The number of Zika cases spread by mosquito bites in Florida has risen to 25, and with the number expected to rise further, airplanes have been flying over Miami spraying naled, a neurotoxic insecticide which kills adult mosquitoes. Some scientists are warning that naled may be more dangerous than the Zika virus itself.
A new study by researchers at Harvard University shows that the water supplies of nearly 6 million Americans are tainted with unsafe levels of polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFASs – a class of industrial chemicals linked to potentially serious health problems. [1]
PFASs have been used for decades in a wide variety of industrial and commercial products, including non-stick coatings on pans, food wrappers, water-repellent clothing, and firefighting foam.
I have written so much about the health benefits of coffee, almost always while sipping a hot cup while sharing information on one of my favorite beverages. Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) had been evaluating whether the extremely popular beverage was carcinogenic, and I crossed my fingers and held my breath. The agency announced its conclusion yesterday: it will not classify coffee as carcinogenic.
Yay!
Last week, a St. Louis Circuit Court jury awarded $46.5 million to 3 plaintiffs who alleged that PCBs made by Monsanto caused cancer. The plaintiffs alleged in the suit that Monsanto and the other defendants – Solutia, Pharmacia, and Pfizer – were negligent in their handling of PCBs.
In a recent interview, the CEO of Monsanto, Hugh Grant, claims that Monsanto’s best-selling herbicide Roundup is not carcinogenic. This claim goes against numerous evaluations of Roundup and its ingredients concluding that glyphosate – a primary ingredient in Roundup – is indeed carcinogenic.
One little voice may often not change much, but 90,000 of those small voices make a difference. They were apparently enough to force the UK supermarket Waitrose to remove all of Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide bottles from their shelves.
Bayer, notorious for harming pollinating insects with its neonicotinoid pesticides, is registering a new GM canola that will be tolerant to two health-destroying chemicals, glufosinate and glyphosate. The new GM canola strain was developed to be tolerant to a double-dose of herbicides that have been documented to cause birth defects, neuro-degeneration, cancer, endocrine disruption, and autism-like symptoms.
Kauaʻi mother Malia Chun is no stranger to fighting against biotech corporations that spray chemicals in her neighborhood. She flew all the way to Switzerland to attend Syngenta’s board meeting to draw attention to the fact that corporations like theirs are poisoning her children. Recent tests revealed that one of her daughters was riddled with 36 different pesticides – the shocking discovery was found from taking a simple hair sample to a lab.
Malia Chun stands in front of the GE corn fields near her home. Source: MIKE COOTS FOR EARTHJUSTICE
Residents of Southern California recently experienced what the press dubbed “officially the worst gas leak in history,” but not an honest tale of how this is affecting residents can be found – unless you dig much deeper than the mainstream media.
Monsanto may be in trouble in Europe. After months of controversy over disparaging studies concerning Round Up’s main ingredient, glyphosate, the Committee on Environment, Food Safety & Public Health (ENVI) has formally objected to the re-authorization by the European Commission of the herbicide.
Voting to uphold this objection were 36 members, while 6 members voted against it and 18 did not vote.
