This just in from the wondrous Diane Kaufmann via the amazing Skip
Poulson via some other fabulous person(s) or perhaps the Pixel Elves
themselves? Thought it might interest some of you. I didn't remember
seeing it on SANET. Which could be a function of my poor
chocolate-logged brain and the 3,213th listening of the B-52s /Good
Stuff/ in about two weeks. (I'm writing a big report.)
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---Forwarded message follows----
[headers decapitated]
The Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture (CSusAg) is trying to
increase public awareness of pesticide regulation issues currently
before the US Congress.
CSusAg participants would like very much to get "letters to the
editor" from local farmers published in as many newspapers as
possible. A sample letter is provided here.
Please do what you can to get this (or something like it) sent to at
least one newspaper in your area!
Please send notification of articles published to Janet Bachmann,
janetb@ncatark.uark.edu
Thanks.
Skip
-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: op ed
Date: 04-Jun-98 at 13:10
Reply-to: richarde@ncatark.uark.edu
Return-receipt-to: richarde@ncatark.uark.edu
Priority: normal
X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.42a)
I wonder whether the many thousands of folks who were stunned this
winter by USDA's attempt to water down the national organic rule are
aware of a less publicized but even bigger food safety battle. The
new health risk-based standard for pesticide regulation mandated by
the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) and aimed at protecting
children from pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables is now under
fierce attack by chemical companies.
Children do and should eat lots of fruit and vegetables. In 1996
Congress responded to concerns expressed by a panel of the nation's
top scientists, who testified that even small amounts of pesticide
residues can severely affect nervous, endocrine, and immune system
development and that children's greater consumption of fruits and
vegetables further increases their vulnerability. Everyone agreed
that strengthened pesticide regulations were needed to protect
children's health. The bill passed Congress unanimously. But today,
as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gears up to implement and
enforce FQPA, and as dangerous pesticides such as organophosphates
come under the scrutiny they deserve, pesticide manufacturers are
coming out of the woodwork to pressure Congress to "slow down" the
enforcement of the law.
Back in February, when 12,000 people had submitted comments on USDA's
compromised organic rule, the deluge astounded cynics in Washington.
Jaws dropped lower when the flood of public outcry rose to 50,000
comments in March and an unprecedented 200,000 by the comment period's
end in April. This massive response was a clear declaration of the
importance of food safety to all of us, and a loud call for Washington
to take a stronger stand. Now, just weeks later, Congress is
seriously considering cutting the legs off the most significant food
safety bill of the decade_FQPA.
Led by the pesticide manufacturing industry, FQPA opponents are
crawling all over Capitol Hill claiming that the law threatens
farmers' livelihoods and asking that implementation be slowed down_way
down. The industry is up to its usual stalling tricks, such as
demanding new scientific studies where none are needed. Industry
spokespersons contend that a regulatory approach based on their own
brand of "sound science" will require little or no change in the use
of even the most dangerous pesticides. They are fighting not for
scientific rigor nor for the genuine needs of farmers, but for their
own bottom line.
Farmers are justifiably alarmed at the prospect of losing pesticides
they've come to count on, and EPA's current implementation of FQPA
isn't perfect. But the solution is not to de-fang regulation simply
because it requires difficult change or because it's been imperfectly
applied. These concerns can be addressed without changing a good law.
There are safe, sound alternatives to current pesticide use. Rather
than cave in to the industry's status quo, Congress can increase
funding for research in Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which
develops sustainable strategies to pest control, based less on
simplistic application of commercial products and more on rational
systems-based approaches. They can fund more staff to expedite
registrations for new pesticides that are proven safer than
organophosphates and other especially toxic chemicals. And EPA can
set clear and reasonable deadlines for when various pesticides will
come under scrutiny, giving farmers a chance to prepare.
But the most important thing Congress can do to help farmers adjust to
the new regulations is to make sure they have access to useful
information on alternatives to FQPA-regulated pesticides. Two
excellent federally funded programs are already in place to get the
information out_the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
(SARE) program, and Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas
(ATTRA), a national information service for farmers. [****INSERT A
BRIEF EXAMPLE OF HOW YOU OR A FARMER YOU'VE WORKED WITH HAVE
BENEFITTED FROM SUCH INFORMATION ON ALTERNATIVES****]
It makes sense to increase funding for these programs to get farmers
the information they need. It makes no sense to slam the brakes on
FQPA, compromising the health of our children in order to serve the
self-interest of the pesticide industry. Congress should take
seriously its commitment to protect children, remembering the lesson
of USDA's organic rule fiasco. The American people are aware that
food safety is crucial to their well being and they are ready to fight
for it.
END OF FORWARD
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This is Mish writing again. I would additionally encourage people
writing these letters to educate themselves about local, state, and
regional sustainable and organic ag programs, and make sure that
policymakers and other purse-string-holders know about their deeds
and needs.
I would also personally like to avoid the confrontational language
of the Policy Thunderdome--"fight," "deluge," intention-guessing,
talking about the USDA as though it's a single entity rather than a
complex human/social system, etc. What we need, in my never humble
opinion, is more consensus and understanding, not more powergames,
in any form, at any level, that sap energy and fuel citizen mistrust
of democracy. Empowerment is about taking one's place in government,
and feeling the joy and pleasure in that, not fostering paranoia and
further aggression. Enough with the Cold War already.
Gotta scoot. Seeyall.
peace
misha
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Michele Gale-Sinex, communications manager
Center for Integrated Ag Systems
UW-Madison College of Ag and Life Sciences
Voice: (608) 262-8018 FAX: (608) 265-3020
http://www.wisc.edu/cias/
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I don't know when I'll need to convert a joule
to an erg, but now I'm ready. --Mister 3D
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