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ENVIRONMENTAL BETRAYAL: NDP SUPPORTS FOREST SPRAYING
Press Release....For Immediate Release....June 16, 1998
The Green Web, Saltsprings, Pictou County, Nova Scotia
The Green Web condemns the Nova Scotia NDP for its support
of the tussock moth forest spraying program. (Our
environmental research group is independent and not
connected to any political party.)
In a story in the Truro Daily News (May 28, 1998) a headline
ran "NDP endorses plan for tussock spray." It quoted the NDP
MLA for Pictou West, Charlie Parker, their "Natural Resources"
spokesperson, as saying: 'For this year (BTK) is the only
alternative...' Yet in his electoral campaign literature,
Parker had presented himself as sympathetic to environmental
issues.
We work with many front-line environmentalists in this province,
including a number who have supported and worked for the NDP.
Many are very distressed with the NDP endorsement of this
massive, forest-industry promoted tussock moth aerial spraying
program, covering 150,000 acres, and using 27 aircraft.
The NDP is not uninformed about the real dangers with this
spraying program, which is being imposed upon the forests and
rural residents. In the last provincial election, where 19 New
Democrats were elected, some well-known environmentalists ran
for the NDP, e.g. Neal Livingston, Maria Cody, Howard Epstein
and Derek Jones.
Bacillus thuringiensis variety kurstaki, is a manufactured
live microbial organism with unknown chemical so-called
inerts. It is made by Abbott Laboratories under the trade
name Foray 48B. Btk will kill all moths and butterflies in the
caterpillar stage, as well as the tussock moth caterpillars.
Apart from disrupting the forest food chain, Btk also can
have a severe impact upon human health. Amazingly, the BC
Environmental Appeal Board on April 15th of this year banned
the aerial spraying of Btk, but this ruling has been totally
disregarded here in Nova Scotia. This is what the BC Board
said in ruling against the aerial spraying of Foray 48B:
The Panel finds that aerial spraying will create an
unacceptable risk of health problems among the residents
of these densely populated areas. In particular, the
panel agrees with the Appellants that there is a risk to
the health of children, people of all ages who have
allergies, asthma, and other respiratory ailments, people
with immuno deficiencies, chemical hypersensitivities,
and the elderly. It also poses an unreasonable adverse
effect to the environment (non-target species).
The Green Web hopes that environmentalists and people who
voted for the NDP will convey their displeasure to this
political party in a meaningful way. We would like however
to point out to our environmentalist NDP friends that,
despite the concern for social justice, the NDP has a
human-centered world view, supporting the orthodox economic
model of a continually expanding economy, without ecological
limits.
By its support of the tussock moth spraying program, the NDP
has demonstrated its political opportunism. It has also
betrayed many environmentalists who have supported the NDP on
social justice grounds, and betrayed the rural people who have
many times demonstrated their opposition to forest poisoning
programs in the service of the forest industry.
-30-
For further information contact David Orton, coordinator of
the Green Web: (902) 925-2514.
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