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 Article was first seen on Alternet

Investing in a company that sells harmful products like the toxic herbicide Roundup is counter to CalPERS' mission.

By 禅ハニーカット / AlterNet

5月 17, 2017

I was recently informed by a former California public health employee, that CalPERS, the state's pension and health care fund, the largest in the nation, has invested $136 million in Monsanto.  

As a California activist committed to healthy communities, I see this investment as a huge conflict of interest. For its health plan subscribers, the CalPERS mission to “advance the financial and health security” of the participants does not align with the detrimental effects of the toxic herbicide Roundup, Monsanto’s number-one product. 

The day after finding out about this ill-advised investment, I sent a letter to CalPERS urging it to divest from Monsanto. They have not responded.

Concerned Californians should be outraged by this investment by CalPERS in Monsanto and the harm that inevitably impacts the very retirees CalPERS is responsible to protect. 

Click here for link to fulll Alternet Article. 

March Against Monsanto in Akron, Ohio (4月 8, 2011).

Photo Credit: Bill Baker/Flickr

Moms Across America has many low-income supporters who have stated that it seems too costly to go organic. But more and more, we are also hearing from underprivileged area moms who are making the effort and making it work within their budget.

In fact, the first store in America to label food GMO was in Detroit, in the past one of the lowest income, most crime-ridden areas in the country. They have had other concerns, like violence, drugs, death and gangs that could trump food concerns. Recently, however, 20,000 volunteers a weekend are “greening” Detroit with over 1,200 organic urban farms and community solidarity is making a comeback! Americans see that genetically engineered and pesticide sprayed food contributes to mental illness, acts of violence, depression, poor school and job performance, etc. Doctors report that 90% of the children in low-income areas have diabetes and/or obesity. Allergies, autism and autoimmune disease is skyrocketing. It really is true that when moms say, "health comes first." Without health, we cannot function properly to do or enjoy other things in life like our career, schoolwork, family, and relationships.

Disturbing Toxin Test Results in American Children and Food Samples

Surprising Impact for Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian and Organic Consumers

For immediate release:

5月 5, 2017 Mission Viejo, CA- アメリカ中のママ releases their report on their recent findings of toxins in 36 American children, tested at Great Plains Lab, along with results from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency(CFIA). The results are disturbing and have an important message for Gluten Free, Vegan and Vegetarian American consumers and food manufacturers.

 “100% of all the children tested positive for serious toxins. 79% of the children tested had ADHD or autism symptoms, 21% did not. Over 50% tested positive levels of 3X higher than the average. We expected the children who ate organic to have lower levels of toxins than the children who did not. This was not the case for the majority of the children. Upon the release of the CFIA glyphosate data we realized why, and we hope consumer and food manufacturers take note of these important findings.” - Zen Honeycutt of Moms Across America.

Honeycutt focused primarily on glyphosate because scientists report that glyphosate increases the harmful impact of other environmental toxins, making the presence of the other 166 chemicals tested for, even more detrimental.

4月 22 is Earth Day, a day in which we pay tribute to the planet we inhabit. But what are we doing to it? We hear more and more about how our climate is in danger. We hear about all of these international groups calling for a massive reduction in fossil fuels. We hear less about the other causes of the destruction of our climate and one of the largest contributors is factory farming, including the GMO crops and the toxic pesticides used.

According to Robert Goodland and Jeff Anhang, co-authors of "Livestock and Climate Change", the environmental impact of the lifecycle and supply chain of animals raised for food has been vastly underestimated, and in fact, accounts for at least half of all human-caused greenhouse gasses (GHGs). 

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Did you know that many counties in America aerial spray toxic chemicals over cities and towns to kill mosquitos? The department that decides to do this is called Vector Control and each city has an elected official, a Planning Commissioner or "trustee" on that board. Together, they decide when and what will be sprayed over your home, backyard gardens, playgrounds, streams, and schools, while you sleep.

This week, in my county a few of the Vector Control board members thought it might be a good idea to have only 3 people head the decision-making committee along with just one trustee from the affected areas. Their intention was to not have to have all 35 members convene if spraying were to be done, for a vote. Because 48 hours of public notice must be given (they post it on their website), they often feel it is inconvenient to have to rush to convene and give us notice before they spray.

t is with a grateful but deeply saddened heart that I share this news with you today.
We cannot rejoice at the following finding, because the subject matter is of such tragedy, but we are very grateful for the work of all involved.

Today the Monsanto Tribunal judges released their findings. After hearing testimonies from mothers of children with birth defects, farmers with cancer, farmers with animals who suffered serious harm and death, and many more testimonies of harm from around the world, the international judges delivered their findings.

