Calls for Increased Participation at Local Levels Highlights RISE Annual Meeting

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — A record gathering of 275 people attended the RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment) Annual Meeting in Las Vegas last week, which focused largely on the need for more industry activism at local levels. RISE is a national, not-for-profit trade association representing suppliers of specialty
pesticides and fertilizers. 

In the various sessions, speakers stressed the need for not just manufacturers, but for end-users, to become involved at the grass-roots level to address regulatory challenges facing the specialty chemical industries.

Orkin’s Tom Diederich, who serves on RISE’s Issues Committee, said he’s observed that many environmental groups have shifted their focus to the local level.

“Their strategy has been to introduce local ordinances that may be detrimental to the industry in terms of regulation or banning pesticides,” he said. “We need for the people and the business in these communities to show up at meetings and state their views so that the people making the decisions can have a balanced look at what the issues might be.

“It’s not enough for just the RISE staff to go to Capitol Hill. We all must work harder.”

Hot topics discussed in meetings and in general sessions included:

• CropLife America’s plea for the specialty industries to become more involved with container recycling programs, including everything from the recovery to the recycling of specialty pesticides and containers.
• Suffolk County (N.Y.’s) proposed “Lock and Key” bill, which would require retailers to keep pesticides secured and purchasers to sign a statement acknowledging the potential hazards inherent in pesticides.
• The ongoing battle over cosmetic pesticide uses on lawns in Ontario, Canada. 

Alex Avery, director of research at the Center for Global Food Issues, Hudson Institute, Churchville, Va., gave a presentation disputing the DDT claims made by Rachel Carson in her book Silent Spring. In his presentation, Avery explained "The Rachel Carson Syndrome," which he describes as “a paranoia that pesticides are at the root of all environmental problems.” Avery told PCT that some environmentalists are clinging to this belief even though there is more than enough evidence to the contrary.

Avery disputed many of Carson’s claims about the dangers of DDT, citing the lack of supporting evidence. He reminded attendees that these type of “junk science” anti-pesticide use claims are still being made today, citing activist efforts to ban the use of atrazine for fear it was harming frogs.

Avery tied his presentation into the main theme of the conference, stating that “We only have ourselves to blame if we let them misrepresent science to the public. I consider it a success when I call up a newspaper to rebuke an (anti-pesticide) article based on junk science and they say we’ve already received complaints from (industry) groups.”