Insecticides Books

It took a little longer to get then I thought it should but it's one of the best books in this field

The book, in handbook format, covers warm and cool season grass diseases, most of which have pictures. About the first ten pages are dedicated to sharing causes and diagnostic procedures. Another short section covers developing disease control strategies.

The book is a good material for learning about specific warm and cool season grass diseases, but it is more conducive to reference due to its handbook format. A limited ten page section covers causes and diagnostic procedures for diseases. A section on developing integrated disease control strategies is also included.

1) Begin with the flag-bedecked grasshopper on the front cover. 2) Be aware that the plot concerns a bunch of politicians arguing about DDT and other assorted rodenticides. 3) Be informed that the "tome" is written in turgid prose as exciting as Lemon Jello for dessert and as subtle and supple as a quartz quarry. 4) Don't say you weren't warned

So my husband hands me this book, says, "Honey, I know you planned to clean the house and cook my dinner and raise my children this weekend, but you're going to have to put all that on hold. THIS CAN'T WAIT." I look at this book by Dr. Bosso, thinking, well, "Ewww," because bugs disgust me, but I love my husband and more or less trust his taste in books, so I poured a cold one and sat down with the worthy tome. **HOURS LATER** when all my limbs went numb from lack of movement, I realized that I was holding a modern-day classic. This is one heck of a read, and I don't use those words lightly. Though I'm more a children's literature-kind of girl, "Pesticides and Politics" had me in stitches. Suspenseful, yet strangely moving -- I can't recommend it highly enough. And (I write these words with a blush) the sensual charisma of Dr. Bosso shines through every word. My life goal is to meet this man someday...

Recently, nature has come to be viewed as a sort of plague on humanity. The necessity of no littering signs leads me to the conclusion that a consensus of apathy exists towards nature's well being. Nature, in society's perception, is much closer to the ultimate hassle - debunking any consideration of its credentials as the ultimate caretaker. I believe that much of this disregard comes from environmentalists who fail to recognize man's place in nature. It falls short of the task to say man has a responsibility to nature: man is a part of nature and as such, must be spoken of in these terms. Joshua Blu Buhs, in The Fire Ant Wars, fails to recognize the error of separating man from nature. While his thesis promoting the importance of respect for nature is certainly important, it ultimately fails; a much more conducive thesis for his goals would present a unification of man and nature.

In Blu Buh's thesis, he fails to recognize a distinction between man and nature. On his view, humans must "work with nature...and in the process recreate it" (198). Furthermore, Blu Buhs aligns his view with Aldo Leopold, who see nature as a machine in which "we are tinkers...working on [its] complex machinery" (194). This failing to recognize the importance of placing man, not as conductor of nature, but as subject of nature creates a catastrophic arrangement of power, in which the environment and nature will always be abused. Nature is a self-perpetuating cycle in which man interferes constantly, allowing man to redirect the course of nature. Certainly, though, man cannot change nature: a change would require a violation of basic principles. For example, humans may introduce a new animal to an ecosystem - like the fire ants - which consequentially may lead to a redistribution of species and wildlife, but the basic principles of `survival of the fittest' will remain unaltered. Therefore, man is limited to the role of a subject of nature.

Generally, Blu Buhs' language of argument would go unnoticed, but the repercussions of his view are dire and severe. If man views himself as a separate entity from nature, in a relationship in which he exerts power over it, his struggle for this power will only end in his destruction. Nature is independent of man. A belief in the dependence of nature on man yields conclusions that fail to show respect for nature - the thesis Blu Buhs advocates. A responsibility to nature implies that man must - in a patriarchal sense - atone for nature's inability to cope with man. Absurdly, this seems to require man to live in distinct distance from nature: never interfering, never enjoying. However, an ethic based upon man's subjectivity to nature more fully describes the relationship. In a relationship such as this, man is an entity within nature's confluence; as such, he is subject to the repercussions. This is the general thesis Blu Buhs seems to strive for. In separating man as caretaker of nature, Blu Buhs falls short of attaining a description of this intricate relationship. The argument of the book places the power with nature, but the thesis at the end places the power with man.

