ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- If you’ve heard anything about pesticides, it’s probably about how toxic they are. But they make growing food more cost-effective, so when some make it into your groceries, how bad can they be?
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I hope that everyone who watches does so all the way through, as there are a number of turns and curves that lead to really important info. Excellent job here, SciShow.
As someone with experience with pesticide regulations, I found this presentation to be comprehensive, balanced, understandable and accurate. Well done! Thank you.
As someone who also has experiencing in regulating pesticides for a government and had a Pesticide Officer who monitored and kept records on all agricultural pesticide applications I to agree that this was a comprehensive, balanced, understandable and accurate. The vast majority of people with experience about pesticide regulations do not work for Bayer.
Great job SciShow.
Joe Curtis i work as a herbicide applicator and 100% agree. They did a good job of explaining the misunderstanding of pesticides.
It`s nice that there are some people, that aren`t just fearmongering.
I absolutely hate that ish about the internet. It's like they think we can't actually get ahold of outside sources ( away from the i.net) & just expect us to take things for face value. I live in the country & I'm a bit a.d.d. ish. I hear something just the least bit shady (like this) & I'm like 😑🧐," watch me get ahold of one of these yeehaw folks tho. ... Say I won't. I'll find out one way or another💡 😤." But I'm so a.d.d. I made this comment before even finishing the video. :/ Summarize. It must be along the lines of ,"don't believe the hype." Wtf is the purpose of damn trolls anyway? They need to go back to chillin under a bridge or some sh. Wherever they're known for chillin at. 🤔🤷 Other than the I.net.
Patrick: Why kill them? They can take the pests and push them somewhere else.
Spongebob: Great idea, Patrick! A pesticide that moves a... pest aside.
You are a genius
Master Therion i
You are a vary punny person.
That could not have been a better pun at the right time!
sounds like an ad for pesticides
As a pest control technician that I completely appreciate this video and informing the public of organic versus synthetic pesticides thank you so much! Nobody realizes that dosage is the key factor here pesticides can absolutely be harmful if used improperly however as you stated we are extremely strictly enforced by law to use them in the ways that they were intended.
Exactly!
'extremely strictly enforced' is a bit of an overstatement, I think. I personally worked for a lawn and ornamental pest control company that required us to dump our tanks on the ground at the shop every morning and use herbicides illegally. Nobody ever seems to come knocking to enforce any of the laws that are written around some pesticide use until someone gets hurt.
@@barricklowseth2033 Correct. Whats also funny is that these people actually repeat what the companies say. Who can verify the long term results. Remember...Round UP is safe, Cigarette smoking was safe. People are paid to torcher the data.
Young farmer here, it is completely possible and financially viable for farmers to grow crops WITHOUT PESTICIDES in a climate controlled environment with Hydroponics or Aquaponics , look it up. It is the practice of growing plants without the use of soil. Utilising these practices, vertical farming is possible, maximising output. You can grow 40 acres of crops in 1 acre of land. Hence, it covers the cost of controlling the temperature, humidity, as well as the price of crops for end users. The problem is, majority of farmers are well above the age of 50, and they tend to stick to "tradition" whilst refusing to learn new ways of farming.
96Akashi, agricultural engineer here, I agree with you that greenhouse and hydroponic production can significantly lower pest pressures, and therefore the need for pesticides. The reason why more farmers are not switching, however, goes far beyond old dogs not learning new tricks. High tech agriculture requires a high upfront cost. This means it only makes economic sense for high value crops like fresh vegetables and not for agronomic crops like corn, wheat, or soybeans. The high investment is also not economically feasible for many farmers who are working on a small profit margin. The price of land also has a major impact on whether or not farmers switch to different farming practices. For example, in the US, land is relatively plentiful and cheap, as long as you are not in a suburban area. In the Netherlands, on the other hand, land is very limited and expensive, so there has been a major push to maximize the yield you get per hectare.
Kirsten Paff indeed, i do agree that hydroponics have a high upfront cost for smallholders, and it is also part of the reason why farmers refuse to upgrade. For my set up, it takes about a year just to cover the initial cost of the system, with total sales of above 90%. I live in a country where land is considerably quite expensive, so this does profit me. Also theres the future prospects that with increasing population and climate change, we have no choice but to go vertical.
