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Pesticides Campaign
Pesticides = Poison
Did you know over 40 million pounds of pesticides were sprayed in Oregon in 2007(1)? That's bad news.Consider the following:
- Medical studies show many pesticides cause cancer, asthma, birth defects, and developmental disabilities.
- Pesticide use has been linked to bee die-offs, salmon run extinction, frog reproductive issues, and many more examples of environmental destruction.
- The EPA and other government bodies responsible for regulating pesticide use acknowledge pesticides are damaging to humans and the environment, yet they still allow these pesticides to be used.
- Pesticides are everywhere. They drift beyond the site they were intended for into surrounding areas and beyond. They're found in our streams, our land, and in our bodies.
What Oregon Toxics Alliance is doing
Oregon Toxics Alliance is working to educate public officials and the public at large to the dangers of pesticides. We’re searching for natural and safe alternatives. We're working to reduce pesticide use and drift in public spaces such as schools, government buildings and public roadways. We're working to protect the health of ourselves, our children, and the planet we live on.
One of our pesticide reduction initiatives...
See our Safe Public Places page for more on this statewide campaign... For more information contact:
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The Safe Public Places Campaign aims to dramatically limit the use of pesticides on public land by implementing strong Integrated Pest Management protocols. OTA’s project calls for a 70% reduction in the amount of pesticides used in parks, in and around public buildings and on public roads – all state agencies and universities will have to comply. The public and elected leaders need to hear from each and every one of us that we can no longer allow pesticides and other industrial toxics to accumulate in the soil, water, air and in our bodies. Oregon Toxics Alliance is joining with citizens, concerned businesses, NGOs and (especially) a host of organic farmers (see the list of our supporters) from all over the state to convince state agencies to reduce their use of pesticides. By working together, we can better protect the future of our organic farms, our children and our environment. |
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OTA’s 2010 “Protecting Health in Your Community: A Guidebook for Organizing for Pesticide Reform” focuses on pesticide issues and is tailored toward Oregon residents. It was developed in response to the many inquiries we receive from small communities struggling to find a solution to pollution and poisoning from large-scale pesticide applications (e.g., forestry, agriculture, right-of-way, public property and public housing contracts). This guidebook is an interactive PDF – you will be able to ‘click and link’ to other credible sources as well as documents or forms that we feel will be helpful to you and your group throughout the organizing process. |
May 17, 2010 Study: ADHD linked to |
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Recent Resources
The Toxics Issue Relative to Invasive Species Eradication - What are the Concerns for Future Projects? by Lisa Arkin, Oregon Toxics Alliance (PDF file) - a lecture given during the annual meeting of the Oregon Invasive Species Council during a joint session with Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California Invasive Species Councils
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Pesticides in Our Schools (a special report prepared by Oregon Toxics Alliance) |
To learn more about our multi-faceted Pesticide Campaign, select your area of interest:
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- Schools and Children’s Health
- Rural Rights and Roadside Spraying
- Human Rights
- Alternatives (IPM/IVM)
- Coalitions and Outreach
- Gypsy Moth Spraying in Eugene
(1) 2007 PURS Report
Multimedia Clips
Tom Kerns, PhD*
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Hear Lisa Arkin, OTA Executive Director, interviewed about pesticides and environmental justice on
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*Tom Kerns, PhD is a board member of the Oregon Toxics Alliance and Executive Director of Environment and Human Rights Advisory. Dr. Kerns is also Philosophy Professor at Seattle Community College and teaches online courses, including Introduction to Bioethics and Environment and Human Rights. He is author of Environmentally Induced Illnesses: Ethics, Risk Assessment and Human Rights (McFarland, 2001) and served as commissioner on the New Zealand People’s Inquiry in 2006.