Any moves to tighten the controls on the liberal use of carcinogenic herbicides/pesticides, especially in public places, is a good move, and labeling products as potentially carcinogenic is definitely a move in the right direction.
“Monsanto may be in for a big surprise, courtesy of the EPA California state. The EPA’s environmental health hazard assessment office out of California has announced a move to label the primary ingredient in Monsanto’s best-selling herbicide ‘Roundup’ (and four others) as “known to cause cancer….
“The EPA’s office of environmental health hazard assessment in California wants to label four chemicals, including the most popular herbicide and key ingredient of Monsanto’s Roundrup, glyphosate, as “known to cause cancer,” following the most recent WHO cancer research division’s report.”
It is well documented what GMOs do to the human body (see videos in this article) let alone the animals. (Liver disease is one effect). However, here we see how Monsanto (and WHO) manage to hoodwink the public by ensuring the testing period required is not long enough for any health effects to emerge … yet. As Prof Seralini discovered in his two year long research with lab rats. As to the animals, here in NZ our stock (who knows how much) is being fed GE feed. Two producers I’ve contacted here in NZ who are particularly more humane in their animal treatment couldn’t rule out some of the cheaper feed they acquire (making their businesses economically viable) ‘may’ contain GMOs given they are soy products. So … if they admit they possibly are feeding their stock GE food, then what of the larger factory farmed livestock where cost cutting is a primary objective? You can bet your bottom dollar they will be munching on GE feed. The Green Party has drawn this to the public’s attention numerous times.
“The WHO could have picked any arbitrary number of months to ensure that GMOs were safe, and make sure that the public wasn’t dining on food that would cause serious damage to their intestines, their livers, their reproductive organs, and their brains. But I suppose just THREE months will do just fine when experimenting with the global food supply and global population.”
This is good news from Scotland on the GM crop topic. Increasingly, countries are waking up to the dangers of GMOs and making moves to protect the public.
Livestock fed GM feed suffer liver damage … watch Jeffrey Smith’s interviews on the topic of health & GMOs. Very revealing.
Here is one:
Jeffrey Smith: GMO Health Conditions Already Known
“Growing genetically modified (GM) crops will not be permitted in Scotland, Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead has announced as he moved to protect Scotland’s clean, green status.
The Scottish Government will shortly submit a request that Scotland is excluded from any European consents for the cultivation of GM crops, including the variety of genetically modified maize already approved and six other GM crops that are awaiting authorisation.
The Cabinet Secretary said:
“Scotland is known around the world for our beautiful natural environment – and banning growing genetically modified crops will protect and further enhance our clean, green status….”read more
From the UK’s Guardian, more news on Roundup and glyphosate. Bear in mind glyphosate is in many other products as I recently confirmed. Most of the home garden sprays in our local supermarket, popular brands too, contained glyphosate. So important to read labels and fine print.
The Guardian…. “Monsanto is far from happy. The main ingredient of its highly profitable weedkiller, Roundup, often used in conjunction with GM crops, has been declared a “probable carcinogenic”.
As well as being profitable for Monsanto, glyphosate is one of the most widely adopted weedkillers in the world by gardeners and farmers alike. Use of it by UK farmers, for example, has soared by 400% in the last 20 years.
In response to the cancer warning, the US biotech company has been quick to accuse the body behind the new classification of bias. It says the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an arm of the World Health Organisation (WHO), lacks transparency and has made an irresponsible decision – one likely to cause confusion among farmers and the wider public…
Although campaigners in the UK have tried to focus attention on possible risks to human health from glyphosate residues found in bread, toxicologists suggest gardeners and farm workers are the ones most at risk.
“It is difficult to work out the magnitude of cancer risks of glyphosate, but based on the quantities people come into contact with, it can be expected that agricultural workers applying the pesticide are at much greater risk than consumers in Britain, who are exposed via residues in food…..
For those worried about their health, one organisation now allows you to pay $120 (£75) to have your urine, breast milk or tap water tested for glyphosate contamination. Far from scaremonging, toxicologist Dr Robin Mesnage from Kings College London says such testing could help…”
Are councils in bed with Agrichemical companies? Both the Auckland & Rangitikei District Council are favouring chemical weed control over non-chemical, in spite of the heightened health risks highlighted recently by WHO. They cite outdated & incorrect data to support this preference.
Some Aucklanders are currently objecting to a flip flop on their Council’s current weed management policies. A petition has been circulating (and is on FB also if you would like to sign it) calling (like the Rangitikei) for a ban on the use of glyphosate on Auckland’s streets and parks. Some parts of Auckland are chemical free in terms of weed management however not all, and council is doing a u turn on their current policy of minimal chemical use, indicating in their Ten Year Plan a preference for chemical control.
