Do we really need pesticides? - Fernan Pérez-Gálvez

Trebamo li zaista pesticide? - Fernan Pérez-Gálvez

Prevoditelj: Ivan Stamenković Recezent: Igor Pureta

In 1845, Ireland's vast potato fields were struck by an invasive fungal disease

1845., Irska polja krumpira pogodila je invazivna gljivična bolest

that rapidly infested this staple crop.

koja je zarazila osnovni usjev.

The effect was devastating.

Učinak je bio razarajući.

One million people died of famine,

Milijun ljudi umrlo je od gladi,

and over a million more were forced to leave Ireland.

a više od milijun ih je moralo otići iz Irske.

Nowadays, we avoid such agricultural catastrophes with the help of pesticides.

Danas, izbjegavamo takve pošasti pomoću pesticida.

Those are a range of manmade chemicals that control insects,

To su kemikalije koje je čovjek napravio, a kontroliraju kukce,

unwanted weeds,

neželjene korove,

funguses,

gljivice,

rodents,

glodavce

and bacteria

i bakterije

that may threaten our food supply.

koje mogu prijetiti našoj hrani.

They've become an essential part of our food system.

Postali su sastavni dio našeg sustava ishrane.

As populations have grown, monoculture, single crop farming,

Kako su populacije rasle, monokulture, uzgoj jednog usjeva,

has helped us feed people efficiently.

pomogle su nam da hranimo ljude.

But it's also left our food vulnerable to extensive attack by pests.

I stvorile hranu ranjivu na napade štetnika.

In turn, we've become more dependent on pesticides.

Zauzvrat, postali smo ovisniji o pesticidima.

Today, we annually shower over 5 billion pounds of pesticides across the Earth

Danas, godišnje trošimo 2 milijarde kilograma pesticida

to control these unwanted visitors.

da bi kontrolirali ove neželjene štetnike.

The battle against pests, especially insects,

Borba protiv štetnika, osobito insekata,

has marked agriculture's long history.

označila je dugu povijest poljoprvirede.

Records from thousands of years ago

Zapisi od prije nekoliko tisuća godina

suggest that humans actively burned some of their crops after harvest

govore da su ljudi aktivno palili svoje usjeve nakon žetve

to rid them of pests.

kako bi uklonili štetnike.

There's even evidence from ancient times that we recruited other insects to help.

Postoje čak i dokazi iz drevnih vremena kada su regrutirani insekti da pomognu.

In 300 A.D., Chinese farmers specially bred ferocious predatory ants

300-te n. K. kineski seljaci uzgajali su mrave predatore

in orange orchards to protect the trees from other bugs.

u voćnjacima naranči, kako bi zaštitili drveće od drugih kukaca.

Later, as large-scale farming spread,

Kasnije, kako su se velike farme širile,

we began sprinkling arsenic, lead, and copper treatments on crops.

počeli smo prskati stvari arsenom, olovom i bakrom.

But these were incredibly toxic to humans as well.

Ali oni su bili otrovni i za ljude.

As our demand for more, safer produce increased,

Kako se povećavala potreba za sigurnom hranom,

so did the need for effective chemicals

tako se povećala i potreba za učinkovitim kemikalijama

that could control pests on a grander scale.

koje mogu kontrolirati štetnike na višoj razini.

This ushered in the era of chemical pesticides.

Ovo je donijelo eru kemijskih pesticida.

In 1948, a Swiss chemist named Paul Hermann Müller

1948., švicarski kemičar Paul Hermann Müller

was awarded a Nobel Prize for his discovery

dobio je Nobelovu nagradu za svoje otkriće

of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, also known as DDT.

diklordifenilkloretana, poznatog kao DDT.

This new molecule had unparalleled power to control many insect species

Ova nova molekula imala je neusporedivu moć u kontroli insekata

until the 1950s, when insects became resistant to it.

do 1950ih, kada insekti postaju otporni na nju.

Worse, the chemical actually drove dramatic declines in bird populations,

Još gore, kemikalija je utjecala na dramatičan pad u populaciji ptica,

poisoned water sources,

otrovane izvore vode,

and was eventually found to cause long-term health problems in humans.

i otkriveno je da uzrokuje dugoročne zdravstvene probleme u ljudi.

