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13 de Febrero, 2007

Sickly Slaves for Sweet Spinach

Categorized under Acción , Derechos Humanos | Tags: activism, Antepasados, Chemicals, Farming

THREE HIGHLY NEUROTOXIC POISONS are being used in planting and maintaining the crops that end up on your table. They are Azinphos-Methyl (AZM or "guthion"), phosmet and chlorpyrifos. The EPA itself acknowledges that all three of these pesticides are "highly neurotoxic organophosphate insecticides which can attack the human brain and nervous system." [ufw.org] In fact, the EPA has not only determined that these pesticides are harmful to the farmers who make it possible for us to eat, but in 2001, ruled that AZM posed "unacceptable risks" to farm workers, but allowed for four more years of use and why, good Murkans? Why would an agency charged with protecting us allow this kind of insanity?

Dinero! Por supuesto.

According to the ufwaction.org page:

In 2001, they found that AZM posed unacceptable risks to workers, but allowed its continued use for four more years because less toxic alternatives cost more to use. Farm worker advocates challenged that decision in federal court and in order to settle the lawsuit, the EPA agreed to reconsider whether to ban AZM. The EPA announced their six year phase out last November.

Four years of exposure wasn't enough. Now they are allowing for six more years of exposure!!! Bullshit! We care more about the people who feed us. We don't think of them as slaves who can suck up poison as they work, as long as they get the veggies to us on time. We are human beings, and we care about their health as human beings. Some of us may even think of our abuelos y abuelitas who spent their LIVES doing this work. I know I do.

Take action. Use the UFW's easy form letter to send your concern to the EPA. Please reword the letter a bit, and please do this. Your conscience and your body will thank you. The farmers may not know personally that you did it, but you will.

 The Unapologetic Mexican has been known to scribble a few things besides meandering, verbose, self-congratulatory blog posts. However, they are rarely as fun. Finally, let it be known that Nezua first dared bust out this Habanero of Truth at exactly 10:17 AM.  | Top | View blog reactions

Comentarios (7)

brownfemipower dijo:

Isn't this just some type of crap? I know somebody whose back has almost completely rotted away. Guess what job he had as a migrant worker? Spraying that shit every where (which entails carrying it on your back). What kind of screwed up world is this that to make things live we have to kill every thing around it, including the people growing it? This is "development"??? This is using technology to 'advance'?

Palabras por brownfemipower spat forth on el 13 de Febrero, 2007 at 03:55 PM

annie dijo:

crazy! i can't believe they allow this stuff out there. a six year phase out plan because the alternative costs too much. it will cost them less to stop using this stuff today than it would cost them to pay the medical expenses of all the workers being exposed to it.

Palabras por annie spat forth on el 13 de Febrero, 2007 at 09:45 PM

L.G. Fucktard dijo:

I used to work for Terminex. We didn't use that shit on roaches.

Palabras por L.G. Fucktard spat forth on el 13 de Febrero, 2007 at 10:11 PM

luisa dijo:

damn. As if migrant work wasn't hard enough without the use of brain eating chems. Annies right, it would cost more to pay for their medical expenses (as if corporations are ever forces to do that...). It took years and a lengthy court battle for military folks who were exposed to agent orange to get any help with expenses and the gov't still hasn't given anything to Southeast Asians who were exposed.

Palabras por luisa spat forth on el 13 de Febrero, 2007 at 11:03 PM

Professor Zero dijo:

OK, I signed! I think it is also time to boycott spinach. On to kale and collard greens!

Palabras por Professor Zero spat forth on el 14 de Febrero, 2007 at 07:02 AM

nezua limón xolagrafik-jonez dijo:

i'm glad to hear it cero. i should have been clearer about the spinach. i used it as an example of crops. but i dont think it's all about spinach.i will have to add that to the post.

Palabras por nezua limón xolagrafik-jonez spat forth on el 14 de Febrero, 2007 at 10:02 AM

Nanette dijo:

Sigh, there is so much we don't know about this stuff, and certainly there are few, if any, news stories about things like this. I bet this is just one thing that is going on, and being fought (I've not read the farm workers union site yet), but which just passes under the radar. Like lead in the water, and in homes, and schools built right next to areas with heavy vehicle traffic and who knows what else.

So many of these 'regulatory' agencies seem to be in place in order, not so much protect the public, but to push things as far as possible, while under cover of their Orwellian names, before the public actually catches on.

Palabras por Nanette spat forth on el 14 de Febrero, 2007 at 06:22 PM