Summary
Professor Warren Porter of the University of Wisconsin-Madison has alarming news about pesticides that chemical companies don't want people to hear. His tests on lab mice have shown startling results, including an increase in failed pregnancies and damage to the immune systems of the mice. Thus, pesticide producers are working overtime to attempt to discredit him and his findings.
Prof. Porter recommends that, instead of using pesticides on lawns, people use organic herbicides and weed killers on their lawns. Since pesticides can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin, which allows them to go straight to the brain, using less potent products will keep families healthier.
Original source:
http://www.madison.com/tct/news/index.php?ntid=35643&ntpid=1
Details
The major chemical companies would like you to believe that UW-Madison Professor Warren Porter is one of those kooky alarmists who are out to make your life miserable.
Namely, that the pesticides people use on their lawns and gardens could be extremely detrimental to their health.
For instance, in a study Porter co-authored in 2002, mice that drank water spiked with very low doses of a common "weed and feed" fertilizer experienced a 20 percent increase in failed pregnancies and other subtle biological effects.
Another Porter study three years earlier showed that a combination of commonly used agricultural chemicals in concentrations similar to those found in ground water can significantly alter the immune and endocrine systems of mice.
The chemical industry, of course, pooh-poohed both studies.
But Porter advises that before you start treating your lawn this spring, you should at least be aware of a few crucial facts.
Most important of all, people need to realize you don't need chemicals in order to have a thick, healthy lawn, he says.
"We're seeing more and more lawn chemical companies - especially the smaller ones - starting to provide alternative means of grass treatments," he says, adding that many of the products are already available on the Web.
Among the best and safest weed killers, he says, are simple ammonia solutions that contain 20 percent vinegar or even good old 20 Mule Team Borax, which has been around for over 100 years.
The other thing
people need to remember, Porter says, is that weeds have only a one- or two-year life cycle, and they do best in poor soil.
Researchers who've studied the problem, Porter says, have discovered that the pesticide concentrations in carpets are higher than they are on the grass.
About the author: Mike Adams is an award-winning journalist and holistic nutritionist with a strong interest in personal health, the environment and the power of nature to help us all heal He has authored and published thousands of articles, interviews, consumers guides, and books on topics like health and the environment, and he has published numerous courses on preparedness and survival, including financial preparedness, emergency food supplies, urban survival and tactical self-defense. Adams is a trusted, independent journalist who receives no money or promotional fees whatsoever to write about other companies' products. In 2010, Adams co-founded NaturalNews.com, a natural health video sharing site that has now grown in popularity. He also launched an online retailer of environmentally-friendly products (BetterLifeGoods.com) and uses a portion of its profits to help fund non-profit endeavors. He's also the founder and CEO of a well known email mail merge software developer whose software, 'Email Marketing Director,' currently runs the NaturalNews email subscriptions. Adams volunteers his time to serve as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and pursues hobbies such as martial arts, Capoeira, nature macrophotography and organic gardening. He's also author a large number of health books offered by Truth Publishing and is the creator of numerous reference website including NaturalPedia.com and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. His websites also include the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the innate healing ability of the human body. Known as the 'Health Ranger,' Adams' personal health statistics and mission statements are located at www.HealthRanger.org
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