The California agriculture department has authorized nighttime aerial pesticide spraying on the San Francisco Bay Area this summer in an attempt to eradicate a potentially crop-destroying moth. Similar spraying was done in two other counties this fall, after which more than 600 residents complained of respiratory problems. Application of the pesticide, called Checkmate, was only authorized for agricultural areas until the U.S. Department of Agriculture received an "emergency exemption" from the U.S. EPA for its use in urban California. The Bay spray would begin June 1 and could continue for up to five years, though residents are organizing to stop it.
source: San Francisco Chronicle
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Comments View as Flat
danielbell Posted 9:38 am
15 Feb 2008
crap
I live in Berkeley and this scrapes the bejebus out of me. Five years of spraying? May as well pick up a smoking habit to go with that.
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Tasermons Partner Posted 11:12 am
15 Feb 2008
Just how many...
..."agricultural areas" are left around Frisco Bay? Most of the area is urbanized I thought. Where would they spray it?
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wiscidea Posted 3:43 pm
15 Feb 2008
No more spraying pesticides!
From the San Francisco Chronicle article...
"Before its use in Santa Cruz and Monterey last year, the pesticide, a hormone that throws off the scents of mating moths, had been used aerially only over farms and never over populated areas."
I know I'm quite naive at times, but what can't someone combine this hormone with sticky trap technology and find a way to draw the threatening moths -- and no beneficial or innocent insects -- to their deaths? I mean... if they can blanket an area with a noxious cloud of the stuff, why can't they set traps containing such enormous amounts of the hormone that the moth in question is drawn to it like, well, a moth to a flame?!
Any entomologists out there care to comment on this?
Why aren't we using traps instead of poison? Not enough people thinking outside the box or are there technical barriers? There a certainly enough unemployed people out there available for placing traps in strategic locations.
Seems we ought to know enough about insect mating behavior by now to entirely eliminate the spraying of pesticides on desirable plants. The practice should really be history by now.
No more spraying pesticides!
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ij Posted 2:17 am
16 Feb 2008
STOP THE SPRAY
Demand safe alternatives to aerial pesticide spraying!
Sign the petition at http://www.stopthespray.org
Get informed, get active! http://forum.stopthespray.org
No asphyxiation without representation!
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Boyscientist Posted 2:03 am
17 Feb 2008
Moth traps
Without looking up this species I can speculate on two problems.
(1) Traps based on attractants do not work like simple sticky traps. They can attract insects to the area of the trap where they do considerable damage to plants before they enter the trap.
(2) It's VERY difficult and costly to distribute and maintain traps over hundreds, or thousands of acres.
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Wolverine Posted 5:24 am
17 Feb 2008
Stopping This Attack On Life
There are several things wrong with this article from the corporate propaganda machine. First, this insect poses no significant threat and no threat to anyone at all except to agribusiness, which freaks out anytime it thinks it might lose a penny or two and would nuke the entire planet if it thought it could make a few more bucks. This article from indymedia presents the real facts, unlike the lies and propaganda presented by the Chronicle. http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/02/02/18476684.php
Legal question: If a hypothetical person shot down a hypothetical plane that was attacking an area with this poison, could that person defend him- or herself by claiming self-defense?
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caniscandida Posted 6:26 am
17 Feb 2008
light brown apple moth
What a sweet-sounding name!
Thanks for the indybay link, Wolverine. More of the story, including criticism of the spraying in Monterey and Santa Cruz back in October, is here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_brown_apple_moth
Note that the EPA are on record saying that the two Checkmate pheromone sprays are harmless to humans and the environment, but that their statement is totally untrustworthy, because the manufacturers have so far refused to publish the list of ingredients, a "trade secret."
According to the Wikipedia article, it looks like Boyscientist's suspicion is unfortunately correct: hanging pheromone-treated twist-ties from trees would be expensive, and difficult to do correctly, and it would have to be repeated every few months.
The Australian experience with LBAM control is worth looking into.
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wiscidea Posted 10:12 am
17 Feb 2008
toxicity
I suspect the insect hormone is not the problem. There are probably other interesting ingredients, like solvents or emulsifiers or chemicals that aid dispersal, that are harming humans and, I assume, other vertebrates.
