"Pesticides Do More Than Kill Bugs"
Feed Your Family Organic Foods
Conventional farming in the U.S. means
that 20 pounds of pesticides are used per person per year to grow food.
At least 50 of the pesticides used to grow our food are classified as
carcinogenic. So if you and your family eat U.S. grown food, you are
eating carcinogenic pesticides (which cause health problems) and growth
hormones (which impact our children's reproductive systems).
Did you know?
U.S. beef with hormones has been banned in
the European Union countries and other countries because they recognize
the studies that show that the hormones are carcinogens.
The EPA, FDA, and USDA allow this because
they consider the economic benefits of using these chemicals to grow our
food outweigh the potential hazards to humans and our environment. They
don't take into consideration the sky-rocketing costs of healthcare.
Plus, they are bombarded by lobbyists who are paid, by the pesticide
companies, to fight to keep the use of pesticides legal.
These pesticide companies claim that there is no
conclusive evidence of their products harming humans. And in the U.S., you are
innocent until proven guilty. But it is nearly impossible for researchers to
conclusively prove the harm that pesticides do to us and our families because
pesticides are too dangerous to be tested directly on humans.
So these companies can truthfully say that they
haven't found conclusive evidence of harm to humans from pesticide exposure...because
no testing is done on humans!
Another problem is that our bodies are so contaminated with
hundreds of chemicals that it is practically impossible to
link one specific health effect to one specific chemical.
Not to mention the fact that it is the chemical companies
who do the testing...and they don't have to reveal the
results if they don't want to.
In May 2006, nine presidents of EPA unions
signed a letter to EPA Administrator, Stephen Johnson
because:
"We Local Presidents of EPA Unions
representing scientists, risk managers, and related staff, are writing
to express our concern that EPA could betray the public trust by
violating the intention of the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) to
protect the Nation’s infants, children, and susceptible subpopulations,
unless the Agency adheres to principles of scientific integrity and
sound science in the pesticide tolerance reassessments it is
undertaking."
And later in the letter it says:
"Our colleagues in the Pesticide
Program feel besieged by political pressure exerted by Agency officials
perceived to be too closely aligned with the pesticide industry and
former EPA officials now representing the pesticide and agricultural
community; and by the USDA through their Office of Pest Management
Policy. Equally alarming is the belief among managers in the Pesticide
and Toxics Programs that regulatory decisions should only be made after
reaching full consensus with the regulated pesticide and chemicals
industry."
Personally, I don't know how the people
at the pesticide companies sleep at night. They know what harm their
products are doing to our children and our environment (which will
impact our grandchildren, great grandchildren, and so on). The increases
in childhood leukemia and brain cancer have been related to the use of
pesticides and herbicides in the home and garden. But still they mislead
us with statements like "approved by the EPA," "completely safe for
humans and environment," and "materials have passed scientific tests for
safety." The EPA does not approve pesticides...it just registers them.
And we've already discussed the fact that pesticides are too dangerous
to test on human, so they cannot prove that they are safe.
So what can you do to protect your family's
health? BUY ORGANIC and ALL NATURAL products! Vote with your dollar.
Don't buy hormone-laced meat and dairy products (milk, butter, cheese) or
arsenic-laced poultry. Take this
list with you to the grocery store.
NOTE:
This list was created with information found in Cindy Burke's book
To Buy or Not to Buy Organic: What You Need to Know to Choose the
Healthiest, Safest, Most Earth-Friendly Food .
She provides an in-depth grocery list at the back of her book. I also
used information from
The Safe Shopper's Bible: A Consumer's Guide to Nontoxic Household
Products, Cosmetics, and Food
written by David Steinman and Samuel S. Epstein, M.D.
Have trouble finding organic and natural
products in your area? Order from
Diamond Organics
and it will be delivered to your door.
If you are on a tight budget, then focus on buying
organic products that your family consumes in large quantities (like milk) and
eat more beans as a meat substitute. Also
read
"Are You Paying Someone to
Poison Your Yard, Home, and Family?" to learn how to
fight pesticides close to home.
And remember: Your family is worth it!
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