Controlling Nature Strip away the drama, lawsuits, and counterclaims, and what remains
are profound differences in how people perceive the environment. At one
end are university extension scientists who understand that resistance
is inevitable, and that humans do not control nature’s response. At the
other end are companies with deep financial pockets who believe that
technology can conquer all, including the environment.
The EPA has approved some seven hundred restricted-use pesticides.
But such designation does not limit how much can be sold and applied,
nor does it address the cumulative effects over time on health and
the environment. As more land and crops are sprayed, more people
are exposed. Organophosphates such as chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and
malathion were originally developed by Nazi Germany as chemical
weapons of war. Extremely toxic, they operate like nerve gas.
Chlorpyrifos-based products are widely applied to produce foods
like soybeans, nuts, citrus, and fruit trees, as well as specialty crops
like brussels sprouts, cranberries, broccoli, and cauliflower. Except for
pest control, they are not sold for home use. Professionals who apply
chlorpyrifos pesticide must don protective clothing and respirators.
Fields should not be entered for up to five days after spraying.
Research from animal models and young children show that even
low exposure levels are associated with irreversible brain develop-
ment and impaired cognitive functioning. Studies of juvenile salmon
documented that brain damage and death far exceed predictions when
mixtures of organophosphates are used.
Government scientists compiled an official record more than ten
thousand pages in length, outlining threats to nearly every endangered
species. EPA’s own biological evaluation concluded that some ,
animals and plants were likely adversely affected. In 2 5 , the agency
proposed zero tolerance for chlorpyrifos in food residues, effectively
banning their use in food production. In 2 6 , EPA’s revised human
health risk assessment affirmed that expected residues on food crops
and drinking water would exceed allowable standards. By all accounts,
using chlorpyrifos to produce food was on the ropes.
But in 2 , a more business-friendly administration under Donald
Trump prompted letters to the EPA from the chief executives of three
chemical manufacturers. They contended the studies were flawed—
offering up their own scientific studies as unbiased proof. Chlorpyrifos