Public areas are sprayed without any warning before, during or after the fact
Auckland’s Weed Management Advisory (a Community-led organization that helped create the Council’s Weed Management Policy 2013 of minimum agrichemical use, which the Council seems intent on doing away with) are also calling for a BAN on Glyphosate and have put a leaked briefing document up on their website. You can read it here. This is the Long Term Plan featuring quotes for alternative methods of weed management as opposed to management with glyphosate, typically, Roundup. Georgina Blackmore, the petition organizer, states that the figures cited should be taken with a pinch of salt … in fact a very large amount of salt. They are using she says, old, inaccurate and misleading information. “Disingenuous” says Auckland councilor John Watson. The Weed Management Advisory has accused the Auckland Council of putting the public at risk. Read their press statement here.
This line is a very familiar tale. Our own Rangitikei District Council cited inaccurate figures when justifying their rejection of glyphosate-free weed management in our public spaces. We had tried to counter this outcome by citing Auckland contractors who are currently employing mechanical weed control methods. The latter stated emphatically that their costs were a marginal 10-15 percent more than Roundup, and expected soon to even match it. Similarly, with the current Auckland scenario cited here, other Auckland contractors are saying their costs are even less than glyphosate.
When the request for tighter parameters and controls around glyphosate spraying was originally put to the RDC, citing the extensive independent research available on the myriad health risks associated with Roundup use, an internal report was requested by RDC on alternative cost-effective weed-control methods. Councilor Lyn Sheridan asked why health effects were not investigated by RDC and the response by CEO Ross McNeill was, ‘…they weren’t asked for’. They are missing the point here.
We need to be asking, why are Councils so bent on, so adamant, about choosing chemical control, and with a chemical that has recently been re-classified by WHO as a Class 2A carcinogen? Claiming there is insufficient proof of health risks is myopic at best.
That statistic is extremely high and surely deserving of closer examination of the research into environmental causes and the elimination of the probable ones?
Walkways and adjacent herbage where both school children & general public regularly walk is sprayed heavily with Roundup/glyphosate
The thing about Roundup is (and you will hear this in the audio link below) we the public are given no warning in advance of spraying, no signs are put out when they are spraying (so people can walk on it before it’s dry without even knowing) it is sprayed on public walkways where school children walk with no prior warning and it is sometimes sprayed on windy days.
Read Georgina’s piece here on her recent findings and her interview on Radio with Auckland Councilor John Watson and Professor Ian Shaw from Canterbury University.
“In an interview I gave on bFM this week about our campaign to ban the use of Glyphosate on Auckland Roads and Parks, Councillor John Watson and expert of Toxicology Professor Ian Shaw both agreed that we need to be seriously looking at what alternatives we have to spraying Glyphosate…” Read at SOURCE: https://www.facebook.com/BanGlyphosate/posts/417049618496545
The news on Glyphosate is coming regularly since WHO classified it as a Class 2A carcinogen (it probably causes cancer). There was already enough evidence, in my opinion, to ban it anyway, however with the added weight of WHO’s conclusions (based on the previous research) surely it is only a matter of time before Glyphosate goes the same was as DDT and Agent Orange. You may not be aware but the same company responsible for the creation of Glyphosate is also responsible for the creation of those two products and Aspartame as well. Agent Orange was responsible for horrific birth defects still seen today in the Vietnamese population, a result of the US cleansing Vietnam of its defoliation during the Vietnam war. It was also responsible for a raft of health problems and birth defects experienced by our own Kiwi vets, a fact only recently acknowledged by our NZ government, to their shame I might add, given the war ended decades ago.
We in the Rangitikei are urging our council to desist from the use of Glyphosate in the public spaces of our towns. This at least will protect the public, especially our children, from unwitting exposure. These companies spray with no warning, and no signs out to say they are spraying. This is simply because Glyphosate has enjoyed a ‘harmless’ status for decades. The product data sheets however advise no contact with the sprayed foliage until dry, yet there is no way for us to know where they have sprayed. They also indicate the use of gloves and a mask (which nobody wears I note) and yet they don’t see fit to warn our children they are spraying.
This is the address of our Facebook page if you would like to keep up to speed with happenings in the Rangitikei to do with Glyphosate … or they are on the site as well:
The path our Marton school children take to school
HERE ARE LINKS TO SOME OF THE LATEST NEWS ON GLYPHOSATE:
Why The Netherlands Just Banned Monsanto’s Glyphosate-Based Herbicides
From naturalhealth365 … “The Netherlands has just become the latest country, following Russia, Mexico, and many others, to say no to Monsanto. The sale and use of glyphosate-based herbicides (the most commonly used herbicides in the world) has just been banned for non-commercial…”
New Research Fuels Roundup Weedkiller Toxicity Concerns
From Dr Mercola … “Last year, groundbreaking research was published suggesting that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s broad-spectrum herbicide Roundup, might be “a crucially important factor in the development of multiple chronic diseases and conditions…” This article includes an interview with Dr. Stephanie Seneff and Jeffrey Smith … a must watch with some facts that will horrify you about the meat industry and GE (glyphosate laden) feed.
I’m recommending here a useful NZ book on pesticides…
“Poisoning Our Future: Children and Pesticides” by Dr Meriel Watts PhD … “This book details the scientific evidence for the insidious effects of pesticides on children and calls on government institutions to adopt a more precautionary approach to better protect human health and the environment…”
Further info about this book can be found at the following website: http://www.pananz.net/publications-2/books/
You can also purchase a hard copy or a download at the website.
THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT THE MARTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
An excellent resource to familiarize yourself with how pesticides affect our kids. The pananz website has more info on glyphosate also. Dr Watts has been a long time campaigner in reducing toxic pesticide use in NZ.
It is phasing out the use of controversial pesticide glyphosate – the active ingredient in Round Up – and introducing natural ways to control weeds, even though regulators from the State Government and CSIRO do not require them to.
Parks manager Mark Presswell says council is concerned that research has shown glyphosate is a health hazard and harmful to the environment….”
Here is excellent news from Switzerland, joining the ranks of countries that are rejecting the probable carcinogen, glyphosate. This article is from Sustainable Pulse.
“Swiss supermarket giants Coop and Migros have announced that they will no longer sell products that contain glyphosate, following the World Health Organization’s report stating that glyphosate is a probable human carcinogen. They have also announced that they will be exploring non-toxic alternative weed-killers.”
Note: if you consider ‘probably causes cancer’ is not proof enough to stop using glyphosate, consider now the statistics of cancer deaths which are at one in three. That is very high. Is it not worth erring on the side of caution to try and cut down this awful death rate? Consider reading the book by Dr Samuel Epstein called ‘The Politics of Cancer’. This is very enlightening and will get you to consider more deeply the part environment plays in our protection.
Kissinger: “Control oil and you control nations; control food and you control the people.”
GE feed is already being fed to some of our farm animals … it is unlabeled as GE so farmers can give no guarantee it’s not
They’ve been doing it by increments for decades. Once they own all the seed companies, you will have no other option than buying their genetically modified seed which we already know is dangerous to health. GE feed is already fed to some of our NZ animals … so it is in our food… be aware and treasure your organic/heirloom seed like gold.
Some history here … in the late 1980s a bill was passed in NZ (now world-wide) called Plant Variety Rights (PVR) or Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR). This allowed companies to emasculate seeds, removing their ability to reproduce by removing the reproductive organs. This meant of course that you couldn’t save seed from the resultant plants and would be forced to return to the store and buy another packet of seeds next season. Now what good could transpire from such an arrangement except profits for the …. yes …. the corporation? Corporations are about profits not the well being of populations. They are not averse to suing poor farmers for saving seed, something they’ve done for thousands of years. How helpful is that for struggling farmers from struggling nations? Already in poorer nations the promise by Monsanto of greater yields with their emasculated seed (aka genetically modified) have fallen flat and these farmers find themselves in very great debt instead, many committing suicide.
Just ten companies own 67% of the world’s proprietary seed market, and of that, Monsanto owns 23% and DuPont 15%. Need I say more? Do take the time to research this topic for yourself. You can read the full article on Monsanto at permaculture.co.uk:
” … Monsanto is buying heirloom seed companies. They are also buying the trademarks to a number of heirloom seeds. This means that you may think you are supporting an heirloom seed company but in reality the company is owned by Monsanto… “
More on glyphosate … another nation bans it. Since its reclassification by WHO to a class 2A carcinogen, many countries are moving to protect the public:
“Sri Lanka’s newly elected President Maithripala Sirisena announced Friday that the import of the World’s most used herbicide glyphosate will be banned with immediate effect. The release of already imported stocks has also been stopped. Sirisena, a farmer and ex Health Minister, stated that glyphosate is responsible for the increasing number of chronic kidney disease (CKDu) patients in Sri Lanka and added that the move would protect the Sri Lankan farming community…”
From Natural Society … this article recapitulates the progress so far in terms of recent mounting evidence:
“It’s not just the WHO that has raised the alarm over Monsanto’s Roundup and its devastating effects on human and environmental health. Instead, the WHO announcement was simply the most widely reported on Roundup study that we have seen. Sadly, it’s not even the most concerning.
It was back in September of 2014 that the International Journal of Toxicology published a much more alarming piece on the dangers of Roundup entitled “Glyphosate Commercial Formulation Causes Cytotoxicity, Oxidative Effects, and Apoptosis on Human Cells: Differences With its Active Ingredient.” As you can gather from its name, the study highlighted the multitude of ways in which glyphosate is wreaking havoc on human cells…”
For Kiwis, remember, New Zealand is an avid user of Roundup and glyphosate. It is recommended in our Tertiary Agricultural textbooks, and touted as being completely harmless. Therefore it is sprayed liberally onto pastures and eaten by the stock headed for the market and our consumption. Hence it is found now in human urine, blood and breast milk. It is used by the keepers of our roads and public spaces in towns, by large contractors as well as small.
Educate yourself, read the data and spread the word. There are currently two petitions circulating in NZ, one for Auckland and one for the Rangitikei. I note that one may be coming for all of NZ, the better option really as it is at government level it needs addressing. Councils continue to repeat that glyphosate is government approved. In the meantime however, please consider signing the petitions and stop the ongoing poisoning of our future.
Germany’s state consumer protection ministers are calling for an EU-wide ban on the leading global pesticide Glyphosate, after it was categorized as carcinogenic by the WHO. However, the federal government sees no need for action. EurActiv Germany reports.
