NO NO to Toxic Pesticides...

Dear Friends, Family and Followers... 

YES, a grassroots movement initiated, by Rose Marie Raccioppi, led to legislative protection... A law representing the Precautionary Principle held by Rockland County, New York, relating to the public lands of Rockland County, has been in place since 2008... a precursor to the pesticide restrictions on parkland, and school grounds. YES, change begins with a commitment, ongoing action, awareness and revelation of effect!! 

NOW it is the time, the pressing need for each home owner, each land, owner, each local farm owner, each business owner, to NOT use toxic pesticides on their property grounds. My neighbor is NOT to have the 'right' to poison my property, my body, my children, my wellbeing from the runoff of toxic pesticides such as Roundup by Monsanto. Our environment, our health, are not to be adversely compromised!! We are called upon to revisit the documented harm, and as responsible consumers eliminate the use of poisons that have been shown to have ill effects upon our growing children and our community populace.

Rose Marie Raccioppi

http://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2008/06/rockland-co-ny-legislature-passes-non-toxic-landscape-act/

Rockland Co. NY Legislature Passes Non-Toxic Landscape Act

Thursday, June 19th, 2008

(Beyond Pesticides, June 19, 2008) Rockland County, NY legislators passed a bill on June 17, 2008 to eliminate the use of toxic pesticides on all county-owned or leased land. Rose Marie Raccioppi, the community organizer behind the bill, is a member of Beyond Pesticides, the National Pesticide-Free Lawn Coalition, and Orangetown’s Environmental Committee. She brought her concerns about pesticide exposure to the Rockland County Legislature last year, and advocated strongly for the passage of the Rockland County Non-Toxic Landscape Maintenance Act. “This is the beginning of what is hoped to be a continuing campaign,” Ms. Raccioppi said. “We hope it moves from county to towns to school districts and eventually, the consciousness of the individual homeowner.” As the law currently stands in New York, and most other states, municipalities may not pass legislation regulating the use of pesticides on private land and buildings, reserving governance of such matters to the state government. However, towns and counties throughout the U.S. (See Daily News of April 15, May 12, May 13, and June 16, 2008) are passing regulations restricting the use of pesticides on publicly-owned land. 

Insecticides put world food supplies at risk, say scientists

Regulations on pesticides have failed 

to prevent poisoning of almost all habitats, 

international team of scientists concludes

Damian Carrington

The Guardian

Farmers use helicopters to spray insecticide and fertilizer on wheat crops in Henan province, China. Photograph: TPG/Getty Images

The world’s most widely used insecticides have contaminated the environment across the planet so pervasively that global food production is at risk, according to a comprehensive scientific assessment of the chemicals’ impacts.

The researchers compare their impact with that reported in Silent Spring, the landmark 1962 book by Rachel Carson that revealed the decimation of birds and insects by the blanket use of DDT and other pesticides and led to the modern environmental movement.

Billions of dollars’ worth of the potent and long-lasting neurotoxins are sold every year but regulations have failed to prevent the poisoning of almost all habitats, the international team of scientists concluded in the most detailed study yet. As a result, they say, creatures essential to global food production – from bees to earthworms – are likely to be suffering grave harm and the chemicals must be phased out.

The new assessment analysed the risks associated with neonicotinoids, a class of insecticides on which farmers spend $2.6bn (£1.53bn) a year. Neonicotinoids are applied routinely rather than in response to pest attacks but the scientists highlight the “striking” lack of evidence that this leads to increased crop yields.

“The evidence is very clear. We are witnessing a threat to the productivity of our natural and farmed environment equivalent to that posed by organophosphates or DDT,” said Jean-Marc Bonmatin, of the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) in France, one of the 29 international researchers who conducted the four-year assessment. “Far from protecting food production, the use of neonicotinoid insecticides is threatening the very infrastructure which enables it.” He said the chemicals imperilled food supplies by harming bees and other pollinators, which fertilise about three-quarters of the world’s crops, and the organisms that create the healthy soils which the world’s food requires in order to grow.

Systemic insecticides. Photograph: /Guim

Professor Dave Goulson, at the University of Sussex, another member of the team, said: “It is astonishing we have learned so little. After Silent Spring revealed the unfortunate side-effects of those chemicals, there was a big backlash. But we seem to have gone back to exactly what we were doing in the 1950s. It is just history repeating itself. The pervasive nature of these chemicals mean they are found everywhere now.

“If all our soils are toxic, that should really worry us, as soil is crucial to food production."

