Introducing GreenCAP: Committee for Alternatives to Pesticides

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Introducing GreenCAP

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

474 Centre Street
Newton, MA 02458
(617) 965-1995
Contact: ERG_HK@juno.com

GreenCAP is a committee of the Green Decade Coalition/Newton.

GreenCAP'S mission is to protect ourselves and the environment by promoting alternatives to toxic landscape chemicals and pesticides (i.e., herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides and fungicides) through public education campaigns and community action. GreenCAP was organized by a group of concerned Green Decade members in Fall, 1994 after Dr. Rita Arditti's presentation about cancer as an environmental disease. Since then GreenCAP members have learned that pesticide use is so common that any place we work, go to school, shop or play, indoors and out, may be a potential source of pesticide exposure. In response, we have developed a variety of outreach and education projects to promote the use of safe ecological approaches to weed and insect control in our community.

Goals

  1. GreenCAP will become a community resource and clearinghouse for information, referrals and technical assistance about the hazards of pesticides, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles and alternative pest control methods.
  2. GreenCAP will reduce the use of pesticides by urging city agencies and Newton's residential and business property owners to reevaluate all uses of landscape chemicals and pesticides and to adopt IPM, especially in the schools and on all public facilities and grounds.
  3. GreenCAP will promote citizens' "right to know" about the kinds of toxic chemicals they are exposed to and the potential health consequences of exposure. For ex- ample, in Summer,1995 we notified the abutters of the Green Line about the MBTA's pesticide spraying and got the support of the communty and city officials to encourage the MBTA to find alternative weed control methods. In the future, we will promote pre-notification and posting for all public and private indoor and outdoor uses of pesticides (schools, residential landscaping and lawn care, and public lands) and promote opportunities for greater citizen awareness of and involvement in pesticide policies and practices in Newton.
  4. GreenCAP will initiate and maintain cooperative relationships with Newton officials, agencies and organizations responsible for health and safety or dedicated to improving the quality of life in Newton and promoting environmentally responsible action in our community.
  5. GreenCAP will work toward increasing membership in the Green Decade Coalition/Newton.
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