If people don't want to plant vegetable gardens, then what about habitat for something to live in? Lawns are a wasteland for native plant, animal, fungal, and bacteria species.
Also, I don't buy the carbon sink thing. Powered lawnmowers put out a lot of CO2. Also, a lot of cut grass decays... and that releases greenhouse gasses as well.
Oh.. and 'pesticides' were mentioned, but what about herbicide and fertilizer run off?
OhX2... and lawns are reeeaaaally ugly!

"Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health '...have re-created the mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder in several honeybee hives simply by giving them small doses of a popular pesticide, imidacloprid.' This follows recently-reported studies also linked the disorder to neonicotinoid pesticides. What is really interesting is the link to when the disorder started appearing, 2006. 'That mechanism? High-fructose corn syrup. Many bee-keepers have turned to high-fructose corn syrup to feed their bees, which the researchers say did not imperil bees until U.S. corn began to be sprayed with imidacloprid in 2004-2005. A year later was the first outbreak of Colony Collapse Disorder.'"

http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/04/07/167230/colony-collapse-disorder-linked-to-pesticide-high-fructose-corn-syrup

So I guess it wasn't exactly in anyones best interest to have this substance, except for the bottom line. Clear example of greed trumping sanity. We are all in danger when stuff like this is allowed to happen, but we fight the turrrists!

"Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health '...have re-created the mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder in several honeybee hives simply by giving them small doses of a popular pesticide, imidacloprid.' This follows recently-reported studies also linked the disorder to neonicotinoid pesticides. What is really interesting is the link to when the disorder started appearing, 2006. 'That mechanism? High-fructose corn syrup. Many bee-keepers have turned to high-fructose corn syrup to feed their bees, which the researchers say did not imperil bees until U.S. corn began to be sprayed with imidacloprid in 2004-2005. A year later was the first outbreak of Colony Collapse Disorder.'"

http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/04/07/167230/colony-collapse-disorder-linked-to-pesticide-high-fructose-corn-syrup

"Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health '...have re-created the mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder in several honeybee hives simply by giving them small doses of a popular pesticide, imidacloprid.' This follows recently-reported studies also linked the disorder to neonicotinoid pesticides. What is really interesting is the link to when the disorder started appearing, 2006. 'That mechanism? High-fructose corn syrup. Many bee-keepers have turned to high-fructose corn syrup to feed their bees, which the researchers say did not imperil bees until U.S. corn began to be sprayed with imidacloprid in 2004-2005. A year later was the first outbreak of Colony Collapse Disorder.'"

http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/04/07/167230/colony-collapse-disorder-linked-to-pesticide-high-fructose-corn-syrup

So not only did we kill ourselves slowly, but managed to potentially catastrophically disrupt the entire food chain... because HFCS is a cheap thickener.

Fucking hell... watch people continue to remain ignorant.

"Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health '...have re-created the mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder in several honeybee hives simply by giving them small doses of a popular pesticide, imidacloprid.' This follows recently-reported studies also linked the disorder to neonicotinoid pesticides. What is really interesting is the link to when the disorder started appearing, 2006. 'That mechanism? High-fructose corn syrup. Many bee-keepers have turned to high-fructose corn syrup to feed their bees, which the researchers say did not imperil bees until U.S. corn began to be sprayed with imidacloprid in 2004-2005. A year later was the first outbreak of Colony Collapse Disorder.'"

http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/04/07/167230/colony-collapse-disorder-linked-to-pesticide-high-fructose-corn-syrup

Always trust the manufacturers; They wouldnt ever do anything to hurt you consumers or your planet. Obey.

Aye I agree that not hurting people is a worthy cause, but if you follow that line of thinking, once again you will find inconsistency. For example, if he truly doesn't want to hurt people, why did he try to have the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 repealed - twice.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d096:h.r.2310:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d094:h.r.13264:

Wouldn't having less safety at work result in more harm to workers, and even deaths?

How about his stance on the environment, would a degraded, polluted environment lead to harm? Quite possibly, and he's sponsored more than a half dozen bills to try to get rid of, or limit legislation protecting it, including a bill to repeal the Soil and Water Conservation Act of 1977.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d096:h.r.7079:

There are plenty of studies that demonstrate a scientifically significant correlation between pesticide exposure and cancers, birth defects and spontaneous abortions. Look up carbaryl, atrazine and benomyl-carbendazim to name a few, if he truly wanted to avoid doing harm, shouldn't he focus on legislation that tightens up the use of toxic chemicals in the food chain so that the seasonal and migrant workers (especially) might have improved health outcomes?