The assessment, published on Tuesday, cites the chemicals as a key factor in the decline of bees, alongside the loss of flower-rich habitats meadows and disease. The insecticides harm bees’ ability to navigateand learn, damage their immune systems and cut colony growth. In worms, which provide a critical role in aerating soil, exposure to the chemicals affects their ability to tunnel.

Dragonflies, which eat mosquitoes, and other creatures that live in water are also suffering, with some studies showing that ditchwater has become so contaminated it could be used directly as a lice-control pesticide.

The report warned that loss of insects may be linked to major declines in the birds that feed on them, though it also notes that eating just a few insecticide-treated seeds would kill birds directly.

One of the last living male dusky seaside sparrows is seen in this 1981 file photo while in captivity at Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville, Florida. DDT pesticide spraying since the 1940s contributed to the extinction of this species. Photograph: Nathan Benn/Corbis

“Overall, a compelling body of evidence has accumulated that clearly demonstrates that the wide-scale use of these persistent, water-soluble chemicals is having widespread, chronic impacts upon global biodiversity and is likely to be having major negative effects on ecosystem services such as pollination that are vital to food security,” the study concluded.

The report is being published as a special issue of the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Science and Pollution Research and was funded by a charitable foundation run by the ethical bank Triodos.

The EU, opposed by the British government and the National Farmers Union, has already imposed a temporary three-year moratorium on the use of some neonicotinoids on some crops. This month US presidentBarack Obama ordered an urgent assessment of the impact of neonicotinoids on bees. But the insecticides are used all over the world on crops, as well as flea treatments in cats and dogs and to protect timber from termites.

However, the Crop Protection Association, which represents pesticide manufacturers, criticised the report. Nick von Westenholz, chief executive of the CPA, said: “It is a selective review of existing studies which highlighted worst-case scenarios, largely produced under laboratory conditions. As such, the publication does not represent a robust assessment of the safety of systemic pesticides under realistic conditions of use.”

Von Westenholz added: “Importantly, they have failed or neglected to look at the broad benefits provided by this technology and the fact that by maximising yields from land already under cultivation, more wild spaces are preserved for biodiversity. The crop protection industry takes its responsibility towards pollinators seriously. We recognise the vital role pollinators play in global food production.”

A Bulgarian beekeeper grabs dead bees during a demonstration in Sofia to call for a moratorium on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides in April. Photograph: Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images

The new report, called the Worldwide Integrated Assessment on Systemic Pesticides, analysed every peer-reviewed scientific paper on neonicotinoids and another insecticide called fipronil since they were first used in the mid-1990s. These chemicals are different from other pesticides because, instead of being sprayed over crops, they are usually used to treat seeds. This means they are taken up by every part of the growing plant, including roots, leaves, pollen and nectar, providing multiple ways for other creatures to be exposed.

The scientists found that the use of the insecticides shows a “rapid increase” over the past decade and that the slow breakdown of the compounds and their ability to be washed off fields in water has led to “large-scale contamination”. The team states that current rules on use have failed to prevent dangerous levels building up in the environment.

Almost as concerning as what is known about neonicotinoids is what is not known, the researchers said. Most countries have no public data on the quantities or locations of the systemic pesticides being applied. The testing demanded by regulators to date has not determined the long-term effect of sub-lethal doses, nor has it assessed the impact of the combined impact of the cocktail of many pesticides encountered in most fields. The toxicity of neonicotinoids has only been established for very few of the species known to be exposed. For example, just four of the 25,000 known species of bee have been assessed. There is virtually no data on effects on reptiles or mammals.

Original Source: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jun/24/insecticides-world-food-supplies-risk

Our Health and Pesticide Exposure - Alternatives for Well Being

Last evening I had the opportunity of presenting, "The Health Threats of Toxic Pesticide Use on Lawns," to a group of community minded participants. All agreed that the public must become more aware of the dangers of toxic pesticides and chemical fertilizers as well as the need to learn of the alternatives of both product use and practices. I was pleased to provide information on non-toxic lawn, grounds and garden care. The presentation by Anthony Moschetti, Certified Organic Horticulturist, founder of "Grassroots Organic Landcare," was indeed well received. "Grassroots Organic Landcare," is the first and presently the only true natural organic lawn service in Rockland County, New York.

