Texans for Alternatives to Pesticides : Resources

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News

World Health Organization (WHO) Affirms Commitment to DDT Reduction in Malaria Control.

PANNA. May 3, 2007

The Stockholm Convention is an international treaty calling for the phaseout of Persistent Organic Pollutant (POPs) chemicals. DDT is among the original 12 chemicals listed by the treaty.

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Groups Call For States to End Pesticide Use.

Beyond Pesticides . July 30, 2007

A national study finds that states are lagging behind on “green” standards for managing their state lands and buildings. Read the report, Ending Toxic Dependency: The State of IPM.

Beyond Pesticides Launches the Gateway on Pesticide Hazards

and Safe Pest Management

Beyond Pesticides

Beyond Pesticides has created a new database tool that is intended to provide decision and policy makers, practitioners and activists with easier access to current and historical information on pesticide hazards and safe pest management, drawing on and linking to numerous sources and organizations that include information related to pesticide science, policy and activism.

Courage for the Earth: A centennial appreciation of the life and writing of Rachel Carson and who is following in her footsteps. How can you join in and be part of the solution?

Join TAP on May 27th at the Cockrell Butterfly Center in the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Visit with local environmental groups to learn how you can protect the people and wildlife inhabiting this beautiful planet. Learn about organic gardenting, smart growth and have some fun listening to music for the young at heart. Browse books by and about Rachel Carson which include: Courage for the Earth, Silent Spring and The Edge of the Sea. Mark your calendar and celebrate the life and work of this courageous woman.

Group Decries EPA Decision to Exempt Pesticides from Clean Water Act
Beyond Pesticides . November 21, 2006

EPA today announced its decision to exempt pesticides from the Clean Water Act (CWA) and was immediately criticized by an environmental organization. Jay Feldman, executive director of Beyond Pesticides, a Washington-based public health and environmental group, said, "Studies, including one by the U.S. Geological Survey, Water Quality in the Nation's Streams and Aquifers-Overview of Selected Findings, 1991-2001, in 2006, suggest more protection is needed from pesticides not less."

Kids May Be Exposed to Pesticides at Day Care

MSN. October 20, 2006
Millions of children are potentially exposed to pesticides while attending daycare, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency scientists report.

PAN ALERT: Tell FDA lindane has got to go!

PANNA. August 25, 2006
Last week EPA stopped the use of the pesticide lindane in agriculture, calling it "one of the most toxic, persistent, bioaccumulative pesticides ever registered." Yet FDA continues to allow lindane use in shampoos and lotions used on children. Lindane has been banned for use on pets and on seeds, why are we still allowing it on children's heads?

Persistent Pesticides

By Nora Cronin. August 24, 2006
Would you like your freshwater catch with or without chlordane?
No, chlordane is not a new seasoning to try for end-of-summer barbecues. It is a man-made insecticide introduced in 1948 that was used to kill insects for 30 years, until it was found to be toxic to humans, as well. Its above-ground use and application on food crops was banned in 1978, after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found a higher incidence of cancer in laboratory mice that had been fed the pesticide. The chemical continued to be poured or injected to protect buildings and transformers on Long Island from termites until 1988, when the EPA banned all use of it in this country. However, pesticides containing chlordane are still manufactured in this country for export to other countries.

Federal Judge Strikes Down Rule Easing Restrictions On Pesticides

By GENE JOHNSON. August 24, 2006

A federal judge on Thursday rejected a Bush administration decision to weaken rules governing pesticide use, saying the change reflected a "total lack" of scientific justification and that there were "disturbing indications" that the administration deliberately muted dissent from government scientists.

Organic Foods: What To Buy

NBC5.com August 23, 2006

he organic food industry is a booming business. Consumers shelled out $14 billion last year for organic items to reduce their exposure to pesticides and antibiotics. But are all organics products created equally, and are organic products worth the extra money?
Consumer Reports magazine analyzed more than 100,000 U.S. government pesticide test results to come up with the good and the bad about organics.

Banned Pesticides In Shampoos

By Julie Deardorff. August 16, 2006

The Environmental Protection Agency this month banned the highly toxic pesticide lindane, which has been used for 50 years to treat crop seeds. But incredibly, lindane can still be used in prescription shampoos and lotion treatment for head lice and scabies, because these products are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, not the EPA, according to news reports.

Nursery Chooses 'Worm Poop' Over Pesticides

By Jondi Gumz. August 13, 2006

Can ornamental plants be grown successfully without pesticides or herbicides? Yes, say Trent and Linda McNair, founders of Surf City Growers in Aptos. The couple jumped off the corporate fast-track last year to stay home with their two children, ages 11 and 3, and go back to their roots.

