City of Brantford:
Pesticide Use Must Be Reduced
February 28, 2001
The Expositor (Brantford)
A8
"Pick Your Poison -- The pesticide scandal"
was on the cover of the New Internationalist, a magazine based in
England and with world-wide distribution. Brantford resident, Noel Almond, thinks its about time the world woke up to pesticide realities... will Brantford be next?
The worldwide agrochemical market was worth $31
billion US in 1998. Of this, Canada bought approximately $740 million.
Almond says that in early 1995, the Brant County Environment Group
mounted a campaign to bring about the reduction of the cosmetic use
of pesticides. Public meetings were held, a presentation to city
council by Prof. Joseph Cummins of the University of Western Ontario
and letters to The Expositor produced little enthusiasm for change.
In fairness, the Parks and Recreation Department did undertake to
reduce the amount of pesticides used for cosmetic purposes.
| "The number of communities... that have discontinued... the use of pesticides for cosmetic
purposes was about 65 in 2000" |
There is evidence of concern for the high levels of pollutants that
have entered our atmosphere, our water and our food chain. In May
2000, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and
Sustainable Development published its report on pesticides called
"Pesticides -- Making the Right Choices For the Protection of Heath
and the Environment.'' Whether the present federal government has the
desire and intestinal fortitude to adopt its recommendations in the
face of lobbying of those with vested interests remains to be
determined. |
| "Which is the greater risk for your soccer-playing child, an injury from slipping on a broad leaf plant or from the
pesticide that is used to eradicate it?" |
Almond says that the Ontario Nurses Association expressed their
concerns with pesticide at a recent well-attended Brantford public
meeting. They also made a presentation to city council. Shortly
thereafter, council established a committee to make recommendations
regarding the cosmetic uses of pesticides.
The number of communities, boards of education and parks and
recreation departments that have discontinued, have restrictions or
have pilot projects to control the use of pesticides for cosmetic
purposes was about 65 in 2000. One may think that based on the amount
of chemicals used worldwide the amount used for purely cosmetic
purposes is insignificant.
Not so,
considering their use on lawns, playing fields and gardens has the
potential to bring them into close contact with those using these
facilities. Don't overlook the use of pesticide to eliminate insects
in dwellings. Which is the greater risk for your soccer-playing
child, an injury from slipping on a broad leaf plant or from the
pesticide that is used to eradicate it?
|
