Georgina Downs
Posted by suttree, 442 days ago
Link: http://www.pesticidescampaign.co.uk/ 
If you want to learn about organic food, diapers/nappies or just how to be green then why not join today?
Latest commentsRe: Dorset Organic Skincare... by ecosrights
Re: Re: Affordable Eco-Frie... by littlegreenrock
Re: Sustainable Building Su... by suttree
Re: MSNBCs Easy To Be Green by claudia
Re: Cloth Nappy Advise by claudia
Re: Eco-Design Christmas Fair by claudia
Re: Re: Re: Re: ecoballs by ecosrights
Re: Re: Re: ecoballs by Anonymous
Re: Free newspapers - Metro by ecosrights
Re: What have Mars done? Th... by ecosrights
Reading article "Georgina Downs" - Reply to this / 1 comment(s)
I've seen this quote in quite a few places now:
"People move to the countryside thinking it will be a healthy environment to bring up their children and do not know about the dangers and risks inherent in the spraying of poisonous chemicals on surrounding fields, until they themselves suffer adverse effects on their health"
Whilst I agree that people do move for a better quality of life, it's slightly too romanticised to say that they move to the country for the healthy enviroment. Maybe 10 or 20 years ago that was the case, but younger generations, I think, know that life in the countryside has as many challenges, albeit different, to life in the city and the suburbs. Working in London exposes me to a lot of pollution but I wouldn't expect that to me drastically reduced by moving to the country, for example.
Anyway, I read about Georgina in the Observer last week and there was enough in there to make me want to offer my support. The article outlines her campaign for more sensible restrictions with regards to pesticides used on farms, but the most staggering fact, for me, was that the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution has decided to introduce a five meter buffer zone around farms.
It seems like such an elementary figure, five meters is self-evidently not enough of a buffer zone to provide any kind of protection against the action of wind on pesticides being sprayed on farmland.
You can see Georgina in action on the BBC, from September 2005 before the report came out. She's also outlined a lot of her opposition in this response at spiked-online.
"There has been a considerable amount of scientific literature over the past 50 years that has linked pesticide exposure with many chronic illnesses and diseases, including Parkinson's disease and other neurological conditions, as well as various forms of cancer.
The link with Parkinson's has now finally even been accepted by the Government's very own Advisory Committee on Pesticides and the link with prostate cancer has also recently been accepted by the Government's Advisory Committee on Carcinogenicity."
Furthermore, she's even submitted a memorandum to Parliament, also from January last year. If you're interested in reading more, have a browse through these links too:
http://www.soilassociation.org/web/sa/saweb.nsf...
http://www.sheepdrove.com/article.asp?art_id=157
http://www.greenguide.co.uk/news_10000164
Probably the best place to voice your support is on the UK Pesticides Campaign website.
I've seen this quote in quite a few places now:
"People move to the countryside thinking it will be a healthy environment to bring up their children and do not know about the dangers and risks inherent in the spraying of poisonous chemicals on surrounding fields, until they themselves suffer adverse effects on their health"
Whilst I agree that people do move for a better quality of life, it's slightly too romanticised to say that they move to the country for the healthy enviroment. Maybe 10 or 20 years ago that was the case, but younger generations, I think, know that life in the countryside has as many challenges, albeit different, to life in the city and the suburbs. Working in London exposes me to a lot of pollution but I wouldn't expect that to me drastically reduced by moving to the country, for example.
Anyway, I read about Georgina in the Observer last week and there was enough in there to make me want to offer my support. The article outlines her campaign for more sensible restrictions with regards to pesticides used on farms, but the most staggering fact, for me, was that the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution has decided to introduce a five meter buffer zone around farms.
It seems like such an elementary figure, five meters is self-evidently not enough of a buffer zone to provide any kind of protection against the action of wind on pesticides being sprayed on farmland.
You can see Georgina in action on the BBC, from September 2005 before the report came out. She's also outlined a lot of her opposition in this response at spiked-online.
"There has been a considerable amount of scientific literature over the past 50 years that has linked pesticide exposure with many chronic illnesses and diseases, including Parkinson's disease and other neurological conditions, as well as various forms of cancer.
The link with Parkinson's has now finally even been accepted by the Government's very own Advisory Committee on Pesticides and the link with prostate cancer has also recently been accepted by the Government's Advisory Committee on Carcinogenicity."
Furthermore, she's even submitted a memorandum to Parliament, also from January last year. If you're interested in reading more, have a browse through these links too:
http://www.soilassociation.org/web/sa/saweb.nsf...
http://www.sheepdrove.com/article.asp?art_id=157
http://www.greenguide.co.uk/news_10000164
Probably the best place to voice your support is on the UK Pesticides Campaign website.
http://www.pesticidescampaign.co.uk/
Comments
About ecolocal.co.uk
Ecolocal is free to join - why not register today? Our members can start discussions and comment on all the threads taking place throughout ecolocal.co.uk.Help us build the best source for healthy living and local news by submitting your tips, events and links so that we can all learn how to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
This is an incredible story and good for her for the battle she's persuing. I just hope that she is successful.
The most incredible thing to me is that farmers are advised to wear protective clothing and masks when spraying - OK they are in the spray for a short time whilst doing the work, but what does that say about the people who live near by? They're exposed to a slightly lower concentration, but for MUCH longer time frames.
It really makes you feel more strongly about organic farming.
Reply to this comment