City’s synthetic pesticide ban not based on science

The synthetic pesticide ban recently approved by the Portland City Council may create an “organic” city, but it won’t create a green city or a beautiful city. The people of Portland may like ticks, mosquitoes and flies. They are excellent food for birds and fish. Rather than tidy green lawns and colorful gardens, yards can be paved or gravel. They won’t need synthetic pesticides, but you can’t paint them green because you’ll need synthetic paint!As a scientist, I find it disappointing that the City Council voted based upon emotion and scare tactics by activists rather than scientific data. Synthetic pesticides have all been extensively tested under strict protocol, whereas many natural products have not.When the City Council decided to ban synthetic pesticides and only allow natural products, I am sure that they were aware that arsenic is a natural product. Is lead synthetic?