(By Sharon Selvaggio, Healthy Wildlife & Water Program Director) “All is well!” says that annual statement from your drinking water company. When you read that your drinking water is in compliance with regulatory guidelines, you might feel relieved. But, did you know that testing and regulatory requirements apply to only a small handful of pesticides? Yes, it’s true! Continue reading

You can help reduce the demand for toxic pesticides and encourage ecologically sound alternatives by finding a responsible company to help you with your home’s landscape and lawn maintenance. If you don’t have the time, don’t have the expertise or find a pest problem is beyond your skills, it might be time to hire a professional. By asking the right questions, you can ensure your home is both pest and pesticide-free. Download our Guide to Choosing an Eco-Friendly Landscaping Company. Continue reading

(By Christina Stucker-Gassi, Healthy Food & Farms Lead) Preparing the field for planting (left), Seed plots of hundreds of varieties of rice from all over the world are conserved by Navdanya (right). Photos taken by Christina Stucker-Gassi in 2015. Continue reading

(By Megan Dunn, Healthy People & Communities Program Director) Two new studies released by Friends of the Earth show why it is so important to buy and eat organic. One study found pesticide residues in conventionally grown food purchased from major retailers, and a second study found pesticide levels in the body drop dramatically after just one week of eating organic! Continue reading

6/20/2019 Update: HB 2619 did not make it out of commitee, but NCAP and allies will work to reintroduce the bill in 2020. 4/30/2019 Update: HB 2619, to ban chlorpyrifos, is in the House Rules Committee. Please contact the legislators in the committee and urge them to support a ban on chlorpyrifos: Speaker of the Oregon House, Tina Kotek503 986-1200, [email protected] Majority Leader, Jennifer Williamson503 986-1436, [email protected] Rules Chairman, Paul Holvey503 986-1408, [email protected] Rules Member, Rob Nosse503 986-1442, [email protected] Minority Leader and Rules Member, Carl Wilson503 986-1403, [email protected] Rules Member, Denyc Boles503 986-1419, [email protected] Rules Member, Barbara Smith Warner503 986-1445, [email protected] Rules Member, Sherrie Sprenger503 986-1417, [email protected] Sample Email: Dear members of the House Rules Committee, As an Oregon resident, I urge you to protect the health of our communities and wildlife by supporting HB 2619 to ban chlorpyrifos. EPA scientists concluded that chlorpyrifos is dangerous at ANY level of exposure, yet we are eating it on our foods, drinking it in our waters, allowing farm workers to be exposed, and putting endangered wildlife at further risk. Please support a ban on this toxic pesticide today. Sincerely, [Your name here] [Your city, Oregon]  Continue reading