To Kill a Moth

CHECKMATE: Health Impacts of Moth Eradication Madness

Here's some sobering reading from the Moms of Marin Against the Spray:

MOTHERS OF MARIN AGAINST THE SPRAY (MOMAS)
BACKGROUND INFORMATION

A. HEALTH IMPACTS & TESTING OF SPRAY CHEMICALS

The proposed chemicals have never been sprayed over densely populated area.
Numerous chemicals will be sprayed repeatedly throughout the Bay Area every 30-60 days by low-flying airplanes, over highly populated urban areas near water, for a period of 3-10 years.
The chemicals to be sprayed, which are contained in a formula called CheckMate, were designed to be applied only over unpopulated agricultural areas.
California’s consensus document on the health risk of the spray explicitly states that studies assume “aerial application over agricultural areas rather than aerial application over populated areas.” [Cal. Dept. Pesticide Regulation, Cal OEHHA Oct 31 2007 Consensus statement]

No tests have addressed long-term exposure of the chemicals on humans.
No tests have addressed the impact of breathing these chemicals over a long-term period by varied populations, including pregnant women, children and the elderly.
CheckMate and other similar formulations of pheromone pesticides have undergone only short-term testing on rats and rabbits.
The active ingredient, a synthetic pheromone, has not undergone long-term human toxicity testing. [Testimony of Philip Richard in County of Santa Cruz v CDFA, Superior Court of California, Santa Cruz County, Oct 31, 2007]

The spray contains hazardous chemicals.
The product label, which can be found on the manufacturer’s website (Suterra LLC of Bend, Oregon, www.suterra.com) states “Hazardous to Humans and Domestic Animals. Harmful if absorbed through the skin. Causes moderate eye irritation. Avoid contact with skin, eyes, or clothing. Harmful if inhaled. Avoid breathing vapor or spray mist.”
The State continues to focus on the alleged safety of the pheromones contained in CheckMate. However, the spray contains at least 8 other chemicals.
Material Data Sheets for several of these chemicals state:
“Substance may be toxic to blood, liver, central nervous system.”
”Toxic to lungs and mucous membranes.”
“Very hazardous in case of eye contact.”
“Hazardous in case of skin contact.”
”May cause cancer based on animal studies.”
“Harmful by inhalation.”
”Risk of serious damage to eyes.”
“Material is irritating to mucous membranes and upper respiratory tract.”
“May affect genetic material.”
“May cause adverse reproductive effects and birth defects.”

A Bird and a Plane in the Sky

Link: A Bird and a Plane in the Sky.

They both can fly, but one burns fossil fuels and the other burns food.  One is capable of dropping pesticides on the entire San Francisco Bay Area, and the other capable of eating moths.  (Click the image to magnify.) For more on the topic of planned monthly aerial sprays of checkmate pesticide, visit:

www.stopthespray.org

Come to the Bay Area for Your Monthly Pesticide Showers

Link: LBAM Petition: Stop the Spray, Demand Safe Alternatives to Aerial Pesticide Spraying!.

If you don't like the idea of airplanes flying over your house every month for several years showering you with pesticides, I'd suggest you visit Stop The Spray and sign their petition, write to Governor Shwarzahoweveryouspellit, call and email everybody you care about, and study up on the subject and do something about it.

The spray, Checkmate, targets the light brown apple moth, known affectionately as "LBAM", an enemy combatant that has no access to due process as the DHS, in voluntary cooperation with the USDA, the CDFA (California Dept. of Food and Agriculture), and the Governor of California, has been classified under terror threat level "A" for the actions of a few bad apples among their population that have been seen nibbling on leaves.

This terrorist moth is an "invasive species", like carrots, tomatoes, cows, and most of the food and animals grown commercially in California. The difference is, it is only located in San Francisco, Marin, Berkeley, Santa Cruz, and Monterey. And before it gets to Atherton, Hillsborough, Sacramento, and our central valley farms, we need to eradicate it completely.

The CDFA argues the pesticide is not a pesticide, but more like a cologne that makes the male moths get confused and mate with everything that gets sprayed with it. It hasn't been tested for long term health effects and special effects on children and others who like to eat dirt and frolic in gardens and playgrounds after the showers. But, don't worry, they assure us it is much safer than DDT and Malathion and the other solutions of the past that were also supposed to be good for us. Just because the American Lung Association is worried about the particulate matter getting lodged in your deep lung tissue doesn't mean you should worry.

And don't believe any of the conspiracy theories. It is only a coincidence that Stewart Resnick donated $144K to Arnold's campaign, and just happens to be the owner of Suterra, the company making the Checkmate spray that will be bought with our millions of tax dollars.

Sure, Arnold said on August 31, 2003 "Any of those kinds of real big, powerful special interests, if you take money from them, you owe them something.” But he was talking about the other politicians at the time...

Evolution Devolution

The press is telling us today that kids in Kansas can now cast critical doubt in class with the new curriculum that collectively mandates the teaching of intelligent design. 

According to this MTV article, "CRITICS of evolution have won a major victory in the US with the Kansas education board approving a school curriculum that casts doubt on Darwin's theory."   I'm glad to hear that doubt can be cast on any theory, but wonder why it has to be mandated.   Why can't debate just be a natural part of the evolution of our school systems? 

InTeLLigunt dEzinE holds that the universe is so complex that it must have been created by a higher power.   My question then is - who designed the higher power?  How did this higher power evolve?  Let's talk about that in class too.