“I don’t think it’s safe. The school is right in the spray zone.”
Those were the words of one of the many concerned parents in Miami Beach who are speaking out about the controversial pesticide Naled being sprayed aerially over their neighborhoods.
Already, regulators in Miami-Dade have stopped spraying the insecticide during weekdays as the repeated early childhood exposure to the chemical may create behavioral issues in children.
But parents aren’t the only ones concerned about the effects of Naled -- Beekeepers are too. The chemical banned in the European Union and protested in Puerto Rico is wiping out butterflies, killing bees en masse, and any other pollinator in its path.
Act now to tell regulators to curb the use of Naled.
A recent spraying in Lee County left hundred of bees dead in beekeepers' backyards. And in South Carolina, a recent spraying left over 2.5 million bees dead.
As the threat of Zika spreads throughout the United States, this form of mosquito control could spread even further. But it’s usage may pose just as much of a threat as the illness regulators are trying to protect us from.
Naled is banned in Europe because it poses an “unacceptable risk” to humans. But here Naled is being used in a full-on affront, even though there are alternatives. It’s time regulators curb its usage.
Tell regulators, Naled is too risky-- if it’s banned in Europe, we shouldn’t be spraying it carelessly in the United States.
More information
The Guardian. 4 September 2016.
7 News Miami. 8 September 2016.
CBS News. 6 September 2016.
Alternet. 3 September 2016.