corn

UK Parlia. Chair: "...serious questions...EU pesticides regulation...

Submitted by Kevin Hansen on December 15, 2012 - 16:09

Great article in the Guardian by Damian Carrington:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/dec/12/mps-insecticide-regula...

Quoted by Joan Walley MP, chair of the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC).

"European regulators seem to have turned a blind eye to data on the danger that one of the world's biggest selling pesticides could pose to bees and other pollinators," said Joan Walley MP, chair of the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC). "Evidence seen by the committee raises serious questions about the integrity, transparency and effectiveness of EU pesticides regulation. Data available in the regulators' own assessment report shows it could be 10 times more persistent in soils than the European safety limit."

Quoted by Prof Dave Goulson, an ecologist at the University of Stirling

Canada: Fetuses Have Widespread Pesticide Residues

Submitted by Kevin Hansen on December 9, 2012 - 11:39

Pesticides associated to genetically modified foods (PAGMF), are engineered to tolerate herbicides such as glyphosate (GLYP) and gluphosinate (GLUF) or insecticides such as the bacterial toxin bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between maternal and fetal exposure, and to determine exposure levels of GLYP and its metabolite aminomethyl phosphoric acid (AMPA), GLUF and its metabolite 3-methylphosphinicopropionic acid (3-MPPA) and Cry1Ab protein (a Bt toxin) in Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada. Blood of thirty pregnant women (PW) and thirty-nine nonpregnant women (NPW) were studied. Serum GLYP and GLUF were detected in NPW and not detected in PW. Serum 3-MPPA and CryAb1 toxin were detected in PW, their fetuses and NPW. This is the first study to reveal the presence of circulating PAGMF in women with and without pregnancy, paving the way for a new field in reproductive toxicology including nutrition and utero-placental toxicities.

Three More Countries Restrict Bee-Killing Nicotine Pesticides

Submitted by Kevin Hansen on August 4, 2012 - 14:41

Three more countries have put additional pressure on nicotine pesticides, one of the leading suspects in the global honey bee die-offs:

Canada has asked for most of the nicotine pesticides to be re-evaluated - this is a huge step that slows pesticide manufacturers:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pubs/pest/_decisions/rev2012-02/index-eng...

Brazil (Brasil) has forced Monsanto to pay about $7.5 BILLION in fines because its nicotine-pesticide-coated and GMO soya/soybeans were being used to force farmers not to save their own seeds - while paying a punitive 2% tax. Brazil's supreme court took action to protect farmers' rights to save seeds - and also restrict toxic seeds:
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=15747

France has banned Syngenta's canola/rapeseed brand because of honeybee losses to this toxic product. This ban was upheld by French courts:
http://www.farming.co.uk/news/article/6767

Locations

Canada

See map: Google Maps

Brazil

See map: Google Maps

France

Bee-Killing Nicotine Pesticide Illegally Registered in US - One Million+ Sign Emergency Petition

Submitted by Kevin Hansen on March 24, 2012 - 17:14

A remarkable emergency petition with over one million signatures has been submitted to the USEPA requesting the withdrawal of the pesticide clothianidin - a nicotine-based systemic pesticide widely used on corn/maize. Multiple activist organizations participated, lead by major US beekeepers.

The basis of the petition is that the USEPA's legal requirements for the demonstrated safety of clothianidin were never proven - and subsequent findings have shown its damages - violating the US law FIFRA, which governs the registration process for pesticides.

A coalition of beekeepers and activists gained over one million signatures on this petition, that walks step-by-step through the reasoning behind the proposed determination of the clothianidin registration's illegality - used as the basis for the withdrawal request.

This is fantastic.

http://www.beyondpesticides.org/pollinators/CFS-Clothianidin-Petition-3-...

Please pass this link to whomever you think might benefit.

