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el_bryanto

(11,804 posts)

12. Ok - you want me to argue that killing pests who eat crops means more crops?

Thu Apr 18, 2013, 01:13 PM

Apr 2013

OK - well - if you kill the pests with pesticides they don't eat the crops and there are more crops.

That was easy.

That's not to say that there aren't unintended consequences; obviously pesticides should be tested and reviewed and even then something like DDT might happen (where the effects weren't clear for a while.

Why do you think farmers and agri-businesses are using pesticides?

Bryant

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Is Organic Better? Ask a Fruit Fly [View all] G_j Apr 2013 OP

yeah, but d_r Apr 2013 #1

Chemically saturated food isn't improving human health either Berlum Apr 2013 #2

Except in so far as they provide food - el_bryanto Apr 2013 #3

Oh, whatever did the prehistoric hunter gatherers TalkingDog Apr 2013 #5

That's a pretty weak response el_bryanto Apr 2013 #7

I was using a weak response in rejoinder to a weak thesis. TalkingDog Apr 2013 #11

Ok - you want me to argue that killing pests who eat crops means more crops? el_bryanto Apr 2013 #12

Because they mono-crop wickerwoman Apr 2013 #27

What you are talking about is a fundamental reworking of society if I understand it. el_bryanto Apr 2013 #34

At the rate that pollinating insects are dying off wickerwoman Apr 2013 #48

For the money randr Apr 2013 #52

Seriously? mac56 Apr 2013 #35

Well, they did eventually engage in a lot of gene-modding Orrex Apr 2013 #36

That's the argument they used during the debate to stop using DDT. Spitfire of ATJ Apr 2013 #15

It is a trade off - there's no denying that el_bryanto Apr 2013 #16

More like the making of hot dogs. Spitfire of ATJ Apr 2013 #23

..and people gobbling chem-soaked food tend to get sick. Slowly. Berlum Apr 2013 #26

So-called brain? nt el_bryanto Apr 2013 #32

Do potatoes get sprayed with chemicals? Sheepshank Apr 2013 #6

Absolutely. progressoid Apr 2013 #14

I wonder if the potatoes in his garden were of the same variety though? cstanleytech Apr 2013 #29

I just googled it. OnlinePoker Apr 2013 #24

oh my!!!! and thanks for the info n/t Sheepshank Apr 2013 #25

The article mentions that limitation Gormy Cuss Apr 2013 #10

Plants can be sprayed with natural substances to prevent attack from pests. More bluestate10 Apr 2013 #42

I'm not saying that there aren't alternatives d_r Apr 2013 #44

Ew! I'm not eating that! Nuclear Unicorn Apr 2013 #4

Smart girl with a bright future in front of her. Common sense should also tell people that poisons Pisces Apr 2013 #8

And Science would tell you that the answer is "depends" MattBaggins Apr 2013 #31

Science tells me that the residue of toxins is left inside the body, so much so that infants are Pisces Apr 2013 #38

Toxin is a gobbeldygook word MattBaggins Apr 2013 #40

Continue to poison yourself, I'll feed my family organic. Pisces Apr 2013 #41

Organic is a nice fancy word to slap on labels MattBaggins Apr 2013 #43

USDA standards-look for the label. Nt roody Apr 2013 #47

If you want to get rid of fruitflies, BlueStreak Apr 2013 #9

"conventionally grown foods" FlaGranny Apr 2013 #13

Not totally true. Organic farmers and hard nosed gardeners have known for hundreds bluestate10 Apr 2013 #45

Yes, companion planting FlaGranny May 2013 #55

K&R DeSwiss Apr 2013 #17

I can't afford organic food Ratty Apr 2013 #18

Me either... it spoils before I can even eat it. n/t Flying Squirrel Apr 2013 #37

False reasoning randr Apr 2013 #53

Oh man ...there goes the reasoning for importing workers from I****. L0oniX Apr 2013 #19

If there's one thing to buy organic, it's strawberries TexasBushwhacker Apr 2013 #20

I buy/grow organic in order to improve the topsoil. kentauros Apr 2013 #21

+1 G_j Apr 2013 #39

My three guinea pigs prefer organic carrots GermanDem Apr 2013 #22

Somebody get that girl a scholarship (nt) Recursion Apr 2013 #28

I think she won a $100,000 dollar scholarship for her win of the science competition. Plus, bluestate10 Apr 2013 #46

A fly is not a person Joshua Pistachio Apr 2013 #30

So all the massive amount of research that uses fruit flies... ljm2002 Apr 2013 #33

It's not the person you're replying to who's showing ignorance, I'm afraid. Donald Ian Rankin Apr 2013 #50

The experiment in question... ljm2002 Apr 2013 #54

don't put non-organic banana peels in your compost. Warren DeMontague Apr 2013 #49

k&r avaistheone1 Apr 2013 #51