Nader ballot progress
WASHINGT0N, DC — Supporters of Ralph Nader for US president have now secured his place on the November ballot in nine states. Conventions in California and Washington state plus Utah's completion of the statutory petition process in early July brought the total to nine. Nader was already on the ballot in Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, New Mexico, and Oregon (Pacific Party) as the Green Party candidate.
Another 33 states expect to complete the requirements to place the consumer advocate's name on their state ballots as either Green Party or independent candidate for the presidency. According to the Draft Nader leadership, Nader could appear on as many as 42 state ballots.
Chinese pesticide poisonings
According to a recent report from the Chinese National Statistics Bureau, 48,377 pesticide poisoning cases were reported in 27 provinces in 1995, including 3,204 fatalities. The total number of poisonings increased 13% over 1994. Three provinces — Jiangsu, Shandong and Anhui — accounted for 76% of total poisonings nationwide.
The report indicates that organophosphate insecticides are a major threat to farmers' health in China. In 1995, 90% of the 15,300 poisoning cases due to pest control were caused by insecticides, and 91% of these were organophosphates. Some experts feel that the number of pesticide poisoning cases in China is much higher than those officially reported.
[From Pesticide Action Network North America Updates Service.]
Brazilian women earn less
Even though they have studied longer, women on average earn between 18% and 42% less than men in Brazil. This discrepancy is found in all regions of the country and in all sectors of the economy, according to the National Household Survey of 1993 analysed in the Folha de Sao Paulo on July 05.
Females of 10 years and older have studied on average 5.1 years as compared to 4.9 years for the male population in the same age group. On average, however, women employees earn 82% of what men earn. Self-employed women earn on average 58% of what men in the same category earn.
[From Servico Brasileiro de Justica e Paz.]