Why Would the EPA Do This?

I received an email this week from Dr. Ray Dorsey and his Parkinson Warriors in his fight to end Parkinson's Disease. Dr. Dorsey, along with Dr. Todd Sherer, Dr. Michael Okun, and Dr. Bas Bloem, all co-wrote the book, "Ending Parkinson's Disease." In this book, the authors spend an entire chapter on the use of Paraquat, a pesticide that is very dangerous to use and has a direct link to Parkinson's Disease in humans.

In his email, Dr. Dorsey stated that this past week, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has just re-approved the usage of Paraquat in the United States. "Every 15 years, the EPA reviews all herbicides and pesticides to confirm they are safe for use. This review process takes several years and has many steps. The latest round of pesticide review and reapprovals, known as interim decisions, finalizes the EPA’s assessments of human and environmental impact and allows the pesticide to be bought and used until it is reviewed again." states the Michael J. Fox Foundation website.

This is what we know about Paraquat (from Dr. Dorsey's page).

1. Paraquat increases the risk of Parkinson's Disease by 150%
2. 32 countries, including the European Union, Brazil and China have banned it.
3. Paraquat is so toxic that the EPA's own website says that "one sip can kill."
4. 1.1 million American's have Parkinson's and 200 more will be diagnosed today.
5. Paraquat is being used here in Iowa and particularly in the midwest. Check out the Pesticide Use Map from 2017 here.

My questions are simple ones: Why do you suppose the EPA allowed this to happen? Aren't they suppose to protect the environment, as well as the people who live in this country? Is the farming lobby so strong that the EPA succombs to the pressure? There are approximately 60,000 Iowans living with Parkinson's. There are only a handful of Neurologist who are movement disorder specialist. We need our government to protect its people.

As Dr. Dorsey mentions in his book, we, as Americans, have fought the government to overcome sickness and health issues in the past, fighting for and winning the battle against HIV and Polio. We have also fought and are nearly winning the battle against breast cancer as well. We have to make Parkinson's important to the average American, like Polio did decades ago and as we are currently doing with breast cancer. 

I highly endorsed this book "Ending Parkinson's Disease" for anyone who is interested and is living with the disease, caring for a loved one who suffers from it or just interested in the relationship between the government and how it interacts with the people. In fact, if you'd like a copy of this book, simply email info@endingpd.org and ask for a free copy.

Press On!

The Title of this blog might raise some questions.

 

Hey gang!

 

Hey gang? What kind of greeting is that? Please allow me to explain. I believe that we are all part of a “gang.” Some people call them groups, families, communities, whatever. To me, a gang symbolizes a group of people with all the same rugged determination, the same purpose, the same agenda. My gang consists of people with Parkinson’s Disease. My bride of 46 years, Victoria, has had Parkinson’s since 2003 and it has become a part of our lives. I say “our” because as her care partner, it affects me as well. I hope to share with you all, different perspectives on Parkinson’s, being a care partner, and what I have read and/or been told from doctors and trusted sources what is happening in the Parkinson’s world. With full disclosure, I must add that both Victoria and I have been on the Board of Directors of the Iowa Chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA, for short) since 2013 and I have served as its Board President since 2016. We have been fortunate to be associated with the APDA and other outstanding organizations that are working tirelessly to rid this world of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). In future blogs, I will delve into some medical aspects of PD from a layman’s point of view.

 

Now, about the title of this blog, “Not the Status Quo.” Before I retired and became a full-time care partner for my Victoria, I was involved in education. I have served just about every position in this fascination field. I started as a teacher and coach, moved into athletic administration and finished my career as a high school principal for 9 years followed by the superintendency for another 10 years. All told, I was in education for 39 years and while there were certainly some bumps in the road, it’s a great profession and one that we, as a nation, must hold in high regard. Annually, as a superintendent, I held “back to school” meetings with our staff in the fall before the kids would arrive. I always called this my “State of the School” address. One phrase I consistently used every year was the title of this blog, Not the Status Quo. I used it because I don’t believe there is such a thing as the status quo. Status quo simply means everything remains the same, no better and no worse. I believe, and I still do, believe that we, as a school, society or gang, are either getting better at what we do or we’re getting worse at what we do. As a superintendent, I was not about to let our organization get worse, so we would always strive for continuous improvement, getting better every year. I will explain more in a future blog.

 

I hope you subscribe to this blog and share it with your friends on social media. I am trying to limit my blogs to around 500 words as I believe if it’s much longer, you will choose to do something else rather that read this. Please leave a comment, question or anything, I guess, in the section provided. I hope we have a long and fruitful relationship. Onward!