Posts Tagged ‘pesticides’
Stop the Dangerous Pesticide Methyl Iodide for use on Strawberries & Fruit orchards
January 12th, 2011 | 
Author: 
Methyl iodide is a chemical so toxic that it’s used in lab settings to grow cancer cells. The substance also reportedly causes late-term miscarriages and groundwater contamination. Yet despite these known (and frightening!) risks, an onslaught of public outcry, and opposition from reputable scientists including six Nobel Laureates, California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) recently registered methyl iodide as a pesticide “safe” for use on the state’s strawberry fields. Perhaps CDPR needs a lesson on what the word “safe” means.
Environmental groups are fighting back. Yesterday, on Governor Jerry Brown’s first day in office, a coalition of farmworkers and environmental health organizations announced that they were filing a lawsuit challenging the state’s approval of methyl iodide. Earthjustice and California Rural Legal Assistance filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Pesticide Action Network of North America, United Farm Workers of America, Californians for Pesticide Reform, Pesticide Watch Educational Fund, Worksafe, Communities and Children Advocates Against Pesticide Poisoning, and farmworkers Jose Hidalgo Ramon and Zeferino Estrada. The groups allege that the decision to register the pesticide not only violates a number of state environmental laws, but that the CDPR acted illegally in declaring an “emergency” situation in order to rush the registration of methyl iodide.
Understanding just how out of line the CDPR was requires a little bit of back story. First, virtually no one wanted CDPR to register methyl iodide. The scientific community was vehemently opposed to its use, as were Californians and a coalition of environmental and public health groups. Still, the maker of methyl iodide, Arysta LifeScience, lobbied hard for its approval, luring Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the head of CDPR to the dark side. So CDPR approved methyl iodide for registration in early December of 2010. That’s offense number one.
After CDPR approved methyl iodide, the decision should have undergone a public comment period before the pesticide earned official registration. However, CDPR declared the pesticide’s registration to be an “emergency” situation, bypassing the public comment period and rushing it into official registration on December 20, 2010. That’s offense number two.
While caving to corporate pressure and shadily declaring an “emergency” situation are bad enough, what’s worse is how CDPR ignored a mountain of evidence highlighting methyl iodide’s dangerous nature. Methyl iodide is listed as a “chemical known to cause cancer” under California’s Proposition 65, and its use is linked to late-term miscarriages. Breathing in the substance can cause slurred speech, vomiting, and kidney damage, while direct contact with the chemical can burn one’s skin. Yet the CDPR wants to let farmers spray methyl iodide all over the state’s 38,000 acres of strawberry fields, as well as on tomatoes, peppers, nurseries, orchards, and vineyards. “I honestly think that this chemical will cause disease and illness,” Dr. John Froines, head of the state’s own scientific review committee, said in a press release. “And so does everyone else on the committee.”
While spraying methyl iodide, a fumigant, on the state’s strawberry fields poses huge health implications for residents living nearby, those most seriously impacted by the use of this toxin are farmworkers. “Farmworkers are on the front lines of methul iodide use and will suffer the most tragic consequences,” Erik Nicholson, National Vice President of the United Farm Workers, said in a press release. “If this decision is allowed to stand, strawberries may very well become the new poster child for giving farmworkers cancer and late term miscarriages.”
While Gov. Schwarzenegger didn’t stand up to corporate pressure, environmental groups are hoping the Gov. Brown will do the right thing. The coalition is asking Gov. Brown to immediately reverse the CDPR’s decision to register methyl iodide and implement a program that helps strawberry farmers use non-toxic pest control measures.
Along with the announcement of the lawsuit, the coalition delivered a list of signatures from 52,000 people opposed to the use of methyl iodide in California. More than 15,000 of these signatures came from Change.org members. So let’s keep the pressure on now that Gov. Brown is in office.
WWW.FRANKTORTORICI.COM
Duration : 0:11:7
Dr. Weil on EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides
Dr. Andrew Weil, renowned medical expert on natural health and wellness, tells why and how he uses the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists from EWG’s Shoppers Guide to Pesticides.
Duration : 0:3:3
Posted in pesticide | 
Tags: eating, environmental, ewg, foodnews, group, healthy, On, organic, pesticides, produce, working | 
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ADHD linked to pesticides
Research from the University of California Berkley finds children exposed to a common type of pesticide in the womb may be more likely to develop attention deficit disorder.
Duration : 0:0:26
Pesticide Exposure and ADHD in Children
Dr. Dana Boyd Barr discusses a recent study published in the journal Pediatrics on the link between pesticide exposure and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.
Background
The study measured the levels of pesticide byproducts in the urine of 1,139 children from across the United States. Children with above-average levels of one common byproduct had roughly twice the odds of getting a diagnosis of ADHD. The study, which Dr. Barr wasn’t a part of, analyzed national nutrition data as well as data from Barr’s former lab at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where she worked for more than 20 years researching pesticides.
