What the mainstream media calls ‘Collateral Damage’ isn’t going to happen thousands of miles away from home in villages of Pakistan or Afghanistan; the attack is right here, on US land, against the American public
We are letting Monsanto and Dow make money from their left over ‘Agent Orange’ and this time the victims aren’t going to be US veterans or 400,000 Vietnamese that were poisoned to deaths by Dioxin. This time, the biotech attack is on US land, and what the mainstream media calls ‘Collateral Damage’ isn’t going to happen thousands of miles away from home in villages of Pakistan or Afghanistan; the attack is right here, on US land, against the American public.
USDA is moving forward with approval of ‘Agent Orange Corn’ that's resistant to toxic herbicide 2,4-D. USDA is giving green light to chemical company Dow that is planning to plant, market and sell the new varieties of genetically modified corn and soybean that are resistant to toxic chemical 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D).
2,4-D, is one of the main ingredients of Agent Orange that was used during Vietnam war against the Vietnamese and cambodian civilians. Now, 2,4-D is once again pushed into the market as an herbicide by the chemical company Dow. The other ingredient of ‘Agent Orange’ known as Dioxin is regarded as ‘the most toxic and poisonous small molecule on the planet’ by many scientists.
Many health and environmental activists and researchers have denounced USDA draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which essentially gives the agency the power to approve hazardous herbicide, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Over the last two years, there has been an intense opposition regarding Agent Orange Corn and more than 400,000 people (including farmers, fisheries, health and environmental advocates and groups) have signed a petition to USDA opposing the new GE crops resistant to 2,4-D.
Many researchers and advocates are concerned that the new GE corn developed under the name of “Enlist” by the chemical company Dow will increase the use of toxic herbicides like 2,4-D and nutritionally damage and ruin other native crops:
The fact is that since the introduction of GE crops, the use of toxic chemicals have increased by 527 million pounds and more, and more reports by independent scientists (including a study by the research professor at the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources at Washington State University, Charles Benbrook) question the affectivity of Monsanto’s herbicide and insect tolerant crops: http://www.seattleorganicrestaurants.com/vegan-whole-food/GMOs-increase-pesticides-herbecides-use.php
Also, over the last few decades (after approval of GE crops), the rate of many chronic diseases have increased drastically. Although USDA (which is run by the interests of companies like Monsanto and DuPont) doesn’t apparently feel any threat by the approval of GE crops (resistant to toxic chemicals like glyphosate or 2,4-D), the fact is that numerous studies have linked 2,4-D in Agent Orange to many health problems like cancer, liver toxicity, neurotoxicity, immune system disorder, Parkinson's disease and endocrine disruption.
“GE herbicide-resistant seeds are clearly the growth engine powering the pesticide industry,” noted Pesticide Action Network senior scientist, Marcia Ishii-Eiteman. “These seeds are part of a technology package explicitly designed to drive up herbicide sales. By continuing to rubber-stamp its approval of Dow and Monsanto’s latest products, USDA has abandoned its responsibility to safeguard American farmers’ crops, health and livelihoods.”
According to Patty Lovera (Food & Water Watch assistant director), “we are extremely disappointed with USDA’s impending approval of 2,4-D corn. USDA is propelling American agriculture further down a path of increased dependence on older, more toxic pesticides.”
Many researchers have also shown concern that the transgenic genes of GE crops are sneaking into DNA of many native and non GE crops, nutritionally running and destroying the identity of native crops like Hawaiian papaya.
“American farmers and our families are at risk,” says Iowa corn and soybean farmer, George Naylor. “When Dow and Monsanto first brought out these GE crops, they assured us their new, expensive seeds would clean up our environment and reduce pesticide use. That didn’t happen. Today weeds are resistant to RoundUp, so farmers are using older, more deadly herbicides. 2,4-D corn is a giant step backwards; it’s just a terrible idea.”
Monsanto’s toxic herbicide Roundup has lost its full effectivity, no wonder why biotech is desperately using more and more toxic chemicals such as 2,4-D:
Monsanto has also been joining the chemical company Dow to share their technology for developing the GE corn resistant to both Roundup and 2,4-D. Many farmers and researchers are aware that Monsanto’s herbicide has lost its full affectivity to combat weeds and in fact, Roundup has caused agricultural disaster and nightmares for farmers who have to deal with superpests and superweeds. Find out how Superweeds that are resistant to Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup are widely spreading across the country.
In fact, studies show that nearly half of US farms are dealing with superweeds that are becoming resistant to Monsanto’s best selling herbicide ‘Roundup’. According to Bill Freese, the science policy analyst for the Center for Food Safety in Washington, “the biotech industry is taking us into a more pesticide-dependent agriculture when they’ve always promised, and we need to be going in, the opposite direction.”
Another expert, Bryan Young, who is the professor of Plant Soil and Agricultural Systems at Southern Illinois University says that “The problems associated with herbicide-resistant weeds are spreading and intensifying, especially weed species resistant to multiple products, including the mainstay of 21st century agriculture, the herbicide glyphosate.”
What happened to those days when enough number of Americans would pour on to the streets to protest against ‘Agent Orange’?
More than 30 countries have banned GMOs and 56 other countries have required GMO labeling, but, the biotech in US is taking us towards a more pesticide-dependent agriculture. More and more toxic chemicals are regulated and considered safe, and when GE crops lose their resistant to combat weeds and pests, the biotech waves its magic wand and comes up with more toxic forms of chemicals. These toxic chemicals and foods are deadly carcinogens that damage every single organ in the body.
USDA will accept public comments for 45-days from the day it has released its draft EIS (which was in January 3, 2014). Please take action and sign the petition below and Tell USDA to stop Dow Chemical’s "Agent Orange" crops: http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=12645
Sources:
http://blog.ucsusa.org/fait-accompli-usda-decision-on-herbicide-resistant-crops-betrays-farmers-and-the-public-366#.Us28WwXOhgU.twitter
