Popular Post webfact Posted August 13, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 13, 2018 Activists plan lawsuits over farm chemicals By Pratch Rujivanarom The Nation File photo ACTIVISTS ARE planning to launch lawsuits against policymakers for their failure to ban certain hazardous agrochemicals in Thailand, following victories in two separate cases in the United States against major US agriculture conglomerate Monsanto. Consumer protection organisations and the committee for healthcare system reform yesterday disclosed their decisions to sue the Hazardous Substance Committee and other related agencies for allowing the use of three harmful chemicals – paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos – by citing the successful examples of similar lawsuits in the US as role models. Prokchol Ousap, coordinator of the Thailand Pesticide Alert Network (Thai-PAN), said that after the court victories in the US, Thai consumer protection activists were considering whether to replicate these successes in the Kingdom by suing those responsible for the continued allowance of the use of hazardous herbicides and pesticides. Prokchol revealed that the activists’ main target was the Hazardous Substance Committee. On May 23 a majority of its members voted to restrict rather than ban the use of paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos based on the claim that their impacts on health remained debatable. “We are still discussing which charges can be used and should be selected for this lawsuit to campaign for the goal of banning three widely used herbicides and pesticides and making sure that our food is safe from these harmful agrochemicals by adapting the strategies used in the successful cases in the US,” she explained. Prokchol insisted that despite not knowing whether their legal fight in Thailand would be as fruitful as the cases in the US, they were sure that regardless of the final result, the litigation against the major players who allowed the use of dangerous farm chemicals would let society see how strong the Thai legal system is on the task of protecting consumers’ interests. Last week, a US Federal Appeals Court ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to ban the use of chlorpyrifos, a widely used pesticide, within 60 days as it was clear that it was harmful to both the environment and public health. Also, San Francisco’s Superior Court on Friday ruled that Monsanto must pay US$289 million (Bt9.65 billion) in damages to a school groundskeeper, Dewayne Johnson, as the conglomerate’s herbicide product Roundup had caused him to be stricken with cancer. Separately, the head of the Emerging Infectious Disease Health Science Centre at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine, Dr Thiravat Hemachudha, also plans to sue the Hazardous Substance Committee, as well as related agencies. “The decision of the Hazardous Substance Committee not to ban paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos in Thailand is a clear defiance against the previous resolution of three ministries: the Public Health Ministry, the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry, and the Industry Ministry,” he said. As a member of the healthcare system reform committee, Thiravat said he would today discuss the issue with Public Health Minister Dr Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn. Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30352065 -- © Copyright The Nation 2018-08-14 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuckamuck Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 I would love to see what they plan to replace them with, particularly glyphosate. Limit the use, sure, but outright banning is over the top. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Cadbury Posted August 13, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 13, 2018 1 hour ago, webfact said: Activists plan lawsuits over farm chemicals But the doctors representing the chemical manufacturers said the chemical were quite safe to use and would not cause harm to humans. Those lies were accepted as truth by the government. Case closed. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyezhov Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 better wait till all the appeals are done. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mok199 Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 (edited) Thailand ,saving face supersedes saving lives.. Edited August 14, 2018 by mok199 speliings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesofa Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 1 hour ago, Cadbury said: But the doctors representing the chemical manufacturers said the chemical were quite safe to use and would not cause harm to humans. Those lies were accepted as truth by the government. Case closed. I'd even suggest that those "doctors" told the government what they wanted to hear. I seem to recall one of those quacks saying that the only way those chemicals could harm you would be if you drank them or bathed in them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoganInParasite Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 Any ban should be implemented with an effective campaign highlighting alternates together with information and learning initiatives on application rates and methods. We are talking about peoples livelihoods here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peperobi Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 Don't worry peoples, none will listen to you, this is a BIG money game! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terminatorchiangmai Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 Some people see money everywhere. The lawsuits are about prducts beeing sold without warning signs! I have weedkiller here for my side walk in front of the house with glyphosate in it. The botle says very clear , wear a mask , gloves and rubber boots. Good luck for the really dumb activists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UPDEHSOI Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 4 hours ago, canuckamuck said: I would love to see what they plan to replace them with, particularly glyphosate. Limit the use, sure, but outright banning is over the top. So...a little bit of poison is okay?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lupatria Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 4 hours ago, canuckamuck said: I would love to see what they plan to replace them with, particularly glyphosate. Limit the use, sure, but outright banning is over the top. It's like selling alcohol. Once it goes over the counter, you can't control the buyers drinking habit. To me the story reads more like some Saul Goodman type lawyers ("I can change your addiction into a subscription") convinced and encouraged some activist, after they became aware of the $289 mio. lawsuit Monsanto recently lost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anon537687643 Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 Protecting lives not part of Thai officialdom! Unless of course it’s their own Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuckamuck Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 6 hours ago, UPDEHSOI said: So...a little bit of poison is okay?? Yes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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