Due to the fact that the opinion tribunal was not taken under oath and the accused did not appear to deny or confirm the statements, the findings can only be given with the understanding that the testimonies given by the victims and claims of harm made in the tribunal will be proven to be true.

In summary: 

The Tribunal recognizes the fundamental right to a healthy environment and human health.

The environment is a precondition of all human health. Monsanto was found to violate that right with their products.

Monsanto has also violated the rights to healthy food and access information which is needed to protect health and environment.

Monsanto has taken actions which could be classified as ECO-cide.

Watch the tribunal decision here:
https://www.facebook.com/organicconsumers/posts/10154835376259934

The international community, judges, health organizations, farmers, manufacturers, and consumers are sure to take notice of these important findings and re-think their use of Monsanto's products such as Roundup. We find this to be an important step in moving away from GMO chemical farming and towards organic, regenerative agriculture.We thank the international community who worked tirelessly to create this tribunal.

Read the full transcript of the findings here:
http://en.monsantotribunal.org/Conclusions

The International Monsanto Tribunal is a unique "Opinion Tribunal" convened by civil society to clarify the legal obligations and consequences of some of the activities of the Monsanto Company.

During the hearings that took place on 10月 15 and 16th in The Hague, judges heard testimonies related to the six questions posed to the Tribunal. The ensuing legal opinion delivered by the Tribunal includes a legal analysis of the questions asked, with respect to both existing international law, and to prospective law in order to improve international human rights and environmental law.

The advisory opinion is structured in three parts. The introductory section details the conditions within which the Tribunal was initiated. The middle section examines the six questions posed to the Tribunal. Looking at the broader picture, the final section tackles the growing asymmetry between the rights conceded to corporations and the constraints imposed upon them to protect local communities and/or future generations, wherever corporations operate.

Thank you for continuing to support our work and raise awareness for healthy communities.
We are grateful for you!

Together, we can reverse the rise of health issues and create healthy communities.

Zen and MAA Team

Have you seen the trucks spraying Roundup or Rodeo (glyphosate-based herbicides) on your street yet?
If not, they are coming! In Orange County, CA in previous years, they have sprayed 65,000 pounds of glyphosate alone, 265,000 pounds of herbicides and pesticides. All those chemicals dissipate into the air and come down as pesticide rain or drain into the ocean. Either way, we are poisoning the planet with these chemicals. This is happening in your town too. But we can stop this.

It is obvious that our federal government is not going to protect your family from toxic chemicals.  The current budget proposal will fire 25% of the workforce at the EPA, cut back 31% of their budget, cut 9 staffers focused on endocrine disruptors, and yet hire 10 security detail for new EPA head Scott Pruitt.

Why are they protecting Scott Pruitt but not our babies from sex hormone disrupting chemicals? This is INSANITY!!!!

Some people feel the situation is hopeless.
But that is not true.
YOU are the hope.
WE are the hope.

Two years ago, in January of 2015, representing mothers, I had the opportunity to stand before the Monsanto shareholder meeting and say, "Mr. Grant, you and the EPA say you have hundreds of studies showing the safety of glyphosate. So I requested them by FOIA. Here is an example of just one on white shrimp. The study you commissioned found that white shrimp died at levels above 5.2 ppm of glyphosate in just 4 days. Another study shows that glyphosate remains viable in dark salty water for 315 days.

What's in our womb? Dark salty water. 

What's the size of a six-week old fetus? The size of a shrimp.

How much glyphosate is allowed on sugar? 25 ppm.

Pregnant mothers crave sugar!

You MUST be responsible for the contamination of pregnant mothers and the poisoning of our fetuses!

As a sea of shareholders looked at me uncomfortably, I compared the Danish Ib Pedersen pig study of 30,000 pigs to the current 30% infertility rate of young couples in America.  When the pigs were repeatedly exposed to low levels of glyphosate, there was a 30% increase of birth defects, smaller litters and miscarriages; exactly correlate to our human reproductive issues, which were highest in recorded history in 2014. The anguish and urgency of the situation compelled me to speak out to the shareholders, but I alone could not conduct scientific studies, I alone could not enforce laws.

Zach Bush is co-founder and CEO of Biomic Sciences, LLC, the manufacturer of Restore. He is also Director of Clinical Affairs at the Revolution Health Center in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Recently, Zach and his colleagues published a paper in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics, entitled "Protective Effects of Lignite Extract Supplement on Intestinal Barrier Function in Glyphosate-Mediated Tight Junction Injury."

This paper is a technically challenging read for the layperson, but it contains several powerful before and after images (Figure 3), which should convince anyone that lignite produces a significant change to cells of the stomach lining after they've been "insulted" by glyphosate.

Many who have purchased Restore from us, which has lignite as its active ingredient, say that this change is a very positive one!   

Here are links to the paper and the product.