Photo: Laura Gibb
The province of Ontario plans to ban the sale and use of garden pesticides. The legislation would keep lawn-owners in Canada's most populous province from using more than 70 chemicals present in more than 300 products. Critics cry double standard, though, as Ontario's golf courses, farms, and forests would be exempt from the ban. If approved, Ontario's pesticide regulations will be the toughest in North America -- which really isn't saying much, since the only other North American province or state with any sort of pesticide ban is Quebec. One day after Ontario introduced the ban, Home Depot got a jump on compliance, announcing that it will voluntarily yank traditional pesticides from its Canadian shelves by the end of the year.
source: Reuters, Canwest News Service, The Globe and Mail
see also, in Grist:Umbra advises on planning a lawn
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Comments
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wiscidea Posted 8:43 am
23 Apr 2008
We need consistent standards for identifying hazardous chemicals.
It is ridiculous that golf courses are excluded. I understand the exclusion of farms and forests, but drenching our world with chemicals so folks can whack a tiny ball around with a titanium stick? Absurd!!!!
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Wolverine Posted 4:07 am
24 Apr 2008
Re pesticides derived from petrochemicals as opposed to those derived from plants:
First, none of them are natural. They are all artificially synthesized by humans.
Second, and more importantly, while some plant-based pesticides are toxic, ALL petrochemical-based ones are. Because no artificially synthesized chemicals are natural, they all have some effect on the environment. But the ones derived from petrochemicals are almost universally worse.
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catman Posted 6:13 am
24 Apr 2008
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