+ Pesticides and Governors Our Goal: To create a healthy environment where community members can enjoy a beautiful and truly safe neighborhood.
+ Reason for Meeting: Petition ● We are here today to formally petition the POA board members to ban all synthetic pesticides (herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides included) from all Governors public spaces and to move over to safe, alternative methods for weed/pest control as quickly as possible. ● We have received support both from within and outside of the community for our cause, and we have with us a printed petition with these signatures and comments. ● Please note that we are not suggesting that we change companies from Greenscape but that we modify methods.
+ What are pesticides? ● According to Virginia Tech’s Pesticides Program website, "A pesticide is any substance or mixture of substances intended for": ● preventing, ● destroying (or killing), ● repelling, or ● mitigating any pest. ● "Though often misunderstood to refer only to insecticides, the term pesticide also applies to herbicides, fungicides, and various other substances used to control pests " (vtpp.org).
+ Conflicting Reports ● I was told by Misty at Greenscape that Greenscape employees spray spot-treatments of Roundup four out of five work days per week. ● I was also told that I could get on a call list so that I would be alerted before the 6 or more blanket sprays (of what I found later are pre- emergence pesticides) per year. ● I was put on that call list and did receive a warning call (in the form of a telephone message) before blanket spraying occurred.
+ Regardless of Amount Sprayed, No Such Thing As “Safe” Levels ● “ Chronic health effects may occur years after even minimal exposure to pesticides in the environment, or result from the pesticide residues which we ingest through our food and water” (Toxics Action Center). ● “ Pesticide residues can remain on lawn surfaces (and leaves) for weeks or months , depending on rainfall and watering practices (Pets & Pesticides). ● "Scientific studies show that pesticides like 2, 4-D get “tracked indoors” where they settle “in dust, air and surfaces and may remain for up to a year in carpets ” (CPDM).
+ Pleasant Green Grass’ Scott Walker on Pesticides ● “By using chemicals on your lawn, you are exposing yourself to odorless, invisible toxic vapors that rise from your lawn ; these vapors can remain active for years , evidenced by the fact that DDT is still present in women’s breast milk, in higher rates than is permitted in cow’s milk; think about the effect this can have on an infant! ● “In addition to causing serious disease, pesticides can cause many symptoms, including skin rashes, hyperactivity, tiredness, arrhythmias, high blood pressure and more . In the long term, pesticides have been linked to everything from infertility to heart damage and blindness . One of the most dangerous conditions many Americans suffer from is Multiple Chemical Sensitivity; to put it simply , we are exposing our bodies to too many toxins for too long, which can lead to everything from severe headaches to seizures ."
+ In other states, they have warning signs with each application… Middletown, CT Hazmat Suits
+ Health Effects Include: Cancer Reproductive Effects Neurotoxicity Kidney/Liver Damage Birth Defects
+ Children and Pesticides ● “The World Health Organization (WHO) cites that over 30% of the global burden of disease in children can be attributed to environmental factors, including pesticides (CPDM). ● According to the National Academy of Sciences,“ 50% of lifetime pesticide exposure occurs during the first five years of life ” (CPDM). ● “Children living in households where pesticides are used suffer elevated rates of leukemia, brain cancer, and soft tissue sarcoma ” (CPDM) and “are twice as likely to develop brain cancer versus those that live in residences in which no pesticides are used” (Toxics Action Center). ● “Children born to mothers living in households with pesticide use during pregnancy had over twice as much risk of getting cancer” (CPDM).
+ Children and Pesticides continued ● “ Young infants and toddlers exposed to herbicides (weed killers) within their first year of life are 4.5 times more likely to develop asthma by the age of five , and almost 2.5 times more likely when exposed to insecticides “ (CPDM). ● Studies find that “Exposure to pesticides [particularly Roundup] while in the womb may increase the odds that a child will have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (CPDM). ● Pesticide exposure is now linked to autism (CPDM). ● Other effects: Aggressiveness in children and issues with memory, motor skills, and immune system function
+ Pets and Pesticides ● Pet exposure to common pesticides is linked to “several types of cancer, respiratory and reproductive problems ,” and other health issues (Pets & Pesticides). ● Several peer-reviewed studies show that dogs exposed to 2,4-D, a common herbicide (weed killer) were 30% more likely to develop canine malignant lymphoma and had a significantly higher risk of developing bladder and testicular cancer (Pets & Pesticides). ● *Children and adults are exposed to higher levels of pesticides than they would be otherwise because of the pesticides their pets bring onto carpets, beds, couches, and the air after walking, sniffing, and rolling (Pets & Pesticides).
