What's New
The desire for the perfect
lawn is leading millions of homeowners to expose their children, pets and water
supplies to toxic lawn care pesticides. Research links the pesticides used by
TruGreen ChemLawn to nausea, vomiting, dizziness and headaches and chronic
illnesses such as lymphoma, leukemia, bladder cancer and learning
disabilities.
That’s why we are
working with the Toxics Action Center and calling on TruGreen ChemLawn, as the
industry leader in pesticide-based lawn care services, to take immediate steps
to protect the health and safety of children, families and the environment
from the dangers of their services.
How You Can Help
Click here to take the “Refuse to
Use ChemLawn” Pledge asking ChemLawn to:
- Start the phase out of toxic pesticides, starting with possible
carcinogens.
- Readily provide information on the dangers of the pesticides you
use.
- Establish a comprehensive organic turf management product.
- Stop all future marketing campaigns targeted at children.
Brief Summary
TruGreen ChemLawn is the biggest
lawn care provider in the United
States, servicing more than 3.5 million
households. While any pesticide legally used in this country must be registered
with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this registration does not
ensure safety. The registration process is full of loopholes and does not
guarantee that the pesticides have been fully tested for environmental and
human health effects.
Research links the
pesticides used by TruGreen ChemLawn to nausea, vomiting, dizziness and
headaches, as well as chronic illnesses such as lymphoma, leukemia, bladder
cancer, and learning disabilities. Children are especially vulnerable to toxic
pesticides.
The good news is that you
can get a beautiful green and healthy lawn without the use of pesticides and
synthetic fertilizers. There are two ways to work toward a healthier, safe lawn:
organic lawn care and integrated pest management (IPM).
Organic lawn care:
• does not use
pesticides or synthetic fertilizers to create a healthy lawn;
• looks first at
factors like soil pH, water retention, and compactness of soil; and
• targets the
source of pests and weeds instead of the weeds or pests themselves.
For more information about organic lawn
care, go to www.organiclandcare.net.
Integrated Pest Management is a method of
pest control that emphasizes common sense methods and practices to prevent
problems. IPM focuses on eliminating the source of pests by minimizing access
to food, water and hiding places. IPM programs eliminate or greatly minimize
the use of pesticides. When pesticides are used, as a last resort, the best IPM
programs seek the least toxic alternative. Unfortunately, IPM programs vary
widely, and some rely too heavily on pesticides.
For more information
about integrated pest management, go to
http://www.massnrc.org/ipm/what-is-ipm.html
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/ipm.htm#what