What about his handling of the Florida oil spill, the ecosystem there got devastated and there will be ongoing health consequences for not just the locals. His reaction was that there should be less oversight by the Government and instead there should be promises by the corporations to make good any damages with the populations they affect. That's not just an example of how his principles could harm people but it's an example of libertarianism gone crazy. His sponsorship of the H.R.2415 and H.R.4004 bills back this up, both of them incentivize off-shore drilling.
http://www.ronpaul.com/2010-06-16/ron-paul-defends-obama-on-bp-oil-spill-and-himself-on-owning-gold/

He takes the stance that he 'doesn't want to hurt people because he's then able to get a lot of anti-abortion supporters to vote for him, or in other words, he's doing a good job of being a politician. In addition, he's deciding what is right and what is wrong for the people that have other opinions and may wish to express those opinions in the form of exercising the right to make an informed decision about their future family - I don't call that libertarianism.

>> ^spoco2:

>> ^marbles:
>> ^spoco2:
Ha! She really got him with that last comment...
Where's marbles to arc up about vaccines then?

When you've got liberals quoting Rush Limbaugh as the authority, then you know something is seriously fucked up.

OR, if everyone INCLUDING Limbaugh admits that there is ZERO evidence for the claims then you know the claims are utter bullshit.


Ok pal. Gardasil contains aluminum, polysorbate 80 and sodium borate.

aluminum: Toxic. Linked to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Can cause memory loss and speech problems. Linked to a wide variety of other health problems. Side effects and severe allergic reactions include rash, hives, itching, difficulty breathing, tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue, loss of appetite, muscle weakness, nausea, slow reflexes, and vomiting.

polysorbate 80: Carcinogenic as well as mutagenic. When injected into prepubescent rats, it caused abnormal growth of reproductive organs and made the rats sterile. When used intravenously with vitamins it has been known to cause anaphylactic shock.

sodium borate: Roach pesticide, i.e. poison. Listed side effects include: vomiting, collapse, coma, convulsions, low blood pressure and twitching of facial muscles, arms, hands, legs, and feet.


According to VAERS – the following reports have been listed for HPV, HPV2 & HPV 4 and "mental disorders." This is an estimated 1 to 10% of the vaccine-injured population reporting:

VAERS Analysis / HPV, HPV2, HPV4 – U.S. & Foreign / HPV4 U.S. Only


1. Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM) / 21 / 7
   
2. Encephalitis / 53 / 27
   
3. Demyelination / 60 / 28
   
4. Psychotic Disorder / 14 / 5
   
5. Abnormal Behaviour / 49 / 41
   
6. Cognitive Disorder / 22 / 19
   
7. Mental Status Changes / 41 / 38
   
8. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging Brain Abnormal / 132 / 95
   
9. Speech Disorder / 90 / 67
   
10. Myelitis Transverse / 30 / 21
    
11. Facial Palsy / 138 / 105

>> ^Psychologic:

>> ^Boise_Lib:
>> ^Psychologic:
One of the dangers inherent in these products is that you don't know what is in them. It's a manufactured chemical, so what kinds of byproducts and unreacted ingredients are present? It isn't regulated and the originating labs are generally unknown.
The active chemicals may be safe; just realize there may be other stuff in there with it.

Exactly my thoughts on this Psycologic.
I'll take herb over laboratory anytime.

Even in that case there is the possibility that pesticides were sprayed on it, but that can be mitigated by knowing the grower or growing your own (and hopefully not getting arrested).


Yepers,

I was around for Paraquat Pot. That shit's some nasty, deadly shit.

We got a batch that I'm sure had this crap on it (Thanks, US Government).
I threw mine away after just one hit, and five minutes of coughing.

>> ^Boise_Lib:

>> ^Psychologic:
One of the dangers inherent in these products is that you don't know what is in them. It's a manufactured chemical, so what kinds of byproducts and unreacted ingredients are present? It isn't regulated and the originating labs are generally unknown.
The active chemicals may be safe; just realize there may be other stuff in there with it.

Exactly my thoughts on this Psycologic.
I'll take herb over laboratory anytime.


Even in that case there is the possibility that pesticides were sprayed on it, but that can be mitigated by knowing the grower or growing your own (and hopefully not getting arrested).

Oh my god, and they are so ignorant to how to grow, PESTICIDES ON INDOOR??!?!? BUGS CAN GET INSIDE?!? HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON.

EVIL THY NAME IS RYCHAN!

>> ^rychan:

I like my lawn
I don't use pesticides. I draw water from my well, not a municipal water supply. Groundwater levels are not threatened here and I only have to run my sprinkler system about three months a year. So, I don't think it's a huge time or resource sink.
I'm not sure we would be able to enjoy the space around my house without a lawn. I'm not about to plant an acre worth of vegetables -- 400 square feet is plenty for me. If I just let it grow naturally then it would be impassable waist high scrub in a year. I guess it might be interesting to only mow a small fraction of my yard and seed wildflowers in the rest. Not everyone in my neighborhood mows their entire yard regularly.

I like my lawn

I don't use pesticides. I draw water from my well, not a municipal water supply. Groundwater levels are not threatened here and I only have to run my sprinkler system about three months a year. So, I don't think it's a huge time or resource sink.