About Dr. Barr
Dana Boyd Barr, PhD, is a Research Professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University.
Related Emory Videos
Pervasive Pesticides and Our Children
What Thailand Can Teach Us About Pesticides
Related Links
Dept. of Environmental and Occupational Health,
Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University
http://www.sph.emory.edu/cms/departments_centers/eoh/
Duration : 0:4:31
Plantation workers say no to pesticides
The workers of the Plantation Corporation estates have decided to not to use any pesticides. http://www.istream.in/
Duration : 0:1:28
DDT Pesticide Use in Kenya 1982
This was clipped from the 1982 documentary, For Export Only: Pesticides. That film was written, directed and produced by award wining independent documentary producer Robert Richter. His related second film is “For Export Only: Pharmaceuticals.” These two films document shocking information about corporations that export products to developing countries that are prohibited or severely restricted in the countries where they are made. The products are banned or restricted because they cause cancer, liver disease, central nervous system diseases, sterility and death. Specific products and manufacturers are named as the two documentaries clearly depict their use and abuse in Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, Kenya, Ghana, Bangladesh and Malaysia. The brand names may be changed, but the practices documented in these powerful reports have not. Both films, For Export Only: Pesticides and “For Export Only: Pharmaceuticals, are available for home video purchases (not for classrooms, not for public screenings) by emailing RRProd@aol.com or telephoning (212) 947-1395, Monday Friday between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., New York time. These and other films by Robert Richter can also be purchased with a credit card at either Amazon.com or http://reframecollection.org/collection.jsp?collection=35 . Robert Richter produces and distributes documentaries on the human dimensions of the vital issues of our time, issues often ignored by mainstream media. He has dealt with tough controversies, risking his career and sometimes his life as his hard hitting documentaries investigate governments, international agencies and corporations. He has been honored with the 2008 National Emmy for “exceptional merit in nonfiction filmmaking,” three Academy Award nominations for best documentary short, three duPont Columbia Broadcast Journalism awards (TV’s Pulitzer Prize), the Distinguished Science Reporting Award from AAAS (American Academy for Advancement of Science), National Emmys, Peabody Awards and many film festival honors. For more about Robert Richter and his work, link to his website at http://www.richtervideos.com/ . The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates both the import and export of pesticides. All pesticides which are intended to be used in the US must first be registered with EPA prior to import. All registered pesticides which are exported to other countries must bear the product label approved by EPA. For information about U.S. import and export requirements for pesticides,go to the EPA website http://epa.gov/oppfead1/international/trade/index.html . The Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Pesticide Database is a good source for toxicity and regulatory information for pesticides, go to their website at http://www.pesticideinfo.org/. For more on pesticide issues, policy and alternatives, link to the Pesticide Action Network North America (PAN North America, or PANNA) at http://www.panna.org/ . PAN works to replace the use of hazardous pesticides with ecologically sound and socially just alternatives. PAN has five Regional Centers worldwide and links local and international consumer, labor, health, environment and agriculture groups into an international citizens action network. This network challenges the global proliferation of pesticides, defends basic rights to health and environmental quality, and works to ensure the transition to a just and viable society.
Duration : 0:1:15
Pesticide Laws and Regulations Part 1
Dramatization of pesticide laws and regs, including NDA Inspections
Duration : 0:14:54
Posted in pesticide |
Tags: inspections, label, pesticide application, pesticides, PSEP |
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Tv9 – Farmers use banned endo sulphan pesticide
Farmers use banned endo sulphan pesticide
Posted in pesticide |
Tags: AP latest news, Breaking news, Chili Pepper Farmer, Cotton crops, Cotton crops destroyed, crops, Dead, Deaths, Duplicate pesticides, Endosulfan, Exclusive, Fake pesticides, farmers, Farmers lands, farms, Live programmes, News update, Online free channels., Paddy crops, pesticides, Poor people, Rice paddy farmer, Streaming, Television, Telugu, Top stories, Tv 9 live, Tv9, Tv9 shows, Urea problems, Village in loss, Village people |
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Tv9 – Pesticide kills cotton crop
Pesticide kills cotton crop
Posted in pesticide |
Tags: AP latest news, Breaking news, Cotton crops, Cotton crops destroyed, crops, Crops in loss, Duplicate pesticides, Fake pesticides, farmers, Farmers lands, farms, News update, Online free channels., pesticides, Telugu, Top stories, Tv 9 live, Tv9, Tv9 exclusives, Tv9 shows, Tv9channel, Tv9news, Urea problems, Village in loss, Village people |
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SPIN: Pesticide Free Parks
We interviewed pesticide reform activist, Kathryn Goldman and Parks Superintendent, Jen Smith to get their take on why pesticide free parks are important. Here’s what they had to say.
Duration : 0:4:27
Posted in pesticide |
Tags: activist, organic, park, parks, pesticide, pesticides, turf |
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