So an interesting thing is that I'd never heard of the "dirty dozen" before Skeptoid, but apparently it is like a list of a dozen crops that are supposedly better to purchase organic vs. non-organic. Now, there are many reasons a person should purchase whatever, but I would weigh it down to flavor and or supporting local businesses/farmers despite the claim that Dunning makes that purchasing local actually costs local farmers more?? Local farmer markets and stores that supply themselves with local and sometimes organic produce often do so because it is cheaper than shipping it across the country and it benefits the small farmer, too. There are a few small independent stores that are even mostly organic that have delicious food that costs a bit more because it is actually not from Mexico and was picked ripe and thus actually tastes amazing when you eat it.
But not eating organic is not going to do any harm. Sure it might not taste as good, but it is cheaper and more sustainable in the long run. I can sometimes buy organic easily because I live in Los Angeles. Farm land surrounds me to the north! There are tons of farms and fields all over the place if I want to bother to even go pick the food myself I could. Most Americans nowadays can't do that.
Now anti-vaccination promotion is just a horrible thing and I've gotten into my share of arguments online with people over this. For some idiotic reason people think that it is of no actual harm to not vaccinate themselves or their own children. They think that they are honestly not hurting anyone else!! I mean, how self-absorbed and literally narcissistic can you get? The man so caught up in staring at his reflection he turned into a flower... that is how these people are, they literally only see themselves and no one else. They don't realize that not everyone can make a CHOICE out of vaccines. Some people cannot receive them because of allergies or immune problems, and thus these people are succeptible to catching the diseases that the vaccines are meant to protect against. For decades these diseases weren't an issue, but suddenly they are... And I don't feel as bad for the children of hippy or hipster parents who are idiots, but I feel horrible for the cancer sufferers, those who have HIV, maybe they had a transplant, or those who have an egg allergy and they can't get a vaccine. So people are catching diseases because idiots are making stupid and selfish choices.
The only correlation between vaccines and autism is that doctors are now taught to recognize autism more now, and the spectrum is wider... They see it in younger children around the time that they give vaccines is the connection. It just happens to be the same age. It's like connecting autism with growth spurts. I mean children that age sure seem to grow a lot in the western world, why aren't people up in arms about how much our children are growing in height and also developing autism? I mean they both are happening at the same time!!
The next thing that is of note is anti-cell phone... which is funny because this is new, but the FDA says they are safe, but the nation toxicology program now is saying that, yes, they can raise the chance of cancer... which is incredibly amusing to me. I mean sure the rats in the study were exposed to obscene amounts of radiation, but that such a large body is taking such a stance is amusing and bound to raise some hackles in the next few weeks and months I am sure.
Then GMOs are mentioned, which for some reason people fear all over the world. It's caused people to go hungry rather than eat GMOs in some cases, which is ridiculous. We as humans have been meddling in the genetics of our crops since we first began planting them. Now we just are doing it in a lab is all...
But where I diverge again is sunscreen. It is not that it is super toxic for humans, but apparently it can be damaging to ocean life which has caused a country-wide ban for the Pacific nation Palau!! I actually was completely unaware and only learned about this today when I was reading the article in the AP. There are 'safe' sunscreens, but the unsafe ones won't be allowed into the country. Apparently they kill off coral. So, yeah, Dunning, interesting stuff in counter point!
