Stop Using Pesticides
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Stop using pesticides
Insects and pesticides are designed to kill organisms such as weeds, bugs and fungi. But these dangerous chemicals can have unexpected results:
* Pesticides are toxic to many forms of life. Beneficial insects such as ladybugs and honeybees can be killed by pesticides which can lead to worse insect problems in the future.
* Pesticide residues can accumulate in the food chain. These traces may cause damage to birds, fish and other forms of animal life. In many cases these side effects are not immediately apparent, but may show up later, for example, in the abnormal eggs of birds that have eaten pesticide-laced insects.
* Children are especially at risk from pesticides and are much more susceptible to these chemicals than adults. Kids have more skin area relative to body volume than adults and their skin may be more permeable to pesticides. Young kids also tend to play for hours in the yard, putting dirty fingers, other objects and dirt in their mouths.
* Pesticides don’t remain on your lawn and garden. Stormwater runoff carries toxins into nearby streams, rivers and lakes harming fish and other water wildlife. These water bodies may also be the source of your drinking water.
* Many pesticides contain ingredients known or suspected of causing cancer. Studies also suggest strong associations between pesticides and other serious health consequences.
For more pesticide info:
Potential effects of pesticides on health
Canadian Cancer Society position on ornamental use of pesticides
Truly green lawn care
Healthy soil is alive with bacteria and organisms that break down organic matter, make nutrients available for plant uptake and aerate the earth. In organic lawn care, gardeners nourish the soil instead of using chemicals-- which decrease soil’s biological activity. A chemical-free lawn may mean a lighter green colour and longer grass. But you’ll have a lawn that's healthier for you and the environment.
Another thing to consider when gardening is greenhouse gases. (These gases come from the burning of fossil fuels and trap the sun’s heat in the lower atmosphere, which in turn, causes climate change.) In the garden, you can reduce your greenhouse gas emissions by cutting the grass with a push mower, using a rake instead of a leaf blower, and trimming hedges with clippers instead of power tools.
According to one study, using a power mower for one hour releases the pollution equivalent of driving 563 kilometres in a car.
Go native in the garden
Most Canadian gardens are full of imported plants that require extra fertilizers and water to aid growth. Luckily, there’s a better way to garden: go native!
Native plants are the trees, bushes, flowers and grasses that have grown wild in your area for centuries. Since they’re already adapted to the local environment, they require less maintenance. By designing your garden with native plants and vegetation you’ll reduce the need for fertilizer, pesticides and extra water.
Well-designed native gardens are also less susceptible to diseases and pests because the plants have evolved with local insects, plants and climatic conditions.
More native plant info:
Go for Green Factsheet: Gardening with Native Plants
Canadian Wildlife Federation-Gardening Gab
Canadian Museum of Nature – Native Plant Gardening
Build backyard biodiversity
While some insects and birds can be a problem in your garden, others play an important role in pollination and in pest control. Most flowering plants, for example, depend on pollinators such as bees to help in fertilization. Other beneficial insects prey on garden pests. Predators such as ladybugs, dragonflies and wasps will only lay eggs where there are plenty of aphids to feed their young.
The problem with using pesticides is that they kill not only the pest species but also the pollinators and predators. With a non-chemical approach to gardening, you can begin to increase the biological diversity in your backyard.
Creating a garden attractive to pollinators and predators requires some planning. But you’ll quickly discover a healthy garden that’s in harmony with its native ecosystem.
* Chose native flowers that are abundant in nectar and pollen.
* Plant for a spectrum of blooming times to feed pollinators from spring through fall.
* Release commercially grown predators or parasites into your garden.
Be your own natural plant doctor
Sick plants? Don’t fret. Here are some home remedies for common gardening ailments:
* Black spots on roses: mix a tablespoon of baking soda in one litre of water, add a dash of mild liquid dish soap to act as a sticker-spreader, and spray your roses every week to 10 days.
* Aphid infestation: spray the plant’s leaves with a mixture of soap and water. A strong spray of plain water from a hose will often be sufficient. Also try planting chives and garlic to repel aphids.
* Weeds between paving stones: Common salt dissolved in boiling water (1 kg of salt to 8 L of water) will help control a weed outbreak. A water and vinegar solution also works!
* Caterpillars, aphids and flies: Some home gardeners use oils from lemon, lime and orange peels to keep these pests from attacking valuable plants.
* Diversify your garden: Pests flourish in gardens with a single type of plant and no weeds. Planting a variety of plants confuses the pests and keeps them from settling in your garden.
* Mulch: Mulch preserves moisture, eliminates weeds, and keeps the soil surface cooler--which benefits earthworms, microorganisms and plant roots. It also repels pests.
Don't forget! Most bugs do little or no harm in the garden. In fact, most are beneficial. So before you try to control or eliminate an insect, first determine its effect on your garden.
For more information:
Organic Alternatives to Herbicides and Pesticides
Effective Pest Control Without Chemical Pesticides
Living without Pesticides (PDF)
I found this article in the
I found this article in the Georgia Straight. It's disturbing how many women are subjecting themselves (and the planet) to these toxins all in the name of beauty!!
MIND YOUR MAKEUP
Tons of toxic chemicals are found in cosmetics, from nail polish to lip balm to skin cream. According to the Environmental Working Group, only 11 percent of 10,500 cosmetics ingredients have been assessed for safety by U.S. FDA. The EWG has a safety guide called Skin Deep that has information on almost 15,000 personal-care products (www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep2/).
Consider mascara, for example. Estée Lauder's scores No. 45 on the list, the least safe of all mascaras tested. That's because it contains, among other substances, six ingredients that pose potential breast cancer risks; nine considered potential endocrine disruptors, which can impair fertility or development; and 15 ingredients, including hydrochloric acid and acrylamide, that are considered toxic in one or more U.S. government assessments. Plus, it has 20 ingredients that pose a threat “to wildlife and the environment through excretion and disposal of cosmetics and resulting contamination of water, air, or soil”, including benzyl benzoate, copper powder, and phenoxyethanol.
Lavera, by contrast, comes in as the safest of all mascaras. However, even that one has ingredients that are potentially hazardous to the immune system, liver, kidney, and skin. And it contains zinc oxide, which poses the same potential threat to wildlife and the environment.
“The government does not require health studies or pre-market testing for these [personal-care] products before they are sold,” the Skin Deep site states. “And as people apply an average of 126 unique ingredients on their skin daily, these chemicals, whether they seep through the skin, rinse down the drain, or flush down the toilet in human excretions, are causing concerns for human health, and for the impacts they may have to wildlife, rivers and streams.”
It's not enough to look for items that are labelled “organic”, “natural”, or “hypoallergenic”. You still have to check the ingredients. You could also consider going au naturel.