2012 Ontario College of Family Physicians Report on Pesticides used as more proof of harm.
Imagine what a person like this could do for society if they were working with real facts and real data.
I’m gonna say “expert at creative writing award” but what do I know as a Lay person.
Pesticide Free PEI
Another letter written today: Hi X and X,
NS, NFLD, ON, QB, MB all have provincial bans and the rest of the provinces allow municipal bans. So, most Canadians are protected from cosmetic pesticides. People say that the reason why we aren’t in PEI and NB is because of the Irvings and potato lobby. They don’t want any restrictions put on any pesticides because of how much they profit from them. The pesticides they are spraying on lawns are known carcinogens.
That’s the thing about lawn care companies who spray pesticides – the more they spray, the more money they make. They profit from spraying carcinogenic chemicals often times next to playgrounds, daycares, and kids’ bus stops. They bank on people not knowing how harmful the chemicals they spray are. They don’t care if someone is fighting cancer next door and has to close their windows and shut off the air exchange for two days.
I’m getting another award at the end of the month for my work on this, from the Cancer Society at the Lieutenant Governor’s house. I’m not bragging – I’m just saying that I, and others, are trying to get rid of carcinogenic chemicals on an island where we have some of the highest rates of cancer in the country. Others have been fighting this for decades. I spoke to a lawyer from Ecosjustice at length about this yesterday. They fought this (and won) in the courts 20 years ago so they think PEI is archaic, backwards and sick, frankly, given our high cancer rates.
Over 2000 people on our Facebook page are for a ban. Sorry, I don’t have any other numbers than that right now. Stratford did a survey last year but it wasn’t very good. Their questions were flawed. A simple yes or no survey has yet to be offered. Pesticide companies and Croplife, the industry association for pesticides, are lobbying all levels of government HARD and are presenting to town councils on the 27th.
I live in Stratford so I’m copying Dr. Bill Whalen, who is the former chair of the PEI Division of the Cancer Society and a cancer researcher. He lives in Charlottetown and I’m sure would be happy to tell you about the harmful effects of pesticides, especially to children. I’m also copying Dr. Roger Gordon, former dean of science at UPEI who is presenting on the 27th. He has researched and studied the pesticides that are sprayed here, confirming they are carcinogenic.
It’s shocking and disheartening to me that government officials believe corporate lobbyists instead of scientists, the Cancer Society, Medical Society, etc.
Sincerely, Maureen
http://ocfp.on.ca/…/pesticides-paper/2012-systematic-review…
via Pesticide Free PEI | Facebook.