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July 22, 2008 While a provincial pesticide ban is expected to
take place in the spring of 2009, some communities are light years ahead
of the province and are enacting their own pesticide bans.
London, for instance, has one of the strongest environmental policies in
the province and, more recently and closer to home for those in Bruce
County, Walkerton has instituted a total pesticide ban, thanks to Mayor
Charlie Bagnato.
It is hard to understand why people insist on spraying a chemical known
to be poisonous to animal, insect and human life simply to eradicate
what is natural vegetation. For those who seem bent on having the
perfect green lawn, ask yourself why warnings can include:
-Keep out of reach of children - harmful if inhaled or absorbed through
skin. Avoid breathing dust or vapor. -Keep children or
pets off treated areas.
-Do not graze treated areas or use clippings for feed or forage.
-Do NOT plant any food within one year of a treatment.
Those companies that have convinced home owners that sprays of
pesticides, insecticides and herbicides are the way to go, are supposed
to place a sign on the treated area that is to remain for 48 hours. Why
is that, if there is no danger in the product? Also, the sign posted
must state the chemical used.
One such sign, documented by a photograph, reads Registration No. 25932
and is known as Merit Solupak Insecticide that contains imidacloprid.
Why worry about imidacloprid? Well, some of the affects from sprays that
contain it are, difficulty breathing, loss of the ability to move,
staggering, trembling, spasms, apathy and it has also been linked to
causing thyroid lesions.
In addition, and which should be of great concern to everyone, is this
product is highly toxic to to aquatic invertebrates, earthworms and
honey bees, not mention humans. (next column)
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(continued)
Being touted as a 'grub killer', it in fact kills parasitic wasps
that actually control grub larvae so that the grub problem actually
escalates.
France, for instance, has completely banned any use of the chemical
because of the dramatic world decline in the bee population. Yet, here
we are in Saugeen Shores, one of the most prized natural settings
anywhere, using one of the most toxic substances known to man.
What else does it affect? It is also highly toxic to certain species
including the house sparrow, pigeons, canaries and limits the mobility
of lady beetles and other predatory insects and has been known to cause
birth defects.
This particular chemical is also extremely long-lasting and has a
half-life of up to 730 days and can build up over years, particularly in
agricultural applications.
The label stipulates that food crops cannot be planted for one year
after application. Therefore, two growing seasons would have to elapse
before harvesting.
As of June 12, 2007 there were four commercial insecticides registered
that contain imidacloprid and they all bear the name of Merit.
Environmentally, according to hazardous listings, products containing
imidacloprid, are not to be applied to terrains where there is a
'potential' for surface run-off to enter aquatic systems. Would this not
be difficult to prevent in an area saturated with underground springs
lying beneath porous sand layers and leading into a lake? Yet, here we
are living on the coast of a great lake that used to be an ancient
shoreline consisting of a sandy base and a spring fed aquafer using one
of the most toxic insecticides found anywhere.
According to scientists at the recent Lake Huron Learning conference
held in Saugeen Shores, Lake Huron is one of the healthiest of the Great
Lakes and it is fast losing its status thanks to the actions and
inactions of man.
For those who use sprays in order to cosmetically promote a green,
weed-free lawn, ask yourself this - are there, or have there been,
diseases in your family that have been proven as being related to the
use of these sprays ... e.g. cancers, Parkinson's, thyroid, tremors,
breathing difficulties, tumours, etc.?
It's time to get with the program here - the program being the
well-being of our children, our families, our community and our planet.
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