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The campaign
The Green Communities Canada pesticide reduction campaign - Pesticide Free Naturally - was launched in 2000 with the following objectives:
- build awareness among the general population of health and environmental impacts of pesticide use in homes and gardens
- provide concerned citizens with the information they need to use non-toxic methods of pest control in the home, yard, and garden
- encourage neighbourhood discussion about pesticide use and alternatives, and make reducing pesticide use a matter of individual and neighbourhood pride
Action kit
Green Communities Canada published a Pesticide Free Naturally Action Kit for use in the home, which includes:
- a pesticide-free lawn sign
- factsheets on health impacts
- tips on how to engage neighbours in discussions about pesticide use
- Children's Activity Pack
- information on effective alternatives to pesticides, including home recipes
Download your PDF copy of the Action Kit below and contact the Environment Network for further information.
Other campaigns and resources:
The problem with pesticides
Pesticides contribute more than 50 million kilograms annually to the chemical brew in Canada. Hectare for hectare, urban lawns and greenspaces are sprayed more intensively than most farms.
Residential use of pesticides is increasing steadily, adding to an already over-burdened eco-system in the Great Lakes Basin. Pesticides do not stay put, but move through the ecosystem of the entire planet.
Many common pesticides used in the home and garden pose significant human health risks. A study by the Ontario College of Family Physicians states that Canadian children face "undeniable risks" from exposure to pesticides. Children, because of their physiology and behaviour, are exposed to greater quantities of pesticides than adults, and are more vulnerable to their toxic effects. A National Cancer Institute survey in the US indicated that children are six times more likely to get childhood leukemia when pesticides are used in the home and garden.
Some pesticides used on urban lawns have the potential to disrupt human hormone and endocrine systems. This disruption has been linked to decreased immune system function, alterations to the brain and reproductive system, behavioural changes such as attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, and increased susceptibility to breast and testicular cancer.
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