Between Yesterday and Tomorrow

The University should be a paragon for the community, yet this past week UWM has been an anti-paragon. Instead of demonstrating how an educated population can live in harmony with the environment, it’s poisoning the environment. Cindy, a member of Grass Roots, wrote me on Monday that UWM sprayed once again! She found out we can complain about this to the UWM Physical Plant phone: 229-4742. She also suggested contacting Chancellor Carlos E Santiago, ces95@uwm.edu, (414) 229-4331.

Cindy’s Email:..Does anyone know WHY they apply Pesticides to the Lawn areas on UWM campus? I noticed the little white signs around the UWM Union last week and around Mitchell Hall today. (They say to keep off until May 18th) Most of the little signs are actually knocked DOWN so people may not even know the area has been treated. We just had the 1 mile WALK A MILE IN HER SHOES in this same area on Sunday May 6th. Many children and dogs were in this event. So they may have been on the treated green areas without even knowing...Isn't there ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE Solution for whatever "Pests" are bothering whomever is treating our campus with known carcinogens? ..For a little more info, check here.

I forwarded her Email to the Grass Roots list, and here are some of the responses:
This from Sarah L: I called and they said to call Dennis Greenwood at 229-6272. I left him a message saying small children and pets walk on the grass, and pesticides have been shown to cause cancer. I urged him to use a more organic method of maintaining the lawns.

This from someone who actually saw the stealth spraying: On Saturday, May 5, I arrived around 8 a.m., and two Chemlawn trucks were applying chemicals in the areas around Downer Ave and Greene. The air reeked of the chemicals being applied. Shortly after I arrived, the trucks moved on. What struck me at the time was - what time did these guys get to UWM? And, how sneaky can you get? Give me a break, Saturday morning before 8 a.m. to apply herbicide and pesticide to UWM greenery seems a very odd time for a job like this. Don't you agree?

This from Ney: I read your blog, Suzanne. Violets and dandelions are such a comforting sight because they indicate an absence of poisonous lawn chemicals. Few people know that Fritillary caterpillars can only eat violet leaves. Without violets, Fritillary butterflies would become extinct.

This from me: Refuse to use Chemlawn
According to Pesticide Watch
17 of 32 (53 percent) of TruGreen ChemLawn’s pesticide products include ingredients that are possible carcinogens, as defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
- All 32 of TruGreen ChemLawn’s pesticide products include ingredients that pose threats to the environment including water supplies, aquatic organisms, and non-targeted insects.
- 9 of 32 (28 percent) of TruGreen ChemLawn’s pesticide products include ingredients that are known or suspected reproductive toxins (7/32 known, 22 percent)
Even ChemLawn’s sales practices are dishonest. Why would anyone want to trust them with toxic chemicals???