Coming from a New Zealand background where land is relatively plentiful and cheap, we still use the "traditional" way because there simply isn't the technology here or necessity to change to greenhouse and hydroponic production. Especially with NZ with less pests than other countries such as the US and a much lower population, farmers aren't prepared to pay the extra cost immediately. Although I do believe the long term benefit is significant enough.
I both agree and disagree with your points. I agree that hydroponics is the future, of agriculture but only in certain situation when having enough land for agriculture will be huge issue. Also it can make some of cities independent from rural areas. It is really possible to grow some of consumed food in greenhouses at roofs of buildings, or to grow algea in tanks in basements. But then we don't have proper species of plats yet for that scenario. Since like research on flowers grown in greenhouses in Netherlands showed that plants eventually grow weak when they have no stimulation form enviroment like wind, rain, insects etc. So to fix it we would have to increase use of GMO. We might end up having only few different species of crops. Nowadays we use agricultural enginnering to create better species for certain enviroment conditions, we have now plants that need less water to grow or have immunity to some of fungi. We won't have such problems strictly regulated production of hydroponics. Also most of countries can have very efficient agriculture industry just by educating farmers and offering safe and stable market for local producers. Stability of income is the most treatening thing for farmers. At least in Europe, where I live.
96Akashi +
As someone that is in agriculture research, thanks for educating the public about this topic and the gmo topic in previous vids. It's quite frustrating to explain this, as people are always stuck in their beliefs or simply misinformed. There are reasonable objections, but I want those objections to be factual and true so we can fund solutions instead of some media spin job putting us behind.
they're really safe as long as you are strong enough to handle them.
Muscle Hank More like Muscle Hunk
How much do you lift bro?
Muscle Hank
Congrats!
+SchafLP All of them
#MuscleHankVsHustleHank
Thank you for explaining why organic does not mean pesticide free and why natural isn't always better. Science literacy for the win!
Spencer Morran unless u live in a part of the world where the government cracks down on companies using organic for anything that isn't organic according to strict guidelines
Consumer protection is a must companies answer to capitalism which have no morals
A Malevolent you know that isn’t true because it doesn’t say #ad anywhere. They are presenting the facts.
A Malevolent Oh how cute you believe everything you see on the internet. Contrary to popular belief, agencies such as the FDA, EPA, Health Canada, etc. have guidelines for testing chemicals and food in order to protect us, the public, as well as the environment. They publish much of their findings in industry jargon so I think it is important for the public to have a way to access the information in an understandable way, which is what videos like this do. If you don’t like accurate science, don’t watch. By the way, I have a masters degree in environmental toxicology so before you tell me to “educate myself” believe me, I have.
Spencer Morran "how cute you believe everything you see on the internet" "Contrary to popular belief" "industry jargon" "information in an understandable way, which is what videos like this do"
Oh my, oh my.
Yes, I am. Literally one of my life goals is to increase science literacy and promote/praise others when they do the same. In this day in age the public trusts celebrities and random people on the internet with no qualifications more than scientists, doctors, and other experts who literally go to school and spend their careers researching this stuff.
Great video thank you. One thing that sometimes the ppm stats fail to take into account is the entourage effect where, yes you can stand a certain ppm of a particular pesticide, but if you have an 'acceptable' level of ppms of hundreds of different contaminants, each of those each individually might be at a 'safe' level of exposure, but the synergistic and interactive effect of all those relatively minor contaminants is unknown. It seems probably that such a kaleidescope of 'safe' ppms could compound on one another, making the reassurance of the 'safe' zone less reassuring when considered in full context rather than in lab isolation. What do you think tho?
Toxicity can also kill a game
Or a cartoon's fan base
Hackers/cheaters too
So true
Life is a game. You just gotta learn how to play it.
Alright system of a down. You're looking a bit bts ish these days
There's a key point to take away here: the EPA is responsible for determining standards and whether or not those standards are met. Now, remind me, who is running our EPA right now? OH YEAH! The guy who sued it some 14 or so times on behalf of oil companies, and wishes to see it dismantled!
