So…
June 29th is the deadline to just say no to strawberry cancer. Up until June 29th you can leave the California Department of Pesticide Regulation a message stating that you think their idea of using methyl iodide as a strawberry growing pesticide in California is nuts and should not be permitted.
Enviroblog offers a handy sample letter you can send them:
“I am concerned about the pending approval of methyl iodide for use as a fumigant on California fields. Agricultural spraying of this poisonous chemical, linked to cancer, thyroid damage and fetal loss, threatens farm workers, Californians living in agricultural areas, and the state’s water & air quality. I urge the DPR to put the health of the state’s citizens & environment first and withdraw its recommendation to approve the use of methyl iodide.”
Enviroblog’s message is short and to the point. My message idea isn’t so tidy; but still makes a good point IMO.
Dear California Department of Pesticide Regulation,
I’m wondering if it’d be possible to get your entire team on video dipping some berries into a nice bucket of Methyl iodide then feeding said berries to your spouses and kids. I’d also perhaps take, in variation, a video of your children rolling in a field that’s been freshly sprayed with Methyl iodide.
If I could just see a video like this it might calm my nerves when I hear things like, “Methyl iodide is a pesticide that’s so cancer-causing that it’s often used specifically to create cancer in rats for medical experiments.” Maybe though the research is incorrect? Maybe your team rocks and really cares about our safety.
I await your video and once I have it in my hands I will seriously reconsider supporting this insane idea.
Hugs!
~ Jennifer
Too harsh?
In any case pick a letter format and send off your message to the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (mei_comments@cdpr.ca.gov). Even if you don’t live in CA you can send a message and you should because if you think this only affects folks in California you couldn’t be more wrong. States mimic California. Pesticides travel. Strawberries from California are in a supermarket near you (really).
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