Exposing Monsanto: Herbicide Linked to Birth Defects - the Vitamin A Connection

[unhappycamper]

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/25122-exposing-monsanto-herbicide-linked-to-birth-defects-the-vitamin-a-connection



Exposing Monsanto: Herbicide Linked to Birth Defects - the Vitamin A Connection
Monday, 28 July 2014 09:27 By Jeff Ritterman, M.D., Truthout | Op-Ed

Monsanto's herbicide Roundup, with glyphosate as the primary ingredient, has recently been linked to a fatal kidney disease epidemic ravaging parts of Central America, India and Sri Lanka. A leading theory hypothesizes that complexes of glyphosate and heavy metals poison the kidney tubules. El Salvador and Sri Lanka have adopted the precautionary principle and taken action to ban the herbicide. In the United States, glyphosate is coming up for review by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in late 2014. Monsanto claims a low risk to human health, but the research is showing something very different. Will these health concerns be enough for the EPA to put restrictions on the herbicide - or to ban it altogether?

Monsanto's Claims of Safety

Thus far, Monsanto has been successful in portraying Roundup as a safe and effective herbicide. The Monsanto website claims:

Glyphosate binds tightly to most types of soil so it is not available for uptake by roots of nearby plants. It works by disrupting a plant enzyme involved in the production of amino acids that are essential to plant growth. The enzyme, EPSP synthase, is not present in humans or animals, contributing to the low risk to human health from the use of glyphosate according to label directions.

Public Kept in the Dark

Contrary to the company's claims of safety, a virtual avalanche of scientific studies on animals, including some funded by Monsanto itself, show alarming incidences of fetal deaths and birth defects. The record also shows that Monsanto has known since the 1980s that glyphosate in high doses causes malformations in experimental animals. Since 1993, the company has been aware that even middle and low doses can cause these malformations. These malformations include absent kidneys and lungs, enlarged hearts, extra ribs, and missing and abnormally formed bones of the limbs, ribs, sternum, spine and skull.

These startling revelations can be found in the report Roundup and Birth Defects: Is the Public Being Kept in the Dark? The document is authored by eight experts from the fields of molecular genetics, agro-ecology, toxico-pathology, scientific ethics, ecological agriculture, plant genetics, public health and cell biology. This report, written primarily for a European readership, is highly critical of the biotech industry and of the European Union's failure to evaluate glyphosate based on the science rather than on political concerns. It calls for an immediate withdrawal of Roundup and glyphosate from the European Union until a thorough scientific evaluation is done on the herbicide. From the report:

The public has been kept in the dark by industry and regulators about the ability of glyphosate and Roundup to cause malformations. In addition, the work of independent scientists who have drawn attention to the herbicide's teratogenic effects has been ignored, denigrated or dismissed. These actions on the part of industry and regulators have endangered public health. (Authors note: A teratogen is any agent that can disturb the development of an embryo or a fetus. The term stems from the Greek teras, meaning monster).

[Faux pas]

1. If it bad, deadly or wrong

keep the public in the dark. SICKENING

[corkhead]

2. But they have a feduciary duty to keep us in the dark

Stockholder value blah blah blah

[Faux pas]

3. Ah yes

the almighty stockholders. The deeper you dig the more sinister and pathetic it gets.

[arikara]

4. At least Europe and some parts of the world

aren't as afraid of Monsanto as the governments of Canada and the US.

[BrotherIvan]

5. But it's so safe!!!!!!!

The dousing of GMO crops in Round Up is one of the reasons to oppose GMOs. It's not anti-science, it's fucking SCIENCE!

[mother earth]

6. They've got lobbyists galore and mercenaries working against activists and scientists,not to mention

paid shills at websites and bloggers to repeat and spread disinfo and disruption for any who call this what it is, sheer anti-science to continue the assault that only our country allows. GMO's are increasingly banned in other countries.

It's disgraceful and sickening what money buys here at home, and I'm not just talking the fruits and veggies. The revolving door and profits have bought and paid for the seeds of life. The bastards should be behind bars.

(One thing to know too, is Scott seed is a new name for Monsanto...and they've got the market cornered.)

[BrotherIvan]

7. Go check out the current Woo Warrior thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025328456

Because there's nothing more convincing than the standard-bearers of Science! to shout down anyone who wants long-term, independents studies.

Changing a company's name...hmmmm...where have I seen that before? Oh yes, after oil spills, water contamination, and nuclear disasters. Man, those are companies I trust!

[mother earth]

8. I believe some of them are paid to disrupt,others are just anti-science fools, whether they admit it

doesn't matter. Touting criminal behavior with zero transparency and zero proof of safety speaks volumes. The trolls reveal who they are because they simply don't discuss, it's not about science, it's about ridicule and taunting, when that's evident it speaks volumes upon volumes. What I don't understand is how the BS is allowed here. What I do understand is why many don't bother posting any more, and why the need for a new board. Some "democrats" here are no more democrat than tea partiers, the Koch Bros. or Murdoch.

Would any DU'er worth their salt applaud corporations that are screwing with the entire political system and citizens in our own country and elsewhere? Those who do show themselves for what they are.

"Woo" branding encompasses a ridiculous widespread shit-storm of snuffing out free speech and tolerance for views that differ. It's sheer ignorance, why would the burden of proof lie with the consumer? How fucking ignorant is it to applaud that as "science"? It's obvious "woo" is trusting everything corporatocracy dictates as truth & who is guilty of that? Since when is that a DU ideal? Since when do we shun independent proof? Since when do we aid and abet trashing and destroying reputations of real scientists who are whistleblowers and those who perform real studies? It's disgusting and those idiots are on full ignore.

DU is not what it once was.

I so agree with you, BrotherIvan.

[BrotherIvan]

9. You read my brain

The Woo Warriors overlap with other groups who love to taunt and disrupt. DU is about as Democratic as Yahoo News at this point.