Don't diss my dandelions

Our lawn is beautiful this year…beautiful, that is, if you enjoy looking at dandelions.
 
To many, our lawn is a scourge, an eyesore in an otherwise lawn-manicured neighbourhood, and if you listen carefully, I’m pretty sure you can hear several elderly, retired neighbours tsking and sucking their teeth as they look out their windows and estimate how long it will take our dandelions to contaminate their pristine green carpets.  As an added bonus, we seem to have developed a healthy amount of forget-me-nots, plantain, and thistles.  Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of the thistles, Scottish connections notwithstanding, but the dandelions are growing on me (pun intended) as I learn more about the down sides of cosmetic pesticide use.

Cosmetic, or non-essential use, of pesticides, is defined as the “use of pest-control products to improve appearance of non-agricultural green spaces.” Dandelions, while perhaps not visually appealing to everyone, do not cause any actual harm, and may in fact have health benefits. Pesticides, on the other hand, have many known or putative negative health impacts, which are not justified simply for the appearance of a lush green lawn.
 
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) has been actively trying to reduce cosmetic pesticide use for years.  On their website they cite many scientific articles(246 articles over 19 years published in peer-reviewed clinical journals, plus a report from the PEI Chief Public Health office with 350 peer-reviewed studies over 11 years).  Both groups found that pesticide use (multiple types) is associated with development of cancers of the brain, prostate, kidney, blood (leukemia), and Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  Non-organochlorine pesticides may cause adverse reproductive outcomes including low birth weight, neural tube defects, and diaphragm defects. Exposure of infants, children or pregnant women to organophosphates, biocides, and fungicides was associated with increased asthma and wheezing in children up to age 6.
 
The emphasis on pregnant women, infants and children is significant: the chemicals have a particularly negative effect on the developing fetus. Infants and children have higher exposures due to crawling/playing on the ground, ingestion of dirt, higher body surface area, reduced ability to process chemicals, and increased exposure to household dust (up to 76% of post-herbicide exposure is related to house dust from pesticides tracked indoors; exposure to this contaminated dust can be 100 times greater in children than adults). Who knew?
 
Admittedly, a soft, perfect lawn is much more inviting.  Lying on your back looking at cloud patterns is much less appealing when you are lying on a thistle.  A golfer is definitely not going to get a straight putt on a big cluster of plantain.
 
We tried to maintain our lawn pesticide-free using every method: overseeding, longer grass, aerating seasonally. One summer, our bored teenager spent hours pulling dandelions in the front yard; in a day she cleared the entire half yard, and the next day–the NEXT DAY –the lawn was yellow with dandelions again.  It brought to mind the hydra of Greek mythology, where 2 heads sprout when you chop off one, or Game of Thrones, expending massive energy to wipe out all the White Walkers only to have them all rise up and start staggering back. We threw up our hands and surrendered.  We waved a white flag of dandelion fluff.
 
But we did not spray.  Not even those “natural” sprays which are apparently made of  microbials, “plant-incorporated protectants” (whatever that means), or iron; while those have not been associated with cancers, the long term health effects of exposure are currently unknown, so the Canadian Cancer Society suggests elimination of all cosmetic pesticides.  Also, consider the effects, known or unknown, of pesticides on our natural world: has anyone read Silent Spring? Written by Rachel Carson in 1962?  (Hint: nature good, pesticides bad).
 
Perhaps, as stated by the Canadian Cancer Society, we must “increase our tolerance for imperfection” to have a world less dependent on chemical pesticides. 
These things, of course, take time; in the meantime, come by and check out our dandelions.  Pick some if you want, make dandelion tea or wine, make a dandelion salad! We have plenty to share. PLENTY.
 
Your body, as well as the children, birds, animals, and insects of our world will thank you.