+
eqlipse333 +
Those pesticide residue limits were established before Pruitt got there.
Exactly!
Griffin Evans And now Scott Pruitt is doing everything he can to loosen all of those regulations.
There’s a book about companion planting called Carrots Love Tomatoes by Louise Riotte. The earliest form of pest control on the farm was companion planting. Tomatoes protect carrots from carrot fly. Louise Riotte is from Oklahoma and is incredibly knowledgeable about using other plants as pest control. I’d like to add, Oklahoma was the epicentre of the so-called Dust Bowl of the 1930s. This author managed to be a successful vegetable grower in an area that still is affected today by that environmental disaster.
EPA lol, like that exists anymore
Cameron Cox
oh ya it does, last i heard they arrested a guy for putting dirt on his own property
They dont anymore practically they label coal ash as common trash coal ash is highly toxic and carceogenics
While there are some benefits as someone who has suffered for a lifetime as a direct result of pesticides this definitely felt overly optimistic to me. One thing you didn't mention is the effects of pesticides when it comes to birth abnormalities. In the mid 90s in the UK there was an outbreak of children born (myself included) with varying forms of anophthalmia or microanophthalmia, many of which were traced back to mothers simply living in an area near where certain pesticides had been used. Though things may be improving for many people a distrust of pesticides does not come without reason when they can cause a lifetime of medical difficulties to someone even before they're born, regardless of eating foods which have been treated with pesticides.
It's about time scishow did this. The internet needs this badly.
For me as a farmer it's awesome to see such a big channel like yours to clear up that topic. Recently there are dozens of discussions in my local area, where people who aren't experts are trying to convince the populaton and the government to only allow organic farming and local media is spreading mostly one-sided knowledge about this pretty complicated topic.
So thank you @SciShow for creating such an informative video in a language that's understandable for the common population as well.
Interesting, although I ewoudl be interested in a less US-centric episode, expecially on the different laws between the EU, the US and other countries
Udinanon what are u talking about, the us is the center of the world and none else matters
It would be nice to see the comparison. I'm under the impression that EU laws are a bit stricter on this front, but I would live to know more.
+
Udinanon
Oh yeah...I’m often tempted to comment something like: ‚yes, but we do things a little bit different here in Europe....‘ - and then I think: ‚oh, why bother, no one cares...‘ lol.
Exactly. I'm quite certain the laws for organic foods in my country, Denmark, is quite a good bit stricter than the US, also due to EU-legislation. I'm not sure to what degree pesticides are allowed.
My mother worked in laboratory with pesticides with no protection for 40 years ,she got stage 4 NET cancer at age 68 and died 2 years later
I'm really sorry
Sadly, many environmental issues have become political over the decades. Fortunately, this episode presented the information in as balanced and seemingly non-biased way as one could hope for given the time available and format of the show.
You have improved so much! It has been a pleasure watching you grow.
Though it's a touch off-topic, I'd have like to have seen mention of vertical farming, with hydroponics, aeroponics, closed-loop water system and air filters right at the end, talking about the future, as such mechanisms will (whilst likely uncovering their own, new set of problems) significantly reduce the need to pesticides and particularly cut-down on run-off harms.
Other than that, another typical SciShow piece, real good. Thanks Olivia and all involved x o x
Thank you for talking about both the benefits and hazards instead of only looking at limited scope of information ! Its the spirit of true science!
I work in the automotive salvage industry. I'd love to see an educational video on the effects of recycling on the economy and the ecosystem.
"They still leak into ground water where they can harm fish." I'm sorry, highly toxic compounds leaks into ground water, water that people DRINK, and you're focused on the fish? That stuff effects us, too!
She's gotten so much better
I really hate making up names for this kind of stuff While I have always liked her, I can definitely see improvement. #teamolivia
She's started to pause between words, and use full stops.
I can actually understand what she's saying without huge amounts of concentration.
