Just published today in The Guardian and is a MUST READ AND SHARE:
Pesticides in Paradise: Hawaii’s spike in birth defects puts focus on GM crops http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/23/hawaii-birth-defects-pesticides-gmo
And know that the rapid pro GMO bloggers will cry foul and attempt to discredit the facts.
One of the key facts are the numbers and quantities of Restricted Use Pesticides used on Kauai. The number quoted in the story and the number I use is 18 tons used annually. The industry and their paid online shills vociferously dispute this number and instead quote a much lower number. So below I fully disclose how the 18 tons is calculated.
Also for further facts to combat the spin and disinformation that will be put forth by the industry bloggers please consult the source documents attached here: 9 MOST FREQUENT MISSTATEMENTS MADE BY CHEMICAL COMPANIES IN HAWAI‘I http://tinyurl.com/9Misstatements-07-07-15
The basis for which the 18 ton figure was calculated is as follows:
1) Data of is from the total RUP’s sold to agricultural users in Kauai County during 2012 provided by State Department of Agriculture.
Raw data is here:https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B43mvAFMJQpcLXNYT3ppcHd6ZWs/view?usp=drive_web
Summary data is here:https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B43mvAFMJQpcTXFsOTRtQ0NJSzQ/view?usp=drive_web
2) From the above data source the total amount of all RUP’s sold during 2012 to the 4 agrochemical companies only = 5,477.20 lb’s and 4,324.5 gallons
3) Converting gallons to pounds using the weight of water: 4,342.5 gallons X 8.33 lb’s = 36,173.025 lb’s
4) Combine 36,173.025 plus 5,477.20 = 41,650.225 lb’s divided by 2,000lb’s = 20.825 tons
5) Adjust downward by 10% and round down to compensate for unknown actual weight, varying weights of the gallons of RUP and variation due to purchase/use factor
6) = 18 tons of RUP purchased/used annually – based on assumption that the companies were using approximately what they were purchasing.
7) Note: The data made available to me consists of RUP’s purchased annually. The companies are purchasing Restricted Use Pesticides products and they are not purchasing “active ingredients”. Thus the SDOA records reflect the annual purchase of over 18 tons of RUP’s by these 4 companies.
8) When the State Department of Agriculture was originally requested to provide information pertaining to RUP sales in Kauai County, they provided the data referenced above consisting of “RUP product purchased and not active ingredient purchased”. However since the controversy and attempts to regulate the industry and use of these RUP’s the SDOA have started reporting the data also in “active ingredient format” which results in the lower figures quoted by the industry and the SDOA.
9) It is important to note that each active ingredient has different characteristics and different levels of toxicity. All active ingredients are not equal. It is also important to note that the “other ingredients” also have impacts and that no one has studied the combined impacts of all of the various 22 different kinds of RUP’s and their active and “other” ingredients interacting in the Hawaii environment.
10) PLEASE READ “9 Most Frequent Misstatements by Chemical Companies.” This document is linked to source documents that respond/refute many of the claims by the agrochemical industry on Kauai that are misleading at best. http://tinyurl.com/9Misstatements-07-07-15
11) There is no accurate data showing current use that is available publicly. The “Good Neighbor Program” data is not verifiable and the SDOA has refused to continue providing per company RUP sales data.
12) It is also important to note that the “Good Neighbor Program” does not require the disclosure of “Round Up” or glyphosate based products. I have requested in writing that this also be disclosed however the 4 companies have refused to do so. It is likely from the historical information I do have in terms of “agricultural industry standards” – that glyphosate use far exceeds all RUP use combined in terms of tonnage.
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