Herbicide: Roundup Birth Defects

[lakhota]

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

WASHINGTON -- Industry regulators have known for years that Roundup, the world's best-selling herbicide produced by U.S. company Monsanto, causes birth defects, according to a new report released Tuesday.

The report, "Roundup and birth defects: Is the public being kept in the dark?" found regulators knew as long ago as 1980 that glyphosate, the chemical on which Roundup is based, can cause birth defects in laboratory animals.

But despite such warnings, and although the European Commission has known that glyphosate causes malformations since at least 2002, the information was not made public.

Instead regulators misled the public about glyphosate's safety, according to the report, and as recently as last year, the German Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety, the German government body dealing with the glyphosate review, told the European Commission that there was no evidence glyphosate causes birth defects.

The report comes months after researchers found that genetically-modified crops used in conjunction Roundup contain a pathogen that may cause animal miscarriages. After observing the newly discovered organism back in February, Don Huber, a emeritus professor at Purdue University, wrote an open letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack requesting a moratorium on deregulating crops genetically altered to be immune to Roundup, which are commonly called Roundup Ready crops.

In the letter, Huber also commented on the herbicide itself, saying: "It is well-documented that glyphosate promotes soil pathogens and is already implicated with the increase of more than 40 plant diseases; it dismantles plant defenses by chelating vital nutrients; and it reduces the bioavailability of nutrients in feed, which in turn can cause animal disorders."

Although glyphosate was originally due to be reviewed in 2012, the Commission decided late last year not to bring the review forward, instead delaying it until 2015. The chemical will not be reviewed under more stringent, up-to-date standards until 2030.

"Our examination of the evidence leads us to the conclusion that the current approval of glyphosate and Roundup is deeply flawed and unreliable," wrote the report authors in their conclusion. "What is more, we have learned from experts familiar with pesticide assessments and approvals that the case of glyphosate is not unusual.

"They say that the approvals of numerous pesticides rest on data and risk assessments that are just as scientifically flawed, if not more so," the authors added. "This is all the more reason why the Commission must urgently review glyphosate and other pesticides according to the most rigorous and up-to-date standards."

www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/07/roundup-birth-defects-herbicide-regulators_n_872862.html

REPORT: www.scribd.com/doc/57277946/RoundupandBirthDefectsv5

[Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ]

Thanks for posting this Lak, I use this product at my shore place for weed control.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

I used this product by the tankfull when I had the landscape materials business. Major component of the installation. I'm not 'unconcerned' about these things, but it seems as though this may be more of a "safe use" issue than a "ban the product" issue. Does it not seem to you that if pregnant women avoid exposure to the product, that may solve the issue entirely?

[handyman2]

I read somewhere that Russian scientists had discovered third generation problems with lab animals being fed GMO produced foods. The article also said that some European countries are considering a ban on GMO crops.

[reasonfreedom]

There have been multiple researches done with children from 5 to 10 eating organic compared to conventional food(5 year research). All of the ones that I have found show that the children that eat your conventional fruits/vegetables have a certain level of pesticides/herbicides in their blood. This will cause issues with your liver/kidneys having to work harder to filter the toxins out, on top of that I am sure your arteries are taking some damage. Just think about it, take out some pesticide or herbicide and take a shot a day what do you think will happen to you?

[reasonfreedom]

Jun 8, 2011 8:49:56 GMT -5 handyman2 said:

I read somewhere that Russian scientists had discovered third generation problems with lab animals being fed GMO produced foods. The article also said that some European countries are considering a ban on GMO crops.

I thought some European countries have this. I think Switzerland does, if I remember correctly they won't even allow GMO goods to be transported in the air over the country.

[Bluerobin]

Drats! Now I have to go out and buy copious amounts of Round Up to go with the other stuff they have taken off the market: Chlordane, malathion, Diazanine, etc. Wish I hadn't run out of DDT! What's a home polluter to do?
If it ain't risky, it ain't fun to use.

[fairlycrazy23]

What good are regulators if they mislead the public, this is hardly an endorsement for more government regulations.

But many times it is true that a product (DDT) can cause problems but its benefit may exceed it problems, and in the case of DDT specifically, its bane has caused millions of unneeded deaths.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

Jun 8, 2011 9:06:45 GMT -5 reasonfreedom said:

There have been multiple researches done with children from 5 to 10 eating organic compared to conventional food(5 year research). All of the ones that I have found show that the children that eat your conventional fruits/vegetables have a certain level of pesticides/herbicides in their blood. This will cause issues with your liver/kidneys having to work harder to filter the toxins out, on top of that I am sure your arteries are taking some damage. Just think about it, take out some pesticide or herbicide and take a shot a day what do you think will happen to you?

When Rachael Carson wrote her fraud "Silent Spring" about the use of DDT, a man went around giving seminars trying to expose her lies (that have resulted in the deaths of between 500,000 and 2,000,000 people a year from malaria-- mostly in Africa, and mostly children) and he would mix a glass of DDT and drink it. He's still alive and well.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

Your liver and kidneys are DESIGNED to be your body's main filter. And life expectancy AND quality of life have all improved in industrialized countries where we take the most advantage of technology. Eat right, excercise, die anyway. We can't live forever. Your body may not like DDT, but most people's bodies like malaria even less. If we keep going down the track we're on with being afraid of science, and scientific advances because of the rise of this neo-pagan Earth worshipping "green" nonsense-- we're going to live the lives of most of the animal kingdom: short, and brutal.

