By Shepherd Bliss
The No Spray Action Network exists for the sole purpose of opposing forced
spraying of deadly pesticides to control the glassy-winged sharpshooter. If
what the government calls an "infestation" of only five bugs does occur here
and forced spraying follows, there will be many ways for people to
oppose--direct action, support, witnesses, donating money for legal
expenses, answering and making phone calls.
Sebastopol Mayor Larry Robinson and Sonoma Mayor Larry Barnett have been the most outspoken elected officials against forced spraying. They have been joined by Sebastopol Councilmem- bers Bill Roventini, Craig Litwin and Sam Spooner and Sonoma Vice-Mayor Ken Brown.
The majority of Sonoma County residents do not understand that they are personally at risk. If the sharpshooter does arrive in Sonoma County, it is most likely to arrive in population centers. Since the sharpshooter can deliver Pierce's Disease to grape vines, some people have the mistaken notion that it is most likely to come to the countryside. However, the sharpshooter arrives on landscaping plants in nurseries. So the pattern in Sacramento and elsewhere has been that a few bugs first arrive in cities. The yards of city residents would be the most likely to be sprayed first.
An article headlined "Farm Spraying Threatens Frogs" appeared in the Dec. l0 Press Democrat. Even the pro-pesticide PD had a Dec. 8 story headlined "Bird Deaths Traced to Pesticides." When is enough enough? How many animal deaths and how much loss of nature caused by pesticides do we need before we wake up? Pesticides used against the sharpshooter elsewhere in California this year are nerve toxins, such as the Nemacur that recently killed hundreds of birds in Alexander Valley and injured frogs elsewhere. Amphibians like frogs, who live on both the land and in water, are indicator species. What happens to them today indicates what may happen to us tomorrow.
The No Spray strategy at this time is one of deterence. We want to convince the government that the cost of mandatory spraying would be greater than any benefit. The costs of such action in terms of human health, the environment, and damaging the wine industry's public image will far outweigh any damage that the sharpshooter could do to their vines.
We recommend that all No Spray activity be done in a respectful way. Some individuals outside our group may chose other tactics. We invite people to manage their anger and express feelings in ways that can be heard. The No Spray Action Network is firmly committed to non-violence in dealing with both people and property. People working with us must agree with this principle. We will disassociate ourselves from any violence. We align ourselves with the tradition of American Quakers, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King. We will host non-violent training sessions starting in January.
The No Spray group does not oppose all pesticide use. It is politically fruitless to challenge spraying on people's own property. It is quite another thing when they come over to our homes, gardens, farms, and land and public properties like schools, roadsides, and parks. We must prevent the crossing of that line. We must keep our target clear and singular--opposing non-consensual spraying of people's yards and property without their permission.
We seek people who agree with our one objective, though they may disagree on other matters. We want people of different temperaments, ages, skills, and sub-cultures. Critics of the wine industry and grapegrowers can work together on this, as can city folks and farmers. We want private property advocates and non-citizen residents. The No Spray issue is ideal for bipartisan support of Republicans and Democrats, who can work together to support public health and safety.
The sharpshooter is not our enemy. It is a symptom of the underlying problem of poor agricultural practices, such as monocrop- ping. If it were not the sharpshooter, it would be another insect--nature's way of balancing. Spraying for the sharpshooter will not solve the problem, but will create super-bugs and worsen the problem.
Let's get off the chemical path. Just say no to toxic pesticide spraying against people's will.