Do a video about biological pest control. Fighting bugs with bugs is the coolest stuff we currently use in gardening.
harmful limits are usually determined by LD50 or some other obvious form of toxicity. These pesticides are not being tested for possible long term effects of low dose exposure on various metabolic systems before being released onto the market.
Rodenticides and Neonicotinoids are pesticides I work on in the lab daily. Really cool to see them talked about here!
Fun fact: I grew up on a farm and the most toxic pesticide we used was an organic pesticide
What was that organic pesticide? Thanks.
A Crawford Boy Copper Sulfate
Thank you, Hana. I'm a city boy, so I'm mostly unfamiliar with farming techniques. Copper Sulfate, a metal derivative?
High concentrations of Copper will cause serious injury or death. Copper is also a metal that does not go away. Many former orchards and vineyards have a lot of Arsenic, Copper, and Lead in the soil because they are metals. The new pesticides are made of molecules that eventually degrade.
@@rey3472 Great point. That is the primary reason why we do not use Inorganic Poisons such as Copper, Mercury, Lead and Arsenic as pesticides in farming. They caused a lot of health issues.
You neglected diatomaceous earth. It's a dry clay that is made up of tiny sharp fossilized diatom shells. Scientists disagree about what exactly is happening, but it somehow messes up the outer cuticle of small arthropods, which kills them by dehydrating them. It's already in wide agricultural use. It's mixed into grain stores and used various other ways. It's a mild lung irritant if it gets into the air, but otherwise it's completely safe for vertebrate consumption. Food-grade DE is so safe it can be used to de-worm even tiny kittens and puppies. It's pretty much the only insecticide that's safe to use around my parrots (as long as I don't create clouds of dust). It's not universally applicable but it's great at what it does.
They did not include diatomaceous earth because it does not actually kill slugs and snails, that is a myth. If you want a pretty good and somewhat entertaining (though very small) test of the myth, check out www.gardenmyths.com/how-to-get-rid-of-slugs-with-diatomaceous-earth/
I worry about the bee thing. I have wild bees both around my apartment and around my cottage, and I worry about leaving store-bought flowers out if they risk having pesticides on them.
How long does it take for those kind of chemicals to wash off a plant? Surely after a few months the plant musk be clean? I use a spray bottle to water most of my plants.
PTNLemay what your worrying about is herbicides. Depending on the type of herbicide it wont really have an effect on them. The biggest danger to bees is actually insecticides because they are non specific and attack anything insect related. Its all based on protiens and the protiens herbicides attack are only found in plants.
Your friendly neighborhood herbicide applicator, (out of canada tho)
This video was sponsored by Bayer/Monsanto?
No, the video talks about science.
Exactly
I'm not afraid of pesticides killing me, I'm afraid of them killing the bees.
Pesticides are a minor problem for bees, varroa destructor and fractured habitat are the biggest problem for bees and insects.
This was for real the best show ever! Period. Presenting a science-based, unbiased perspective on a topic that has so much vitriol and propaganda on both sides is seriously impressive. Thanks SciShow!
Great video, very in-depth. I think you missed discussing how biological pest control is becoming much more effective and popular. EPA/USDA regulations become stricter every year and more and more growers are turning towards biological controls where they release specific predatory insects/arachnids that will target and kill certain pests instead of using pesticides. For instance, lady beetles to kill aphids or phytoseiulous persimilis to kill two spotted spider mites. I've been working in this industry for almost a decade and the trend is more and more operations ditching pesticides entirely in favor of these systems, especially those growing medical/recreational cannabis.
"Round up is safer than you think"....How much did Monsanto pay for that???🤣
Glyphosate is safe. How much did the organic industry pay you?
Pruitt gets all those restrictions undone.
And FDA isn’t much a regulatory agency. EPA doesn’t want let harm get in the way of profit.
I now have something to show my sister that insecticides on an apple won't kill her. You've given me supporting information that shows why that Apple won't kill her. This is why I love Scishow!
Thank you, thank you, thank you SciShow for addressing the naturalistic fallacy. Just because something is natural, doesn't mean it's better.