[reasonfreedom]

Jun 8, 2011 9:36:01 GMT -5 AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP said:

Jun 8, 2011 9:06:45 GMT -5 reasonfreedom said:

There have been multiple researches done with children from 5 to 10 eating organic compared to conventional food(5 year research). All of the ones that I have found show that the children that eat your conventional fruits/vegetables have a certain level of pesticides/herbicides in their blood. This will cause issues with your liver/kidneys having to work harder to filter the toxins out, on top of that I am sure your arteries are taking some damage. Just think about it, take out some pesticide or herbicide and take a shot a day what do you think will happen to you?

When Rachael Carson wrote her fraud "Silent Spring" about the use of DDT, a man went around giving seminars trying to expose her lies (that have resulted in the deaths of between 500,000 and 2,000,000 people a year from malaria-- mostly in Africa, and mostly children) and he would mix a glass of DDT and drink it. He's still alive and well.

You have the man's name? I think the herbicides and pesticides in themselves are manageable as long as you do everything else healthy. Now eating refined sugars and processed food along with it just compounds it. I am living proof of that, I started a mostly organic diet and after 2 years I don't get aches/pains/sick/or any other medical conditions(heartburn, bad sleep, snoring, allergies all gone). I would really like have seen the guy mix a glass of DDT and drink it and do it multiple times, I would like it even better to see a person from the crowd do it for him.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

rf- you're what's known as an anecdote. There's not only no science to support that so-called 'organic' food is better for you, there's actually a lengthly study that shows there's NO difference. It doesn't matter- well, except to your budget.

Like I said, I'm not unconcerned about these things. I have no desire to die early, or see my children suffer needlessly-- but I believe that for the most part, and the science bears this out, the risks are far outweighed by the benefits of the use of many chemicals.

You may actually be doing better simply because you cut out a diet too high in sugar, period. I know that was a turning point-- if not in my actual health, my sense of well-being. I just feel better eating better. I have MORE energy, not less; I work out more, weigh less, and I'm stronger and have more endurance.

[reasonfreedom]

Jun 8, 2011 9:39:15 GMT -5 AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP said:

Your liver and kidneys are DESIGNED to be your body's main filter. And life expectancy AND quality of life have all improved in industrialized countries where we take the most advantage of technology. Eat right, excercise, die anyway. We can't live forever. Your body may not like DDT, but most people's bodies like malaria even less. If we keep going down the track we're on with being afraid of science, and scientific advances because of the rise of this neo-pagan Earth worshipping "green" nonsense-- we're going to live the lives of most of the animal kingdom: short, and brutal.

So your not afraid of Nuclear bombs(technology) or any other drugs that have statistically killed multiple people before the FDA finally pulled it off the shelf? The amount of FDA employees has had a significant drop and you think they will catch more with less people, on top of whomever is corrupt within the FDA. There are multiple pain pills that cause liver damage, even with the proper dosage.

"And life expectancy AND quality of life have all improved in industrialized countries where we take the most advantage of technology."

I would like to see the statistics on that. I can disprove it with just one statistic, from 2005 to 2007 alone the frequency of diabetes has increased over 13.5 percent and it kept increasing from there. Looks like quality of life is improving if you ask me.

I am in the IT field so my life is based on technology, so I have nothing against technology. I just dislike the uncontrollable advancement, improper use and apathetic people that think technology is only a good thing.

[reasonfreedom]

Jun 8, 2011 9:57:57 GMT -5 AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP said:

rf- you're what's known as an anecdote. There's not only no science to support that so-called 'organic' food is better for you, there's actually a lengthly study that shows there's NO difference. It doesn't matter- well, except to your budget.

Like I said, I'm not unconcerned about these things. I have no desire to die early, or see my children suffer needlessly-- but I believe that for the most part, and the science bears this out, the risks are far outweighed by the benefits of the use of many chemicals.

You may actually be doing better simply because you cut out a diet too high in sugar, period. I know that was a turning point-- if not in my actual health, my sense of well-being. I just feel better eating better. I have MORE energy, not less; I work out more, weigh less, and I'm stronger and have more endurance.

Depends on which studies you read, their are also multiple lengthy studies that show organic food is much better for you. I still eat plenty of sugars, so I am sure that is not it. The use of chemicals actually doesn't benefit your health at all(not sure what articles you are reading), all they do is help production or keep pest and diseases away. If the bugs don't eat the plants that must mean that it has to be alright for humans, common sense to me.

[Mad Dawg Wiccan]

Bear in mind that DDT was not banned for being harmful to humans. It was banned because a highly suspect study claimed it was making bird eggshells so thin that they were breaking when sat upon by the mother bird.

[henryclay]

Roundup . . . . I know it's a popular name, and I use it every spring, , , , when we have any rain, that is , , , but wonder if the handle "Agent Orange" got hung on it to avoid embarrassing the manufacturer. Agent Orange is the stuff our Viet Nam veterans, and God only knows how many Vietnamsese, are dying from. They sprayed that stuff out of airplanes all over Viet Nam like there was no tomorrow. It didn't matter who was under the airplanes or how long they'd be there. It was like raining milkshake.

The government's "regulators" denied it was ever a health risk for about 30 years, too.