pesticide

When applying pesticides the wind can carry these harmful chemicals as far as 14.5 miles allowing them to settle in your pool, on your lawn furniture, or on your children's toys.  Upon settling these pesticides can then be easily tracked inside your home by both people, and pets.  Once inside your home these chemicals can be absorbed through your skin, or inhaled leading to such adverse effects as birth defects in children, allergies, and even a decreased sperm count.

Used in the U.S. on tomatoes, cotton and other crops, endosulfan harms the hormone system, and low levels of exposure in the womb have been linked to autism, male reproductive harm and other birth defects. EPA’s own analysis shows that endosulfan endangers workers who handle it directly and those who work in endosulfan-treated fields. Endosulfan travels great distances, accumulates up the food chain, and poses grave risks to aquatic ecosystems. Take action!

Looking at the shocking pollution caused by cotton production - the biggest single user of pesticides in the world - and considering the health effects of the chemicals used, we ask whether we should switch to different fabrics altogether to protect the planet.

On October 5, EPA approved a new fumigant pesticide -- the carcinogenic chemical methyl iodide -- ignoring concerns of over fifty eminent scientists about the risks workers and communities will face if this chemical is used. Tell EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson to immediately reverse EPA's approval of methyl iodide: don't replace one dangerous chemical with another.

Chemists say methyl iodide, a neurotoxin that can mutate DNA, has 'serious potential for accidents.' But federal officials say safeguards in place are sufficient to protect farm workers and field-adjacent neighborhoods.

Over the past 20 years, coral around the world has disappeared at 5x the rate of Earth's rainforests. Australia's Great Barrier Reef, stretching over 1,600 miles, is among the reefs gravely threatened. A recent assessment of the area shows the continued presence of banned organochlorine pesticides.