Every year millions of pounds of chemicals are sprayed, sprinkled or otherwise spread on residential and business lawns all across the United States. Somehow, as a country of generally “well-off” individuals, we have become obsessed with a picture perfect, weed-free lawn, and we’ve become willing to do just about anything to achieve it.
In fact, most of us have allowed ourselves to be brainwashed into believing that chemical fertilizers are actually safe (or at least safe enough), but nothing could be further from the truth.
No matter what we’re told or how much we may try to delude ourselves, intuitively, we all know that chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides must be harmful. Why else would chemical fertilization companies be required to put those little signs in everyones’ lawns that say “STAY OFF THE GRASS” for X days after application? Why do they wear boots and gloves and masks (the smart ones anyway)? Because it isn’t safe!
So, do you think it is really safe once they remove the signs? No. It is simply saf-ER. The question is, how many exposures to a saf-ER 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 each week do your children and pets go out and run around and roll in the grass, rubbing those chemicals all over their body and ingesting the dust and/or fumes? “But,” you say, “I don’t have a fertilizer company doing my lawn. I do it myself.” Do you really think that the fertilizer you apply yourself, that you bought at the local nursery or hardware store, is any safer than the fertilizer applied by fertilization companies? Of course it’s not. Let’s be real.
In fact, let’s talk cold hard facts. A study done by the California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG) Charitable Trust and Washington’s Safe Food and Fertilizer tested 29 fertilizers from 12 states for 22 toxic metals. Their report “WASTE LANDS: THE THREAT OF TOXIC FERTILIZER” documents the results of these fertilizer samples and demonstrates that the problem of toxic fertilizers is widespread.
Their testing showed that the 29 fertilizers tested contained all 22 toxic heavy metals, many of which are known carcinogens or are considered possible cancer causing agents. Four of these fertilizers were brand name fertilizers marketed to unknowing consumers who generally apply these products in even greater amounts than recommended by the manufacturer. At least one of the fertilizers tested is a MAJOR brand used by a large percentage of commercial lawncare and landscape companies.
Is this really what we want our children and our pets playing on? Toxic waste that is so bad 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 at their website: Waste Lands: The Threat Of Toxic Fertilizer. Then, use one of the links below to download the free ebook for some sure-fire, low cost secrets to having a beautiful, healthy, NON-TOXIC lawn.
