Is Roundup Making us Sick?

Genetically modified crops are being grown and sold without much regard for longitudinal studies of the health implications associated with this method of farming.  A friend recommended an online article on the subject called "Glyphosate and Roundup's Implications on Modern Diseases."  This article does a great job of explaining the health concerns related to Glyphosate, also known as the herbicide Roundup.  The following is an excerpt from the interview style article:

How long has Roundup® been on the market, and how many gallons are used every year in the USA alone, not to mention globally?

It’s been on the market since 1975, and was first introduced into the US market. The US market today represents 25% of the total sales worldwide. In our paper we showed how the usage has gone up substantially in step with the increased penetration of GMO crops that are “Roundup Ready.” In 2001 an estimated total of 85 to 90 million pounds of it were used in the US alone, and this number more than doubled by 2007. I expect it may have doubled again since then, but we didn’t find hard numbers on that.

Glyphosate/Roundup is an organophosphate. Can you please explain what the problems are with that type of herbicide? Also, there is another organophosphate with an almost similar sounding name; it is glufosinate. Did you do any research on glufosinate?

Technically, glyphosate is an “organophosphonate,” not quite the same as an organophosphate but close. You're right that glyphosate and glufosinate are “cousins” with similar molecular structures and probably similar effects. We haven't specifically studied glufosinate, but I’d imagine it’s just as damaging as glyphosate. Glyphosate disrupts the shikimate pathway, which plants use to produce a set of essential aromatic amino acids. All microbes also have this pathway, and it’s essential for their well-being. So glyphosate would be expected to disrupt gut bacteria, and it has been shown to be the case in research studies on cows and chickens.

In your paper you say that the European Union is being asked by industry to approve higher levels of glyphosate in food crops. Why such a proposal and can you discuss that a little?

I’d imagine that it’s simply that food was coming in from the US that was exceeding the limits that had been set. I think the limits are generally set somewhat arbitrarily based on what is measured in the food. Since most people think that glyphosate is nontoxic to humans, there does not seem to be too much concern raised when limits are jacked up by a factor of ten or even one hundred!

Does that have anything to do with the supposed notion that glyphosate has a minimal toxicity effect in humans, which was based upon Monsanto’s safety/toxicity studies done for only 3 months on laboratory animals?
That's right.

Didn’t your research find that Professor Seralini’s two-year study contradicted Monsanto’s 3-month studies? Will you please elaborate on that and the apparent implications?

Yes. Seralini’s research showed that glyphosate has devastating effects on the health of rats over the long term. Mammary tumors, kidney failure, liver cancer, etc. Glyphosate is insidious because it’s not immediately obvious that it has caused a problem. It slowly depletes certain vital nutrients until eventually you can become very sick.

How long has Roundup® been on the market, and how many gallons are used every year in the USA alone, not to mention globally?

It’s been on the market since 1975, and was first introduced into the US market. The US market today represents 25% of the total sales worldwide. In our paper we showed how the usage has gone up substantially in step with the increased penetration of GMO crops that are “Roundup Ready.” In 2001 an estimated total of 85 to 90 million pounds of it were used in the US alone, and this number more than doubled by 2007. I expect it may have doubled again since then, but we didn’t find hard numbers on that.
- See more at: http://www.naturalblaze.com/2013/06/glyphosate-and-roundups-implications-on.html#sthash.qIYISyHy.dpuf

Read the full article here

How long has Roundup® been on the market, and how many gallons are used every year in the USA alone, not to mention globally?

It’s been on the market since 1975, and was first introduced into the US market. The US market today represents 25% of the total sales worldwide. In our paper we showed how the usage has gone up substantially in step with the increased penetration of GMO crops that are “Roundup Ready.” In 2001 an estimated total of 85 to 90 million pounds of it were used in the US alone, and this number more than doubled by 2007. I expect it may have doubled again since then, but we didn’t find hard numbers on that.
- See more at: http://www.naturalblaze.com/2013/06/glyphosate-and-roundups-implications-on.html#sthash.qIYISyHy.dpuf

How long has Roundup® been on the market, and how many gallons are used every year in the USA alone, not to mention globally?

