CAN A LAWN GROW WITHOUT DRUGS?

Several years ago we ran an article advising lake folks not to use fertilizer on their lawns.  The phosphorous in it only adds to the load in the lake and can lead to algae blooms.   We advocate phosphorus-free fertilizers, which are now sold in many lawn and garden stores, or just adding lime to the grass, a natural “fertilizer.”   Better still, let your lawn become a little “wild” and not so manicured…plant bushes and native plants which will absorb rainwater and reduce phosphorus runoff into the lake.

This article cites cities in Boston’s North Shore which are striving to replace chemicals,which produce green lawns, with natural products. Its message should be applied locally.  

By Kay Lazar, Boston Globe correspondent, May 1, 2005.

Local leaders from Newburyport recently teamed up to offer a workshop on chemical-free lawn care.  Gloucester sponsored a free “Protect Your Family from Toxins” forum with medical and organic experts.  Manchester-by-the-Sea’s annual town meeting notice, mailed to all residents in March, included a pamphlet detailing “Simple Ways to Grow a Healthy, Organic lawn.”

Environmentalists equate their mission to the campaign that stamped out cigarettes in public places.

When local boards of health got together to do local smoking bans and gained momentum, the statewide smoking ban passed. (Dr. Lawrence Block, cardiologist, Chair of Swampscott’s Board of Health).

He adds, “That kind of grass-roots effort gives me great optimism we can do this with pesticides, too.”

Swampscott and Marblehead are among a handful of communities statewide that prohibit pesticide use on public lands.  The movement is growing locally and nationwide.  At. Least 65 municipalities across Canada have restricted pesticides.

A coalition of 20 consumer and environmental groups launched a campaign in April that urges Home Depot and Lowe’s Home Improvement to carry more organic lawn care products and to “reconsider the sale of weed and feed products to protect the health of children, families, pets and the environment.”

That has fueled a high-stakes counterattack from the multibillion dollar pesticide industry.  Citing increased “activist threats” and pesticide bans, the lawn care companies launched a $1 million ad to “educate consumers” about pesticides in a press release by a group called Project EverGreen.  “We believe the misinformation from some activists are blanket statements that all pesticides are bad and have potential to harm humans and others.” 

Project Evergreen’s director said, “ Our approach is, as a consumer, you should have the choice to use the products to help maintain a green space.  Those chemicals have gone through years of testing and approval by the EPA.”

Environmentalists disagree, saying adequate testing has not been done on the vast majority of chemicals and that health problems for humans, birds and fish have been linked to lawn products.

As the debate continues, the Massachusetts DEP has stepped up its free seminars on chemical-free lawn care.  Its aim is to reduce the amount of toxic waste ending up in the state’s landfills and waterways.  “Some organic materials you purchase my be more expensive than the synthetic ones, but once you get that healthy soil, it’s not expensive” (Ann McGovern…DEP).

Chip Osborn, Marblehead florist and North Shore guru in the organic movement, has traveled from Maine to Maryland in the past 5 years teaching homeowners how to ween themselves off lawn chemicals. “No one denies that chemicals have aided our life, but we are bombarded with lawn chemicals and there are some ways to minimize the exposure.”  The latest stats from EPA show an increasing number of homeowners have turned to such cocktails…in 2001 homeowners used 102 million pounds of pesticides, a jump over the previous year. There’s still a lot of old school, “I want my lawn to look good.”

Leahy Landscaping of Lynn phased out chemical lawn care service 7 years ago and now only offers organic.  Commercial accounts have been slow to follow because of its expense.  Experts need to more closely monitor the soils instead of applying one or two doses of traditional weed-and feed products.

Newburyport has been pesticide-free on public lands…no fertilizers or weed killers…because they don’t have the money.  In other towns with tight budgets, they are opting to use non-organic fertilizers to help the grass grow (on athletic fields) but draw the line on pesticides.  These fields cost millions to install so they don’t want to lose them.

Since 2000, state law has required that parents, staff and children be notified when pesticides are used at schools…and since 1987, licensed professionals must post flags when they apply pesticides to commercial or private property.  But homeowners who use the chemicals are not required to follow those rules.

(my thanks to Lori Erlich, CPA and MPA candidate at the JFK School of Government, who has kept me informed on important environmental issues).