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roselieta Posted 6:54 am
18 Feb 2008
First Hand Report of Spraying in Santa Cruz
I was in shock when I heard about the spraying in Nov. in Santa Cruz. I asked my friend Deborah, who lives in Santa Cruz what her experience was. This is her reply:
Dear Rose Lieta-
Thanks for asking- it was the most devastating experience I've ever had
in my life-
The windows were are taped- all my essences wrapped- it was like being
bombed-
The after-effects were like being raped- horrible grief for days-
Here is my experience in a letter sent to Arnold Schwartzenegger in an email- the night
of the spray by myself-
I thank you so much for asking dearest--
Dear Arnold,
FOR GOD'S SAKE------HELP US!!!! We are being aerial sprayed tonight in
Santa Cruz-
Every 2 minutes- since 8pm last night- planes are flying over- NOT at
the regulation 500 feet we understood-
but at least at 300-400 feet--
NOT just passing over ONCE--as they said in the newspapers they were
going to do-
But every 2 minutes since 8pm last night directly over our house--and
still every two minutes at 3:13 am-
Do you know WHAT KIND OF DOWNPOUR OF LBAM this equals onto us- onto our
cars/ our windows/ our plants????????
FOR GODS SAKES--HELP US!!!
Yes, I am having trouble breathing- yes my eyes are red- yes my skin is
itching- no- of course I can't sleep-
Yes there is a very strange smell from the spray--
Yes others are also having these symptoms as reported on the Santa Cruz
Sentinel blog site-
of others seeing the same bizarre low altitude of the airplanes--the
same every two minute 'bombing' attack-
WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?
This is WAR ON AMERICAN CITIZENS-
For God's Sake- STOP THIS!!!!
Deborah Craydon, Santa Cruz-
Here Arnold- are some excerpts from the Santa Cruz Sentinel Blog Site
tonight-
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/story.php?
sid=44889&storySection=Top+Stories
I am writing from an RV located near the beach on Portola Dr.. It is
now closing in on 2:30am and the plane(s) are still passing over
sometimes within just a couple of minutes between each pass. After
hours of this, the sleep deprivation is obvious. What is alarming are
the physical effects: watering eyes, hot & dry skin, subtle burning in
the lungs, headache and ringing in the ears.
I know most people are reporting the taste and the eye's burning, but
if your symptoms are worse, please by all means go to the emergency
room if you are having serious symptoms, and take the form with you.
!! We are off of Water Street. We've just heard the 10th plane go over
our house. I thought they were only supposed to spray ONCE in each
place??
i am off spring street near high street. the planes have been flying
low almost continuously since 8pm. the brochures that they distributed
did not say anything about this intensity of activity.
Has anyone experienced a small, strange propellant-like scent in their
homes?
I have and have not been able to sleep.
I think this is my worst nightmare...imagining moving out of a
beautiful town because of this...can you imagine, spraying 4-6 nights a
week, once a month, for 2 years?
Jesus Christ! I thought we were being attacked or something. I am on
the eastside and the planes are coming every minute, loud and low....
continuous.. went online to see what the hell is going on...find
this... so theire dosing us with chemicals... righteous... I dont
remember agreeing to that.. Thats pretty serious, spraying everyone
down, weather we want it or not, or EVEN KNOW ABOUT IT!!!! with or
without our consent.
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/story.php?
sid=44889&storySection=Top+Stories
The plane, just then, could have hit my house. I swear to high heaven I
could see its lights lighting up the trees in my side yard. I live in
Soquel and that was waaaaayyyy to close for comfort. We are the real
news here. The real deal. I wish our experiences we are sharing here on
this blog could be cast nationwide...shoot, at least locally.
I already feel like moving. I don't want to give up, but I guess we'll
see what comes out of this radical night. I know everyone in town will
be talking about that loudness tommorow (today). I can still smell the
propellant. I think the pilot is drunk/under too much pheremone
influence. Community: talk about this all day tommorow. Let others be
responsive too. I've lived here for 24 years and this is the thing that
angers me most. Better solutions must exist, esp. with all this talk
abou this not even being about the moth...and yes, i've seen this years
ago as a natural cycle.
I'm still stuggling with what to do in this situation. I'm scared.
Tonight we must all feel what it's like being bombed...the planes are
flying strafing attacks over our beds. I care deeply for my family's
well being and this beautiful place we now call our home.
AND HERE- FINALLY- IF YOU'VE NOT DELETED MY POST BY NOW- IS A BLOG
REPORT ON THE BEHAVIOR OF THOSE WHO ARE REPORTEDLY HERE TO 'HELP'
US--THE USDA-
OK guys, this is really weird - but we were in Vacaville Tuesday and
you'll never guess who we ran into!!! - yep, you guessed it - the govt.
moth sprayers! Guess where are public dollars are going? to pay for
very nice accommodations to these people to converge there in
anticipation of moth spraying... our public money is contributing to a
party vacation for these guys! Our dollars went to putting this
unbelievably out of control GROUP up in a Marriots Residence Inn with
free breakfasts and evening light meals included. What a strange
encounter for most of guests there (mostly professional business
guests, according to the manager)...I can only wonder what these guests
were thinking..to see these guys partying hardy with a definite:
"in your face" attitude - joking to the other guests that there was a
bug in their midst and suck it up people - you will be sprayed! Yep -
it was the usda folks!!! -
great representation of America - not - puffin' those cigarettes as if
in spite -in this 100% smoke free motel - the loud obnoxious partiers
with the beer... They had no idea we were from Santa Cruz - from now
on, I'm packing the video camera!!! Disgusting.
