Chances are your community has a bylaw that restricts the use of 鈥渃hemical pesticides鈥� on public and private lands, including your lawn and garden.

I鈥檒l use the District of Saanich bylaw as an example of what B.C.鈥檚 environmentally conscious municipal governments impose on their citizens. Passed in 2010, this 10-page bylaw includes most of the modern notions about what is good and bad in managing plants and their pests. And much of it is politically correct rubbish.

The district鈥檚 web page lists a sprinkling of permitted pesticides, including vinegar, corn gluten meal, insecticidal or herbicidal soaps and mineral oils. It includes advice on making your lawn smaller because 鈥渘o mowing means no lawnmowers.鈥� In short, it is a hippie鈥檚 dream of a low-technology, natural world.

It gives a hit list of restricted pesticides, led of course by glyphosate (Roundup) and 2,4-D (Weed 鈥檔鈥� Feed or Killex are common brands). The bylaw defines restricted pesticides in general as 鈥渢raditional products containing synthetic chemicals.鈥�

The invokes the 鈥減recautionary principle,鈥� which means actual evidence of harm isn鈥檛 necessary for restrictions to be imposed. It includes strict descriptions of signs to be posted for any allowable application, and fines up to $10,000 for violating the detailed terms.

The bylaw warns of the allegedly urgent need to reduce the 鈥渃umulative chemical load鈥� in the natural environment. Setting aside the obvious point that all matter in the known universe is made of chemicals, one of the key features of products like Roundup is that they break down quickly.

This is why glyphosate was re-licensed in November for continued use in the European Union, where cultural battles over 鈥渃hemicals鈥� make B.C.鈥檚 precious protests seem calm and reasonable. This issue resonates with folks who buy homeopathic remedies containing zero active ingredient, or believe they need an occasional 鈥渃leanse鈥� to aid their kidney and liver function.

The idea that 鈥渟ynthetic chemicals鈥� are by definition the problem is one of the most damaging myths. Do you recall the most recent contaminated food scare? from California was pulled off store shelves after dozens of people became ill and two died after eating it in December.

The culprit in this case was e. coli, which Health Canada defines as bacteria that 鈥渓ive naturally in the intestines of cattle, poultry and other animals.鈥� Leafy greens can be contaminated by soil, inadequately composted manure, or improper handling and storing after harvest.

The last time I wrote on this topic, a reader demanded to know whether I have read Silent Spring, Rachel Carson鈥檚 iconic anti-DDT book that is credited with sparking the modern environmental movement.

I鈥檒l come clean. No, I haven鈥檛 read this 55-year-old book, which was quietly but thoroughly debunked after decades of uncritical public and media belief.

That religious faith changed with a by 11 scientific authors, called Silent Spring at 50: The False Crises of Rachel Carson. It destroys many of her key conclusions, particularly the title鈥檚 claim that DDT was behind a collapse of American bird populations.

鈥淔ar from being on the verge of collapse, American bird populations were, by and large, increasing at the time of Silent Spring鈥檚 publication,鈥� the authors write. 鈥淎lthough Carson was active in the Audubon Society, she ignored Audubon鈥檚 annual bird count, which had long been the best single source on bird population.鈥�

Carson also ignored the millions of human lives saved from malaria death by DDT, misrepresented rising cancer deaths that were mainly due to smoking and people living longer, and overstated the safety and effectiveness of 鈥渘atural鈥� pest control using predator insects.

Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca