Re: Speaking of "Toxic Palouse"

[Dave Willard <dwillard@turbonet.com>]

Jeff Griffin may have written:
>
>Quoting from the Science News article:
>
>"Valley farmers apply pesticides 45 times per crop
>     cycle, and they grow one or two crops per year. Area families
>     also tend to use household bug sprays daily."
>
Also quoting from the article:
"Heavy exposure to pesticides appears to have impaired child development in
a Yaqui Indian community in Mexico, a new study finds. However, observes
Elizabeth A. Guillette, the University of Arizona anthropologist who led the
research, "I don't think the kids' exposures are either more or less than
might occur in other agricultural areas" -- even in the United States."

>
>Do agricultural practices on the Palouse include the use of the same 
>types of "pesticides" used in the Yaqui Valley?
>
No. We use the newer, better model of the same stuff.

>Are these same chemicals applied as often as 45 times per crop cycle? 
>

No. I bet they don't use aerospraying, therefore they don't spread it as far
and wide as we do.
 
Apparently federal mandates require our farmers to use *more* spraying then
they would choose to (according to a few farmers I've spoken with).

>Do you, or does anyone you know, use "bug sprays" daily?  
>
Of course not.

>Without affirmative answers to these questions, it is inappropriate 
>to make broad generalizations about the implications of agricultural 
>chemical use on the Palouse based on the results of the referenced 
>study.  
>

This study showed severe developmental deficiencies in children with "no
obvious symptoms of pesticide poisoning" at "typical" exposure levels. Can
you or any of the manufactures and spreaders of these chemicals
*definitively* say that they are causing no harm? (Especially in light of
lots of evidence the other way.) If not then it is inappropriate for them to
be feeding us this stuff. 

I never have understood why some people feel they have the right to poison
their neighbors just to make a buck.

Did you see those pictures? Do you have children? Ever been sprayed by a
crop duster with your kids in the car??!!!

>Truth
>
>Jeff

Do you want some "truth" Jeff? The truth is that we live in one of the
agrochemical hot spots of the nation. (Do you suffer from "Hay Fever"? Ever
wonder why everyone's "Hay Fever" seems to be "really bad these days"?
Especially when they return to the Palouse?) The truth is that we and our
children will be suffering from various exotic diseases for a long time to
come due to the shortsighted, profit-minded actions of an industry. And
people burying their heads in the sand.

Peace

Dave