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EU-banned pesticides found in rice, tea and spices

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Re: EU-banned pesticides found in rice, tea and spices

#271

Post by CalRobert »

_heimdall wrote: post #222
CalRobert wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe I'm a Calvinist. I'm definitely happier in the Netherlands. My general experience was that Irish laws existed mostly for show and if you followed them you were a chump. Unless you wanted to smoke a joint now and then, of course. Ireland supposedly cares about nature too, but you can still buy truckloads of turf off the side of the road in Offaly. Good luck getting those rules enforced. When we still lived in Du…

> I think when you're threatening your neighbours and letting dangerous dogs loose on other people's land where there's kids or sheep then authoritarianism is called for. It doesn't have to require authoritarianism to keep the peace. It also doesn't seem like it could only be solved by an authority. If there's a dangerous dog on your property, shoot it if you can't get it to leave and fear for the safety of your kids…

That's great until the retaliation.

Re: EU-banned pesticides found in rice, tea and spices

#272

Post by CalRobert »

Tade0 wrote: post #223
CalRobert wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe I'm a Calvinist. I'm definitely happier in the Netherlands. My general experience was that Irish laws existed mostly for show and if you followed them you were a chump. Unless you wanted to smoke a joint now and then, of course. Ireland supposedly cares about nature too, but you can still buy truckloads of turf off the side of the road in Offaly. Good luck getting those rules enforced. When we still lived in Du…

> I think when you're threatening your neighbours and letting dangerous dogs loose on other people's land I know too little about this specific situation, but did the neighbour not stop despite being asked to? I haven't been to Ireland or the Netherlands (aside from driving through of course), but from what I've heard I would not like it in the latter. Nature appears to be scarce there, as for some reason the Dutch i…

The neighbour screamed at me never to talk to her or her kids.

Re: EU-banned pesticides found in rice, tea and spices

#273

Post by CalRobert »

sublimefire wrote: post #226
CalRobert wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was surprised after moving to Ireland to discover that you can break the law and nothing will happen. I went through hell with planners (idiots who don’t believe in climate change and hate eaves) while people around me put three mobile homes on their land as well as building two permanent homes with no permission (and ripping out ancient hedgerows) and successfully got retention. Why even bother?

OMG the planning system is definitely an issue in this country. I did try to wing it but had to demolish a small structure, retention was not approved. Their letters are insanely threatening, like you can go to jail or pay a fine in millions. But then another time I just did the planning permission in my own name, drawings and all and it was approved fairly quickly despite me not being an eng or arch. It depends on t…

There also are a lot of things that could help a lot with reducing heat gain in the summer that planners are strongly opposed to, like eaves (which let in the sun in winter but not in the midday in summer), and I can't fathom why.

Re: EU-banned pesticides found in rice, tea and spices

#274

Post by lo_zamoyski »

Tade0 wrote: post #147
CalRobert wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was surprised after moving to Ireland to discover that you can break the law and nothing will happen. I went through hell with planners (idiots who don’t believe in climate change and hate eaves) while people around me put three mobile homes on their land as well as building two permanent homes with no permission (and ripping out ancient hedgerows) and successfully got retention. Why even bother?

I jokingly refer to this as the Catholic principle: "sin first - confess and repent later" as it's a common theme in countries that are/were traditionally Catholic, including my own. It's really just places culturally untouched by Calvinism, Puritanism and the like, all of which put emphasis on order. The last thing to attempt bringing order to them were various forms of authoritarianism and they didn't last. I think…

You joke, but it's not remotely Catholic in principle. A confession is by definition invalid if premeditated.

A presupposition of confession is that you have contrition and the resolve not to sin and wish to receive absolution (which doesn't remove the need for temporal justice btw). Premeditation and without remorse turns that confession into an empty act, and indeed, another sin.

Calvinists also believe in confession. Indeed, it doesn't even require the uncomfortable encounter with a priest. You can just do it privately in their view.

This touches on the purpose of sacraments in the Catholic Church. They are meant to be visible signs that give assurance and certainty that something has taken place. If a human being were to show perfect contrition (very rare), then there is no need for the confessional (and ultimately, God is not bound by the sacraments). But for the penitent, the confessional gives assurance of absolution, provided there is some measure of requisite contrition. You don't have to wonder about your eternal fate after leaving the confessional.

The idea that Catholic societies are corrupt or and Calvinist societies are tidy and ordered is a stereotype, and it is silly and ahistorical to claim that you need authoritarianism to bring order to Catholic countries. Catholic societies have a greater tolerance for the messiness of human life. It views itself like a field hospital ready to provide people with means to get back up and to heal. Calvinists, on the other hand, are strangled by their constant anxiety about whether they are part of the elect or not. That can translate into rigidity, rigorism, scrupulosity, and OCD. These, in turn, can resort in a backlash of moral laxity.

