Maybe Non-Organic is Okay, but I'll Continue Organic for the Moment

   The political issue of my night has been, Shall I eat organic or non-organic? And, I suppose my little study has led me to say, Continue organic, for the moment.
   One site said there is not one shred of evidence that pesticide residue on crops makes the food harmful. Not a bit. The author of that page (Ray Scraggs) pointed to the father of pharmacology/toxicology, Paracelsus, who discovered it is the dose that determines the poison, not necessarily the poison itself.
   So, what little pesticide is left on my apple is not going to hurt me.
   So, a little Malathion might not go a long ways, and maybe not even a little DDT? I don't know.
   You pretty much have to identify the harmful effect, before you go looking to see if it is occurring. It is kind of like drug testing. I'm told that when you test for drugs, you have to know which to look for, or you won't find them. So, it is with residue on crops. If you are aren't considering the harmful effect that might be occurring, you won't find it.
   My guess is, admittedly, that we are being careful with how much pesticide use we allow as residue on our crops, and the food is safe. I just don't feel totally confident as of this brief study.
   And, there is another thought to consider: Even if the amount of pesticides on the food are not harmful, is organic food more nutritious? I read that it is. So, why should I not continue organic for that reason, alone?
   Other thoughts of the night include, what of the pesticide residue left in the soil? A farmer might decide to go organic, and start raising crops organically, but, he if he is using the same soil that has absorbed pesticides in past years, won't they still affect the crops?
   And, then there is the thought I had from way back in my youth: What of the farmers who use manure for fertilizer? If agrochemicals are harmful, what of manure? I picture a neighboring farmer where I grew up, and in my mind's eye, I see his manure spreader throwing cow manure on the field. No, if that is organic food, I'm not so confident about eating it. Can I get a food label to say, "Organically grown, no GMOs, and raised without manure fertilizer"?

http://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/Arun/Facts%20&%20figures%20from%20soil%20association.pdf

http://envirocancer.cornell.edu/FactSheet/Pesticide/fs24.consumer.cfm

http://www.nationofchange.org/7-nasty-and-crazy-effects-pesticides-food-exposure-1350220273

http://www.livestrong.com/article/230346-the-effects-of-pesticides-in-food/

http://voices.yahoo.com/pesticide-residues-food-not-harmful-health-2342961.html?cat=5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesticide_residue#Organic_vs_Non-organic