Elephant In The Room

"Elephant in the room" is an English metaphorical idiom for an obvious truth that is being ignored or goes unaddressed. The idiomatic expression also applies to an obvious problem or risk no one wants to discuss. It is based on the idea that an elephant in a room would be impossible to overlook; thus, people in the room who pretend the elephant is not there have chosen to avoid dealing with the looming big issue.

Please Note: This is not an attack on Wayne NJ. Most, if not all, towns spray for mosquito's.
Just pointing out a serious local problem and a possible healthy organic solution.

Section 9.10
In compliance with Section 9.10 of the NJ Pesticide Code from May 2nd to October 28th Wayne Township, NJ and most towns spray insecticides to control the adult mosquito population.

Wayne NJ currently has 2 different mosquito spraying programs. The first program is the Passaic County Mosquito Control and they use 12 different types of pesticides for insect control. Most, if not all, counties have a mosquito control program.

Wayne is a town with a more serious insect problem and also has their own mosquito control spraying program.

Residents are notified before hand of the time and date insect spraying will occur.  A county or town worker than drives around in a truck generally at night with ULV equipment mounted on the truck and sprays parts of town.

The county and Wayne NJ spray in a coordinated tandem not to overlap spraying areas. The county town spraying programs are regulated by the state.

When insects come in contact with pesticide the chemical is design to attack the central nervous system of the insect and kill it. You, we also have central nervous systems. 

Are pesticides saving or taking lives?
Diseases Linked To Pesticides
food allergies, eczema, asthma, autism, learning disabilities, birth defects, reproductive dysfunction, diabetes, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, ADHD, and several types of cancer.

NY Times: Study Sees More Breast Cancer at Young Age
The incidence of advanced breast cancer among younger women, ages 25 to 39, may have increased slightly over the last three decades, according to a study released Tuesday.

Pesticides continue to cause the decline of bee population in the U.S
EPA - Pesticides and Food: Health Problems Pesticides May Pose
National Cancer Institute - Progress Report
Pesticides and Cancer.
Pesticide chemicals linked to food allergies
Pesticides, Chlorinated Water May Lead to Food Allergies
Pesticides in Tap Water Linked to Food Allergies
Food Allergies Linked to Pesticides
Eczema cured by cutting out pesticides
eczema caused by pesticides in East Germany
Asthma, Children and Pesticides
Studies Link Range of Major Diseases to Pesticides, New Database Launched
Wide Range of Diseases Linked To Pesticides Report PDF
Wide Range of Diseases Linked to Pesticides
Further evidence there is a link between Parkinson’s and pesticides (Video)
Pesticide Use Linked to Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis
The harsh realities of pesticides and why this project is so important.

Two Examples
Chemicals Being Sprayed. The following are some examples:

First Example:
(a)SCOURGE (RESMETHRIN)
Resmethrin a synthetic pyrethroid used for control of flying and crawling insects in homes, greenhouses, indoor landscapes, mushroom houses, industrial sites, stored product insects and for mosquito control. 

Resmethin has long term and delayed health effects on humans. This chemical may cause cancer and tumors in the uterus.  It is considered a Possible Carcinogen by the World Health Organization, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. AllergenNeurotoxin = Can harm brain and central nervous system. Asthma Trigger Development Toxicant = Can interfere with normal development of a fetus or child.   The Chemical Encyclopedia - Resmethin

In 1994, when EPA listed Resmethin as a toxic chemical under EPCRA, one of the reasons was it's reproductive toxicity. Symptoms of exposure by any route may include incoordination, twitching, loss of bladder control, and seizures.

A study with rats showed an increase in premature stillbirths and a decrease in pup weight.  Resmethrin also causes adverse effects on the central nervous system. Long-term feeding studies have shown increased liver and kidney weights and adverse changes in liver tissues in test animals. 

Resmethrin is highly toxic to birds, honeybees, and bats. This pesticide interferes with honeybee reproduction, ability to navigate, or temperature regulation, any of which can have an effect on long-term survival of honeybee colonies. It has been proven to be highly toxic to fish, crustaceans, & Zooplankton. Affecting their mortality, population, behavior, growth, histology, injury & intoxication.




Click For Printable Resmethin Fact Sheet
Click For Resmethrin Ecotoxicity

Example:
SUMITHRIN (D-Phenothrin)
Phenothrin, also called sumithrin, is a synthetic pyrethroid that kills adult fleas and ticks. It has also been used to kill head lice in humans. D-Phenothrin is used as a component of aerosol insecticides for domestic use. Phenothrin is often used with methoprene, an insect growth regulator that interrupts the insect's biological life cycle by killing the eggs.

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates about 100 million applications of sumithrin are used annually in U.S. homes, yards, and gardens.

Sumithrin is a carcinogen and causes breast and liver cancer. Sumithin exposure causes anemia and damages the liver and kidneys. Sumithin effects the human nervous system with dizziness, headaches and fatigue.