Organic Pesticides Can Harm Pollinators

August 12, 2006

Why should we care about butterflies and other pollinators?
For starters, most of what we eat depends on pollinators. And 90 percent of flowering plants require a pollinator for reproduction.

Pesticides Targeting West Nile-Carrying Mosquitos May be a Thyroid Danger

By Mary J. Shomon. August 10, 2006

With fears on the rise in New York City and Boston over the potential spread of the West Nile Virus, both cities have embarked on widespread spraying programs to wipe out the infected mosquitos that spread the virus. Key insecticides being used in New York are resmethrin, which goes by a brand name "Scourge," and sumithrin, which goes by the name "Anvil." In Boston, only resemethrin is being used. Both pesticides, however, are under fire as potentially toxic chemicals that pose a danger to humans, wildlife and the environment.

EPA Gives Green Light To Group Of Pesticides Used For Agriculture

By H. Josef Hebert. August 5, 2006

After a decade-long review, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has decided to allow continued use of 31 agricultural pesticides, concluding cumulative exposure does not pose a health risk.

Pesticide Exposure Damages Nervous System, Brain

Forbes. August 4, 2006

Exposure to pesticides causes changes to rats' nervous systems, according to preliminary results of a project led by the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota (UND).

The project seeks to identify the dangers posed by pesticides, how exposure occurs, and ways to reduce pesticide-related human health risks.

Controversy Surrounds EPA Review of Pesticides

Forbes. August 2, 2006

Fourteen states have petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to require pesticide manufacturers to list all ingredients -- including inactive ones -- on their product labels.

States to EPA: Label All Hazards In Pesticides

By Michael Gormley. August 1, 2006

ALBANY, N.Y. --Fourteen states including Connecticut moved on Tuesday to force the Bush administration to require manufacturers to disclose even "inert" ingredients that the state officials say pose an undisclosed health hazard in pesticides.

Compound Used In West Nile Sprays Increases Toxicity To Ecosystem

BERKELEY, Calif. (KCBS). July 30, 2006

After aerial spraying for West Nile in Sacramento last year, researchers at U.C. Berkeley noted that a synergistic compound used to make the pesticide more effective against mosquitoes also increased the spray’s toxicity for other parts of the ecosystem.

9,000 EPA Scientists Call for an End to Compromising Safety
Mandate to Protect Human Health and the Environment Threatened
By: Pesticide Action Network North America. Jul 26, 2006
In 1996, under the Food Quality Protection Act, Congress gave the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 10 years to complete its assessment of the health impacts of hundreds of pesticides being used in homes, gardens and agriculture. The most acutely hazardous neurotoxic pesticides – the organophosphates (OPs) and carbamates — were the first group to be evaluated under EPA's review process.

August 3, 2006 marks the end of that 10-year period. Although the EPA apparently plans to have its review of OPs and most of the carbamates complete by that date, thousands of scientists within the Agency have expressed serious concern that the evaluations are incomplete and that the EPA is threatening to allow the continued use of toxic pesticides despite ample information showing that they are too hazardous to be used safely.

Organic For Everyone, the Wal-Mart Way

By Marc Gunther. July 31 2006

America's biggest company is also the world's biggest purchaser of organic cotton. The $300-billion global cotton industry uses more pesticides and synthetic fertilizers than any other crop. Cotton Inc., the industry trade group, says that's nothing to worry about, but you don't have to be a scientist to know that applying tons and tons of pesticides to the soil - more than 50 million pounds in the United States alone - probably isn't a good thing.

Just ask H. Lee Scott, the chief executive of Wal-Mart Stores (Charts), which in the last couple of years has become the world's biggest purchaser of organic cotton.

Research Suggests Link Between Pesticides and Brain Disease
by Dan Gunderson. July 28, 2006
Researchers at the University of North Dakota say preliminary research shows a link between pesticide exposure and neurological diseases like Parkinsons and Alzheimers. Researchers say they've also identified a surprisingly efficient way pesticides may get into the human body.

Spray Adds Creek Effect
West Nile chemical boosted toxicity in 2005, study reports.
By Matt Weiser.

A chemical sprayed over Sacramento County last summer to control West Nile virus doubled the toxicity of pesticides that had already accumulated in local creeks from urban runoff, a new study has found.
That chemical, piperonyl butoxide, or PBO, was added to a natural pyrethrin insecticide to increase its effectiveness. The chemical blocks the mosquito's ability to break down the pyrethrin, which means less pyrethrin is needed for the same effect.

