Why Safe Strawberries?

Don’t let the pesticide industry override science. Pesticide methyl iodide causes cancer, late-term miscarriages, harms brain function and contaminates water. The country’s leading scientists have called it “one of the most toxic chemicals on earth.” Methyl iodide will be used primarily on strawberries, and will have tragic consequences for farmworkers and rural communities. Despite warnings from government scientists and Nobel laureates regarding its hazards, methyl iodide was approved for agricultural use in the final moments of both the Bush Administration nationally, and the Schwarzenegger administration in California.

These 11th hour decisions in California and nationally fly in the face of science and democracy, and reveal the extent of industry influence on government.  With our government representatives unable to make health-protective decisions given corporate capture of our officials, we have to take action ourselves and demand that companies not sell strawberries grown in the fields with methyl iodide.

The Safe Strawberry campaign gives eaters, farmers, and retailers a platform to speak up against methyl iodide and undue pesticide industry influence. Together, we’ll build a strong, green and safe agricultural economy.

Join us. Explore the website. Here you will find the materials you need to get involved.

The Safe Strawberry campaign was launched by Californians for Pesticide Reform, Pesticide Watch Education Fund, Pesticide Action Network North America and the Center for Environmental Health.

200,000+ to EPA: Keep Science and Strawberries Safe from Undue Chemical Industry Influence

Submitted by panna
on Mon, 03/14/2011 - 17:26

As national public comment period closes on methyl iodide, US EPA urged to ban methyl iodide and support green farming

WASHINGTON, DC—As part of a public comment period closing today, the country’s top scientists, businesses and over 200,000 members of the public have urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson to prioritize scientific evidence over corporate influence and ban the cancer-causing pesticide methyl iodide.

Years after approving the strawberry fumigant methyl iodide, EPA may reconsider

Submitted by panna
on Mon, 01/31/2011 - 07:25

Methyl iodide will face renewed scrutiny from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The agency is asking for public comment on a nearly year-old petition filed by farmworker and environmental advocacy groups that calls on the government to rescind its approval of the controversial fumigant.

News of the move came just a day after state Department of Pesticide Regulation Director Mary-Ann Warmerdam, under fire for rushing methyl iodide through an emergency approval process last December, resigned to take a job with Clorox.

The public now has until April 30 to comment on the pending