ONE MORE GO AT PESTICIDES AND PERFECT LAWNS

My good friend Dr. Henry Regier sent out this article titled "The Toxic Brew in our Yards" written by Dr. Diane lewis. She is a physician and member of the Endocrine Society, a group of medical professionals specializing in diseases of the hormonal system. In no uncertain terms she makes the case that glyphosate (Roundup), carbaryl, malathion and 2,4-D on our lawns are slowly killing us. Everything we put on our lawns eventually ends up in our drinking water whether our water source is groundwater or surface water from rivers and lakes. She also advises that water treatment does not remove all of these chemicals. Finally there are a number of alternatives to pesticides and herbicides including adding clover to our lawns, leaving grass clippings behind and letting the grass grow longer (four inches). She also suggest that dandelions should be appreciated as they provide sustenance to monarch butterflys until milkweed blooms later in the season. Spring is here in Elmira. I used to weed by hand but age is making that tougher. Can I resist peer pressure from the neighbours who take a lot of pride in their lawns?