A Little This, a Little That

When the planes still swoop down and aerial spray a field in order to kill a predator insect with pesticides, we are in the Dark Ages of commerce.

Maybe one thousandth of this aerial insecticide actually prevents the infestation. The balance goes to the leaves, into the soil, into the water, into all forms of wildlife, into ourselves.

What is good for the balance sheet is wasteful of resources and harmful to life.”

Paul Hawken, The Ecology of Commerce (1993)

Anvil Cocktails for All
by Pete Leki

It’s Summer in the City
And the crickets sing at night
The jets roar in the wispy clouds
But things just don’t seem right…
without some…

Anvil whining down the block
Just as we sit down for dinner
Whoever got that Anvil contract
Sure turned out a winner

We get Anvil on our salsa
All up in our posole
Anvil on our pollo
Quesadillas, guacamole

Anvil on the kiddies
On Darwin, Zach and Ella
Anvil on the popsicles
And on that homeless fella

Anvil sprayed on grannies
And on the pregnant ladies
On birds and dogs and dragonflies
On daddies pushing babies

Anvil at the cafes
On your pesto and risotta
Anvil in your fine Merlot
And in your mineral water

“Don’t worry. It won’t hurt you.”
The Public Health guys say
“And if you do get cancer
That will be years away

You can’t blame it on the Anvil
Not with the toxic air
You’re breathing in this City
There’s already poison there:

Lead, asbestos, ozone,
Diesel fumes and soot
Mercury and arsenic
Is it so bad to put

A little bit on Anvil
Into the toxic bile?
At least we’re doing something
To try to stop West Nile.

We need to show we’re active
Like going off to war
Even tho the enemy
Is as toxic as the cure.”

So bring it on, don’t fear it.
Spray all over me,
I’m sure that it is harmless
Like Raid and DDT.

Message Highlights from the No Spray ListServe — Exchange between No Spray members and Dominic Ninivaggi re: Mosquito Spray program on Long Island.