URGENT: Help Make Saanich Pesticide-Free

A pesticide use bylaw will be considered by the Committee of the Whole Meeting on Monday, December 14, 2009  

 

The non-essential or cosmetic use of pesticides refers to pesticides that are used for enhancing the appearance of private gardens, shrubs, lawns and recreational facilities.  

 

In addition to adverse environmental impacts, peer-reviewed studies have associated many commonly used lawn and garden pesticides with several cancers including childhood and adult leukemias, childhood brain cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, brain cancer, prostate cancer, kidney cancer, and some lung cancers (Canadian Cancer Society).

 

Here’s what you can do!

 

· Before December 14^th contact the District of Saanich by emailing clerksec@saanich.ca and show your support (sample letter is included below).  

· You can also present at the Council of the Whole meeting at 7pm on December 14^th,  in the Council Chambers, Saanich Municipal Hall. 

· You are urged to attend and will be given an opportunity to make a 5 minute presentation to Council. 

 

Mayor and Council Contact Information:

 

Sample letter

Your address_________________

Date________________

Mayor and Council

District of Saanich

770 Vernon Avenue

Victoria, BC  V8X 2W7.

 

Dear Mayor Leonard and Council,

 

I am writing to support a District of Saanich pesticide bylaw that bans the cosmetic or non-essential use of pesticides on public and private lawns, flower gardens, trees, and shrubs.  In addition to adverse environmental impacts, pesticides have been linked to both childhood and adult cancers. 

 

I encourage you to enact a strong bylaw by the spring of 2010 banning pesticides that have no benefit except to improve the appearance of lawns, gardens and recreational facilities and have the potential to cause serious harm to human health and the environment.  I ask that the bylaw have no exemptions, except when threats to human health and sensitive ecosystems are present and no alternatives exist. (You may want to add more suggestions and reasons here. See Backgrounder below.)

 

Thank you for your considerable efforts to reduce pesticide use on municipal land thus far.  Please continue to show your leadership in health protection and environmental stewardship by passing a strong pesticide use bylaw.

 

Sincerely,

 

Signature____________________

Printed name______________________

 

Backgrounder

Scientific studies have linked pesticide exposure to both adult and childhood cancers including childhood and adult leukemias, childhood brain cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, neuroblastoma, brain cancer, prostate cancer, kidney cancer, and some lung cancers.

 

Infants and children are at greater risk from exposure to pesticides due to their undeveloped immune systems, more permeable skin and behaviours such as crawling on the grass and putting objects in their mouths. 

 

Many alternatives to pesticides for lawns and gardens are readily available to the average homeowner.  Further, in regions where pesticide bylaws are in place, research has revealed that businesses have not only shifted successfully to non-toxic alternatives, but that sales and offerings of non-toxic alternatives are growing.

 

Business such as Home Depot, Loblaws, and Rona have phased out the sale of lawn and garden pesticides.

 

A pesticide bylaw would prohibit the use of pesticides for non-essential or cosmetic purposes, while permitting their use in exceptional circumstances only.  For example, to deal with specific public health-related issues or when sensitive ecosystems are threatened and no viable alternatives exist.

Pesticide bylaws work. Research into strategies for reducing pesticide use has shown that education is not enough. 

 

The Canadian Center for Pollution Prevention did a best practices review of pesticide reduction initiatives from around the world and their results clearly show that bylaws complemented by strong education are by far the best approach.  Of the communities that they reviewed, those that introduced a ban coupled with education were successful at reducing pesticide use by approximately 51-90%, whereas communities that implemented education campaigns alone, saw only a 10-24% reduction in pesticide use.

 

A pesticide bylaw is not about limiting personal freedom. It is about protecting people, especially children and youth, from involuntary exposure to these toxic chemicals.

There is a growing list of health, environment and labour organizations that support pesticide bylaws including: the Canadian Cancer Society, The Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, Toxic Free Canada, the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada, the Ontario College of Family Physicians, the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, the David Suzuki Foundation, the Sierra Club of Canada, the United Steelworkers of America, and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.

 

Over 150 Canadian municipalities (24 in BC) and the Province of Quebec and Ontario have banned non-essential pesticides. Not a single municipality that has implemented a bylaw has rescinded it due to lack of effectiveness.

 

 

You voice is needed!  Thanks in advance for your contribution to this campaign. 

Saanich Action Centre