What to know before hiring a landscaper or pest control professional.

The best pest control approach is a plan, not a product.

PEST CONTROL - The OLD way 

1. Relies on poisons (insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides). 

2. Ignores the source of pest problems. (Allows conditions to get worse.) 

3. Kills off beneficial plants and insects. 

4. Pollutes water, soil, food and air and contaminates buildings and landscapes. 

5. Harms people, pets and wildlife.

Caring for your property: THE BETTER WAY

1. Relies on a plan. (Don't spray 'em, outsmart 'em!) 
2. Prevents and corrects the source of pest problems. (Improves conditions.) 
3. Protects soil fertility and bio-diversity. 
4. Protects the quality of water, soil, food and air. (Enhances the quality of buildings and landscapes.) 
5. Protects the health and the safety of our families and community.

BE A WISE CONSUMER

Don't be fooled by contractor or product names that sound "environmentally friendly." Consumers need to be cautious and skeptical to avoid being poisoned. Be alert for false safety claims and unethical practices.

Just because a company is named EnviroGreen or OrganoLawn doesn't mean that you are safe.  Don't be fooled by a picture of a tree, a child, a rabbit, a dog or a sunrise on the label or claims that a product is "safe" or "natural."  

Words that sound tame but mean poison include "weed n' feed," "pre-emergent," "grub control," and "treatment." 

Many contractors market their services as "Integrated Pest Management" (IPM) to appeal to your good intentions or take advantage of your trust and ignorance.

These products can give you, your family, and your neighbors headaches, rashes, nausea and breathing difficulties as well as cause a variety of long term health problems.

NOFA, the Massachusetts Organic Farming Association, is the only organization that has organic landcare standards and a training and accreditation program for organic landcare professionals. (http://nofa.organiclandcare.net/) 

PROBLEM SOLVING
 

Trustworthy pest management experts and wise landscape professionals take the time to ask you a lot of questions. He or she needs to learn about your house or yard, its history and ecology (sun/shade, wet/dry), and your patterns of use. They do a soil test to assess soil fertility, drainage, pH, lead and other contaminants, etc. 

If there is a pest problem, the expert needs to first identify the pest. Then he or she can suggest options for modifying the conditions that cause the pest problem. Beware of "exterminators" who sell you quick chemical fixes.

Before choosing a pest control step, the expert asks  "Do you have children or pets?" "Is anyone in the family especially vulnerable because of age (very young or old)?" "Does anyone in your family (or a neighbor's family) have a disability or illness such as asthma or cancer?"

CONSUMER BEWARE

Don't trust any contractor who suggests that chemicals are the only answer to pest problems. Be wary of special deals, free offers, and high pressure sales tactics.

Avoid any contractor who suggests using pesticides on a fixed schedule to "prevent" pests or as a general treatment regardless of the extent or location of the pest problem. 

Beware four-step programs. Beware landscapers who use leaf blowers that spread contaminants (fungus, invasives, pesticides, fecal matter, etc.), that dry and destroy top soil, and increase air pollution.

NO PESTICIDE IS SAFE even when it is used according to label directions.

Federal Law prohibits safety claims that directly or indirectly imply that a pesticide is approved or endorsed by any federal agency. The US EPA registration is not an approval. It means a product is used to kill insects or plants. It does not mean a product is safe.

Watch out for prohibited claims such as "non-toxic to humans and pets," "safe when used as directed" or even "all natural ingredients." 

Any contractor who dismisses your concerns or downplays the risks of any product, even "natural pesticides," should not be trusted with the health and well-being of your family.

Even "natural" products can be irritating to eyes, nose, lungs and skin so caution is always appropriate.  (Think poison ivy.)

INERT ALERT
 

What you don't know can hurt you. 

"Pesticides" is a category that includes insecticides, herbicides, rodenticides, and fungicides. They are all biocides (poisons).

Common products such as RoundUp are marketed as safe in spite of evidence that they can cause a host of health effects such as cancer, nervous system damage, miscarriages and hormone disruption. 

Ask the contractor for the product label and manufacturer's safety data sheet (MSDS) on any product the contractor suggests using.  

 

BEWARE HIDDEN INGREDIENTS
 

Note that pesticide product labels list so-called "inert" ingredients.

"Inert" does not mean biologically inactive.

Inerts are the ingredients that transport or carry the active ingredient, amplify its toxicity, increase its active life, and/or increase its ability to stick to or penetrate your skin.

By law, these so-called "inerts" are "trade secrets." Manufacturers do not disclose them to the public or even to the US EPA even though many are more toxic than the active ingredients listed on the label.

Remember, the best pest control approach is a plan, not a product.

RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE AND PLANT LOVERS

Learn the basic principles for preventing and controlling pest problems from books such as The Chemical-Free Lawn by Warren Schultz and Common Sense Pest Control, by Olkowski, Daar, and Olkowski. 

