• Link to SK Organic Resources
  • Driving Near Recently Sprayed Fields Exposes People to Pesticides
  • SNAP Tour of Organic Vegetable Garden
  • Learn About Pesticides in Foods
  • Learn to Keep Insects Out of your Crops
  • Learn to Manage Pests Naturally
  • Weeds Can Be Managed Without Chemical Pesticides
  • SNAP Display at Event
  • Learn About Colony Collapse Disorder and How to Protect Bees
  • Learn To Manage Weeds Without Chemical Pesticides

Archives for 2014

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Cat and dog flea treatments can be toxic to pets, humans.

Cats can die from flea treatment used on dogs. HIgn levels of pesticides are found on fur and transfered to other surfaces in the home and people.

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Cat and dog flea treatments can be toxic to pets, humansCBC Marketplace investigates risks to humans and pets from popular pet products. By Megan Griffith-Greene / Marketplace, CBC News Posted: Dec 05, 2014 11:00 AM ET Last Updated: Dec 05, 2014 11:57 AM ET.  “Paws for Concern” aired Friday, Dec. 5 at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT) on CBC Television. video in link.

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Neonicotinoids: The New DDT?

27 minutes video from Earth Focus. Oct 13, 2014. Up to date scientific info on effects of neonics on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, including the marine ecosystem.

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Neonicotinoids: The New DDT?   27 minutes video from Earth Focus. Oct 13, 2014. Up to date scientific info on effects of neonics on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, including the marine ecosystem.

More on neonics on SNAP's bee die-off page, wildlife page/birds and amphibians, water /Saskatchewan and health/nervous system and pesticide Fact sheets

Friday, August 8, 2014

Sierra Club discovers that the PMRA just registered a couple of new neonics.

Both products contain the active ingredient clothianidin.

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Sierra Club discovers that the PMRA just registered a couple of new neonics. Both products contain the active ingredient clothianidin.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Roundup Toxicity May Impact Male Fertility: Study

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Roundup Toxicity May Impact Male Fertility: Study  Roundup exposure induced cell death in Sertoli cells in prepubertal rat testis.2 Sertoli cells are required for male sexual development, including maintaining the health of sperm cells. (Dr Mercola, April 01, 2014)

more on endocrine disruption and RoundUp

Friday, July 11, 2014

Autism risk higher near pesticide-treated fields, study says

Exposure of pregnant women to organophosphates and also for the first time to pyrethroids linked to autism risk.

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Autism risk higher near pesticide-treated fields, study says Exposure of pregnant women to organophosphates and also for the first time to pyrethroids linked to autism risk. The study also reported an increased risk of developmental delays, but not autism, in kids whose moms lived near fields where carbamates, including methomyl and Sevin, were applied. Good review of autism risks to put those in perspective. 

Thursday, June 26, 2014

New Tests Find Bee-killing Pesticides in ‘bee-friendly’ Plants sold in Portland, ME Garden Centers

data indicate that many plants sold in nurseries and garden stores across the U.S. and Canada are being pre-treated with systemic neonicotinoid insecticides, making them potentially toxic to pollinators

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New Tests Find Bee-killing Pesticides in ‘bee-friendly’ Plants sold in Portland, ME Garden Centers (Organic Consumers Association, June 25, 2014) in Home Depot (NYSE: HD), Lowe’s (NYSE: LOW) and Walmart (NYSE: WMT) stores. “Our data indicate that many plants sold in nurseries and garden stores across the U.S. and Canada are being pre-treated with systemic neonicotinoid insecticides, making them potentially toxic to pollinators,” said Timothy Brown, Ph.D., co-author of the report from the Pesticide Research Institute. 

More on neonicotinoids and bee decline at http://www.snapinfo.ca/issues/bee-die-off

Thursday, June 26, 2014

GOING GMO-FREE Grocer's Toolkit

Apaproach your grocery store to start buying gmo-free foods

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GOING GMO-FREE  Grocer's Toolkit   Many Canadian stores were submitted to the contest including Dad's organic in Regina and Saskatoon. Make your grocery store aware of this and tell them you don't want gmos in your food, cosmetics and other products.

Sunday, June 1, 2014

How to Create Inclusive Communities for people affected by MCS

Final version and link. Prepared for the Creating Inclusive Communities public consultation forum, May 6, 2014

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How to Create Inclusive Communities for people affected by MCS Prepared for the Creating Inclusive Communities public consultation forum held in Regina at the Queensbury Convention Centre, Salon 3, May 6, 1:30 – 4:30 pm and sent in as a written contribution. By Paule Hjertaas, President and spokesperson of the Saskatchewan Network for Alternatives to Pesticides (SNAP) relevant to the pesticide issue because pesticides are both a cause and trigger of MCS.

