Banish Pesticides from Your Garden

Pesticides have become so ubiquitous today that we often don't even notice or think about them. But pesticides — including the lawn chemicals and herbicides routinely used in countless gardens nationwide — have serious health and environmental consequences. Many of the most commonly used pesticides have been classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as carcinogens, yet they are used on a breathtaking scale: Each year, an estimated 1 billion pounds of pesticides are applied to U.S. farms, forests, lawns and golf courses, according to the Pesticide Action Network.

Besides causing cancer, pesticides can damage our nervous, hormone and immune systems, and have been found to compromise our ability to think and to reproduce. Children are especially susceptible to the harmful effects of pesticides. A number of research studies have found higher instances of brain cancer, leukemia and birth defects in children with early exposure to pesticides, according to the National Resources Defense Council. Just recently, for example, one of the most commonly used herbicides in the world was found to be linked with birth defects.

Wildlife and the environment also suffer from our use of herbicides, lawn chemicals, insecticides and other chemical poisons. Pesticides pollute virtually every lake, river and stream in this country, and the consequences can be deadly. Runoff including toxic pesticides has been found to be highly lethal to amphibians, according to a study by the University of Pittsburgh, while another controversial pesticide — banned in many countries, but not the United States — is suspected of playing a key role in the colony collapse disorder currently threatening honeybees.

It's no wonder that lawn chemicals and other similar pesticides are now banned throughout much of Canada.

The irony is that pesticides are not necessary for a comfortable home, a beautiful garden or a bountiful crop of good produce. Myriad alternative approaches are being used successfully by organic farmers and home gardeners alike without adding more poisons to the environment.

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I'm passing along a great do-it-yourself volunteer idea I just found at VolunteerGuide.org: Pesticides, Herbicides, and Poisonous Lawn Chemicals: How to find safe alternatives to pesticides for home and garden care, from National Resources Defense Council, the Pesticide Action Network, and Beyond Pesticides http://www.volunteerguide.org/minutes/service-projects/pesticides Email Your Friends

• Try using safe alternatives to pesticides in your home and garden. Many pest problems can be avoided altogether through routine maintenance. Others can be eliminated via a variety of non-chemical techniques. For suggestions, visit the National Resources Defense Council, the Pesticide Action Network, the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides or Beyond Pesticides.
• When disposing of the pesticides you won't be needing anymore, be sure to do it responsibly. Never flush pesticides down the toilet or dump them in the garbage, both of which may contaminate soil or drinking water. Instead, check with your town's public works department about how to dispose of hazardous chemicals.
• If your town uses pesticides in public areas, ask town officials to stop. The price of pesticides — especially to the health of the community and the environment — is simply too high.