“Imagine. You’re playing in the fields, bathing in the sunlight, breathing in the sweet grass, pine and 2,4-D. Wait, what’s that? Oh, just another cancer-causing pesticide. You didn’t know about it. You didn’t have a choice. But now you do and you can make a difference.”
Caught your attention didn’t it? These are the words of the Youth Earth Ambassadors (YEA), a group of young people encouraging everyone to become “environmentally proactive.” They started a Facebook group called, The Killing Fields, in order to bring attention to the fact that a lot of pesticides people use every day in Calgary to make their grass green can cause cancer.
The Killing Fields group is trying to lobby as much support (specifically YOUTH support) as possible for the “Toxin Toll (TT)” bylaw, which is currently up for passing, with the vote being held this Monday November 16th.
If this bylaw is passed, use of cosmetic pesticides and chemicals will be reduced. This issue has raised a lot of debate in Calgary, so much so that the vote for the bylaw is currently tied (after many many many discussions), and only one more vote from one more alderman could pass the bylaw.
Lots of organizations like the Canadian Cancer Society, the Lung Association, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada, and the Coalition for a Healthy Calgary have thrown their weight behind this cause.
Currently, The Killing Fields Facebook group has 813 members, and the petition YEA has circulating has over 300 signatures at the moment – the youth in this city have the potential to put this bylaw through by showing their support and helping make the case for this cause.
If you would like to help pass the Toxin Toll bylaw, join The Killing Fields group now, and breathe a little easier.
For more info, check here or here, and feel free to share your thoughts on this bylaw in the comment section below!