City of Calgary considers ban on pesticides

[McMack]

First drive throughs and now weed and feed... all of the cornerstones of suburban living are under attack!


http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/...7-98f749916f1c

[McMack]

I view this as an opportunity rather than a threat... now I have an excuse for my wife for me buying that flame-thrower weed killer.

[fredr123]

Originally Posted by fotze

I just use diesel for the weeds.

Stale gas works better, if you can get your hands on some...

[fredr123]

Proposed measures to go in effect by 2010 for public lands and 2011 for private lands in Calgary. However, the committee decided that golf courses, agriculture, forestry and public health measures would be exempt from any restrictions.

[Vansmack]

At my parents house in Ottawa, they have a tree that has been suffering from disease for years. They moved there from Calgary 2 years ago. They talked to their gardener about spraying the tree, and he basically said he could, but they shouldn't as it would be frowned up by the neighbours. They then proceeded to inquire about removing the tree, but that was an even worse crime.

Now they are stuck with an ugly dying tree that they can't do anything about. Hopefully Calgary never gets to that point

[J pold]

WHAT??!??!?! The government implementing rules for the environment ?!!?!?!??! BIG BROTHER, FASCISM, NANNY STATE, 1984, AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!

[ken0042]

My biggest issue for this is there is no announcement regarding plans to increase penalties and patrols to catch people who don't take care of their lawns and weeds. The only reason why I use herbicides is for when my neighbours' weeds get so far out of control that my healthy lawn can't help but pick up some weeds. You can't say you are going to take away my defense and yet allow the offenders to keep doing what they are doing.

And since when are we calling these pesticides? I thought pesticides were chemicals to kill insects or animals, and herbicides were to kill plants we don't want. Did I miss the memo or something?

[TurnedTheCorner]

Yeah, this will go nowhere. If this ban is passed, I will drive out of town to buy my herbicides. And stop at a few drive thrus along the way. And throw my drive thru garbage out the window on my drive home. Hopefully I can find a place that still uses styrofoam containers, too!

The incompetent bylaw department doesn't issue tickets for anything anyway. They whine and implore on the news and then staff the department with 4 people who can't even give out tickets at a fraction of the rate that the City dreams up what else it can ban on a whim.

[Boblobla]

Originally Posted by ken0042

My biggest issue for this is there is no announcement regarding plans to increase penalties and patrols to catch people who don't take care of their lawns and weeds. The only reason why I use herbicides is for when my neighbours' weeds get so far out of control that my healthy lawn can't help but pick up some weeds. You can't say you are going to take away my defense and yet allow the offenders to keep doing what they are doing.

And since when are we calling these pesticides? I thought pesticides were chemicals to kill insects or animals, and herbicides were to kill plants we don't want. Did I miss the memo or something?

I am the people who don't take care of their lamn. I rent and our mower sucks and the lawn is all quack grass anyway so I mow it WAYYYYY less than I should. I bet the people across the street with the nicely manicured lawn hate my guts. Where do you live Ken?

[REDVAN]

My issue with this is WHY do we need it? Why do we have to ban things? I haven't read up on it, but if it is because someone's little kid or dog has been likcing the grass and then getting sick, then I am going to be mad. People need to take more responsibility. If your kid is licking the grass, I think you have bigger things to worry about than why your neighbour is using poison on it.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

My issue with this is WHY do we need it? Why do we have to ban things? I haven't read up on it, but if it is because someone's little kid or dog has been likcing the grass and then getting sick, then I am going to be mad. People need to take more responsibility. If your kid is licking the grass, I think you have bigger things to worry about than why your neighbour is using poison on it.

It comes down to, loose correlations have been made to the use of pesticides and diseases such as cancer and parkinson's disease. There is no smoking gun concluding causation, but the philosophy is that there could be a concern and if we don't absolutely need them why not ban them. Once again your freedom to make choices will be compromised by the "Shoulda, Coulda, wouldas" of the world. Another thing that's laughable though is that what's going to happen after these bans are in place. All of a sudden Home Depot's in Okatoks and Airdrie will become massively more profitable. Afterall I'm not going to let Pinko's like Dru Farrell ruin my lawn, nor my drive thru habit!

[fredr123]

Communists or fascists, make up your mind Cowboy...

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by ken0042

And since when are we calling these pesticides? I thought pesticides were chemicals to kill insects or animals, and herbicides were to kill plants we don't want. Did I miss the memo or something?

The aldermen can barely tell their heads from their asses. What makes you think they can tell apart herbicides from insecticides form fungicides from pesticides?

It comes down to, loose correlations have been made to the use of pesticides and diseases such as cancer and parkinson's disease. There is no smoking gun concluding causation, but the philosophy is that there could be a concern and if we don't absolutely need them why not ban them.

IARC has estrogen on its list of group 1 carcinogens. Birth control pills contain estrogen. Should they be banned? How about benzene? Everytime you burninate something with carbon, it creates benzene. How about ethanol? Time for prohibition!

It's fine and good that "pesticides" be banned (heavens to betsy, we'll have to ban daisies because of this), but don't think for a moment that it's because of a real concern.

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by ken0042

My biggest issue for this is there is no announcement regarding plans to increase penalties and patrols to catch people who don't take care of their lawns and weeds. The only reason why I use herbicides is for when my neighbours' weeds get so far out of control that my healthy lawn can't help but pick up some weeds. You can't say you are going to take away my defense and yet allow the offenders to keep doing what they are doing.

And since when are we calling these pesticides? I thought pesticides were chemicals to kill insects or animals, and herbicides were to kill plants we don't want. Did I miss the memo or something?

Insecticides, fungicides, herbicides are all pesticides. I agree with you about the neighbor with the weedy lawn. My lawn is immaculate, but I have a neighbor who has every weed in the book growing on his lawn and he does nothing about it. I finally complained about him last year. All he has to do is mow it and the city is happy. Mean while I have crack grass and Canada thistle creeping from his lawn onto mine. Crack grass is damn hard to get rid of.

[Flames89]

It's about our water.

All the water would be spiked with high fertilizers and chemicals. Wastewater treatment can't get rid of everything.

[Regulator75]

So is Greendrop now banned from residential areas?

Don't they feed the grass and kill all the weeds?

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by TurnedTheCorner

Yeah, this will go nowhere. If this ban is passed, I will drive out of town to buy my herbicides. And stop at a few drive thrus along the way. And throw my drive thru garbage out the window on my drive home. Hopefully I can find a place that still uses styrofoam containers, too!

The incompetent bylaw department doesn't issue tickets for anything anyway. They whine and implore on the news and then staff the department with 4 people who can't even give out tickets at a fraction of the rate that the City dreams up what else it can ban on a whim.

Dont forget to throw your batteries at some Environmental protesters

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by McMack

First drive throughs and now weed and feed... all of the cornerstones of suburban living are under attack!


http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/...7-98f749916f1c

I think I have an idea for a store in that new Balzac supermall

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by Regulator75

So is Greendrop now banned from residential areas?

Don't they feed the grass and kill all the weeds?

I always think its hilarious when I hear Peter Mahr endorsing them with the "high on grass" line.

For some reason I get mental images of him dressed in a Flames jersey puffin' a fatty with Cypress Hill in the purple convertible from the Lowrider video.

[Flame On]

Is this just city used pesticides or residents too?