Defenders of Wildlife Blog

Industry report shows pesticides are good for America!

(…a special installment of “Can’t Live Without ‘Em”)

That’s right. A new report from the good folks at Crop Life America identifies a cure for our nation’s prevailing economic ills: PESTICIDES!

Bald eagles were nearly wiped out in the 1970s due to the harmful effects of the pesticide DDT. Photo courtesy US Military

Turns out, pesticides create an additional $82 billion by improving crop yields, with “spin-off effects” of $166.5 billion in related industries. The report also concludes that pesticides have produced environmental benefits by quadrupling yields of corn and wheat without having to clear additional land. Who knew?

Of course, there’s absolutely no mention of the indirect costs on America’s native wildlife or public health from spilling toxic chemicals into our waterways. Nor is there any evaluation of the long-term impacts of agribusiness and industrial-scale monoculture, both of which are responsible for dismantling local food networks and putting the small family farmer out of business.

Let’s not forget that less than 40 years ago, the widespread use of DDT had virtually eradicated bald eagles and peregrine falcons, and pesticides today continue to wreak havoc on fish and amphibian species across the country.** (Read Defenders factsheet to learn more about the real impacts that pesticides have on the environment.)

Now, we all have to eat. And certainly pesticides will continue to play an important role in feeding the country. But no economic assessment can be complete without also examining the impact that pesticides have on water quality, human health, and the myriad species that must endure these poisons in their habitat.

Crop Life America has been lobbying Congress to weaken protections from pesticides that keep our drinking water safe and our people and wildlife healthy. This one-sided report is just their latest attempt to exploit our nation’s current economic downturn in order to boost corporate profits for the pesticide manufacturers and agribusinesses they represent.

Pacific salmon are just one of many species at risk from pesticide poisoning.

At-risk species like Pacific salmon and steelhead, which have tremendous economic value of their own, are now threatened with extinction in large part because of toxic run-off into our rivers and streams from farms sprayed with pesticides. The truth is that we need stronger protections to limit the damage that pesticides inflict on the environment, not weaker ones.

If pesticides are to be used, we must do a better job of making sure they don’t harm humans and wildlife. Rolling back environmental protections and dumping ever more pesticides onto the land and into our water is not a recipe for sustainable economic growth.

Help Defenders stand up to powerful special interests like Crop Life by supporting better protections from pesticides.

**NOTE: A recent survey of 583 conservation scientists found that 99.5% of respondents believe that a serious loss of biological diversity is imminent.

One of the most endangered mammals in North America, the black-footed ferret, and the prairie dogs on which they feed, will have one less hazard to worry about this winter.  Defenders won a court victory barring the use of Rozol Prairie Dog Bait in the states of Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Rozol, which contains the blood thinner chlorophacinone, causes death by internal bleeding and hemorrhaging.  Dead and dying prairie dogs can be scavenged by ferrets and raptors, which in turn become poisoned themselves.  Defenders sued the EPA for approving the use of Rozol and ignoring federal safeguards under the Endangered Species Act, the Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

In a recent decision, a district court in the District of Columbia sided with Defenders, ruling that EPA had indeed violated the ESA by approving Rozol without first consulting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over the potential impacts of Rozol on ferrets and other threatened and endangered species.

The final order in the case bars use of Rozol in those four states, requires that Rozol’s manufacturer Liphatech, Inc., notify its distributors not to sell the product in those areas, and prohibits Liphatech from selling or distributing existing stocks in its possession without relabeling it to reflect the ban in those four states.  EPA has also agreed to complete consultation with FWS over Rozol use in 10 states to prevent accidental injury to other listed species in the West.

At a joint hearing this week of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources committees, the pesticide industry tried to make a case for weakening regulations that protect both farmers and wildlife from harmful poisons. (Click here to watch a webcast of all 3.5 hours of the hearing and to read written testimony from public officials and expert witnesses.) They claim that basic precautions like implementing no-spray buffers right next to rivers and streams are overly burdensome.

Salmon populations on the West Coast are threatened by the use of harmful pesticides.

