Green Party Platform:
Biocides (Pesticides/ Herbicides/ Fungicides)
Ecological wisdom demands an end to methods of pest and weed control that poison the Earth, disrupt ecosystems, and threaten the health of people and other living things.
Massive biocide use is a failed policy perpetuated by agribusiness and the chemical industry. These businesses value profits over human and ecological health. The more biocides are used, the more target organisms develop resistance to them, and biological controls are disrupted. Pesticides directly endanger farm workers, neighboring populations, wildlife and, ultimately, consumers. Aerial spraying is particularly dangerous since it results in a wider distribution of the poisons.
The Green Party demands a rapid curtailment of biocide use by:
- Quickly phasing out biocide use. Sustainable, integrated pest management (IPM) with organic pest control methods should be substituted.
- Immediately halting aerial spraying of biocides and herbicides, including spraying by cities, school boards, Caltrans and other government agencies. This is especially important near human communities and water supplies.
- Establishing neighborhood groups acting in concert with government agencies to monitor local pesticide use. The California EPA should investigate violations in biocide use, with appropriate public oversight provisions to diminish bias from government and industry. The EPA should improve standards used to determine the safety of chemicals allowed on the market.
- Stop exporting to other countries pesticides that are illegal in the U.S.