It’s been on the market since 1975, and was first introduced into the US market. The US market today represents 25% of the total sales worldwide. In our paper we showed how the usage has gone up substantially in step with the increased penetration of GMO crops that are “Roundup Ready.” In 2001 an estimated total of 85 to 90 million pounds of it were used in the US alone, and this number more than doubled by 2007. I expect it may have doubled again since then, but we didn’t find hard numbers on that.
- See more at: http://www.naturalblaze.com/2013/06/glyphosate-and-roundups-implications-on.html#sthash.qIYISyHy.dpuf

How long has Roundup® been on the market, and how many gallons are used every year in the USA alone, not to mention globally?

It’s been on the market since 1975, and was first introduced into the US market. The US market today represents 25% of the total sales worldwide. In our paper we showed how the usage has gone up substantially in step with the increased penetration of GMO crops that are “Roundup Ready.” In 2001 an estimated total of 85 to 90 million pounds of it were used in the US alone, and this number more than doubled by 2007. I expect it may have doubled again since then, but we didn’t find hard numbers on that.
- See more at: http://www.naturalblaze.com/2013/06/glyphosate-and-roundups-implications-on.html#sthash.qIYISyHy.dpuf

Glyphosate’

Glyphosate’

ManAn interview with Stephanie Seneff, PhD: Co-author of "Glyphosate’s Suppression of Cytochrome P450 Enzymes and Amino Acid Biosynthesis by the Gut Microbiome: Pathways to Modern Diseases." - See more at: http://www.naturalblaze.com/2013/06/glyphosate-and-roundups-implications-on.html#sthash.qIYISyHy.dpuf

An interview with Stephanie Seneff, PhD: Co-author of "Glyphosate’s Suppression of Cytochrome P450 Enzymes and Amino Acid Biosynthesis by the Gut Microbiome: Pathways to Modern Diseases." - See more at: http://www.naturalblaze.com/2013/06/glyphosate-and-roundups-implications-on.html#sthash.qIYISyHy.dpuf

An interview with Stephanie Seneff, PhD: Co-author of "Glyphosate’s Suppression of Cytochrome P450 Enzymes and Amino Acid Biosynthesis by the Gut Microbiome: Pathways to Modern Diseases." - See more at: http://www.naturalblaze.com/2013/06/glyphosate-and-roundups-implications-on.html#sthash.qIYISyHy.dpuf

Glyphosate and Roundup’s Implications on Modern Diseases - See more at: http://www.naturalblaze.com/2013/06/glyphosate-and-roundups-implications-on.html#sthash.qIYISyHy.dpuf

Glyphosate and Roundup’s Implications on Modern Diseases - See more at: http://www.naturalblaze.com/2013/06/glyphosate-and-roundups-implications-on.html#sthash.qIYISyHy.dpuf

Glyphosate and Roundup’s Implications on Modern Diseases - See more at: http://www.naturalblaze.com/2013/06/glyphosate-and-roundups-implications-on.html#sthash.qIYISyHy.dpuf

Glyphosate and Roundup’s Implications on Modern Diseases - See more at: http://www.naturalblaze.com/2013/06/glyphosate-and-roundups-implications-on.html#sthash.qIYISyHy.dpuf

We must be the change...

Reposted from original article at These Light Footsteps.
– Christine Cassella, Transition Voice

As I observe people around me, I’ve been noticing a trend – most everybody, in theory — wants to save the Earth.   The problem, however, is that far too few people are willing to make the lifestyle changes necessary to ensure a livable future.
Comforts and conveniences

