Subject: HIGHTOWER: Perfuming Pesticides---------
Date: Fri, 05 Jan 2001 18:54:36 -0500
From: Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization: Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)
To: Paul Helliker <phelliker@cdpr.ca.gov>
Director, State
of California, Department of Pesticide Regulation
cc: Carol Browner browner.carol@epa.gov
Dear Mr. Helliker,
I thought you might like to read an article by Jim Hightower, AlterNet
entitled: Perfuming Pesticides dated
January 2, 2001 - Viewed on January 5, 2001.
Lily Tomlin says: "I worry that the man who invented
Muzak might be thinking of inventing something else."
I thought of her concern when I learned that a Canadian
organization has come up with an innovation that turns an already-bad idea
into something truly awful. The bad idea is the widespread dousing of lawns
with steady doses of toxic pesticides. These spritzings can contain chemicals
that cause cancer, birth defects, and other deadly problems, and it's doubly
bad to put these toxics on a yard where children and pets romp and roll
around.
More pesticides are applied to yards each year than are
put on the vast farmlands of North America, and sensible people everywhere are
urging the use of non-toxic alternatives to reduce and even eliminate this
massive poisoning. Yet, here comes the Professional Lawn Care Association of
Ontario with a new product that tries to mask the fact that so much poison is
being spread. Their "innovation" is to put something called
"Masker-Aid Odour Concentrate" into their toxic mix. It's an
artificial fragrance to try to cover up the noxious smell of pesticides.
The industry refers to it as an "odor counteractant,"
but parents are referring to it as an abomination. Not only does this stuff
mask the presence of dangerous chemicals, but it could actually attract
children into a sprayed yard because the two fragrances used are -- get this!
-- bubble gum and cherry! So
you'd have a contaminated yard that smells like bubble gum or candy -- what
child wouldn't want to roll around in that?
Unfortunately, Canada's regulatory agency is about as
clueless and toothless as ours is. When asked to stop this candy-coating of
poison, the agency said it saw no difference between this and adding a lemon
scent to bleach.
This is Jim Hightower saying ... Adding bubble-gum smell
to pesticides is as stupid as putting perfume on a skunk. The goal is to stop
the poisoning ... not cover it up.
Well Mr. Helliker, do you believe the goal is to stop
the poisoning or to promote/perfume it?
Respectfully, Stephen
l. Tvedten
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