Major oat buyer says no to glyphosate: no more shipments of crops sprayed pre-harvest with deadly herbicide
(NaturalNews) One of Canada’s leading manufacturers of conventional and organic whole grain ingredients used in cereals, breads, bars and many other products served around the world has decided to stop accepting oats sprayed with Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide (glyphosate) prior to harvest, noting consumer preference as a major contributing factor to this decision.
Currently in the Rangitikei, as in many other places, Roundup is the herbicide of choice for cleaning up weeds. Recently however, the World Health Organization (WHO) has taken recognition of the decades of independent research that warns of its health risk. WHO is warning people of the fact that it probably causes cancer. Check out the Glyphosate page on this site for further information on that.
Roundup, the herbicide of choice that contains glyphosate and is toxic to our bees
Personally I approached the Rangitikei District Council (RDC) twelve months ago to warn them of these dangers and make known to them the vast amount of research that exists linking it with not only cancer but many other illnesses including birth defects. Now, add to this another damning factor … its toxicity to bees. Bees are essential for pollinating our plants. As the poster above conveys,experts confirm that if the bees die off, we humans could well follow. Our toxic environments are destroying the very organisms that ensure the continuation of life on planet earth.
That said, the RDC is not convinced by either the extensive research or any announcements by WHO. Currently in fact, going by the last time I heard them discuss this (March 2015) they are of the opinion that I am the only person in the Rangitikei who is concerned about this. We now have a petition that indicates there are in fact another 97 who are. Good news. If you are connected with the Rangitikei, spend any time visiting, live here or intend to, please consider signing the petition.
Watch for further updates and information on the role of bees in our food chain.
More news on the glyphosate front as more and more people wake up to the toxicity of glyphosate based herbicides. May the trend continue until it is hopefully banned altogether.
“Colombia will suspend aerial fumigation of illegal coca plants in light of a number of studies linking the herbicide involved to cancer, a move that marks the end of a decades-long strategy in the country’s fight against drug trafficking.
Spraying coca leaves, which are used to make cocaine, has been a key part of Colombia’s efforts to curb production of some 300 tonnes of cocaine a year that make it one of the world’s biggest producers of the drug…”
This is from the Feed the World website and via GM Watch, by Claire Robinson.
“The International Society of Doctors for the Environment (ISDE) has written to officials of the EU Parliament and Commission asking for an immediate ban on glyphosate herbicides and four insecticides judged by the World Health Organisation’s cancer agency, IARC, to be probable carcinogens.
The letter states that glyphosate herbicides are associated with health problems such as birth defects, infertility, damage to the nervous system, Parkinson’s disease and several forms of cancer.
The letter adds, “for safeguarding the health of European populations, ISDE states that the rational basis is already strong enough” to justify an immediate and permanent ban…”
From the NaturalNews website … more damning information on glyphosate. The stream of articles on this product is constant. Bear in mind, scientists have been raising this alarm for years, spending a great deal of time researching this supposedly safe herbicide ingredient, their warnings falling largely on deaf ears. WHO’s recent public recognition and acknowledgement of its toxicity is now opening a floodgate of reaction world wide.
“(NaturalNews) Key data outlining the toxicity of glyphosate (Roundup) was recently uncovered, revealing that Monsanto knew about the cancer-causing effects of its best-selling herbicide more than 35 years ago, as did the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and yet neither entity chose to make this information known in the interest of public health. Both Monsanto and the EPA knew full well, at least as early as 1981, that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup herbicide causes cancer in mammals….”
Bermuda has joined the ranks of countries banning this ‘probable carcinogen’. WHO’s reclassification of glyphosate to Class 2A is creating a knock on effect around the world. Nations are re thinking the risk involved.
“Effective immediately, all importers of glyphosate/Roundup will be notified that the approval for all glyphosate products has been suspended, pending the continuing assessment of the emerging research.” – Jeanne Atherden, Bermuda Minister of Health
Bermuda’s farmers are also backing the Government’s decision stating it “would not have a significant effect on Bermudian agriculture as alternatives can easily be used.”
Here’s good news. With the topic now heating up since WHO’s recent announcement that glyphosate ‘probably causes cancer’, this is another good decision for the public.
If you haven’t already signed our petition to ban the use of glyphosate in the Rangitikei’s urban public places, please go to the petition page and consider signing.
” ‘As a responsible company, it is important to regularly review our entire range and seek to protect the environment and nature with alternative and more sustainable options. Toom Baumarkt is constantly and consistently developing a more sustainable portfolio of products,” explains Dominique Rotondi, General Purchasing Manager for toom Baumarkt….’
The 350 ‘toom Baumarkt DIY’ stores belonging to the REWE Group will carry no glyphosate-containing products later than September 30, 2015. From Monday such products cannot be re-ordered for the stores. By the end of 2013 toom Baumarkt had begun to switch the range and had removed about 60 percent of glyphosate-containing products from sale. Toom Baumarkt offers its customers alternative environmentally acceptable products. Thus toom Baumarkt was well ahead of the upcoming decision on the extension of the EU approval for glyphosate.”