Hormones are greatly affected by sumithrin. Sumithrin can mimic activities of the sex hormone estrogen and keep another sex hormone from binding to it's normal receptors.
In EPA studies, rabbits suffered miscarriages and abnormally large amounts of fluid around the brain leading to enlarged skull and atrophy of the brain.

Thousands of cat and dog poisonings have been reported some leading to death.
Sumithrin flea control products by Hartz have caused a large number of cat poisonings over the years.

Sumithrin is very toxic to sensitive fish species like rainbow trout, shrimp, and small aquatic life. Tiny amounts of Sumithrin kill bees. The EPA put Sumithrin in the highest toxicity group for honeybee toxicity.

Click To Read Sumithrin Fact Sheet 
Manufacture Data Sheet

Passaic County Department of Health
Click Here To See Passaic County Department of Health Pesticide Information

Click on PDF files to see reports. Please take notice of ingredients. Over 90% of listed ingredients are unknown and listed as non-hazardous and trade secrets.

Long Term Side Effects
Let me start by saying I'm not a scientist or a chemist. I'm just a practical, logical thinking person. There comes a time in researching a subject when you have look down the rabbit hole and start to connect the dots putting 2 and 2 together.

After reading all the side effects from these harsh chemicals, don't they all sound familiar? 
That's because we humans also have reproduction and central nervous systems.

Malathion is another pesticide example. Does this ailment sound familiar?   A 2010 study has shown that children with higher levels of organophosphate pesticide metabolites in their urine are more likely to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. 

There's no need for a lab rat experiment to see the truth. The answers are right outside our front doors. We are a part of the larger more extensive experiment that's going on all around us.  The data is starting to pour in and it does not look very good.

Pesticides are affecting the life of creatures all around us. Affecting mortality rates, population, growth and behavior in insects, birds, fish, crustaceans, bats, and honeybees. These harsh chemicals interfere with reproduction systems, have adverse effects on the central nervous system, and there is an increase in premature stillbirths and a decrease in newborn weights.

As of today one in 6 woman seek help from doctors to become pregnant. Newborn babies are more often born premature and light in weight. One in every 8 babies are born premature each year in the U.S. The current nationwide rate is 12.3 percent of babies are born premature.
 
There is clear evidence that men sperm counts are dramatically dropping in this country. As many as one in five healthy young men between the ages of 18 and 25 produce abnormal sperm counts. Even the sperm they do produce is often of poor quality. In fact only between 5 and 15 percent of their sperm is, on average, good enough to be classed as "normal" under strict
World Health Organization rules.

CNN Reports: USA gets "D" grade for its preterm birth rate.
New Jersey's cancer rates are above national average in 8 different cancers.
Environmental Toxins May be Causing Mass Cancer Wave
EU Commission wants restrictions on pesticides that can harm bees

We have to start thinking logically and stop being so naive. It's not a coincidence that humans are suffering from the same side effects. We are just suffering the effect slower and later in life because we are much larger. Over time these chemicals are killing us. As a community, we must start addressing these issues now or we are going to be next on the endangered species list.

Why Are We Spraying?
To this day it still has not been proven that spraying pesticides is effective in decreasing insect populations. Research shows that 70% of Americans view their backyard mosquito problem as moderate to severe. So it does not appear to be working very well.

The backyard mosquito control method Americans use most is sprays and foggers that are ineffective and environmentally harmful. They are effective for only 2 to 4 hours, then the mosquitoes are back. Sprays are indiscriminate. They kill every insect: ladybugs, butterflies, praying mantis', earthworms - everything!

Most studies are now showing that insects are developing resistance to pesticides and over time insect populations are becoming stronger. In as little as 6 generations mosquitoes can build up immunity to a pesticide.

The fact is, if you rely on pesticide sprays and foggers, towns will need more and more of them to do the job, and will have to use them more and more often.

What's Worse?
A Mosquito Bite or the Chemicals?
In 2011 the CDC reports that only 40 people in the United States died from West Nile Virus. No deaths were reported in NJ. Don't want to be insensitive but this amount is miniscule in a country with a population of over  312,800,000 Million. 40 People Per Year = 0.000012 of 1%

New Jersey West Nile in year 2011.
CNN 2012 - West Nile outbreak largest ever in U.S.

The fact is most of the victims are elderly unhealthy people. In most cases, it's very difficult to prove that the West Nile Virus even caused the death of the victim.

Most cases are Nonneuroinvasive disease cases. Typically less severe cases that show no evidence of neuroinvasion—primarily West Nile fever. WN fever is considered a notifiable disease, most cases, people who get infected by the West Nile virus never feel the effects or symptoms of the virus and do not seek care.

Stop The Spraying
Personally I believe all pesticide spraying should stop immediately. But I'm also realistic.
It's going to take time. Residents need to be educated on the issues and once the facts are
known, I have no doubt spraying will be stopped.

We are either going to pollut all water and land around us, and suffer the consequence, or we are going to decide we don't want to live like this anymore. Either way something needs to be done.

Until then, we need to come together as a community and find a better way.

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