Infinite Unknown

- GMO and the Corporate Patenting of Living Organisms: Monsanto’s Patents on Life (Global Research, March 1, 2013):

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court began hearing arguments in a seed patent infringement case that pits a small farmer from Indiana, 75-year old Vernon Hugh Bowman, against biotech goliath Monsanto. Reporters from the New York Times to the Sacramento Bee dissected the legal arguments. They speculated on the odds. They opined on the impact a Monsanto loss might have, not only on genetically modified crops, but on medical research and software.

What most of them didn’t report on is the absurdity – and the danger – of allowing companies to patent living organisms in the first place, and then use those patents to attempt to monopolize world seed and food production.

The case boils down to this. Monsanto sells its patented genetically engineered (GE) “Roundup Ready” soybean seeds to farmers under a contract that prohibits the farmers from saving the next-generation seeds and replanting them. Farmers like Mr. Bowman who buy Monsanto’s GE seeds are required to buy new seeds every year. For years, Mr. Bowman played by Monsanto’s rules. Then in 2007, he bought an unmarked mix of soybeans from a grain elevator and planted them. Some of the soybeans turned out to have been grown from Monsanto’s patented Roundup Ready soybean seeds. Monsanto sued Mr. Bowman, won, and the court ordered the farmer to pay the company $84,000. Mr. Bowman appealed, arguing that he unknowingly bought soybeans grown from Monsanto’s seeds, not the seeds themselves, and that therefore the law of “patent exhaustion” applies.

The press and public have fixated on the sticky legal details of the case, and the classic David vs. Goliath nature of the fight. But win or lose, Mr. Bowman’s predicament is part of a much bigger problem.

Continue reading »

Tags: Agriculture, DuPont, Economy, Environment, Food, Genetically Modified Organisms, Global News, GMO, Herbicides, Law, Monsanto, Roundup, Roundup Ready, Supreme Court, Syngenta, U.S.

- Bhutan To Be First Country to Go 100% Organic (Natural Society, Feb 18, 2013):

If there was ever a nation that could see the purpose behind organic, sustainable farming, it would be a nation that is composed mostly of farmers. Such a place does exist, and it soon may be the first nation to go 100% organic, paving the way for others to do the same on a global scale.

The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is known for a high level of citizen happiness, but it is doing something even more noteworthy in the near future. With Prime Minister Jigmi Thinley making a major announcement regarding the organic farming project at the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development which took place last month, the move has made national headlines. It’s called the National Organic Policy, and it is fueled by the simple concept that working ‘in harmony with nature’ will yield the most powerful results — all without sacrificing human health or the environment.

What this comes down to is no GMO, no pesticides, no herbicides, no fluoride-based spray products, no Monsanto intrusion at all, and a whole lot of high quality food available for the 700,000 citizens of Bhutan. Food that, at one time, was simply called ‘food’. In the statement to other policy makers, Prime Minister Jigmi Thinley explained the move: Continue reading »

Tags: Agriculture, Bhutan, Environment, Farmers, Fluor, Fluoride, Food, Genetically Modified Organisms, Global News, GMO, Government, Health, Herbicides, Jigmi Thinley, organic, Pesticides, Politics

- Roundup Herbicide Linked To Overgrowth of Deadly Bacteria (GreenMedInfo, Dec 14, 2012):

Could Monsanto’s glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup be leading to the overgrowth of deadly bacteria in animals and humans consuming genetically-modified food contaminated with it?

This question follows from a new study published in the journal Current Microbiology titled, “The Effect of Glyphosate on Potential Pathogens and Beneficial Members of Poultry Microbiota In Vitro,” which found that the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, known as glyphosate, negatively impacted the gastrointestinal bacteria of poultry in vitro. The researchers presented evidence that highly pathogenic bacteria resisted glyphosate, whereas beneficial bacteria were moderately to highly susceptible to it.

Some of the beneficial species that were found to be suppressed by glyphosate were Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Bacillus badius, Bifidobacterium adolescentis and Lactobacillus spp. The pathogenic species which were found to resist glyphosate toxicity were Salmonella Entritidis, Salmonella Gallinarum, Salmonella Typhimurium, Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium botulinum.

The researchers stated that “A reduction of beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract microbiota by ingestion of glyphosate could disturb the normal gut bacterial community.”   Even more alarming was their observation that the toxicity of glyphosate to the most prevalent beneficial species, Enterococcus, “could be a significant predisposing factor that is associated with the increase in Clostridia botulinum-mediated diseases by suppressing the antagonistic effect of these bacteria on clostridia.”  Clostridia are a class of anaerobic bacteria including some of the most dangerous known to man, such as C. tetani and C. botulinum, which produce tetanus and botulin toxin, respectively.

