Remember Agent Orange? The US Army sprayed it all over Vietnam. It defoliated (destroyed) plant growth and brought on cancers and birth defects. One of its significant ingredients was a chemical called 2.4-D. Well, the US Dept. of Agriculture has cleared the way for brand new Dow GMO corn and soy crops. They are engineered to withstand spraying with 2,4-D. The theory is, the corn and soy will survive, but pesky weeds will die. Of course, the drifting spray of 2,4-D will kill all sorts of other plants, including fruit trees. And there is that species called Human. Have a little lymphoma with your corn chowder. Here are several quotes from Senior Scientist, Doug Gurian-Sherman, who writes for the Union of Concerned Scientists at their Equation blog: On Friday, January 3, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This clears the way for approval of engineered soybeans and corn resistant to the herbicide 2,4-D, pending a final EIS and pesticide tolerances from EPA. 2.4-D has also been associated with human health risks, such as non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and is considered by some health agencies to be a possible human carcinogen. The herbicide [2,4-D] is also notorious for causing severe damage to many fruit and vegetable crops from drift after spray application. Argentina has already approved Dows GM soy that is resistant to 2,4-D. Think about it. Corn and soy have been grown for centuries. Theyve survived. But now, big companies like Dow and Monsanto genetically modify the crops, so they can withstand a highly toxic chemical---in order to kill weeds in the growing fields. Killing weeds vs. chemical warfare. The USDA sees no reason to stop this. The Dept. of Justice sees no reason to intervene. Nothing illegal about poisoning people, as long as you call it a magnificent technological breakthrough in agriculture.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 19:35:55 +0000
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