Positive Health Online

Georgina Downs runs the UK Pesticides Campaign to highlight the adverse health and environmental effects of pesticides. She has lived next to regularly sprayed fields for 22 years and has long-standing health problems. Georgina was the first to identify serious fundamental flaws regarding the bystander risk assessment and for the last five years has presented a case to the Government for a change in the regulations and legislation governing crop spraying. She has produced two videos Pesticide Exposures for People in Agricultural Areas – Part 1, Pesticides in the Air; Part 2 The Hidden Costs, to illustrate chemical exposure and the effects on people in rural areas. She has called for an immediate ban on crop-spraying and the use of pesticides near people's homes, schools, workplaces and any other places of human habitation, and for direct public access to the information on the chemicals sprayed on crops. Georgina has recently won the prestigious Andrew Lees Memorial Award at the British Environment Media Awards, and was a nominee for Campaigner of the Year in the Observer Ethical Awards 2006. The Farmers Weekly included Georgina in their list of the Top 20 power players in UK farming, following the impact of her campaign. Georgina can be contacted via Tel: 01243 773846; georgedownsuk@yahoo.co.uk