Test results have revealed that herbicide-tolerant swedes planted as stock feed have unnaturally high levels of toxins that cause liver damage in livestock.
The test results have raised questions as to why farmers have been allowed to plant the crop again this season.
Documents obtained by Radio New Zealand show the Southland Swedes Working Group was told in October there was a problem with the herbicide-tolerant swedes….”
More damning evidence about glyphosate from the Natural News site.
“A class action lawsuit, (Case No: BC 578 942) was filed in Los Angeles County California and alleges that Monsanto is guilty of using false advertisement when they say the herbicide is harmless to humans….The lawsuit points out that glyphosate targets the EPSP synthase enzyme, which is found in human and animal intestines. If this enzyme is being wiped out over time, then humans and animals lose their ability to fight off disease. If the CDC is so concerned about the herd immunity of the human race, then why aren’t they taking a stand to stop the mass application of glyphosate?…”Because it kills off our gut bacteria, glyphosate is linked to stomach and bowel problems, indigestion, ulcers, colitis, gluten intolerance, sleeplessness, lethargy, depression, Crohn’s Disease, Celiac Disease, allergies, obesity, diabetes, infertility, liver disease, renal failure, autism, Alzheimer’s, endocrine disruption, and the W.H.O. recently announced glyphosate is ‘probably carcinogenic’.”
It was announced recently, that WHO has concluded that glyphosate ‘probably causes cancer’ …. they have classed it 2A. It is surely well past the time for NZ authorities to reconsider its approval of this widely used herbicide. There comes a point we have to consider prevention and not closing the gate when the horse has already bolted. The damage is already done given this product is now found widely in blood, urine and breast milk, and cancer statistics are one in three. People need to read this research, study it carefully and take action. France’s highest court ruled around six years ago that the product is carcinogenic following the research of Professor Seralini. If you are from the Rangitikei, live in the Rangitikei or have connections with the region, please sign our petition at this link: https://www.toko.org.nz/petitions/ban-the-use-of-carcinogenic-chemical-in-rangitikei-towns-public-places-now-7
“In March, 2015, 17 experts from 11 countries met at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC; Lyon, France) to assess the carcinogenicity of the organophosphate pesticides tetrachlorvinphos, parathion, malathion, diazinon, and glyphosate (table)…”
If you follow the link, to download the pdf file you’re required to register (it’s free).
Following on from the RDC meeting in late March 2015 where the topic of eliminating the spraying of glyphosate in urban Rangitikei’s public places was discussed following a report by Council into cost effective alternatives. If you missed the previous parts, follow the links to Part 1 and Part 2 before continuing here.
The Cost Effective Alternative
Returning to the Council discussion that day, Cr Ash raised the issue regarding cost effective alternatives to spraying Glyphosate. As outlined there, the alternatives were explored in the Council report however some of the detail was incorrect. It was claimed hot water treatment is fifteen times more expensive than chemical spraying. In fact, a company in Auckland, whose contact details I had supplied prior to the completion of the report, was prepared to present information to Council on their system that can operate at the small margin of 10-15% more than chemical spraying. That price, says the company director, is set to drop even further by the end of 2015 to be on a par with that of chemical spraying. This option however was never pursued and by all appearances isn’t going to be. According to the recent Rangitikei Mail article, Mayor Andy Watson, who was not available for comment, “endorsed the council’s position based on the commissioned report”. The RDC will only be establishing a no-spray register where those who wish to opt out can, and they take responsibility themselves for keeping that area weed free. A no-spray register is standard practice in many cities. If you wish to avoid any other exposure to public spraying activity, basically you can’t, and I’ve seen folk spraying in fairly high wind around here. I’ve also observed children walking on the regularly used track that they take to school … within minutes of being sprayed. The label on Roundup packaging warns about spraying on calm days and waiting for the product to dry before touching what is sprayed. My initial presentation had also included a request for warning the public of imminent spraying and/or the placing out of signs saying spraying is in progress. Nobody has been agreeable to this either. Neither the contractors nor RDC.
The Market
One of the bonuses we’ve been told about market competition is that prices will be driven down. In this respect I’ve suggested in previous discussions with those concerned here that surely the Council need only seek quotes for chemical free treatment from several competing contractors then secure the most favourable price. During my own research a contractor in one city who applies a salt solution to hardstand areas, said they were simply told to submit a quote for chemical free treatment. For some reason that remains unclear to me, the RDC prefers to lean favourably towards helping the current contractor, Fulton Hogan, to continue the status quo, and are not willing to introduce any competition. Surely this would benefit the rate payers. It is possible a local contractor may go even lower than the current one. The Auckland company is willing to look at working with and training a suitable contractor to establish its system of hot water and foam here in Marton.
In Summary
The important matter for me in all this, is health. There is a very long list of health issues with glyphosate and research clearly states it is a ‘probable carcinogen’. Class 2A. I’m left wondering, are people really interested in figuring out what causes cancer?