Honeybee Dieoff Link to Corn Planting Process - Italy Researchers

Submitted by Kevin Hansen on February 19, 2012 - 20:09

The process of planting can release large amounts of pesticides coated on seeds - as dust. Corn/maize is widely treated with a coating laced with toxins: neonicotinoid pesticides, fungicides and a host of other substances are physically stuck to the grains of corn. This is a brittle substance that breaks off and creates a large dust problem - a toxic dust.

The team of researchers at the University of Padua, Italy, led by Andrea Tapparo has found significant mortality to honeybees as a result of this exposure. This was closely related to the spring-planting die-off blamed in Germany for a honeybee catastrophe several years ago.

This article is accepted - and will be published in the American Chemical Society's (ACS) journal "Environmental Science and Technology."

We have read a pre-print - look for this one to be downloadable soon.

Under Pressure, Monsanto withdraws GM Corn (Maize) from France

Submitted by Kevin Hansen on January 24, 2012 - 16:58

Monsanto says won't sell GMO maize in France in 2012

Under pressure, Monsanto has withdrawn its GMO corn MON810 from France, as beekeepers, activists and farmers protested and repeatedly sued - and won - in court.

This comes on the heels of Bayer, Syngenta and other manufacturers of neonicotinoid pesticides withdrawing their products for use on almonds in California. Although at first GMO and pesticides seem different, they are in fact tightly corrrelated: seeds now routinely are GMO, and are simultaneously treated with nicotine-based pesticides and fungicides. The full article is here:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/24/us-gmo-france-monsanto-idUSTRE...

Global Simultaneous Die-Offs of Multiple Species

Submitted by Kevin Hansen on January 24, 2012 - 16:20

This great article in two parts, from Australia, details the mass die-offs around the world, of many species - including the beautiful Ladybird Beetle that is surprisingly important to the web of life: Original Articles at: Part One: http://hydroponics.com.au/free-articles/where-have-all-the-ladybirds-gone and Part Two: http://hydroponics.com.au/free-articles/where-have-all-the-ladybirds-gon...

Where have all the ladybirds gone? Part 1

By Marilyn Steiner and Stephen Goodwin

In this two-part article, the authors shine a spotlight on neonicotinoid pesticides against a backdrop of widespread use of this group and concerning reports of an alarming and increasing loss of biodiversity. While honey bees have been the focus of concern, other pollinators and invertebrates, birds and even the lowly earthworm are at risk.

Major Study: Multiple Routes of Pesticide Exposure for Honeybees Living Near Agricultural Fields

Submitted by Kevin Hansen on January 14, 2012 - 13:13

A major new study from Purdue University researchers highlights that honeybees face a long list of pesticide dangers near agriculture. Multiple toxic agents combined, via several simultaneous routes of exposure mean bees are in peril from many sources.

The complete article is open-access from PLos ONE, attached above (thanks PLos ONE and the authors for making this important article OPEN ACCESS!!!).

Toxic food.

I'm concerned that our food would be toxic in multiple ways simultaneously.

Prosecutor Charges Bayer+Syngenta Over Honey Bee Die-Off

Submitted by Kevin Hansen on November 13, 2011 - 02:45

Three related events have recently heightened the honeybee issue:

First: Prosecutors in Italy have charged Bayer CropScience and Syngenta - both manufacturers of clothianidin - in honeybee deaths:

New WikiLeaks Cables Show US Diplomats Promote Genetically Engineered Crops Worldwide

Submitted by Kevin Hansen on August 26, 2011 - 17:48

Although I am not really surprised, the scope of official US government effort to promote Monsanto's products is really astounding.

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New WikiLeaks Cables Show US Diplomats Promote Genetically Engineered Crops Worldwide

Original Link: http://www.truth-out.org/new-wikileaks-cables-show-us-diplomats-promote-genetically-engineered-crops-worldwide/1314303978

Thursday 25 August 2011 by: Mike Ludwig, Truthout | Report

Dozens of United States diplomatic cables released in the latest WikiLeaks dump on Wednesday reveal new details of the US effort to push foreign governments to approve genetically engineered (GE) crops and promote the worldwide interests of agribusiness giants like Monsanto and DuPont.