+ People and Pesticides ● Pesticide exposure is now linked to ALS (University of Michigan). ● Pesticide exposure linked to Rheumatoid Arthritis in women (http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/ehp129/). ● “Pesticides can cause many types of cancer in all humans. Some of the most prevalent forms include leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, brain, bone, breast, ovarian, prostate, testicular, and liver cancers (Toxics Action Center).
+ ● The Roundup Controversy The #1 Weed-Killer Roundup is being banned around the world.
+ Roundup: What’s the Big Fuss? ● Roundup is now “the world’s number one herbicide for weed control” (The World Economist). ● "In March 2015, IARC [International Agency for Research on Cancer] classified glyphosate [Roundup's active ingredient] as ' probably carcinogenic to humans ' (https://www.iarc.fr/en/media- centre/iarcnews/pdf/Q&A_Glyphosate.pdf). ● While some argue humans are not affected by glyphosate (active ingredient in Roundup), it affects our gut , “ where the bacteria do have shikimate pathways, [so] it makes sense why we are seeing the increase of many allergies and diseases that originate in the gut where 80% of our immune system is in our microbiome” (Dr. Robert Kremer: GMOs, Glyphosate)
+ Glyphosate: It Kills Weeds and People ● “Public pressure against glyphosate in countries across Europe has been intense , with nearly 1.5 million people petitioning the EU’s [European Union’s] health commissioner, Vytenis Andriukaitis, for a ban on the substance . . . ” (EU Countries Launch Shock Rebellion against Glyphosate Herbicides). ● The Netherlands has banned Roundup . France, Brazil and Malta are following suit. ● Glyphosate’s European authorization for Roundup is up, and Germany’s environment minister refused to sign reauthorization because of glyphosate hazards (http://www.politico.eu/article/how- german-politics-scuppered-commissions-glyphosate-plan/).
+ What’s Happening Domestically and Locally? ● Irvine, CA became the first SOCAL city to entirely ban pesticides city-wide after a pediatric cancer cluster came to light and mothers (and later doctors) realized the children had been exposed at parks, schools, playgrounds, and elsewhere to toxic pesticides. ● HOAs and POAs across the US have either banned pesticides entirely or are in the process of having them banned. ● Carrboro is pesticide-free in public spaces (parks, schools, playgrounds, playing fields). ● Nearby HOA communities of a similar price-point have already banned Roundup (Linda).
+ Non Toxic Movement Begins in Irvine & Spreads to Other Towns & Cities ● Non Toxic Irvine ● Non Toxic Aliso Viejo ● Non Toxic Dover, NH ● Non Toxic Garden Grove ● Non Toxic Huntington Beach ● Non Toxic San Bernardino County ● Non Toxic Hilton Head ● Non Toxic Corona ● Non Toxic Chapel Hill
+ Protecting Home Values ● According to a poll cited by Non Toxic Irvine, approximately 85% of people are concerned with pesticide exposure (Irvine Study). ● “ Nine out of every 10 homeowners say it’s important to care for home landscapes in an environmentally responsible way, but only half say they know how to do that, the National Gardening Association found in a survey of U.S. households” (Weigel, George). ● We already have a saline pool , & our neighborhood is known for its safety and walk ability . Think what “going green” in this day in age could do for our marketability, particularly as residents of Chapel Hill —a city that prides itself on being forward-thinking and concerned about health and safety. ● Why wait to ban these chemicals until they are broadly banned in the US? Let’s use this as an opportunity to show that we at Governors set the true standard for “the best place to live in the area ” (Gov POA).
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