The appeal of constant financial progress, of fast food and perfectly temperature-controlled rooms is too great.  The ease of processed foods, disposable diapers, and commuting by car to work is too alluring.  The abundance of cheap clothes, out-of-season foods, electronics, and toxic beauty products is too pervasive to pass by.
We have become perpetual children – looking to others to easily assuage our hunger, temperature, and state of mood.  We expect governmental regulations or some technological breakthrough to fix global warming and the ecosystem issues we fear.  We are unwilling to take the risk that moving toward a new way of living requires.
We fear that we will not have enough; we fear that we will miss out on our elusive definition of “success”; we worry that it will be hard, that we will be uncomfortable, and that we won’t know where to begin.
But as Derrick Jensen is known to explain, your grandchildren aren’t going to care if you recycled, if you thought a lot about the destruction of ecosystems, if you voted for a progressive candidate, if you bought “green” products.  They’re going to care if they can breathe the air and drink the water.  They’re going to care if the Earth is still a place that supports life.
People often cry out, “but what can I do?”
The answer is not in any single action.  The answer is going to be everything.
The truth is that in the coming decades, we will need to redefine success, what constitutes a “normal” lifestyle, and how much we need.  We will be re-evaluating the choices we make at every point throughout our day.
But this doesn’t have to be a scary or negative thing.  Despite our attachment to continually accumulating more and more, a future of less stuff is actually much brighter.  There are some interesting changes that come with a simpler lifestyle…
Better days

We’ll start to get healthier.  As we consider the massive amounts of resources we consume and where they come from, we realize that many of them are directly contributing to the poor health of modern humans (mostly in the form of improper diet, inactivity, and exposure to toxins).  We’ll begin walking and biking more as we use cars less.
We’ll be eating fresher, seasonal foods that eliminate a dependency on fast food and processed items that are related to our abundance of chronic conditions including heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.
If we start buying and growing foods from reputable sources, we’ll be less likely to introduce dangerous GMO foods into our bodies along with the related pesticides. We’ll eliminate toxic cleaning and beauty products from our lives.  In general, we will be exercising more, eating healthier, and reducing our exposure to substances that can harm our bodies.  We’ll become healthier.
We’ll be happier.  When we start growing our own food and getting outside more often, the benefits to our psychological health quickly become apparent.  Breathing fresh air, having our hands in the dirt, and living seasonally bring a sense of fullness to life that is missing when we are confined to buildings and desks day after day.
It also makes us happier because we feel more self-sufficient, we are spending less money, and we can alleviate some of the concern that we felt when we realized how our previous lifestyle was poisoning other people, animals, and the environment.
Through this new lifestyle, we will also need to embrace community again (not just Facebook) and have support, or even just conversation, with those around us in ways that are often lacking in our current paradigm.
We’ve been waiting for us

‘The solutions to the environmental and economic issues that we currently face begin with us, despite how tempting it may be to assume that others will solve these problems for us.  We make choices every day that can either contribute to a new way of living in harmony with the Earth and other creatures, or that perpetuates the destructive path we’re on. This means waking up to realize that our consumer-driven, constantly growing, and perpetually needy lifestyles are inherently unsustainable and are also making us sick.
We must recognize our collective power to influence the Earth and to live as an example so that others see the benefits of transitioning to a more sustainable way of living.  We must begin to grow food for our families again (or at least know who did!), to learn ways of preventative and traditional healthcare, to feel our feet upon the Earth, to stop buying products that are toxic to our bodies and our land, to know where our resources come from and that there can be no such thing as “waste” when we are through with them.
Perhaps most importantly, we must break our addiction to this notion that success is the constant accumulation of things, whether they are titles earned in a job, the number of items accumulated in a home, or the number of cars in a garage.  Success must instead be about creating a future that is livable, enjoyable, equitable, and which fosters true prosperity for all beings.
This change toward a sustainable culture will take time, but it is entirely possible.  Eventually, we will see it lead to greater health and happiness.  We will be satisfied knowing that the activities of our days directly contribute to the health of our own bodies, our families, and the planet.  We will enjoy the entertainment found in nature again – in her stars, sunsets, and breezes – and in community, simple pleasures, and meaningful work.  We will remember the happiness that comes from freedom, fresh foods, and following our heart’s passions.
This change begins with all of us.  We can succeed in creating a sustainable future.

- See more at: http://transitionvoice.com/2013/07/we-must-be-the-change/#sthash.zAPYcA6A.dpuf

Junior Weed Eaters - July 10, 7pm

This will be very cool - Shantree Kacera, of the Living Centre, will show us some of plants commonly labeled as weeds, but once you get a load of the taste, and learn about the nutritional and medicinal uses for these plants, you may never think of them as weeds again. 

