Monsanto*FDA*USDA***Menage a trois

[LuciferSam]

Genetically modified, hmmm, sounds scientific if you don't know the facts. Monsanto inserts a gene which causes plant cells in our food to produce a pesticide. This insures better crops for the Farmers that Monsanto "owns" so they can make more money at the expense of our health. We are not bugs, we are humans.
Monsanto's GM corn MON863 shows kidney, liver toxicity in animal studies
Maybe a tablespoon of Monsanto's roundup at every meal would be a good experiment in genetic modification, livers and kidneys are not necessary organs, or maybe the idea is that we are expendable.
Personally if I have a caterpillar crawling on my corn, I consider that a good thing. If the bugs want it, it must not be full of chemicals.
I am lost on the minnow info, I suppose I should look that up.
If you have information to disprove this then please post it.

I'm sure that lots of traditional foods have toxicity if eaten in large enough quantities. Seriously, how could anyone without knowledge of organic chemistry, botany, genetics etc. reach a quick conclusion on the alleged dangers of roundup or GMOs? The scare tactics do not put things into perspective and do nothing to appeal to the rational scientific mind. There is a fudamentalism eerily similar to what one sees with many religious groups. Believe it or else, and don't ask questions. High fructose corn syrup is another one. FYI, plain old sugar is like 40% to 50% fructose. You want fructose? Honey is loaded with it. So are pears and bananas.

Your link indicates nothing of the quantities given to the test subjects. It does not provide comparable human equivalents. I do know that lots of plants have always contained natural pesticides. Why is natural somehow better? As humans, I feel it is our purpose to beat the living daylights out of mother nature. That's what keeps us going. If you think natural is so great, why not ask the people of Haiti and Chile if what they think of mother nature? How about the people of New Orleans? Enjoy your bugs. I'll be on the lookout for GMO microwave popcorn that doesn't burn so easily. Remind me not to eat any of your vegetables. Another thing, the more I hear about Monsanto, the more I feel like investing in them. They are on my radar screen now, that's for sure. Gotta go, my lawn needs an application of pre-emergent weed killer. I hope Wal-Mart hasn't run out.

 

[Miss Critter]

Is this all you have to do? I guess it is very easy to complain when your stomach is full isn't it? Why don't you tell that to the over 15 million children who die of hunger every year! Are you going to feed them with that precious 10 ft of organic irrigated garden you have? Better yet, sponsor one and send them 10.00 a month to make yourself feel better. Think about that as you drive 3 miles and spend less than 10% of your income of any possible food you can imagine. People you cannot feed the world with your backyard "organic garden" it is not possible. And while you continue to take farmers land to save your precious endangered "delta smelt" minnows, you tell me exactly how this is going to get done? IT IS NOT POSSIBLE. Crops have been genetically modified since the beginning of time. Did you know we have to produce more food in the next 50 years than in the last 10,000 combined? So climb down out of your tree beacause the world is not out to get you.

Yes, all I have to do is concern myself with the fact that our food supply is slowly being poisoned for profit. I do this because my health and my family's health is important to me, and try as I might, I can't find a logical alternative to eating that will allow us to stay alive. I don't currently have a yard, but as soon as I do, I will grow some organic produce to provide truly edible food for my family. We already sponsor a child in Africa. His name is Elihuruma, and it's not $10, it's $35, but a bargain at any price. We also send money to his family occasionally, which they use for food, shelter and clothing.

Now, back to the subject at hand. I will have to find the scientist's name, but a few months ago, I heard an interview with someone much smarter than I and an expert in the field of genetically engineered crops. Did you know that GMO seeds are good for only one season, and produce infertile crops? Peasant farmers in poor countries are forced to buy their seeds each year from these behemoths, instead of being able to collect and re-use heirloom seeds year after year. See, Monsanto's way COSTS MORE. And I have no problem with hybrids developed to increase resistance to pests, so long as the "resistance" is not a built-in pesticide that I am forced to ingest with every bite. A huge part of the worldwide famine problem is that huge agricultural conglomerates are getting loads of government welfare, while the small farmers the program was created to help are left to their own devices. Add to that the fact that these huge companies get more money for their (GMO) corn for fuel than for food, and , well, I think you can see the problem.

I have no issue with capitalism with a conscience, but I truly don't believe that's what we're talking about here. And no, they're not out to get me - or you either for that matter. We're just what might be called "collateral damage." The fact is they're not thinking of us at all.