By 1972, DDT had been banned in the United States,

Do 1972., DDT je zabranjen u SAD-u,

and yet traces still linger in the environment today.

ali tragovi se i danas nalaze u okolišu.

Since then, chemists have been searching for alternatives.

Od onda, kemičari su tražili alternativu.

With each new wave of inventions, they've encountered the same obstacle -

Sa svakim novim valom inovacija, naišli su na neke prepreke --

rapid species evolution.

brzu evoluciju vrsta.

As pesticides destroy pest populations,

Kako pesticidi uništavaju štetnike,

they leave behind only the most resistant individuals.

ostavljaju iza sebe najotpornije jedinke.

They then pass on their pesticide-resisting genes

One onda prenose svoje gene otporne na pesticide

to the next generation.

na sljedeću generaciju.

That's lead to the rise of super bugs,

To je dovelo do pojave super kukaca,

such as the Colorado potato beetle,

kao što je krumpirova zlatica iz Colorada,

which is resistant to over 50 different insecticides.

koja je otporna na 50 vrsta insekticida.

Another downside is that other bugs get caught in the crossfire.

Još jedna loša strana je da drugi kukci stradaju u tim napadima.

Some of these are helpful predators of plant pests or vital pollinators,

Neki od njih su vrlo korisni istrebljivači štetnika ili oprašivači,

so erasing them from agriculture wipes out their benefits, too.

tako da je brisanje njih iz poljoprivrede, isto kao i obrisati sve što čine.

Pesticides have improved over time

Pesticidi su se poboljšali s vremenom

and are currently regulated by strict safety standards,

i trenutno ih reguliraju strogi sigurnosni standardi

but they still have the potential to pollute soil and water,

ali još uvijek imaju potencijal onečistiti tlo i vodu,

impact wildlife,

utjecati na prirodu,

and even harm us.

i naštetiti nam.

So considering all these risks, why do we continue using pesticides?

Kada vidimo sve te rizike, zašto i dalje koristimo pesticide?

Although they're imperfect,

Iako su nesavršeni,

they currently may be our best bet against major agricultural disasters,

oni su sada naša najbolja obrana od velikih poljoprivrednih katastrofa,

not to mention mosquito-born diseases.

da ne spominjemo bolesti koje prenose komarci.

Today, scientists are on a quest for alternative pest control strategies

Danas znanstvenici traže alternativne načine kontrole štetnika

that balance the demands of food production

koji uravnotežuju potražnju hrane

with environmental concerns.

sa brigom za okoliš.

Nature has become a major source of inspiration,

Priroda je postala izvor inspiracije, prirodnim

from natural plant and fungal chemicals that can repel or attract insects,

biljnim i gljivičnim kemikalijama kojima tjeraju ili privlače kukce,

to recruiting other insects as crop bodyguards.

regrutiranjem drugih insekata da čuvaju usjeve.

We're also turning to high-tech solutions, like drones.

Okrećemo se tehnološkim rješenjima, kao što su dronovi.

Programmed to fly over crops,

Programirani su da lete iznad usjeva,

these machines can use their sensors and GPS

i mogu koristiti GPS i senzore

to carry out more targeted sprays

da bi preciznije prskali

that limit a pesticide's wider environmental impact.

kako bi smanjili utjecaj pesticida na okoliš.

With a combination of biological understanding,

Kombinacijom biološkog shvaćanja,

environmental awareness,

okolišne osviještenosti,

and improved technologies,

i poboljšanih tehnologija,

we have a better chance of finding a holistic solution to pests.

imamo bolju šansu da pronađemo holističko rješenje za štetnike.

Chemical pesticides may never shake their controversial reputation,

Kemijski pesticidi nikad neće imati dobar glas,

but with their help,

ali uz njihovu pomoć,

we can ensure that agricultural catastrophes

možemo osigurati da poljoprivredne katastrofe

stay firmly in our past.

ostanu čvrsto u prošlosti.