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Showing Original Post only (View all)Do Organic Growers Use ‘Hazmat’ Suits? [View all]
Last edited Fri Mar 11, 2016, 02:46 PM - Edit history (2)
http://iowameetsmaui.com/2014/11/17/do-organic-growers-use-hazmat-suits/"I came across this image the other day. A farmer spraying his field wearing a protective suit and face respirator. When I see this, I see a farmer keeping himself and those around him safe. When activists look at this, they seem to see a scary hazmat suit and chemical poisoning. The beauty of this photo, is that it was taken from a video about an organic cauliflower grower in California. This farmer is spraying a natural soap spray. Obviously, this spray poses some danger to the tractor operator, or he wouldnt be using this Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Compliments are in order to this business for instituting safe handling practices.
What constitutes a harmful substance? Well, just about everything on earth is harmful to us if not used properly, so knowing when to use PPE is important. The National Pesticide Information Center lists 4 signal words to look for on a label. Listed from least toxic to most toxic, these words are: Caution, Warning, Danger, and Danger/Poison. A quick glance through my own cupboard revealed household cleaners with three of these signal words. Here are examples of substances from each category and the PPE they require:
...
What we see in these examples is that a chemical with a signal word of Warning, that is labeled for organic production, requires far more Personal Protective Equipment than one with a signal word of Danger/Poison. This doesnt mean that the Lorsban 4E is safer, just that it has different requirements in PPE for the applicator. Almost all farmers use pesticides, and its likely that they will at some point need some form of protective equipment organic and conventional growers alike."
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Hazmat suit on GM fields: used by anti-GMO activists (not researchers) to spread fear
From:
http://debunkingdenialism.com/2013/08/25/decimating-the-flawed-beliefs-of-anti-gmo-activists/
"In July of 2011, anti-GMO activists dressed up in Hazmat suits destroyed fields trials of genetically modified wheat at CSIRO (the national science agency in Australia) facility in Canberra. They caused damage for around 300 000 USD and set back research at least a year. According to Jeremy Burdon, the industry plant chief, Hazmat suits are not worn by researchers working on GM field trials because there are no hazards there. Researchers working with the genetically modified wheat call the hazmat suits theatrical and a publicity stunt, designed to mislead the public and spread unwarranted fear (Bettles, 2011)."
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More on these deceitful memes:
http://christopherkeelty.com/this-is-my-beef-with-the-anti-gmo-folks/
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Once again we learn that scary memes are often FOS, especially when propagated by anti-GMO extremism.
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300 bushels of corn per acre, people could grow their own if zoning/neighborhood Ass. didn't ban it.
Sunlei
Mar 2016
#8
Thats not allowed, its a crime in most neighborhoods across America. Lawns only.
Sunlei
Mar 2016
#14
that's pretty good for a front yard. If you had 50 tomato plants used an entire average front yard,
Sunlei
Mar 2016
#16
My dogs,Jack russell and another mix, rats & any ground varmints don't have a chance here.
Sunlei
Mar 2016
#39
Then more neighborhoods need to be like yours. As it is, either zoning or the HOA
Recursion
Mar 2016
#79
true, grow stuff that is expensive in the stores. I have raspberries, blackberries and table grapes.
Sunlei
Mar 2016
#44
I realize yards are smaller but I want people to know even a small yard can produce enough.
Sunlei
Mar 2016
#26
start small with 10 "hills" and a pack of seeds and one doesn't need any of that other stuff
Sunlei
Mar 2016
#31
Is insecticidal soap or horticultural oil "poison" to anything besides insects?
Major Nikon
Mar 2016
#53
part of it is to keep from getting soaked & having to work outside dripping wet from head to toe
Sunlei
Mar 2016
#6
Most people don't get the difference between hobby gardens and industrial food production
pediatricmedic
Mar 2016
#22
They could but corns inexpensive. I got 400 dozen eggs a year off a quarter acre :P
Sunlei
Mar 2016
#30
...and you refrained from pointing out the lack of maturity of that obvious flamebait OP
Major Nikon
Mar 2016
#48