 

[LuciferSam]

Now, back to the subject at hand. I will have to find the scientist's name, but a few months ago, I heard an interview with someone much smarter than I and an expert in the field of genetically engineered crops. Did you know that GMO seeds are good for only one season, and produce infertile crops? Peasant farmers in poor countries are forced to buy their seeds each year from these behemoths, instead of being able to collect and re-use heirloom seeds year after year. S.

This is another situation where it's impossible to draw a reasoned conclusion not knowing all the facts. Perhaps the increased yields financially make up for the cost of having to purchase seed. The other thing is, even with fertile crops, I would think that farmers still have to purchase a certain amount of seed anyway. Do these anti-technology and progress websites have enough confidence to play devils advocate with their own assertions and really lay the facts and numbers on the table. From what I have seen, the answer to that question is NO!

 

[Miss Critter]

I will find and post the facts to back up my assertion. Meanwhile, it's worth mentioning that I've grown so used to your contrarian ways on this subject, LS, that if you did not threaten immediate action in the opposing direction, I'd be forced to reconsider my viewpoint.

 

[Beauty hunter]

Monsanto has a patent on these genetically altered seeds and is claiming the seeds after the harvest are their's also.
OpEdNews - Article: During a world food crisis, Monsanto just raised the price of its corn seed $100 a bag.

They are "owning" the farmers and some organic farmers that do not purchase Monsanto seeds are concerned that growing crops without pesticides may be considered unsafe by the government. As absurd and unbelievable as it sounds, some growers are concerned that organic gardening may become illegal if H.R. 875 is passed.
HR 875: The End Of Organic Farming?

Track H.R. 875:Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009.
H.R. 875: Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 (GovTrack.us)

 

[Bob]

Yes, all I have to do is concern myself with the fact that our food supply is slowly being poisoned for profit. I do this because my health and my family's health is important to me, and try as I might, I can't find a logical alternative to eating that will allow us to stay alive. I don't currently have a yard, but as soon as I do, I will grow some organic produce to provide truly edible food for my family. We already sponsor a child in Africa. His name is Elihuruma, and it's not $10, it's $35, but a bargain at any price. We also send money to his family occasionally, which they use for food, shelter and clothing.

Now, back to the subject at hand. I will have to find the scientist's name, but a few months ago, I heard an interview with someone much smarter than I and an expert in the field of genetically engineered crops. Did you know that GMO seeds are good for only one season, and produce infertile crops? Peasant farmers in poor countries are forced to buy their seeds each year from these behemoths, instead of being able to collect and re-use heirloom seeds year after year. See, Monsanto's way COSTS MORE. And I have no problem with hybrids developed to increase resistance to pests, so long as the "resistance" is not a built-in pesticide that I am forced to ingest with every bite. A huge part of the worldwide famine problem is that huge agricultural conglomerates are getting loads of government welfare, while the small farmers the program was created to help are left to their own devices. Add to that the fact that these huge companies get more money for their (GMO) corn for fuel than for food, and , well, I think you can see the problem.

I have no issue with capitalism with a conscience, but I truly don't believe that's what we're talking about here. And no, they're not out to get me - or you either for that matter. We're just what might be called "collateral damage." The fact is they're not thinking of us at all.

how is the built in pesticide, that the plant produces, toxic for humans?

 

[Beauty hunter]

Is this all you have to do? I guess it is very easy to complain when your stomach is full isn't it? Why don't you tell that to the over 15 million children who die of hunger every year! Are you going to feed them with that precious 10 ft of organic irrigated garden you have? Better yet, sponsor one and send them 10.00 a month to make yourself feel better. Think about that as you drive 3 miles and spend less than 10% of your income of any possible food you can imagine. People you cannot feed the world with your backyard "organic garden" it is not possible. And while you continue to take farmers land to save your precious endangered "delta smelt" minnows, you tell me exactly how this is going to get done? IT IS NOT POSSIBLE. Crops have been genetically modified since the beginning of time. Did you know we have to produce more food in the next 50 years than in the last 10,000 combined? So climb down out of your tree beacause the world is not out to get you.

Hey, don't accuse me of this law that was passed to take away the Farmer's water for his crops in favor of saving fish.This is the first I've heard about this and I am not in agreement with a law that saves wildlife while putting humans at risk. If both could be done, it would be good, but humans take priority over animals (putting fish first ). Supposedly, this was not reported by some of the major networks??? Strange indeed. Anyway, I found this link in case others don't know about it.
Hannity Again Discusses California's Congress-created Dust Bowl | NewsBusters.org

 

[Miss Critter]

how is the built in pesticide, that the plant produces, toxic for humans?

