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E-mail StoryEnvironmental protection begins in the home
| Wednesday, Jun 7 2006 8:05 PM
Last Updated: Wednesday, Jun 7 2006 8:09 PM
The implications of spreading sludge over farmland in Kern County go far beyond Measure E that was on the June 6 ballot.
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A recent scientific report on sludge underscores my contention that environmental protection really begins when we all "bring home the green."
The Johns Hopkins University report focused on antibacterial soaps and other popular consumer products. The report said about 75 percent of bacteria-killing chemicals flushed down urban drains find their way into sludge spread over farmland, yet the potential health and environmental impacts are unknown.
Contrary to TV advertising, not all bacteria are bad -- many are essential to nature and human health.
Clearly, pesticide issues today reach beyond farms. The state Department of Pesticide Regulation and our local partners -- county agri- cultural commissioners -- are working on creative solutions to urban environmental issues. We want to cultivate a better environment and a better economy, whether the landscape is an orchard or a playground.
For our part, DPR is finalizing "Pest Management in the 21st Century" -- a road map for setting our priorities in the next decade and beyond.
It is significant that urban environmental issues were highlighted in this year-long study, which emphasizes integrated pest management. This strategy stresses preventive, least-toxic solutions that avoid chemicals to the maximum extent possible at home or on the farm.
Hundreds of successful integrated pest management programs -- ranging from city and county governments to school districts and a museum to private landscaping and gardening operations -- have quietly sown the seeds of urban environmental progress throughout California.
They also include major agricultural groups, including wine grape, almond and strawberry growers.
It is true that our grass-roots efforts to "bring home the green" lack the pizzazz of a merchandiser's multi-million-dollar advertising budget. But it is also becoming more obvious that heavily hyped products and services -- and hefty price tags -- may not always benefit consumers, their families and the environment.
Our target audience is the consumer who is truly value-conscious. Our message is simple common sense. "Bringing home the green" applies to pest management and much more.
Most of us live in an urban environment. We may not understand how crops are grown, but we instantly recognize a problem in our homes and neighborhoods -- another air quality warning, a contaminated creek or an accident with a household chemical.
When we sense a personal threat to our urban environment, then the benefits of "bringing home the green" become even more appealing, especially when the savings are both economic and environmental.
Many solutions are elegantly simple. It may mean running fewer car errands, tending our lawns and gardens without expensive chemicals -- or just washing our hands a bit more thoroughly with ordinary soap, rather than using an expensive antibacterial cleanser.
Mary-Ann Warmerdam of Sacramento is director of the state Department of Pesticide Regulation. Community Voices is an expanded commentary that may contain up to 500 words. The Californian reserves the right to reprint commentaries in all formats, including on its Web page.