Well- I'll tell you Arnold- we're sucking it up tonight--and if you
don't care- God help you.
Here is a second letter I wrote to Arnold recently-
Dear Arnold,
Since the morning after the LBAM spraying in November over Santa Cruz-
There has not been a single bee in my lavender and no hummingbirds-
while before this time there were plenty of both-
A distinct pesticide smell- came out of closets/ cupboards/ kitchen
fans/ the heating for three days afterwards-
My husband- a science teacher- got so sick with a throat infection that
he nearly had to be hospitalized-
A young student of mine was sprayed out in the open- while walking home
from UCSanta Cruz at 8:15PM-
She was in the process- at the time- of having a biopsy for cervical
cancer-
While the planes were said to be no lower than 500 feet- she said she
could see the eyebrows on the pilot-
As he sprayed her at much less than this elevation-
Arnold- this aerial spraying is--what can I say--the worst experience I
have ever had in my life-
The planes went over our house--every three minutes--for eight full
hours-
This is NOT an exaggeration- others reported this same three minute
intervals for eight hours on the Sentinel Newspaper
blog- line during the spray night in November-
It felt like being in a war zone and most heart-breaking-attacked by
your own country-
We are intending to move--many others are moving out of Santa Cruz due
to this- our jobs are at stake since we
need to live here--
You need to stop this aerial spraying and stop it now-- you also need
to email me- NOT--that you published the
spray ingredients---this does NOT help---
I was IN the spray---and I know FULL WELL what Raid and other
pesticides smell like-
And this was PESTICIDE odor --that created difficulty breathing-
itching all over the body- red eyes- sore throat-
And worse yet- a definite difficulty to cognate or- think clearly for
about 14 days afterwards-
It is IMMORAL to even consider this option on human populations-
NOT to mention- that Santa Cruz harbors the Monarch butterflies from
the entire Western US-
If bees and hummingbirds have completely disappeared from my garden
since the spray-
What do you think is happening to these Monarch butterflies--who are
wintering here?
Bees and butterflies give us most of our food-
This type of solution is madness---kill the bees and butterflies---and
the food chain also goes down-
I demand immediate cessation of this spraying- slated to start in
February every 30 days for 2 years-
And I demand a real response from you-
Those reading this- since it's obviously not Arnold- I hope this causes
you alarm/ worry-
And trouble sleeping at night- I certainly don't sleep at
night--thinking about this continuing every 30 days for two years-
Over my house-
Deborah Craydon, Santa Cruz, CA
Here is Arnold's recent response-
Thank you for your email to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Governor
Schwarzenegger appreciates hearing from constituents and the issues
that matter to them.
In order to ensure that your concerns are properly addressed, you may
wish to contact the Department of Food and Agriculture directly at:
1220 N Street
Sacramento, California 95814
We hope you find this information useful. Again, thank you for your
email.
Office of Constituent Affairs
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idealistic404 Posted 1:58 pm
18 Feb 2008
Sad but necessary
It is terribly sad that this spraying is necessary, but we environmentalists must always consider the facts and science and not just our own gut reactions that say all "pesticides are bad."
LBAM is a dreadful danger to California's environment. Our state is home to many of the most progressive and earth-friendly agriculture businesses on the planet, many of which are small farms and most of which exist on the slimmest of profit margins; a pest such as LBAM will have the most profound effect on them. You can't just control a pest in ag counties; once it takes hold in neighboring areas, the battle is lost.
But this moth is not just a danger to agriculture, as a previous poster implied. It is extremely dangerous to redwoods and oaks, among others. These are the trees that define California and are cornerstones of the ecosystem.
Before you join a campaign against the spraying, please learn all the facts; it would be absurd for us to crusade against this spraying unless we can come up with a better solution for California's fragile environment.
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Wolverine Posted 4:52 pm
18 Feb 2008
Threats Are Lies
Idealistic404 presents no evidence to support his/her claims about potential harm and the post is filled with dangerous half truths. The fact is that these moths have lived here for awhile and there's no evidence that they're causing any harm whatsoever.
