Environment
and
Human Rights

Dr Tom Kerns

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

California Spray Assignment
and Discussion Questions

 

 

Another case you will be discussing this week is the 2008 plan by the California Department of Food and Agriculture to aerially spray chemical pheromones over many urban areas along California's central coast and in the Bay Area, and to continue spraying periodically for the next several years

This assignment involves four elements:

  1. Do a little research, probably on the web but maybe in libraries too, and see what you can discover about the CDFA's spray plan for controlling the Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM) with aerial sprays, and the popular resistance to the plan. Probably the best place to start your search will be the informative websites set up by those opposing the spray, lbamspray.com. and CASSonline.org. It may be helpful to check out CDFA's website too, to hear their understanding of the LBAM situation.

    Post a paragraph or two describing to classmates what you've discovered about it, and what you understand the issues to be. (Be sure to include citations describing where you found your information.)

  2. Say a few words about what ethical issues come to mind for you in reading about this event.

  3. If you had to frame some of those ethical issues in terms of human rights norms or violations, what rights would you see as particularly relevant?

    (It may help with this question to look over the report prepared by Environment and Human Rights Advisory for the CDFA and the California Alliance to Stop the Spray, titled "The LBAM Aerial Spray Program and Human Rights.")

  4. Discuss each other's responses to these DQs.