"Pam - gardengal" wrote in message
news:1aH1c.115254$4o.143781@attbi_s52...

"Hound Dog" wrote in message
...

"Pam - gardengal" wrote in message
news:e6m1c.171919$uV3.729831@attbi_s51...

"Hound Dog" wrote in message
...

I lived in a farming area much of my life. After seeing the tons and
tons
of
chemicals farmers used on their crops every year, I fail to
understand
the
fuss about home owners using a few pounds of fertilizers and weed
killers
on
their lawns two or three times a year.

Hound Dog

A "few pounds of fertilizers and weed killers"? You seriously
underestimate
the problem. In my area alone, the EPA estimates 1.1 MILLION pounds of
fertilizers and pesticides are dumped on our lawns annually. And that
is
only the urban areas of a 8 county cummulative watershed in an
extremely
environmentally conscious section of the country. Multiply that a few
hundred or a thousand times to address other urban areas across the
country
and the total rapidly escalates into the billions of pounds. That is
not
chump change to the pesticide manfacturers nor is it an insiginificant
impact on our watersheds. .

Unfortunately, a wide segment of the population shares your uninformed
view
and the attitude of "what can it hurt if I use lawn chemicals,
correctly
or
incorrectly - I'm just one person" prevails. Let's look at the
statistics -
and they're not even very current. In 1997, 4.6 BILLION pounds of
pesticides
(not including fertilizers) were consumed in the US. Of this, about
2/3's
was utilized by the agricultural sector, the remainder by residential
homeowners. That's 1.5 billion pounds attributed to Joe Blow and his
neighbors and the data is six years old - I'd estimate the total is
well
above 2 billion by now. Hardly an insignificant amount. This IS a
problem


pam - gardengal

Wow! And they accuse Bush of "FUZZY MATH"


You come out with an uninformed and innaccurate statement which I contest
and then you accuse me of "fuzzy math"?? Okay, if you don't like the
statistics of the EPA then you present to us something to support the
accuracy of your view - if you can. Otherwise, it is evident to anyone
with
a wit of intellegence and concern about the situation that you don't have
a
clue.

pam - gardengal

That's correct "FUZZY MATH"

In your first paragraph you write the "EPA" ESTIMATES 1.1 Million pounds of
fertilizers and pesticides are DUMPED on our lawns annually. Right so far?
Then you instruct us to multiply that number by a few hundred or a THOUSAND
and the result will be in the Billions of pounds. Actually 1.1 Million
multiplied by your largest estimate of 1000 comes to just 1,100,000. Not
Billions as you state, but only 1.1 Billion. Sure as heck sounds like "FUZZY
MATH" to me, not to mention it being one hell of an exaggeration.

Your entire tirade is based only on YOUR opinions, estimates and unfounded
statements. Not once do you give a site or a verifiable quote from any
knowledgeable person to back up your claims. Then you have the unmitigated
gall to write that I am uninformed. I'm certain you mean well, but like all
other fanatics, you want everyone to blindly follow your rules.

Hound Dog