California Pesticide Agency May Restrict Use Of Synthetic Pyrethroids.
Beyond Pesticides. July 20, 2006.

The California Pesticide Agency is conducting a review of synthetic pyrethroids in response to a report, published in 2004 by a University of California Berkeley scientist, which links use of synthetic pyrethroids to stream pollution. Donald Weston, an adjunct professor of integrative biology at UC Berkeley, published the study which found that synthetic pyrethroids are wiping out crustaceans and aquatic insects that are vital to ecosystems.

Pesticides: Hazardous to Your Health

By Dara Olmsted. July 6, 2006

It's summer and that means it's time to take care of the lawn and garden. How can you make environmentally friendly and healthy decisions when taking care of your lawn and garden? Pesticides are not safe for you, your family, or the environment. Pesticides, which include herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides, are a short-term solution to a larger problem - they kill the pests, but do not solve the underlying issue. At the same time, they cause a whole host of other problems, and end up doing more harm than good.

Organic food: Is it worth the extra money?
Today Show. July 7, 2006

Even though you wash your fruits and vegetables, some still contain pesticide residue. Nutritionist Joy Bauer tells you what to buy. Organic food is one of the fastest-growing categories in the food industry, despite the fact that it can cost more than double the price of conventional foods. But is it worth spending more when it comes to buying organic? Nutritionist Joy Bauer was invited on “Today” to tell us what organic really means, what the various “organic” and “natural” food labels mean, and what organic food we should buy. Here are Bauer’s tips for organic shopping:

Altered Breast Tissue Development in Young Girls Linked to Pesticides

University of Florida News. June 7, 2006

Exposure to pesticides crosses the generations, according to a new University of Florida study that finds daughters of mothers who lived near areas of heavy agricultural spraying may be unable to nurse their children.
The research was conducted in Mexico, but many of these pesticides, although they go by a different name, have the same ingredients and are used in the United States, potentially giving Americans the same risks, said Elizabeth Guillette, a UF anthropology professor who led the research.

Study Concludes That Pesticide Use Increases Risk Of Parkinson's In Men

Science Daily. June 15, 2006

Mayo Clinic researchers have found that using pesticides for farming or other purposes increases the risk of developing Parkinson's disease for men. Pesticide exposure did not increase the risk of Parkinson's in women, and no other household or industrial chemicals were significantly linked to the disease in either men or women.

Pesticides in N.C. Streams Start With Us

By Chrystal Bartlett. April 10, 2006

Drink from a neighborhood stream lately? Most folks know that water's not clean enough to drink - but now the creatures that live there year-round have the same complaint. The U.S. Geological Survey's most recent National Water Quality Assessment shows insecticides and pesticides are present all year in most urban and agricultural streams across the United States. North Carolina is no exception.

Environmental chemicals implicated in cancer, say experts

Press Release, March 20, 2006

New research at the University of Liverpool suggests that environmental contaminants, such as pesticides, are more influential in causing cancer than previously thought.

Widespread Pesticide Poisoning of Water Focus of Landmark Government Study

Clean Water Action, Beyond Pesticides, TAP Press Release, March 3, 2006

Washington, DC, March 3, 2006 – Today, the U.S. Geological Survey released Pesticides in the Nation’s Streams and Ground Water, 1992-2001, a ten-year survey of the contamination caused by pesticide use in agriculture and urbanized areas. Every year, nearly one billion pounds of pesticides, many of which are linked to cancer, birth defects, neurological disorders, and environmental impacts, are used in the U.S, much of it ending up in our nation’s waterways. When pesticides are applied on fields, gardens, parks and lawns, a percentage of the chemicals end up running off the treated site. Studies of major rivers and streams find that 96% of all fish, 100% of all surface water samples and 33% of major aquifers contain one or more pesticides at detectable levels. As a result of pesticide contamination of streams, rivers, lakes and underground water supplies, drinking water is also widely contaminated.

“The data shows an urgent need to strengthen policies at all levels of government and curtail pesticide use,” said Jay Feldman, executive director of Beyond Pesticides, a national information and advocacy group.

“This report underscores the need to strengthen, not weaken, water quality protections from toxic pesticides that pollute rivers, streams, lakes and our underground water supplies,” said Paul Schwartz, National Policy Coordinator of Clean Water Action.

As the USGS report shows, pesticides and their degradates are getting into the drinking water sources for millions of Americans. These contaminants combine with disinfectants, such as chlorine, added by drinking water providers to kill dangerous viruses, bacteria and pathogens, and form disinfectant by-products that are associated with increases in birth defects and miscarriages.

