Security is; a guy with an M16 rifle guarding your world, at least that’s what I grew up thinking. I was an Air Force brat which meant trusting in a government agency was inbred so the fascination with TV crime drama came to me fairly easily. I am an idealist at heart and let’s face it most cop shows, even those based on reality, offer the ideal. On TV we had Detective Sergeant Joe Friday, in all his perfection sticking to the facts and in the end solving the case. In real life it is not quite so ideal. In real life you can’t always trust government agencies. In real life you have to gather your own facts. In real life quite often you have to become a watchdog, blow some whistles and police your own world - these are the facts.
It was my original intent to write yet another article touting the benefits of sticking to the Environmental Working Groups “Dirty Dozen” list. If you are not familiar with this list, it is commonly known for providing consumers with information regarding twelve produce commodities, containing the highest number of synthetic pesticide residues. Instead what I intend to instill, as you read, is a thought that this list even with critical reviews from some sectors of agriculture; contributes to a system of checks and balances that keeps our idea of democracy true to form.
Much of the criticism the “List” and the EWG takes on are accusations of using fear mongering tactics to deter the public from consuming fresh vegetables. I read articles attempting to discredit the data and research put out by this informative group. The “Dirty Dozen” list takes direct hits from organizations that back conventional agriculture and their right to use synthetic pesticides on our food supply, no big surprise there. They are also criticized for putting out information to further their own political agenda.
However, doing my own detective work, I have not found on the EWG site any information to back these accusations. A direct statement from Ken Cook, co-founder of EWG is as follows: "We recommend that people eat healthy by eating more fruits and vegetables, whether conventional or organic,”… “But people don’t want to eat pesticides with their produce if they don’t have to. And with EWG’s guide, they don’t."
Taken directly from the EWG website: “Since many shoppers can't find or afford organic produce, they can use the Shopper's Guide to avoid those conventional fruits and vegetables found to be highest in pesticides - the Dirty Dozen - and, instead, choose items from the Clean Fifteen list.” The list in total consists of 49 products from best to worst levels of contamination. The “Clean Fifteen” list offers alternative suggestions from the fruit and vegetable category with lowers levels of pesticide contamination. http://static.foodnews.org/pdf/EWG-shoppers-guide.pdf
Now, I will ask you to take a look at the EWG chart where the pesticide residue statistics of the 49 products have been compiled. Please keep in mind the information on this chart is based on data from the USDA and FDA. http://static.foodnews.org/pdf/2010-foodnews-data.pdf After looking at this chart I am alarmed at the number of pesticide residues that might accumulate in ones body at the end of the day. Sticking to the Dirty Dozen list alone, let’s say you have yogurt with freshly sliced peaches for breakfast, a spinach salad with celery slices and dried cherries (concentrated pesticides) for lunch, some grapes for an afternoon snack, a piece of meat with potatoes and sautéed bell peppers for dinner and some cottage cheese with fresh strawberries and blueberries for dessert. Now look at the chart and total up the accumulated of pesticides in your system by the end of the day. Oh and let’s not forget about the antibiotics, hormones and pesticides in the dairy products you consumed.
As to the accusations of furthering their own political agenda – who cares!? I for one, would be thrilled to be represented by and support an organization whose mission is as follows: http://www.ewg.org/about
1. “To protect the most vulnerable segments of the human population—children, babies, and infants in the womb—from health problems attributed to a wide array of toxic contaminants.“
2. “To replace federal policies, including government subsidies that damage the environment and natural resources, with policies that invest in conservation and sustainable development.”
Also, keep in mind the EWG, a non-profit, raises most of its own money donated by like-minded environmentally concerned philanthropists who see a real need for their work. This is the way today’s world functions and it is no different than large name companies like “Exponent: a member of Croplife America” financially backing studies to refute findings by the NIH linking Parkinson’s and pesticide contamination. These studies have proven; pesticide exposure even in minute quantities, at certain times of life can increase the chances of getting this disease.
Ultimately it seems as though the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing because; “Recently, the California Department of Food and Agriculture…awarded $180,000 in federal funds to finance an agribusiness-chemical industry plan to combat its critics - Environmental Working Group and other health, consumer and organic farming advocates who have campaigned against overuse of pesticides on food crops.” Federal funds are tax dollars folks and that is a fact.
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2010/09/21-15
I could go on and on providing you with information to back my beliefs of what constitutes safe and healthy food. I know I have put much into my investigations and feel secure about my conclusions. However, my intent was to plant a seed of thought so you do your own research on this topic and find your own voice. Today’s technology has made it so much easier to do this detective work. No pounding the pavement needed. Most of the information necessary to protect your health and the environment can be found at your fingertips - literally. From Iphone apps, http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/iphoneapp.jsp to printed lists you can carry with you to the grocery store. There is not much effort you have to exert to protect yourself and with your buying choices you, in turn make a stand for the protection of others as well; now that’s democracy at its finest.
It would take a lifetime for any agricultural watchdog group to provide you will all the facts regarding synthetic pesticide contamination of our food supply. However, together, as a community we can “protect and serve” to ensure the safety of our food. Rachel Carson opened our eyes to the dangers of pesticide pollution of our environment, with her book “Silent Spring” (1962) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Carson; her work “spurred a reversal in national pesticide policy—leading to a nationwide ban on DDT and other pesticides”. Ms. Carson had the courage to question the industry that told us our foods were safe to consume with residues of highly toxic environmental pollutants, on, in and around them; in the fight to prove this argument the Environmental Protection Agency was born.
The Environmental Working Group is a listed organization on the Rachel Carson.org website http://www.rachelcarson.org/?page=researchguide. They are but one out of many groups who have made it their mission to do the research, ask the right questions and watch over us much in the manner of my beloved fictional public servant; his name was “Friday” and he carried a badge. In my own way, I too will contribute to an ongoing effort of making certain agricultural agencies-meant to keep us healthy and safe - do just that very thing - my name is Dina and I carry a pen.
Pro-active support for the 'growing' world of urban agriculture, small farms and local foods.
