Issues

Pesticides

Since Rachel Carson’s seminal book Silent Spring in 1962, we have known about the dangers of pesticides. Pesticides are poisons that kill not only the targeted pests, but also other important insects and vegetation. Exposure to pesticides is known to seriously impair a person’s health. Environmental and health groups have worked hard to reduce pesticides in our environment, but more needs to be done.

Pesticide Free Nova Scotia is a coalition of organizations and individuals which share a strong concern about the risks posed by cosmetic and non-agricultural pesticides to the health of children, adults, pets and our environment.

We have joined together for the purpose of eliminating cosmetic and non-agricultural pesticide use throughout Nova Scotia through implementation of provincial and municipal policies and regulations and through public education programs.

Our principle goal is the reduction and elimination of cosmetic and non-agricultural pesticide use throughout Nova Scotia.

We believe all Nova Scotians should be protected from pesticides where they live, work and play.

We believe in a healthy and sustainable approach to the care of our environment. We believe cosmetic and non-agricultural pesticides have serious and well-documented health risks, which are not balanced by any similar benefit. We support pesticide-free methods of maintaining lawns, recreation areas and other land -- methods which do not involve the high risks of pesticide use.

We support education of the public on less toxic alternatives to pesticides.

We support municipal and provincial regulations that limit pesticide use in order to protect public health and the environment. We do not support the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach promoted by the lawn care industry.

We will work towards these objectives by

• Championing the right of every municipality to pass protective pesticide bylaws
• Supporting efforts to adopt pesticide bylaws in individual municipalities across NS
• Working for a province-wide pesticide code similar to that adopted by Quebec in 2003
• Contributing to public awareness about the risks of pesticide use and the existence of less toxic alternatives

CBC: Pesticides
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/pesticides/argument.html

Pesticides
http://www.halifax.ca/pesticides/index.html

Sierra Club of Canada-Atlantic Chapter: Pesticides
http://www.sierraclub.ca/atlantic/