Be a good neighbor: Avoid using pesticide on your lawn by Andy Douglas and Writers Group Iowa City published in Press-Citizen
A few summers ago I was watching neighborhood kids playing in the backyard of my apartment complex. They rolled on the grass and ran barefoot. Suddenly, I realized the lawn had been sprayed; a little warning sign perched on the yard’s edge. These kids paid no attention.
I advised the children not to play there, but the incident illustrates one of many problems with spraying chemicals on our grass.
The poisons that kill dandelions also affect microbes, earthworms, birds, bees and fish. In humans, toxins like glyphosate and dicamba cause nerve damage, cancer and reproductive disorders. Children and pets are most easily exposed to these chemicals, and not only through direct contact. Pesticides seep into the water table, they drift in the air, they’re tracked indoors, and they may be applied in public places.
Such exposure should be limited as much as possible, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. A 2012 study shows a positive relationship between pesticide exposure and the development of some cancers, particularly in children. Pesticides include herbicides, fungicides and bug sprays. And studies show that they last longer than you’d think. Those little signs don’t reflect an accurate longevity. There are other effects. Pesticides are likely the reason for Colony Collapse Disorder, the great disappearance of bees. We face the real danger of losing our pollinators. Without bees, there’s no food.
We also know that Iowa has a serious water quality problem; any toxic addition to our water system is troubling.
Many people are working to spread the word about lawn chemicals. A subcommittee of the 100 Grannies organization has affiliated with a state-wide group called Good Neighbors, linked with the Center for Energy and Environmental Education at the University of Northern Iowa. Backyard Abundance and New Pioneer Co-op are also active.
Linda Quinn is chair of the local Good Neighbors group. “This brings the issue of climate change, which can seem so big, down to the local level,” she says. “It’s something people can do to make a big difference.”
The group has been tabling and asking people to pledge to make their lawns pesticide-free.
Free yard signs are available, which proclaim “Good Neighbor — No lawn weed killers used here.” I like this emphasis on neighborliness. We all want to be good neighbors, and indeed, this is the reason many people spray their lawns. But with a little reflection, it becomes clear we can do better by not spraying.
Adds committee member Jan Stephan, “A lot of people are already chemical- free. It’s mostly landlords, condos and developers who are not. Our mission is to educate. Many say they had no idea they were hurting their kids or pets.”
The Iowa City Community School District has stopped spraying their properties (except for athletic fields). Ditto the Iowa City parks. The Iowa Department of Public Health has issued a “best practices” statement for day care centers to stop using outdoor pesticides and indoor insecticides.
Developers and condo boards, here’s your chance to market your properties as truly forward-thinking!
Says Quinn, “People think they must have manicured lawns. But how much nicer it is to have some diversity, with clover, dandelion, purslane, violet. These are all edible, too.”
Alternatives to spraying? You can ask lawn services for organic treatment, which may cost more. Or you can use appropriate grass seed, aerate and add compost, caring for your lawn yourself without chemicals. You could also plant fruit trees, a vegetable garden or prairie grasses. I once lived in a house with a rock garden out front. The possibilities are many. Some have suggested our climate crisis demands a mobilization like that during World War II, when everyone had a victory garden.
Stephan suggests we move past the idea that a lawn has to look like a golf course. “People worry about impressing the neighbors. But it’s better to figure out who you are and be true to that.”
Writers Group member Andy Douglas is author of “The Curve of the World: Into the Spiritual Heart of Yoga.”
Andy Douglas
Writers Group Iowa City Press-Citizen USA TODAY NETWORK