Well, one learns something new every day. I was just skeptical as I have seen people here spray the bejesus out of small farms of veggies and such, and my experience in the ol country is what you describe, death from the sky. And you really do not want to know what is taught to people in agricultural colleges… I mean, there are laws promoting practices that can make your hair stand on end. Yet, it is either as you say, modernity or protecting transnationals.
And yes, fungus is why they do not allow plantains to be planted here, I’m told.
Finley, but, isn’t Taiwan’s rainwater acid rain, ie, full of pollutants?
I know. That’s what really makes me angry. Unscientific bullshit enshrined in law. It’s absolutely bloody ridiculous. Getting lawyers and economists to write laws about farming is like hiring a circus juggler to tile your bathroom. It’s mad, but virtually everyone is doing it.
It sort of depends. A typical catchment system will auto-flush the first few litres. That’s going to get rid of (most of) the dross on your catchment area, and reduce the dissolved pollution (which will tail off somewhat as the rain continues). Rain is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you’re going to get. So a post-filter stage is essential, preferably a slow sand filter to catch bacterial contamination (and some pollutants) followed by an ordinary reverse-osmosis system. The modern ones are reasonably priced (maybe a couple of weeks’ salary for a third-world labourer) and very good. Also, of course, the air out in the boonies tends to be fairly unpolluted … except when the banana sprayers are flying, I guess …
Remember it is the bananas, the pineapples, any export oriented massive sale item… virtually every crop I know of in the lowlands. One has to be grateful of those far out places, especially in the mountains, out of reach, in the boonies, practically organic out of need as small farmers can’t afford the chemicals. Unless the Government gives it to them as a gift…
I remember Housecat told us the doctor scolded her for not taking the amniotic test using the words: you do not care to give birth to a monster. My first thought was “that doctor is a drama queen”, and the second “gee, if they have such high incidence of birth defects to warrant such passion, shouldn’t they like look at the causes instead? prevent rather than get rid of defective products? It’s a kid, for Pete’s sake!”.
I think I had read somewhere the incidence of Down’s is one in 50 over 35. If you are already at risk of altered chromosomes in China, the numbers must be higher still. Can’t help but think what the crap in the air, water and food is doing to our bodies, even at chromosome level. No wonder we can’t have kids.
