OTTAWA, CANADA — A class of grade-school students at an elementary school in Canada crafted containers of natural slug bait and pesticide-free weed killer. The youngsters sent their classroom concoctions, each with accompanying note to Canadian lawmakers. The notes urged a nationwide ban on pesticide use, said a recent article appearing on Coquitlam.now,
This is wrong on several levels.
First, there is no such thing as a pesticide-free chemical weed killer. If it’s a chemical and a weed killer, synthetic or natural, it’s a pesticide
But, to the larger issue: While we applaud the students’ earnest effort to advance the common good, we don’t feel they should be used to advance anyone’s personal agenda.
More disturbing was the image accompanying the online article. It showed a grinning Prime Minister Stephen Harper and MP (Member of Parliament) Fin Donnelly posing with one of the student’s creations, implying, whether intentional or not, an endorsement of the students’ anti-pesticide message.
Pesticide use in a complicated issue with huge public health and food production issues way beyond the comprehension of most grade schoolers. …. and often it seems politicos, as well.
