Re: [greenyes] U.S. Trade Policy

["The Southern Health & Ecology Institute" <shae@no.address>]

Tell the Bush administration not to lead the way for expanded use of a banned pesticide
 
 Tell the Bush administration not to lead the way for expanded use of a banned pesticide
 Friday's New York Times ran an article about the increasing use of methyl bromide, an extremely toxic pesticide United Farm Workers founder Cesar Chavez battled to ban.
 
Methyl bromide is considered more destructive to the earth's protective ozone layer than some banned chemicals and has been linked to increased risk of prostate cancer in farm workers.

Under a treaty known as the Montreal Protocol, the chemical was to be banned for most uses by the end of this year. But politics have allowed continued use of methyl bromide.
 
After a decade where the use of this dangerous pesticide decreased, it is now poised to rise and the United States is leading this charge. The U.S. has already received approval to increase usage by 16% over last year.  Environmentalists fear a domino effect as other countries have applied to use more of a chemical they had been learning to do without. Requests for 2006 exemptions already exceed amounts granted for 2005.

Please help us continue Cesar Chavez's fight against this dangerous pesticide.  Help us remind President Bush's U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that methyl bromide threatens the earth and the health and safety of farm workers.  A study published last year in a medical journal, based on a study of 55,000 farm workers, showed those exposed to methyl bromide were two to four times more likely to develop prostate cancer.
 
The EPA is now taking comments on procedures for allowing exemptions for methyl bromide. Please e-mail federal officials today and say enough is enough! We've had more than 10 years to find alternatives and the U.S. must be a leader in this critical fight. Tell the EPA not to approve any more exemptions or allow trading of exemptions. 
 
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