Pesticides

Pesticides are used quite a bit here in India.  Not just in farming, but in landscape care.  But does it really do what it says it does?

I'm not sure it does.

I've read an article recently that stated when comparing the insect populations in organic farms and non organic farms, the results were quite clear that the Organic, non pesticide using farms had an insect population that kept itself in check.  i.e.. populations of different insects controlled the populations of others, and therefore maintained a fine balance.

The non organic farms tended to have more problems with insect specific infestations (or over populations) This due to the fact that certain kinds of insects had adapted to the pesticides and were not killed off while others did not.  Thus the immune bugs became over populated.

In tropical climates insects thrive and therefore people are more interested in getting rid of them by any means necessary.

Since we have been here our pesticide dependent greenery in our complex has fallen to the woolly aphid.  quite an insidious bug that is VERY hard to get rid of.  I fear we will lose trees and shrubs very soon unless something is done soon.

So...this is my mission.  To gather info about organic methods of insect control, and change the way things are done.

Not only that, but the organophosphate pesticide that they are using here is a neurotoxin, and we humans are not immune to its effects.

Recent studies state that children exposed to organophosphates can have as much as an 80% higher risk of developing ADHD.

I think the worst that I see is the dead and dying butterflies and honey bees that do no harm.

I will be posting tips for safe pest control over the next little while.

Stop Using Plastic Bags

I watched a documentary on the history of the plastic bag, which was a horrifying reality check.

At home on the west coast I'd been toting around my reusable bags for a couple of years.  It was more of a comfort issue related to walking groceries home without cutting off my fingers...as well as the fact that we never reused plastic bags at our house because they are a sorry excuse for a garbage bag.  I hated just throwing them out, and so I reduced as much as possible the wastage from our home.

Having moved half way across the world now, I've started to accumulate reusable bags, but the horrific cupboard of bags is grating on my nerves.  It must stop here!

We are killing our wildlife, both on land and, most especially, in the oceans.

What is just ironic is that in India, where cows are sacred, they are left to rummage for food in heaps of garbage where they generally eat plastic bags all the time.  Though the cow's digestive system has adapted to break down things as mind boggling as tin, not even their advanced systems can break down plastic.

So cows are starving to death because once eaten bags accumulate in their guts and prevent their digestive process!

There are even rescue charities who operate to remove them.  One cow had 50 lbs...that's right 50 LBS of plastic bags removed from his gut!

These need to be outlawed as quickly as possible.

What are the alternatives?

Natural fibre reusable bags for one, but if it is possible to create a cornstarch based disposable utensil that is bio degradable, then why not a bag?