Wednesday, April 4, 2007

Organic gardening tips offered at Wilton library

By Jared Newman, Wilton Villager

Imagine a lawn without chemicals. It may seem impossible to those who call the landscaper four times a year, but speakers and presenters at the Wilton Library's environmental symposium last Tuesday night tried to show the way.

"If you tell your landscaper to stop using chemicals on your lawn, they have no idea what to do because it's so ingrained and entrenched," Christy Pennoyer, a development manager for the Greenwich Audubon, said.

Dr. D. Barry Boyd, who specializes in cancer treatment and recovery, told the audience that pesticides have become too prevalent and are harmful even in low doses.

"The chemical industry has essentially flooded us in the last 50 years," he said, adding that less than ten percent of yard care chemicals have been tested for health effects. He also said lawn care use of pesticides is ten times greater than agricultural use.

Boyd pointed to higher cancer rates and reproductive problems as proof that pesticides are harmful, especially to children. He presented a staggering list of potential health problems that at times aroused gasps from the audience.

read more..(Wilton Villager)