Canadians, be proud of this!

[MJZiggy]

An article by Tom Christopher in this month's House & Garden (no link yet) begins as such:

"As a gardener with Canadian grandparents on both sides, I can tell you this: there's more than hockey players, bacon and bargain pharmaceuticals coming south across teh border. There's also a new onsciusness, one that may at long last cleanse our home landscapes of chemical pesticides so that our children and pets can play outdoors without exposure to carcinogens adn neurotoxins.

All across Canada, communities have been passing ordinances to prohibit what they call the "cosmetic" use of pesticides--the application of insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides to enhance purely ornamental plantings such as flowers, shrubbery, and expecially lawns. To date, osme 96 municipalities, including Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, home to 35 percent of teh nation's inhabitants, have signed on. It's a full-fledged revolution, but because teh battles have been, in typical Canadian fashion, understated and pragmatic, few in the United States have been aware of it."

The article goes on to outline the the dangers of pesticide use and the battle for approval of these ordinances. It talks about the chemical companies, namely Spraytech and Chemlawn trying to block them (don't know why as "natural" pest control is initially more expensive anyway) and enacting laws in the US in an attempt to preempt these types of laws here.

Interesting read and lists a few websites for those interested.
Northeast Organic Farming Association (Conn) Nofa.org
Beyond Pesticides (DC) info@beyondpesticides.org
Ecological Landscaping Association (Mass) ecolandscaping.org

[woodbuck27]

Yes that's a trend in Canadian cities now to protect our valuable water supplies and the Eco-System in general.

[oregonpackfan]

As Texas would say, "Those people sound like a bunch of Bush-hating, leftist, liberals who don't belong in America!"

Oops! I guess that is why they are Canadiens." :oops:

[Scott Campbell]

.......maybe we could ask Al Gore could save us from Miracle Gro.

[LL2]

I’m all for not using pesticides. Better for our food supply and environment. If all food producers stopped using pesticides, herbicides, and whatever other chemicals they use most foods would be considered “organic.” Then we wouldn’t have to pay 50-100% more for organic foods.

[MJZiggy]

.......maybe we could ask Al Gore could save us from Miracle Gro.

Actually homeowner pesticide use is having some rather serious ramifications on the water systems--runoff and all.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Sheep. Anti-pesticide movement = typical environmental scare tactics. There are many reasons why the quality of produce and crop yields are exceptionally high in this country. Pesticides just happen to be one of those reasons.

http://www.ynhh.org/online/nutrition/advisor/pesticides.html


Don't be bugged! The truth about pesticides

Your mouth is watering in anticipation of the fresh, juicy orange you are peeling, when suddenly you discover it's half eaten by worms! Or, you're cutting into your colorful seasonal squash when you notice that it's black and moldy inside! Thanks to pesticides, we don't have to worry about these kinds of stories happening very often.

Have you heard the claims that pesticides make your produce unsafe to eat? These so-called “contaminants” are actually chemicals sprayed on fruits and vegetables while they are growing to stop insects, fungus, molds and other pests from destroying them.

When the word “pesticide” comes to mind, many people automatically think of harsh, synthetic chemicals. However, there are also naturally occurring chemicals that control insects, such as sulfur and copper. They are used by farmers to increase crop yield and develop high quality produce. In many ways, they are actually used to make your food safer and ensure that a variety of products are available at your local food store.

Many consumers are concerned that pesticides left on produce, or residues, could be dangerous. Farmers use as little as necessary to help minimize health risks and because the chemicals are costly to them.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for ensuring your food is safe by setting limits for the amounts of residues considered acceptable on produce by the time it reaches your grocery store. Acceptable levels are those that research has shown there to be no significant health risk when ingested over a lifetime. The fact is that by the time your fruits and vegetables make it to your home, pesticide residues are well below those limits.

[MJZiggy]

I say runoff from lawn pesticices is affecting the water systems (I was referring to fish deformities and killoff) and you call me a sheep and quote a food safety article? What's that got to do with lawn and ornamental pesticide use?

[HarveyWallbangers]

I say runoff from lawn pesticices is affecting the water systems (I was referring to fish deformities and killoff) and you call me a sheep and quote a food safety article? What's that got to do with lawn and ornamental pesticide use?

Well, not all follow-up posts were limited to lawn pesticides. I have no opinion on them. I'm talking about the general anti-pesticide movement. It's another flawed, sounds good/not practical solution to an imagined crisis. It's practical only if we want groceries to double in price because of poor crop yield. We have the EPA to determine what are acceptable levels that farmers can use.

[the_idle_threat]

I say runoff from lawn pesticices is affecting the water systems (I was referring to fish deformities and killoff) and you call me a sheep and quote a food safety article? What's that got to do with lawn and ornamental pesticide use?

On the plus side, some people think sheep are sexy ... :P

[Harlan Huckleby]

Yes that's a trend in Canadian cities now to protect our valuable water supplies and the Eco-System in general.

I think I would like Canada very much.

I do have one major problem with Canada: they have a very limited view of freedom of speech. It is illegal to hurt people's feelings. Howard Stern is heavily censored. I have a Candadian friend who complains about this difference with the U.S.

Other than that issue, I think Canada is more evolved than the United States.

[MJZiggy]

I say runoff from lawn pesticices is affecting the water systems (I was referring to fish deformities and killoff) and you call me a sheep and quote a food safety article? What's that got to do with lawn and ornamental pesticide use?

On the plus side, some people think sheep are sexy ... :P

I'd prefer to be adored for my more human characteristics, thanks...