do you think the benefits of chemical pesticides outweigh their disadvantages? If so why?

Answer 1

not in a million years
Using pesticides or herbicides is eco-criminal and anti social
plenty of alternative methods around

if one plants a diversity of crops far less pests come about ,as with mono culures which destroy the soils as well


they eventually contaminate ground waters ,raise the PH levels ,and very negatively affect develloping fetuses in pregnant mothes who drink these waters , infertile boys is the result and many babies in Mexico are born handicapped as a result of farmers using these kind of chemicals

please dont talk dirty again,mentioning pestecides , there are childen on this show

NOTE ON ORGANIC PEST CONTROL

one can make a cheap bug controlling mixture from green liquid soap and garlic,chili and sigarettes buts

Just a few examples of organic pest control and there are thousands

In Mexico we got a sort of small lizard that lives on the wall ,and sit near the lamps ,and eat mosquitos all night,

in the mango orchards we release laboratory bred wasps to attack and kill the caterpillars that go for the mangos

there are small chickens, called a silky or bantom or chaparito which are all small chickens that do not scratch ,but run after ,jumping and walking insects,they take care of about 70 percent of all garden pests.

feasants,guinyfowel,partridge will do the same work
iguanas kill grashoppers and all kinds of flying insects

birds we also dont kill
when the passion fruit is ripe ,a little black caterpiller comes and wants to destroy them,luckely a little finch type bird turns up and eats the black caterpillars.

In Mexico we have let mazacoas,which are, python type snakes in to the garden to take care of the rats.
In Africa we released mole snakes into the garden and field to combat the plagues of Norwegian rats that were destroying the fields

ant eaters and armadillos take care of leafcutting ants that can destroy a large tree in a week.and eat beatles and such

potbelly pigs and deer and normal pigs are good in an orchard because they eat fallen rotting fruit which breeds a lot of small flies.

in our water reservoirs we put fish to eat the mosquito larvas.

i have bred tree frogs from eggs and released them in the garden to eat mosquitos and horse flies.

Source(s):

Permaculture is a world recognised earth friendly movement but tends to include people that practice the concept and is active in all fields

Permaculture means permanent agriculture
a concept put forward by Bill Mollisson in the 60`s
which is a complete hand book for environmental design.

With practical solutions for energy systems ,infrastructure ,housing,
animal shelter ,water systems and sustainable agricultural practises.
With the world and it`s history as it`s source
From the chinampas of Mexico to the teraced gardens of the Andes.
From the dessert whadis to the steppes of Russia.
Covering all climatic conditions temporal, dessert, humid and dry tropics.
with chapters on soil ,Water harvesting and land design,
Earth working ,Spirals in nature,Trees and water ,utilising energy flows,
Strategy for an alternative nation

the Permaculture designers manual by Bill Mollison,which cost about 40 dollars.
and is the best all round book you can get.(tagiari publishing, [e-mail])

you could ask at any of the directions below

some other writers that are on the internet are
david Holmgren
Larry Santoyo
Kirk Hanson

Masanobu Fukuaka has written ,
One-Straw Revolution
The Road Back to Nature
The Natural Way of Farming
http://www.context.org/iclib/ic14/fukuok...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/masanobu_fu...

Simon Henderson
and Bill Molisson.

a representitive of the concept in USA is
Dan Hemenway at [e-mail]
[e-mail]
http://barkingfrogspc.tripod.com/frames....
http://csf.colorado.edu/perma/ypc_catalo... Source(s) I am a permaculture consultant for the department of Ecology for the regional government of Guerrero in Mexico
http://spaces.msn.com/byderule

Answer 2

The benefits of chemical pesticides are mainly to the pesticide manufacturers and sales chain, and the banks who fund the farmers to buy them.

Natural environments have no need for pesticides, even in the most pest ridden environment like the rainforest nature florishes & is fruitful.

Cemicals are only required if we, as a culture, want to deskill the farmer so they grow the standard global foods we want, rather than the diversity of crops that grow best in their particular fields and environments.
eg mono-crops are very suseptible to pest & disease, GM being an extreme case of mono-crop. even alowing slight genetic variation can give significant resistance.

Answer 3

Chemical pesticides increase crop yields, but they do it at the expense of our environment and quite possibly our health. You're not likely to hear much bad press about it though, because it would be bad for big business and they have a lot of pull with USDA and FDA.

Answer 4

I think it is situational. When pesticides have a negative effect beyond their initial use then they are a major problem.

Example: It seems as if pesticides are the indirect cause of loss of coral in the Great Barrier Reef. So, if you like eating cheap then no problem. If you like snorkling or diving the reef, its a major problem.

Answer 5

No! Chemicals added to the soil whether they are pesticides or fertilizers are harmful in the short term as well as the long term. The soil and bodies of all living things retain these in their bodies and pass them onto their offspring creating a domino effect, usually in the form of birth defects.

Answer 6

I don't know but my son works at one of the largest nurseries in the DC area. He told mu that there was only 1 pesticide that wore the skull and cross bones and that was nicotine.

Answer 7

Is this from the raven and berg? and im just working on that question, and did a whole presentation on it.
i can email it to you.
drop me one by [e-mail]

Answer 8

no, it has been proven chemically grown plants dont last as long,prob same with food crops.
alfred vogal.