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Celebrate Earth Day Live Tobacco-Free Earth Day 2011 Earth Day 2011 • In 1970, Senator Gaylord Nelson created Earth Day as a way of forcing environmental issues onto the national agenda. Shortly thereafter, Congress authorized the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to tackle environmental issues. • This year’s event marks the 41st anniversary of Earth Day and the U.S. EPA. Destruction for Addiction: Tobacco’s Effect on the Environment This presentation was created by CYAN and made possible with funds received from the Tobacco Tax Health Protection Act of 1988 - Prop. 99, through the California Department of Public Health, under Grant No. 10-95121, administered by PHFE Inc. For more information about CYAN, visit www.cyanonline.org. Tobacco Production • Tobacco is grown in more than 120 countries on almost 4 million hectares of land worldwide. (1 hectare = 2.47 acres) • China is the world’s largest producer followed by Brazil, India, the United States, and Indonesia. • In 2006, 85% of tobacco was grown in low- and middleresource countries. • Since the 1960’s the bulk of production has been moving from North America to Africa and Asia. – In 1978, the U.S. was home to 188,650 tobacco farms. – In 1999, U.S. tobacco farms had dropped to approximately 90,000 farms. Source: • Shafey, O., Eriksen, M., Ross, H., & Mackay, J. (2009). The tobacco atlas (3rd ed.). Atlanta, GA: Bookhouse Group. • Source for Since the … • Tobacco production has increased 128% in developing countries between 1975-1997 • Tobacco production has decreased 31% in the United States between 1975-1997 • In 2000, China, Brazil and India accounted for over ½ of global production Source: Longwood University. http://www.longwood.edu/staff/hardinds/Tobacco/Maps_and_graphs.htm Growing Tobacco The Cycle of Tobacco Consumption Farming / Growing Manufacturing Tobacco Farming • Land Preparation – Plowing & discing to kill old root system, level fields, bury old crop refuse, break up the soil and incorporate pre-plant pesticides. • Seeding – Planted in seed beds outside • Soil is sterilized – Burning, steaming, or through chemical application • Fertilizer is applied • Covering applied and removed after seeds sprout • Canvas placed over sprouted plants and more fertilizer is applied • Plants trimmed several times to grow uniformly – Planted in greenhouse • Seeds planted in segmented trays that float on a pool of water • Fertilizer and pesticides are added as needed • Plants are clipped to remove the upper part of the follage Tobacco Farming • Transplanting – Plants are transplanted into the fields by hand or by a transplanting machine – Fertilizers, insecticides and water are added to soil – Soil is cultivated to loosen and remove weeds – Tobacco requires 70 to 130 days from date of transplanting to reach maturity in the field • Irrigation – Promotes faster growth and earlier maturity – Needed during harvest to help yellow properly during the curing process – Risks which reduce crop production: • Extended rain after crops have been watered (over watering) • Introducing disease to crops from water sources Tobacco Farming • Crop Management – Chemical application • Fungicides, insecticides, fumigants, pesticides – Crop rotations – Cultivation • Topping & Suckering – Topping • Cutting off the flower that grows on the top of the plant • Allows nourishment to flow directly to the leaves – Suckering • Removing the suckers / lateral shoots from the plant by hand or with sucker suppressing chemicals – Suckers take away nutrients from the growing leaves Chemical Concerns • Methyl Bromide used on tobacco seeds – Considered a significant ozone depleting substance • Chemicals run into waterways – Water used for drinking, washing food, cooking, bathing, washing clothes, etc. – Chemicals kill off local marine life in waterways Health of Tobacco Workers • Tobacco is a labor intensive crop – 3000 person hours per year per 1 hectare of tobacco – 298 hours for beans – 265 for maize • The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that at least 25.6 million pounds of pesticides are used on tobacco crops each year. • The Environmental Protection Agency has a list of over 450 registered and legal pesticide products for use on tobacco. The list includes chemicals that may cause cancer and birth defects as well as pesticides that are potent nerve toxins. • A 1990 study found that approximately 25 million pesticide poisonings occur annually in developing nations. • Little education about the proper use and dangers of these chemicals is given to tobacco farmers. • 55% of Brazilian farmers do not use protective clothing such as masks, gloves, boots, and long-sleeved or waterrepellent overshirts. • Top reasons for not wearing protective clothing include: – the cost of the equipment, and – clothing not designed for the climate. • Protective suits are sold by leaf companies to Brazilian farmers for US$37, a cost of more than one-quarter of the average monthly salary of tobacco farmers in the region. Tobacco Farming • Harvesting – Removal of mature ripe leaves from plants • Indicated by beginning to yellow a signal that chlorophyll is beginning to break down • Done by machine or by hand • Curing – The process that brings about the rapid destruction of chlorophyll, giving leaves their yellow appearance, converting starch into sugar and removing moisture them – Curing Process : • Flue-cured • Air-cured • Fire-cured Curing Tobacco Classifications Flue-cured • Dried in a closed building with furnace driven heat directed from flues or pipes that extend from a furnace into the barn. Air-cured • Dried in barns with an open framework. Barns are equipped with ventilators that can be opened or closed to control temperature and humidity. Fire-cured • Dried with low-burning wood fires on the floors of closed curing barns. Heat, humidity and ventilation is regulated by farmers. Tobacco’s Effect on the Environment Tobacco Farming Deforestation Soil Erosion Flooding Nutrient Depletion Loss of Habitat Biological Diversity Global Warming Deforestation • Wood used for: – Fuel for curing (69%) • Most commonly used in poor countries like in most of Africa, Brazil, India, Thailand and the Philippines. • The curing of tobacco is responsible for the loss of 1/6 to 1/8 of all forests on earth. • Of the 5.5 million tons of global tobacco produced, 2.5 million tons are cured by burning wood. – Poles for curing barns (15%) – Paper & paperboard products (16%) • Wood used for curing tobacco in developed countries is taken from developing countries Deforestation • Soil Erosion Ecological Destruction Flooding – Trees act like sponges to absorb large amounts of water Without tree and plant presence, rainwater runs off, thus, washing away topsoil – Soil washes away into rivers and waterways – Clogged waterways lead to flooding – Pesticides flow into waterways with the eroded soil • Nutrient Depletion – The tobacco plant absorbs nutrients faster than other crops * Without the nutrients in the soil, it is impossible to grow food crops – Pesticides / fertilizers are used on tobacco crops that makes the soil unfit for growing food crops – One study found that in Africa, farmers had to wait for three years before they could grow anything else on the land used to grow tobacco Deforestation Ecological Destruction • Loss of Habitat / Biological Diversity – Destruction of forests leads to the extinction of many species of plants and animals – Approximately 6,000 species of animals and plants become extinct every year as a result of deforestation – Species dependent on forest for food, shelter, water and living space – Species being destroyed before they have been identified • Global Warming – Many scientist believe that deforestation causes global warming • Less trees = more carbon dioxide released into atmosphere • Burning of trees to clear land = increased carbon dioxide • Curing tobacco by burning wood = increased carbon dioxide Regional Deforestation AFRICA • Tobacco grown in Malawi, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Nigeria, and Morocco • 5% of deforestation is caused by tobacco • Malawi – 20% of deforestation is caused by tobacco – 80% of wood cut is used for tobacco – 4% of land is dedicated to producing tobacco – The forests represent one of the countries few assets Regional Deforestation BRAZIL • 100,000 tobacco farmers • need 60 million trees a year for tobacco • BAT claims Brazil used 24.7 million trees for tobacco curing and 217.5 million trees were replanted – Industry does not disclose how many trees survived Afforestation Programs • Tobacco companies claim they have strong afforestation programs that promote the planting of renewable woodlands around the world • Tree planting season coincides with tobacco and food planting season • Tree growth takes up to 10 years • Farmers are hesitant on using land to grow trees if there land is unusable for 10 years, especially if the land is being used to grow fuel which can be obtained in other areas • Many newly planted trees are cut for fuel before they reach full growth • Eucalyptus tree is most commonly planted – Thirsty tree – Takes water supply from other crops / trees – Eucalyptus wood is preferred for building, not tobacco curing British American Tobacco Calendar Cover Manufacturing Tobacco Tobacco Manufacturing • Manufacturing of tobacco produces – Liquid waste • • • • Tobacco slurries Solvents Oils Greases – Solid waste • • • • • • Paper Wood Plastic Unusable tobacco Packaging materials Dirt – Airborne waste • Nontoxic odors of manufacturing • In-plant dust • Tobacco volatiles and particles Nicotine as Waste • Nicotine is an anti-parasitic plant pesticide • Nicotine = hazardous & toxic chemical if waste exceeds 500 mg per kg dry weight • 1994 – EPA classifies Nicotine as a hazardous chemical • 1995 – 3 million kg of a “nonrecyclable, powdery, nicotine-containing waste was produced from 55,300 million cigarettes manufactured in Italy • Based on these figures, it was estimated that 38,870,000 kg of nicotine waste was produced in the US and 300,274,000 kg of waste was produced globally Human Consumption Cigarette Litter • Cigarette filters have been found in stomachs of fish, birds, whales, marine animals, and land animals • Cellulose acetate filters take approximately 5 to 25 years to decompose • Chemicals from filters bleed into soils, waterways and runoffs from urban environments Butt Litter on College Campuses • Cleanups conducted in Spring 2010 at two San Diego Universities resulted in 31,000 butts collected by 69 volunteers in one hour. • The rate of pickup was approximately 380 butts per volunteerhour. Source: Sawdey, M., Novotny, T., Skinner, C., Nguyen, M., Dutton, R., & Smyser, J. (2011). Cigarette Butt Pollution Project. San Diego State University, Graduate School of Public Health. Fires • Globally cigarettes are responsible for an estimated – 1 million fires per year • In the U.S., cigarettes are responsible for an estimated – 100,000 fires per year • • • • • • • • • • • • 1 in 8: trees cut down in the world for tobacco growing or curing 7.8: pounds of wood needed to cure one pound of tobacco 300: the number of cigarettes produced from one tree 20 million: number of people worldwide who could be fed if farmland grew food instead of tobacco 1 in 3: trees used to cure tobacco in Malawi 275,000,000,000: cigarette packets made each year 300 million: cigarette butts thrown away in the UK 12%: deforestation caused by tobacco in Southern Africa 16: number of applications of pesticides during the three month period before the seedling is transplanted to the field 500,000: acres of forest lost to tobacco farming each year 95%: Brazilian tobacco treated with methyl bromide – a substance that depletes the ozone layer 10: average number of years it takes a cigarette butt to decompose Sources • American Cancer Society. Tobacco Atlas. 2006. • Center for Integrating Research and Learning at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State University • Chapman, Simon. Tobacco Control. 1994;3:191-3. • Heist, Helmut. Global Assessment of Deforestation Related to Tobacco Farming. Tobacco Control. 1999:8;18-28. • United Nations Environmental Programme. “MAP to a Health Harvest.” • www.cigarettelitter.org