Betsy,
As a consumer and non-farmer, I agree, and I don't stand alone. Studies
are online that testify those living near (conventional) agriculture
have increasingly more cancers, including brain cancers, leukemia,
developmental disorders than the rest of the population.
http://www.chem-tox.com/pesticides/pesticides.htm
Furthermore, my dog, Vandy, died from (autoimmune) Hemolytic Anemia, a
disease strongly linked to naphthalene. I had mothballs in a tightly
sealed box of woolen clothing. The box was placed under the bed, where
the dog loved to sleep. Napthalene, by the way, is among the misnamed
list 3 ''inert'' ingredients in pesticides
<http://www.efn.org/~ncap/ActiveInertsRel.html> which the USDA may allow
in organically grown foods, if I understood the testimony correctly at
the OFMA website.
My veterinarian keeps claiming there is no proof that naphthalene causes
hemoytic anemia even though I've shown him a report from ATSDR
<http://atsdr1.atsdr.cdc.gov:8080/ToxProfiles/phs9018.html> and other
government agencies.
During the time which I fed my dog organic foods, she began to improve.
But, after the Vet learned I was making my own pet food, he claimed I
was adding to her demise and insisted that I purchase a special blend of
(pesticide) pet food from him. Shortly afterwards, my beautiful pointer
worsened and died. When she had improved, she was on a diet of
certified organic brown rice, legumes/cottage cheese; free range
chicken; certified organic sprouts, carrots, cabbage, broccoli and such
(supplementing with bone meal, kelp, olive oil and vitamins D & E. The
Vet even admitted she had become better...for awhile. But, he still
refuses to acknowledge that she became better on organically grown and
processed foods. What can one expect from a toxicologist-veterinarian
who has been brainwashed at a land-grant college in Louisiana?
Vandy's temporary come back testified to me that organic equals
healthier eating and a healthier environment! Just as my purchasing
expensive organic cotton means a healthier environment. After working
with Louisiana residents who have been poisoned due to crops dustered
with paraquat, I felt it wasn't enough to fight LA-A&F. What was needed
was speaking with a consumer dollar and buying organic cotton.
Also, pesticide food often gives me a sore throat and the roof of my
mouth becomes slick and swollen. An allergist claimed I was allergic to
bananas, which gave me a sore throat; whole wheat flour which make the
roof of my mouth swell, and both canola and soya which appeared to give
me symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. When I buy the same foods that
are organically grown the symptoms disappear. In the case of canola, I
avoid it like a plague, since I understand that canola coming out of
Canada is all genetically engineered with withstand more herbicides.
Wouldn't you think if an allergy were present, it would not matter
whether or not the food was grown with or without pesticides??? I'm not
allergic to the food. This is appears to be an reaction to being
poisoned. I'd rather switch and fight than be poisoned with synthetic
practices. Hence, rarely do I buy chemically grown foods.
Also, this is why I spent so much money and time trying to enlighten
others to become involved in the battle to save organic! I knew nothing
about GMOs prior to working on this campaign, and since becoming
enlightened, I'm spreading the word.
Thanks Saneteers for enlightening me.
Susan Snow,
consumer and activist
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