Here is another good article on the systemic pesticides.
How the New DDT Wreaks Havoc on the Bottom of the Food Chain cites the statistics of Jean-Marc Bonmatin of France, that the neonicotinoids are 5,000 to 10,000 times more toxic than DDT. At its peak in 1959, 80 million pounds of DDT were used. The toxic equivalent of the neonicotinoids used only on soybeans and corn in 2013 was 740,000 pounds. That would equal the toxic equvalent of 3.7 billion pounds of DDT. Since then I’ve found recent figures on total neonicotinoid use in 2009: 3.4 million pounds. If the earlier figure wasn’t astounding enough, try to get your mind around this one. The total useage of neonicotinoids in 2009 has the toxic equvalent of 17.5 BILLION POUNDS of DDT!!
Remember, these are water soluble pesticides with a half life of years which may have no safe dose, however small. Certainly the scorekeepers know full well that to report pesticide comparisons by the pound without regard to toxicity is at best incompetent and irresponsible, but based on the evidence you have to conclude that they aren’t just stupid and this must be a conscious effort to deceive. In Poison Spring, E. G. Valianatos characterizes the scorekeepers as “The Pesticide Mafia.” He spent twenty-five years in the Office of Pesticide Programs, the one we have had so much trouble with, and it is beginning to look like his insider’s view is being confirmed from the outside evidence.
