| Environmentalists say they will focus on educating people about the dangers of pesticides after city council refused to consider downgrading the dandelion from noxious weed to nuisance so that fewer chemicals would be used to control it on city property.
Jennifer Wright, a member of the Sierra Club and Lawns for Kids, was disappointed by the decision, but says education is the real key to reducing pesticide use.
"I don’t think there’s any adult out there that would continue using pesticides if they have the right information, especially those with kids," she adds.
On March 18, council received a review on the implementation of its integrated pest management plan, which deals with the use of chemicals to control weeds on city property. Both Ald. Druh Farrell and Ald. Barry Erskine had supported a recommendation within that plan to change the classification of the dandelion from noxious weed to nuisance weed, which Wright says would have cut back on the amount of pesticides used within the city, saved money and brought the city in line with the province’s weed classification system.
Erskine pressed council for a direct vote on reclassifying the dandelion, but not only did council refuse, it also defeated a motion that would have sent the issue to its operations and environment committee for further examination.
The rejection marked the second time in as many weeks that council refused to change policies regarding dandelions in its integrated pest management plan, leaving Wright to urge people to educate themselves.
"Obviously we’re disappointed that council is taking such a lackadaisical attitude towards this very important issue," she says. |
