Pesticides

Pesticide Poison



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Ghost Orchid
by DK Christi

"Brilliant" - BKWalker Books"Fall under the spell of Christi as she weaves a magical tale of love, betrayal and forgiveness." – Midwest Book Reviews

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by DK Christi

September 12, 2010, 10:02 am A New Day

When you visit your local grocery, do you ever think about the production of the food you are purchasing? Not me. I have my list and mindlessly gather up my fruits, vegetables, dry and canned goods with a desire to finish the shopping chore as quickly as possible. I sometimes "think organic" and make a few organic choices just to combat the poisons to health that I know I take in daily, but the higher cost is a consideration as I juggle my coupons.

Today was a new day. I recently listened to an expert on pesticides in agriculture and the protection of agricultural workers. I was appalled. I am not going to present facts here; I am going to summarize my awakening. First, agriculture is not a mechanized industry with a few individuals running the planting and harvesting equipment. It is a backbreaking, human labor process, aided by machinery that adds efficiency and is life threatening at the same time. There are too many horror stories for one blog; but thosestories shed a new light on the trip to the grocery. For this blog, Iam concentrating on pesticides; the exceedingly toxic chemicals that are spread on our fruits and vegetables and the people that plant and harvest them.

In fact, the soil itself is poisoned before the planting begins. The water is infused with toxic chemicals and sprays into the air. So is the runoff into our water system and the poisoning of our soils for future generations, not counting the disease and disfigurement to human life. I thought the worst pesticides were outlawed in this country;that's why we have government regulation, right? The U.S. Corporations still manufacture them; they just ship them to South America where those farmers suffer the consequences and then the fruits andvegetables are shipped back to us and sold in our stores, just like baby formula that cannot be sold in the United States is sent to undeveloped countries where the mothers are told to stop breastfeeding and use formula, "the same as U.S. mothers," giving their babies a lifetime sentence of poor health if they make it past their youth.

"What can we do?" asked audience members. First,self-interest. Buy organic and buy fresh produce from sources as close to home as possible where you can ask about their farming methods and know what you are getting. Wash everything with soap and water as soon as it's brought into the home, wearing gloves. Skin does not protect from pesticides. Peel anything that provides the chance to peel it. Surprisingly, apples, peaches, strawberries and bananas are examples of fruits with the most pesticide contamination.

Wash bananas in the skin with soap and water immediately. Next, world interest. Be an activist who works toward regulations that prevent corporations from manufacturing poison and encourages them to solve pesticide issues with organic measures. Marjorie in accounting at XYZ Corporation doesn't think that she is contributing to the poisoning of the world's populations; let her know through your voice what the corporation produces, where it's shipped and the damage it does. Do we need our Lexus and our summer house and our labeled wardrobes at the expense of human lives? Take an interest in legislation designed to protect agricultural workers from exploitation and endangerment. Be a conscientious consumer. It is the life lived in excess that demands so many toxic chemicals. Green up and protect your family and future generations. Maybe we need to spend a little more to consume a little less for the sake of human life. It's worth it.

Joe, I posted here to bring this up again for you. dk

DK,

Very interesting and informative. Thanks! I guess we live by the will and grace of God.

9/13/2010


DK..

Do they use pesticides on organic fruits & vegetables ?
I won't buy anything till I know, I don't trust stores to
tell me, I think they lie..


Cheers..Joe

The person speaking indicated that all commercially grown produce has some chemicals either in the soil or used in the growing cycle. The difference comes in what is classified as "organic", meaning less toxic than the rest of it.

Apparently, all the soil where produce is grown commercially has been contaminated by one thing or another. There are standards of time that makes it "organic" to grow things there.

She basically pointed out the safest way to get our proper nutrition and avoid the worst contamination. Your web site list was pretty much confirmed by her as to which produce items are the most likely to contain the worst pesticide residue.

I think her recomendations are practical: avoid imported fruits and vegetables as there is no control over the nature of the chemicals in their growing cycle; seek organic produce because they are more likely to use the least harmful growing practices; buy local where you know the growing practices and in all cases, wash everything as it comes in your door with soap and water even before putting it on your counter or in the refrigerator. Peel it if possible after washing and before serviing.

Of course, I wonder about canned and frozen produce - aren't the chemicals canned and frozen with them?

I guess it's a bit like Alice said, we take our chances. When I lived in Korea, human waste was used to fertilize. We washed everything with a bleach solution. There's a horrid chemical, yet in dilution, it kept us well. My maid washed the strawberries in the bleach solution. It seems to me if we wash

Something truncated my response. "...everything with soap and water and peel it, we should be okay.

The main question, though, is why do we allow this? Why don't we as a nation rise up and cry "foul!" We need to stop the production of toxic chemicals for food production, learn to eat ugly produce that has less chemicals on it, etc.

We control what is sold to us with our purses. Yet, we acquiesce and just give up. We are in shock for a while, then we continue our old practices because the produce at the grocery "looks" great.