Genetically Engineered Corn May Cause Allergies, Infertility, and Disease : Nutrition News and Notes

Mice fed natural Bt-toxin showed significant immune responses and caused them to become sensitive to other formerly harmless compounds. This suggests that Bt-toxin might make a person allergic to a wide range of substances. (1, 2, 3) Farm workers and others have also had reactions to natural Bt-toxin, (4, 5, 6, 7, 8 ) and authorities acknowledge that People with compromised immune systems or preexisting allergies may be particularly susceptible to the effects of Bt. (9) In fact, when natural Bt was sprayed over areas around Vancouver and Washington State to fight gypsy moths, about 500 people reported reactionsmostly allergy or flu-like symptoms. Six people had to go to the emergency room. (10, 11)
The Bt-toxin produced in the GM plants is more dangerous than in its natural spray form. The sprayed-on version biodegrades or washes off. Not so with Bt corn. (12, 13) Further, the toxin inside the plant is about 3,000-5,000 times more concentrated than the spray and it is designed to be more toxic than the natural version. (14) In fact, the GM toxin has properties of known allergens and fails all three GM allergy tests recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and others. (15)
Immune, toxic, and reproductive problems
Studies and reports confirm that Bt crops provoke reactions in humans and animals. For example, large numbers of Indian farm workers are getting sick from touching Bt cotton. Their allergic and flu-like symptoms match precisely with those experienced by the hundreds of people in the Pacific Northwest who reacted to Bt spray. (16)
Even inhaled Bt-toxin from pollen may be dangerous. In 2003, during the time when an adjacent Bt cornfield was pollinating, virtually an entire Filipino village of about 100 people was stricken by a disease. The symptoms included headaches, dizziness, extreme stomach pain, vomiting, chest pains, fever, and allergies, as well as respiratory, intestinal, and skin reactions. The symptoms appeared first in those living closest to the field, and then progressed to others by proximity. When the same corn was planted in four other villages the following year, the symptoms returned in each locationonly during the time of pollination.
A Monsanto rat study on Bt corn showed a significant increase in blood cells related to the immune system. (17) A November 2008 study by the Italian government showed immune responses in mice that ate Bt corn. (18) Rats fed Bt corn had liver lesions and indications of poisoning. (19) The intestines of mice fed Bt potatoes had damaged cells with abnormal growth patterns. (20)
In a rare long-term GMO feeding study, commissioned by the Austrian government, the longer mice were fed GM corn, the fewer babies they had. Their offspring were also smaller, and therefore less healthy. (21) None of these problems would have shown up in normal industry-funded studies, which are a maximum of 90 days and rarely look at reproductive health.
About two dozen farmers in the US reported that pigs fed varieties of Bt corn became sterile, had false pregnancies, or gave birth to bags of water. Cows and bulls also became sterile from the same varieties. Other farmers blamed Bt corn for the deaths of cows, horses, water buffaloes, and chickens. (22)
When Indian shepherds let sheep graze continuously on Bt cotton plants after harvest, within five to seven days, one out of four sheep died. Thousands died in one region alone. Post mortems showed severe irritation and black patches in the intestines and livers. Investigators said preliminary evidence strongly suggests that the sheep mortality was due to a toxin. . . . most probably Bt-toxin. (23) In one small follow-up study, all six sheep that were fed Bt cotton plants died within 30 days, while the control sheep raised on natural cotton plants remained healthy. Buffalo that grazed on Bt cotton plants or cottonseed cakes also died or were stricken with reproductive and other problems.

Hazards of Genetically Engineered Foods and Crops.

In 1999, front-page stories in the British press revealed Rowett Institute scientist Dr. Arpad Pusztai's explosive research findings that GE potatoes are poisonous to mammals. These potatoes were spliced with DNA from the snowdrop plant and a commonly used viral promoter, the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus (CaMv). GE snowdrop potatoes were found to be significantly different in chemical composition from regular potatoes, and when fed to lab rats, damaged their vital organs and immune systems. The damage to the rats' stomach linings apparently was a severe viral infection caused by the CaMv viral promoter apparently giving the rats a severe viral infection. Most alarming of all, the CaMv viral promoter is spliced into nearly all GE foods and crops.

