"oh beautiful, for spacious skies..."Taken earlier this evening. Nice little ploom from a local field burn.
Inconsiderate, short-sighted farmers thinking it's ok for the environment and for the health of individuals to burn their fields. Newsflash: it isn't. I wondered why my throat was scratchy and my sinuses were aching all day today. I heard on the news tonight that the field burning frenzy has begun. KEZI, the corporate-towing MSM pond scum that they are, used a quote by the Department of Agriculture, which essentially said today was the perfect day to burn fields and that the smoke would not drift into the city limits and hence, would not be affecting the populace. Newsflash: It did and it does.
I have a challenge for KEZI and all of their corporate/government ass-kissing media buddies: Interview the thousands of folks who deal with health conditions resulting from these"but it doesn't harm anyone or anything" field burns. Speak with the health care professionals who have testified in front of our own state government of the increase in E.R. visits during field burn days (symptoms including dizziness, asthma and other respiratory complaints). Speak with the medical doctors and read the scientific literature that has proven beyond a doubt that these burns are a health hazard. Then speak with environmentalists who have measured the particulate matter put out by these field burns. Learn of the mega list of toxic pollutants that get tossed into our air. Learn that most of these pollutants DO NOT DISSIPATE, but rather join in with the toxic cloud that hovers over our planet.
Scientists have discovered pollutants from China over Mt. Hood. And yet, the pollutants from field burning don't leak into the surrounding communities.
My ass they don't.
Stop polluting our skies, farmers. END FIELD BURNING NOW. Speak out against this crime against the environment and against the health of thousands of individuals. Write letters to your local and state representatives (Paul Hovey, (D) Eugene is still fighting the good fight to get the practice banned by putting together legislation once again that will be presented in 2009). Mr. N and I have made the decision that unless this practice ends, we will leave the valley. We cannot and will not tolerate living here as long as this is allowed to continue. Grass allergies are difficult enough. But to be confined to your home because someone is choosing to burn the remains of their crop, a practice that is not necessary, simply a choice, a choice which impedes upon my right and the right of all others, to breathe healthy air, is utterly, completely wrong. Come on, Corvallis. We got smoking banned from bars. Nothing tragic happened as a result. Surely we can get the "smoke" banned from our skies.
4 comments:
All that straw going to waste. A much better way to handle it is to make bale houses out of it, sort of like the rammed earth housing I have planned for us. Cheap, well insulated, sturdy, but it gets burned.
Absolutely. I've seen the type of housing you are talking about and I think it's an excellent idea.
The practice (of field burning) is harmful and wasteful. So many more viable alternatives. The majority of farmers have made the switch, so there's no reason the rest cannot climb aboard.
Oregon Toxics Alliance is also fighting the good fight... we became members this year.
KEZI on the other hand: the most amateur name in "news." Every broadcast, something fucks up. And like EVERY newscaster looks hot for a split second, then you take a good look at em.
OTA does excellent work in addressing this issue. People's health supercedes business practices, especially when there are other choices the biz can make.
Yes, KEZI seems lacking in real journalists. Their choice of meteorologists is unbelievable. It's like they were just pulled off the streets with no real weather or voice training. KMTR is a wee bit better, although whoever does their editing needs glasses. I pick out typos on a regular basis.
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