Consider that botulin is the most acutely toxic substance known, and that despite the fact it is FDA-approved for use “cosmetically,” e.g. Botox injections, it is being looked at as a potential bioweapon because it only takes 75 billionths of a gram (75 ng) to kill a person weighing 75 kg (165 lbs). It has been estimated that only 1 kilogram (2.2 lbs) would be enough to kill the entire human population.

Continue reading »

Tags: Bacteria, Clostridia botulinum, Clostridium perfringens, FDA, Food, Global News, Glyphosate, Health, Herbicides, Monsanto, Roundup, Roundup Ready, Salmonella Entritidis, Salmonella Gallinarum, Salmonella Typhimurium, toxic, toxicity

- Mainstream Media Launches Another Phony War Against Organic (Natural Society, Oct 23, 2012):

The mainstream media is invoking déjà vu with their latest laughable attempt to frame yet another study that actually highlighted the benefits of organic into a hysterical anti-organic news frenzy. This time, however, some publications are actually publishing the truth on the matter. Why? Because last time that the mainstream media conglomerate decided to smear the last organic foods study’s findings and proclaim how great pesticides and GMOs are for you and your family, it ended in a major apology by the New York Times.And it was this piece, a response to the uproar from the public following the alternative news media’s response to the mainstream media spin (including my piece first released on the night of the study with a video breakdown), that signified the final nail in the coffin for the mainstream media’s previous assault on organic foods. In the apology piece, New York Times columnist Mark Bittman states:

“That was dumb of me… I’m sorry. This junk science deserves a response. Ignoring it isn’t enough. I apologize.”

But now, once again, some sources such as CBS have begun spinning the latest organic food study. In this study, just like the last one, it was found that organic food contained less brain-damaging pesticides, has higher concentrations of antioxidants, doesn’t contain GMOs, brain-tumor-linked artificial sweeteners, mercury-containing high-fructose corn syrup, and so on. However many sources don’t seem to care about the facts. Instead, they title something like ‘Organic Same as Conventional Say Docs’. Meanwhile, some are erring on the side of the truth to avoid backlash.

But don’t take my word for it, just look at the below image from Google News. Notice the difference in titles? You can clearly see instances of nutritional doublespeak, in which news agencies title an article something wildly incorrect and then go on to say the opposite inside the content of the story. Considering that many — if not most — news readers glance at the title and keep reading onward, this is highly effective.

Media Blackout on GMOs, Real Issues Surrounding Conventional Food

Titles such as ‘Organic food no better than conventional for kids’ ultimately lead to content explaining that organic food contains less pesticides and less antibiotic-resistant bacteria (that can result in resistant diseases like the white plague), but that it’s not ‘entirely conclusive’ whether or not this matters. Peer-reviewed research may argue otherwise, with pesticides linked to over 60 negative conditions including: Continue reading »

Tags: Antibiotics, Bacteria, Food, Genetically Modified Organisms, Global News, GMO, Health, Herbicides, High-Fructose Corn Syrup, Mercury, organic, Pesticides, Science, U.S.

Source UNKNOWN

Tags: Environment, Food, Global News, Health, Herbicides, Monsanto

Pesticides and herbizides

- Marie-Monique Robin: ‘Unser täglich Gift’ – ‘Notre Poison Quotidien’ (Documentary – Full Length – In German And French)

Danger zone: sugar crop workers in Bajo Lempa, on the west coast of El Salvador. Photograph: Will Storr for the Observer

- What is killing sugar-cane workers across Central America? (Guardian, Oct 14, 2012):

Chronic kidney disease has killed tens of thousands of young men and is becoming more deadly. But nobody knows exactly what it is, or what to do about it

It is stage five they fear the most. Stage five is the mysterious sickness in its deadliest form. “I’m entering stage five,” Edilberto Mendez tells me as his wife looks on fretfully. I’m in their small home on the floodplains of Lempa River, in the dank sugar-lands of rural El Salvador, where they live in a community with about 150 other families. “How many others in the village have died of this?” I ask.

“Three close friends, just last year,” says Edilberto. His wife interrupts, counting out on her fingers. “And my nephew, my brother, and Ramon, Carlos, Pablo…” She pauses. “I know three Pablos who have died of this.”

