We'd never knowingly expose our children to a powerful chemical linked to reduced IQ, developmental delay, and increased risk of learning disabilities.
But Donald Trump's EPA would.
Led by EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt — an ally of the billion-dollar chemical industry — the agency has abruptly reversed course on a proposed ban of the toxic pesticide chlorpyrifos.
This substance, made by Dow Chemical, belongs to the same class of chemicals that were developed as nerve agents in Nazi Germany.
NRDC is fighting in federal court to compel EPA to act now to ban this dangerous pesticide. We can't stay silent while our families and communities are exposed to poisonous chemicals.
That's why I recorded a short, powerful video with our friends at NowThis to expose the dangers of Dow's nerve gas pesticide.
I hope you'll watch the video now — then tell Trump's EPA to ban the nerve gas pesticide chlorpyrifos immediately!
The destructive qualities of chlorpyrifos (klor-PEER-a-foss) also make it great for killing insects, which is why industrial farmers spray millions of pounds of it every year on crops like apples, oranges, and broccoli.
Scientific research shows the devastating harm it can have on human health, especially to children: lower IQs, developmental delays, and serious neurological damage. Later in life, studies have found links to lung cancer and Parkinson's.
EPA scientists found the risks of chlorpyrifos to children to be so great that the agency recommended banning the pesticide from use on food last year. But then Trump and Pruitt immediately shot down the ban when they took office, siding with companies like Dow over you, me, and our families.
And Pruitt has stocked his EPA with chemical industry insiders, who are hard at work using their industry connections to make sure the ban never sees the light of day.
NRDC is fighting back hard in court, facing off against the EPA to compel the agency to follow through with a ban on this toxic pesticide. We're also prevailing on California Governor Jerry Brown to ban chlorpyrifos — a million pounds of which are used in California alone every year — on crops statewide.
We need your help to bolster our case by mobilizing a nationwide public outcry that will demonstrate to the Trump administration that when the safety of our children is concerned, we will not back down.
Please, watch my NowThis video now — and then help get this dangerous chemical out of our food and away from our children: Tell the Trump administration to ban the toxic pesticide chlorpyrifos today!
-Rhea Suh, President NRDC
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