Scott Pruitt, the head of Donald Trump’s EPA, has given the go-ahead for Americans to use a pesticide known as chlorpyrifos, which is known to cause brain damage in children, even with just mild exposure. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this.
Transcript of the above video:
Since 1995, the EPA has been debating the safety of a pesticide known as Chlorpyrifos. This is a specific pesticide that acts as a nerve disruptor, an endocrine disruptor in insects, thereby killing them. And, since 1995, the United States EPA has known that this specific pesticide causes brain damage in children, even if they’re only exposed to low doses of the pesticide. And, it is especially bad, because it will affect unborn children when they’re still in utero, which affects their brain development. Scientists have found over the years, that exposure to this specific pesticide can cause long-term brain damage, lower IQ’s, and has even been linked to cases of autism in children who were exposed to the chemical while still in the womb, while their brains were still developing.
Here’s the thing. This week, Scott Pruitt, Donald Trump’s Head for the EPA, decided to end the 22 year debate and said, “Screw it. We’re letting companies, farmers, whoever, you want to use this pesticide? Yeah, we know it’s probably going to screw your kids up for life, but go for it. We’re giving it the green light.” Scott Pruitt ended 22 years of scientific debate, just because he wants to give Dow Chemical, the maker of this pesticide, a little extra profit. Now, keep in mind, because of the danger that this pesticide poses to children, we have already banned it for use in homes. The only people who can use this are farmers.
We can’t use it around our house, because it’s so freaking dangerous. Children who live near farms or live near where this chemical has been sprayed, have been found to have this chemical in their urine. 1,000 times higher than anybody else in this country, so this is a direct spraying issue. This is an airborne issue of this pesticide getting caught up in the wind, and blown in the faces of our children, where it screws up their brain. Because, just like with insects, where it screws up your endocrine system, it screws up your immune system, it does that in children, as well. People with weaker immune systems, people whose brains are still developing. It does the same thing to them that it does to bugs.
But, to Donald Trump and Scott Pruitt at the EPA, that’s really all American citizens are at this point. We’re just bugs, and if we get sprayed with this deadly pesticide and killed, or left with a horrible quality of life, “Oh, well. That’s just the cost of doing business,” for them. That’s just the cost of doing business for Dow Chemical, who makes this pesticide. We’re bugs to them, and the sooner they can eradicate us, the less they have to worry about.
