Standing Up for Science: 5 Facts About Our Food and Water on Earth Day

This Saturday, Earth Day, The March for Science convenes on Washington, DC. Hundreds of satellite marches have also been organized around the world to take to the streets in the name of science.

The Trump administration's distrust and outright disregard for research and evidence is no secret: shortly after Trump was sworn in, the EPA and USDA were ordered not to speak to the public, prompting a National Park Service twitter account to protest by tweeting objective facts. And Trump's EPA Administrator, Scott Pruitt, is a notorious climate change denier, despite the fact that the vast majority of climate scientists agree that climate change is real, man-made, and a huge threat to our health and safety. So sending Trump and his administration a message that science, research and evidence is vital to making decisions--not their corporate supporters and money pipelines--is more important than ever.

Food & Water Watch is proud to stand in solidarity with everyone marching. To commemorate the march and the celebration of unbiased, rigorous research, here are five facts about our food and water on Earth Day:

Fracking Causes Earthquakes. Period.

"From 1975 to 2008, Oklahoma averaged only one to three 3.0 magnitude (or greater) earthquakes annually. In 2009 the state had 20 of these 3.0 magnitude or greater earthquakes (the magnitude that is generally needed to be felt). In 2015, that number exploded 45-fold to 902."

Monsanto Manipulates Science to Make Roundup Appear Safe

"This is not how science is supposed to work; you don't begin with a conclusion and twist the science to defend it. But the EPA's system for assessing the public health risk posed by pesticides like Roundup relies heavily on industry-funded science, which makes the process vulnerable to this kind of predetermined conclusion driven approach."

Maryland Communities are in the Dark About CAFO Pollution

"Research shows that CAFOs release huge amounts of air pollution, including ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, methane and particulate matter, all of which can cause troubling human and environmental health impacts. Other studies have tracked the increased incidence of childhood asthma in people that live close to CAFOs, while up to 50% of poultry workers suffer from ammonia-related upper respiratory illness. Yet despite these documented impacts, the people of the Eastern Shore are left in the dark about the air that they and their children breathe every day."

Water Privatization Facts and Figures

"Food & Water Watch examined how water prices changed under private ownership following the 10 largest known sales of municipal water or sewer system to for-profit companies between 1990 and 2010. As of 2011, after an average of 11 years of private control, residential water rates had nearly tripled on average, increasing a typical household's annual bill by more than $300."

The Social Costs of Fracking

"Much of the national discussion about fracking has focused on the obvious environmental risks, while the social costs of fracking have been largely ignored. This study is the first detailed, long-term analysis of the social costs of fracking borne by rural Pennsylvania communities."

We need science and research to make sure we keep our country safe, healthy and moving in the right direction. And Food & Water Watch will keep up the fight to make sure that our legislators follow the facts - not corporate influence.

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