Beyond Pesticides www.beyondpesticides.org

Grassroots Environmental Education www.grassrootsinfo.org/

GreenCAPE www.greencape.org

Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides www.pesticide.org

Send your questions and comments to Ellie Goldberg, ellie.goldberg@healthy-kids.info

America's Children and the Environment

New CDC National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network
http://ephtracking.cdc.gov/showHome.action


Updated EPA website about vermiculite insulation, Protect Your Family from Asbestos-Contaminated Vermiculite Insulation
http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/verm.html and fact sheet,
http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/vermiculite_message_to_the_public.pdf


The America's Children and the Environment website http://www.epa.gov/envirohealth/children/index.htm has recently been updated with the most current data available for measures of contaminants, body burdens and illnesses important for children's environmental health.

You can visit the website now to see new data for:

-Percentage of children living in counties in which air quality standards were exceeded (1993-2007)
-Childhood blood lead levels (1976-2006), and
-Percentage of children with asthma (1980-2007).

Overall, updated data are presented for 18 different measures of children's environmental health, including measures for drinking water contaminants, blood mercury levels, and neurodevelopmental disorders. For each of these measures, there is now data up through at least 2006. A complete list of the updated measures is provided below.

America's Children and the Environment Measures updated July 2009

E1 – Criteria air pollutants – time series extended to 2007
E2 – Air quality index – time series extended to 2007
E3 – Criteria air pollutants – time series extended to 2007
E6 – Drinking water contaminants – time series extended to 2007
E7 – Drinking water contaminants – time series extended to 2007
E8 – Pesticide residues – time series extended to 2007
E9 – Land contaminants – time series extended to 2008
B1 – Blood lead – time series extended to 2006
B2 – Blood lead – updated to 2003-2006
B3 – Blood lead – updated to 2003-2006
B4 – Blood mercury – updated to 2003-2006
D1 – Asthma – time series extended to 2007
D2 – Asthma – updated to 2004-2007
D3 – Respiratory diseases – time series extended to 2006
D4 – Respiratory diseases – time series extended to 2006
D7 – Mental retardation – updated to 2004-2007
EI1– Mercury in fish – time series extended to 2006
EI2 – Attention-Deficit/

Hyperactivity Disorder – updated to 2004-2007

The America's Children and the Environment homepage can be found at:
http://www.epa.gov/envirohealth/children/index.htm

Sustainable Values Defined

At Redefining Progress, we believe that efforts to strengthen the economy must also promote a healthy environment and socially equitable society. Indeed, with the right incentives, indicators, and principles of justice, our research has shown that smart policies can further all three goals at the same time.

Now, as a new administration prepares to take on the challenges of economic turmoil and global warming, the work we do at Redefining Progress is more important than ever. Our country urgently needs a public policy platform that goes beyond the current short-term economic crisis and makes real progress towards a new and just approach to sustainability.


Redefining Progress is leading the way to this sustainable future. Our staff, partners and experts in sustainable economics , sustainability indicators , and environmental justice , and we provide sustainability research and tools to policy makers, students, and communities around the world.

But we need your support to continue our efforts. Your donation will support Redefining Progress' research and policy work in the capitol and around the country. In addition, your support will also fuel the grassroots climate justice work of the Environmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative , of which Redefining Progress is both fiscal sponsor and a proud member.

Because we all face the challenges of economic uncertainty and climate change, it's important to remember what we have to be thankful for, as we enter the year-end holiday season. When you make a donation of $25 or more to Redefining Progress we want to say "thanks" by sending you this button as a token of our appreciation for your support.

Let's Clear the Air

"Let's Clear the Air," by Scott LaFee, "California Schools Magazine, Spring 2009," California School Boards Association.

http://www.csba.org/NewsAndMedia/Publications/CASchoolsMagazine/2009/Spring/InThisIssue/IAQmain.aspx

The article is further referenced in the Editor's Notes for the magazine, and is accompanied by the resource list at

http://www.csba.org/NewsAndMedia/Publications/CASchoolsMagazine/2009/Spring/InThisIssue/IAQtoolkit.aspx

Newton's Rachel Carson Day May 27 Keeps Her Legacy Alive

www.greendecade.org 617-965-1995
Sustainable Solutions for the 21st Century

Newton's Rachel Carson Day May 27 Keeps Her Legacy Alive*

On May 26 Newton Mayor David B. Cohen joined local environmental leaders at Newton City Hall to celebrate Rachel Carson's legacy with a Proclamation naming May 27 Rachel Carson Day and to highlight resources and opportunities for local advocacy to improve community and environmental health.

