New Developments at NCAP
The NCAP board and staff has just completed the long process of planning our program work for the next three years. Between now and 2013, we'll be taking on many new challenges and pursuing timely opportunities to reduce pesticide use by impacting policy decisions. You can read about the planning process, and grab a PDF of our new strategic plan, by CLICKING HERE.
NCAP staff also chose to revitalize our logo and mission statement in order to better reflect the nature of our work. This was a collaborative process that yielded really great results. Our mission:
To protect community and environmental health and inspire the use of ecologically sound solutions to reduce the use of pesticides.
We hope you like it. You can read more about our updated mission and logo HERE.
Hot Off the Press!
The Polluters: The Making of Our Chemically Altered Environment By Benjamin Ross and Steven Amter
There are moments when society is grateful for scientific advancements. We are even worshipful of those discoveries that promise to save lives, as with the advent of vaccines. However, science is not always carried out to serve the greater good. As is increasingly the case, science can be bent to the will of industry, wreaking all kinds of havoc on people, wildlife and the environment.
This is the story of The Polluters.
The Polluters reads like an environmental thriller. Its bevy of characters, many revealing questionable motives, demonstrate how the chemical regulatory system was set up early on to benefit industry rather than to actually regulate harmful chemicals. In fact, the book shows the extent to which regulatory entities have historically worked in collusion with industry to conceal the truth about health and environmental impacts, even to the point of covering up disasters. In one case, fumes from a zinc smelter plant sickened half the population of Donora, Pennsylvania and killed 20 people. Companies and regulatory agencies at the time worked to shift the blame and escape accountability.
By using historical records to meticulously piece together stories such as this, the authors shed light on how government and industry leaders succeeded again and again in covering up health violations and skewing data to protect profit interests.
They also explore early legislative efforts, such as the Insecticide Act of 1910, which were apparently created to ensure the potency of chemical products rather than to create public protections from them. Ross and Amter discuss how these early laws have informed the regulatory structures that are still in place to this day.
From the birth of the chemical industry juggernaut, to the political ideologies of Dow, Monsanto and Dupont, to the repeated thwarting of regulations for DDT, asbestos and arsenic, The Polluters is an informative and suspenseful read that is sure to ruffle your justice feathers.
Benjamin Ross and Steven Amter run a small consulting firm, Disposal Safety, Inc. They are both environmental scientists.
Sustainable Agriculture Update
This month was a busy one as we’ve been preparing for the upcoming 2010 Organic Marketing Conference in Twin Falls, ID. This conference will be a great opportunity for those who work in organics to network, discuss strategies for success in the marketplace, and to meet some of the NCAP staff. We’ve put together quite a program, so check it out HERE if you haven’t seen it yet.
Planning on attending? The conference will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, December 7 – 8, 2010, at the Historic Ballroom in downtown Twin Falls. You can register ONLINE, by MAIL, or over the phone by contacting Jennifer Miller, 208-850-6504. We’d love to see you there!
Excitingly, we also hosted a roundtable discussion for farmers to meet with Agriculture Deputy Secretary, Kathleen Merrigan last month. Deputy Secretary Merrigan has been involved in the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food program which aims to promote the development of local and regional food systems by connecting consumers with farmers. Before her current position, she helped create the National Organic Program. We spoke with her about recent successes with the extension of farm bill funding for organic farmers in Idaho, as well as some of the current challenges Idaho farmers are now working to overcome. A big thank you goes to Deputy Secretary Merrigan and especially to all the farmers who participated!
Photos: Candy Moore, USDA, FSA
The Ladybug Lovely: a Lovely Way to Support NCAP!
Ladybugs are a great way to defend against invading aphids in your garden. They are a powerful force in reducing the use of pesticides. The same is true for members of NCAP’s Ladybug Lovely.
The Ladybug Lovely is made up of a special group of members that agree to make on-going credit card or electronic fund transfer donations on a monthly basis to help advance alternatives to pesticides and reduce pesticide use. It is the backbone of our support because it provides us with a dependable source of revenue which will enable NCAP to work harder to protect the health of people and the environment.
Join our Ladybug Lovely today and receive this complimentary Pesticide-free Area sign from NCAP and Mountain Rose Herbs! It's a perfect addition to your pesticide-free yard or garden and adds strength to our organization.
When you join:
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A tax-deductible gift in the amount you specify will be automatically charged to your credit card or taken from your bank account each month.
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A record of your gifts will appear on your credit card or bank statement each month.
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You will not receive additional fundraising appeals.
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You will still receive timely emails and action alerts, including the NCAP Action News.
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Your membership will be automatically renewed each year.
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You can help NCAP protect the health of people and the environment every day!
Joining the Ladybug Lovely and getting your sign is easy -
Call 541-344-5044 ext.15!
