Dear Governors Residents,

We all love our community and want to keep and ideally raise our home values. Part of what makes our community desirable is how aesthetically pleasing it is. Lawns are green and nicely landscaped and sidewalks are well-kept and generally without crack-weeds. 

Round Up and other extremely harmful pesticides (please note that herbicides are considered pesticides--http://vtpp.ext vt.edu/faq/consumer-questions/ are-herbicides-weed-killers- considered-pesticides) are used frequently in yards and in public spaces where people walk, near where they swim, and where children and dogs run, roll, and play.

Many studies have proven the negative health-effects of exposure (even in small amounts) to pesticides like Round Up and other weed-killers, ranging from asthma and allergies to learning and behavioral disorders and various types of cancers. In fact, children who are raised in homes where owners use pesticides are more than two times as likely to get cancer as those children who are raised in homes where pesticides are not used. 

Children, developing fetuses, the elderly, the immune compromised, and animals are the most at risk. However, everyone's health is compromised by the exposure we get to these dangerous carcinogens daily because they remain in the soil for years, seep into our water, and get tracked into our homes (where they can remain for at least a year).

Various places around the globe have banned Round Up and other harmful chemicals or are largely restricting their use.  Locally, Carrboro does not allow any pesticides on public grounds (for instance in parks, schools, playing fields), and neighboring communities at a similar price-point have already banned Round Up. 

It took years before DDT was proven to be unsafe, and people are only now beginning to learn the true dangers associated with the pesticides we commonly use to keep our homes beautiful and pest-free. However, the longer we wait to make a change, the more damage we risk doing to ourselves, our children, our pets, and to our environment.

There are a number of natural, effective, safe, and affordable alternatives to the chemicals Greenscape uses, and a change could take effect easily. Our goal is to ban Round Up and other harmful pesticides from Governors public grounds so that we can enjoy our community without it costing us our health. We can do this while maintaining the beauty and value of our neighborhood by marketing ourselves as being truly a "green" and safe place for families to live. 85% of people state that they are concerned about pesticide exposure. 

We need your help to make this change possible. If you would take a moment to show your support and sign this petition, we would greatly appreciate it.

All the Best,

Kyra Ramirez, Linda DeJongh, and the rest of us