4 ms·

Thats kind of the point, they are bad to pests that try to eat the crop And pesticides are also bad for other insects that don't eat the crops, and are necessa

by ansible 10y ago

Thats kind of the point, they are bad to pests that try to eat the crop And pesticides are also bad for other insects that don't eat the crops, and are necessary for our ecosystem to function. And pesticides are bad for people and animals in the longer term too.

cmdrfred 10y ago
>And pesticides are bad for people and animals in the longer term too. Can you source that claim?
- ansible 10y ago
  I'm surprised I need to. Here's one I found in ten seconds of searching. http://extension.psu.edu/pests/pesticide-education/applicators/fact-sheets/pesticide-safety/potential-health-effects-of-pesticides http://extension.psu.edu/pests/pesticide-education/applicato...
  - cmdrfred 10y ago
    That says large doses are potentially harmful to humans. It mostly speaks of harm potentinally coming to those who apply them. I'm looking more for a peer reviewed study that states pesticides used in GMO farming are more harmful that pesticides used in organic farming.
7sigma 10y ago
Well in the case of BT (bacillus thurigensis) cotton and corn, for example, the GM plant produces the Cry toxin which is bad for the insects that eat the crop, so better than spraying it (Also BT is used in organic agriculture via spraying btw). Herbicides like roundup affect a certain pathway in plants, not humans in animals. "And pesticides are bad for people and animals in the longer term too." Not at the concentrations that are used. The amount of residue is minuscule and modern pesticides have far less toxicity than older ones that have been phased out. IIRC, the BT toxin only affects insects that have an alkaline digestive system. Animals and humans are unaffected as its acidic.
- ansible 10y ago
  Not at the concentrations that are used. The amount of residue is minuscule and modern pesticides have far less toxicity than older ones that have been phased out. So now you give some qualifications to your earlier statement. Do note that modern pesticides are not in widespread use all over the world (cost). Modern pesticides applied by a well educated professional can have a relatively low impact on the environment. But there are a lot of poorly educated farmers out there (most of them, really), and that doesn't begin to address the abuse of pesticides by lawn care companies and homeowners.

by ansible 10y ago

cmdrfred 10y ago

>And pesticides are bad for people and animals in the longer term too. Can you source that claim?

ansible 10y ago
I'm surprised I need to. Here's one I found in ten seconds of searching. http://extension.psu.edu/pests/pesticide-education/applicators/fact-sheets/pesticide-safety/potential-health-effects-of-pesticides http://extension.psu.edu/pests/pesticide-education/applicato...
- cmdrfred 10y ago
  That says large doses are potentially harmful to humans. It mostly speaks of harm potentinally coming to those who apply them. I'm looking more for a peer reviewed study that states pesticides used in GMO farming are more harmful that pesticides used in organic farming.

7sigma 10y ago

Well in the case of BT (bacillus thurigensis) cotton and corn, for example, the GM plant produces the Cry toxin which is bad for the insects that eat the crop, so better than spraying it (Also BT is used in organic agriculture via spraying btw). Herbicides like roundup affect a certain pathway in plants, not humans in animals. "And pesticides are bad for people and animals in the longer term too." Not at the concentrations that are used. The amount of residue is minuscule and modern pesticides have far less toxicity than older ones that have been phased out. IIRC, the BT toxin only affects insects that have an alkaline digestive system. Animals and humans are unaffected as its acidic.

ansible 10y ago
Not at the concentrations that are used. The amount of residue is minuscule and modern pesticides have far less toxicity than older ones that have been phased out. So now you give some qualifications to your earlier statement. Do note that modern pesticides are not in widespread use all over the world (cost). Modern pesticides applied by a well educated professional can have a relatively low impact on the environment. But there are a lot of poorly educated farmers out there (most of them, really), and that doesn't begin to address the abuse of pesticides by lawn care companies and homeowners.