Earth Day 2007: Pesticide Ponderings on Past, Present and Future

(Beyond Pesticides, April 20, 2007) As we celebrate Earth Day this
weekend, Beyond Pesticides would like to take this moment to reflect
on exactly where pesticides fit into the current environmental
picture, including victories of the past and victories needed for a
healthy future.

Over the last year, the organic movement has seen many successes, with
school pesticide reduction victories in North Carolina, Utah,
Virginia, and California; new organic parks in New Jersey; increasing
numbers of sustainable vegetable and cotton growers; and even
hospitals and schools purchasing organic food. As we celebrate these
victories, we look ahead to ways we can continue this trend toward
organics, and opportunities for connecting with other environmental
causes.

Global climate change is the major focus of Earth Day this year, as
well as a major focus of the environmental movement as a whole. But
rather than being a separate issue from pesticides, the two are
actually very much related.

In fact, the Rodale Institute has figured organic farming requires 63%
less energy (fossil fuels) than "conventional" methods. Top this off
with the fact that industrial agricultural methods also reduce the
amount of carbon that can be sequestered in soil, and the organic
connection becomes even more important. According to the Rodale
Institute, which conducts the world's longest running study of organic
farming, the soils of organic crops sequester significantly more
carbon than conventional methods. Although organic farming cannot tie
up all of our abundant greenhouse gasses, Rodale researchers have
figured a 320-acre organic farm is equivalent to the reduction of 117
cars from the road. Additionally, consider that not only are many of
the active ingredients in pesticides derived from petroleum, but so
are "inert" ingredients like solvents, as well as synthetic
fertilizers. Going organic not only sequesters carbon, but it also
cuts down on the fossil fuels required for the production of
pesticides.

Beyond the fact that organics may be a key solution in the fight
against greenhouse gases, climate change will have major effects on
pesticide-related issues. Scientists believe that global warming will
increase pest populations, including weeds, invasive species, insects,
and insect-borne diseases, which will likely lead to large increases
in the use of pesticides. The effects of climate change are already
beginning to be seen, and will continue to be seen for years to come.
Without drastic actions to curb global warming, the current course we
are heading on will lead to booms in pest populations and pesticide
use.

Besides switching to organic food, what else can we do? For starters,
take a good look at your yard. Is it organic or does it require
petroleum-based life support? (If you need support for kicking the
habit, visit the National Coalition for Pesticide-Free Lawns.) How
about your house or apartment, workplace or school? Prevention methods
such as sanitation and physical barriers (sealing cracks, screens,
etc.) work wonders. Have messy neighbors or a building maintenance
company that doesn't get it? There are alternative control methods for
unwanted species and chemical factsheets to get the message across.

Beyond global warming, pesticides play a role in many other aspects of
Earth Day. Pesticides have been an Earth Day issue since the first
rally held on April 22, 1970. Rachel Carson and others knew pesticides
were taking their toll on the environment and public health. Shortly
after the first Earth Day, President Nixon created the Environmental
Protection Agency, which, within the first few years of operation,
banned DDT and started reviewing pesticides. However, just like oil-
addiction, moving on from the pesticide-addiction has been a slow and
arduous process.

Today, we know pesticides are virtually ubiquitous in our bodies and
in our environment. Biomonitoring studies reveal a body burden of
toxic chemicals exists throughout the nation's population. Studies of
major U.S. rivers and streams find that 90% of fish, 100% of surface
water samples, and 33% of major aquifers contain one or more
pesticides at detectable levels (to learn more, read Threatened
Waters: Turning the Tide on Pesticide Contamination). We also know
pesticides can be carcinogenic, disrupt the endocrine system, weaken
the immune system, affect neurodevelopment, impair fertility, and
influence the development of asthma, as well as trigger asthma
attacks.

So, as we celebrate a day that is dedicated to improving our quality
of life through clean air, water and food, and honors the basic human
right to a healthy environment, don't forget that pesticide reduction
is an important part of the equation. In 2000 (the most current data),
over four pounds of active pesticide ingredient was used per capita in
the U.S. Anything and everything you can do to take pesticides out of
your life helps.
Happy Earth Day from Beyond Pesticides!!!

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