Of course, they failed to mention that the misuse of pesticides continues to threaten salmon populations up and down the West Coast. Farm workers are also at serious risk through repeated exposure to these chemicals. But when have human health and or endangered species ever stood in the way of corporate profits?

The Environmental Protection Agency has responsibility for deciding which pesticides are safe to use, but their analyses frequently fail to consider potential impacts on endangered species. However, under a provision of the Endangered Species Act, EPA is required to consult with either the U.S. Fish & Wildlife or the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to make sure that new pesticide registrations will not have undue impacts on endangered species.

The pesticide industry, led by CropLife America, believes that the current consultation process with expert biologists sets too high a burden and is trying to dismantle the process.

The focus of the debate has been a series of biological opinions (or in bureaucratic jargon, “bi-ops”) issued beginning in 2008 by NMFS, stating the EPA had not provided sufficient protections for endangered salmon. EPA has yet to implement any of the recommendations outlined in those bi-ops, and the lax protections have now become the subject of several lawsuits.

Now the pesticide industry and their congressional puppets are trying to prevent the “bi-ops” from becoming law.

Defenders is working hard to make sure that essential protections for both humans and imperiled wildlife are not tossed aside. Strong environmental champions like sophomore Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) and veteran Reps. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), are taking a stand against the pesticide and agribusiness industries to make sure we have healthy salmon populations, safe working environments and clean water for generations to come.

Click here to learn more about protecting endangered species from pesticide poisoning.

Earlier this month the St. Petersburg Times reported that the most commonly used fungicide in the U.S. is highly lethal to frogs, and perhaps other wildlife. Chlorothalonil is in the same family of organochlorines as DDT, which was eventually banned in the U.S. because of its impacts on humans and wildlife.

Frogs may be at serious risk from pesticide poisoning.

According to a new peer reviewed study conducted by University of South Florida researchers the amount of chlorothalonil being dumped onto farms and golf courses across the state was enough to poison almost 90 percent of the frogs they tested. A double dose killed them all.

Chlorothalonil is made by Syngenta, a Swiss pesticide manufacturer that also makes atrazine, the most commonly used herbicide in the U.S. and a well-known frog-killing chemical. Defenders has joined forces with other environmental groups to make sure that atrazine and other dangerous pesticides do not threaten imperiled salmon populations.

Atrazine has been associated with severe health problems for humans, including birth defects and other reproductive problems for both men and women. Amphibian studies have shown that atrazine can stimulate estrogen production and cause male frogs to exhibit female characteristics that adversely affect reproductive health. These studies are important because frogs have similar vital systems to humans. Yet EPA maintains that no additional testing is needed.

Save the Frogs Day is just around the corner on April 29, so come celebrate in DC. A group of frog advocates will be gathering at the steps of the Environmental Protection Agency to raise awareness and push for a ban on atrazine.

Learn more about Defenders efforts to protect amphibians.

When it comes to their impact on the environment, not all cut flowers are created equal. With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, it’s a good time to stop and think about where those beautiful bouquets really come from, and how they got to your doorstep.

Here’s a special guest blog from writer Charles Bergman, to help you decide where — or whether — to buy cut flowers for your sweetheart.

Do flowers harm wildlife?

Red roses are particularly popular around Valentine's Day

Few of us are likely to make this connection when we buy a bouquet for our sweetheart or mom. Flowers are a symbol of everything that is pure and positive, expressions of love and joy. That’s why Americans spend $20 billion on flowers every year.

But during research on flowers in Ecuador, I learned they can harm wildlife and people. After touring a greenhouse full of stunning, near-perfect roses, I walked to the lagoon where run-off water is dumped. Several fish floated belly up by the shoreline.

“Poisons,” whispered my friend, a former farm worker. Pesticides in the waste water.

About 70 percent of flowers sold in the United States are imported. Virtually all of the 1.5 billion roses sold every year in the United States come from Colombia and Ecuador. In addition to ideal growing conditions, these countries rely on heavy use of pesticides to produce their flowers. One study found as many as 127 different pesticides in flowers from Colombia, including highly toxic chemicals banned in the United States. Numerous studies now have linked pesticides to serious health problems among flower workers, as well as harm to rivers and animals.