“Drinking water providers,” said Schwartz, “are then faced with a dilemma about how to deal with the twin problem of killing dangerous bacteria while not increasing the chemical health risks for pregnant women and healthy infants.”

“The toxic cocktail of pesticides in our drinking water can’t be addressed by the chemical by chemical regulatory approach of government,” said Charlotte Wells, Executive Director of Texans for Alternatives to Pesticides. “Citizens can take action at the local level to reduce or eliminate pesticides in their own back yard, in their local parks and schools. ”

Pesticide Risk to Babies Underestimated
March 6, 2006

Feed the Soil First; It'll Feed Your Plants
The Houston Chronicle, September 11, 2005

Rep. Holt Seeks Pesticides Limits

The Lawrence Ledger, August 17, 2005

Brad Hendricks Honored by the Park People

The Park People, July 20, 2005

Low Pesticide Levels Shown to Stress Tadpoles

Beyond Pesticides, July 12, 2005

Exposure To Environmental Toxins Costs Billions In Healthcare
Beyond Pesticides, July 13, 2005

TAP Action Alert! Promote Pesticide-Free Lawns!

Texans for Alternatives to Pesticides (TAP), July 11, 2005

Texans for Alternatives to Pesticides (TAP) is a member of the National Coalition for Pesticide-Free Lawns.

Take action now!

Cancer Activists Say American Cancer Society Downplays Environmental Causes of Cancer
Beyond Pesticides , June 16, 2005

Three leaders of cancer support and education groups accused the American Cancer Society (ACS) of downplaying the links between environmental contaminants and cancer during a forum last week in Millbrook, New York, according to the Poughkeepsie Journal . Earlier this year, health officials announced that cancer is now, for the first time ever, the #1 killer of Americans younger than 85.

Study Shows Glyphosate and Roundup Pesticide Toxic to Fetus

Beyond Pesticides, June 8, 2005

Anew study recently published in the peer-reviewed journal, Environmental Health Perspectives , found damaging endocrine effects of glyphosate and Roundup to fetal growth at levels 10 times lower than used in agriculture. The product formulation Roundup was shown to be at least twice as toxic as the active ingredient alone.

Homeade Mixture Leaves Yard Ant Free and Smelling Sweet

Channel 11, May 15, 2005

The President of TAP, Gordon G. Waggett, controls fire ants with a jar of molasses and a couple tablespoons of orange oil mixed into a gallon jug of water. View the story on the KHOU website, Channel 11 , as he demonstrates how to control fire ants without using poison. Call your local gardening center to find orange oil or try some of these retail locations in the Houston area.

Declare Your Zone
TAP, May 13, 2005

Sign-on to the Declaration for pesticide-free lawns and purchase a Pesticide-Free Zone sign for your yard.

TAP Joins the National Coalition for Pesticide-Free Lawns
TAP, April 13, 2005

Today, Texans for Alternatives to Pesticides (TAP) joined with 19 other consumer and environmental groups to launch the campaign for Pesticide-Free Lawns.
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Largest City in U.S. Adopts Plan to Curtail Use of Pesticides
Beyond Pesticides, May 10, 2005

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed into law yesterday legislation that will top the list nationwide in protecting the largest number of people from cancer-causing and highly toxic pesticides. The new law requires the City to phase out acutely toxic pesticides and those that are known or suspected to cause cancer or developmental disorders by November 2006, and develop a strategy to utilize less toxic methods in the future on city property.
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Legislation Would Allow More Pesticide Poisoning of Water
Beyond Pesticides, May 9, 2005

Thirty-four members of the U.S. House of Representatives on April 21, 2005 introduced legislation that reduces existing requirements under the Clean Water Act (CWA), which are intended to prevent water contamination from pesticide use. This legislation follows on the heels of an EPA proposal to achieve the same end through an administrative maneuver. A companion bill in the Senate has not yet been introduced.
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New Mosquito Repellents Recommended by the CDC
Beyond Pesticides, May 5, 2005

After years of recommending only mosquito repellents with DEET as the active ingredient, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has backed the efficacy of two new mosquito repellents, picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus, a natural oil. The CDC has repeatedly pushed DEET in the fight against West Nile virus mosquitoes. However, recent studies have prompted the CDC to consider looking at picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus, products which have been available in other countries for some time.
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Compound Used In West Nile Sprays Increases Toxicity To Ecosystem

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Organic food: Is it worth the extra money? Today Show. July 7, 2006

Organic food: Is it worth the extra money?
Today Show. July 7, 2006