Bear in mind also, this product is sprayed all over pastures so it has to be in much of our food. It has been found in blood, urine and even breast milk. As I pointed out in my presentation, the cancer stats are now ONE in THREE. So one third of your friends / acquaintances / family will statistically be affected by this terrible
The Seralini Rats
plague, and plague it is. I personally can name three brushes with it in my close family. In one branch of my extended family, three deaths from it. In another, two. Among friends, two deaths. These stats are very high. Common sense should be telling us to err on the side of caution and when an organization like WHO is sounding warnings, why are we not listening? Or should I say, why are they not listening?
So, in summary, should you be interested in curbing the spraying of chemicals in your vicinity, be prepared for possible unpleasantness and vilification. Not for the faint hearted. I have received similar from the contractors themselves, one, when I asked him not to spray near my flat, walked right by me spraying within inches of my feet. The company has now agreed to a compromise and they are weed whacking again. I am spraying a non toxic spray under the trees, at their request and at my own expense.
For further information on glyphosate visit the glyphosate page on this site. You will find direct links to the extensive research near the bottom of the page. (You can view the actual research reports by the researchers themselves). There is also the very defining video by Professor Seralini illustrating his research conducted for two years on lab rats, after which France’s highest Court ruled Monsanto had deceived the public about the safety of their product.
Following on from the RDC meeting in late March 2015 where the topic of eliminating the spraying of glyphosate in urban Rangitikei’s public places was discussed following a report by Council into cost effective alternatives. If you missed part 1, read it HERE first.
The Outcome
Fast forward to the day of the meeting in March when the outcome was given. Council read out their report, embedded in the Order Paper [on page 26, Council Agenda 26 March 2015 electronic version.compressed (1)] which states, briefly, that a no spray register will be established so that those who wish to opt out can, and any areas thus opted out of will be kept weed free by that person. There was then some discussion around the issue and other possible options put forward. Cr Sheridan suggested that the no spray areas could be sprayed by the current contractor using a non chemical spray. Mayor, Andy Watson however, foresaw difficulties price-wise with that, potentially incurring more expense for ratepayers, so the idea was dropped. Cr Sheridan asked why the report had not addressed the initial health issues raised at the forum in November. CEO Ross McNeill responded that he had only been directed to research what alternative options other Councils used … not the health issues. More discussion ensued and Cr Ash tried to point out the recent findings by WHO and Canterbury University regarding health risks. She was promptly reminded that this was question time, not discussion time. Seconds later (still question time) another Cr expounded on the safety of glyphosate with nods of agreement all around.
So you will see here, the way Council operates, there is no room for discussion or dialogue, except by Council of course, amongst themselves, whilst you sit and listen only. There is no opportunity to correct any misconceptions, or to raise any other issues. Your five (rather four) minutes … is it. There ends your input.
Would it not have been pertinent to research the health issues which, after all, were the point of the whole exercise? It seems the RDC takes the three monkeys approach (if we don’t look at, hear or speak about the research then we won’t need to be concerned … even if it is by Doctors and Professors). By virtue of one very specific Mayoral direction here, the whole health issue is effectively sidelined. I feel this is a very lop sided way of interacting with the community … the very people who elect these representatives. You may or may not agree.
Two Other Questions Raised by Councillors
I should add here, in the mix of the discussion, two other questions were raised by other Crs. One was the cost of preparing the report, specifically … how many hours did it take [waste] in preparation? A very pointed question to which of course I was unable to respond in any way.
So here, a person is vilified for daring to raise health concerns for the public, health concerns the public are unaware of because, as has been established by France’s highest Court, the manufacturer has lied about its safety. Everybody believes it is safe.
It clearly isn’t.The other question was, ‘who else was concerned about this issue or was it just one person?’ [that would be me presumably].I was unable of course to respond to that either … had I been able to I could have said there were, as far as I knew, at least ten other persons anyway. Quite likely more but we shall see.
An UPDATE here: There are currently, as at 16 July 2015, 111 others who are concerned. If you happen to be concerned also, please sign the petition HERE. You could also ‘like’ our glyphosate FACEBOOK PAGE and stay informed with regular updates on this issue.
TO: THE RANGITIKEI DISTRICT MAYOR ANDY WATSON, AND CEO ROSS MCNEILL
We are calling on the Rangitikei District Mayor Andy Watson, and CEO Ross McNeill, to protect the public’s health by banning the use of the carcinogen glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, within the Rangitikei town limits. We want to see the Community housing grounds and parking areas, street verges, berms and roadsides, public parks and walkways designated chemical free zones.
Why is this important?
Recently glyphosate was classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a Class 2A carcinogen, meaning, it probably causes cancer.
In 2009 French Professor Séralini’s two year study on glyphosate found it produced large cancerous tumours in rats. Because its effects are cumulative and not immediate (that is they only show up over a long period of time) people generally think it is safe. Dr. Don Huber, an award-winning, international scientist, microbiologist and professor emeritus of plant pathology at Purdue University (US) who has 55+ years experience in research and expertise in the area of plant pathology, says that contrary to the common claim of safety, a large volume of peer-reviewed scientific information clearly demonstrates that Roundup herbicide is chronically toxic to human and animal tissues and leads to cancer, premature death, kidney and liver failure, blood disorders and a host of other diseases.