We've called this event 'Junior Weed Eaters' to encourage participation by children, but the tour will be of interest for all ages. (Note - adult supervision for kids will be required.)

Next Wednesday, July 10 at 7pm-9pm at the Living Centre. 

As usual, there is no fee, but donations towards Transition Middlesex are suggested. 

Grocery Store Wars

Star Wars fan?  

Not convinced about organic food?  

Watch this:

Dreams & Transition

Last night's Inner Transition workshop about creative dreaming was really inspirational for me. I presented a number of ideas from Patricia Garfield's excellent book Creative Dreaming. I shared lots of techniques for remembering your dreams, dream friends, and 'dream incubation' - to assist in controlling the content of your dreams, as well as sharing some insights from the Senoi tribe of Malaysia, whose culture is strongly imbued with dreams. Throughout, people shared their own dreams, and other things they'd heard about dreams - I learned a lot too.

In the second half, we talked about how creative dreaming could be tied in with the Transition movement. I wanted to share some of the ideas that came up, to get others thinking about this:

1. Ask questions or look for insights about Transition from dream friends (ie. recurring positive figures in your dreams).

2. Have members of the group use dream incubation techniques to dream about the topic(s) of the next meeting, in order to steep themselves with ideas for the meeting.

3. When deciding what you would like to dream about using dream incubation techniques, ask yourself why you want to dream about that - that is, why is it a dream, and how could we make that dream a reality through Transition?

4. By recognizing that our thoughts have power, even our dreaming thoughts, we can intentionally purify or change our dreams, which carries over into changes in our waking life. Likewise, we could create habits in our dreams that we bring with us to our waking lives.

6. Sharing dreams could be used to help people get to know each other. This could take the form of a separate email list for those interested, or future sessions devoted to talking about dreams.

Wed, July 3, 2013: Creative Dreaming: Take Control of Your Sleeping World

This coming Wednesday, join us at the Living Centre form 7pm-9pm for a workshop: Creative Dreaming: Take Control of Your Sleeping World, presented by myself, Rob Read, as part of the Inner Transition group.

This workshop, based strongly on the work of Patricia Garfield, will be a practical session that teaches you basic techniques to:

1. Remember your dreams

Everyone has them (4-5 per night), and remembering them is a learned technique that can be practiced until achieved.

2. Control the content of your dreams

Guide what you'll dream about, control nightmares, get creative insights.

3. Become lucid in your dreams

Advanced control in realtime as you realize you are dreaming, but instead of waking, influence what's happening in your dream. 

Through group exercises, we'll then bring together these insights to address how our dreams can assist us during this time of transition from 'business as usual' to a future lower on petroleum resources, but higher on working together in communities to enrich local economies and lifestyles, and working with and protecting our ecosystems.

I read Patricia Garfield's book Creative Dreaming about 15 years ago, and it's one of those rare books that has stuck with me in a very clear way over the years. This workshop won't be about interpreting dreams (which, I believe, is best done by the person dreaming the dream), but will give an overview of Garfield's research on creative dreaming, and the techniques she suggests. With audience participation, we'll tie this into the Transition model, and leave the workshop with ideas for  'homework' dreams to work towards.

EcoFest 2013

The Great Canadian EcoFest, in Komoka, on June 23rd, 2013 was a really cool event. I didn't count, but I 'm guessing there were over 40 vendors, as well as native dances, live music, and a raptor show. 

We met lots of people at the Transition Middlesex booth, at which we had a raffle for John Seymour's The Self-Sufficient Life, and How to Live It, and a silent auction for a Pineapple Guava plant. The night before, Julie and I scrambled to put together the content for the display board that someone was nice enough to give us for free at a yard sale, and Robin and Wendy graciously talked to people and shared info about what Transition is at the booth. Did I mention there were free buttons that Jeremiah made? 

My son's favourite part, by far, was these steam-powered trains that you could ride behind - tucked in behind the railway museum (by the Komoka Community Centre). They'll be giving rides on them on Canada Day too...don't miss it!