Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Shades of green

I am sorry if I am just preaching to the choir for anyone who would be looking at my blog, but I am still frequently floored by people who are otherwise concerned about our environment but who are using toxic chemicals on a daily basis.
For instance, I have a lovely neighbor who eats organic foods and buys organic cotton clothing, and wouldn't dream of using an Roundup, but pours toxic fertilizers on her lawn on a regular basis.
This morning I saw here dousing her front yard with a spray can full of the stuff  
"Oh it's just Miracle Grow"  she smiled innocently at me.  "I put the dogs in the house for a few days."  Really?  Is that what we want to put on our yards?  For a green lawn no less?






Here are some facts about Scotts Miracle Grow (not to mention the 12 million dollar law suit they have just been slapped with for selling poisonous bird feed) 
http://www.rodale.com/scotts-bird-food-lawsuit



Miracle-Gro is a synthetic fertilizer that contains ammonium phosphate and several other chemicals that can be toxic to your soil and plants. It is prohibited from use in certified-organic farming.


Long-term studies at the University of Wisconsin have shown that acidic chemical fertilizers are causing serious, permanent damage to our soils
. Usually these fertilizers are also highly soluble, so they leach away and pollute our water systems, too!


This isn't just specific to Scott's products, all non organic fertilizers reek havoc on our soil.
 

Chemical factory
• Chemical fertilizers do not contain any trace minerals/micro nutrients. After a few years the soil has been depleted from those elements. Overtime those elements are not contained in the fruits or in the vegetables anymore diminishing their quality.
• Chemical fertilizers are used together with chemical pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. Use of chemicals have a negative impact on the soil, the water as well as the crop as the vegetables, for instance, still contain chemical traces which are then absorbed upon eating
• Chemical fertilizers kill microorganisms which in turn will make the soil useless where nothing can grow
• Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are responsible for water contamination. For excessive enrichment of ponds, rivers and lakes is due to an overuse of chemical fertilizers (see eutrophy)
• Usage of chemical fertilizers have a long term effect on the plants, the soil, the environment and you.


The advantages of organic fertilizers are so numerous I won't get into boring details and they are available everywhere, but one of the best ways to keep your soil fertile is to encourage earthworms! 
But that's for a whole other post... 

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