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Avoiding the various herbicides and pesticides is the reason everyone I know who eats organic and non-GMO food does so. As always you should do your own resear

Avoiding the various herbicides and pesticides is the reason everyone I know who eats organic and non-GMO food does so. As always you should do your own research, draw your own conclusions. Be aware there is a shocking amount of astroturfing on this topic.

bazzert 9y ago
could be said about your side as well ... almost all anti gmo/glyphosphate arguments can be traced back to sources with a financial interest in spreading fear about our food supply.
- notadoc 9y ago
  I am sharing why the people I know who eat organic food do so.
  - bazzert 9y ago
    understood, I was responding to your "astroturfing" comment. The shill card gets played pretty frequently in these discussions.
    - notadoc 9y ago
      The astroturfing comment is broad about nearly any controversial information online, it's why people must be skeptical, critical, and discerning. It's just an annoying reality of the internet, I suppose.
      - dang 9y ago
        People are much too quick to conclude that they're observing astroturfing when what they're really observing is the simple fact that not everyone agrees with them. Because of this, we have two problems: real astroturfing (when it's actually going on), and imaginary astroturfing (which people project onto their opponents in arguments). Both are destructive, but since the imaginary variant is more common, it's more destructive. It poisons discussion. Therefore we ask HN commenters not to post insinuations about astroturfing unless they have specific evidence, and to remember that somebody merely stating an opposing view does not count as evidence. https://hn.algolia.com/?sort=byDate&prefix=true&page=0&dateRange=all&type=comment&query=by:dang%20astroturfing%20two%20problems https://hn.algolia.com/?sort=byDate&prefix=true&page=0&dateR...
        notadoc 9y ago
        That's totally fair. I suppose I should have clarified my original statement as to imply broad caution rather than anything specific.
tptacek 9y ago
Ironically, by avoiding "GMO foods", your friends are probably increasing their exposure to herbicides that have a much clearer connection to human health risks.
- notadoc 9y ago
  That would be ironic and sounds interesting, do you have a source that demonstrates organic food increases herbicide exposure?
  - tptacek 9y ago
    Please respond to what my comment actually said, not what you wish it said.
    - notadoc 9y ago
      > Ironically, by avoiding "GMO foods", your friends are probably increasing their exposure to herbicides that have a much clearer connection to human health risks. I am responding to that comment from you. I'd love to read about how avoiding "GMO foods" increases exposure to herbicides, do you have any information on that?
      - Oletros 9y ago
        > I'd love to read about how avoiding "GMO foods" increases exposure to herbicides, The OP comment doesn't say that. It says that probably is increasing their exposure more toxic herbicides, not that is increasing the exposure to herbicides
        notadoc 9y ago
        > It says that probably is increasing their exposure more toxic herbicides OK, that sounds very interesting, can you show me the supporting data?
        9y ago
fpgaminer 9y ago
Do they know that organic food uses pesticides? Worse ones, too...
- notadoc 9y ago
  Which pesticides do you refer to? I'd love to read and share exactly that sort of data.
  - fpgaminer 9y ago
    A quick Google finds this (I consider NPR to be at least a decent source): http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2011/06/18/137249264/organic-pesticides-not-an-oxymoron http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2011/06/18/13724926... That seems to cover the basics of the situation. The TL;DR is that an "organic" label just means the food was grown using only "organic" components. There are plenty of organic pesticides.
    - notadoc 9y ago
      Interesting read, thanks. I suspect the general need for pesticides and herbicides comes with large scale production, where manual efforts for weeding and pest control is inefficient.
    - tmaly 9y ago
      you have to also consider which organic standard. The ones in California and Oregon are much more strict than USDA organic

bazzert 9y ago

could be said about your side as well ... almost all anti gmo/glyphosphate arguments can be traced back to sources with a financial interest in spreading fear about our food supply.

notadoc 9y ago
I am sharing why the people I know who eat organic food do so.
- bazzert 9y ago
  understood, I was responding to your "astroturfing" comment. The shill card gets played pretty frequently in these discussions.
  - notadoc 9y ago
    The astroturfing comment is broad about nearly any controversial information online, it's why people must be skeptical, critical, and discerning. It's just an annoying reality of the internet, I suppose.
    - dang 9y ago
      People are much too quick to conclude that they're observing astroturfing when what they're really observing is the simple fact that not everyone agrees with them. Because of this, we have two problems: real astroturfing (when it's actually going on), and imaginary astroturfing (which people project onto their opponents in arguments). Both are destructive, but since the imaginary variant is more common, it's more destructive. It poisons discussion. Therefore we ask HN commenters not to post insinuations about astroturfing unless they have specific evidence, and to remember that somebody merely stating an opposing view does not count as evidence. https://hn.algolia.com/?sort=byDate&prefix=true&page=0&dateRange=all&type=comment&query=by:dang%20astroturfing%20two%20problems https://hn.algolia.com/?sort=byDate&prefix=true&page=0&dateR...
      - notadoc 9y ago
        That's totally fair. I suppose I should have clarified my original statement as to imply broad caution rather than anything specific.

tptacek 9y ago

Ironically, by avoiding "GMO foods", your friends are probably increasing their exposure to herbicides that have a much clearer connection to human health risks.

notadoc 9y ago
That would be ironic and sounds interesting, do you have a source that demonstrates organic food increases herbicide exposure?
- tptacek 9y ago
  Please respond to what my comment actually said, not what you wish it said.
  - notadoc 9y ago
    > Ironically, by avoiding "GMO foods", your friends are probably increasing their exposure to herbicides that have a much clearer connection to human health risks. I am responding to that comment from you. I'd love to read about how avoiding "GMO foods" increases exposure to herbicides, do you have any information on that?
    - Oletros 9y ago
      > I'd love to read about how avoiding "GMO foods" increases exposure to herbicides, The OP comment doesn't say that. It says that probably is increasing their exposure more toxic herbicides, not that is increasing the exposure to herbicides
      - notadoc 9y ago
        > It says that probably is increasing their exposure more toxic herbicides OK, that sounds very interesting, can you show me the supporting data?
        9y ago

fpgaminer 9y ago

Do they know that organic food uses pesticides? Worse ones, too...

notadoc 9y ago
Which pesticides do you refer to? I'd love to read and share exactly that sort of data.
- fpgaminer 9y ago
  A quick Google finds this (I consider NPR to be at least a decent source): http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2011/06/18/137249264/organic-pesticides-not-an-oxymoron http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2011/06/18/13724926... That seems to cover the basics of the situation. The TL;DR is that an "organic" label just means the food was grown using only "organic" components. There are plenty of organic pesticides.
  - notadoc 9y ago
    Interesting read, thanks. I suspect the general need for pesticides and herbicides comes with large scale production, where manual efforts for weeding and pest control is inefficient.
  - tmaly 9y ago
    you have to also consider which organic standard. The ones in California and Oregon are much more strict than USDA organic