Sunday, June 1, 2014

How to Create Inclusive Communities for people affected by MCS

Prepared for the Creating Inclusive Communities public consultation forum, May 6, 2014

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How to Create Inclusive Communities for people affected by MCS Prepared for the Creating Inclusive Communities public consultation forum held in Regina at the Queensbury Convention Centre, Salon 3, May 6, 1:30 – 4:30 pm and sent in as a written contribution. By Paule Hjertaas, President and spokesperson of the Saskatchewan Network for Alternatives to Pesticides (SNAP) relevant to the pesticide issue because pesticides are both a cause and trigger of MCS.

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Wascana Spraying Schedule

for June 2-5, 2014 and past 2 weeks.

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The Wascana spraying schedules are developed weekly. To be added to the notification list, phone the Wascana office at 306-522-3661.

I personally avoid Wascana during the spray season. But if you go and get sick, here is what you should do 

Upcoming week first, then the past 2 weeks because it is usually as long as it takes for me to quit gettng sick from a pesticide application. When there are any repeats of areas, it is likely because weather or time has prevented spraying in that area the week before.

Use of 2,4-D on turf and Dipel (Bacillus thuringensis) sprayed on trees for caterpillars starts this upcoming week. Lorox (active ingredient: linuron) and RoundUp (active ingredient: glyphosatestarted more than 2 weeks ago. Note the date on the fact sheet. There may be more recent information but not likely as complete a review.

The names of the products used for gopher, mouse and mosquito control were not named. I will attempt to find out. Usually Bti has been used for mosquitoes in the past, applied as pellets to puddles and areas of standing water.

WASCANA CENTRE - FORESTRY SPRAY PROGRAM - 2014

 (MSDS Sheets available upon request)

D’ARCY SCHENK – MANAGER OF FORESTRY & HORTICULTURE – darcy.schenk@wascana.ca

WEEK OF JUNE 2 - 5, 2014 - Weather Dependent

Monday June 2nd

Lorox – U of R – Research Park

Roundup – U of R – Research Park – FNUC – President’s Residence

Dipel – Albert Street from 23rd

Gopher Control – TC Douglas Area

Mice Bait Control – All Areas

Mosquitos – Shelterbelt SIAST

Tuesday June 3rd

Lorox – Wascana Rehabilitation Centre – Area 1 Legislative Area

Roundup – Wascana Rehabilitation Centre - Area 1 Legislative Area

2-4-D – North Wascana Park Albert Street to Darke Hall

Dipel – Albert Street on College Avenue to Wascana Parkway

Gopher Control – TC Douglas Area - Douglas Park Area

Wednesday June 4

Lorox – CNIB – Queen Building

Roundup – U of R Main Campus

2-4-D – Wascana Place to CNIB

Dipel – North Wascana Park from Albert Street to Wascana Pool

Mosquitos – All Areas

Th, June 5

Lorox – President’s Residence – Wascana Parkway

Roundup – President’s Residence – Wascana Parkway

2-4-D – President’s Residence – Wascana Parkway – Community Gardens

Dipel – President’s Residence – Wascana Parkway

Mosquitos – All Areas

I condensed the past information below. 

WEEKS OF MAY 20 - 30, 2014 - Weather Dependent

Lorox (active ingredient  (23rd Ave to Legislature to Legislative landing, Conexus Centre, CBC, Douglas Park, Imax, then – U of R – Research Park, Museum to Darke Hall to Main Office, Wascana Parkway – TC Douglas & Wascana Rehab Areas, – President’s Residence – SIAST - FNUC, IMAX – Albert Street 23rd  to College Avenue

 RoundUp (active ingredient: glyphosate) in Legislative Area to Legislative Landing, Douglas Park, U of R - Legislative Area, then U of R – Research Park, Douglas Park Area – IMAX Area, Wascana Parkway – TC Douglas & Wascana Rehab Areas, – President’s Residence – SIAST, SIAST – U of R.

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Epigenetic Transgenerational Actions of Endocrine Disruptors.

video. Important. Explains the mechanism of endocrine disruption.

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Epigenetic Transgenerational Actions of Endocrine Disruptors. video. (Advancing Sustainable Communities: People, pollinators and practices, the 32nd National Pesticide Forum, held April 11-12, 2014 in Portland, OR). Important. Explains the mechanism of  endocrine disruption. 

see SNAP's health/endocrine disruption page for more details.

Saturday, May 24, 2014

videos are from Advancing Sustainable Communities: People, pollinators and practices on line

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Videos Offer Tools for Protecting Health and the Environment, Advancing Organic (Beyond Pesticides, May 19, 2014) The videos are from Advancing Sustainable Communities: People, pollinators and practices, the 32nd National Pesticide Forum, held April 11-12, 2014 in Portland, OR are now available to view online!

Some of the topics include

- The Rise of Systemic Insecticides: What does it mean for agriculture, pollinators, and the environment at large? by Pierre Mineau, PhD, principal senior scientist at Pierre Mineau Consulting, Ottawa, Canada. About neonicotinoids. 

