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CANADIAN COMMUNITIES BANNING PESTICIDES in HOME GARDENS & LAWNS
CANADA - April 12, 2009 Many Canadian towns and cities are considering creating a total ban on the use of herbicides, pesticides, fungicides and non organic fertilizers for home gardens and lawns. Several communities had the guts to implement such a ban awhile ago. As it turns out, despite the usual cries of "OMG! How will we go on without our poisonous arsenal of garden goops?", most home gardeners have not had any problems adjusting to the new organic product line ups that are available at stores like Wall Mart, Canadian Tire, P C Products ( Loblaws, Xtra Foods and Real Cdn SS). I would surmise that they too have discovered that it's easy to change to non toxic methods AND that the lawn and garden actually grow better, with less work. No one is going to object to that for very long!
Why not make a quick call or fire off an email to YOUR local representataives asking them to consider a ban on dumping toxic chemicals all over YOUR town or rural area. NOW would be a good time, especially here in Canada, because ther is quite a bit of green momentumj on this issue right now. Sometimes, timing is a large factor in deciding which policies will be be propsed by the elected people who make the descisions that affect us all and the future of our kids as well. This kind of gives 'Go With The Flow' a whole new important meaning.
I would also recommend having a friendly conversation with your local garden center manager about the fact that you would like to see only natural, non toxic garden supplies sold in your community. You might even take the time to explain that the Canadian Cancer Society has clearly spoken out about the carcinogen levels in garden products and the harm they are causing. The Cdn Cancer Society representative was being interviewed on the evening news yesterday, April 11/09. She t once again that it is very important for the public to know how harmful these chemicals are and that a ban on them is imperative. Let's go!
I recently had the good fortune to be interviewed for a job working in the garden centre department of a big box store in my area.I had done a little on-line research into the new PC green gardening products and so in the course of my interview I mentioned that I had a great deal of experience at gardening organically and that I was looking forward to being able to introduce their customers to the new organic products that are now available. I was totally surprise by what the manager said next.
"We do not have any such green products in our store and to be honest, our customers are just not interested in any of that. They just want their bag of Weed N Feed or a bottle of Round -Up & be on their way."
OMG!
"OK", I said doubtfully. "So, I would be expected, then, to sell toxic products to your customers to be be sprayed & spread all over our valley"?
"Yes", she said.
That's about when I knew I was NOT getting the job. Oh well, I have a great job now, so I don't mind, but I am still baffled by this company's behavior. Their website goes on quite a bit about how green they are, but now I'm not so sure. I even emailed the PC website contact, detailing my experience and wondering why their new green gardening products are not only not on the shelf but in the minds of the management, not even in existence!
Here is an excerpt from my email:
Hi;
I was at one of your stores in my home town in B.C., yesterday, interviewing for a job in the Garden Centre. I had a great discussion with the interviewer, and I now have some further thoughts about the greening up of our local gardening community and the role that your stores could play in this. Please, do not interpret this contact as a criticism in any way of the terrific and professional and very helpful management team member who I spoke with. I am still hoping to be a employee there, in some capacity, in the near future.
As a customer of your store, I have been so impressed with your 'green' products, from organic food to laundry and household cleaning products. However, when I told my interviewer, yesterday, of my expertise in the organic gardening field, she said she honestly did no think anyone would be interested and that she did not know of any green gardening products, such as your line of cleaning products, that were available in the garden centre. I was surprised by this as it is very important to get the millions of homeowners in Canada to change the products that they buy for their gardens.
I have searached your website for green garden products and as it turns out, pc has already produced this green line of garden products. It is a modest list and I would commend you for it. However, there are great natural bug and weed controls now for garden centres to put on their shelves. There is no reason, really, for a company like PC to even put toxic products like Round-Up etc on your shelves for people to choose, especially now that it is your option to put green gardening products there instead. As we all know, if the product is sitting out at the grocery store, the customers perception will be that 'it MUST be OK if the Big Box Store sells it.'
SO, while I do really want to commend your company and its' efforts to green up, I most respectfully request that you get even more involved. What is the point of encouraging your customers to go organic inside the store, while having them load the trunk up with very harmful & toxic products for them to spray, spread & dust all over their yard and thus all over our valley.
Now, it is possible that this manager was just not up to date on the green gardening products that are now made by PC, but she was quite sure that for the most part, my job would be to sell Round-Up & other non-green products to those people who did not want to know about the new non toxic products now available. Is it possible that you need to send a polite memo to bring this store up to date?
I attended the interview yesterday hoping to be able to get a job in a small garden centre where I could share my expertise in the field of organic gardening while using my sales gift to help encourage customers to easily do green up our valley by changing what they buy. Just like your green cleaning products are doing. By putting the choices there on the store shelf for customers to choose and by making them aware of the new choices, your company is taking one of the MOST important steps in the green movement. The blogosphere is full of comments and green tips involving your company and how impressed everyone is with your leadership. Let's keep it going.
