Millions of pounds of chemicals are sprayed, sprayed, or spread each year on residential and commercial lawns across the United States. Somehow, as a country of generally “well-to-do” people, we’ve become obsessed with a perfect, weed-free lawn, and are willing to do just about anything to achieve it.
In fact, most of us have been brainwashed into believing that chemical fertilizers are really safe (or at least safe enough), but nothing could be further from the truth.
No matter what they tell us or how hard we try to fool ourselves, intuitively, we all know that chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides must be harmful. Why else would chemical fertilizer companies be required to put up those little signs on everyone’s lawn that say “KEEP OFF THE LAWN” for X days after application? Why do they wear boots, gloves, and masks (the smart ones anyway)? Because it’s not safe!
So do you think it’s really safe once the signs are removed? No. It’s just ER-safe. The question is, how many exposures to an ER-safe lawn will it take to equal the toxic results of being exposed to an unsafe lawn that has one of those little signs on it?
How many times a week do your children and pets go out and run and roll around on the grass, rubbing those chemicals all over their bodies and ingesting the dust and / or fumes? “But,” he says, “I don’t have a fertilizer company that takes care of my lawn. I do it myself.” Do you really think that self-applied fertilizer that you bought at your local nursery or hardware store is safer than fertilizer applied by fertilizer companies? Of course it is not. Let’s be realistic.
In fact, let’s talk hard and cold facts. A study by the California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG) Charitable Trust and Safe Food and Fertilizer of Washington evaluated 29 fertilizers from 12 states for 22 toxic metals. Their report “WASTE LAND: THE THREAT OF TOXIC FERTILIZERS” documents the results of these fertilizer samples and shows that the problem of toxic fertilizers is widespread.
Their tests showed that the 29 fertilizers tested contained all 22 toxic heavy metals, many of which are known carcinogens or considered possible cancer-causing agents. Four of these fertilizers were brand name fertilizers marketed for unknown consumers who generally apply these products in even greater amounts than those recommended by the manufacturer. At least one of the fertilizers tested is a TOP brand used by a large percentage of commercial landscaping and gardening companies.
Is this really what we want our children and our pets to play in? Toxic waste that is so bad that the EPA restricts manufacturing companies from disposing of it directly, but provides a virtual open door if they give it to chemical fertilizer companies as filler material for their so-called “fertilizers”?
Read the report for yourself on their website: Waste Lands: The Threat Of Toxic Fertilizer. Then use one of the links below to download the free e-book with some safe and inexpensive secrets to having a beautiful, healthy and NON-TOXIC lawn.
