Seems the EPA is planning to begin banning any of the effective mouse and rat poisons and removing the ability for residential customers from accessing them.
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/epa-bans-many-household-rat-and-mouse-po
QuoteThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on Tuesday that it plans to ban the sale of "the most toxic rat and mouse poisons, as well as most loose bait and pellet products" to residential customers.
The goal is to better protect children, pets and wildlife.
"These changes are essential to reduce the thousands of accidental exposures of children that occur every year from rat and mouse control products and also to protect household pets," said Steve Owens, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.
The EPA also will require that all rat and mouse poisons marketed to residential customers be enclosed in bait stations that don't allow children and pets to reach the poison.
I know many on this forum need these for rodent control in rural areas and it might be a good idea to get them now before they are no longer available. I have no idea when that may be, but it is not like the stuff goes bad when stored properly anyway.
On a personal rant level, this is really stupid. The diseases from rodent overpopulation are significantly more of a danger to us than the poison is. There have been outbreaks of hanta virus that are highly lethal, and tracked back to mice living too close to people over and over again. Even the native Indians knew this.
A million lives here, a million lives there, the EPA doesn't seem too worried about real science while there is a planet to save...
http://www.eco-imperialism.com/content/article.php3?id=68
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=ddt-use-to-combat-malaria
Hantavirus is extremely rare, less than 10 fatalities per year here in the US.
DDT nearly exterminated our national symbol, and many other animal species.
Malaria is no joke, killing over half a million people per year but cancer is responsible for 10 times that many deaths. I oppose the poisoning of our soil and groundwater and so I am considered an "eco-extremist". ???
Nothing is more effective than a plain old mouse/rat trap anyway. And nothing more satisfying than seeing the buggers with a broken neck - problem solved. Plus no danger of poison which the mice/rats eventually become immune to anyway.
Quote from: dug on June 08, 2011, 08:37:06 AM
Hantavirus is extremely rare, less than 10 fatalities per year here in the US.
DDT nearly exterminated our national symbol, and many other animal species.
Malaria is no joke, killing over half a million people per year but cancer is responsible for 10 times that many deaths. I oppose the poisoning of our soil and groundwater and so I am considered an "eco-extremist". ???
I had to sit and think about that for a minute dug.
My first reaction when the government tells me I can't use something or that I have to use something is to say..."Wanna Bet"
I used to wear seat belts until they passed the seat belt law. ::) and have a pocket ashtray so I can smoke in restaurants.
Anyway, I agree with what you're saying. I do use poisons for some insects but they are pretty benign (Like Borax).
The problem isn't with the poisons, rather with the over use and misuse by people. DDT is an example of one that should never have been used at all.
The problem with most people is they will never use them responsibly, so I guess banning them is the next best thing.
QuoteMy first reaction when the government tells me I can't use something or that I have to use something is to say..."Wanna Bet"
I used to wear seat belts until they passed the seat belt law. and have a pocket ashtray so I can smoke in restaurants.
I can relate to that, I am probably one of the worst offenders of following rules you will find. I do wear my seatbelt because they will pop you with a $90 ticket faster than you can blink an eye around here if you don't. I think it's one of their prime sources of revenue at this time.
I think people should be free to do as they wish so long as it does not adversely affect their neighbors or community at large.
Quote from: dug on June 08, 2011, 10:37:13 AM
I can relate to that, I am probably one of the worst offenders of following rules you will find. I do wear my seatbelt because they will pop you with a $90 ticket faster than you can blink an eye around here if you don't. I think it's one of their prime sources of revenue at this time.
I think people should be free to do as they wish so long as it does not adversely affect their neighbors or community at large.
Yeah, we've fought hard to keep seatbealts a secondary offense. They can't ticket you for it unless they charge you with something else first.
I wish they'd abolish the law altogether so I could start wearing one again :-\
Quote from: dug on June 08, 2011, 08:37:06 AM
Hantavirus is extremely rare, less than 10 fatalities per year here in the US.
DDT nearly exterminated our national symbol, and many other animal species.
Malaria is no joke, killing over half a million people per year but cancer is responsible for 10 times that many deaths. I oppose the poisoning of our soil and groundwater and so I am considered an "eco-extremist". ???
Not an extremist. I'm an environmentalist. I'm also a realist. In many countries the danger from DDT might be far less than the danger from malaria. Who are we to tell them how to run their country?
DDT might be the wrong example there.
Basically the problem I have is the methods EPA uses. The labelling of these chemicals is a contract between the producer and the end user. Use them according to the labelling and they will perform correctly. Ignore the labelling and we've potentially got a problem. Is the problem then with the producer, the product, or the person misusing the product?
Quote from: dug on June 08, 2011, 08:37:06 AM
DDT nearly exterminated our national symbol, and many other animal species.
From Yahoo's Homepage this morning:
It seems "windpower" is not all exactly as green as touted:
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jun/06/local/la-me-adv-wind-eagles-20110606
Lots of "red" [blood] involved also.