jlawrence":2ejwfyt9 said:Firstly, yes I am a smoker. Which is one of the reasons why I've stayed out of this thread.
Smoking DOES NOT cause cancer. Smoking makes you more susceptible to some forms of cancer. There is a 'VERY' high correlation between smoking and lung cancer, but to say that smoking causes cancer isn't actually true. Science currently doesn't actually know 'what' causes cancer.
BradNaylor":2p3qr81z said:Who cares about the precise mechanism?
The fact remains, if you smoke cigarettes you are far more likely to develop lung cancer...
...or throat cancer
...or mouth cancer
...or any one of a vast number of chronic lung diseases
...or heart disease
...or suffer a stroke
...and to stink like a stale ashtray
... and increasingly to be a social outcast
... and to be unnatractive to the opposite ***
... and to spend a sizeable proportion of your disposable income enriching the owners of the tobacco companies
...and to spend your life as a pathetic drug addict
Dead right. In fact related chemicals are a controversial issue now.Digit":18w2e27d said:Nic is not only addictive it's a poison!
Used to be used as an insecticide as I recall.
Roy.
erm, well actually the opposite is true. Many EU countries are following the UK's lead in 'requiring' that (professional as opposed to home) pesticide users are certified. The requirements for pesticide use in the UK are in many cases way more stringent than they are in many other EU countries.The UK is notorious for taking the most relaxed approach to pesticide safety in the EU
jlawrence":ahg0hxro said:As with many things (pesticide wise) the information that people are given quite often isn't the full picture. Trawling through the various scientific (and government dept) gobbledy **** ain't easy so we often rely on various info sources to tell us - not all of these info sources care to give the full picture.
'Some' Neonicotinoids have indeed been banned in 'some' EU countries but equally some have also lift (or partially lifted) their bans - I don't think any completely banned all Neonicotinoids.
There are bigger problems facing the 'honey' bee in the UK than Pesticides - I'm not saying here that Pesticides aren't a problem, as they may well be.
Farmers are a right royal pita really, many have what is termed 'Grandfather rights' which is something which should be got rid of completely - at least the number able to exercise them is dwindling as the old gits die off.
Part of the problem here in the UK (and elsewhere in the EU) is that you don't actually (legally) need to be certified in order to 'buy' pesticides, you just need to be certified in order to use them. I believe this loophole is allowing many people to buy 'professional' grade pesticides (not the crap you can get in the garden center) and use them illegally.
When people know the risks of illegal (or even incorrect) use then few will take that risk - I mean financial and personal risk not health risk. The problem is that it is often only those who are certified that are aware of the risk invovled.
Through my role as a grounds manager I'm involved in purchase and spraying of pesticides, certified at considerable expense so it annoys me that 'some' people get away with not being cert'd. You could say that it's laughable the precautions I take when handling pesticides only to then stick a cig in my mouth later on.
Started to taste your food yet?
BigShot":20l3r8zr said:jlawrence
I've got a sneaking suspicion that beekeeping itself might be part of the problem... that's heading for some mega thread-drift there though.
If interested check the biobees website for the view that bees should be able to act like bees and not forced by people.
Mike - apologies for the drift.
Started to taste your food yet?
Digit":4wvvayl9 said:Started to taste your food yet?
Once you can the next step is to grow your own!
Roy.
Mike.C":33gbn5nj said:My God reading this is enough to make anyone give up smoking
BigShot":3bv47dsg said:Mike - have you spoken to any locals about that?
Can't beat a bit of local knowledge on that front. I dunno what tricks there could be - but maybe there's a little known heritage variety you could go for or something - I dunno, just guessing, but it's worth trying.
Maybe get in touch with (the name might be wrong) Armagh Heritage Orchard. I have a feeling they might be more slanted towards Irish varieties, but they might be able to help with a Pippin for colder areas.
I only know about them after seeing them on that Jimmy's Farming Heroes - in fact there may well be one closer to you, I dunno. Worth a thought though.
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