Pesticides
About Pesticides | Pesticide Links
About Pesticides
For a healthy family environment, pesticides should not be used in and about your home. It is known that pesticides contribute to higher cancer rates as well as many other human health and environmental impacts.
Broad Range of Products
Pesticides are a broad range of products, designed and used for the killing of unwanted life. Applications and residues of pesticides will have impacts on others; people and the environment not necessarily meant as the target. There are various classifications of pesticides that include herbicides and insecticides, disinfectants, antimicrobials, etc. Pesticides require government registration to acknowledge that they will do the job (killing unwanted life) that they claim to accomplish. They are also registered due to the fact that they are dangerous. Registration of a pesticide does not indicate that it won't cause harm. A growing number of people believe that pesticide use should not simply be controlled, but in most instances stopped. There are alternatives, but one must be discerning.
Pesticide Registration
Registration is not a guarantee of the safety of a pesticide, as every pesticide causes damage to life. When there is a substance such as a pesticide in a persons' environment, their health will likely suffer to some degree. When speaking of the risk of a pesticide, this means that damage or injury will occur at some level on exposure, not only that it might occur. Risk management tends to compare the risk vs benefit, and the risk is often great. For instance, pesticide use in the family yard could result in behavioural and emotional problems combined with skin rashes or headaches, and given some time can result in cancer and death in a family member. Do we still feel that this “risk” is worth the benefit?
Pesticide Regulation
In Canada, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA 1995) registers pesticides. In the United States, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registers pesticides for use.
Pesticide Links
Organizations
- Beyond Pesticides
- City Green Solutions
- Non-Toxic Pest Control
- Natural Resources Defence Council - Farming & Pesticides
- PAN Pesticides Database
- Pesticide Action Network North America
- Pesticide Action Network - Asia and the Pacific
- Toxics Action Center (West Nile)
- Texans for Alternatives to Pesticides
- Washington Toxics Coalition
Businesses
www.ehabc.org/pesticides.html
Updated December 6, 2008
