North American Environmental News

CANADA — Ontario Bans Lawn and Garden Pesticides

Canada has proven once again that it is way ahead of the rest of world with its progressive government. Ontario has banned the use and sale of lawn and garden pesticides for homeowners. Quebec instituted a similar ban on 20 some pesticide products back in 2006.

The new ban is set to take effect by spring of 2009. Home Depot has already agreed to stop selling the pesticides by the end of 2008! This is a huge victory for anti-toxic supporters all over the continent. If only someone in the United States government could take such affirmative action we could all be spared. Ontario will basically phase out some 80 different chemicals and over 300 products that contain them.

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It is not common to think of where our chocolate bars come from. I did not even know what a cacao pod looked like until several years ago. Few people, including children, understand where or how these delicacies reach us. Yet there is a dark side to chocolate, ranging from fueling wars to child labor, with around 286,000 children working farms in the Ivory Coast alone. It is important that we not only consider what chocolate we grab for ourselves the store, but also the message we send our children out to fundraise with. Fundraising with Fair Trade chocolate both helps your local organizations in their endeavors while also supporting the hard-working cacao farmers. And using Fair Trade also presents the opportunity to educate people, including those selling the products, towards an alternative to the dark side of the chocolate industry.

For Fair Trade fundraising check out:

• Equal Exchange Fundraising provides everything you need to get started. There is a template for permission slips and letters to other parents, press releases and posters for promotion. Their incentive programs include chocolate samples, coffee roaster tours, school presentations and the chance to win a trip to a cacao farming community, as well as a tiered structure ranging from $1,000-$5,000 with organic shirts, caps, etc. And don’t be locked into just chocolate: try offering coffee, tea, cocoa, dried cranberries or roasted walnuts to bring in funds.
• The Lutheran World Relief Fundraising Kit offers Divine chocolate that is focused more towards faith-based fundraising, with great ideas on how to help people find connection between fair trade and their spirituality. They offer planning tools, posters, educational presentations to supplement chocolate.

The next time an organization you or your children are involved with wants to raise money, suggest the Fair Trade option and help farmers while bringing in your funds.