BEPPLE: The politics of pesticides
Soon, Kamloops could have a bylaw banning pesticides outright on lawns and flowers, but allow use on vegetable gardens and fruit trees. Or not. It is still up in the air whether the bylaw will pass or not.
Last week, city council debated Coun. Tina Lange’s motion to ban outright the application of pesticides on lawns, flowers and non-fruit trees, whether by licensed applicators or home owners. Currently in Kamloops, pesticides can only be applied to lawns and flowers by a licensed applicator. If the bylaw passed, no pesticides could be used, except on vegetable gardens and fruit trees.
Sensing this is a contentious issue, Coun. Arjun Singh made a tabling motion until further input from the public could be received. The decision on a pesticide ban has been postponed until at least July.
Now councillors will receive information supporting or opposing the ban. Supporting the ban are environmentalists and people who fear the health effects of pesticides. Opposing the ban are homeowners who want their yards to appear a certain way or want to minimize work, and those who believe the pesticides are safe to use when applied according to specifications.
Both the people who support the ban and the people who want things to remain the way they are now contacting city councillors and sharing their views.
I’m sure by the time the decision goes to council, hundreds if not thousands of emails, phone calls and letters will be received by council.
At the end of the day, after weighing all of the input, the decision will be more about politics than it is about science. No matter who says the decision to ban pesticides or not will be made (or should be made) on science, it will be a political decision through and through.
On the one side are councillors Lange, Donovan Cavers, Dieter Dudy and Denis Walsh. All have supported environmental issues in the past, with Cavers also having run for the Green Party and Dudy operating an organic farm as well. They may be swayed to leave things as they are, but they all have supported environmental issues in the past.
On the other side are Mayor Peter Milobar and councillors Ken Christian, Marg Spina and Pat Wallace who have all traditionally been more cautious to make changes, and are seen by some on the pro-pesticide ban side as being supportive of the status quo. The current bylaw is a compromise between what those wanting no restrictions on use and those wanting a ban.
These four council members are likely to be least likely to want to change how things are.
In the middle is Coun. Singh. It’s not clear at this point which way he is leaning. There are people on either side of the debate who have compelling arguments.
My experience is that science cannot win the day. In the end, people vote based on their own values and the values of the broader community. In the end, the bylaw will pass if the majority of council believes it serves the good and will of the community.
It will be a close vote, I’m sure.
— Nancy Bepple is a recovering politician and local news junkie. She expects she will never recover from her love of the banjo.
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5 responses
“Science can not win the day”, “people will vote on their values”. Essentially you are saying that people will vote in ignorance, trusting science when taking a dose of medication to address a particular health problem (as per the label approved by Health Canada), but not trusting science when placing a dose of pesticide on a specific problem in their environment (as per the label approved by Health Canada).The problem here will be that the people of Kamloops will likely be given a ban based on the will of those opposed to pesticides from around the country (and the world). How many people who are happy with the status quo will take the time to submit their view, or are even aware that there is a “tempest in a teapot” at City Hall.
Kamloops must join the real trends against prohibition.Children need pest-free turf to avoid hurting themselves.There are dozens of jurisdictions that have kept children safe by stopping or rescinding or limiting anti-pesticide prohibition, or by granting professional lawn care businesses with an exception status.The trend against prohibition has continued again and again.No one wants this #@!% dangerous ban nonsense that places children at risk!The following jurisdiction have kept children safe?Alberta ( Province ), Altona ( Manitoba ), Ashland ( Oregon ), Beaumont ( Alberta ), Belleville ( Ontario ), British Columbia ( Province ), Calgary ( Alberta ), Campbell River ( British Columbia ), Chicago ( Illinois ), Durango ( Colorado ), Edmonton ( Alberta ), Everett ( Washington ), Guelph ( Ontario ), Guelph-Eramosa ( Ontario ), Kaua?i County ( Hawai?i ), Kelowna ( British Columbia ), Merritt ( British Columbia ), New Brunswick ( Province ), Newfoundland & Labrador ( Province ), Ogunquit ( Maine ), Ontario ( Beginning Of Repeal Of Ontario Anti-Pesticide Prohibition & Stopping Of Provincial Prohibition Against Neonicotinoid Insecticides ), Port Alberni ( British Columbia ), Portage La Prairie ( Manitoba ), Prince Edward Island ( Province ), Quebec ( Imposed Provincial Prohibition Limited With Permitted Active Ingredients, And Also Invalidated Because Ban Defeated By Lawsuit ), Regina ( Saskatchewan ), Rossland ( British Columbia ), Salmon Arm ( British Columbia ), Scarborough ( Maine ), Saint John’s ( Newfoundland & Labrador ), Saint Josephine ( Oregon ), Steinbach ( Manitoba ), Stuartburn ( Manitoba), USA ( A Vast Majority Of States Have Legislated Pre-Emption Laws, Virtually All Proposed Prohibitions Stopped ), Vernon ( British Columbia ), Winkler ( Manitoba ).http://wp.me/P1jq40-1JOhttp://wp.me/p1jq40-6h1The trends against pesticide bans continue.No one in Kamloops wants this #@!% nonsense!
Yayyy Eakin!:-)
There are long-term repercussions inflicted by fanatical-prohibition.Major global manufacturers are entirely abandoning all sectors of the pesticide industry, and are directing their resources towards more stable and lucrative markets, such as pharmaceutical and veterinary products.Manufacturers abhor operating in markets made unstable by fanatical and subversive prohibitions.Manufacturers cannot afford to spend 250 MILLION DOLLARS in order to satisfy federal scientific assessments, only to be RECKLESSLY AND ARBITRARILY UNDERMINED by local pesticide-hating city councilors in Kamloops.TWO-HUNDRED SEPARATE ASSESSMENTS are performed by 350 professional experts at Health Canada to ensure that pest control products are federally legal, scientifically safe, and will cause NO harm.Pesticide-hating city councilors in Kamloops prefer to RECKLESSLY AND ARBITRARILY UNDERMINE THE REGULATORY PROCESS with fanatical and subversive prohibition.If Canada is to become a haven for fanatical and subversive prohibitions that RECKLESSLY AND ARBITRARILY UNDERMINE scientific federal assessments, manufacturers will shun Canada, and go elsewhere!Consequently, the manufacturers are terrified at the prospect of investing hundreds of millions of dollars on the research and registration of new products in an unstable Canada.http://wp.me/p1jq40-26pFanatical prohibitions harms manufacturers, harms businesses, and harms everyone, and MUST BE STOPPED!There must be NOprohibition allowed in Kamloops!
on one side – tree hugging hippies & on the other side – everyone else w/ common sense.