15
Apr
National Conference on Pesticides and Non-Toxic Alternatives Convenes in Portland, ME Tonight!
(Beyond Pesticides, April 15, 2016) Beyond Pesticides’ 34th National Pesticide Forum begins tonight at the University of Southern Maine in Portland, Maine. As pesticide use in communities is being debated in the Portland area, throughout Maine, and across the country, Cultivating Community and Environmental Health, the 34th National Pesticide Forum, is being held at the University of Southern Maine Abromson Center, April 15-16, 2016. Click here to register now! Registration, which is $45 for activists and $25 for students, includes access to all sessions as well as organic food and beverages.
Join us tonight for a special performance of A Sense of Wonder, by Kaiulani Lee, followed by a talk and book signing by Kristin Ohlson, author of The Soil Will Save Us. Special Friday night only tickets are available for $10.
- A Sense of Wonder, which is a one-woman play written, produced, and performed by Kaiulani Lee, in which the actor portrays Rachel Carson’s love for the natural world and her fight to defend it, much of it taking place in Maine! It is the story of the extremely private Ms. Carson thrust into the role of controversial public figure with the publication of Silent Spring. This powerful two-act play brings to life on stage Ms. Carson’s passionate message on the adverse health and environmental effects of pesticides, just as these toxic chemicals were becoming an increasingly common part of modern life. Kaiulani Lee brings to the writing and acting of A Sense of Wonder more than 35 years of experience in theatre, film, and television.
- Kristin Ohlson, journalist and bestselling author. Her book, The Soil Will Save Us, makes an elegantly argued, passionate case for “our great green hope”””a way in which we can not only heal the land but also turn atmospheric carbon into beneficial soil carbon””and potentially reverse global warming. Copies of the book will be available to purchase at the forum.
The national conference also highlights nationally renowned scientists, including a cancer researcher and epidemiologist from the National Cancer Institute, Aaron Blair, Ph.D., who lead the World Health Organization’s probable cancer finding of glyphosate/Roundup; soil scientist and microbiologist formerly with USDA, Jonathan Lundgren, Ph.D., whose studies have found pesticides’ adverse impacts on butterflies and bees; and other researchers, legal experts, land management practitioners, and an ACE retailer in Maine that is offering products that protect bees, children and the environment. The conference will provide participants with the cutting edge science on pesticide issues related to health and the environment as well as the solutions for managing land without toxic materials. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree joins the line-up of speakers to talk about federal law and organic policy.
”¦and more! Click here to see the lineup of speakers, and check out the forum schedule!
You can follow live tweets of the forum at our twitter handle @bpncamp or through our hashtag #34NPF.
Organizers:
The 34th National Pesticide Forum is convened by Beyond, Toxics Action Center, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), and University of Southern Maine Department of Environmental Science and Policy. Co-sponsors include: Eldredge Hardware & Lumber, Environment America, Food and Water Watch Maine, Friends of Casco Bay, GreenCAPE, Maine Farm & Sea Cooperative, Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance, Organic Consumers Association, Physicians for Social Responsibility Maine, Portland Pollinator Partnership, Portland Protectors, Protect South Portland, and Regeneration International.
Please email us at [email protected] for any questions or concerns that are not addressed on our forum page.
Registration:
For those who have not yet registered, general admission is only $45, and $25 for students with current ID, which includes access to all sessions, workshops, and all-organic meals and beverages. Walk-ins are welcome!
For more information, go to www.beyondpesticides.org/forum.
We hope to see you there!
