Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Help Quebec win a pesticide ban

The final stage of the Pesticide Code of Quebec will come into effect on April 3, 2006. This will be a day to celebrate, not only for Quebec, but for the entire world. In Quebec it means that 7.5 million people and their environment will be protected from 20 active pesticide ingredients used for lawn care. The banning of these active ingredients means that 212 pesticide products will be eliminated from sale and use in Quebec. Implementation of the Pesticide Code sets an historic precedent for the health of communities everywhere.

However, at a recent conference held by the lawn care industry, it was announced that every effort would be made to remove 2,4-D from the list of pesticides to be banned. If the industry is successful, this would mean that 2,4-D could be sprayed on public spaces in Quebec communities, including where children play.

Please write to the Minister of the Environment urging him to keep 2,4-D on Quebec's list of banned pesticides. What happens in Quebec will set the stage for the empowerment of communities worldwide to win government action against toxins in the environment.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Timothy,
Did you realize that some of these pesticides are likely the products of the company paying your wages?

Timothy said...

To clarify for blog readers, my wages are paid by an National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)Industrial Post Graduate Scholarship (IPS).

That means $15000 per annum for up to two years, plus a company contribution of $6000 (minimum).

The company, in my case, is DuPont.