PANUPS: Refuse to Use Lawn Chemicals

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PANUPS: Refuse to Use Lawn Chemicals

Fri, 15 Apr 2005 12:50:23 -0700

 

 

 

 

 

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P A N U P S

Pesticide Action Network Updates Service

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Refuse to Use Lawn Chemicals

April 15, 2005

 

This spring, two national campaigns highlight the risks of lawn and

garden pesticides. With evidence that exposure to lawn care chemicals

presents health risks to children and pets and pollutes water and the

environment, both campaigns ask that households switch to non-toxic

alternatives. The Toxics Action Center in Boston has targeted TruGreen

ChemLawn, the nation's largest provider of lawn care services, and urges

consumers to " Refuse to Use ChemLawn. " The National Coalition for

Pesticide-Free Lawns asks consumers to use non-toxic alternatives,

urge retailers

to stock non-toxic lawn care products, and pressure public officials

for protection from the aesthetic use of pesticides.

 

A report by the Toxics Action Center reveals ChemLawn's aggressive

marketing practices and analyzes the 32 pesticide products the company

markets to its household customers. More than half of the products

include

ingredients identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA) or the World Health Organization as possible carcinogens, one third

contain known or suspected endocrine disruptors, and more than a quarter

contain reproductive toxins. Over 40% of the chemicals on ChemLawn's

list contain ingredients banned in other countries, and all of the

products in their arsenal pose threats to water supplies, aquatic

organisms,

and non-target insects.

 

Each year, homeowners apply at least 90 million pounds of pesticides to

their lawns and gardens. Home use of pesticides has risen 42% between

1998 and 2001 and now represents the only growth sector of the U.S.

pesticide market. Pesticides are also applied more intensively for lawn

care, with applications rates between 3.2 to 9.8 pounds per acre for

lawns, as opposed to agricultural averages of 2.7 pounds per acre.

 

Importantly, this intensive pesticide use occurs where children-more

vulnerable than adults to the effects of pesticide exposure-live and

play. The Toxic Action Center report notes that " children's internal

organs

are still developing and maturing and their enzymatic, metabolic, and

immune systems provide less natural protection than those of an adult. "

Researchers are increasingly identifying several especially vulnerable

stages of child development, including fetal and adolescent

developmental windows, in which chemical exposures can permanently

alter future

development.

 

Pesticides applied on residential and commercial lawns are known to

migrate indoors. An EPA study found that residues from outdoor pesticides

are tracked in by pets and people's shoes, and can increase the

pesticide loads in carpet dust as much as 400-fold. Pesticides have

also been

found to persist for years within homes, where they do not degrade from

exposure to sunlight or rain.

 

TruGreen ChemLawn sells its services through aggressive telemarketing

campaigns, one of which was an arrangement with the US Youth Soccer

program to market services to the parents of soccer-playing kids. Under

pressure from public health and environmental groups, US Youth Soccer

ended its relationship with TruGreen ChemLawn in January of this year. A

number of states have penalized the company for its aggressive and

misleading marketing.

 

Both consumer campaigns emphasize the availability of non-toxic lawn

care alternatives. Groups like the Northeast Organic Farming Association

(NOFA) have programs to regularly train and certify professionals in

pesticide-free landscaping services. The Coalition for Pesticide-Free

Lawns, representing groups across the nation, notes the number of

communities that have adopted a precautionary approach, including a

Natural

Yard Care Program by local government in the Seattle area, and the 70

Canadian cities that have restricted or banned the aesthetic use of

pesticides.

 

Visit http://www.RefuseToUseChemLawn.org/for a copy of their report and

to sign the Refuse to Use ChemLawn pledge.

 

Visit the Pesticide Free Lawns on the Beyond Pesticides website at

http://www.beyondpesticides.org/pesticidefreelawns/ and sign the

pledge.

 

Sources: Refuse to Use ChemLawn, Be Truly Green, Why Lawn Care

Pesticides are Dangerous to Your Children, Pets and the Environment,

Matthew

Wilson and Jay Rasku, Toxics Action Center, March 2005, 44 Winter Street,

Boston, MA 02108, Backgrounder, National Coalition for Pesticide Free

Lawns, Beyond Pesticides,

http://www.beyondpesticides.org/pesticidefreelawns.

 

Contact: Toxics Action Center, info, phone

617-292-4821, Beyond Pesticides, phone 202-543-5450, Defenders of

Wildlife

202-772-0237

 

 

 

PANUPS is a weekly email news service providing resource guides and

reporting on pesticide issues that don't always get coverage by the

mainstream media. It's produced by Pesticide Action Network North

America, a

non-profit and non-governmental organization working to advance

sustainable alternatives to pesticides worldwide.

 

You can join our efforts! We gladly accept donations for our work and

all contributions are tax deductible in the United States. Visit

http://www.panna.org/donate.

 

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