Inside or Outside?

In keeping with this week's genetic manipulation topic, here's a photo of a crop duster spraying an alfalfa field. There are arguments (and very well documented ones at that) regarding the dangers of pesiticides, herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides applied to crops and other vegetation. Issues ranging from transferance of these chemicals to humans when eaten, drift (it was windy today when I took this and did get showered with whatever they were spraying), water quality/pollution, etc.

A discussion with a seed grower yesterday revolved around the convenience of applying chemicals, the tradition of use (being in a rut), cost savings and improved crop performance and growth. It's a complex issue concerning safety, environmental quality, the need for more plants and higher yield on smaller acreages, high labor and fuel costs, manufacturer desires for larger profits and control of market share, the influence of the chemical lobby on government, the lack of organization of citizens to oppose certain chemical uses and/or genetic mofications in country and on foreign soil (where prohibited chemicals such as DDT are produced in the US and other countries, sold to South America and China (among others), used on those crops, polluting the local environment, affecting local wildlife, then those crops sold back to the US and other countries where those chemicals are ingested by consumers.

The saying "Think Locally, Act Globally" is really true when it comes to agriculture.