Whereas we believe in the power of the individual to make a difference; and

Whereas Rachel Carson's birthday, May 27, is an annual opportunity to remember the biologist, ecologist and author and celebrate her legacy; and

Whereas, Rachel Carson taught us that our health is intimately connected to the health of our environment, and that we must remain diligent to protect the natural ecosystem to maintain the health of the world’s citizens; and

Whereas the publication of Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring in 1962 generated a worldwide environmental movement and led to the creation of the U.S. EPA, the U.S. ban on DDT, and environment regulations such as the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act; and

Whereas Rachel Carson faced overwhelming illness and adversity, and yet retained her unwavering motivation to speak out about the hazards of pesticides due to her unabashed love of nature and sense of responsibility for human health and the public interest; and

Whereas, raising awareness of Rachel Carson's life and legacy can inspire citizens to get involved in efforts to protect our water, food and air from the contamination;

Now, therefore, be it resolved, that I, David B. Cohen, Mayor of the City of Newton, do hereby proclaim

May 27, 2009
Rachel Carson Day
In the City of Newton

and do further call on our citizens to remember the power of Rachel Carson’s words and the example of her life. With a determined collaboration, we can together promote the health and preservation of our environment; and commit to ecological and sustainable principles for landscaping and pest control in our homes, schools, neighborhoods, and throughout our community.

• Charlene Brotman, a board member of the Rachel Carson Council, Silver Spring Maryland (rachelcarsoncouncil.org), a national clearinghouse of inspiration and information for scientists and the public about pesticides, their dangers, and alternative pest controls.;
• Marcia Cooper, President of the Green Decade Coalition/Newton (greendecade.org), one of the most influential grassroots organizations in Massachusetts and a leader in our community for environmental action;
• Ellie Goldberg and Maeve Ward, Green Decade’s Committee for Alternatives to Pesticides and Organic Gardening and Landscaping Committee; and
• Aaron Toffler, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, Lasell College (lasell.edu), provides students with the opportunity to examine the connections between the environment and local and global communities.

• June 17 at 1:30 pm, the public is invited to a screening of the beautiful new dramatic film, A Sense of Wonder, about the last year of Rachel Carson's life after the publication of the book Silent Spring as she struggles to defend her message of environmental stewardship and fight a secret battle with breast cancer. At the Newton Senior Center, 345 Walnut Street, Newtonville, MA.

• May 28 at 7 pm Growing up Green(er) at the Newton Free Library, featuring Newton students from elementary, middle and high schools showcasing their school and community environmental projects.

Also see: What Would Rachel Say?

Questions from a Soccer Mom

Please Watch. Please forward.

Questions from a Soccer Mom, Tanya Murphy, Westport CT
http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=VcZkSf4jj8Y

Updated US EPA IAQ Resources

The Indoor Air Quality Scientific Findings Resource Bank (IAQ-SFRB) Web site has been updated.

The IAQ-SFRB Web site, developed by the EPA in cooperation with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, is an unparalleled resource for anyone who seeks scientific information about the effects of IAQ on people's health and work performance.

The updates included:
Major expansion of the section of web site entitled "Indoor Dampness, Biological Contaminants, and Health."
Expansion of text on "Ventilation Rates and Sick Building Syndrome Symptoms" in the web site section entitled "Health and Economic Impacts of Building Ventilation."

The IAQ-SFRB Web site is easy to navigate and is updated regularly; go to http://www.iaqscience.lbl.gov/

Chemical Security is Community Security

The wealth of our community is the health of our children.

The November 22, 2006 Danvers, Massachusetts chemical plant explosion should motivate policy makers and citizens to assess community vulnerabilities statewide and take steps to reduce chemical hazards, especially in residential areas and schools. The activity would be an opportunity for communities to create a new appreciation for the positive role of government as the protector of public health, safety and the public's right to know and control what the chemical industry puts in our air, water, food, and bodies.

This disaster is also an opportunity for officials to educate the public about hazards to health and safety. If we have learned anything from the aftermath of 9/11, there is an urgent need to stop the false assurances that hazardous solvent vapors and fumes from burning buildings and toxic runoff are "safe."

Recommended Resources

"The Safe Hometowns Guide," How to do a Community Reassessment of Chemical Site Safety and Security after September 11, 2001.

PTA in Action Newsletter: What is your school's chemical IQ? The healthy school check up for national preparedness month. There is an urgent need for responsible leadership to improve school safety and security by eliminating the improper storage and use of hazardous chemicals in our schools.

Why do we need involved citizens?

Dry cleaning chemical detected in school Families of students attending Mildred Avenue Middle School in Mattapan were notified Friday that state officials found traces of tetrachloroethylene, a liquid used for dry cleaning, following an air quality test, according to a copy of a letter sent by the principal, Kris Taylor. Health officials determined that the levels found by officials from the state Department of Environmental Protection would not pose a health threat, the letter said. Authorities believed the trace levels were remnants from a dry cleaning plant once located on the site, the letter said. Recent changes made to state regulations concerning airborne substances in schools triggered the testing and subsequent findings.

WOBURN MA Railway firm found guilty in diesel oil spill

A jury in Massachusetts has convicted a New Hampshire railway company and three of its subsidiaries of failing to report a hazardous waste spill at a rail yard in Ayer. Pan Am Railways Inc. of Nashua was charged with violating state law. Prosecutors said a locomotive spilled hundreds of gallons of diesel fuel at the rail yard in August 2006. Pan Am Railways and its subsidiaries were accused of failing to report the leak to state officials and of attempting to cover it up. A Superior Court jury returned the verdict yesterday after a weeklong trial. Failure to report a spill is punishable by a $100,000 fine. (AP)