APPROVE HERE
Pesticide Regulations
Category: Environmental
Area of Effect: Agriculture
The World Assembly,
APPLAUDING previous efforts at enviromental protection,
RECOGNIZING that in many member nations farmers need to rely on chemical pesticides to keep their crops healthy,
CONCERNED of the effects that pesticides could have on the environment and the inhabitants of member nations, such as contamination of waterways, soil and groundwater, as well as unintended harm to non-target organisms,
UNDERSTANDING that, like all pollution, pesticide run-off does not respect national boundaries,
HEREBY
1. Extends the mandate of the World Assembly Science Program (WASP) to monitor the use of pesticides in member nations, their unintentional environmental effects, as well as disseminate information on how to best avoid environmental contamination,
2. Defines "chemical pesticide" as a chemical designed to prevent or kill pathogens and non-sapient pests, and which is used to protect crops or other organisms,
3. Establishes these regulations on chemical pesticides used and produced in the member nations:
- All pesticide ingredients must be ones that are permitted for the intended use by the nation where the product is used,
- The ingredients must be listed on the label of the pesticide, which must also contain instructions for safe handling and use,
- No false advertising or unsubstantiated claims are allowed on the label,
- The producer of the pesticide must include its name and contact information on the label,
4. Requires that the users of chemical pesticides must act to prevent pesticide runoff with preventative measures, including but not limited to buffer zones, selective application and avoiding irrigation right after applying pesticides,
5. Also requires that should an accident involving pesticides happen at or near the border of another nation, the member nation must contact the neighbouring nation's relevant officials, and offer assistance with possible clean-up measures,
6. Encourages member nations to research and use more environmentally-friendly pesticides as well as non-chemical forms of pest control, if these are not already in use,
7. Reaffirms that the use of pesticides as chemical weapons does not fall under the domain of this resolution.
Co-Authored by Araraukar
What does all this mean?
Why is this an international issue?
We couldn't think of a better answer than our environmental sciences specialised friend gave:Separatist Peoples wrote:OOC: Because pesticides have serious environmental impacts that do not respect national borders or jurisdictions. Nations are not always willing to cede to a neighbor's insistence to stop a particular practice, feeling the political damage done doesn't surpass in value the benefit derived for themselves. Since a bilateral approach has many potential pitfalls in this case, unlike, say, border control issues, the logical body to regulate the issue is the World Assembly.
Doesn't this contradict the "Preventing Animal Abuse" resolution?
The keywords in that resolution are "cruelly or maliciously". A farmer spraying his crops to keep them from being destroyed by a pest animal is not doing so maliciously or to be cruel to the pests, he's doing it so they don't eat his crops. We're not sure if he would be allowed to do the mad scientist laughter while spreading the pesticide, or if that would go against GA #372.
If you have additional questions, we're happy to try and reply them!
If you have additional questions, we're happy to try and reply them![/spoiler]
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Suggustions are welcome. ( well, I have the suggustions already)
You know, I hated that changelog.