-  Protecting Pollinators, 

- Ecological Land Management with Goats 

- Protecting Children from Pesticide Exposure, by James Roberts, MD, lead author of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ landmark policy statement and report on the effects of pesticide exposure in children. Dr. Roberts is professor of pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina, in Charleston, SC.

Also included are several workshops, including, Organic Land Management: Practical tools and techniques, Pesticides and Health: An In-depth Discussion, Social Justice in Sustainable Agriculture, and Protecting the Watershed. Be sure to visit the full playlist to see the rest of the videos.

.Direct links to these videos and more in the link above.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Sewage Sludge (Biosolids) Contaminants Move to Groundwater

Chemical contaminants are sufficiently mobile and persistent that they can easily be transported to groundwater, with implication for local drinking water

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Sewage Sludge (Biosolids) Contaminants Move to Groundwater (Beyond Pesticides, May 14, 2014) Chemical contaminants are sufficiently mobile and persistent that they can easily be transported to groundwater, with implication for local drinking water. These include antibacterials from soaps and the bloodthinner Warfarin used as a rodenticide. 

more on water contamination at SNAP's water page.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Who Benefits from GM Crops? an Industry Built on Myths

A new Friends of the Earth International report. April 2014

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Who Benefits from GM Crops? an Industry Built on Myths  A new Friends of the Earth International report. April 2014.
6 countries grow most of the gmo crops including Canada but we keep no statistics.... Analyses claims, reality, and the state of knowledge

more on gmos on SNAP's issues/gmo page

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Herbicide Ban Put on Hold In Sri Lanka

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Herbicide Ban Put on Hold In Sri Lanka  (Beyond Pesticides, April 14, 2014)

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Major Pesticides Are More Toxic to Human Cells Than Their Declared Active Principles

Roundup was among the most toxic herbicides and insecticides tested. Results challenge the relevance of the current regulatory system to ensure safety.

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Major Pesticides Are More Toxic to Human Cells Than Their Declared Active Principles  (BioMed Research International Vol. 2014, Feb 26, 2014), Three each of herbicide, insecticide and fungicide formulations were individually tested for measured mitochondrial activities, membrane degradations, and caspases 3/7 activities. Fungicides were the most toxic from concentrations 300–600 times lower than agricultural dilutions, followed by herbicides and then insecticides, with very similar profiles in all cell types...Roundup was among the most toxic herbicides and insecticides tested. Most importantly, 8 formulations out of 9 were up to one thousand times more toxic than their active principles. Results challenge the relevance of the acceptable daily intake for pesticides because this norm is calculated from the toxicity of the active principle alone. Chronic tests on pesticides may not reflect relevant environmental exposures if only one ingredient of these mixtures is tested alone.

more on risk assessment 

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Avon Joins Other Companies in Phasing Out Triclosan from Products

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Sunday, April 27, 2014

'Extreme levels' of Roundup are the norm in GMO soya

Residue levels increased 200 times without justification.

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'Extreme levels' of Roundup are the norm in GMO soya (Ecologist,1 April, 2014) Residue levels increased 200 times in response to increased residue levels in food, not safety concerns. Organic and converntional soy OK. 

more on gmos on SNAP's gmo page  

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Scientists Determine 99.6% of Lice Resistant to Chemical Treatmen

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Scientists Determine 99.6% of Lice Resistant to Chemical Treatment (Beyond Pesticides, March 10, 2014)  Virtually all lice in the U.S. have developed resistance to over-the-counter and prescription shampoos containing the toxic chemical permethrin.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

EPA Issues Stop Sale Order for Food Containers Laced with Nanosilver Pesticide

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Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Easy Ways to Change Gardening Habits

short SK made video sent by the Canadian Cancer Society- SK

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Saturday, April 19, 2014

Glyphosate Test Results in the U.S.

Glyphosate (RoundUp) contamination of breast milk and urine in the US, in spite of most participants purchasing non-gmo or organic food. Apparenty breast milk contamination indicates the potential to bioaccumulate. Worth reading. Link below

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Saturday, April 19, 2014

For more up to date pesticide and organic news

visit SNAP's facebook page

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Saturday, April 19, 2014

Sri Lankan President Bans Sale of Roundup Over Chronic Kidney Disease Study

Sri Lanka has become the first country to ban the sale of Monsanto’s “Roundup” glyphosate weedicide after a study found that the weedicide is responsible for the increasing number of chronic kidney disease

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Saturday, April 19, 2014

Muzzled by Monsanto

New gmo research on the topic of gene silencing, the main function of so-called RNAi technology and how Monsanto is interfering with research that indicates what they don't want to hear. (April 3, 2014)

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Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Environmental groups force Ottawa to review approval of hundreds of pesticide products

Groups had to sue the Minister of Health to secure reviews of pesticides already banned in Europe

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Environmental groups force Ottawa to review approval of hundreds of pesticide products

Environmental groups have forced Ottawa to review the approval of up to 383 pesticide products containing 23 active ingredients including many with links to cancer and water contamination. -