Kids, cyclists pull weeds to fight pesticides in Boulder parks

Boulder Daily Camera Article:
Kids, cyclists pull weeds to fight pesticides in Boulder parks
(06/15/2010)

Men, women and children bustled around the gazebo at Foothills Community Park on Tuesday afternoon, yanking weeds from the ground and tossing them into piles. Shauna Roske summed up the reason for the group's presence: "Our Earth is very important. Our children should have a place to grow up without poison."Shauna Roske summed up the reason for the group's presence: "Our Earth is very important. Our children should have a place to grow up without poison."


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A Big Win on “Ending Pesticides" !!

A Big Win on “Ending Pesticides" !!
There is light at the end of the tunnel.

All of the effort that you all have been making through sending letters, making phone calls as well as the pressure from the Earth Guardian youth who have been touching the hearts of the City Council members has moved the City to finally agree to have Chip Osborne, the turf specialist from new York, come to Boulder and do workshops with the City and the University the first week in July, to train everyone how to manage parks without pesticides.

Scott Spiegel who has helped arrange this is also trying to get the County to agree to attend as they are responsible for making decisions about what is used in the open space areas. Scott has arranged for Patti Wood, from Grassroots Environmental Education to come as well, and also do workshops with the City and University Administrative Personnel. They were the ones who were responsible for putting into place "The Safe Child Playing Field Act" which was voted in by the city of New York to end the use of pesticides in parks, schools, and daycare centers.

It will take a little time to make the transition from pesticides to a pesticide free zone community, and to insure that we continue in this direction we need to keep the pressure on. The Earth Guardians plan to continue going into the City Council and Xiuhtezcatl and some of the kids would like to organize hundreds of people to show up at one of the places they plan to spray and get the media their as well to let them know we are serious.

On the City of Boulder Website, I am sure most of you know that they post every Friday where and what they will be spraying the following week.

Anyone up for helping us mobilize 1,000 people to join us in the Park? Great work everyone! Together we can create the kind of City we and our children deserve to live in!

Read more, from the Boulder Daily Camera:
Boulder City Council Moves Forward on SmartRegs

The Earth Guardians Rocked in City Council on “SmartRegs”

The Earth Guardian Youth spoke in front of the Mayor and the City Council on Tuesday June 1, 2010, asking the Council to think to the future when they are making decisions that are going to affect their generation and generations to come. Heartfelt words were poured out from each of the youth who were present.

Itzcuauhtli, 7 years old, was applauded by the Council when he told them that he was worried about Global Warming and about the Pesticides they are still using in the Parks. He said it is not fair that kids should have to worry about these things. We should just be playing and having fun. Why should we have to clean up the mess the adults are making.

Sierra Rose, 12 years old, asked the Council to vote yes on “SmartRegs” and to please leave us a world as nice as the one your grandparents left for you.

Waiting To Speak at City Council

Every message the Earth Guardians shared touched the hearts the Council and all those that were present. The youth were applauded by the Council and the Mayor thanked them and said they spoke with such poise. She said she was surprised by how many schools from Boulder they represented and that she was proud to have kids like them in our community.

Despite voicing a wide range of concerns, the Boulder City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to move forward with creating a new set of rules that would require landlords to make energy-efficiency upgrades to their rental properties.

Taking it to the Streets

Even with the concerns, all nine council members supported the program's general goal.

"This has been something that the city has been headed toward for a long time," said Councilwoman Lisa Morzel. "Buildings emit very large greenhouse gas emission amounts, and it's very important that we try to reduce that in any way we can. I'm very excited about what we see in front of us, and I think it's doable, and I think we can be partners with everybody."

Read more, from the Boulder Daily Camera:
Boulder City Council Moves Forward on SmartRegs