By Aimée Code, NW Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides

Organic products are found increasingly in the commercial mainstream, The Register Guard reported on July 22. This is a welcome trend and  everyone who has contributed to it deserves our thanks for taking steps to improve the health of people, animals, land and water.

Our collective decision to buy responsibly has created a large market for organic products. But there is more to be done than just buying organic food and clothing. We can to do more to make our homes and lifestyles healthier, for there is a broader organic vision that we can all strive to achieve.

The vast majority of Americans still have weed and bug killers in their homes that contain the very chemicals they are trying to avoid by buying organic food. No one wants to be overrun with pests, but there are alternative ways to control common problems, like ridding the kitchen of sugar ants by sealing cracks and crevices and fixing leaking faucets, in addition to wiping down counters and keeping the dishes clean.

Just last year scientists concluded that insecticide use inside the home during pregnancy and childhood increases the risk of childhood leukemia. Our kids deserve healthy places to live.

Changes also need to happen in our neighborhoods. Pesticide-free parks are springing up all over the Northwest, including here in Eugene. Pesticide-free parks ensure our children and pets can play where their health is not threatened and those with chemical sensitivities will not suffer when the family is out on a Sunday picnic. A dedicated group of people can create a pesticide-free parks program in their community.

Dedicated parents can also work to ensure their kids are being adequately nourished in school. Currently, chemically grown food is what’s being fed to our kids. Yet school districts can follow the example set by more and more families and serve organic food in the lunchroom.

In fact, the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides

(NCAP) is working closely with Idaho farmers to make Idaho famous for organic potatoes. And we want to see those potatoes make their way into school cafeterias.

This is the coalition’s vision, a vision that we can turn into reality with citizen participation.

We are also looking to our elected officials for responsible leadership. The Oregon legislature can support Oregonians’ desires to limit their exposure to hazardous pesticides by learning from their counterparts in Idaho, where the legislature passed a law providing clear direction for residents to reduce the risk of West Nile virus.

Residents of Idaho can opt out of pesticide spraying programs by presenting their own abatement plans that show how they will prevent mosquito infestations. Ada County, where Boise is located, followed the state’s lead by creating sample plans for people to follow. This effort to put mosquito prevention first, before spraying, is a common- sense response to West Nile virus.

There may always be naysayers, those who don’t believe a pesticide- free world is possible. But the public has already spoken — organic has gone mainstream.

This year, NCAP turns 30 years old. Since we started our work, the public’s perception of pesticides has dramatically shifted. Let’s keep building on this vision.