Friday, June 24, 2011

Roundup Birth Defects: Regulators Knew World's Best-Selling Herbicide Causes Problems, New Report Finds

The US government has known since 1980 that glyphosate, the active ingredient used in the GMO pesticide Roundup, causes birth defects, but chose not to inform the public. There are a host of other problems as well with Roundup, including the promotion of soil pathogens that cause spontaneous abortion in livestock and super weeds that require more and more pesticides to be used. This herbicide is a public health disaster and needs to be taken off the market, but regulators in Europe recently postponed a review until 2015 and the USDA seems quite unconcerned by all the damning data available on this popular and profitable weedkiller herbicide.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/07/roundup-birth-defects-herbicide-regulators_n_872862.html

An updated account from the same author with more detail and information.

Roundup: Birth Defects Caused By World's Top-Selling Weedkiller, Scientists Say

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/24/roundup-scientists-birth-defects_n_883578.html


More Problems With Glyphosate: Rice Growers Sound Alarm


Monsanto Pesticide (Roundup) Found to Infect Plants With AIDS-like Disease
http://www.NaturalNews.com/032441_pesticide_AIDS.html

Existing Technology can Slash Mercury, Toxic Power Plant Emissions that Harm Children

This well-researched paper points to delays in issuing EPA guidelines under the 1990 Clean Air Act for pollution control devices to reduce mercury, lead and arsenic emissions from coal-burning power plants in the US. In 17 states that already have these regulations in place, superseding the federal limits, the scrubbing equipment was cost-effective to install and resulted in dramatically reduced emissions. Nonetheless, several of the country's largest coal plant operators are fighting to delay the new limits which would bring economic benefits, in terms of reduced sickness and disease, between $48 billion and $130 billion in 2016 alone. Coal plants emit 40% of the mercury in this country and the toxin causes severe developmental disabilities, deafness and blindness with prenatal and infant exposure.
http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/06/21/249960/slashing-mercury-toxic-power-plant-emissions-that-harm-children-can-be-done-with-existing-technology/

New Jersey Lawmakers Approve Benefits Rollback for Work Force

The withering legislative attacks on public sector workers and their collective bargaining rights are now landing right across the Hudson River, in New Jersey. And, in this case, some Democrats voted to strip rights and dramatically increase health care payments for state workers while also raising the retirement age. This is very bad new indeed for all workers as the standards of compensation for employment are furthered squeezed and will do nothing but increase the income inequality gap that has come to define America. 
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/24/nyregion/nj-legislature-moves-to-cut-benefits-for-public-workers.html?pagewanted=1&hp

Eco Etiquette: Is Genetically Modified Food Linked To Kids' Food Allergies?

Since the introduction of genetically modified foods in the mid-90's, food allergies have increased by 265 percent. Currently, about 75% of all food in grocery stores contain GMOs in America but this products are unlabeled. About 40% of those who get food allergies each year have such severe reactions that they end up in the hospital. There are also a host of other health issues related to GMOs that should concern consumers. Let's slow the GMO tide by fighting for labeling of these products in the US, as they are in every of developed country.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennifer-grayson/eco-etiquette-is-genetica_b_882238.html

Label GMOs: A 2012 Ballot Initiative Campaign

Polls consistently show that the overwhelming majority, on the order of 80%, of Americans want to see GMOs labelled. In California efforts are building to prepare for a petition drive to put the issue on the ballot this Fall. If you live in Cali and want to get involved check out the link below. Remember that every other industrialized country has already banned GMOs or mandated their labeling, including Europe, Japan and New Zealand, and more recently, Bolivia and the city of Lima in Peru who have outlawed GMOs outright. Let's get the ball rolling in the USA. California would be a great way to put this issue on the map with the rest of America. 
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_23380.cfm

15 Prominent Republicans Urge President Obama to Strengthen Fuel Efficiency Standards

While it would be even better if sitting Republicans made such a strong statement for increased fuel standards to reduce carbon emissions and save money at the pump, it's still heartening to read about this action to press for 60 mpg standards by 2017. Now, how do we get rank and file politicians on board?
http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/06/22/251680/15-prominent-republicans-urge-president-obama-to-strengthen-fuel-efficiency-standards/

Lower Blood Pressure And Improve Health Naturally With Celery

It's absolutely amazing to learn about the health benefits of raw vegetables. That's why it's immensely important that we protect the integrity of natural plants, and push back against the powerful interests pushing the worldwide GMO agenda. In this story you can check out the scientific evidence that celery helps to lower blood pressure and promote a healthy circulation system. All parts of the plant have powerful therapeutic effects including the seeds which are known to be anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic. I've been juicing a lot of celery lately and combined it with kale and fresh coconut water this morning. Yum.
http://www.naturalnews.com/032541_celery_blood_pressure.html

Big Pharma Attempting to Corner the Market on Medical Marijuana

With the DEA and IRS continuing to harass medical marijuana distributors, Big Pharma is maneuvering the push for federal regulation of the drug for medical uses, usurping state's rights to regulate the weed. Such a move would also open the door for a Big Pharma cash windfall as attempt to capture the market with liquid cannabis drugs like Sativex.
http://www.naturalnews.com/032547_medical_marijuana_Big_Pharma.html

What Happened to Media Coverage of Fukushima?

What's up with the media in this country? Where's the coverage of the ONGOING nuclear disaster in Japan? How can we collectively put our heads in the sand with such a devastating catastrophe? Don't we need to know what the f is going on? There's virtually no testing going on, infant mortality is up 35% in the Pacific Northwest and our government persists in defending a nuclear industry that regularly flouts the regulations that the captive NRC reflexively lowers to keep aging reactors in service. It's a travesty and they are keeping critical information away from the American public. Radiation continues to leak massively from Fukushima and the situation is much worse than our leaders and media are leading us to believe. Kelp pills are known to counteract radiation and so is potassium iodide. I recommend that you pick some up. Meanwhile, how do we get the NYT to cover this story every day like it should?
http://www.prwatch.org/news/2011/06/10851/what-happened-media-coverage-fukushima

Update on Lawsuit to Stop Genetically Engineered Trees

The biotech industry is gearing up for a major commercial release of GE trees over the next couple of years and one of the only obstacles in their way is the Stop GE Trees Campaign and the lawsuit it has filed to halt planting across seven southern states.
http://foodfreedom.wordpress.com/2011/06/23/update-on-lawsuit-to-stop-genetically-engineered-trees/

Victims Testify: North Carolina Forcibly Sterilized Thousands Of Poor, Uneducated, And Mentally Unstable People

A horrifying bit of history from the state of North Carolina, where thousands of poor and uneducated people were forcibly sterilized against their will in the state's spooky Eugenics program. Now, survivors are going public and the state is considering whether to compensate victims for suffering.
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2011/06/23/252208/victims-testify-north-carolina-forcibly-sterilized-thousands-of-poor-uneducated-and-mentally-unstable-people/