Wednesday, September 15, 2010

48 Hours to Stop 6 Years of Polar Bear Poisoning

Defenders of Wildlife
 
Wildlife Alert

Say "No!" to
Polar Bear Poisoning


Polar Bears at the Water (copyright Joan Cambray)

Threatened polar bears, frogs and other wildlife are highly susceptible to the poison endosulfan. Yet, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to allow this poison to remain on the shelves for another six years.


Help Save Polar Bears and Other Wildlife


Help save wildlife! Urge EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to fast-track the ban on the deadly poison endosulfan.

Lethal to Amphibians

Northern Leopard Frog (CC BuBz, Wikimedia)

Endosulfan is lethal to threatened northern leopard frogs and also dangerous for farm workers and others who are exposed to it.

Take Action Now.


Dear  Andrew,

Endosulfan is a deadly chemical that is highly toxic to polar bears, amphibians and farm workers. The Environmental Protection Agency approved its ban in June.


So why allow endosulfan to remain on the market for another six years?

Urge EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to fast-track the ban on the deadly poison endosulfan.


Public comments are due to the EPA on Friday (September 17th), so we only have two more days to send EPA this simple message: Ban endosulfan now!


Endosulfan is highly toxic to birds and mammals and very highly toxic to aquatic animals -- both vertebrate (fish, amphibians) and invertebrates (mollusks, insects, gastropods).


EPA has documented that endosulfan can travel thousands of miles from the areas where it is used and that it is one of the most abundant organochlorine pesticides found in the Arctic.


Polar bears, for example, are particularly at risk. Endosulfan is a highly persistent pollutant that accumulates in polar regions and collects in the fats of seals and other polar bear prey. It was in part due to the high levels found in these animals that led EPA to take action this past June.

Help save polar bears. Take action now.


The sooner we get rid of U.S. uses the better.


Polar bears will benefit, but so will farm workers who apply the chemical. All of us will benefit -- endosulfan is one of the most commonly detected pesticides in U.S. water. Kids in particular will be better off given their vulnerability to the effects of pesticides.


In fact, endosulfan is an endocrine disruptor, and low dose exposure while in the womb is linked to autism and birth defects.

Let's get rid of this awful chemical. Please take action now.


For the wild ones,

Caroline Kennedy, Defenders of Wildlife

Caroline Kennedy
Senior Director, Field Conservation
Defenders of Wildlife

 

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