So what are the negative affects that pesticides can cause? Just asking
@@mauricejohnson1674 well that depends on the pesticide. 1 example they used in this video was the natural pesticide Rotenone. It's terrible for fish when it leaks into groundwater or run off that then leaks into natural waters and it has a high risk of causing Parkinson's in humans.
A question that I would love to know the answer to is why small bugs like mosquitoes like to fly into your ear. It's been bugging me for a while.
Zachary Toth they don't
Earl holes are perfect for nesting
Why should I believe anybody with a ring in their nose?
You dont have to believe her, you have all the sources, papers and information in the description of the video, but I guess believing in something is easier than be informed about it
When Nicloas Cage finds out that pesticides kill bees:
NOO, NOT THE BEES AgHH
That was extremely detailed! Thanks Olivia!
honestly there is an easy way to fix a good portion of this. grow SOME of your own produce. i'm not saying become a home farmer but having a garden in your backyard for potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and other veggies if your weather is willing can save you a bit of money, help you learn a new skill, and maybe ease your mind on what you consume.
Some crop strains have also been created to produce their own pesticides. BT-corn and BT-cotton are both resistant to a type of pest called bollworms, which reduces the need for pesticides.
Kirsten Paff There is a definite shortage of independent research on long term human safety on those though. Pretty much all the research has been funded by the companies making the seed, and they won't allow 3rd parties to do research themselves. With so much money on the line, it's hard not to suspect bias in their conclusions.
But you have to pay a BT premium $$$
Bethany Lade and Nicholas Wilson, I agree that BT crops have drawbacks. I just wanted to bring it up as another possible route for pest control.
Awwwwwe I miss Olivia!!! :(
Great video! Hopefully this curbs some people's misconceptions about Ag and Horticulture. One thing I think you missed is a class of pesticides called 'Biopesticides'. A chemical that targets a pest is made by the plant via genetic engineering. These engineered crops require less pesticide application because they make their own.
I've been a farmer/rancher for over 40 years and have gone from constant use of pesticides to just using them when I have to. The one that I will no longer use is roundup after the local university did testing on my oat crop that I give my horses and found glyphosate residue in high concentrations. We've gone with planting directly into grass instead of plowing and planting. Our yields aren't quite as high but, we have a much lower soil loss rate and I have to use much less fertilizer. We've also started using predatory insects instead of spraying insecticides. The major problem comes in with corporate farming/ranching, they're so driven by profit that they don't want to lose any yield. We'd have a much better agriculture system if we could go back to small family owned farms and do away with the huge corp ranches and feedlots. Buying organic foods does at least one good thing, it makes it much more desirable for the farmer/rancher to produce organic and ethical/sustainable food. We've come a long way in the last 60 years and if you have a chance to support your local ag people, we'll continue to make greater strides.
How can people understand that it's ok for them to eat chocolate but it's deadly for their dog. yet they can't understand that it's possible to have different pesticides designed to target different pests?
Recently there have been products put on the market for home use that deter pests with audio frequencies that the specific pests (mice for example) are sensitive to. Could the future of pest control actually lay in cymatics, and other forms of frequency manipulation such as light or other waveform transmission. If we could figure out what frequencies inhibit which pests while not damaging the growth of the intended produce we could potentially have food that once it is on the table is virtually chemical free.
Probably safer than my ex
Sad that you have one
Oof
I see you on every video
Software Man Your ex must really hate birds, fish, and farm workers.
Definitely safer than the last condom I used! *HA!* (how do I get out of the situation I am in?)
How extensive do we know how each pesticide and their amount can affect the human body? And some people are more sensitive than others. I doubt how we can thoroughly know their affects because testing is limited (costs money) and sounds like the chemicals we use change often.
If your wondering every chemical has somthing called an sds if your wondering about one just search it in google with the term sds after it
"Today's pesticides are much better than they used to be". You pulled that line straight out of a commercial from the 1950s. 😒
Thank youuuu for your time and research and dedication!
one year my kale got decimated by cabbage worms, and it released pheromones calling in a hive of yellow jackets that swarmed all over the damn thing picked up the cabbage worms from the leaves and made off with them. couldn't touch my kale planter for the rest of the season or they'd chase me.
