Saving the Planet with Pesticides and Plastic

by Dennis T. Avery

Book Overview

If one listens to the latest pronouncements from a number of prominent environmentalists, things seem very dire indeed. Poisonous apples, genetically engineered milk, rising global temperatures, and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1558130519
• ISBN13: 9781558130517
• Release Date: February 1995
• Publisher: Hudson Institute
• Length: 442 Pages
• Weight: 3.56 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Great work about this subject

I'm a brazilian and (unemployed) agronomist.This book is really good about this subject.This books shows to the general public, many realities about pesticides and his goods efects in economy and farms.The GREEN MAFIA is also quacking in USA, not only in Brazil.

This is crazy

Pesticide is a poison. If you think spraying poison on our food is going to improve anything, you've got another think coming. Sustainable agriculture puts back what it takes from the environment. Factory farming pollutes our air, water and soil. According to a study conducted by the Department of Economics at the University of Essex , industrial farms cause $34.7 billion worth of environmental damage in the U.S. each year. True, there have been cases of E. coli bactiria, but the is the result of improper handling, using fresh manure instead of allowing it to decompose properly first. And it isn't only organic foods that were grown in maure. And non-organic food is also sometimes grown in manure. And the pesticides kill bugs, not E. coli bacteria. Recent studies have shown that sustainable crops contain higher levels of nutrients, minerals, and antioxidants, including vitamin C, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and polyphenols. Organic crops also have lower levels of certain toxic heavy metals. Better soil management (crop rotation, cover crops and composting) used in organic and sustainable farming helps enrich the soil and increase the concentration of vitamins and minerals in the plants. Chemical fertilizers, used on conventional, factory farmed crops, lower the nutrient content of the soil, increase the level of potentially harmful nitrates, and can contain certain toxic heavy metals which can be absorbed by the plants. Pesticides are one of the most common toxic substances found in food. They can impair the immune system and cause diseases. Pesticides can also affect the nervous system, endocrine (glands and hormones) system, immune system and reproductive system. Pesticides have been linked to Parkinson's disease, learning disabilities, hyperactivity, emotional disorders, weakened immune systems, and birth defects. Long after their use, pesticides remain in the soil and water. Despite being banned in 1972, DDT has been found in the breast milk of over 99% of all mothers in America. The American Association of Poison Control Centers estimates that in 2002, 69,000 children suffered from pesticide related poisoning or exposure to poisonous pesticides. According to Cornell entomologist David Pimentel, "It has been estimated that only 0.1% of applied pesticides reach the target pests, leaving the bulk of the pesticides (99.9%) to impact the environment."

Save the Science

Growing more per area is responsible for saving more land to the nature and High-yield Conservation is supported by two nobel peace prize laureates (Dr Norman Borlaug and Dr Oscar Arias) and many others. See the declaration at http://www.highyieldconservation.org/. The book's tittle is a bit "drama oriented" in my oppinion: it seems that Mr Avery is trying to use the same tool that most environmentalist do.

compelling arguments

Actually, the base "-cid" comes from the Latin "cadere" and means "to fall". This term was modified by the Romans to mean "to kill" as in "occedere". Another example of factual misrepresentation on both sides of the environmental debate. Avery trys to answer some of the big questions left unanswered by environmentalists: If our food is being poisoned, why are we healthier and living longer than ever before in the course of human history? If chemicals are polluting the environment, why is it now safe to swim in rivers that have previously been too polluted? Why is the air cleaner than 20 years ago, despite a huge increase in motorized traffic? I would also recommend Peter Huber's "Hard Green".