Ultimately, while Blu Buhs' thesis is well intentioned, its mistake of delineating man from nature leads to a devastating ideology. If the relationship between man and nature is to be mended, man must realize his place as a subject of nature. Belief that man is nature's custodian only leads to horrible actions; before any discussion of environmental ethics can occur, man must be recognized as a part of nature.

"Forestry Pesticide Aerial Spraying" is a book that shows that the science and technology of aerial spraying is still evolving.

This is a great book on aerial spraying due to the lack of basic literature on the state of the art. It presents the current state of the art and some of the problems (like inaccurate sizing methods in wind tunnels).

Obvious from this book is that aerial spraying has moved beyond basic fluid mechanics into the information age. Discusses the auditing capabilities with GPS. Much of the emphasis remains on nozzels and dispersion modeling, but the uniqueness of forestry stands in this arena are well discussed.

This is the sort of book that should be read by anyone that wants to understand the design problems of aerial spray systems and the operational consiquences.

Toxic Legacy is ably written. Clear writing helps navigate an arcane topic in which the author is well-versed. The book provides an interesting assortment of photographs of DDT uses during World War II and in the home. DDT's inventor received a Nobel prize for its enormous public-health contributions.

Wargo focuses on legal issues in the U.S. regarding pesticides. This sidesteps some broader scientific matters. As Wargo notes (p. 127), Bruce Ames and Lois Gold have made a case that the chemical ingredients that naturally make up our foods provide risks that dwarf those from residues of synthetic pesticides. The Ames/Gold argument meets common sense expectations, because foods are consumed in high doses for sustenance. Wargo dodges, because an implication is the triviality of risks posed by pesticide residues (the topic of his book): "it hardly seems prudent to avoid regulating synthetic toxins simply because we are commonly exposed to natural ones." This evasion is telling. Why ignore 99 percent of the risk (presented by natural ingredients in foods) and only pay attention to pesticide residues? Maybe because it is more appealing to stigmatize synthetic chemicals that protect foods supplies. Perhaps like many, the author favors natural chemicals and fears those of human invention. This is a dividing line with no intrinsic merit within pharmacology and biochemistry.

All living things constitute systems of interacting chemicals. Our choices in foods, drink, and pharmaceuticals very much influence health and development. Plants (fruits and vegetables) contain chemical ingredients to ward off predators. These toxicants collectively present much higher dose and risk than residues of synthetic chemicals used to protect crops against predators and disease agents like fungi, viruses, and bacteria. What are the health tradeoffs between disease agents versus synthetic pesticide residues? Or among various ways of protecting foods against disease agents?

Synthetic pesticides give many thoughtful people pause and can surely cause harm, if in excess dose (as with natural molecules). They deserve to be carefully managed by applicators. For decades, the U.S. has had ways of regulating pesticides to minimize unwanted impacts. Because children are more vulnerable to any and all chemicals, Wargo may contribute constructive suggestions, deep within the arcane field of pesticide regulation. Yet the strong subtitle, How Science and Law Fail to Protect Us from Pesticides, seems unjustified.

It is common for environmental scientists to analyze only a select few pesticides present within the environment. When found, these few are stigmatized and their use curtailed. This is an illusion of risk reduction, based on myopic analytic chemistry. In reality, society uses a great number of pesticides, and the residues of all could be detected, if sought. There is no holistic consideration of whether collective (unanalyzed) pesticide levels within the environment pose any greater or lesser risk than before cancelling of DDT and select pesticides. Wargo may be unmindful of this larger surrounding context, trusting in the scientific understanding within the environmental industrial complex he is endeavoring to improve. He seems conscientious in intention and this is praiseworthy.

For the reader interested in books on chemicals and health:
-- J. Rodricks. 1991. Calculated Risks: understanding the toxicity and human health risks of chemicals in our environment (Cambridge U. Press).
--Geoffrey Kabat. 2008. Hyping Health Risks: environmental hazards in daily life and the science of epidemiology. Columbia Univ. Press.
-- John Emsley. The Consumer's Good Chemical Guide. (W.H. Freeman)
-- W. Baarschers. eco-facts & eco-fiction. (Routledge)
-- Aaron Wildalsky. 1995. But is it True? (Harvard U Press).
-- John F. Ross. Living Dangerously: navigating the risks of everyday life. (Perseus)
-- National Research Council. Carcinogens and Anticarcinogens in the human diet. National Academy Press.