I'm not sure we would be able to enjoy the space around my house without a lawn. I'm not about to plant an acre worth of vegetables -- 400 square feet is plenty for me. If I just let it grow naturally then it would be impassable waist high scrub in a year. I guess it might be interesting to only mow a small fraction of my yard and seed wildflowers in the rest. Not everyone in my neighborhood mows their entire yard regularly.

David Kirby:

I realize my Huffington essay was rather long and complicated. Here is a brief synopsis of just SOME of the larger points raised in the piece. I will probably alter this a little, but it hits most of the main topics. Please feel free to circulate - DK

● Up to 1 in 50 children (2%) may have a genetic mutation that puts them at risk for mitochondrial dysfunction.

● Up to 20% of all children with autism may have an underlying mitochondrial dysfunction

● Children with mitochondrial dysfunction are more likely to regress into autism between the ages 1 and 2 years, if they have fever or illness from viral infections or vaccines.

● The CDC is aware of this difficult situation and is taking measures immediately to address the current national vaccine schedule.

● The genetic susceptibility for mitochondrial dysfunction in autism is inherited through the father, not the mother, as previously thought, and is not rare at all.

● The DNA mutation might not be enough in itself to confer cellular dysfunction, and many doctors believe there is an environmental trigger as well.

● They note that thimerosal, mercury, aluminum, pollution, pesticides, medicines and prenatal alcohol exposure have all been shown to damage mitochondria.

● Other doctors believe that a corn-byproduct based diet in America has put children in a constant inflammatory state, thus making the DNA mutation more pathogenic.

● While some children with mitochondrial dysfunction regress into autism following fever and illness from a viral infection; other kids, like Hannah Poling, clearly regress following a reaction to vaccines.

● The exact percentage of people with vaccine induced autism is unknown. But even a 1% rate could mean 10,000 Americans with vaccine related autism, at a cost of many billions of dollars for lifetime care.

If you tried watching the video again you might notice that she doesn't make an assertion that Chlorpropham causes cancer. She says that there have been studies that have shown animals to grow tumors after prolonged exposure to the chemical.

What I quoted was only a portion of the website about chlorpropham (Bud Nip) toxicity. If you were not too lazy to click on the link I provided in my comment above you would have found "Carcinogenic Effects: Long-term exposure to chlorpropham may cause tumors (2). In one experiment chlorpropham initiated skin cancer in mice" (/PMEP) in the same report. The Pesticide Management Education Program website does suggest that more studies should be done to link chlorpropham exposure to cancer, but they are pretty clear that it has toxic effects on laboratory animals. It is an easy inference to make that it probably isn't good for other mammals either.

What the girl says after is: "With all of the chemicals it's no wonder so many people age getting diagnosed with cancer." Her assertion is that too many chemical additives in general in our food supply may have a factor in increased cancer diagnosis in general.



Besides, her experiment isn't about cancer. It is about the results of her attempt to grow sprouts from root vegetables. The information she provides about toxicity of chlorpropham is simply the result of using a google search to find out what else Bud Nip does besides inhibiting plant growth.

>> ^DrewNumberTwo:

(This is about the adults guiding her, not the girl...)Even if what she said is true, it has nothing to do with what she was testing so it's bad science. If she doesn't cite her source, then she's not properly reporting what she found. What you quoted above still doesn't support her assertion that the additive can cause cancer in animals, and that an unnamed number of chemicals, presumably added to food, cause cancer in humans.

@DrewNumberTwo:

She's not making it up. She's just not citing sources.

Five minutes of internet searching found me this:

"ACUTE TOXICITY

Chlorpropham is moderately toxic by ingestion (2). It may cause irritation of the eyes or skin (2). Symptoms of poisoning in laboratory animals have included listlessness, incoordination, nose bleeds, protruding eyes, bloody tears, difficulty in breathing, prostration, inability to urinate, high fevers, and death. Autopsies of animals have shown inflammation of the stomach and intestinal lining, congestion of the brain, lungs and other organs, and degenerative changes in the kidneys and liver (2)"

Breakdown of Chemical in Soil and Groundwater

Chlorpropham has some potential to contaminate groundwater because it is highly soluble in water and it has only a moderate tendency to adsorb to soil particles (3, 5). Chlorpropham adsorbs strongly to organic matter, so it is unlikely to leach through soils high in organic matter. Chlorpropham does not readily adsorb to montmorillonite or kaolinite clays (4).
Chlorpropham is subject to degradation by soil microbes. Photodegradation and volatilization do not readily occur. Increasing temperatures above 35 degrees C and increasing soil moisture capacity may increase volatilization (4). Soil half-lives from 35 days (3) to 65 days at 15 degrees C or 30 days at 29 degrees C (4) have been reported. Degradation rates are affected by microbial activity and soil moisture levels (4)."


/Pesticide Management Education Program.