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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 2, 1987)
Editorial ■*. Refused pesticide ban bodes ill for public The Environmental Protection Agency’s decision last week to allow the pesticide chlordane to remain on the market despite repeated calls for its ban leaves doubts about the agency's willingness to protect the environment and public health. Chlordane, a termite killer, has shown to cause cancer and a host of other health problems in laboratory animals. Used in millions of American homes and businesses, this chemical has been hotly protested as a dangerous product by environmentalists and scientists since its introduction in the 1970s, New York, Massachusetts and Japan have banned the product because of its potential health hazard to humans, and the KPA has prevented its use on food products. Despite independent scientific evidence to the contrary, the KPA said it did not have enough information to warrant an im mediate ban on the pesticide and could not deem it “im minently hazardous" under the national pesticide law. Moreover, the agency concedes in contradictory terms that chlordane is a risk to humans only when it’s used im properly. stating that it causes "moderately severe" health reactions when ingested, inhaled or in contact with the skin. The pesticide also proves to cause chronic liver damage and may cause eye irritation. Yet the EPA claims there is insufficient evidence to prove that it causes cancer and damages the immune and nervous systems in humans — a claim many scientists dispute. The dispute renews old charges that the ERA is insen sitive toward consumers and the environment. The issue also recalls the dark days of the EFA under the direction of Anne Burford, who often allowed dangerous pesticides on the market despite recommendations that they be banned. The EFA’s chlordane report goes only as far to say that it "may pose enough risk of cancer to be a regulatory con cern," and merely recommends warning labels be placed on the product and that trained applicators use the chemical. But these provisions are voluntary, and the onus of en forcing these or more stringent measures against chlordane’s use falls on individual states. Chlordane is used throughout the country, and regulation of its use should be under federal authority. Clearly, the EFA is not doing its job. Another questionable aspect of the EFA’s decision not to ban chlordane is that the federal agency requires the pesticide’s manufacturer, Velsicol Chemical Corp., to pro vide the EFA with testing information to fill in "data gaps" regarding the effects of the chemical on human health and the environment — essentially appointing Velsicol as its own overseer. The foreboding irony is that this same corporation defeated attempts for an emergency ban on chlordane in IfiBS. Suspicions were raised then that the EFA was involv ed in closed-door decision making with the chemical cor poration. These very suspicions have resurfaced today. The EFA’s refusal to ban chlordane is unfortunate and stands as rude testimony to its perverse practice of protec ting corporate interests rather than taking responsibility for what the agency was designed to do — protect the environ ment and public health. Letters Tragedy Recently 1 attended a showing of the movie Blue Velvet on campus in Room 150 Geology. The film featured a character named Flank, a middle-aged, sadistic lunatic who concen trated most of his abuse on a female character, and was graphically shown raping her and punching her repeatedly. It’s hard to know what to make of such scenes, proffered by the movie industry as entertainment. Equally puzzling, and more disturbing than the film itself, was the audience reaction. Though the film’s protagonist was a likable kid. the male students in the audience iden tified with Frank and were cheering his exploits. A chorus of ”Go, Frank! Yeah! Frank!" accompanied the entire rape scene, and wild applause erupted each time Frank struck the woman in the face with his fist. 1 sat in the theater and felt physically afraid to be a woman. Oregon Daily Emerald The Oregon Daily Emerald is published Monday through Friday except during exam week and vacations by the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co , at the University of Oregon. Eugene, Oregon, 97403 The Emerald operates independently ot the University with offices on the third floor of the Erb Memorial Union and is a member of the Associated Press The Emerald is private property The unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable by law General Staff