More than 34,000 pesticides derived from about 600 basic ingredients are currently registered forย use in the United States by the EPA. Industrial agriculture (meaning about 75% of all land used in the U.S. to grow food or raise animals) relies on these chemicals to grow food. Where, exactly has this gotten us? [1]
Billions of pounds of pesticides and herbicides used has resulted in:
- Pesticide exposure causes farm-workers to suffer more chemical-related injuries and illnesses than other work-forces. This has led farmers to suffer from organ damage and cancer, leading to numerous lawsuits against biotechnology and pesticide-creating companies like Monsanto.
- About 95%ย of the country relies on groundwater for drinking water, yet it is often contaminated by pesticides, especially in agricultural areas.
- Pesticide โdriftโ is common now. This means that in places like California, you canโt take a deep breathe without inhaling pesticide chemicals.
- More babies are being born with preventable birth defects due to pesticide exposure.
- UC Berkeley has found that children are being exposed to pesticides even before they eat their first apple or munch on their first carrot. Thatโs because the chemicals are so prevalently used, they show upย in breast milk of mothers.
- General population illnesses are on the rise, including asthma, autism and learning disabilities, birth defects and reproductive dysfunction, diabetes, Parkinsonโs and Alzheimerโs diseases, and several types of cancer. Their connection to pesticide exposure becomes more evident with every new study conducted.
- Most of our food is laced with pesticide residues that cannot be washed off. Only organically-grown food is free from this concern.
- Genetically engineered crops developed and marketed to withstand copious herbicide and pesticide spraying are causing millions of acres of super weeds to grow, as well as causing super bugs which are resistant to the very chemicals which were created to destroy them.
- Pollinating insects which help to make sure we have a tremendous variety of foods have been absolutely decimated by chemical herbicides and pesticides. Bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects are dying at an unprecedented rate.
- Even our ocean life is being contaminated by pesticide run off. Fish, crab, seals, and even micro-algae have been affected by the amount of chemicals we use to โgrow food.โ
- Agricultural practices that rely on this type of chemical addiction are stripping the soil of nutrients with remarkable implications. They are devastating the nutritional value of crops, making dramatic changes at an alarming rate โ in less than a lifetime, to be specific. As an example,ย there has been aย 41.1 to 100% decrease in vitamin Aย in 6 foods: apple, banana, broccoli, onion, potato, and tomato. Of them, both onion and potato saw a 100% loss of vitamin A in a 48-year span from, 1951-1999.
Despite these myriad concerns, the US Environmental Protection Agencyย gives the green light to a new concoction of health-harming chemicals used by Big Ag companies seemingly every month.
If 34,000 registered pesticides havenโt been enough to grow food for the world, certainly, new and more dangerous combinations of these chemicals will not magically solve the problem. Is it any wonder people are turning to organic farming practices and demanding organic, pesticide-free food?
Sources:
[1] McDaniel.edu
Christina, thanks for the articles to help keep us informed. Granted, you can’t provide volumes of data but give us starters, it is these starters which are used to springboard into other gateways. It’s not about the journey but the destination.
For the trolls who will try to claim all this as false, try digging into the data. Look at yourself in the mirror and ask who really cares about your health.
I’m concerned about the use of pesticides, but I’m also concerned about the exceptionally poor communication of science. The context and cause of a number of these claims in this article are being misconstrued.
For example, the claim about reduced reduced nutritional quality due to reduced soil nutrients completely ignores the very reasonable alternative explanation that conventional breeding and selection of different cultivars can cause this effect. This is extremely obvious as the quote states “there has been a 41.1 to 100% decrease in vitamin A in 6 foods: apple, banana, broccoli, onion, potato, and tomato.” See the glaring oversimplification? The claim refers to “apple” without specifically indicating which varieties of apples are being compared, much less how the comparison is being performed to come to the conclusion that there has been at least a 40% decrease. The content of polyphenols, for example, varies considerably between apple varieties. Furthermore, you would need to control for environmental differences to accurately determine changes in nutritional content. Basically, this claim is grossly oversimplified. And if it wasn’t bad enough already, the reference link is to a “natural health” company’s page, not a peer-reviewed independent source.
Similarly, attempts to link pesticides to “asthma, autism and learning disabilities, birth defects and reproductive dysfunction, diabetes, Parkinsonโs and Alzheimerโs diseases, and several types of cancer” is equally fallacious. While pesticides may be a contributing factor in some cases of some of these diseases or conditions, there are many other potential causes. One very likely cause of increased Alzheimer’s rates is simply the fact that more people are living longer now and surviving other diseases, thus giving them the chance to (unfortunately) develop Alzheimer’s. Our sedentary lifestyle is also linked to diabetes and various cancers.
Yet again, if you are a fan of not thinking too much, Christina Sarich is your go-to writer.
Yes correct EDH.
People getting information and making connections is dangerous. This information must be stopped and the people need to submit to the higher authority. The scientific community need more training in the art of deception, hopefully more dissenting scientists will be ruined for the good of all. There is far too much money on the line for people to concern themselves with health or environmental issues. These large corporations have invested far too much money into the gov and the regulatory authorities to have a few people worried about their health and their children’s future to stop progress.
Information and studies need to be stopped now for the good of the corporations, because they have made enough investments to be favored within society.
The scientists need to make more efforts within their paradigms and enforce the forbidden knowledge paradigm. Hide that information, they cannot be allowed to know!!
People are questioning because the scientific community is failing to suppress information.
I’d recommend investing more into the regulatory processes and the media outlets, a few million more wouldn’t hurt. Besides the corporations can raise prices later and recover their investments.
I really like how you used the non specific apple to provide your arguing basis.
Oh yeah, that natural health site has some very nice accreditation’s, just the BBB speaks within itself..
