"Where once the glorious song of birds resounded, it has become strangely quiet. The feathered singers have suddenly fallen silent; the beauty, color, and charm they bestow upon our world have been extinguished..."
Ellen Carson, Silent Spring
When Ellen Carson's book was published in 1962, it sparked heated debate.
For the first time, the negative effects of uncontrolled pesticide use were pointed out – both objectively and poetically – and thus the belief in scientific progress itself was questioned.
With lawsuits and a $250.000 campaign, America's chemical giants embarked on a campaign of revenge. Although it took another ten years, the use of DDT in agriculture was finally banned in the United States in 1972.
The book, which became a classic of the environmental movement, is as relevant today as it was then.
Today they are called imidacloprid, glyphosate or atrazine, thimerosal, etc. and are used almost unlimitedly: against mites, bacteria and fungi, plants and nematodes, to prevent damage caused by game, as a dressing for the treatment of seeds and planting material, or for the treatment of textiles and even mattresses.
There are around 900 active ingredients worldwide that are approved for sale in 100.000 products.
Guarantees for unlimited growth, unlimited returns?
Or just unlimited profit?
94% of our food comes from conventional agriculture with the regular use of pesticides and artificial fertilizers. Around 40.000 tons of pesticide chemicals are sprayed on German fields alone every year.
The effects on people and their environment have been downplayed for far too long and are devastating:
Reduction in biodiversity, damage to soils and plants, the development of resistance resulting in ever higher dosages, the contamination of groundwater and rivers, and the large-scale bee mortality that has recently received considerable media attention.
The health risks for the non-target organism, humans, are no less disastrous.
Every year, millions of farm workers are poisoned during the application of pesticides, including highly toxic substances that have long been banned in our country, and tens of thousands die.
Especially in developing countries, users often don't even have the urgently needed protective clothing. Chemicals officially classified as carcinogenic, genetically damaging, or reproductively harmful are still used worldwide.
The toxic chemicals ultimately end up as residues on our plates, in groundwater and drinking water, in carpets and mattresses, textiles and wood preservatives and are thus omnipresent – with serious consequences.
In addition to acute poisoning, if ingested over a long period of time, they can cause chronic diseases.
Carcinogenic, mutagenic and hormonal effects are scientifically documented, as are damage to the nervous and immune systems.
For example, the controversial weed killer glyphosate was recently classified by the WHO as 'probably carcinogenic.' The world's most widely used herbicide is also said to harm embryos and cause hormonal disruption, despite all assurances of safety from the US manufacturer Monsanto.
The hormone-like effects of a number of other pesticides have been known for some time. These can lead to fertility disorders or an increased risk of breast cancer, affect behavior and intelligence, and Immune system weaknesses.
The insecticide lindane, banned for decades, was a component of wood preservatives and is suspected of causing serious diseases such as cancer and Parkinson's disease. Because it degrades so slowly, high concentrations can still be detected in indoor air and house dust even after 40 years. And numerous buildings, such as daycare centers, schools, and apartment buildings, still contain the dangerous substance.
Children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of these toxic chemicals. Some pesticides can pass through the placenta to the fetus in the womb and through breast milk to the infant.
It can lead to impairments in intellectual development, motor skills, and behavior, primarily in the form of attention deficit disorders. Scientists also report an increased risk of miscarriage and various forms of childhood leukemia.
The toxic effects of individual pesticides are primarily tested on rats and mice and then ‘converted’ to humans.
Although there are limit values that must not be exceeded, these are often too high in the opinion of critical toxicologists – and they are repeatedly exceeded.
A major problem is the multiple exposure to so-called "pesticide cocktails": some food samples contain up to 20 different pesticides. Combined effects have not yet been tested: it is completely unclear how they interact in the human organism, and there are no maximum levels.
To protect yourself – to some extent – organically grown food remains the first choice.
Chemical-synthetic sprays are largely avoided here, and toxic residues are the exception.
Depending on their country of origin, fruit and vegetables are treated with varying amounts of pesticides. It's best to buy seasonal and locally sourced produce whenever possible.
In any case, fruit and vegetables should be rinsed thoroughly under lukewarm, running water.
Pesticides are also often used in the production of cotton, linen, wool and silk.
Although there is currently no uniform and independent quality mark in the textile sector, there are also cross-manufacturer quality seals that guarantee ecological and social criteria:
-European Ecolabel
-IVN certified NATURTEXTIL
-IVN certified NATURTEXTIL BEST
-Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
-Textile confidence according to Oeko-Tex Standard 100 (plus)
We should pay particular attention to our sleeping comforters. Mattresses, even those made from natural materials like latex, are often treated with thimerosal and highly toxic solvents like cyclohexanone.
Thiomersal often causes grain protein intolerance by blocking our digestive enzymes and solvents burden our immune system and blood vessels
FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) – certified wood and paper products guarantee ecologically and socially responsible use of forests.
Although noticeable improvements have been achieved in recent years through the efforts of organizations such as Greenpeace and PAN (Pesticide Action Network), a fundamental change in global agriculture is not in sight.
In fact, the use of agrochemicals in conventional agriculture is steadily increasing—to the delight of agrochemical companies.
The myth of unlimited growth seems to be true, at least as far as profits are concerned.
In our practice, I offer environmental medical consultations. Household toxins are often the cause or involved in a variety of pathologies. These include migraines/Headache, immune deficiency, infertility and neuralgia, such as lumbago
It is difficult for a layperson to assess whether such stresses are relevant to one's own complaints.
The Kinesiology is an effective method for identifying environmental health hazards. The first goal should be to avoid toxic hazards of any kind wherever possible!
I use the following therapies to diagnose and eliminate insecticides and pesticides:
- Chinese medicine
- Orthomolecular Medicine
- Gut health
- Kinesiology
Sources and links:
https://www.greenpeace.de/themen/landwirtschaft/pestizide
https://www.greenpeace.de/node/8924
https://www.pan-germany.org/download/Vergift_DE-110612_F.pdf