Programs of lawn care that have proved to be safe, sustainable and cost effective are indeed available. Paul Tukey, founder of, "Safe Lawns," SafeLawns.org - http://www.safelawns.org/ Organic Lawn Care for a Healthier Planet - provides documented success of the benefits of organic lawn care. "Grassroots Environmental Education," is an excellent source of information providing training materials, programs, and activism. Natural or organic turf management can be easily implemented for school grounds and playing fields. Watch the video. Playing It Safe - http://www.grassrootsinfo.org/playingitsafe.html

I encourage all to avail themselves of the information and excellent resources provided by, Beyond Pesticides, http://www.beyondpesticides.org. They were exceedingly helpful when I initiated the campaign that led to the adoption of the "Rockland County Non-Toxic Landscape Act, adopted in June, 2008. This link provides a copy of Rockland's present law. Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog » Blog Archive » Rockland Co. NY Legislature Passes Non-Toxic Landscape Act - http://www.beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/?p=374

If you were to peruse the posts on this blog you will find the consistent theme of the need to be fully aware of the ill effects of toxic chemicals, pesticides and GMOs on our health, our environment and our ultimate well being. There are viable alternatives. YES, we are obliged to be aware, be responsive and make the difference in our product use and practices to assure the health of our children, our community and the children yet to be born.

Well there you have it -

A difference made in New York!!

Pesticide ban in N.Y. schools begins | The Journal News | LoHud.com

www.lohud.com

ALBANY — New York schools will be largely prohibited from using outdoor pesticides on their grounds.

The Child Safe Playing Fields Act, which passed the Legislature and was signed by then-Gov. David Paterson last year, takes effect today. It will prevent all K-12 schools and day-care centers from using pesticides on their grass.

Advocates say it was designed to keep potentially harmful pesticides off of athletic fields and playgrounds. A spokesman for the state Education Department — which will administer the law — said Tuesday the agency takes a broader interpretation.

The law reads in part: "No school shall apply pesticide to any playgrounds, turf, athletic or playing fields."

"Our Office of Facilities Planning interprets 'turf' to include any grass surface, like the front lawn of a school," said Jonathan Burman, the spokesman.

Patti Wood, executive director of Grassroots Environmental Education, said the pesticides were primarily used for aesthetic purposes, and schools will now be encouraged to monitor grass growth and use organic methods.

The use of indoor pesticides — such as an ant trap or roach-control products — is unaffected.

Schools can apply for an exception from the state Department of Environmental Conservation if the public's health is at risk, such as an infestation of bees.

The state School Boards Association opposed the law as it worked its way through the Legislature last year.

"We felt that local school districts were in the best position to determine what was going on in their individual fields in order to protect their students and staff," said Barbara Bradley, a spokeswoman for the association.

— Jon Campbell

and now to consider:

Today I received the following posting, "WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PESTICIDE DANGERS." It is here provided from, Bottom Line's Daily Health News. dailyhealthnews@news.bottomlinepublishing.com.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PESTICIDE DANGERS

Spring is around the corner, and the last thing I want to be thinking about is fruit salad dosed with pesticides or a lovely cut of meat on the grill, generously marinated in bug spray. Why, then, is my mind traveling so firmly in this direction? It’s almost 40 years after DDT was banned, and you would think that we’d now feel safe and comfortable in knowing that we are exposed to fewer toxic pesticides. Instead there’s evidence that we’re exposed to more.

About 70,000 different chemicals are used in the US today, making the chemical companies healthy even if we’re not. Although many of these chemicals are known carcinogens, there isn’t a lot of scientific research that has successfully proved a causal link to cancer -- since, in addition to being expensive, this would take decades to prove… and, of course, no one will get rich from the results. Now new research is emerging that links pesticides to other known health problems, so I thought it was important to take a look at what we know -- and what we don’t know -- about the dangers of the pesticides used in growing the foods we eat.

SO MANY CHEMICALS

Fruits and vegetables receive the highest dosage of pesticides, so they’re more likely to be contaminated than other foods. For instance, conventional, non-organic growers can choose from as many as 62 different types of pesticide products to treat a crop of peaches (and each crop is typically treated with many different types)… 52 for blueberries… 42 for apples. And you may not realize that pesticides also have been found in meat and chicken, especially in the thighs.

I spoke to David Pimentel, PhD, a professor in the department of entomology, systematics and ecology at Cornell University about this trend. "About 70% of the foods that consumers buy have detectable levels of pesticide residues," Dr. Pimentel told me.

WHO IS MOST AT RISK?

Regarding the connection between cancer and pesticides, it is safe to say there’s good reason to worry about one. Noting that more research is needed on this important topic, Dr. Pimentel said. "There is no question that pesticides can cause cancer -- the question is, how many people do they affect?" He noted that people with a genetic risk for cancer are quite likely the most vulnerable.