(Another stereotype is the Protestant work ethic. Apparently, no one ever heard of the Benedictines and their influence on Europe. There is also a healthy attitude toward work and an unhealthy one.)

Re: EU-banned pesticides found in rice, tea and spices

#275

Post by some_random »

CalRobert wrote: post #181
Pay08 wrote: post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In common parlance, that's called corruption.

Definitely is an embodiment of class/accent/skin colour privilege.

It's funny you say this because, at least from what I've seen, groups that are historically discriminated against seem to be receiving more latitude in skirting the law.

Re: EU-banned pesticides found in rice, tea and spices

#276

Post by some_random »

CGMthrowaway wrote: post #243
CalRobert wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe I'm a Calvinist. I'm definitely happier in the Netherlands. My general experience was that Irish laws existed mostly for show and if you followed them you were a chump. Unless you wanted to smoke a joint now and then, of course. Ireland supposedly cares about nature too, but you can still buy truckloads of turf off the side of the road in Offaly. Good luck getting those rules enforced. When we still lived in Du…

> I think when you're threatening your neighbours and letting dangerous dogs loose on other people's land where there's kids or sheep then authoritarianism is called for. You jumped straight to authoritarianism? How about trying self-defense? Boy you really are a Calvinist

Europeans largely do not believe in the right to self defense

Re: EU-banned pesticides found in rice, tea and spices

#277

Post by daedrdev »

rsynnott wrote: post #155
daedrdev wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The United States has far stricter labeling standards than the EU. That's why US products appear to have more ingredients, they are required to say what their ingredients are mad from, even on identical products. Many things that are well known memes are completely false. Not everything in the EU is better regulated. Everyone always complains about chlorinated chicken, not realizing that <5% of US chicken is washed t…

> Everyone always complains about chlorinated chicken, not realizing that So, the issue with chlorinated chicken washing is not that the chlorine is unsafe, as such. There are two concerns. The first is cross-contamination. The second is that there is some evidence that it is essentially a cheat; it defeats common tests for salmonella but does not actually reliably destroy the salmonella. So, if you allow chlorine wa…

https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/04/15/nx...

“The vast majority of chicken processed in the United States is not chilled in chlorine and hasn't been for quite a few years.

…

Less than 5% of poultry processing facilities still use chlorine in rinses and sprays, according to the National Chicken Council, an industry group that surveyed its members. (Those that still do use a highly diluted solution at concentrations deemed safe.)

Nowadays, the industry mostly uses organic acids to reduce cross contamination, primarily peracetic, or peroxyacetic acid, which is essentially a mixture of vinegar and hydrogen peroxide.“

Re: EU-banned pesticides found in rice, tea and spices

#278

Post by RetroTechie »

Ekaros wrote: post #166
verisimi wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Organic food can use organic pesticides.

Which might or might not be safer than synthetic ones. Fundamental job of pesticides and herbicides is to kill stuff. Just because it appears in nature does not mean it is safe.

True when talking health of the end consumers.

But "organic" also targets soil health, biodiversity, animal well-being, and the environment in general.

Some synthetic pesticides / herbicides / fungicides hardly break down in the environment. Which leads to accumulation of a cocktail of such chemicals in soil & ground/surface waters. Ultimately appearing everywhere in air, drinking water & food. Not unlike microplastics, PFAS etc. How this affects humans' health is largely unknown.

Generally, chemicals produced by plants also break down naturally. So they don't accumulate in soils over time.

So it's kind of "exclude nature as much as possible, cleanroom style" versus "work with nature to keep things in a healthy balance".

Re: EU-banned pesticides found in rice, tea and spices

#279

Post by littlexsparkee »

SchemaLoad wrote: post #78
brikym wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People still use tea bags even though they're a top source of microplastics.

People don't even know. I had long assumed that it was only the obvious nylon pyramid tea bags that were plastic, and only recently discovered it's _all_ tea bags.

Not all, if they use stitch method with cotton it's okay - many use PLA though

https://www.hampsteadtea.com/blogs/news/is-pla-plastic-free-...

Re: EU-banned pesticides found in rice, tea and spices

#280

Post by littlexsparkee »

ofrzeta wrote: post #6

For spices and tea it really makes sense to buy organic (not that there are no fraudsters but still).

I've been buying spices from Diaspora, Burlap & Barrel, Curio - not cheap but I definitely feel some validated after eyeing the report. The potency is top notch too. Tea I buy loose leaf from a trusted purveyor. Among yerba mate brands there are a few organic brands to choose from.
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