Scientists Warn EPA Over Monsanto’s GMO Crop Failures, Dangers
A group of scientists is calling for major federal action in order to deal with the threat posed by Monsanto’s GMO crops, now petitioning the EPA to address the issue head on. The group of 22 academic corn experts are drawing attention to the immense failure of Monsanto’s genetically modified corn, which is developing mutated and resistant insects as a result of its widespread usage. Corn is critical not only as a food staple, but is heavily used in ethanol production, animal feed, and much more. As GM corn becomes the norm, currently taking over 94 percent of the supply, these scientists are seriously concerned about the future of corn production.
Joseph Spencer is one outspoken member of the group, a corn entomologist with the Illinois Natural History Survey, part of the University of Illinois. Spencer states that what is happening is no surprise, instead it is something that needs to be addressed. Warning the EPA over the dangers, the experts sent a letter on March 5th to the agency explaining their worries regarding long-term corn production prospects in light of GMO crops failures. Specifically, the experts are worried about the lack of protection presented by GMO crops against rootworms.
The EPA has already acknowledged that Monsanto’s GMO crops are creating resistant rootworms, which are now ravaging the GMO crops as they mutate to the biopesticide used known as Bacillus thuringiensis (BT). The EPA found that the resistant rootworms, which are evolving to resist the insecticide, are currently found Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Nebraska. After the EPA evaluated documented cases of severe crop damage as well as reports from entomologists, the EPA stated “Monsanto’s program for monitoring suspected cases of resistance is ‘inadequate’”.
Essentially, the GMO crops are doing the opposite of their supposed purpose — leading to more damage from rootworms as they become mutated to resist the defense of the crops. And Monsanto has answered by simply further genetically modifying the Bt, which research shows is extremely ineffective.
“When insecticides overlay transgenic technology, the economic and environmental advantages of rootworm-protected corn quickly disappear,” the scientists wrote.
It’s time for the EPA and other agencies to address the serious threats to nature and human health presented by Monsanto’s genetically modified creations.
"It’s time for the EPA and other agencies to address the serious threats to nature and human health presented by Monsanto’s genetically modified creations."
Actually it's WAY WAY past time. They never should have been approved in the first place. GMOs have turned out to be yet another of man's disastrous experiments on nature in the name of immediate profit.
glad you want the usda ,fda should act more only one problem with govt and monsanto was ready for you new fda chair is former head of monsanto obama just appointed him in time to cover this up monsanto has more power in this country than does washington d.c.
forget about the epa their monsanto owned take some good advise eat no processed corn or soy products ecoli and other things bred into food products by monsanto .
For those of you who have a real understanding of plants, a pest shows that a plant is not entirely healthy. Pests only attack the weak plants, not the strong (just look at the lions on the Serengeti chasing the weakest wildebeest!).
An organic farm will have innumerable pests as part of the fauna of its biosphere, yet the plants will not be affected by them. Indeed making a plant healthier is known to rid plants of pests too: one of the easiest ways to rid a bean plant of aphids is to give it some freshly produced nettle fertilizer! It makes the sap flow more strongly and the aphids find it too strong for their taste.
This is one of the most intelligent comments I have read, it is so true. If we wouldn't plant 1000s of acres of corn in one spot we also wouldn't create a worm buffet. Poly culture would immensely help defeat the worms.
I hate to disagree with you — in part, at least. Whether the plants are healthy or not, the bugs are there. But healthy plants do tend to do much better even when they are being chewed on, as they put out more greenery, catch more sunlight with bigger leaves, etc. Their rootsystems are larger and healthier, also, which helps them flourish in spite of bugs. Rotating crops also helps avoid viruses and powdery mildews in the soil. Soil that has a mildew that will kill cucumbers, for instance, will still grow great lettuce and radishes. They aren't much susceptible to cucumber viruses or fungi.
Modifiy our food source genetically seems wrong as humans are the end consumers.
Why wouldn't the scientists genetically alter the pests instead and let them breed with the normal population to create defective pests that are easier to kill?
I'm not sure if you're talking tongue-in-cheek or not, but similar things have been tried. Sometimes it has worked. Sterile male mosquitos have been sent out to breed with female mosquitos so they will not lay fertile eggs, esp in areas with so many water sources that finding and spraying them all is just a not-starter. But just changing them wont' make adifference, as the genes are still in the gene pool, just waiting to combine and create a critter that will be less effected by insectisides. That's why crop rotation is so useful. By planting something that bug doesn't eat, we don't give it a chance to "dig in" so to speak. Even just rotating between corn and soybeans would be helpful, as corn pulls nitrogen out of the soil, and soybeans replace it. They are also attacked by totally different kinds of bugs, so rotating means the bugs that were here last year, don't have anything they like to eat this year. -farmergirl
It looks to me like NATURE IS GOING TO REJECT GMO.S.
THANK-YOU MOTHER NATURE!! IT WILL BECOME UNPROFITABLE FOR MONSANTOES AND THEY WILL GO BY BY!!!!
GOTTA LOVE KARMA!!!
Check out India. They have 120000 suicides from framers monsanto sold seed to that bankrupted them and then they drink insectcide
The only way to defeat GMOs is to stop buying anything that might have GMOs in it. That is a very large portion of what is in the grocery stores. Oh, and don't buy anything that says "natural" (It really doesn't have a meaning) or "organic." Food labeled "organic" has to have 95% organic ingredients – the other 5% can be anything, including GMOs, but it can still bear the USDA Organic label. In order for a customer to know for sure that a food is organic, it must be labeled "100% organic."