Here’s your weekly Science Matters column by David Suzuki with Faisal Moola.

The ugly truth about cosmetic pesticides

A real estate agent once visited me at home and offered to sell my
house. I was tempted for about a nanosecond before turning him down
cold.

The house where I’ve lived for decades in Vancouver is not just
a property to me. My home – especially the backyard – means so much
more.

The backyard isn’t just my own private place of refuge in the summer. It’s a sacred place for my family as well.

It’s where my kids played tag as children and where they now socialize
with their friends as adults. It’s where my wife and I hold family
barbecues and dinners in the summer. And it’s where my father-in-law
gets down on his hands and knees to pull weeds and tend to the St.
John’s Wort and tulips. Our pet dog, Huckleberry, was even buried in
the backyard when he died.

I wouldn’t trade any of my memories that have taken place on
that small stretch of grass for anything in the world. I know I’m not
alone in my passion. Our yards and gardens are a symbolic zone, a
private sanctuary. Our public parks are also treasured spaces: they’re
the public commons where we can throw Frisbees, play volleyball, read a
book, or (my favorite) take a nap.

There’s been a tremendous amount of interest in green spaces
recently. And with good reason. Many of the private yards and public
parks that we enjoy are coated with toxic chemical pesticides to kill weeds. The problem is that they work too well, and exposure to them can damage our health.

Continue reading “The ugly truth about cosmetic pesticides”