-- Matt Crenson, Associated Press, December 9, 1997

For most Americans, the farm still symbolizes an idyllic life, one that is connected to nature and the land. We think of cute little farm animals running around, home cooking, and a place where children grow up happy and free. Sadly, this Hollywood-induced image is far from the truth. In fact, it may never have been true.

Hundreds of thousands of children in the U.S. alone, including half a million under the age of six, are in constant danger from exposure to extreme amounts of pesticides, says the Natural Resources Defense Council in its recently released report, "Trouble on the Farm." The report says that the children come in contact with pesticides "through residues from their parents’ clothing, dust tracked into their homes, contaminated soil in areas where they play, food brought directly from the fields to the table, and contaminated well water. These children are likely to have the highest exposure to pesticides of any group of people in the country."

Workers in the field (Photo by George Sakkestad at http://www.metroactive.com/cruz/farmunion1-9841.html)

And we are not just talking about one bug spray on a piece of fruit. In studies done by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 108 different kinds of pesticides were found on 22 fruits and vegetables commonly eaten by children! Sixteen pesticides were found in eight samples of processed baby food.

In California alone between 1991 and 1995, 212 million pounds of pesticides were used. These chemicals are regularly detected in the air thousands of miles from where they were used. DDT, banned in the 1970s has been found in Antarctic ice, penguin tissues, and in most species of whales!

The problem is much worse than we can even imagine. We have no way of knowing the true extent of the illnesses and deaths that result from toxic pesticide exposure. A study in California reported that 16 out of 20 critically ill children that were transferred to a major medical center from smaller hospitals were wrongly diagnosed. They were actually suffering from acute pesticide poisoning.

Children by pesticide sprayer in their home (Photo Pesticide Action Network)

Migrant farm workers are in the most danger. Their poverty and lack of education will often increase their exposure. Many bathe themselves and their children in pesticide laden irrigation channels to clean themselves at the end of the day.

It is very hard for some to believe that our leaders do not have our best interests in mind. I have a terrible time trying to convince my students of this. These individuals, lured back to school with the promise of career advancement if they complete their undergraduate degrees, are solidly part of the "me" decades. "Don't tell me these things," is their mantra. "I want my piece of the pie." Well, that pie may contain the residues from thousands of toxic chemicals.

In California, in the 15 years since the creation of the Toxic Air Contaminant (TAC) Program, only one pesticide has been designated as a TAC - and this chemical had already been virtually banned by the EPA.

The problem, as I have reflected upon often, is the way we practice science. Visceral evidence like suffering and dying children is not enough for classically trained scientists. There must be laboratory studies and peer reviews and scholarly articles written. Scientists have become the unwitting pawns of a greedy industry. While the studies are going on, the spraying continues. All we really need to understand is that a chemical designed to kill bugs is also going to harm other living things. Period.

(Photo (c) Jocelyn Sherman

In the Friday, October 23, 1998 edition of the L.A. Times, David Moore, who heads the Western Growers Association, said, in response to the NRDC report, that "Scientists are careful to point out that just because a pesticide is a hazard does not mean it is a risk." With doubletalk like that being spoken by industry leaders, you can see why we are pretty much on our own here.

With all this in mind, buying organically grown produce can no longer be viewed as a preference for those who can afford it. Rather, buying it could be viewed as a moral imperative. The few extra pennies spent could mean the difference between life and death for many women, men, and especially children. If pesticide-laden produce remained on supermarket shelves, you can bet that the industry would change overnight. If you see one less movie per month, you will save all you need to make up for the price difference between poisoned food and organic food.

There is rarely such a clear path to solving a problem in our complex world. This is a case where your voice could be heard loudly and clearly. If you don't want to do it for your own health, that is fine. Do it instead for the vomiting, suffering children. Don't wait for the scientific data to confirm the obvious. Make the commitment now. There can be no other choice.

RESOURCES

1. See the complete NRDC report "Trouble on the Farm" at http://www.nrdc.org/nrdcpro/farm/farminx.html. The summary of the report is at http://www.nrdc.org/find/hefarm.html

2. Read a disturbing report on the amount of pesticides used around California schools and the connection to childhood cancers at the Californian's for Pesticide Reform web site at http://www.igc.org/cpr/exec_sum.html. See their complete report on how pesticides poison the air at http://www.igc.org/cpr/

3. Learn about pesticide alternatives at http://members.aol.com/homeview2/info/index.htm

4. Visit the Pesticide Action Network at http://www.panna.org/panna/

5. Learn of the perils of field workers in Mexico from Mother Jones magazine in an article at http://bsd.mojones.com/mother_jones/JF95/schrader.html

6. Read a shocking story of pesticide spraying on aircraft at http://www.flyana.com/pest.html

7. Strawberry pickers and their children will routinely vomit while working. Children eat the strawberries, which are sprayed with more pesticides than any other fruit and vegetable, and will experience severe vomiting and diarrhea on the spot, enough to be hospitalized - for those who can afford a hospital visit. NEVER buy non-organic strawberries. Tell your grocery store manager why you are not buying them.

8. Read the concerns of a teacher about pesticide poisoning of schools at http://www.edweek.org/tm/current/02pest.h10 and http://www.ewg.org/@risk/" target="_blank">www.ewg.org/@risk/

9. For a comprehensive list of schools in California and the amounts of pesticides used with 1.5 miles of them, visit http://www.ewg.org/@risk/pesticides.html

10. Learn about life in the fields from a farm worker's point of view at http://www.latinoweb.com/ufw/paper.htm

11. Visit the Witness To The Future web site for interviews with farm workers at http://www.witnesstothefuture.com/

12. Even heavy infestations of termites can be taken care of with non-toxic and lesser toxic methods. Learn about a boric acid product at http://www.apex-pest.com/termite.html and find out about some of the horrors from traditional termite treatments at http://www.dcci.com/toxfree/

13. Find just about any pesticide information you need at the University of Nebraska at http://ianrwww.unl.edu/ianr/pat/pestdata.htm

14. Keep your eye on corporations through Corporate Watch at http://www.corpwatch.org/

13. Find out who your Congressional representatives are and e-mail them. Tell them to resist pressure from corporations and to support the EPA's environmental justice programs. If you know your Zip code, you can find them at http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/ziptoit.html or you can search by state at http://www.webslingerz.com/jhoffman/congress-email.html

14. Learn about the issues. Seek out books on the subject. A good source for used (and new) books is Powell’s Bookstore in Portland, Oregon at http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/associate?assoc_id=212 where you will find a wonderful alternative to the massive chain bookstores taking over the market.