When you hear the word “pesticides” what do you think of?

When asked about pesticides, many think of farms and produce, but do not think much about these chemicals.

Others acknowledge the possible side effects of pesticides but choose to ignore the dangers.
Some attempt to protect themselves by simply rinsing their fruits and vegetables and the “extremists” stand up against those using the chemicals and demand change.

Many members of the media attempt to claim that pesticides are safe.

A piece from the New York Times printed in early August of 2011 claims that no clear side effects from pesticides have been found in research done on consumers.

If a chemical is dangerous when in contact with the skin, how can it be safe to ingest with food?
One of the original pesticides, DDT, was found to be the cause of many cases of thyroid cancer, premature births and developmental problems in children.

New pesticides were created to be safer for the public but that goal was not achieved.

Until recently, it was rare to find media that would delve into the truth dangers behind the chemicals we ingest every day on our produce. Today these chemicals can be found in both food and food containers.

Known by names other than “pesticides,” dangerous chemicals have been found in water bottles, plastic containers and various food products.

These chemicals, alongside the traditional pesticides found on farm-produced items, are ingested by us every day.

The farmers using these spray-on pesticides and the companies using these chemicals in household goods, claim that the use of these chemicals is only dangerous if a person comes in contact with the chemical itself.

These claims have been disproven time and time again.

An article in the New York Times from May 2010 uncovered the truth about pesticides that had been quietly known by researchers for many years.

The piece included a list of diseases believed to be connected to pesticide use including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, ADHD and even autism.

How can findings so serious be ignored? Within the last few weeks, multiple news programs have announced a staggering increase in autism, claiming that 1 in 25 boys and 1 in 252 girls are diagnosed each year. The unbelievable aspect of these findings is that the media claims researchers have not found a connection between the rise in this disease and any outside influences.

How can people, especially those who are held to a high standard of providing the truth to the public, so easily forget the daunting findings linking pesticides with so many deadly diseases that plague our society?

When the issue begins to affect children, we need to demand truth from those we rely so heavily on.

We need to take a stand for health and safety of ourselves, our children and our future.
As long as we continue to purchase produce drenched in harmful chemicals, our society will face continued increases in genetic disorders.

The cost of organic food is often higher than non-organic food.

This cost, though, is much less than the true price of pesticides.