And the best weedkiller ever created is his/her thumb and forefinger.

Good article! I almost didn't open it because I don't use any sort of *cides, but glad I did.

Just for argument's sake... You are choosing to alter the balance of life in your garden using selective application of physical means. I certainly agree that this may currently be the most selective and perhaps "safest" way available, but it is still changing the balance of life. And while this may be a more prosaic interpretation of what you are doing it is still reasonably effective if not efficient. In the not too distant future, we will be able to select from methods that are actually DNA specific for a particular target. Amazing stuff!

I know I am altering the balance of nature when I squish insects, but I take heart knowing that I never get all of any particular critter. My shadow and I sometimes feel like a very nasty bad guy, choosing who lives and who dies. I was overrun with leafhoppers last year and a virus was spreading amongst my echinacea. I now have them under control. I have quite a lot of twice stabbed stink bugs which came in a number of years ago on Stachys hummelo. They eat the seed pods before they have a chance to really flower! I saw a Painted Lady just loving these flowers this morning. Which is why sometimes I feel like a superhero, saving leaves, flowers and berries for the birds, butterflies and bees and other pollinators.