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We're talking about pesticides with health consequences. Do you think it's good for people to get chronic health conditions and die younger? I'm assuming that's

We're talking about pesticides with health consequences. Do you think it's good for people to get chronic health conditions and die younger? I'm assuming that's not what you mean, since that's kind of a nasty stance... but I don't know what else you could mean in this case.

PaulHoule 2y ago
To play devil’s advocate it is commonly stated that higher productivity per acre relative to organic agriculture can mean using fewer acres and having more land providing ecosystem services. Certainly some people in the world suffer from malnutrition and would benefit from more or better food. Practically though we want to use the practices that give the most yield for a given amount of risk. I am still shaking my head over the time I saw TruGreen Chemlawn spraying all the trees in front of a hotel, many of which are famous for not having pest problems. I guess they had to do something so the customer thinks they are getting something. in reality there are a lot of factors, if you get your agronomy right you can greatly increase output with limit commercial inputs, see https://ghgmitigation.irri.org/mitigation-technologies/system-of-rice-intensification-sri# https://ghgmitigation.irri.org/mitigation-technologies/syste...
- giantg2 2y ago
  Just to point out, even organic practices utilize pesticides. It's supposed to be as a last resort, although there's debate as to whether that really happens in practice with the larger producers. Organic approved pesticides do include harmful chemicals. Things like diatomaceous earth are a potential carcinogen.
- Modified3019 2y ago
  I can’t speak for what they were doing, but one thing to note is that not all sprays are for insecticides/fungicides. It’s possible they were doing a foliar nutrient spray, to keep the trees greener/healthier. There are also calcium carbonate sprays which act as sun protectants (rather than nutrition), preventing sunburn and helps cool the leaves. Best applied right before a major heat event.
- lm28469 2y ago
  > Certainly some people in the world suffer from malnutrition and would benefit from more or better food. Overall we produce way too much food, a lot goes to waste. In the west everyone is fat as fuck, food quantity is a solved problem. The answer to why we use pesticides is the same answer as to why we used lead in paint, asbestos everywhere, freon, DDT, &c... profit

PaulHoule 2y ago

To play devil’s advocate it is commonly stated that higher productivity per acre relative to organic agriculture can mean using fewer acres and having more land providing ecosystem services. Certainly some people in the world suffer from malnutrition and would benefit from more or better food. Practically though we want to use the practices that give the most yield for a given amount of risk. I am still shaking my head over the time I saw TruGreen Chemlawn spraying all the trees in front of a hotel, many of which are famous for not having pest problems. I guess they had to do something so the customer thinks they are getting something. in reality there are a lot of factors, if you get your agronomy right you can greatly increase output with limit commercial inputs, see https://ghgmitigation.irri.org/mitigation-technologies/system-of-rice-intensification-sri# https://ghgmitigation.irri.org/mitigation-technologies/syste...

giantg2 2y ago
Just to point out, even organic practices utilize pesticides. It's supposed to be as a last resort, although there's debate as to whether that really happens in practice with the larger producers. Organic approved pesticides do include harmful chemicals. Things like diatomaceous earth are a potential carcinogen.
Modified3019 2y ago
I can’t speak for what they were doing, but one thing to note is that not all sprays are for insecticides/fungicides. It’s possible they were doing a foliar nutrient spray, to keep the trees greener/healthier. There are also calcium carbonate sprays which act as sun protectants (rather than nutrition), preventing sunburn and helps cool the leaves. Best applied right before a major heat event.
lm28469 2y ago
> Certainly some people in the world suffer from malnutrition and would benefit from more or better food. Overall we produce way too much food, a lot goes to waste. In the west everyone is fat as fuck, food quantity is a solved problem. The answer to why we use pesticides is the same answer as to why we used lead in paint, asbestos everywhere, freon, DDT, &c... profit