Selecting "green" flowers is a great way to show your love for the planet!

Growers’ associations counter that the flower business employs thousands of poor people who otherwise would have no jobs:  over 45,000 people are employed on some 400 flower farms in Ecuador, making flowers the third pillar in Ecuador’s economy, behind only oil and bananas. Colombia employs over 100,000 flowers workers.

They argue they have lowered pesticide use and improved labor practices. In Colombia, pesticide use is down almost 40 percent. Yet environmental and workers’ groups in Ecuador told me that highly toxic pesticides are still used.

Those of us who love wildlife have good reasons to be concerned about the flowers we buy. Luckily, the market for green flowers is blooming.  The key has been a certification program called VeriFlora, guaranteeing flowers (including those from Latin America) that are sustainable and labor-friendly. Though still a small and sometimes confusing part of the total flower market, sales of green flowers have grown by as much as 50 percent annually in the last decade according to the Organic Trade Association.

On Garcia Organic Farm near San Diego, I saw with my own eyes how wildlife-friendly green flower farms can be. Owner Armando [full name, pls] showed me his organic roses, as well as avocados and other fruits. “Sometimes we see bobcats,” he mentioned as we rounded the corner of an orchard.

Those of us who love wildlife have good reasons to be concerned about the flowers we buy. Luckily, the market for green flowers is blooming.

In the shade of a lemon tree, there sat a bobcat! It almost seemed summoned by Armando — eloquent testimony to the habitat values of organic flower farms.

Here’s some ways that you can seek out “green” flowers:

Online:  Several sites sell organic flowers, excellent options for holidays, gifts and weddings:

• www.organicbouquet.com:  One of the big drivers in sustainable and fair-labor flowers.
• www.californiaorganicflowers.com:  Domestically grown organic flowers.
• www.sierraeco.com:  A Canadian green flower company.
• www.thespiralstem.com:  Green flowers for weddings, a major new trend.

Supermarkets:  Many Safeway, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods stores now stock green flowers. Urge your supermarket to sell green flowers.

Florists:  Florists are increasingly eager to sell certified flowers. Many florists are springing up who sell local flowers, cutting gas-guzzling flights from South America.

Farmers’ Markets: An excellent way to find farmers on the leading edge of green practices. Here’s a directory of nurseries and farmers’ markets.

Charles Bergman is a professor at Pacific Lutheran University in Washington state.

Wildlife Services use poisons to kill coyotes, but protected wildlife can also fall victim. Take action today to end the use of Compound 1080 and other deadly poisons.

She had traveled to four states and logged more than 1,000 miles from her home in Montana.  But a female wolf from the Mill Creek pack (known as 314F), met a horrific fate in Colorado—illegally poisoned by the deadly Compound 1080.

Take action now! Urge the Environmental Protection Agency to ban the use of Compound 1080 and sodium cyanide—deadly toxins that can kill protected wildlife.

Compound 1080—so dangerous, it is classified as a chemical weapon in several countries—is now legally used by the Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services to kill coyotes in nine states.

Compound 1080 and other deadly toxins don’t always reach their intended victims. Sodium cyanide—another highly toxic poison—kills hundreds of non-target animals each year. Protected wolves, rare swift foxes and even hundreds of pet dogs have been killed by baited traps that are left unattended.

EPA is currently deciding whether to continue to allow the use of Compound 1080 and sodium cyanide by Wildlife Services to kill native wildlife. And we need your help to ban these deadly chemicals.

Act now! Urge federal officials to ban the use of Compound 1080 and sodium cyanide to kill wildlife—and prevent the poisoning of animals struggling to survive.

Non-lethal alternatives like improved fencing, guard animals, range riders and other methods can safely and effectively keep predators away from domestic animals—without the use of deadly poisons.

It’s too late for 314F. But with your help, we can fight to end the use of the use of Compound 1080 and sodium cyanide—and prevent the poisoning of wildlife struggling to survive.

Act now to end the use of Compound 1080 and sodium cyanide—a terrible way for wildlife to die.