Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Alberta slow to get with the program

Canadians have many things to be proud of when it comes to protecting our health and our environment from the negative effects of pesticides. Towns, cities and entire provinces are taking the initiative to enact cosmetic pesticide bans. In fact, Edmonton and Calgary are now the two largest cities in Canada that have not enacted any such ban.

On June 15, 2010, the four Environment Ministers of the Atlantic Provinces met together to discuss the idea of a collaborative pesticide ban – the first multi-province initiative of its kind in Canada. Two of these provinces already have legislation banning pesticides, and Nova Scotia will be enacting a ban by the spring of 2011. Read more here.

Alberta needs to get with the program! If you want our government to begin protecting our heath and our environment get involved today. Sign our online petition or send us an email to learn how to become more involved.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Pesticides & ADHD

Want another good reason to go green this gardening season? Recent research suggests that children exposed to high levels of pesticides may be at greater risk of developing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

In a joint study between the University of Montreal and Harvard University, researchers examined 119 children and discovered that those with the highest levels of pesticide-related chemicals in their systems were twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD compared to those with little-to-no chemical exposure.

While the study does not establish a direct "causal" link between pesticide exposure and ADHD, it should lead to more research examining the correlation.

Want more information? Read from the Edmonton Journal.

Or, dive into the research which has been published in the June 2010 edition of the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.