Saturday, May 26, 2012

Chemical Warfare: Bees and Babies are the Canaries in the Coal Mine?


A Last (Chemical) Gasp for Bees?By Shannan Stoll, YES! Magazine 27 May 12
http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/making-it-home/bee-decline-blamed-on-pesticides

[Excerpted] "Colony collapse disorder threatens food crops valued at $15 billion a year. New research says farm chemicals put our food system at risk....

...Monsanto’s "Roundup Ready" soy and corn, which are genetically modified to tolerate the active ingredient in Roundup, are associated with the creation of "super weeds." The widespread use of these crops has led farmers to vastly increased use of the herbicide, leading to the development of resistant weeds.

The agriculture industry has responded to Roundup’s failure by developing new crop varieties resistant to another pesticide/herbicide, 2,4-D. An ingredient of Agent Orange, 2,4-D is linked to birth defects, hormone disruption, and cancer. Last December, Dow AgroSciences LLC asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to approve the new varieties for cultivation.

In response, the Pesticide Action Network, Union of Concerned Scientists, Center for Food Safety, and Food and Water Watch are gathering public comments for a petition to the USDA against Dow AgroSciences’ request...."


[end excerpt]


Majia here: Chemical warfare against weeds and insects is being WON by the weeds and insects as both develop resistance.

Unfortunately, some species are less able to adapt to the chemical contaminants and face extinction.

Bees are one of those species.

I have posted quite often on the plight of bees and the propaganda war that was waged by the chemical industry aimed at obscuring chemicals' role in that collapse.
http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/epa-allows-bee-massacre.html

The truth is now emerging that pesticides are responsible for bee colony collapse, but is it too late for the bees?

The same question can be asked about humans. We are also very susceptible to chemical warfare.

Here is a report authored by extremely well credential scholars who feel that the public has been misinformed about the risks of Round-Up. The report addresses malformations in animal embryos caused by much lower doses than used to spray crops.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/57277946/RoundupandBirthDefectsv5

Additionally, here is a study demonstrating round-up is toxic for human placental cells.
Richard, S., Moslemi, S., Sipahutar, H., Benachour, N. Seralini, G. (2005). Environmental Health Perspectives
http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info:doi/10.1289/ehp.7728

Now it seems that the chemical warfare is being escalated in response to super-weeds and super-insects.

An ingredient of Agent Orange is the new weapon in the chemical arms race.

The same plot unfolds. The chemical will be approved, applied and cause countless health problems before it is "proven" to be dangerous. At that point, another dangerous chemical will be approved.

How much damage to the human species will have to occur before we discover that chemical warfare is not the answer to age old agricultural problems?

(this is not to say that chemicals have no role, but the use of toxic chemicals as a main line defense is true insanity)

Relevant Links

Wik-Bee Leaks: EPA Document Shows It Knowingly Allowed Pesticide That Kills Honey Bees
BY Ariel SchwartzFri Dec 10, 2010
http://www.fastcompany.com/1708896/wiki-bee-leaks-epa-document-reveals-agency-knowingly-allowed-use-of-bee-toxic-pesticide

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