Edilberto’s kidneys are beginning to fail. It means dialysis. “This is what they’ve told me,” he says with a defensive shrug. “But I’m still walking around. I’ve seen many people have dialysis. As soon as they try it, they die. I don’t want it.” Edilberto has his wife to support, his deaf-mute 27-year-old son, and his six-year-old granddaughter.

“If you don’t have dialysis you’ll die,” I say. “And then what will happen to your family?”

“They will be homeless.”

Continue reading »

Tags: Environment, Global News, Health, Herbicides, Pesticides

- GMO Technology, Glyphosate Toxicity Leaving Men Sterile (Activist Post, Sep 30, 2012):

What if the pesticides and herbicides being sprayed on your food was causing your sperm to die? What if GMO crops had the same effect? What would it mean for humanity if this “modern food marvel” (as Monsanto would like you to think) was actually making men infertile, and eventually wipe us out?

Sounds pretty end-of-times-ish, but it’s happening right now. Well, studies indicate that factors like glyphosate toxicity and GMO technologies could be playing a significant role in the growing number of men who struggle with fertility.

Glyphosate Toxicity and GMO Technology

One study in particular found that glyphosate (an ingredient in Roundup), leaves a residue on crops and this residue is “actually toxic to testicle cells.” Also, the residue lowers testosterone synthesis—this means the glyphosate toxicity lowers the amount of the male sex hormone available for the body to use.

The negative effects from glyphosate toxicity vary, but some people have been known to develop breasts, have a variety of birth defects, and have been known to experience carcinogenic effects as well. The people are also becoming sterile over time. Given the rate of consumption, they will likely be completely sterile within a decade.

Another study, this one out of Russia, found that hamsters who consume GM soybeans have a slower sexual maturation process and in a few generations, they weren’t able to reproduce.

“We noticed quite a serious effect when we selected new pairs from their cubs and continued to feed them as before. These pairs’ growth rate was slower and reached their sexual maturity slowly.” By the third generation, the hamsters were infertile.

Continue reading »

Tags: Glyphosate, GMO, Herbicides, Monsanto, Roundup, Roundup Ready, Technology, toxic, toxicity

- Nearly all conventional food crops grown with fluoride-laced water, then sprayed with more fluoride (Natural News, Sep 10, 2012):

The average American today is exposed to a whole lot more fluoride than he or she is probably aware. Conventional produce, it turns out, is one of the most prevalent sources of fluoride exposure besides fluoridated water, as conventional crops are not only irrigated with fluoride-laced water in many cases, but also sprayed with pesticide and herbicide chemicals that have been blended with fluoride, and later processed once again with fluoridated water.

This fact may come as a surprise to many who have bought into the idea that eating more fresh produce is automatically beneficial for health, regardless of how that produce was grown. Thinking that they are doing their bodies a favor, millions of Americans have incorporated conventional fruits and vegetables into their everyday diets, not realizing that the resulting cumulative effect of fluoride exposure from these foods could be harming their health.

Many food crops uptake fluoride chemicals from water, soil

Continue reading »

Tags: Agriculture, Fluor, Fluoridation, Fluoride, Food, Global News, Health, Herbicides, Pesticides

Must-see … for those who understand German and/or French.

Tags: Aspartame, Brain, Cancer, DNA, Documentary, Donald Rumsfeld, Efsa, Endocrine system, Environment, EU, Europe, FDA, Food, Global News, Government, Health, Herbicides, Immune System, Marie-Monique Robin, Monsanto, Notre Poison Quotidien, Pesticides, Politics, Science, Scientists, Society, U.S., Unser täglich Gift

- New GMO ‘Agent Orange Soy’ Silently Backed by USDA (Activist Post, July 20, 2012):

Millions of pounds of herbicides are applied to crops around the nation each year. In one single year, 2006, 96.7 million pounds of glyphosate was sprayed on soybeans alone; this is a 20-fold increase from the 4.9 million pounds in 1994, the year before Monsanto’s Roundup Ready seeds were introduced.

Well, now, biotechnology giant and creator of pesticides and herbicides, Dow AgroSciences is bringing forth brand new GMO soybeans and GMO corn to the market that will ultimately cause more herbicides than ever to be sprayed across the nation. What’s more, the USDA is all over the idea. Continue reading »

Tags: Agriculture, Barack Obama, Corn, Dow Agrosciences, Environment, Farmers, Food, Genetically Modified Organisms, Global News, Glyphosate, GMO, Government, Health, Herbicides, Monsanto, Obama administration, Politics, Roundup, Roundup Ready, soy, soybeans, U.S., USDA