Dr. Pusztai's path breaking research work unfortunately remains incomplete. Government funding was cut off and he was fired after he spoke to the media. More and more scientists around the world are warning that genetic manipulation can increase the levels of natural plant toxins or allergens in foods (or create entirely new toxins) in unexpected ways by switching on genes that produce poisons. Since regulatory agencies do not currently require the kind of thorough chemical and feeding tests that Dr. Pusztai was conducting, consumers have now become involuntary guinea pigs in a vast genetic experiment. Dr. Pusztai warns, "Think of William Tell shooting an arrow at a target. Now put a blind-fold on the man doing the shooting and that's the reality of the genetic engineer doing a gene insertion". Increased Cancer Risks
In 1994, the FDA approved the sale of Monsanto's controversial rBGH. This GE hormone is injected into dairy cows to force them to produce more milk. Scientists have warned that significantly higher levels (400-500% or more) of a potent chemical hormone, Insulin-Like Growth Factor (IGF-1), in the milk and dairy products of rBGH injected cows, could pose serious hazards such as human breast, prostate, and colon cancer. A number of studies have shown that humans with elevated levels of IGF-1 in their bodies are much more likely to get cancer. The US Congressional watchdog agency, the GAO, told the FDA not to approve rBGH. They argued that injecting the cows with rBGH caused higher rates of udder infections requiring increased antibiotic treatment. The increased use of antibiotics poses an unacceptable risk for public health. In 1998, Monsanto/FDA documents that had previously been withheld, were released by government scientists in Canada showing damage to laboratory rats fed dosages of rBGH. Significant infiltration of rBGH into the prostate of the rats as well as thyroid cysts indicated potential cancer hazards from the drug. Subsequently, the government of Canada banned rBGH in early 1999. The European Union (EU) has had a ban in place since 1994. Although rBGH continues to be injected into 10% of all US dairy cows, no other industrialized country has legalized its use. The GATT Codex Alimentarius, a United Nations food standards body, has refused to certify that rBGH is safe.

Genetically Engineered Crops have Led to Massive Increases in Pesticide Use

NaturalNews) According to a recent report compiled from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) data, the growing of genetically engineered crops has led to a 383 million pound increase in U.S. pesticide use during the time period spanning from 1996 to 2008. The Organic Center (TOC), the Union for Concerned Scientists (UCS), and the Center for Food Safety (CFS) jointly released the report that illustrates the environmental hazards posed by the farming of GMO crops.

Since their initial unveiling, GMOs have been touted by the agricultural biotechnology industry as the discovery that will end world hunger and improve the environment. Nothing could be further from the truth. Among their many other negative consequences, "herbicide-tolerant" (HT) GMO crops have resulted in new herbicide-resistant weeds that are sprouting up in farmers' fields. When farmers respond by increasing pesticide use, ever-stronger "superweeds" continue to appear.

GMO seeds are significantly more expensive than natural seeds and have been continuing to climb in price over the years. Big AgriBio defends the higher costs by suggesting the farmer benefit from not having to use as much pesticide on GMO crops. The reality is that farmers are using much more pesticide in order to fight superweeds.

Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto's RoundUp herbicide, is no longer effective at treating the weeds that result from the planting of "RoundUp-ready" crops. Thus millions of acres of farmland are now plagued by superweeds that are destroying the environment, ruining crops, and ultimately ruining farmers' businesses.

All industry promises of increased yields, decreased pesticide use, and cures for world hunger have proven to be entirely bogus. Not one claim made by the biotechnology industry concerning the benefits of GMOs has proven true. Independent scientific reports continue to show that industry assertions in favor of GMOs are patently false.

Pesticide residue in foods that contain GMO ingredients is also significant. Such pesticides are linked to reproductive abnormalities, neurological disorders, birth defects, and other bodily harm. GMOs themselves are also implicated in a host of bodily disorders including digestive problems and the perpetuation of GMO fragments in the body. No long-term studies have ever verified the safety of GMOs and most independent research proves them to be dangerous in a number of different ways.

Americans must step up and demand mandatory labeling of products that contain GMO ingredients. If more people realized the extent to which GMOs have contaminated the food supply, the demand for GMO-free foods would greatly increase. Growers, producers, and retailers would surely take notice and the market would correct the problem by providing wholesome, organic options that are free of toxic GMO contaminants. Transparency in labeling would do much to curb the use of GMOs.

There's lots more. Just let me know how much you feel like reading.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Or, you could just watch "Food, Inc"

 

[Miss Critter]

Or, you could just watch "Food, Inc"

Bazinga!!