Pesticide Action Network North America Thu, 08 Jun 2006

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Thu, 08 Jun 2006 22:38:26 GMT

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Human Testing, Fumigants in Florida, Sustainable Ag in

Africa, and more...

 

 

Human Testing, Fumigants in Florida, Sustainable Ag in Africa, and more...

June 8, 2006

 

 

http://ga4.org/ct/F71RIZS1UzW4/

United States: The respected journal Environmental Health Perspectives

published a substantial article about the controversial human testing

rule issued by the EPA. Just two weeks after the rule came into force,

a coalition of labor and environmental interest groups filed suit

against the EPA, charging that the rule fails to adequately protect

human subjects, especially vulnerable subgroups such as pregnant women

and children, and actually ultimately encourages, rather than deters,

human testing. One case is now before the Second Circuit Court of

Appeals in New York, which must determine if the rule safeguards

people against unethical pesticide experimentation. " EPA's rule allows

pesticide companies to use intentional tests on humans to justify

weaker restrictions on pesticides, " said Margaret Reeves, a senior

scientist and program coordinator with Pesticide Action Network North

America. Read more about Pesticide Action Network joining with

EarthJustice to file suit against EPA over the human testing rule.

 

 

http://ga4.org/ct/-p1RIZS1UzWt/

Washington, DC: Congressman Henry Waxman, who co-authored a 2005

report on the breach in ethics from the pesticide industry in

experiments involving intentional dosing of pesticides with human

testing, issued a new report on how the Bush administration and

Republican controlled congress have over ridden states' rights on many

issues, including state laws on environment and consumer protections.

The report states: " The House and the Senate have voted 15 times to

override state health, safety, and environmental laws. ...The House

has passed legislation that would preempt state food safety laws and

block states from requiring health insurers to offer basic services

such as mammography screening and maternity care. In these areas, the

traditional approach of enacting a federal " floor, " which establishes

minimum federal standards but allows states to adopt more stringent

requirements, has been reversed in favor of the creation of a federal

'ceiling.' " Read More.

http://ga4.org/ct/Fd1RIZS1UzWX/

 

 

 

 

Florida: A new Conservancy of Southwest Florida study reveals that the

land around Immokalee may pose a great risk of pesticide pollution to

local rivers and estuaries.

http://ga4.org/ct/-d1RIZS1UzWv/

The Naples News reports that " Eastern Collier County is Southwest

Florida's vegetable basket, but it also the region's pesticide tank. "

The environmental group that commissioned the study wants to help

persuade city and county authorities that a regional pesticides

sampling regimen is long overdue, said Jennifer Hecker, natural

resources policy manager at the Conservancy. The chemical that has the

greatest hazard index, that is, the one that's applied heavily, is the

highly toxic methyl bromide, (slated for a world wide phase out) a

fumigant used to treat soil before planting crops.

 

South Carolina/Africa: Clemson University scientists have teamed up

with Africa University in Zimbabwe to help develop methods for

sustainable agriculture in the region. The primary goal of the

research is to find alternatives to harsh chemical pesticides many

African farmers are currently using, said Gloria McCutcheon, principal

investigator for the project. Dr. McCutcheon visited Zimbabwe in 2003

and 2004 and is familiar with the trials that face farmers there. The

pesticides and other chemicals that African farmers are using can be

harmful to both people and the environment, she said: " Really, what we

are doing is promoting public health through agriculture. " The

Anderson Independent-Mail has the story.

http://ga4.org/ct/Fp1RIZS1UzWr/

 

 

 

Tanzania: Malaria is a devastating health problem in Africa that is

finally getting the international attention it deserves.

Unfortunately, some want to bring back widespread use of DDT for

malaria control -- a " silver bullet " approach that saved lives in the

1950s and '60s but stopped working as mosquitoes became resistant to

the pesticide. Tanzanian Jamidu Katima, Co-chair of the International

Persistent Organic Pollutants Elimination Network, writes " Those

promoting DDT are putting current and future generations of Africans

at risk. " in his letter to the Los Angeles Times.

http://ga4.org/ct/-11RIZS1UzWf/

 

 

http://ga4.org/ct/F11RIZS1UzWB/

Canada: Pesticides may affect penis size as reported in the Free

Press. A renowned U.S. scientist supports a ban on the chemicals for

cosmetic purposes. Zoologist Louis Guillette was drawn into London,

Ontario's pesticide-ban debate during a lecture stop at the University

of Western Ontario. Guilette has documented fertility and sex changes

-- including decreasing penis size -- due to environmental

contamination. He says he wouldn't apply pesticides on his own lawn.

 

 

 

 

http://ga4.org/ct/Jd1RIZS1UzWb/

PBS: THE REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN is the award-winning true story of

third-generation American farmer John Peterson's hero's journey of

success, tribulation, failure and rebirth, through his childhood in

the '50s, the tumultuous '60s, the hippie-influenced '70s, and the

farm-crisis '80s, culminating in his transformation-based creation of

a biodynamic, organic CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm

serving 1500 families in the Chicago area with weekly fresh produce.

It airs on PBS' Independent Lens series June 13th, 10:00 pm.

http://ga4.org/ct/J11RIZS1UzWg/

 

 

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