ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL JUSTICE
Poison In Our Drinking Water... ...continued from page 11
WDO3URWHFWLRQ$JHQF\ (3$ VHWWLQJSHVWLFLGHVWDQGDUGVWRSURWHFWWKH health of infants and children, and has opposed legislation that would PDQGDWHDUHGXFWLRQLQWKHXVHRISHVWLFLGHV0RVWVWDWHVLQFOXGLQJ 0DU\ODQGDOVRKDYHD)DUP%XUHDX DQGHYHQWKRXJKWKH\GH¿QHWKHLU PLVVLRQDV³DQRUJDQL]DWLRQSURPRWLQJDJULFXOWXUH´LQVXUDQFHDJHQWV WKDWZRUNIRUDQGZLWKWKH)%DUHRIWHQDOVRUHJLVWHUHGDVOREE\LVWVWR RSSRVH DQ\ OHJLVODWLRQ OLPLWLQJ SHVWLFLGH XVH )RU H[DPSOH LQ ZKHQDFWLYLVWVLQ0RQWJRPHU\&RXQW\VRXJKWDUHGXFWLRQLQWKHXVHRI SHVWLFLGHVRQODZQV H[FOXGLQJIDUPODQG IDUPHUVDQGWKH0DU\ODQG )DUP%XUHDXWXUQHGRXWLQODUJHQXPEHUVWRWHVWLI\DJDLQVWWKH%LOO 2QWKHSRVLWLYHVLGH,¶YHZRUNHGZLWKWKH)%RQOHJLVODWLRQSURPRW - LQJWKHXVHRI0DU\ODQGSURGXFHDQGWKH\KDYHDOVRVHWVWDQGDUGVIRU RUJDQLFDJULFXOWXUH,¶YHVLQFHOHWP\PHPEHUVKLSLQWKH)DUP%XUHDX lapse; my farm neighbors have consistently worked to get me to re-en- roll despite my criticisms. Institutional Culpability and Inaction 8QIRUWXQDWHO\WKH)DUP%XUHDXLVQRWWKHRQO\EDGDFWRULQWKLV environmental horror show. Federal policy, and the institutions creat- LQJDQGXSKROGLQJLWDUHDOVRFXOSDEOH8QOLNHWKH&OHDQ$LUDQG&OHDQ :DWHU$FWVZKLFKFDQPRGLI\KHDOWKEDVHGVWDQGDUGVDVVFLHQFHSUR - vides more evidence of harm at lower levels, pesticides are regulated GL̆ HUHQWO\7KH\DUHOLFHQVHGIRUXVHE\D ODZFDOOHG),)5$WKH )HGHUDO ,QVHFWLFLGH )XQJLFLGH DQG 5RGHQWLFLGH $FW ZULWWHQ E\ WKH FKHPLFDOLQGXVWU\GHFDGHVEHIRUHWKH(3$ZDVFUHDWHGLQ DQGWKH law was revised. ),)5$LVD5LVN%HQH¿WVWDWXWH LWLVQRWKHDOWKEDVHG7KDWPHDQV WKDWWKHKHUELFLGH'DVRQHH[DPSOHZKLFKZDVKDOIWKHFKHPLFDO PDNHXSRI$JHQW2UDQJHLVVWLOOUHJLVWHUHGVWLOOOHJDOWRXVHLQWKH86 \HDUVDIWHUEHLQJEDQQHGLQWKH(XURSHDQ8QLRQ (8 7KDW¶VEHFDXVH WKH³XVHFXS´RU³EHQH¿WV´DUHVRKXJHDQGRXWZHLJKWKH³ULVNFXS´ )XUWKHUH[SODQDWLRQLVR̆ HUHGE\-D\)HOGPDQH[HFXWLYHGLUHFWRURI %H\RQG3HVWLFLGHVDQDWLRQDOQRQSUR¿WRUJDQL]DWLRQWKDWZRUNVZLWK allies to protect public health and the environment by transitioning to DWR[LFSHVWLFLGHIUHHZRUOG+HQRWHV³(YHQWKH DPHQGPHQWVWR WKHODZWKH)RRG4XDOLW\3URWHFWLRQ$FWḊ UPHGDULVNDVVHVVPHQW review process that allows high levels of risk and uncertainty without any assessment of the actual need for the toxic chemicals.” 7KLV DSSOLHV WR RXU H[DPSOH ' ZKLFK LV SURYHQ LQ SHHUUH - YLHZHG VWXGLHV WR FDXVH QRQ+RGJNLQ¶V O\PSKRPD LQ ERWK KXPDQ ZKHDWIDUPHUVDQGLQGRJVOLYLQJRQWUHDWHGODZQV<HWLWLVVWLOOVROG KHUH EHFDXVH WKH HFRQRPLF ³EHQH¿WV´ DUH KXJH ' LV D FKHDS R̆ SDWHQW VHOHFWLYH EURDGOHDI KHUELFLGH XVHG RQ ODZQV IDUPV JROI FRXUVHVULJKWVRIZD\HWF DQGWKH(3$KDVGHWHUPLQHGWKDWWKHKDUP caused by the herbicide is acceptable. 7KH DJULFXOWXUDO SHVWLFLGH , VRXJKW WR EDQ LQ 0DU\ODQG DOO WKRVH \HDUVDJRLVDWUD]LQH,UHPHPEHUWKH¿UVWWLPH,KHDUGRIWKLVUHYHODWR - ry invention. I can still recall the taste of the cinnamon and chocolate GRQXWVVHUYHGDWDPHHWLQJEDFNLQ LQP\ORFDO¿UHKDOOZKHUHZH ZHUHWROHDUQDERXWDQHZDSSURDFKWRUDLVLQJFRUQDQGVR\EHDQV$ QHZFRUQYDULHW\KDGEHHQGHYHORSHGWKURXJKJHQHWLFPRGL¿FDWLRQ DQGLIXVHGLQFRQMXQFWLRQZLWKDWUD]LQHDQLQH[SHQVLYHSUHVRLOLQ - RFXODQWDSSOLHGE\VSUD\WRRXU¿HOGVFRXOGPDNHWKHJURXQGUHDG\ without plowing, for the planting of these new seed varieties. The HYHQWZDVVSRQVRUHGE\3HQQ6WDWHWKH)DUP%XUHDXYDULRXVFKHP - LFDO FRPSDQLHV DV ZHOO DV $JZD\ DQG WKH 6RXWKHUQ 6WDWHV &RRSHUD - tive stores. They claimed it was a boon to the environment that would GUDPDWLFDOO\LQFUHDVH\LHOGUHGXFHSORZLQJ LWZDV³QRWLOO´IDUPLQJ and change the face of agriculture not only in this country, but by also providing a “green revolution” in countries like India with large popu- ODWLRQVDQGQHHGIRULQFUHDVHGSURGXFWLRQ$PLUDFOH %DFNLQWKHGD\WKRVHFRUSRUDWHFKHPLFDOFRPSDQLHV²&LED*HLJ\ %D\HU0RQVDQWRDQGRWKHUV²IXQGHG$JGHSDUWPHQW³FKDLUV´DWVWDWH ODQG JUDQW FROOHJHV OLNH 3HQQ 6WDWH DQG WKH 8QLYHUVLW\ RI 0DU\ODQG %XWZKDWZDVRPLWWHGZDVDVWXG\RIWKHLPSDFWRIWKRVHDJFKHPLFDOV
34—PATHWAYS—Fall 22
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