Having a beautiful, thick green lawn is always a goal of mine every year. But how far do I go to get it? Am I willing to use toxic lawn chemicals to get the lawn I have always desired?
The answer is no.
Homeowners use about 100 million pounds of pesticides a year. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recent studies have also shown that these toxic lawn chemicals are making their way into our homes, ruining our indoor air and exposing our children to chemicals.
Pesticides are created to kill weeds and insects, which means they are poisonous to plants, wildlife, pets, and people. Pesticides are linked to cancer, birth defects, and liver or kidney damage.
Pesticides are toxic to birds, bees, and fish. They are found in groundwater, and can leach into our drinking water.
Pesticides are absorbed through the skin, by mouth, or can be absorbed by breathing in vapors, dust, or sprays. A person can also be exposed to these chemicals if they touch contaminated grass, shoes, clothing, or lawn furniture.
Many of these toxic chemicals can stay active on lawns for about a month to a year, releasing toxic vapors along the way. Breathing in these vapors can cause illness to pets and people.
Watching my boys playing baseball on one side of the lawn, while my daughter practices cartwheels on the other side of the lawn makes me realize that my decision to ban toxic chemicals from my lawn was the right one!