This video promoted by MONSANTO!
Commercial agriculture could not continue without pesticides as multiple insects eat crops. Pest control, whether controlling bugs, fungus or weeds is vital. Honestly, many organic methods are not very effective but some are. A spray made from vinegar , salt and water is quite effective against weeds. Goats love weeds as well. Baking Soda is effective against fungal infections. My dad made a spray with cayenne pepper, onion and garlic that controlled many bugs
Pesticides and farming in the ground is outdated anyway. That way of farming is primitive. If we switch to VERTICAL AEROPONIC farming techniques we wouldnt have to worry about weeds, pesticides, fungicides, food shortages, crop rotation, we would be able to grow all year round and within a controlled environment.
Its time to update your farming systems humans!
Brian Fuller +
Aconitus, if you're willing to pay for all that, go right on ahead.
Spraying salt into your fields is not really advised.
Comrade Silly Otter It is cheaper in the long term because you dont have to pay for what I already listed. Also the crops grow faster and in larger yeilds when they are in a controlled environment which means you make more money because you have more crops to sell. Its way more efficient and saves 90% of the water used in agriculture already. Money wouldnt be an issue... do some research first
There is a good new movie on Rachel Carson, the author of the classic book, Silent Spring, mentioned in this video. She did so much to raise awareness of the potential dangers of pesticides. The film is available on Netflix, etc..
What EPA? Under either party, the elected government officials have been bribed for the last 35 years to reduce funding so that there are intentionally not enough agents to check corporate farm's usage of pesticides to assure they are in compliance. And now, epa head was purposely selected and approved to insure the agency withers and dies. :(
Another new technology being developed to lessen the amount of herbicide used are spray rigs that use infrared light and lidar to spot the weeds and than just applies the herbicide to the targeted weed.
This is why I love scishow
Insect: lives in house and minds it’s own business
Human: So you have chosen D E A T H.
Since we admittedly agree we don’t know everything we can learn yet about these products, can we look at stopping use of the ones near children exposure? Not farms, just yards in family type neighborhoods. The kids seem to be getting cancer in their cheeks here. I’m a 36 yr survivor. TY.
I’ve never felt so justified in my annoyance at the organic farming industry and its supporters haha I always knew it couldn’t be as great as it’s hyped to be. Thank you for this video!
05:40: "Just because something is 'natural' doesn't mean it's better."
📣Did everyone hear that in the back?
Regulations should be strengthened to make sure the food on our 🍽s is clean, but don't fall into the trap of thinking that "organic" is synonymous with "perfect".
I don't care what's in my food as long as it won't kill me. And I'm sure we'll keep discovering safer pesticides.
You should also cover how pesticides and synthetic fertilizers contribute to aquatic lives and insect extinction, also ground water poisoning
Especially in 3rd world countries where big pharma companies from Europe and North America 'dump' their banned pesticides to.
What you're covering in this video is just the tip of iceberg. Modern agriculture with its obsession for maximum yield has hurt nature, people should know this, so many insect species go extinct just so you can have a plate of burger.
Nice balanced scientific story. Wish the mainstream media would follow this example.
The most interesting pesticide I've look into is Bacillus thuringiensis. This particular bacteria occasionally goes dormant and spreads like a spore. During this time, they produce crystalline proteins. When consumed by an animal with an acid based digestive system like humans, nothing happens. However, when consumed by an animal with an alkaline based digestive system such as moth and beetle larvae, it becomes denatured and soluble. This protein then binds with the cell membranes in the insects gut, paralyzing the digestive tract making it impossible for the insect to keep eating.
The positive is that it is safe for us, the downside is it can also affect bees if the flowers or water source they are targeting has been treated or cross-contaminated.
Rinsing fruit with wax on them (such as non-organic apples), would probably not remove any remaining pesticides but would remove some germs left by all who handled the produce after the wax was applied.
For the record, DDT is still used in some places where Malaria is still biggest killer of humans. Though other chemicals will work, none are as effective, quick or economical (DDT is not difficult or expensive compared to other chemicals) as DDT in controlling mosquito swarms. Since spraying even a little DDT in stagnate water will not only kill mosquito larva, but the chemical will stay in that water till it completely evaporates, since again DDT takes so long to break down. In places that have major Malaria outbreaks, local governments will begin a DDT spraying campaign to get DDT into any water that mosquito's can get to.
