Edwina von Gal’s RADICLE Thinking

Clover says PAWS before you reach for poisons

Hi friends! Tick season is surging and it's easy to want to reach for chemical solutions to keep your pets safe. But owners beware! Read labels before you put anything on your furry friends. Would you put it on yourself or your kids? Many tick collars contain Imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid, which is a family of chemicals that have been blamed for bee colony collapse and are banned in Europe. 

My current favorite tick-repelling treatment is PetzLife Herbal Defense, a simple powder that I eat 5 days a month with my food. My collar, (which is the only tick collar I don't loathe) is made by Holistic Family and Pets. These solutions aren't perfect, but I have very few ticks on me. Fortunately, my mom checks me thoroughly every night which is the best way to be sure I am safe.

- Clover von Gal 

Charlie & Kathleen Marder: PRFCT from the start!

From the beginning of their business in 1975, Charlie and Kathleen Marder have taken a stand on protecting land from pesticides while offering an alternative to “cookie cutter” landscape designs.

In Marder's property care departments, nursery and garden shop, they are aggressively committed to all-organic practices to this day. That is why the Marders have partnered on our #ProtectYourPet campaign to let animal lovers know pesticides are dangerous to your pet!

The Marders name is synonymous with stunning, healthy landscapes – you can kick the toxic chemical habit and still have a fabulous property, one that is safe for you and your pet. Thank you Marders for supporting our #ProtectYourPet Campaign! Help spread the word with a donation of any amount.

Lawns were essentially organic before World War II, after which they went downhill because of an excess of nitrogen petrochemicals and a massive PR campaign that made clover a public enemy. Clover is actually good for lawns.

– Charlie Marder to Hamptons Cottage and Garden

Hi I'm Olive. Even though I stay indoors, that doesn't mean I am safe from lawn and landscape chemicals. Dangerous lawn and landscape chemicals can be tracked inside on shoes and clothing. Once indoors, out of direct sunlight, chemicals can persist in fabrics and on rugs for up to TWO YEARS!

Look for little pellets in the grass, yellow pesticide application signs and move your walk to the other side of the road, especially if your precious pet is with you! 

I love to nap on the couch, to play and roll on the rug, (and if you ask me, shoes are fantastic to chew!) The problem is my soft paws, underbelly, eyes and noses are all susceptible to chemical exposure, and chemicals cause everything from minor skin irritation to liver, kidney and GI tract damage in cats. In dogs, they are linked to health hazards from skin rashes to bladder cancer and canine lymphoma.

#protectyourpet

Please keep poisons out of my house, make a donation to the PRFCT #protectyourpet campaign and spread the message.

Thank you!
Olive Juniper
@olive_bythesea

Atrazine is the second most widely used pesticide in the US (after glyphosate), with over 73 million pounds applied each year. A common agricultural pesticide, atrazine also is used on turf for broadleaf and grassy weed control. Because atrazine kills cool-season grasses like Kentucky Bluegrass, it is primarily used on lawns in warmer climates (ie. the Southeastern United States).

In humans, atrazine has been linked to:
• Endocrine disruption (what does this mean, anyway?)
• Cancer
• Birth defects and reproductive disorders
• Neurological effects
• Kidney and liver damage
• Eye and skin irritation

How are people exposed to atrazine? Not just direct contact with treated lawns, fields, and food. Atrazine is found in 94% of drinking water tested by the USDA, usually spiking in spring and summer months when it's most heavily applied. Even at extremely low levels, atrazine can interfere with human hormones, fetal development, and fertility. The European Union banned its use in 2004 over concerns that it is a groundwater contaminant.

What is endocrine disruption?

Your endocrine system is the set of glands and hormones they produce (such as estrogen, testosterone, and adrenaline) that help guide your development, growth, and reproduction. Some chemicals—known as endocrine disruptors—mimic your hormones, block hormone absorption, or otherwise alter the concentration of hormones in your body. Endocrine disrupting chemicals have been linked to ADHD, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, early puberty, infertility, and other reproductive disorders.

Sources: Beyond Pesticides and Pesticide Action Network

Photo credit: Lacuna Design / Getty Images

What’s in that magic bottle of liquid sprayed on driveways and sidewalks to kill stubborn weeds? Mostly it’s glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup and other weed killers that was deemed a “probable” human carcinogen by the World Health Organization in 2015. Glyphosate also is used widely in agriculture, resulting in weed resistance, water contamination, soil degradation, and damage to marine wildlife. Over 826 million pounds of glyphosate are applied to crops and landscapes across the globe every year.

Some of the scary human health effects associated with glyphosate:

• Non-Hodgkins lymphoma
• Kidney and liver damage
• Endocrine (hormone) disruption
• Reproductive effects
• Eye and skin irritation

Also in these products, but not listed on the label: a host of “inert” ingredients that make the active ingredient easier to apply or better able to adhere to its target. These inerts can be as toxic as the active ingredients themselves and/or amplify the toxicity of individual ingredients when combined. For example, many glyphosate products contain polyethoxylated tallowamine (POEA), a surfactant that is considered more toxic to marine life than glyphosate. 

Source: Beyond Pesticides

Want to get rid of those pesky weeds naturally? Try our homemade herbicide recipe:

• 1 gallon 20% vinegar
• 1 cup orange oil

Mix vinegar and orange oil in a bucket. Mix thoroughly, and use a spray bottle to apply to all surfaces of plant. Reapply as necessary. Store any unused liquid in a clear, labeled glass container and store in a cool, dark space.

Note: Be sure to wear gloves and protective eyewear when applying your homemade herbicide. It can irritate your skin and eyes.

Photo credit: Lacuna Design / Getty Images