Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: bybybill
ACSH is just one more "group" with a lawyer, mailing list, and a fax machine.

I'll buy that, but I like them anyway.

Two points not mentioned.

One, without pesticides, the plants have to defend themselves. How do they do it? Well, after experiencing serious insect damage, many plants greatly increase their production of chemical poisons to ward off or kill attacking insects. Thus, edible plants protected by pesticides may be slightly safer for humans than those "organically grown."

Two, some fruits and vegetables are extremely difficult to grow without use of fungicides and/or pesticides. This is true of apples and, especially, peaches. (Before the mid-nineteenth century, peach trees only had 2-3 good bearing years, and even this required heroic measures including daily hand-removal of insects.) So what do "organic" farmers do? Answer, they use "organic" poisons which they believe to be safer, without any evidence, due to a prejudice against anything considered artificial.

12 posted on 07/28/2002 6:59:14 PM PDT by Steve Eisenberg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies ]


To: Steve Eisenberg
The "our food is no good and is killing us" bunch never can answer this simple question, How come we are living longer if the food most of us eat is bad for us?
19 posted on 07/28/2002 10:03:45 PM PDT by bybybill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson