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- Xref: sparky misc.activism.progressive:6212 alt.activism:15812 alt.save.the.earth:1112 talk.environment:3475
- Path: sparky!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!ames!agate!remarque.berkeley.edu!jym
- From: EcoNet via Jym Dyer <jym@mica.berkeley.edu>
- Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive,alt.activism,alt.save.the.earth,talk.environment
- Subject: INFO: How to Avoid Methyl Bromide
- Followup-To: alt.save.the.earth
- Date: 1 Sep 1992 23:27:02 GMT
- Organization: The Naughty Peahen Party Line
- Lines: 50
- Approved: map@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
- Message-ID: <EcoNet.1Sep1992.8am4@naughty-peahen.org>
- References: <EcoNet.1Sep1992.8am3@naughty-peahen.org>
- NNTP-Posting-Host: remarque.berkeley.edu
- Originator: jym@remarque.berkeley.edu
-
- [From EcoNet ecotopia.news Conference]
-
- How To Avoid Methyl Bromide
-
- The only figures publicly available anywhere on methyl bromide
- use are from California's Pesticide Use Report for 1990.
-
- California accounts for 40% of U.S. methyl bromide use, and the
- U.S. consumes one-third of the global total.
-
- Structural fumigation (tented and gassed houses): [CA: 5.25
- Million lbs.] Alternatives: Heat and cold, electric shock, and
- borates are commercially available. Don't gas your house!
-
- Strawberries: [CA:4.3 Million lbs. Florida also high] All
- strawberry nursery plants, including organic, must be fumigated.
- Conventional strawberries are often fumigated three times.
- Alternatives: Don't buy strawberries. Eat only ones from
- backyard gardens.
-
- Grapes: [CA: 2 Million lbs. for wine, raisins, and table grapes.
- Also used on imported Chilean and Mexican grapes.] Alternatives:
- Since many farmers gas fields before planting-check your source.
-
- Citrus fruits: [CA: 140,000 lbs. Imported or shipped between
- states.] Alternatives: eat locally grown citrus.
-
- Grains: [Quantities unknown but high. Stored wheat, corn, rice,
- oats, etc.; also packaged cereal.] Alternatives: buy organic
- grains only. Skip raisin bran and other packaged cereals and
- processed grain products.
-
- Almonds: [CA: 315,000 lbs.], Walnuts: [CA: 800,000 lbs.],
- Stonefruits: [CA: 180,000 lbs.], Apples: [CA: 1.3 Million lbs.],
- Melons: [CA: 160,000 lbs.],Tomatoes & Peppers: [CA: 237,000 lbs.
- applied to each. Very high in Florida]. Alternatives: Buy from
- certified organic or locally produced/non-fumigated fields.
-
- Nursery plants (transplants, potted plants): [CA: 1.8 Million
- lbs.] Alternatives: propagate your own, go wild, or find an
- organic or non-fumigated source.
-
- Flowers: [CA: 636,000 lbs.] Also imported plants and flowers are
- heavily fumigated. Alternatives: grow your own and check your
- source.
-
- (From ECONEWS, Newsletter of the Northcoast Environmental
- Center, 879 9th St., Arcata, California 95521, U.S.A., August
- 1992. Non-profit reprints OK with credit to ECONEWS; we like
- to see clips.)
-