Glyphosate is many times more toxic than DDT, and there’s also a correlation between Glyphosate use & bee die off.
With our cancer statistics at one in three now and climbing, it is important we protect the public, particularly children, from exposure to this chemical. It is a product most Council contractors use in keeping both urban and rural public areas weed free. There are some Councils however that now use chemical free alternatives, one in particular is hot water and foam. Some of us have already requested of Rangitikei District Council that they consider a chemical free alternative, however they’ve declined, based on their own report that failed to look at the proven cost effectiveness of hot water and foam treatment which is almost equal in cost to chemical spraying.
Our environment has long been subject to frequent spraying of this toxic chemical and France’s highest Court ruled in 2009 that it is not biodegradable as advertised. It has now also been found present in human blood, urine and breast milk. With WHO’s damning conclusions we need to be taking responsibility for protecting our health and making our beautiful district healthy and environmentally friendly for all. The public spraying of this carcinogenic chemical is a violation of our human rights.
Help us make public areas in our Rangitikei towns both glyphosate and chemical free now.
A Marton resident says she is disappointed with the council’s decision to continue using a chemical-based herbicide for weed control.
Pam Vernon claims the council has side-stepped health concerns about the main active ingredient of Roundup – glyphosate – and instead focused on cost.
The Rangitikei District Council voted on March 26 to maintain existing methods of weed control and to formally establish no-spray lists. Residents choosing to be on the no-spray list would be responsible for the upkeep of the land. The council contracts the spraying of urban areas to Fulton Hogan.
The council requested a report on alternative methods to chemical spraying for weeds after Vernon raised her concerns around the safety of current methods in a presentation at the end of last year.
Non-chemical sprays, pastes, gas burning and hot water treatment were investigated in the report as alternative options for the treatment of weeds. The council report indicated that cost was a prohibitive factor to many alternative methods.
At the meeting Cr Cath Ash questioned the report’s indication that hot water treatments were 15 times more expensive than herbicide and suggested the council contact some providers for quotes. Ash said the council had an obligation to consider alternative methods to chemical spraying in light of research by the University of Canterbury into the risks of glyphosate and the World Health Organisation suggesting glyphosate was a potential carcinogen.
Vernon said she also had issue with the report’s conclusion on the cost of hot water treatment. She said she had contacted a provider and was told that while at the moment it would be about 10 to 15 per cent more expensive by the end of this year it would be cost comparable.
Vernon said she decided to make a presentation to the council last year after ongoing issues with spraying around her property. She said it was good to finally have a formal no-spray register, however she did not think it went far enough.
“I believe the council are not really interested in finding another option.”
Mayor Andy Watson was not available for comment but in a statement endorsed the council’s decision based on the commissioned report.
This article shows what lengths this company will go to to push its poison on people. Not only do they lie, they pull out all stops to stamp out any opposition. The heat has turned up for them with WHO’s latest announcement that Glyphosate probably causes cancer. And still our environmental protection agencies continue to allow people to slather it everywhere… schools, Councils, farmers, contractors.
“Dare to publish a scientific study against Big Biotech, and Monsanto will defame and discredit you. For the first time, a Monsanto employeeadmits thatthere is an entire department within the corporation with the simple task of ‘discrediting’ and ‘debunking’ scientists who speak out against GMOs…”
See our other Glyphosate pagesfor more info & links, &/or search categories for further related articles (at left of any page).
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Following on from the recent update on the chemical spraying presentation made to the Rangitikei District Council forum in November 2014, and featured in the Central District Times recently, I’ve offered some thoughts on the Council process. This may be informative for some, and may also dispel some illusions about our so-called democratic processes.
When anyone presents an issue of concern at a Council forum the time limit is five minutes which includes question time, so it is really only four. Bear in mind with an issue this large this is not long. I had to condense my case to the quintessential and speak at top speed. Also bear in mind that in attending Council meetings there is little if any space for actual dialogue around issues. Five minutes is it. The process is not that people friendly (one Cr didn’t hide the fact he found the issue humorous) nor conducive to meaningful interaction or problem resolution. The Mayor, Andy Watson, allowed two questions from the Councilors … one centered around other possible alternatives. These I provided as I’d researched them. The other was not a question, rather it was to tell me that Horizons could provide the correct information about spraying parameters / guidelines / exposure etc. That completed I was duly thanked for my presentation and I sat down. I quietly whispered to a member of the Community Committee who was also there that day, asking her what happens next (quietly because you’re not supposed to be talking in there … and the Community Committee by the way, is a conduit group between community and Council). It appears that I should have asked specifically for somebody to get back to me on the issue. Since I hadn’t, that could well have been the very last I’d have heard about the issue. Now who ever would know that ‘minor’ technicality about being heard? It could have effectively disappeared into the black hole, forgotten forever. As good fortune would have it however, after I’d left and the meeting continued, Cr Sheridan voted for the matter to be put on the Agenda. It was seconded by Cr Ash. The Council was going to research other NZ Council methods of weed treatment and write a report.
