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Originally Posted by orchidsarefun
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And some "organic" pest controls are deadly to fish and birds. Read about the results of rotenone-pyrethrin mixtures used for pest control in produce. The combo is "organic" and derived from plants and flowers...but if I had a pond...no way would I spray it anywhere near my pond. And, yet, its' approved for use in
organic farming.
That beloved Neem oil that everyone goes on and on about...look up the MSDS sheet on it. Oh, and for the record...it's highly toxic to bees.
Quote:
Originally Posted by orchidsarefun
The overall point is - and this is probably from a very high level - its better to go organic whenever and wherever possible. There is no harm in saying that......whereas there has been a lot of harm when chemicals were commonly used as pesticides in the past. ( DDT, chlorpyrifos are classic examples )
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The real problem..as I see it...is that most people don't truly understand the meaning of "organic". Hell, even the powers that be can't seem to effectively settle on ONE definition/descriptor/ruling across the board.
Organic does
not mean safe nor does it mean pesticide and/or chemical free. It just a fancy name for
derived from natural sources. You can have pesticides that are derived from natural sources but they are still pesticides and they can still have a negative impact on beneficial insects...especially if they are not used properly.
Synthetic vs organic...it's still a pesticide. Spraying non-organic pesticides might require 1 or 2 treatments...organic pesticides might require repeated treatments over weeks over the life of the plants...is that really better?
I wouldn't even begin to try to act like I know what's best for any creature on this planet. I think there is still far too much that's unknown and a lot more research needs to be done. However, in my mind...less is best. Be that organic or synthetic...the less we are spraying...the better for all involved.
If any of you don't believe that "organic" can be harmful...just look up the MSDS fact sheets on some of the "organic" products being sold/used/approved for use.
BTW -- If people want to get on a soapbox about toxic products....try looking into many of the products we are using in our homes for cleaning/deodorizing/washing/etc. Take a look at
some of those labels and then look up some of those names that most can't pronounce. Even dryer sheets have a warning. Laundry detergent? OMG! Dishwasher detergent? Holy crap! Bleach to keep your whites white? EEEKS!
Chemicals have made our life better in many ways but yes, they are having an impact on us and our environment. Then again, so is everything else that has changed in the past 100 yrs. The issues are far more widespread and all encompassing than just a pesticide and only pointing fingers at what we use to kill mealies or scale...well, it's very short-sighted and quite frankly, rather naive (at best). How many of you complaining about systemics...how many of you throw your used batteries in the trash? Uh-huh...that's what I thought. What about recycling...how many of you recycle all the products/materials you use rather than just throwing those in landfill? Uh-huh.
Sorry, I got off track there. The point I'm trying to make is that organic certainly does not mean safer and I really wish people would do a better job of reading up on the subject. I buy organic w/certain things (like strawberries and lettuce) but I have educated myself on the word and it's meaning...I wish others would do the same.
Sorry if I sound like a b***h but the overwhelming misinformation regarding what "organic" really means and what it really is...well, it's a major pet peeve of mine. People, people, people...*puleeeease* educate yourselves.
[steps down of MY soapbox
]
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