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Ban Pesticides Campaign

Posted By bradford On August 23, 2009 @ 3:01 pm In | No Comments

BAN PESTICIDES IN YOUR COMMUNITY!

Support a Pesticide Bylaw

istock [1]Over 150 municipalities, including Vancouver, Toronto, Maple Ridge, Nelson, and Invermere as well as the provinces of Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick have passed legislation banning or regulating the use of cosmetic pesticides. This means that over half of Canadians are protected from cosmetic pesticides.

The following resources will help your community get a pesticide bylaw in place before the spring of 2010 !!

COMMUNITY TOOLKIT

 -  RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITY ACTION [2]
 -  PESTICIDE RESEARCH [3]
 -  PESTICIDE FACTSHEET [4]
 -  MODEL PESTICIDE-USE BYLAW [5]
 -  ONLINE TOOLS & ACTION [6]
 -  YOUR FEEDBACK [7]

RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITY ACTION

PESTICIDE RESEARCH

PESTICIDE FACTSHEET

   WHAT IS A PESTICIDE?

  • Pesticides are substances intended to kill or otherwise control weeds, insects, fungi or pests. They can be over-the-counter products, or special chemicals not easily available to the public. Examples include herbicides that kill weeds or insecticides that kill bugs.

   WHAT IS MEANT BY THE TERM ‘COSMETIC USE OF PESTICIDES’?

  • Also known as the ‘ornamental’ or ‘non-essential’ use of pesticides, this means pesticides which are being used to enhance the appearance of private gardens and lawns, as well as parks, recreational facilities and golf courses, by controlling unwanted weeds, pests, and plants or to prevent blemishes and other imperfections.

   WHY GO PESTICIDE FREE?

  • Increasing evidence links pesticide exposure to serious health and environmental problems.
  • Young children and babies are at a greater risk from the effects of pesticides because of their small size, their rapid development and immature immune systems, as well as their behaviour including playing on lawns and floors and putting their hands in their mouth. Exposure to pesticides is linked to childhood cancers, kidney and liver damage, and birth defects.
  • In adults, pesticides have been linked to Parkinson’s disease, reproductive problems, and cancers.
    Pesticides don’t stop at the fence or garden gate and they pollute waterways and the air, landing in our yards, gardens and homes.
  • Risks to pets include increased aggression and thyroid enlargement in cats and increased rates of cancer in dogs. Also vulnerable are many wildlife species, including fish, frogs, turtles, and of course the beneficial insects, earthworms, and pollinating bees.

   HOW TO REDUCE YOUR EXPOSURE

  • Use healthy alternatives – there are numerous alternatives to using pesticides;
  • Check labels on garden products and ask questions;
  • Use non-toxic solutions such as herbicidal or insecticidal soap, borax, acetic acid (vinegar) or corn gluten;
  • Adopt healthy lawn practices [21] such as pulling weeds by hand, over-seeding, mowing high and watering infrequently; and
  • Spread the Word and Speak Out! Let your local government and others in the community know that you support making your community pesticide-free. Email, fax or hand-write a letter to your local Mayor and Council and/or the local newspaper to voice your support for a pesticide-free community. See the resources [2] section for model legislation and more.

       DOWNLOAD FACTSHEET [22]
       Many thanks to Pesticide-free Cranbrook for preparing this Factsheet!

MODEL PESTICIDE-USE BYLAW

  • Adapt the following Model Bylaw [23] to your community!
ONLINE TOOLS & ACTION

Read our submission to the Manitoba government [30] on why provincial pesticide restrictions are necessary! Manitobans deserve to be protected from unnecessary pesticide exposures, with legislation at least as strong as Ontario’s Pesticide Ban Act. Key features would include a list of permitted chemicals modeled after organic agriculture standards and the PMRA biopesticide list; and application to public and private non-agricultural lands, including forests and golf courses. The Manitoba Government has opened up public consultation on pesticide regulation and they need to hear from you too! Even if you don’t live in Manitoba please send an email [31] to the Government asking them to support a ban on cosmetic pesticides!

Read the letter from Prevent Cancer Now [32] to the B.C. government special committee on cosmetic pesticides regarding their recent disappointing report (see: “Don’t ban cosmetic pesticides, B.C. MLAs recommend [33]“, CBC News, May 17, 2012). Please take a moment and tell the Premier to ban cosmetic pesticides! SIGN PETITION [34] / SEND EMAIL [35]

YOUR FEEDBACK

Thanks so much! Your group is an inspiration to ours here in Winnipeg. The research will help us try to stop the city from reducing our buffer zones and spraying us for another year with the toxic insecticide malathion.

Olga Krywyj, Beyond ToxiCity
October 29, 2010

Article printed from Prevent Cancer Now: http://www.preventcancernow.ca

URL to article: http://www.preventcancernow.ca/ban-pesticides-campaign/

URLs in this post:

[1] Image: http://www.preventcancernow.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/istock.jpg

[2] RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITY ACTION: #RESOURCES_FOR_COMMUNITY_ACTION

[3] PESTICIDE RESEARCH: #PESTICIDE_RESEARCH

[4] PESTICIDE FACTSHEET: #PESTICIDE_FACTSHEET

[5] MODEL PESTICIDE-USE BYLAW: #BYLAW_TEMPLATE

[6] ONLINE TOOLS & ACTION: #ONLINE_TOOLS_ACTION

[7] YOUR FEEDBACK: #YOUR_FEEDBACK

[8] Provincial consultations show 88% support for cosmetic pesticide ban: http://wcel.org/resources/environmental-law-alert/provincial-consultations-show-88-support-cosmetic-pesticide-ban

[9] Where the provinces stand: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/health/food/ONtario_Legislation.asp

[10] Pesticide-free BC: http://www.pesticidefreebc.org/

[11] Canadian Environmental Law Association resources: http://www.cela.ca/collections/pollution/banning-cosmetic-pesticide-use-ontario

[12] Pesticide Free? Oui!: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Publications/Pesticide_Free_Oui.asp?tr=y&auid=4628817

[13] www.PesticideFreeKootenays.ca: http://www.pesticidefreekootenays.ca

[14] Links Page: http://www.preventcancernow.ca/main/resources/links

[15] Cancer health effects of pesticides: Systematic review: http://www.preventcancernow.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/bassil.pdf

[16] Non-cancer health effects of pesticides: Systematic review: http://www.preventcancernow.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/sandborn.pdf

[17] Chemical Trespass: Pesticides in Our Bodies: http://www.panna.org/docsTrespass/ChemTresMain%28screen%29.pdf

[18] Exploring the Connection: A State of the Science Conference on Pesticides and Cancer: http://convio.cancer.ca/site/PageServer?pagename=PEST_CAN_conference_presentations&s_locale=en_CA

[19] Parental Exposure to Pesticides and Childhood Brain Cancer: U.S. Atlantic Coast Childhood Brain Cancer Study: http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2009/0800209/abstract.pdf

[20] Children and Pesticides don’t mix!: http://www.beyondpesticides.org/lawn/factsheets/Pesticide.children.dontmix.pdf

[21] lawn practices: http://www.planetnatural.com/site/xdpy/kb/lawn-tips.html

[22] Image: http://www.preventcancernow.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/pesticide-fact-sheet.pdf

[23] Model Bylaw: http://www.crd.bc.ca/rte/pest/modelbylaw.htm

[24] Petition for a Pesticide By-Law: http://www.preventcancernow.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/bylaw.pdf

[25] Tell your retailer to stop selling pesticides: http://www.preventcancernow.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/stop.pdf

[26] Let the NS Government know where you stand on cosmetic pesticides!: http://www.ecologyaction.ca/content/let-ns-government-know-where-you-stand-cosmetic-pesticides

[27] Stop the use of cosmetic pesticides in Alberta!: http://www.cancer.ca/files/AB-NWT/pesticides/index.html

[28] Send an online letter to your Premier: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/NatureChallenge/GardenContest/Take_Action.asp

[29] Planet Natural: Tips for a Chemical-Free Lawn: http://www.planetnatural.com/site/lawn-care-guide.html

[30] submission to the Manitoba government: http://www.preventcancernow.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/PCN-ManitobaPesticidesSubmission2012.pdf

[31] send an email: mailto:cosmetic.pesticides@gov.mb.ca?subject=I%20Support%20a%20Manitoba%20Pesticide%20Ban&body=To%20Manitoba%20Conservation%20and%20Water%20Stewardship%2C%0A%0AI%20fully%20support%20a%20ban%20on%20the%20use%20and%20sale%20of%20lawn%20and%20garden%20pesticides%20across%20Manitoba%20with%20exemptions%20only%20to%20protect%20public%20health.%0A%0ASincerely%2C%0A%5BName%5D%0A

[32] letter from Prevent Cancer Now: http://www.preventcancernow.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/PCN-Response-to-BC-Pesticide-Committee.pdf

[33] Don’t ban cosmetic pesticides, B.C. MLAs recommend: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/05/17/bc-no-pesticide-ban.html

[34] SIGN PETITION: http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/premier-of-british-columbia-stop-poisoning-our-kids

[35] SEND EMAIL: mailto:premier@gov.bc.ca?subject=I%20support%20a%20ban%20on%20lawn%20and%20garden%20pesticides!&body=Dear%20Premier%20Clark%2C%0A%0AI%20urge%20your%20government%20to%20pass%20strong%2C%20health-protective%20legislation%20prohibiting%20the%20use%20and%20sale%20of%20lawn%20and%20garden%20pesticides%20as%20soon%20as%20possible%20that%20meets%20or%20beats%20the%20strongest%20protections%20in%20place%20in%20other%20Canadian%20provinces.%20%0A%0AMillions%20of%20Canadians%20are%20already%20protected%20from%20these%20toxic%20chemicals%2C%20but%20many%20of%20BC

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