🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <5849@amelia.nas.nasa.gov> (Robert B. Ciotti) writes:

> It is a difficult situation politically isn't it, on one hand you have a 
> very big and powerful lobby that stands to loose millions and millions of 
> dollars, and on the other hand you have millions and million of people that 
> are having this stuff sprayed of them and their children. 

*Who* will be paying for it?  If you guessed agribusiness will, guess again.

Millions of people are not getting sprayed.  The spraying is done in the wee
hours of the morning.  The only thing left after the spray settles are sticky
droplets with a low concentration of malathion on exposed surfaces.  You
could lick off the roof of your car without ingesting a significant amount.

> So the millions of bucks say, 'were gonna spray this stuff on you, but 
> don't worry, its OK and of course, its completely LEGAL, AND we got OUR 
> data right here that says it SAFE too! And when were done, your won't
> have to be SCARED anymore'

If you don't believe that there are such things as reasonably non-toxic
pesticides, I don't suppose I can convince you otherwise.  All commercially
grown produce has traces of pesticides, even after washing, and life goes on.

> And the millions of people say, 'gee, I don't know, a bit more for fruit and 
> vegetables or a twice daily douse of SAFE pesticide (remember they said it
> was SAFE so it must be so, they have never lied before have they, and I
> am SCARED...)' 

No, the masses usually listen to the scare mongers, especially when the
media gets behind the act.  I generally don't trust "industry spokesmen",
either, but malathion has gotten a good bill of health from independent,
consumer-oriented investigators.

>> Activists may be willing to trade some level of
>> infestation and crop destruction for an end to spraying, but growers
>> will find themselves in a less flexible position.  
> Yup, whenever profits are involved, your likely to find in-flexibility.

The point is it's beyond the control of California growers.  States like
Florida and Texas are the ones that will instigate a quarantine.

> Oh, yes, I see now, as long as you don't get over X amount, your still
> OK, I feel reassured now.

That's the usual way we measure harmful levels of substances.  If humans
couldn't tolerated any amount of any toxic substance, everyone who has
eaten fish would be dying from mercury poisoning.

>> That sickly sweet fog they pump through the air conditioning before
>> landing is a concentrated malathion spray designed to kill on contact.
> I've been on a few flights to Hawaii, and don't recall this, is it
> carrier dependent or required by law, or just recently since the SCARE? 

Look for the mist from the ceiling vents on your return flight.  It's been
a requirement on all commercial flights since the early 70's.  The USDA
enforces it, too.  Airlines would be fined for noncompliance.

> People probably agree that this is indeed a serious problem agriculturally, 
> but I would argue that it is a completely separate issue from someone being 
> able to go up to you and hose you off with pesticide.

Being overly dramatic, aren't you?

> The organic produce at my grocery may not look as pretty or be as cheap as 
> the fumigated, irridated, deinfestated stuff, but....

The organic/non-organic debate is a whole other issue, but it's reasonable
to assume that the majority of consumers are going to continue their current
buying habits, namely, getting whatever looks good and sells cheap.  Right
now, they don't have to worry about fumigation.  That could change.

> Some people smoke 2 packs of cigarettes every day and feel no discomfort.
> Some will die of cancer and some will not, but it was THEIR choice to
> smoke, not someone elses.

Life is full of risks.  Compared to most of the risks we assume on a daily
basis (whether voluntarily or not), the malathion hazard is trivial.

` Bernie Verreau   Microprocessor Design, Intel Corp., Santa Clara, Ca.        '
'                                                                              `
` uucp: ..{hplabs|amdcad|qantel|pur-ee|scgvaxd|oliveb}!intelca!mipos2!bverreau '
' csnet/arpanet: bverreau@mipos2.intel.com                                     `