Signs of Change--UPDATED

Okay, maybe not this sign. That's same old, same old, at least for the last twenty years or so. But, guess what? Lawns used to be interesting places for kids to explore, teaming with life and filled with diversity. They also used to be safe for children and dogs to play on. Neither of those points apply to most lawns in the United States today. In fact, the largest crop in the United States is grass, and the largest use of pesticides is on that grass. Relationships between the use of these pesticides and the health of our citizens and environment are being revealed with increasing regularity and severity.

Listen, I went with the flow of "how things were done" for a long, long time. I mean, what did I know about lawncare? It was only three years ago that I stopped applying pesticides and synthetic fertilizer to my backyard, because that's where my organic kitchen garden is (although the garden is uphill from the lawn) and it just didn't seem right anymore. It was only this past April that I stopped the applications on the front and side yards as well. Recently, I noticed butterflies in my front yard for the first time ever. As my daughter ran across the lawn barefoot to chase one, I shook my head and thought of all the pesticides she must have breathed in and dragged in the house over the years. I could kick myself. What was I thinking?

Anyway, times are changing. Folks are questioning, and more and more all around the country are saying, "No more." My friend just told me that an email was being circulated around the Meadowlake subdivision right here in Dunwoody that encourages residents to go pesticide-free on their lawns. Here is what it says:

When Lawns are Not Green

A growing number of homeowners are rethinking their use of chemical-based pesticides and weed killers as the water shortage continues to take a toll on gardens and lawns.

Consider this:

♦ Suburban lawns receive more pesticide per acre than most agricultural fields do.

♦ Of 30 commonly used lawn pesticides, 19 are known carcinogens, 13 are linked to birth defects, 21 with reproductive effects, 26 with liver of kidney damage, 27
are sensitizers or irritants, and 11 have the potential to disrupt the endocrine (hormonal) system.

♦ Studies find that dogs exposed to herbicide-treated lawns have significantly increased rates of lymphoma and bladder cancer.

♦ Children take in more pesticides to body weight than adults, and 50% of their lifetime exposure to pesticides happens before age 5.

♦ Studies have linked pesticides to developmental delays, hyperactivity and behavioral disorders. As a result, Connecticut banned herbicides on school lawns.

♦ Buyer beware: The EPA does not evaluate the health and environmental effects of actual pesticide formulations sold off-the-shelf to consumers.

And while beautiful lawns enhance our neighborhood, they can be had without all of this chemical contamination, that runs off, by the way, right from the storm drains into our water supply.

In Atlanta, although organic lawn care is not yet a common sight, it is available and its popularity is growing! One well-regarded local provider is Earth Balance OrganicsInformation is also readily available on the Web on how to do your own organic lawn care (www.safelawns.org), or you can simply keep your lawn short and neatly trimmed and not worry about the occasional weeds that grow. Your lawn will still look as green as your neighbor’s and your kids and pets will all be able to safely enjoy it barefooted anytime!

For the record, my entire lawn is just as green as anyone's. My back lawn is pretty diverse now, but, in general, looks far prettier than I expected it to look, except at just a couple times of the year when the weeds grow faster than the grass, but what's so bad about a couple weeks of dandelions? In fact, this past year we embraced them.

And, by the way, as far as heavily-treated lawns "looking pretty," the younger generations are starting to not see things that way. In fact, some increasingly eco-savvy teens and those in their 20s (who are probably of the generation that will one day buy our homes) are actually starting to look for weeds in lawns in order to be sure that there are no pesticides before they walk on them. Hmmmm. Something to think about when we worry so much about "property values."

Just for fun, count how many children you see playing on lawns in Dunwoody today. Do you remember when you were a kid doing cartwheels or playing football on lawns? What happened to that?

Oh, and by the way, big lawn mower news. The EPA is tightening emissions controls on gas-powered mowers. Here is my FoodShed Planet post about it.

UPDATED: By the way, I just found out that that memo circulated in the Meadowlake subdivision was originally written by my friend Judy of Sustainable Peachtree Corners! How exciting that people from neighboring communities are sharing information like this. Thanks, Judy, for your expertise in outlining the issues relating to pesticides on lawns.