This came into my email, from the organization Organic Consumers Association It is a little bit shocking, to say the least. Anyway, read on:

EPA WILL USE POOR KIDS AS GUINEA PIGS IN NEW STUDY ON PESTICIDES

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), led by Bush appointees, plans to launch a new study in which participating low income families will have their children exposed to toxic pesticides over the course of two years. For taking part in these studies, each family will receive $970, a free video camera, a T-shirt, and a framed certificate of appreciation. In October, the EPA received $2 million to do the study from the American Chemistry Council, a chemical industry front group that includes members such as Dow, Exxon, and Monsanto. The EPA’s Linda Sheldon says the study is vital, because so little is known about how small children’s bodies absorb harmful chemicals. As of press time, none of the EPA’s employees are offering to have their own children take part in this research project. The Organic Consumers Association is calling on the nation’s citizens to demand the EPA forgo this project before its scheduled launch in early 2005.

So, what do you think? Several questions come to mind. One, how unbiased is this study going to be, being that it is being paid for by the companies who earn zillions in sales of pesticides? Two, what is it’s purpose? We already know that pesticides are harmful. Is this study going to “prove” that children are not effected by them? Why not go down to Central America, and take a look at the all the children born with cleft lips and palates, who are exposed in utero to high doses of pesticides. And finally, why aren’t any of the families of the EPA, Dow, Exxon, and Monsanto offering their children up to be experimented on? I mean, they obviously think that their products are safe. So why not have all of their children participate?

But I guess they figure that just in case anything does go wrong, the poor children are expendable. Sort of like throw-away items.