Thailand's government agreed Tuesday to ban the use of three farming chemicals widely regarded as dangerous to human health.
The government's National Hazardous Substances Committee voted to put the herbicides paraquat and glyphosate and the insecticide chlorpyrifos in the category of banned chemicals, automatically barring their use under existing law.
The ban takes effect Dec. 1. Industry Ministry Deputy Permanent Panuwat Triyangkulsri said the Agriculture Ministry would establish what to do with remaining stocks of the chemicals, taking into consideration the effects on farmers and sellers.
The ban, proposed by the Agriculture Ministry, had met with strong opposition from some farmers groups and academics, who argued that the chemicals were not unacceptably dangerous and banning their use would drive up farmers' costs significantly.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul, who took office in July with the installation of a newly elected government, had said earlier this month he would resign if the chemicals were not banned.
Prokchol Ousap, coordinator of the Thailand Pesticide Alert Network, said that Tuesday's passage of the ban hinged on political support that was a reflection of public sentiment. She said that bipartisan support for studying the potential problems of the chemicals was crucial, as well as a rare example of an issue all sides could agree on. The network campaigned for banning the chemicals, publicizing studies that found residues of the chemicals on fruits and vegetable sold to consumers.
The use of paraquat, especially, has been sharply debated worldwide. Farm workers are at particular risk from the toxic chemical, which can cause immediate death through ingestion as well as chronic health problems from other contact.
The European Union has banned its use, but it is still popular in many countries. In Southeast Asia, paraquat was banned by Vietnam in 2017, and Malaysia in March announced a total ban on paraquat starting Jan. 1 next year.
The herbicide brand Roundup, which has glyphosate as its active ingredient, has recently been in the news because of lawsuits from thousands of plaintiffs in the United States contending it causes cancer. Bayer, the German chemical company that owns the brand, says studies have established that the weed killer is safe, but several U.S. courts have ruled otherwise.
In August, however, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it would no longer approve labels warning glyphosate is known to cause cancer. It acted after California required warning labels on glyphosate products because the International Agency for Research on Cancer has said it is "probably carcinogenic." The EPA disagreed, saying its own research showed the chemical poses no risks to public health.
In September, Germany announced plans to ban the use of glyphosate over concerns it is leading to a decline of bees and other insects, upsetting the balance of nature with effects that include hindering the pollination of food crops.
Germany's Cabinet agreed to start phasing out glyphosate next year and ban all use in Germany by the end of 2023.
Similar actions against the chemicals have been launched in Austria and France.
DETROIT (AP) — The Oakland Athletics no longer have to wonder where they'll play the next few seasons. That won't make the long goodbye any easier.
The A's reacted to the announcement that this will be their last year in Oakland with a mixture of sadness and relief.
“At least as a player, you know where you’re headed,” outfielder Seth Brown said Friday before a game against the Tigers in Detroit. “There’s obviously a lot of moving parts, a lot of stuff we’re not privy to, so it’s just been kind of a waiting game on our end. Where are we going to go? Where are we going to be? So I think just having that knowledge -- at least we know where we’re going to be playing next year.”
Vivek Ranadivé, who owns the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, and Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher announced Thursday that the A’s will temporarily relocate to West Sacramento's Sutter Health Park for at least three seasons. The A's are moving to Las Vegas after a new ballpark is constructed.
The River Cats, who are affiliated with the San Francisco Giants, will continue to play at the same facility.
Fisher was unable to reach an agreement with Oakland city officials on extending the lease at Oakland Coliseum, which expires at the end of this season. The A's have played in the city since 1968.
“There's direction now, which we've talked a lot about,” Oakland A's manager Mark Kotsay said. “We've got time to kind of reflect on what this really means from an organizational standpoint, the history that we've had in Oakland, with this being now the final season. There's a lot of emotion that goes behind this.”
It will not only cause some upheaval for the players and staff but also members of the organization that work behind the scenes.
“At the end of the day, we know where we're going to be for the next three seasons after the finish this year and that in itself gives a little bit of stability,” Kotsay said. “At the same time, in the present, it's challenging in certain ways to think about the finality of this organization in Oakland.”
Sacramento will be a much smaller environment to house a major league team. Ranadivé said the River Cats venue currently seats 16,000 when counting the stands, the lawn behind center field and standing room only.
First baseman Ryan Noda is concerned with the facilities. He's hopeful that significant upgrades will be made, much like the Toronto Blue Jays did at Buffalo's Triple-A facility. The Blue Jays played at Buffalo's Sahlen Field in 2020 in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“New walls, new dugouts, new locker rooms — everything they needed to become a big league stadium,” said Noda, who played some games in Sacramento as a minor leaguer. “As long as we can do something like that, then it'll be all right. But it's definitely going to be different than playing in stadiums that hold 40,000 people.”
Kotsay is confident the upgrades will occur.
“I know it will be of major league baseball quality,” he said. “It's has to be of major league baseball quality. I know the Players Association will make sure that takes place, as they did in Buffalo.”
For the rest of this season, the A's will have to deal with small home crowds and disappointed fans.
“We’re sad for the fans, the diehard fans, who always come to our games, always support us, always support the boys wearing the jersey,” Noda said.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, center, shakes hands John Fisher, owner of the Oakland Athletics, before the start of a news conference where Fisher announced his team will leave Oakland after this season and play temporarily at a minor league park, during a news conference in West Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, April 4 2024.The A's announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an option for 2028 on Thursday after being unable to reach an agreement to extend their lease in Oakland during that time. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
John Fisher, owner of the Oakland Athletics baseball team, announces that his team will leave Oakland after this season and play temporarily at a minor league park, during a news conference in West Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, April 4, 2024. The A's announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an option for 2028 on Thursday after being unable to reach an agreement to extend their lease in Oakland during that time. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Sutter Health Park, home of the Triple A team Sacramento River Cats, is shown in West Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, April 4, 2024. The Oakland Athletics announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an option for 2028 on Thursday after being unable to reach an agreement to extend their lease in Oakland during that time. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Oakland Athletics manager Mark Kotsay walks to the dugout after making a pitching change during the eighth inning of the team's baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
