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John, We shouldn't be dousing the fields that grow our food with a dangerous chemical from the 1940s -- but the latest mapping data shows that vast swathes of America are covered in a toxic pesticide called 2,4-D.1 We should be leaving 2,4-D in the past where it belongs. Instead, in recent decades, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) renewed and expanded the use of this highly toxic pesticide.2 Take action: Tell the EPA to restrict the use of 2,4-D unless and until it's proven safe. The herbicide is intended to kill weeds on farms, but 2,4-D doesn't stay where it's sprayed. When sprayed over crop fields, 2,4-D can remain airborne for weeks and travel for miles.3 Carried by the wind, there's nothing stopping the pesticide from drifting into lawns, gardens, and other places where it doesn't belong. This stuff gets everywhere. Pesticide residue can remain on food, and contaminate the air, water, and soil.4 The only reliable way to avoid exposure to this toxic chemical is to stop using so much of it on farms in the first place. Add your name to get toxic 2,4-D off our farms and out of our food. 2,4-D threatens our health. Researchers have linked 2,4-D to some serious health impacts, like endocrine disruption, birth defects, and some kinds of cancer.5 Corn, soybeans, and wheat are commonly treated with 2,4-D -- all crops that make up a significant portion of the American diet.6 If any trace of the pesticide remains on or in these crops, our families are at risk from this chemical. There are safer ways to grow our food. We shouldn't have to tolerate this toxic risk. Urge the EPA to phase out 2,4-D today. Thank you Faye Park | |
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