I'd like to find an inorganic farmer. YESIRREE I FARM METAL POTATAS.
god i hate food trends
David Bowie Sama Sensei Senpai San Sama Kun Ahit man can't even reply with your name
This "food trend" isnt really that bad. The surge of people demanding "organic" practices has brought upon a huge wave of new research and, in general, a more informed consumer base. So while "organic" might not equal *food made by the gods* like some people think, its pretty helpful.
You say that but with crispr we could actually make potatoes that were modified to absorb metallic compounds in the soil to be harvested for later. GON' GET ME DEM METAL POTATS
Hey, that metal potato farmer just cares about getting enough iron in your diet. Don’t hate on Joe, he is a good farmer
btw, plants already absorb all sorts of metals from the soil such as K, Cu, B, Mn, Mo.
Olivia, you are absolutely, amazingly beautifully nerdy. I'm enamoured 😍
“Compared with a Half Century Ago, People are Ingesting Fewer and & Less Dangerous Pesticides”
Took me a second to realize she was talking about the 1980s and not the 1960s.
the late 60's and not the 80's
This video brought to you by: The Monsanto Corporation.
Jk jk , you guys are awesome!
Omg thank you!!!
I get caught up on both "sides" of this argument, cause I argue pesticides are bad for you, bad for ecology, but they aren't "bad", they help feed millions more people than we'd be able to without them.
Eventually, when we're able too, we WILL phase them out. With the decreasing costs of growing food indoors, which has the benefit of growing year round, with climate controls for maximum nutrition (if the grower decide to grow for that) and minimum food loss, with a more local food supply and the trade offs of lost goods and transport, it won't be long before local pesticide free (not as many, easier to control, pest problems inside) produce just shows up at your door at a cost competitive price. You can't force innovation no matter how much you try, you can only inhibit it. When the technology is ready, we'll move away from pesticides (mostly) and many people will have automated gardens like many people have printers, or do their own yard work.
Pesticides are a fantastic technology. Just like oil, they have problems people should be HONESTLY critical about, and their time is coming to a close, WHEN THE TECHNOLOGY IS READY.
Also DDT was a fantastic technology. It's also been dishonestly demonized. Like any thing, it has pros and cons and should be used in moderation. Who knows how many lives were saved from starvation or malaria due to DDT. Then we found problems and invented new technologies, that's how technology works, there's ALWAYS unintended consequences.
Thank you for such a balanced discussion of this topic.
Can we please get an episode debunking this stupid notion that only GMO crops are patented?
For some things there is no safe dosage, moreover animal tests don't necessarily reveal the toxicity.
Take TCDD as an example. Rats are generally tougher than humans when it comes to poisons, but in this case humans tolerate higher dosages than most rodents. However, TCDD has two nasty attributes:
1) it's non-biodegradable and accumulates in fat. Thus it's able to accumulate over various animals, or by getting eaten repetitively in doses, that are well below toxic concentrations.
2) it messes with DNA repair. It doesn't seem to cause cancer on its own, but it will make any cancerogen far more dangerous.
Another big problem are unexpected effects, like 2), or contergan etc. These things are not found in toxicity tests. As mentioned in 2) combinations of certain substances can have a different effect than each compound on its own. This is one of the major criticisms on roundup, as AFAIK only the individual toxicities were tested.
Lastly, toxicity can be dependent on the person: alcohol consumption, metabolism, immune system, eating habits...
If you look at aluminum or lead, neither of them will dissolve in water, nor absorb through the skin. However, acidic foods can dissolve them to some degree. Similarly, some organisms can modify them, like methylate lead or mercury, which then can be absorbed through skin.
I have some questions:
1) If pesticides are as safe as you say, why would the industry be putting more money and effort into making them safer? (i think I heard you say that they were but it’s been a while since I watched the vid)
2) When new pesticides are developed and introduced, how are we to know the long term effects of these chemicals on a human body?
