Let The Field Burning Begin. And Enjoy It Mr/Ms Farmer. This May Be Your Last Year.

Yes, it's that time of year again. The chemtrails are gonna have to make room for the upcoming Field Burning craze and those beautiful, brown, toxic mushroom-shaped clouds they produce. The minority of grass seed farmers who practice this health-damaging, toxic, archaic practice of rotating their fields because they're just too damn lazy, unmotivated, stubborn, etc. etc. (fill in the blank) to listen to the private citizens and the medical and health care professionals, plus the increasing community government leaders in their own communities that chant every year "STOP THE FIELD BURNING IT IS DAMAGING TO OUR HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT". It doesn't seem to phase them that the majority of grass seed farmers have already stopped the practice over the years and made the change to move viable, alternative forms of crop rotation.

My allergies have been a bitch this year and yet I've noticed in the past several days, I can finally go outside for awhile and actually enjoy myself. (Of course when it's over 90, I'm inside anywhere with a/c. I know, not environmentally friendly, but my body doesn't tolerate heat well.) Little tickle or sneeze here and there, but the grass seed pollen is finally on the decline. YEAH! But any day now, the farmers in our area will start burning and that will mean one thing for me: stay inside on burn days. AND I DO NOT WANT TO FEEL FORCED TO DO THAT ANYMORE!! All due to someone's decision to pollute the environment using an outdated method when there are OTHER METHODS ALREADY AVAILABLE.

My reaction to the field burning is a bit different than my allergies to grass pollen. I suffer more from sinus pain, sore throat and some coughing and some days, a lot of fatigue. Many days I can taste the crap in my mouth.

We here in the northwest are the only ones remaining who must breath this crap every year. Field burn has been outlawed in Washington and California. And guess what? Grass seed growers saw increased profits in these states, which puts to rest their concern that if we take away their right to ignite, their profits will decrease.

In Idaho, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals recently made the ruling that field burning is illegal under their state's Clean Air Act. Why? Because of it's lethal (proven) effects on health.

There is good news though. On June 19, 2007, Lane County Commissioners asked Oregon's Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) to demand a two year moratorium on the grass seed burning practice in the Willamette Valley. However, given the story yesterday about a grass seed burn that got out of control NW of Eugene (because the winds shifted direction), causing the smoke to enter people's homes instead of heading upwards and over towards the coast range, this request seems to have fallen on deaf ears. To which I cannot help but think "hmm, so somehow it's OK for the smoke to go out towards the coast?!" Will someone explain that logic to me?

Back to my "good news" point. At least local government officials have taken notice of this issue and are beginning to speak out against this practice. Rep. Paul Hovey out of Eugene introduced legislation to ban the practice this past year. It made it through the Health Committee but then stalled in the Agricultural Committee. Grass Seed lobbyists. Need I say more? It is, at least, a good start.

There is more good news on the horizon as well. There's an organization called the Western Environmental Law Center. They are a non-profit public interest environmental law firm out of Eugene. They sent me a letter recently that says: "If the EQC fails to protect our health, we are prepared to go to court to stop this public nuisance." Hallelujah! Check out their website if you'd like to learn more about them, donate, etc.

Hopefully, this time next year, we can all breathe a [healthy] sigh of relief, knowing the practice of field burning has finally come to an end.