First, all pesticides ARE bad, because they're petrochemicals that poison the land, air, water, plants and animals. If that's not a definition of bad for you, you're not an environmentalist. While there may be some instances where a non-native species will cause more harm than the pesticide used to kill it, this is clearly not one of those instances.
Second, while it's true that there are many small, organic farms in California, the vast majority of farmland here, as elsewhere, is chemical farmland, not organic, and that's where the impetus is coming from to spray.
This poster sounds like a shill for the pesticide or agribusiness industry. Don't believe anything (s)he says until and unless (s)he supports it with facts and reasoning. Again, read the article on the indymedia website posted above. It gives a far more truthful account of what's going on than you'll get from the corporate media.
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Boyscientist Posted 11:42 pm
18 Feb 2008
Harmless moths
No wonder those spray pilots are living and eating high. One article says they are spending 74 million on the project and that this "harmless moth" as Wolverine calls it threatens 640 million dollars worth in annual food crop production.
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Boyscientist Posted 11:58 pm
18 Feb 2008
Indymedia article
Indymedia article gives no information nor scientific support for the claim that the moths are not a threat. Just vague allusions to other continents and biospheres. I would hate to be sprayed by this stuff myself but crazed alarmism doesn't help. To complain (as the author does) that the synthetic moth pheromone is technically a explosive compound does not give me a warm feeling of rationality.
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Wolverine Posted 5:24 am
19 Feb 2008
Backwards Logic
It is the burden of those claiming potential harm to prove it, not those of us who correctly show that there has been no harm and is little likelihood of significant harm. Boyscientist and others supporting the spraying are promoting hysterical and unsupported claims by agirbusiness. I haven't seen one scintilla of evidence that this moth either has caused or will cause any significant harm. Additionally, the only harm identified has been to revenues of farmers. Even if this potential harm were credible, which it is not, harm to the revenues of farmers is NOT environmental harm.
And BTW, "harmless moths" is Boyscientist's term, I never said that. While no one has identified any harm in the U.S. caused by this moth so far, all non-native species cause some ecological harm by competing with native species. The issue is how much harm they cause, because the only excuse for using a pesticide to control them (eradication is not a possibility) is that they cause more harm than the pesticide will.
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Boyscientist Posted 6:03 am
19 Feb 2008
No proven harm from Moths.
Wolverine your are mistaken about my intentions. I'm not explicitly defending the spraying. I only want to criticizing assertions that we are not justified in trying to control the moth before it becomes well established here in the USA. And I reacted to the fear mongering I read in the article you referenced. Explosive pesticides indeed.
Did you even read the Wikipedia article on the moth?
Nice name for a little moth whose larvae can feed on hundreds of different plants in 55 different families, can't be controlled very well and can render a food crop unsaleable.
Since starting this response I read a research report from UC Davis and now I better understand the hullabaloo. The moth is so feared world-wide that even if it only damages California crops slightly, it will severely damage California agriculture including food, horticulture, and nursery because the rest of the USA and the world will not allow California products to enter their area. No wonder Arnold supports it.
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idealistic404 Posted 9:01 am
19 Feb 2008
Indymedia
It's too funny to complain about "no evidence" and then cite Indymedia as a source. I can appreciate the passion and important outsider perspective that site gives, but their posts are a far, far cry from scientific literacy or objective, credible journalism.
Read the UC Davis report, the extensive NY Times & Sac Bee coverage, or heck even the Wikipedia article, before you consider Indymedia a reliable source of information.
I'm not claiming to be an expert. I'm just sooo tired of shrill anti-everything conspiracy theorists who give environmentalists a bad name. When anti-scientists on the left undermine progressive credibility, they play into the hands of the anti-scientists on the right.
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Wolverine Posted 11:15 am
19 Feb 2008
Boyscientist & Idealistic
You have not even alleged any harm aside from potential harm to the economic interests of farmers. This is not even close to being a legitimate reason for spraying a pesticide on an entire area. And preventing long distance shipping of California produce would be a good thing, considering all the environmental harm transportation causes and considering that that global trade is the cause of the problem to begin with.
(Aside from completely banning pesticides, which is what should be done unless it can be shown that more environmental or ecological harm will be caused by not using them, aerial spraying of pesticides should be completely outlawed, as the pesticides cannot be adequately controlled when spraying from planes.)
If either of you have evidence that the moth has caused any harm in the U.S. or that there is a credible threat of ecological harm, please post it. Otherwise, stop the disparaging comments and name-calling, such as those against Indymedia and "shrill anti-everything conspiracy theorists."
And BTW, why do you think that the corporate media, whose job it is to make money by propagating corporate propaganda? Independent sources such as Indymedia are far more credible than the New York Times or Sacramento Bee, because the Indymedia writers aren't publishing for profit.
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