Thank you.
It takes 8 to 10 years and $400 million or so to get a new pesticide through the EPA and to the market. That's a lot of effort.
That process is what leads to the final residue limit or ADI (Acceptable Daily Intake). That level is different for each pesticide. The ADI is a level that is set magnitudes below the RfD which itself is magnitudes below the NOAEL.
Our food is safe. Perhaps this link will help. Regards.
geneticliteracyproject.org/2016/04/05/usda-annual-report-pesticide-residues-food-well-amounts-dangerous-humans/?fbclid=IwAR2W8ru57lZxZ3Of0xiSvpTZlc1U9ValZobzK199PU7Wje9h0TRbeqZJ79Y
Do a video about veganic farming! They don't use pesticides or farm/slaughterhouse biproducts and are organic. It is a small movement, but it is growing, and it is way better for the environment.
From Fun with Flags to SciShow, Amy Farrah Fowler surely knows her science.
1 Cornithians 11:21
"For when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another is already drunk."
Pesticides also reduces deforestation, because they allow bigger yields per farm area.
I live and work next to farm land, it floats right over my property, I bathe in the stuff for an hour at a time if I don’t notice and leave quickly enough. I have asked to be warned but they warned me once then never again.
I like these roof top hydroponic vegetable farms which use no pesticides and natural predators like nematodes. Like Gotham greens in New York
I'll just leave this here www.livestrong.com/article/76685-parasitic-nematodes-humans/
That was really good information. Thanks, Olivia.
Everytime SciShow covers a hotbutton issue like this, I worry that this will be the time they sell out.
As usual, I have nothing to worry about. Way to be awesome guys and keep being a source of reality!
If you haven't already, could you make a video like this about preservatives (food, cosmetics)?
You should have mentioned mosquito pesticides like BTI and BS that are biological pesticides. Mosquito abatement also employs mechanical pesticides such as using an organic (such as coconut) oil to break surface tension and essentially drown the mosquitoes.
I can’t help but imagine if we’d used DDT exclusively as a disease-fighting tool, in an efficient, targeted strategy. I wonder if we couldn’t have eliminated mosquito-borne illnesses entirely with less impact on the environment that what we ended up with.
Since you mentioned broccoli in your video I will add few words about it. Nowadays, at least in Europe it's nearly impossible to grow broccoli without using insecticides, since decades of growing that vegetable gave larvae of certain moths and butterflies high chance to multiply tenfolds yearly, with warmer winters more of them have chance to survive till next breeding season. So if farmer decides to go organic he has to accept that it's highly possible that 50-80% of his broccoli yield won't grow the crown since it will be damaged because of insects invading stalk of broccoli in early stages of plant growth. Also it's worth mentioning that all chemicals used to protect plants have a grace period after which is nearly untracebale to find them in enviroment. So pesticides are like medicine. You have to listen producers and inventors to make them safe and useful.
This is why it is good to have some regulations, and a more capable E.P.A. to oversee things such as how and when such pesticides are applied. This also proves that this whole "natural food" idea is a great big marketing scam.
Exactly, organic is a marketing scam and has no advantages.
I have a masters degree in organic agriculture, and I stopped trying to explain to people that organic is not pesticide free, and that natural is not always healthier. People believe what they want to believe. No matter who explains. If a shiny commercial with a celebrity tells them something is healthy, they will eat it, even if its poison or detrimental to the environment...
I know this was forever ago,but what does that mean for grocery shopping? Should we avoid organic produce?
First time I watched this host, she offended me. Now,after who knows how many months, I respect her. Keep,it on lady.
What is the amount of pesticides used in aquaponics?
How does it compare to pesticide usage in traditional farming methods?
I just found out and noticed that The apple I'm eating contains pesticides(sounds weird) You can identify that by the numbers on the apple stickers if there is a four digit code and it starts with 4 or 3, it contains pesticides! I'm only 10 and weigh 26-27kgs. Can I handle it?
Your claim is false.
Wow, really eye opening! Thank you 🌟
Comment before watching: hmmm I remember their original GMO video