YOUR CHILDREN OR YOUR LAWN? WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT?

by Ron More

The people of Hudson, Quebec decided that their children were more important. They passed a municipal bylaw in 1991 which tightly restricted the use of pesticides for non-essential (cosmetic) uses within its boundaries. Chem Lawn and Spray Tech, both companies that routinely apply toxic pesticides, challenged the bylaw in two Quebec courts and lost. They then appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that municipalities did not have the power to control local pesticide use. This appeal threatened the ability of local governments to address environmental matters. Finally on June 28, 2001 a decision was reached.

The Court held that the municipal bylaw did not conflict with provincial legislation and complements federal legislation. In total “these laws established a tri-level regulatory regime.” The Court also stated that bylaw 270 “respects international law’s” precautionary principal, in that Hudson’s “concerns about pesticides is well under the rubric of preventative action.”

So why the concern about chemical pesticides?

1. Tests have shown that families that use pesticides (insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides) have a higher incident of cancer among their children. Why? Safety limits on pesticide regulations are set for 150 lbs male. Children have a larger skin surface area in proportion to adults, so they absorb more through their skin.
   
   
2. Children’s immune system are is not fully developed until close to or into their 20’s. We all go through “Windows of Vulnerability” during our lifetime when we are susceptible to small amounts of carcinogens.
   
   
3. Children and pets normally live and play close to the ground where the pesticides are more concentrated.
   
   
4. A woman’s body is the first environment a baby is in contact with. Whatever contaminants are in the woman’s body find their way into the next generation. “We know that infants and embryos exist in this world of exquisite sensitivity to carcinogens” – Dr. Sandra Steingraber.
   

You may be saying, “Well, we don’t use pesticides on our lawn”. No, but does your neighbour? School? Municipality?

As little as 1% of pesticides actually hit their mark, according to WWF Canada President Monte Hummel. “The rest wafts into the environment threatening unintended targets, from wildlife to children.” These lawn sprays are a high percentage of fine drops that float in still air. They could float to your property and be deposited on your lawn, garden, pets, children, spouse or yourself. At least 50 million kilograms of pesticides are used in Canada each year. About 10% are applied to crops that human and animals eat. The rest are used in forest management, lawn and garden care, pet care, indoor pest control, industrial processes, and golf course maintenance.

If you are thinking what can I do?

You can go organic! Use natural means of control. Many of these are extremely simple for your lawns and gardens.

Lawns:

1. Keep your lawn 2.5-3 inches in length.
2. Keep your mower blades sharp.
3. Water deeply to prevent shallow roots in grass.
4. Use organic fertilizers.
5. Let the grass clippings stay on the lawn.
6. Try new grass varieties that may do better in certain areas of your lawn.

Gardens:

1. Use mulch to help prevent weed growth.
2. Use compost as a natural fertilizer for your soil.
3. Water efficiently.
4. Gently spray insecticidal soap – 1 tsp of dish detergent to 1 litre of water, store in a spray bottle - on insects on your plants.

“As simple as these methods are many people still trust the “chemicals” to do a better job than organic means. However, this summer I have been following these few rules to an organic garden and lawn myself and my yard is looking much greener than even my neighbours who sprayed chemicals. A little time, work, energy, and a change in the way of thinking chemicals solve the problems, goes a long way to helping clean up our environment.”
~Nancy Horvath, TREA’s Summer Program Co-ordinator.