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* Participating in the CPDA 32nd Annual Meeting
Human disease control

Using pesticides to control threats posed to public health and native species by pests and invasive species has greatly improved our quality of life.

Pesticides help ward off disease
In Canada, pests such as mosquitoes and rats no longer pose the disease threats of the past such as malaria, yellow fever & typhus.
The North American emergence of the West Nile Virus and new cases of malaria, both transmitted via mosquitoes reminds us that where possible, pesticides can provide significant benefits in controlling pests that threaten human health or the environment.
Pesticides help protect us from allergens
About 15 to 20 percent of the population has hay fever - or allergic reactions to plant pollen, dust and other airborne particles - and ragweed is the major cause of the problem. Pollen grains are minute and are thus easily airborne and dispersed over long distances.
Hay fever is most common among 24-to-44-year olds, and the economic impact of their diminished productivity is substantial. For many individuals, high pollen counts trigger asthma attacks, and may promote the development of the condition.
Reducing soil erosion and enhancing air quality
Healthy lawns have the ability to trap and hold rainfall better than most surfaces. The water you see running down a street into the storm severs generally is from driveways, sidewalks, and other hard surfaces. A healthy lawn reduces the amount of urban road wash and silt that would otherwise end up in our streams and lakes.
A well-kept, vigorously growing lawn absorbs hazardous air pollutants such as carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide in the urban environment.
Grass and trees are great air cleaners. If you have ever walked or driven through an area with no trees or grass, such as a construction site, on a windy day, you have some idea of what it would be like without a healthy green landscape. Clouds of wind-blown dust make for uncomfortable breathing, irritated eyes, and reduced visibility. Grass slows the air, allowing dust particles to settle on the leaves and eventually be washed back onto the ground.
Reduced energy use and greenhouse gas emissions
Lawns cool hot summers Healthy, well-maintained lawns will reduce surface temperatures by 18 to 24 degrees Celsius in comparison to bare soil, and 10 to 15 degrees Celsius in comparison to natural vegetation or poorly managed grass.
Shrubs and ornamentals insulate They moderate cold temperatures, reduce heat loss and build an insulating buffer of air around buildings. Ornament plants also absorb heat and provide shade, reducing solar radiation and reflection and unnecessary energy consumption.
Additional benefits of using pesticides
        Pesticides help to limit the environmental and economic damage that can be caused by insects, weeds and plant diseases. Whether it is an insecticide for controlling termites or fleas in your home, an herbicide for ridding your lawn of undesirable weeds or a fungicide that keeps plants alive during a disease outbreak, pesticides are analogous to the medicines we use to preserve our own health.
By using pesticides appropriately, municipalities and homeowners provide the following benefits:
Control threats to human health;
Protect our eco-systems from invasive species; and enhance the quality of our environment.
Healthy turf offers many benefits:
Increasing property values;
Reducing allergens and the likelihood of insect bites and stings;
Controlling dust and pollen from weeds and grasses; and absorbing pollutants from the air and reducing noise in busy urban centers.
Quality of life
        Grass also makes your life a bit quieter. It effectively absorbs and deflects sound. When combined with trees and other landscaping, grass can reduce noise levels by 20 to 30 percent.

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