The History
Now, bear in mind here, seven or so months prior, I’d emailed Council citing the research on the health risks of using glyphosate sprays (the herbicide of choice by most councils throughout the country). This research had been dismissed as ‘unproven extrapolation’. Cr Ash, and myself, had then met with the Mayor to discuss the research and the possibility of using non chemical sprays in the urban areas. He had sent us each away to research weed control methods used by other Councils with the prospect of RDC’s possibly considering a non-chemical alternative that was cost-effective … should we find one that is. In addition, information was given regarding how to get this issue onto the agenda using Council protocols. By all appearances, to the uninitiated, a very convoluted process. Because of these prior happenings, I already had a great deal of information on other councils, so later, I emailed contact details for an Auckland contractor with a cost effective hot water treatment.
During the interim I endeavoured to email updates to the Mayor and all Councilors about the surrounding facts on this issue since four minutes had clearly not enabled me to do this. In addition I kept them up to speed with all the latest research that comes in at quite a steady pace these days. Councilors apparently, have a great deal of information to wade through I’m told, so there are seldom any responses. Not even an ’email received’ message.
The Research
Anyway, regarding the research (and the case against Glyphosate is mounting) the latest is the World Health Organization’s announcement that Glyphosate probably causes cancer (and I see Dr Oz weighing in on this as well). In addition, Canterbury University has said Glyphosate causes resistance to antibiotics. Neither the
The Seralini Rats
Mayor, the CEO nor the Councilors (bar two) are impressed by WHO’s research, or any of the large body of research that is available on Glyphosate. Not surprising since our Government approves it, end of story. Note here, many governments have actually banned it though and France’s highest Court ruled that Monsanto (the manufacturer) has lied about Roundup’s biodegradability. Sadly, with the way Council works, there has been no opportunity for dialogue on this issue. Still, I do not believe it is rocket science. I would be placing my money on WHO, Professor Seralini’s evidence and France’s highest Court, as opposed to the wisdom of the Rangitikei District Council in Marton or the NZ government (aka corporation) that says it is GE free by the way and is not. Remember, Monsanto initially tested their lab rats for the required ninety days … not long enough for tumours to develop. Professor Seralini’s team tested them for two years… long enough to grow enormous tumours.
Why is Monsanto not now re-testing for two years themselves to prove to the public their product is safe? And why was it so difficult for Prof Seralini to even get a sample of their Glyphosate-laced GM corn to use in his research?
(Watch the Seralini video HERE or read the damning transcript). Would you buy a used car on the car salesman’s word alone? This is historically what the authorities have done with Roundup. It’s all been on Monsanto’s say so. Read more about the RDC’s decision in my next post.
From Sustainable Pulse: “Research lead by a team from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand has found that commonly used herbicides, including the world’s most used herbicide Roundup, can cause bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics….”
An update here on the ongoing Glyphosate research this time from our own laboratories here in NZ … it gets more disturbing by the day. Each piece of research that is damning of the product should be leading all countries to ban it. Posts soon to follow regarding our own district and submissions to Council to restrict its use in public places….
RDC’s Verdict on Non-Chemical Urban Spraying Option in the Rangitikei
The Central District Times has reported on the outcome of my presentation to the RDC’s forums on 26th March 2015 . You can read the CD Times article at its source HERE, or to enlarge, click on the copy below….the article by Caroline Brown is titled …
URBAN SPRAYS OPTIONAL
I have written a response to this article, not published at this stage (it may or may not be). You can read it here:
Letter to the Editor re ‘Urban Sprays’, 31st March 2015,
This issue was raised with the RDC 12 months ago citing much research deeming glyphosate a probable carcinogen. The response; ‘unproven extrapolation’. Following discussions with the Mayor at my request, he said if a cost effective alternative were found it would be considered. Seven months later I made a presentation to the RDC citing the research again, requesting opt out from chemical sprays in Rangitikei’s urban public places. Two Cnlrs voted it onto the agenda pending a report by Council. I then forwarded contact details for a company in Ak with a proven system costing 10-15% more than glyphosate (not 15x more) set to match glyphosate by end of year. The contact wasn’t followed up. If you decide to opt out of chemical exposure, be prepared for ridicule and unpleasantness. When RDC discussed this, the Clr for the proposal, in citing the latest announcements from WHO and Canterbury University, was directed to stick to questions not discussion, whilst seconds later a Clr against the proposal, still question time, was allowed to expound on the safety of glyphosate. For more info & if you’re for a chemical free urban Rangitikei, sign the petition at envirowatchrangitikei.wordpress.com or the Sustainable Rangitikei FB page
Please note, the online petition will not be on the websites until this weekend 11th April.
Please consider signing it if you are at all keen to restrict chemical spraying around town where humans, including our children, are exposed. You will find more information on the spraying of Glyphosate in particular, on the Glyphosate page, a sub page to the Chemicals page. Links to the research are there also. For further articles use the categories box at the left of the pages, or scroll to ‘Updates’ at the bottom of the Glyphosate page. Sign up for ongoing updates.
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