PesticideSmart News
December 11, 2020
  Greetings!  
  We are headed for an unusual holiday season this month and our hope is that everyone stays safe and well. Most important during this continued pandemic, is taking good care of ourselves and those closest to us and caring about the larger community by supporting and taking good actions. As we are getting closer to the Maryland General Assembly's 2021 session, you will be hearing from us on actions you can take to 1) support overriding the Governor's veto of the 2020 chlorpyrifos ban bill, 2) ensuring our declining pollinators are protected from life-threatening pesticides and 3) promoting needed protections for our essential food and farm workers on whom we depend for our food supply.
 
And there are wonderful actions we can all take to have an organic holiday season and, by doing so, protect ourselves, loved ones and beyond! Consider organic holiday meals and pesticide-free gifts suggested below. Support our local businesses who go organic.
Wishing you and yours a very happy and safe holiday season and New Year!
 
  'Tis the season to be... healthy and wise!  
 
Your holiday meals: Planning to cook an organic entree? Make your own or buy organic eggnog? Pumpkin or pecan pie? Check out your local markets known to carry healthy, organic food, and products including MOMs Organic Markets, Common Market Co-op and David's Natural Markets


From organic, eco-friendly kitchenware, bath products, bedding, PJs, baby gifts, toys, pet gifts to clothes, mattresses, indoor microgreens growing sets, bat houses, garden products--even toilet paper! If you can't find it local & organic, try: 
GoorganicMd.org, Eartheasy.com, Theultimategreenstore.com, Ourgreenhouse.com, Coyuchi.com, Getbusygardening.com,
                                                       Wearpact.com, Us.whogivesacrap.org,                                                                         Hamama.com 

 
 
   
 

 

 
For more great holiday options -- from linens to flooring, baths, kitchens, bedding & more -- check out our Go Organic Campaign's links for choosing organic clothing & home goods -- an important step to a better home & planet! Visit links here.
 
 
  CONTENDING WITH COVID-19  
 
Common fungicide causes decreases in human body's ability to defend itself against illnesses such as COVID, and promoted disease permanancy. Read more here.






Choose safe disinfectants. Protect yourself and your family by avoiding disinfectants containing respiratory-irritating toxic substances. Instead, choose safer effective disinfectants. Download our Go Organic Campaign's fact sheet on safer disinfectants. Read more here.
 
  OTHER NEWS and VIEWS  
 
First some GOOD news!


President-elect Biden to emphasize chemical concerns of "frontline" communities, read here. His EPA likely to examine how people and wildlife are exposed to chemicals and how they are harmed by them. The more scenarios the EPA examines, the greater chance more uses of chemicals could be restricted or banned. 

On the other hand...


Trump's EPA has reapproved dozens of toxic pesticides known to cause serious harm to people, wildlife and the environment. Hasty reapprovals include paraquat, which is extremely toxic to people and shown to double the risk of Parkinson's disease in farmworkers. Read more here




The EPA found that the pesticide atrazine, an endocrine disrupting chemical, is likely to harm more than 1000 of America's most endangered plants and animals. This finding comes two months after agency reapproved herbicide for another 15 years. Read more here.





Toxic 'forever chemicals' (PFAS), because they do not break down in the environment and build up in the body, found in pesticide used on millions of acres when spraying for mosquitoes.  Read more here.


More on glyphosate/Roundup


Analysis on how exposure to glyphosate, the main ingredient in the weedkiller Roundup could adversely affect the microbes in our gut, which could lead to poor health. Read more here.





EPA's long-anticipated draft biological opinion found that 1676 endangered species are likely to be harmed by glyphosate the world's most-used pesticide. They also found it adversely modifies critical habitat for 759 endangered species, or 96% of all species that critical habitat has been designated. Read more here.
 
  POLLINATOR / BEE BUZZ  
 
Pyrethroids are one of two main groups of pesticides that contribute to colony collapse disorder in bees, there is now a new detection method to identify pyrethroids within honey and thus identify which hives are at risk. Read more here.





Here's how neonic pesticides are killing bees worldwide: Neonicotinoids account for more than one fifth of the world's insecticide market, being utilized in more than 120 countries with at least 140 different crop uses. Read more here.
 
  LETS GET SERIOUS ABOUT OUR FOOD SUPPLY  
 

Thank you Rep. Jamie Raskin for demanding Gov. Hogan protect workers during this pandemic-especially the food and farmworkers who are among those hardest hit and in urgent need of protection. Read more here.




Register for a December 17th 4:30-5:30 discussion: Focus on the Food Supply with Maria Payan of the Socially Responsible Agricultural Project. Sick workers and increased line speeds jeopardize the safety of our food supply. In April, nearly 2 million chickens on the Eastern Shore were slaughtered and disposed of, instead of being sent to meatpacking plants due to
                                                       coronavirus-related staffing shortages.

 
Please help support our work to protect our babies, bees, and the Bay!  
 

Maryland Pesticide Education Network thanks its 2020 Pesticides & the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Project Conference sponsors for their support of our 14th annual conference. We urge you to check out these partners, and their offerings, who support protecting Maryland's babies, bees and the Bay watershed: Moms Organic MarketCottingham Organic Farm in EastonFox Haven Organic Farm, Ecological Retreat & Learning Center in Fredrick Co.; KW Landscaping and Maryland Clean Water Action