Ban the pesticide carbofuran...

[GoddessOfGuinness]

It kills birds:

EPA is making a decision on Thursday. Please call them now!

https://secure2.convio.net/dow/site/Advocacy?alertId=515&pg=makeACall&autologin=true&s_einterest=C3C4&s_Affiliate=act_&s_src=073106_ADVCALL_Pesticides_FF&s_subsrc=a&JServSessionIdr005=9rtcts4w63.app20a

[texastoast]

1. Would you mind

cross-posting in Environment and General Discussion. Here's a link for sending an email also.


https://secure2.convio.net/dow/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=517&s_einterest=C3C4&s_Affiliate=act_&s_src=073106_ADVCALL_Pesticides_FF&s_subsrc=b&JServSessionIdr005=dfzb2f6396.app20a

[GoddessOfGuinness]

2. Sure!

Thanks!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

3. tweaking for birdies

[GoddessOfGuinness]

6. again, because there isn't much time

Call today, please!

[Floogeldy]

4. I figure that, if it can kill birds . . .

. . . it can kill people.

Ban the shit!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

5. It's terrible stuff...

One granule can kill a songbird. Get it into the water, and you'll have a lot of other sick animals as well. And you're right, it's poisonous to humans too.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

7. kick

[AngryAmish]

8. Question -- What does it kill?

If it kills some birds yet it causes less harm than alternatives an emotion plea to ban this one pesticide may not be the best way to go about helping the enviroment.

More information would be helpful.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

9. It is deadly to humans as well

Just one granule of carbofuran is enough to kill a songbird. Its liquid format is equally deadly.

Carbofuran has killed millions of birds, including hundreds of bald eagles and thousands of waterfowl. Birds from more than 100 other species have also been killed, including eastern bluebirds, northern pintails, American robins, owls, swallows, grackles, killdeer and kestrels.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has told EPA for decades that carbofuran poses an unreasonable hazard to birds. Yet EPA has failed to act, even after Fish and Wildlife Service biologists have stated, "There are no known circumstances under which carbofuran can be used without killing birds."

Carbofuran doesn’t kill just birds. It can contaminate water and kill fish and mammals that ingest contaminated prey.

[AngryAmish]

10. What are the alternatives?

How do the alternatives effect yields?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

11. If you're dead, what sort of yield would do you any good?

[AngryAmish]

12. Please

We are having a nice rational conversation. Obviously it is not causing many deaths in this country or the trial lawyers would be all over it. You know a great deal on this subject or else you would not be making a call to ban this pesticide. I suffer from the handicap of not knowing very much about this topic although I would. I was hoping to learn something from you.

That said, what are the alternatives and how would the alternatives (good or ill) effect the yield of the crops grown. (I am also assuming this was an agricultural pesticide and if I am wrong please correct me.)

[tigereye]

14. why don't you just read the info from her link?

it's interesting, since while I was on vacation I had a conversation with a farmer about pesticides and genetically engineered foods. His position was that the genetically altered foods were infinitely better than some of the pesticides they have to use to protect their crops. Is that what is prompting this question?

[AngryAmish]

17. It is what prompts the question

I believe that some GM crops (BT crops especially) reduce use of pesticides and increase yields. The science agrees with me. When yields go up the footprint of agriculture goes down -- meaning more land for wildlife.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

16. The fact that we're continuing to upset the balance out of concern for $,

and endangering people's health by having the stuff in the water is enough to make me unconcerned about the sort of yield this pesticide allows. Why should entire species be annihilated in order to line the pockets of big business?

Here're a couple of links that will offer more info on the stuff:
http://www.abcbirds.org/pesticides/Profiles/carbofuran.htm
http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Chemical.jsp?Rec_Id=PC35055

[AngryAmish]

18. It looks like bad stuff

However what are the options? Again, I am trying to learn.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

19. One option would be to let the birds kill the pests

Understandably, some birds can wreak havoc with certain crops; but allowing predators to do their jobs can solve a lot of problems.

[tigereye]

13. I tried but got a message the mailbox is full

I'll try again later. Thanks for the heads up.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

15. Thank you!

I'm hoping their mailbox is full because people are pouncing on this!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

20. Last day to call...