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Chlorpyrifos is so dangerous that, after years of study, in 2015 the U.S. EPA recommended a complete ban, concluding that there are no safe levels of this pesticide.
Part of a class of toxic chemicals developed as poisonous nerve gas by Nazi Germany, chlorpyrifos has been linked to reduced IQ, loss of working memory, attention disorders, delayed motor development, lung cancer and Parkinson’s disease.
In 2001, it was banned from home use. But nearly two decades later, it’s still widely used to grow our food and on golf courses.
Even when wearing maximum protective gear, workers who mix and apply this toxic pesticide are exposed at unsafe levels. Now, the food we eat every day contains residues, exposing pregnant people and young children. It’s also in the water we drink, since chlorpyrifos pollutes our waterways --which also harms birds, bees, fish and amphibians. And it’s all so the pesticide industry can make more profits.
John, please help save our pollinators from pesticide-driven extinction, and save children and farmworkers from toxic pesticide exposure: Donate $10 or more to Friends of the Earth today.
If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
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When Trump came into office, he ignored the EPA’s own scientists and refused to ban chlorpyrifos -- instead meeting with the CEO of its main manufacturer, Dow Chemical, which donated $1 million to his inauguration.
What’s worse, Trump’s Department of the Interior actually tried to bury a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report, which showed that chlorpyrifos is so toxic that it “jeopardizes the continued existence” of 1,400 endangered and threatened species.
Trump’s administration knowingly chose to endanger species and our children to protect pesticide industry profits.
In the face of federal inaction, Friends of the Earth and its members have pushed states to use their power to protect people and our planet. Last year, New York followed Hawaii and California in banning chlorpyrifos -- after we worked with a large coalition to pressure elected leaders, generated thousands of calls and emails, coordinated rallies at lawmakers’ offices, and organized massive sign-on letters along with hard-hitting news coverage to counter industry spin.
Thanks to you, by outlawing chlorpyrifos, these states are putting public health and the environment over corporate profits. They’re setting precedents that were key to a huge recent victory, when Dow announced it would stop selling chlorpyrifos! But the fight’s not over yet: Other companies are still making and selling the toxic pesticide.
And they’re pressuring Maryland’s governor and state legislators to turn their backs on our grassroots movement. It’s clear Big Ag’s lobbyists aren’t slowing down, and neither can we. They want to keep selling products that are poisoning our children and killing the bees that power our food system. We need your help to stop them ASAP.
Don’t let pesticide corporations get away with killing bees and poisoning our communities, John. Please rush a donation of $10 or more to Friends of the Earth now.
If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
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Thank you,
Lisa Archer,
Food and agriculture program director,
Friends of the Earth
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