning, be it one step, or one lawn, at a time.
If you would like to be included in our mailing list for continuing information on pesticides, please email us at list@safe2use.com.