When Green Is Toxic:
Moving from Chem-Lawns to Eco-Lawns

By Laurine Brown, PhD, MPH

In America, we love our lawns. A perfect, cushy, homogenous green carpet delights our conditioned sense, especially when freshly mowed. To achieve "perfection," many of us turn to chemicals. For one-in-ten households, chemical lawn trucks round up uninvited weeds and brighten dull blades. Garden stores keep one-in-five do-it-yourself households supplied with bags of easy 4-step programs.

The results may please us, but how safe is the process? Pesticides (the general term for all insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, & rodenticides) are, by definition, poisons. While steps can be taken to reduce risk, the Environmental Protection Agency informs us that there may be no safe dose, especially for children.

Yet, Americans blanket their yards with 70 million pounds of quick-fix pesticides yearly, which the Center for Disease Control tells us are showing up in our blood and urine, not to mention our carpets. Insecticides like Dursban (chlorpyrifos), Spectracide (diazinon), malathion, and Sevin (carbaryl) are household names despite the fact the former two of these World War II nerve gas hybrids have been recently banned (through phase-out programs) due to mounting evidence of harm to children's developing nervous systems. Weedkillers like Weed-B-Gone, Weedone, Weed-and-Feed (2,4-D), Roundup, Rodeo, Touchdown (glyphosate) have doused an astounding 50% of our yards. Who's informing these users that of 99 human studies, 75 link the dandelion killer 2,4-D Roundup and other pestcides to rising rates of lymphoma, the kind of cancer that claimed Jackie Kennedy Onassis' life?

When we combine wildlife, lab animal, and human studies, we uncover a disturbingly long (and growing) list of ailments now linked to pesticide exposure: more brain cancer and leukemia in children born to exposed mothers; breast cancer in women who use lawn services; lymphoma in dogs with 2, 4-D treated lawns; and in farmers also using the weedkiller; Parkinson's disease, a devastating degenerative nervous system disease; more aggression in exposed children; birth defects; infertility; lowered sperm counts; not to mention thousands of dead birds.

Rounding out the circle of lawn chemicals, the seemingly benign synthetic fertilizers are also making bad news. We're warned not to let babies drink local water becase of cancer causing nitrates. Scientists have discovered a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico from nitrogen-fertilizer runoff delivered via the Mississippi River.

Enough. Is the pursuit of such perfection really worth the risk? Perhaps we need to step "out of the box" of grass monocropping and redefine a perfect yard. An ecological lawn movement is doing just that, encouraging us to honor nature's time-tested model of biodiversity, using native species. If we follow nature's lead we will surely reap her wisdom of balance, keeping invading weeds and damaging bugs in check without resroting to toxic chemicals.

Good Sense Lawncare Tips:
Turf experts tell us that a healthy lawn is the best protection against weeds & damaging bugs.

• Diversify the turf species-- Use a mixture of low maintenance grasses. Include nitrogen-fixing clover & other herbs which crowd out less attractive boadleaf plants and are more drought and disease resistant.
• Feed the soil organically-- Use organic fertilizers & apply compost to needy areas. (See Gardens Alive! 812.535.8650, www.GardensAlive.com) Use clover to provide slow-release nitrogen. Recycle clippings, mulch mowing to return nturients to soil.
• Reduce stress-- Mow high & often with a sharp blade, cutting less than 1/3 of the grass blade. Avoid fertilizer salts & pesticides. Water minimally at most, to avoid forcing heat or drought-stressed grass out of dormancy. Use mulch mowing and compost to nourish.
• Dethatch & aerate soil-- A thatch rake & aerator are helpful tools. Avoid fertilizer salts & pesticides that kill thatch-busting worms & soil microorganisms.
• Weed & debug naturally-- Forget weed or bug free. Decide how much diversity you'll tolerate, & learn to love it. First address your lawn's health (grass diversity, mowing, fertilization, aeration, etc.). Hand-pull weeds you simply can't stand before they set seed. Use IPM (Integrated Pest Management) for harmful bugs, using te least harmful solutions first, with pesticides only as a last resort. The local Master Gardeners of University of Illinois Extension-- McLean County offers insect and plant disease identification for free or a small fee if the problem cannot be identified locally (309.663.8306).
• Provide alternative cover-- In grass-hostile shady or dry spots, consider other ground covers. Better yet, restore a native habitat for plants and wildlife in your yard.

  Helpful Resources:

  Books, Magazines, Websites, Services

• Building A Healthy Lawn: A Safe and Natural Approach; S. Franklin, J. Silva and D. Burns, 1988.
• Healthy Lawns. City of Toronto, Parks and Recreation. www.city.toronto.on.ca/parks/healthylawn/index.htm
• Lawn Care for Dummies; L. Walheim, 1998 (discourages, but includes some guidance on chemical use).
• McLean County University of Illinois Extension Office (309.663.8306): Trained Master Gardeners offer complementary expert advice on ecological lawn care and gardening, including guidance on IPM.
• Rodale's Pest & Disease Problem Solver; L. Gilkeson, P. Peirce, M. Smith, 2000.
• Rodale Organic Gardener Magazine www.organicgardener.com (See also many good organic publications available at the online bookstore at www.rodalestore.com)
• The Chemical-Free Lawn: The Newest Varieties and Techniques to Grow Lush, Hardy Grass; W. Schultz, 1989.

  Organic Mail Order Catalogues:

• Gardens Alive! 812.535.8650, www.GardensAlive.com
• Peaceful Valley Farm Supply 888.784.1722, www.groworganic.com

September 2001

   
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