The Town of Shediac has recently become the first municipality in New
Brunswick to move toward banning the so-called "cosmetic" use of
pesticides. Town Council has taken the position of banning all such use
on public property - schools, playgrounds, town parks and buildings -
within the next year, and on all domestic use within its jurisdiction
within the next two or three. In so doing, Shediac has recognized what
is becoming increasingly evident to more and more people: many of these
substances are highly toxic even in small or dilute solutions, and that
they do not serve any essential function.
The more I learn as an environmentalist, the more pragmatic I become. I
rarely argue in absolutes any more because I realize that every time I
use a word like "never" or "always", I paint myself into a potential
corner. Thus, while I am personally committed to conducting my life
around my own property in a pesticide free manner, I have a harder time
in condemning their use to control mosquitoes in a malarial swamp in
the tropics. There may be times, it seems to me, when the threat to
human life is otherwise so strong that a judicious use of a pesticide
may be justified. However, I cannot imagine any such circumstances in
present day New Brunswick. Certainly, using these substances to control
dandelions or aphids while putting the health of children, neighbours
and family pets at risk seems to me to be the height of
irresponsibility, especially now that we becoming more aware all the
time of their toxicity even in small applications.
Thus, although I am becoming more pragmatic in my thinking, I am also
becoming more intolerant of practices which have little or no real
benefit but which have the potential for serious consequences to the
world around us. I can justify spraying if it is truly the lesser of
two evils, but no amount of dandelions, ragweed, or purple loosestrife
constitutes a threat so serious to life that it justifies the use of
these chemicals. Even the problems caused by allergies (as in the case
of ragweed) can be controlled by means other than trying to eradicate
the plants themselves, especially when one realizes that the chemicals
which may be used in such a project are themselves the source of
serious health problems.
And so I would like to issue a challenge to our local municipalities.
Which of you - Campbellton, Dalhousie, Balmoral, Charlo, Atholville,
Eel River or any of the others - is going to be the first to follow the
courageous steps of Shediac and ban the cosmetic use of these
substances in your jurisdiction? Oh, yes, there will be a few of your
citizens who will be very unhappy with you for so doing, but I am
willing to bet that there will be some who will not really care - and
many more yet who will be very happy with your decision. If I judge
local people correctly - and the positive and encouraging comments I
receive after columns tackling pollution in other forms suggest that I
can - they will welcome this next small but very important step along
the road back to a cleaner environment for all of us.
Ban on Pesticides