Meanwhile, researchers continue to uncover more ways that absorbing pesticides -- by eating, touching or breathing them -- is bad for our health… most especially for people who are already somewhat unhealthy due to poor lifestyle or other conditions that depress their immunity. Among the recent findings...

Parkinson’s disease. It appears that exposure to pesticides may trigger Parkinsons’s disease in genetically predisposed people. In a large 2006 study, researchers at Harvard School of Public Health found that participants exposed to pesticides (specifically, farmers, ranchers, fishermen and people who used pesticides in their homes or gardens) had a 70% higher incidence of Parkinson’s than those who weren’t exposed. The latest research, reported in February 2011 and conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, shows that people exposed in their professions to the pesticides paraquat or rotenone developed Parkinson’s approximately 2.5 times more often than people who were not exposed. Both pesticides cause cellular damage. Paraquat, in particular, is an extremely toxic substance originally developed as an herbicide.

Dementia. A study that collected data between 1997 and 2003 from French vineyard workers who spent at least two decades applying pesticides to plants or working in buildings where pesticides were housed showed that these workers scored low on a test of memory and recall. Researchers speculate that the changes demonstrated in the mental functioning of these people indicate that they may eventually develop a neurodegenerative disease, such as Alzheimer’s.
Infertility. In a 2008 review of studies on pesticide exposure, epidemiologists showed a decline in the semen quality and quantity of farm workers, which impaired male fertility by 40%. "Infertility, especially in men, is increasing in proportion to greater exposure to pesticides," said Dr. Pimentel.

KIDS ARE VULNERABLE

For children, there is bad news and good news. First of all, the problem of pesticide exposure is amplified compared with adults. "Kids are growing," noted Dr. Pimentel. "In relation to body weight, they eat more than adults." One study found that the urine of children eating a variety of conventional foods contained markers for organophosphates, a lethal group of pesticides used to disable the nervous system of pests that is, not incidentally, used to make the deadly nerve gas saran. However, the study also found that when the children’s diets were switched to only organic foods, the chemicals disappeared from their bodies within 36 hours.

WHAT TO DO

You may take some comfort -- briefly -- in knowing that, by Dr. Pimentel’s reckoning, newer pesticides are used at 1/1,000 of the amount as had been the case with DDT. But don’t be fooled by this simplistic comparison -- ounce for ounce or pound for pound, "These newer materials are far more toxic, not just to pests but also to humans."

Washing and peeling helps only if a chemical is on the outside of a fruit or vegetable, Dr. Pimentel noted -- but the sad fact is that some of these toxins are taken up by the plant as it grows, meaning that the pesticides end up inside the flesh of the produce and therefore cannot be removed even with careful washing and peeling.

Foods least likely to have pesticide residue after washing include onions, avocados, corn, pineapples, mangoes, asparagus, sweet peas, kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, papaya, watermelon, broccoli, tomatoes and sweet potatoes. Some of these foods have thick skins that protect the food, while others face fewer threats from pests and so are sprayed less.

Avoiding the most contaminated types of fruits and vegetables or buying their organic counterparts reduces your pesticide exposure by 80%. The following foods, when grown conventionally, contain the most pesticide residue even after washing and/or peeling: Celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, nectarines, bell peppers, spinach, kale, cherries, potatoes, grapes, carrots.

Bottom line: Choose carefully, buy organic when possible and be sure to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly to be certain they’ll keep you healthy, not make you sick.

Source(s):
David Pimentel, PhD, professor, department of entomology, systematics and ecology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.

An Added Word

Let us link, pass on, share the information, take the action, redefine our direction, and know that we can make a significant difference. YES, one practice at a time, one change at a time, one awareness at a time, one person at a time, one lawn at a time, one household at a time, one community at a time, one nation at a time. YOU ARE THE POWER OF CHANGE!!

In faith,
Rose Marie Raccioppi

ALERT - Just Now Received -

NO NO not again... profits for Monsanto - problems for the people... let it be known NO WAY... link and comment - The USDA is accepting comments on the proposed approval of the drought-resistant GM corn until early July. You can submit your own comments by visiting the following link:

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docket...

Learn more:
http://www.naturalnews.com/032453_GM_corn_USDA.html#ixzz1MoapAXjf

Obama administration to approve drought-resistant GM corn that USDA says grows no better than natural corn.

www.naturalnews.com

USDA Looks to Approve Monsanto's Drought-Tolerant Corn - NYTimes.com - http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/05/11/11greenwire-usda-looks-to-approve-monsantos-drought-tolera-84634.html