A federal appeals court ordered the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday to bar within 60 days a widely used pesticide associated with developmental disabilities and other health problems in children, dealing the industry a major blow after it had successfully lobbied the Trump administration to reject a ban.
The order by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit came after a decade-long effort by environmental and public health groups to get the pesticide, chlorpyrifos, removed from the market. The product is used in more than 50 fruit, nut, cereal and vegetable crops including apples, almonds, oranges and broccoli, with more than 640,000 acres treated in California alone in 2016, the most recent year data is available.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Monday August 13 2018, @08:46AM (2 children)
I once saw two guys working in a strawberry field, both of them wearing white HazMat suits as well as respirators.
The strawberries that are grown in and around Watsonville, California are freakishly large.
I once walked two hundred miles from Santa Cruz to Oceano Dunes State Beach near San Luis Obispo. Every time I passed a field that was owned by Dole there was always a very _small_ warning sign printed with only _English_ text. Those signs always "warned" the fieldworkers not to smoke while working there, to wear hazmat suits, and also forbid dogs and horses from entering the fields.
I've always thought it would be cool to replace one of those signs with a really large one that depicted a poison gas attack in World War I, or perhaps to place a full-page advertisement in a rural California newspaper with a spanish translation of Wilfred Owens' "Dulce Et Decorum Est":
"It is sweet and right to die for one's country." -- Horace
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 3, Informative) by Runaway1956 on Monday August 13 2018, @11:19AM (1 child)
Alternatively, "It is sweet and honorable to die for the fatherland". While "right" and "honorable" are very much synonymous, the latter is more highly valued by many people. Especially soldiers, or warriors.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 13 2018, @04:12PM
One can't help reading sarcastically into those variations over the usage of the sweet smelling hydrogen cyanide in WW1 and how huge chunks of American troops were/are 2nd gen immigrants.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 13 2018, @11:15AM (10 children)
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday August 13 2018, @11:27AM (9 children)
In all seriousness - we probably don't need a replacement. Before the advent of pesticides, farmers grew crops that were acceptable to restaurants, home keepers, and shoppers. The farm produced a little less food, the food was a little less attractive, and required a little more preparation to remove blemishes. But, the food was arguably more wholesome, and certainly wasn't covered in cancer causing chemicals.
Alright - some of you don't like that answer? Well - sevin and pyrethrins, permethryns, and more are still on the market. There is no shortage of pesticides. Bayer will certainly be pushing their neonics. That last, we can ban as well. The others? Dangerous, but probably a lot less dangerous.
This has been a bad year for fleas and ticks. I have a kitchen trash can full of 5% permethryn that I dip the puppies into for fleas. I don't take any special precautions - don't wear latex gloves or anything. I'm still living, and so are the puppies.
Ohhhhhhh - my aching . . .
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 13 2018, @11:46AM
> ... the food was a little less attractive, and required a little more preparation to remove blemishes.
^ This!
Hey farmer farmer
Put away that DDT now
Give me spots on my apples
But leave me the birds and the bees
Please!
Joni Mitchell
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 13 2018, @11:53AM (7 children)
When my raspberries are infested with Japanese beetles I shake the bugs off the leaves into a small plastic container with soapy water (a squirt of Dawn in a half cup of water) and they die in seconds. I wonder if fleas are equally sensitive to soap?
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Monday August 13 2018, @12:03PM (6 children)
Yes, fleas are easily drowned in soapy water, as are ticks. But, unless I want to wash the puppies every day, I want something that stays on their coats, to repel and/or to kill the flees and ticks. Ticks, especially, become confused when exposed to permethrins. The effect lasts for days, even in low concentrations. The fleas are affected as well, but far less than ticks.
The 5% solution that I use seems to keep ticks off the dogs for about a week. The fleas will come back in only a day or two.
As far as I know, my solution has had no health effects on the animals. There is research available to support my conclusions. Of course, a person has to remain aware that the stuff IS A POISON! Don't get it in the animal's eyes, don't let him drink it, don't use it on open cuts or wounds, don't mix it extra strong hoping it will be more effective - and dispose of the remaining solution safely. In my case, I keep the solution for several days, reusing it, and when it's just too dirty to use any more, it goes into the septic system. It certainly does NOT get dumped on the ground, so that it can find it's way into the ephemeral stream running across the center of my property.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by fishybell on Monday August 13 2018, @03:06PM (1 child)
Also, ain't no one (or at least very few) who are suggesting you start growing dogs on large industrial farms for people to eat.
The problem with pesticides is that, like your flea treatment, they are poison. They are designed or chosen because of their drastic effect on living cells inside living organisms.
Biologically active substances are not all made the same; what poisons one animal does not always poison another, just look at dogs and chocolate. That said, we know these substances are poison not just to bugs, but also to us. Why would we choose to poison ourselves? Would people eat the fruit if it came with a big sign at the supermarket saying "WARNING! POISON!" ...of course not. The only reason people accept this in their diet is because they don't know the dangers.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 13 2018, @03:41PM
我經營一家中餐館，你麻木不仁！
小狗很好吃！
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 13 2018, @06:59PM (3 children)
look into using spinosad instead. brand name is comfortis.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday August 14 2018, @02:46AM
Thanks. I've looked at it before - it's terribly expensive in comparison to almost everything. Plus, it's prescription only - unless you buy online. I'm searching around, and maybe can work something out.
I notice that the spinosad active ingredient is also available in liquid form, for area application. I've never used it, but if it is half as good as claimed, it's worth trying.
I do appreciate the tip!
(Score: 2) by driverless on Tuesday August 14 2018, @10:42AM (1 child)
Try amiton if you can get it, it's an older (1950s) insecticide that's extremely effective at killing all sorts of pests.
(Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Wednesday August 15 2018, @10:55PM
My Generals think that Chairman Kim has A LOT of that one. And maybe we can teach him how to make VX, it's much better. But he needs to DENUKE!!!
(Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Monday August 13 2018, @10:03PM
My favorite daughter always goes for the organic. No chemicals, right? I think she likes it because it costs a lot more. I taught her to NEVER SETTLE and sometimes she gets a little carried away with that.
Me, I love chemicals. Because they mean JOBS for our great American workers. And MONEY for our terrific Chemical Industry. Obama's people did a Fake Study, he said "no chlorpyrifos!" The American people (E.C.) elected me to turn that around. Dow Chemical, incredible company, great people, they donated $1 million for my Inauguration. For the biggest Inauguration in history. They said, "please Mr. President, let us sell chlorpyrifos." They said it's very important for our farms. And for our golf courses. I always always remember our farmers -- who have the great privilege and honor of voting for me. And I own many many beautiful golf courses. The best courses, as everybody knows. So I decided, we'll keep chlorpyrifos. They donate and I do whatever the hell they want me to -- it's called politics. And I put Andrew Liveris -- their CEO -- in charge of my Manufacturer Working Group. Where he's done a fantastic job. Very smart guy.
And believe me, we'll fight this HORRIBLE decision. I have a guy on SC. And possibly I'll have 2 guys for this one. Or even 3. MAGA!!!