M8.5 Ideal Chemical Policy

Essential Components of Ideal Chemical Policies

An ideal chemical policy would implement much stricter regulations than what are currently in place. This is necessary to better protect the health of all living beings and the environment. Currently, significant resources are used to create new chemicals every year. Moving forward, these resources should be redirected to make the chemicals currently being used safer. This will help to create a more sustainable way of life.

Specific aspects of the policy should include the following:

• Non-chemical interventions should be tried first before farmers introduce pesticides onto their crops.
• Persistent organic pollutants should be banned across all countries.
• Chemical companies must prove the safety and efficacy of chemicals before they are approved for use. This will require extensive longitudinal testing completed by third party companies to reduce bias.
• Chemicals will no longer be sold freely on the open market. All products will be sold and monitored through verified vendors. This will eliminate inappropriate sale and use of chemicals.
• The EPA will work with chemical manufactures to develop sustainable methods of chemical disposal and clean-up. For example, the AUSAID is an international leader in DDT clean-up within the South Pacific. This portion of the policy is hugely important from a public health perspective. Currently, chemicals that are not properly disposed of can cause asthma, allergies, cancer, decreased fertility, as well as having significant impact on soil quality, water cleanliness, and insect pollinators’ well-being. If the issue of chemical exposure is reduced, adverse health outcomes will be markedly reduced. We have gone on far too long by allowing dangerous chemicals to remain in our ecosystem, thus negatively impacting the cycle of life.
• Monocropping must be outlawed. This will reduce the need for widespread use of chemical pesticides.
• Any farmer who needs to use chemical pesticides must be trained on the adverse effects associated with its use.
• Anyone who sprays pesticides must be given proper personal protective equipment to ensure their safety and the safety of their families.
• The safety and efficacy of previously approved chemicals will be reviewed every decade. Every chemical must be reapproved during this review.
• It will be outlawed to support industrial food production through government subsidies. Instead, all government subsidies supporting food production will be given to organic farmers who use sustainable farming practices.

These goals may seem unrealistic and expensive, but these are the steps I believe need to be taken to ensure a safe world for our generation and generations to come.