Pesticides in paradise: Hawaii's spike in bir

[Opihikaobob]

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/...icides-gmo
So more problems for those supporting gmo's

[leilanidude]

It is one thing to oppose the indiscriminate spraying of pesticides, but what of those companies that are growing non-GMO seed products and also heavily using pesticides?

[terracore]

I think the article mentioned that the pesticides they were using were 17 times the "normal" amount, but I believe the article also mentioned that the agribusinesses won't disclose how much they are using, so I wonder how they got that figure. (Granted, I only skimmed the article).

As I was skimming it dawned on me that pesticides are tested for their safety before getting approved, but I wonder if such studies include byproducts of the environment. It's one thing to feed a rat a room full of pesticide X, but do they also feed the rat a room full of pesticide X that has been altered by exposure to sunlight and other things in the environment, and then combined with other compounds (whether naturally occurring or not)?

[ericlp]

I think what the article fails to mention is this is happening all over the world. This is not uniqe to Hawaii.

[PaulW]

"As for the birth defects spike, “We have not seen any credible source of statistical health information to support the claims,” said Bennette Misalucha, executive director of Hawaii Crop Improvement Association"

That's the most important sentence of the article.

[kalakoa]

The long-term solution to all these problems is to break the State into smaller pieces and give everyone a one-time relocation payout.

Kauai: Monsanto.
Oahu: military base, city dwellers.
Maui: suburbia, telescopes.
Big Island: new Hawaiian Kingdom.

[dakine]

The fact that there is a discussion going on verses an absolute ban on all of this is sickening, absolutely sickening.

[islandlvng]

Absolute ban vs discussion of facts............ The only thing absolutely sickening is that caveman mentality. Actually quite disturbing.

[dakine]

Hey, the facts are there is serious concern, and possible evidence of horrible consequences and therefore anything other than caution is criminal, absolutely criminal. Yeah one should have the right blah blah blah, but AFTER it's proven safe, not before!

[PaulW]

So if I say that pumpkin lattes causes birth defects, with no proof whatsoever, then it should be immediately banned "just in case"?
Caveman mentality indeed. How about some evidence first? Oh that's right, you don't allow discussion.