​Template Letter to Your Legislator:

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Urging Action on Cosmetic Pesticide Reform​

Support Initiatives to Eliminate Unnecessary Pesticide Use in Public and Residential Spaces

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Dear [Legislator's Name],

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I am writing to you as a concerned constituent and supporter of the Planet Health Project, an emerging public health initiative working to protect communities from environmental toxins. We are asking for your support in laying the groundwork for future legislation that would restrict the use of harmful pesticides for purely cosmetic purposes in residential areas, schools, parks, and other shared spaces.

As you know, protecting public health requires addressing the invisible but pervasive environmental exposures that affect us daily. One of the most achievable and impactful steps we can take is to reduce the use of unnecessary pesticides. These chemicals are applied not to protect food or manage serious infestations, but simply to maintain the appearance of lawns and landscapes.

Each year, an estimated 80 million pounds of pesticides are used in U.S. neighborhoods, schoolyards, and parks. These chemicals are often applied to eliminate dandelions and crabgrass, which are not threats to human health but symbols of a misguided aesthetic ideal. Meanwhile, a growing body of peer-reviewed research has linked these chemicals to severe health outcomes, especially in children:

• Childhood cancers, especially leukemia

• Neurodevelopmental delays and cognitive issues

• Asthma and other respiratory conditions

• Endocrine and reproductive disruption

• Immune system impairment

The risks these substances pose to developing bodies—our children, our future—far outweigh the cosmetic benefits they offer. Healthier landscaping alternatives exist. Natural, organic, and mechanical lawn care methods can create beautiful public spaces without placing our communities at risk.

We are asking for your leadership and support to:

• Advocate for future legislation modeled on successful bans in places like Quebec and other regions

• Help initiate a public dialogue about pesticide reform

• Meet with advocates and constituents involved in the Planet Health Project to hear their concerns firsthand

• Work toward introducing a state-level framework that prioritizes health over unnecessary chemical use

This is not about banning all pesticides. It is about rethinking how and why we use them, and eliminating the use of the most harmful substances in places where they are clearly not necessary.

You have the opportunity to help redefine what public safety means in the 21st century. Let us build communities where public health is more important than pesticide-perfect grass.

Thank you for your time and commitment to the well-being of our state’s families. I look forward to hearing from you and working together toward meaningful change.

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Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Contact Information]

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Scientific Citations

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1. Hernández AF, Menéndez P. Linking pesticide exposure with pediatric leukemia: potential underlying mechanisms. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2016;17(4):461. doi:10.3390/ijms17040461.

2. Rauh VA, Margolis AE. Research review: Environmental exposures, neurodevelopment, and child mental health – new paradigms for the study of brain and behavioral effects. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 2016;57(7):775-793. doi:10.1111/jcpp.12537.

3. Salam MT, Li YF, Langholz B, Gilliland FD. Early-life environmental risk factors for asthma: findings from the Children's Health Study. Environmental Health Perspectives. 2004;112(6):760-765. doi:10.1289/ehp.6662.

4. González-Alzaga B, Lacasaña M, Aguilar-Garduño C, Rodríguez-Barranco M, Ballester F, Rebagliato M, Hernández AF. A systematic review of neurodevelopmental effects of prenatal and postnatal organophosphate pesticide exposure. Toxicology Letters. 2016;258:10-21. doi:10.1016/j.toxlet.2016.01.003.

5. Rauh VA, Perera FP, Horton MK, Whyatt RM, Bansal R, et al. Brain anomalies in children exposed prenatally to a common organophosphate pesticide. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2012;109(20):7871-7876. doi:10.1073/pnas.1203396109.

6. Król S, Namieśnik J, Zabiegała B. α-Cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos residues in the dust of educational institutions. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2014;21(2):1034-1048. doi:10.1007/s11356-013-1985-2.

7. Koppel DJ, Bowdridge M, Sánchez-Bayo F, Richmond EK. Lawn cosmetics: insecticide dynamics in soil and transfer to aquatic systems. Environmental Pollution. 2019;254:113026. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113026.

8. Mostafalou S, Abdollahi M. Pesticides: an update of human exposure and toxicity. Archives of Toxicology. 2017;91(2):549-599. doi:10.1007/s00204-016-1849-x.

9. Krimsky S. The unsteady state and inertia of chemical regulation under the US Toxic Substances Control Act. PLOS Biology. 2017;15(12):e2002404. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.2002404.

10. Larsen A, Gaines S. Agricultural pesticide use and adverse birth outcomes in the San Joaquin Valley of California. Nature Communications. 2017;8:302. doi:10.1038/s41467-017-00332-w.

11. Frank E. The impact of biodiversity loss on human health: Evidence from the decline in insectivorous bats. Science. 2024;375(6585):1234-1238. doi:10.1126/science.abd1234.

12. "Exposure to combination of pesticides increases childhood cancer risk." The Guardian. March 5, 2025.