"usual suspect" > wrote in message ...
> CORRECTION
>
> usual suspect wrote:
> <...>
>
> > The reality is there's *no* significant difference between methods other

'-Conventional

Synthetic chemicals may be toxic to many nontargets (beneficial insects,
pets, humans, birds, fish, and other wildlife)

Take control; eliminate pests

calendar based applications

All pesticides are poisonous to some form of life; greater use increases risk

Composted municipal sewage may bring heavy metals

Runoff with soluble nutrients and pesticides can wash into waterways after rain

-Organic

Strive for ecological balance and minimize pesticide use; build soil and plant
health to avoid the need for treatment

All pesticides are poisonous to some form of life; use safest approved materials

Composted municipal sewage not allowed; manure must be composted to
avoid active disease bacteria; assess compost quality before use

Runoff can occur with any materials, but less with organic matter that binds
nutrients to soil.

http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/public...are/which.html



> > than the fact that conventional crop production may include use of
> > synthetic pestcides and fertilizers and are also routinely monitored for
> > pesticide residues. Organic crops allow the use of natural versions of
> > the *very same* pesticides and are NOT monitored for residues (despite
> > the fact that many of the natural pesticides are equally dangerous as
> > the synthetics).
>
> Parenthesis should read: despite the fact that the natural pesticides
> are equally dangerous as the synthetics. There's no significant
> difference in the toxicity of either conventional or organic pesticides,

'Derived from the painted daisy, Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium,
pyrethrins are considered one of the most important natural insecticides.
When you must use a broad spectrum insecticide in the vegetable garden
or lose the crop, this is one of the best choices. Of low toxicity to mammals,
they kill insects quickly. In sunlight they break down and are non-toxic
within a day or less. For best results apply it in the late afternoon or evening.
Use pyrethrins for the hard-to-kill pests such as beetles, squash bugs, and
tarnished plant bugs.'
http://www.iserv.net/~wmize/insctd.htm

'While pyrethroids are a synthetic version of an extract from the
chrysanthemum, they were chemically designed to be more toxic
with longer breakdown times, and are often formulated with synergists,
increasing potency and compromising the human body's ability to
detoxify the pesticide.
.....'
http://www.beyondpesticides.org/pest...yrethroids.pdf

> just that conventional ones are tested and limited in use while organics
> are neither tested nor limited for application on crops.

'Pesticide residues

Over 400 pesticides are permitted for use in the UK. The incidence and
levels of pesticide residues on foods are monitored annually. 28.6% of
all foods tested in 1999 were found to contain pesticide residues, and
48% of all fruit and vegetables tested (MAFF 2000). The levels found
are typically very low. Just 1.6% of all foods and 3% of fruit and
vegetables exceeded the MRL - maximum residue limit - in 1999.

Seven pesticides are permitted for restricted use in organic farming.
Organic produce is usually found to contain no pesticide residues. When
residues are present, they are typically of significantly lower incidence and
levels than those found in non-organic produce (MAFF 1999, Schüpbach
1986, Reinhardt & Wolf 1986), and result mostly from environmental
pollution from non-organic agriculture (Woese et al. 1997, Bitaud 2000).

'Rigorous safety assessments' are made of all pesticides and it is asserted
that these incidences and levels do not represent a threat to food safety
(FSA 2001). However no such 'rigorous safety assessment' has or can
be made of the infinite number of mixtures of compounds consumers are
typically exposed to. Individual samples contained up to seven different
pesticides in 1999. Synergies resulting in greatly increased toxicity of
pesticides and other agricultural compounds have been observed (Boyd
et al. 1990, Porter et al. 1993, Porter et al. 1999, Thiruchelvam et al. 2000).

Dietary exposure to pesticide residues has been linked to gastrointestinal
and neurological complaints (Ratner et al. 1983), breast milk contamination
(Aubert 1975) and some sperm quality parameters (Juhler et al. 1999,
Abell et al. 1994, Jensen et al. 1996). The British Medical Association
urges a precautionary approach "because the data on risk to human health
from exposure to pesticides are incomplete" (BMA 1992).
...'
http://www.organic.aber.ac.uk/librar...%20quality.pdf

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