Advertising Director Susan Thelen Production Manager Wayne Michael Lottinville Classified Advertising Alyson Simmons Assistant to the Publisher Jean Ownbey Advertising Sales: Peter LaFleur / Sales Manager Teresa Acosta. Brent Collins, Beryl Israel, Janelle Heit mann, Laura Goldstein, Catherine Lilja, Rick Martz, Joseph Menzel. Peter Miller, Joan Wildermuth News and Editorial 686-5511 Display Advertising and Business 666-3712 Classified Advertising 686-4343 Production 686-4381 Circulation 686-5511 Editor Managing Editor News Editor Spectrum Editor Editorial Page Editors Sports Editor Photo Editor Assistant Photo Editor Graphic Editor Night Editor Associate Editors Community Higher Education / Administration University Affairs Student Government General Assignment Michelle Brence Lucinda Dillon Michael Rivers Stephen Maher James Young Michael Drummond Capi Lynn Michael Wilhelm John Giustina Lorraine Rath Michelle Brence Jolayne Houtz Chris Norred Stan Nelson Sarah Kitchen Dennis Fernandes Reporters: Sean Axmaker, Mary Courtis, Karen Creighton, Gary Henley, Carolyn Lamberson. Scott Maben, Janet Paulson, B J Thomsen Photographers: Sherlyn Biorkgren. Shu-Shing Chen, Maria Corvallis, Derrel Hewitt, Bobbie Lo, Dan Wheeler Production: Michele Ross / Ad Coordinator Kelly Alexandre, Elizabeth Asher, Ronwin Nicole Ashton, Virginia Baniaga, Sandra Bevans, Sara Briscoe. Shu Shing Chen, Janet Emery, Lisa Haggerty, Donna Leslie, Curtis Lott, Kelli Mason, Mike McGraw, Rob Miles, Angelina Muniz, Julie Paul, Ingrid White. X Kang Xie Can this sort of thing be justified? Is the modern movie going experience the new-age equivalent of classical tragedy, said to have purged the ancient Greek populace of its dangerous impulses? But an audience comes away from the tragedy with a sense of the greatness inherent in human nature. The only thing made clear to me in watching Blue Velvet with college students is that human nature stinks. A public stoning would have been more fun. Maxine Frost Theater, English lit. Jello protest 1 would just like to con gratulate Don Arney and Matt IJhre for writing what is possibly the most eloquent argument I have ever read against the misuse of jello (ODE, Jan. 28). Their letter against the evil food abusers at the Housing Department is just what the peo ple of this university need to realize how much we abuse jello. Just look at all the abuse that finger jello takes. They remind us that there is famine and malnutrition in the world, and I couldn’t agree more. Since jello is so high in nutritional value, I have decid ed to try to organize a program to mail jello to starving countries. I am now calling on the residents of this university to fight this jello abuse and mail their jello to the starving person of their choice. If vom think that this letter is sarcas , you’re right! But I would .ke to point out that I do think we should do something about world hunger, but jello is not the solution. Eric J. Winkler Journalism Conflict In mv letter to the Emerald Jan. 8, 1 stated that for “post Christian agnostics” like myself the irresolvable conflict bet ween religious faith and secular reason has led to our reliance on modes of inquiry that involve the scientific study of the natural world and critical historical analysis. I also suggested that univer sities should encourage consis tent critical analysis, and that the realm of religious belief should not be considered an ex cept ion if undersirable “psychological com part men tali/.ation" is to be avoided. Subsequently, a number of dissenting reactions appeared in the Emerald’s Letters section. One such response was that of Anton Tolman. pyschology CTF. whose Jan. 18 letter con tained the following: “...To me the idea that Jesus is the pro mised Messiah is a fact because I have had experiences in my life that have convinced my once-skeptical self of the reality of religious truths.” Although Tolman is entitled to his personal beliefs about Jesus and the alleged existence of a God. he cannot assert that his beliefs represent truth or verified knowledge unless they can pass the kinds of validating tests which scientific scholar ship requires. Surely as a psychology GTE. Toman must be aware that mere personal testimony is not a suf ficient basis for determining the veracity of a stated opinion! Scientific inquiry seeks to understand things on the basis of objective rigor, rather than unsubstantiated faith in some pre-conceived world view that is discontinuous with rational processes. Tolman’s bifurcated stance is an example of '‘psychological com partmentalization” Ron Rouseseve Counseling psychology professor
