"Michael "Dog3" Lonergan" wrote in message
6.121...
"JoeSpareBedroom" was forced to post this in:
rec.gardens

I get annoyed when people entertain themselves by threatening the
health of children they've never met, and pretending they don't know
they're creating a threat. That's an accurate interpretation of what
you do when you use lawn chemicals.

Please spare me the sanctimonious chest thumping. Who said anyone was
"entertaining themselves" by threatening the health of children"? Actually
that is *your* interpretation of what people do when they use lawn
chemicals. You make it sound as if people are out there purposely dumping
gallons of chemicals onto their lawns with the sole intent of doing harm
to future generations. Do you seriously believe there is a global
conspiracy to threaten the health of children by using Roundup and/or lawn
chemicals for sport? I don't. Nor does the USDA. However, you have
piqued
my curiosity enough to do some research. Your Wikipedia link, while
somewhat informative, did little to enforce your argument. I'm going to
check the book below out of the library. Meantime I'll see if Missouri
Botanical Garden has an alternative to the Roundup to kill my violets.


1) The only way to know that a substance is safe is to test it by purposely
exposing people to it. You will not see that happen in your lifetime,
especially not with children. Therefore, it doesn't matter what the USDA or
any other agency thinks. None of these things can be correctly tested.

2) The point source definition is all you need, although I'm sure the book
will be interesting. I mentioned "point source" because the opposite is a
situation where contamination CANNOT be traced to a single source. This is
not the case with lawn chemicals. We know exactly where they come from.
Homeowners and golf courses are the primary users. It's not a conspiracy,
but it *is* a large scale, mindless desire for perfection.

3) Here are some things you know: Some chemicals are known to cause
neurological problems. In many places, the stuff you use ends up in
groundwater, and you have no clue as to where it goes next. Perhaps it ends
up in someone else's drinking water. Since you know these things, and you
still contribute to the problem, you must want the problem to continue, or
you would stop using lawn chemicals.