I am writing in response to the March 12 article “Doctor protests against pesticides” by Barb Brouwer. I am a first-year university student in environmental and sustainable studies.
I attend Acadia University in Nova Scotia, but I reside in Salmon Arm during the summers. During my studies here, we have been educated about the many harmful effects of pesticide use and their direct correlation with disease and some cancers. Salmon Arm being my hometown, it delights me to see people at the top of their profession standing up for our environment, and the health of our citizens.
About the licence to spray pesticides, I would agree with the point of view that, it simply makes no sense. Having a licence to spray something extremely toxic doesn’t make it any less toxic. It’s still harming our environment and our residents. Over here in Nova Scotia there are many groups that believe pesticides should be banned in general, and I couldn’t agree more.
I thank you for bringing this attention to my hometown, and good luck on making your case for the ban. Hopefully I will come home to a pesticide- free environment!
Pierre Luc Lord