This week on our drive to school we saw the little yellow airplane. It was the airplane we’d seen many times on the trip to Grandma and Pop’s house. It’s usually parked in the hanger, but not this time. This time it was zipping through the air as if it were manipulated by a remote control. My son was in awe. We watched it fly around, back and forth, and then it released it’s puff. The crop duster released it’s cloud right over the crop below. While I realize there is a reason for this type of application for pesticides and fertilizers, it immediately brought so many questions to mind.
How far does this dust travel once it’s released into the air?
Should we be holding our breathe?
Do the people who live near here know this is happening right now?
What if they have their windows open? Erin Brockovich comes to mind.
I realize that I live pretty close to a few sugar cane and corn fields. How often does this happen around my house and I don’t see it?
In a time when I’ve just had my third friend diagnosed with cancer younger than 45 years old. How does this affect our health?
Can our bodies detoxify this from the air we breathe?
Has this ever been tested to see how far it travels in the air?
What impact does this have on our children?
“Mama” he says, “isn’t that plane so cool?” I’m not so sure what to say. I just nod. “Yep.”