I had thought perhaps that someone like me could have been hired for their expertise and excellent customer service attitude, but apparently, as I was informed by the interviewer, the garden centre is really just a convenience for your customers and my expertise is not really required. True, I suppose, but I still wish I could have had an opportunity to promote your new green garden products and let your customers know how easy it is to switch to organic gardening by simply changing what they buy.
Let me know if you would like me to try again. I would be happy to do so.
Sincerely
Moi
I was at one of your stores in my home town in B.C., yesterday, interviewing for a job in the Garden Centre. I had a great discussion with the interviewer, and I now have some further thoughts about the greening up of our local gardening community and the role that your stores could play in this. Please, do not interpret this contact as a criticism in any way of the terrific and professional and very helpful management team member who I spoke with. I am still hoping to be a employee there, in some capacity, in the near future.
As a customer of your store, I have been so impressed with your 'green' products, from organic food to laundry and household cleaning products. However, when I told my interviewer, yesterday, of my expertise in the organic gardening field, she said she honestly did no think anyone would be interested and that she did not know of any green gardening products, such as your line of cleaning products, that were available in the garden centre. I was surprised by this as it is very important to get the millions of homeowners in Canada to change the products that they buy for their gardens.
I have searached your website for green garden products and as it turns out, pc has already produced this green line of garden products. It is a modest list and I would commend you for it. However, there are great natural bug and weed controls now for garden centres to put on their shelves. There is no reason, really, for a company like PC to even put toxic products like Round-Up etc on your shelves for people to choose, especially now that it is your option to put green gardening products there instead. As we all know, if the product is sitting out at the grocery store, the customers perception will be that 'it MUST be OK if the Big Box Store sells it.'
SO, while I do really want to commend your company and its' efforts to green up, I most respectfully request that you get even more involved. What is the point of encouraging your customers to go organic inside the store, while having them load the trunk up with very harmful & toxic products for them to spray, spread & dust all over their yard and thus all over our valley.
Now, it is possible that this manager was just not up to date on the green gardening products that are now made by PC, but she was quite sure that for the most part, my job would be to sell Round-Up & other non-green products to those people who did not want to know about the new non toxic products now available. Is it possible that you need to send a polite memo to bring this store up to date?
I attended the interview yesterday hoping to be able to get a job in a small garden centre where I could share my expertise in the field of organic gardening while using my sales gift to help encourage customers to easily do green up our valley by changing what they buy. Just like your green cleaning products are doing. By putting the choices there on the store shelf for customers to choose and by making them aware of the new choices, your company is taking one of the MOST important steps in the green movement. The blogosphere is full of comments and green tips involving your company and how impressed everyone is with your leadership. Let's keep it going.
I had thought perhaps that someone like me could have been hired for their expertise and excellent customer service attitude, but apparently, as I was informed by the interviewer, the garden centre is really just a convenience for your customers and my expertise is not really required. True, I suppose, but I still wish I could have had an opportunity to promote your new green garden products and let your customers know how easy it is to switch to organic gardening by simply changing what they buy.
Let me know if you would like me to try again. I would be happy to do so.
Sincerely
Moi
Well, I waited and waited and there never was a reply. So, I'll be off to the blogoshpere about it now, and hopefully many others will have a little chat with the big chain stores that are still flogging toxic, carcinogenic chemicals to every Tom, Dick & Harry B. Gardener who comes through their not very green doors.
NEWS ITEM FROM CHINA Feb 18, 2009
FROM REUTERS BEIJING - State Radio China reported that the Chinese government is to begin offering cash rebates of up to 600,000 chinese yuan (approx $87,719 US - US $1.00 = 6.84 yuan) to citizens who buy an eco friendly, alternate fuel vehicles and buses in 13 major centres in China, including Beijing and Shanghai. The new green incentive program is intended to encourage the population to conserve fossil fuel energy by using alternative fuels to power their automobiles. These rebates are offered on vehicles powered by: battery, hybrid (battery/gasoline combination) and fuel cell (hydrogen) powered cars. This forward thinking plan is designed to reduce emissions, improve the country's vehicle manufacturing industry and stimulate demand.Rebates offered by the government range from 50,000 yuan for a small hybrid passenger car, to 600,000 yuan for a large fuel cell powered commercial bus. No restrictions on the make and model of vehicle to receive the rebate have been reported so far, but it isn't certain if this means the rebate will be offered to car buyers who purchase vehicles that are produced overseas. There has been no word so far as to exactly when the start date is for the green rebate program.
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