GMOs + you — maybe in more ways than one

Bayer CropScience

In 2006, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that Bayer CropScience's LibertyLink genetically modified rice had contaminated the U.S. rice supply. Shortly after the public learned of the contamination, the E.U. banned imports of U.S. long-grain rice and the futures price plunged. In April 2010, a Lonoke County, Arkansas jury awarded a dozen farmers $48 million. The case is currently on appeal to the Arkansas Supreme Court. On 1 July 2011 Bayer CropScience agreed to a global settlement for up to $750 million. In a statement to the media Bayer said: "Although Bayer CropScience believes it acted responsibly in the handling of its biotech rice, the company considers it important to resolve the litigation so that it can move forward focused on its fundamental mission of providing innovative solutions to modern agriculture."[11] (wiki on Bayer AG)

2002: Pharmacia also announced that it intends to complete the spin-off of its Monsanto agricultural subsidiary as soon as practicable this year.

http://www.disabled-world.com/fitness/gm-foods.php

some resources to believe or not

Which is more farcical?

http://documents.foodandwaterwatch.org/doc/GEFoodHumanHealthRisks.pdf

(from the report above)

"The FDA has no effective way to track adverse health effects in people consuming GE foods. And because there is no requirement that food containing GE ingredients be labeled, consumers do not know when they are eating these ingredients."


Genetically Engineered Food:
Human Health Risks

GE crops are engineered by transferring genetic material from one organism into another to create specific traits, such as making a plant resistant to treatment with herbicides, or enabling a a plant to produce its own pesticide
to repel insects.1

Currently, most GE food crops are genetically engineered to produce a soil bacterium called Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which repels insects or allows the crop to withstand treatment with an herbicide, such as glyphosate (often sold as Roundup.)2

Although the FDA contends that there is not sufficient scientific evidence demonstrating that eating GE foods leads to chronic harm,3 the agency's process for evaluating the safety of these controversial new foods is completely inadequate. GE varieties became the majority of the U.S. corn crop in 2005 and the majority of the U.S. soybean crop in 2000.4

The potential long-term risks from eating genetically engineered food are unknown. GE corn and soybeans are the building blocks of the industrialized food supply, ending up in products ranging from livestock feed to hydrogenated vegetable oils to high-fructose corn syrup. Companies submit their own safety testing data, and independent research on GE foods is limited because biotechnology companies prohibit cultivation for research purposes in the restrictive licensing agreements that control the use of these patented seeds.5


Cell Toxicity:

Glyphosate exposure causes cell damage and even cell death. A 2009 study published in Chemical Research in Toxicology found that glyphosate caused DNA damage to human cells even at lower exposure levels than those recommended by the herbicide's manufacturer.16 An Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis study found that Roundup induced the presence of mutations in mouse kidneys and livers. 17 Additionally, in vivo studies on human cells have demonstrated the genetic toxicity of a metabolite of glyphosate, AMPA.1

... Further research has shown that Roundup also has a negative impact during fetal development in rats and on human embryonic cells. 26 Another study showed that glyphosate concentrations 100 times lower than their recommended agricultural use disrupted endocrine enzymes in human placental cells. 27


GE Crops Speed Up the Chemical Treadmill (Agent Orange ...)

Ubiquitous application of Roundup has spawned glyphosate-resistant weeds, a problem that is driving farmers to apply more toxic herbicides, like 2,4-D and Dicamba.28 The chemical 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) once made up half of the herbicide mix known as Agent Orange.29 ... Studies found that men who applied 2,4-D had lower sperm counts and more sperm abnormalities than those not exposed to the herbicide. 32

To help manage weeds and allow farmers to apply 2,4-D generously to crops, Dow AgroScience has engineered 2,4-D-resistant corn. This crop could be dangerous to eat because a metabolite of 2,4-D is known to cause skin sores, liver damage and sometimes death in animals. 33

Scientists from the French National Institute for Agricultural Research suggest that, “following 2,4-D treatment, 2,4-D tolerant plants may not be acceptable for human consumption.”34

Maybe it's not so far off!

HEK 293 protein used for taste-testing

Monsanto and other agribusiness and food companies such as PepsiCo and Nestle spent $45m on advertising and lobbying for the "no" campaign, compared with around $8m for the "yes" campaign, that was largely funded by organic food companies.

"As a group of scientists and physicians that includes many long-standing members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), we challenge the recent AAAS Board of Directors statement opposing efforts to require labeling of foods containing products derived from genetically modified crop plants. Their position tramples the rights of consumers to make informed choices."

Where Does Medical Waste Go?

Regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), more than 90 percent of medical waste is incinerated at roughly 2,400 medical waste incinerators (MWI) across the U.S. This incineration releases a wide variety of pollutants into the air, including dioxins and furans, heavy metals (such as lead, mercury and cadmium) and carbon monoxide. However, alternatives exist today that can address the environmental and health concerns associated with medical waste incineration.