There’s far too much money in science???? Is that really what you’re trying to say? That’s hilarious! Obviously you don’t know anyone actually working in science. As someone who does work in science I can tell you one thing, I didn’t choose this career because I thought I’d get rich.
Furthermore, you don’t really understand how science works as a discipline. Proving other scientists wrong is how careers are made in science. Believe me, if I could definitively demonstrate that GMOs are health hazards, I would! It would make me famous and firmly establish my career. However, based on the available evidence, that is not the case. This is the reason why scientists who become anti-GMO advocates are shunned by the scientific community. It’s not because they spoke out against GMOs. It’s because they put their beliefs ahead of the evidence, and that is a mortal sin in science.
I never made mention of a scientists paycheck, where’d ya get that from?
So you are working for the good of science, but the anti-GMO scientists aren’t, the label anti-GMO is the deciding factor?
Again the scientific community is acting like a bunch of 5 year olds, is this what you mean when you cite my lack of scientific understanding?
I fully understand discipline, It isn’t a scientific specific value or concept.
I was in charge of a lab, Yes I know lots of people in science. I was sent there because they needed adult supervision. I fixed it and was sent else where.
Do you know any of the leaders, above your lab’s level, obviously you don’t. As someone who worked far above your level, I will tell you that you haven’t the slightest clue.
How does knowing scientists have anything to do with this anyways?
Good informative article.
Many other sources support the points that Sarich has made. Try a search instead of grousing. Note also that Monsanto has been caught yet again BUYING scientists to produce pro-Monsanto so-called ‘science.’
Scientists
who become anti-GMO advocates are NOT shunned by the scientific community, but they Are ridiculed (an attempt to discredit) by Monsanto’s bought shills.
They discredit themselves with poorly done research you mean. Just as Chrissy does with these poorly written articles.
Not a relevant comment, opinion based.
Without merit since selling seeds and your soul indicate your level of intelligence.
As your buddies here would point out, your neither a scientist or a journalist so you haven’t enough understanding to comment.
Chrissy qualifies as neither but she still writes. Yours on the other hand lacks intelligence since I have explained that the seed portion of my business is very small part (about 5% of our annual sales), but you continually insist that it is the driving force being my arguments. I also keep reminding you that we sold seed long before gmos and would still be selling seed in the unlikely event that they would disappear. Your childish behavior is very unbecoming, no wonder you don’t have a life besides these blogs. Very sad.
Actually I just called you stupid in a nice way.
You also explained that your 100k business was over 1 million dollars in debt and by some miracle you got a loan for your failure of a business.
Your a freelance GMO activist.
And your past comments have earned you very little respect from me, your a disgrace to the pro GMO activists.
I don’t have the respect of a loser like you? How will I ever get to sleep at night? As far as my 100k business is concerned, I really don’t know where you dreamed that up. It has to be a really bad month for us to only do that in sales. Although we have had a couple in the last fifteen years. At least I know what hard work is and we were able to turn it around, instead of always blaming someone like you usually do.
As someone here openly admitted they were a Veteran, you immediately attacked them with treasonous, traitor and every insult you could conceive. That was an attack on everyone who ever placed their life second to their Nations and the People. Your willing to do or say anything to back stab anyone to support your agenda.
Your disgusting, sick and a lying troll, it doesn’t matter what you think and just that display mean’s you will say or do anything. Your a true POS to the highest degree.
You should be fired, the GMO’s advocates can do far better and they should demand it.
Everything you say is lies and pure evil.
Good job at distracting from your lie, you openly admitted your failure business was 1 million dollars in debt, then tried to convince people here a bank or supplier would loan a total failure money.
Total lie.
You aren’t very smart are you? Anyone will make a loan if you are able to back it up with enough security. While our business was in debt the loan was backed by personal guarantees of land that was worth more than the loan. So, as far as my being fired? Who will do it? Me? LOL you are funny, not smart, but funny. Lastly, with lumpy, how do you know he was a vet? Because he said so? Just because you lie on here you think no one else will? As I said very funny, just not very smart.
LMAO, you don’t have a clue.
Your a freelance troll, the GMO advocates should have you removed. I’d fire you…
So let me see, in your mind set it is ok to bash all those who serve our Nation because someone “might” be lying?
Entirely diseased rational.
A freelance person would hoped to be paid by someone. I have no desire to be paid for making you look like the moron you are, I will gladly do that for free. Where you get off by bring in everyone that ever served is another example of your warped mind trying to comprehend reality. As I never once offended them. It is a shame that you must use those honorable people in your deceptions.
Twist the fact you have insulted those who Serve.
I already told you my Family has a very long history of serving, so I’m qualified to judge your words as they are, for they are my Family.
You insult my fellow Nations Service Members you have insult me.
You’ll just find more crap to pull from your addled mind, more than likely call me a liar again.
When lumpy mentioned Honor you attacked, so don’t act like you have a clue as to the meaning or attempt to use something you don’t understand against me.
I already asked for a simple apology, that would have gone a long way, but you decided to play stupid, which it appears that isn’t too hard for you to do.
I did make my apologies to lumpy as he did to me. You once again are way off base as usual. As for your service, I highly doubt that someone that hates our government as much as you claim to has ever served (except to topple it). Besides you wouldn’t be able to get that far away from mommy.
You just insulted those who chosen to serve the Nation AGAIN. You said the same thing to lumpy, almost exact wording.
You have NEVER typed the words, SORRY.
Tell me exactly how I feel about the US Govt…
Burden of proof.
Ok just for you — SORRY you are an idiot that is against your own country. It is shameful acts you commit.
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Thanks for the information. Great work. Keep it up.
http://gmo-awareness.com/2011/05/12/monsanto-dirty-dozen/