New Paper Justifies Moratorium of GMOs
Originally posted on Huffington Post - 1/4/17
On Dec 19, 2016 a team of scientists published a new paper* revealing that GMO corn, NK603 a Roundup-tolerant variety, showed alarming differences from non GMO corn. The variety showed to have metabolism disturbances caused by the GMO process and the presence of cadaverine and putrescine, chemicals which can be toxic. The presence of these differences show that concern for harm, when GMOs are consumed by humans, is warranted. The impact of these disturbances and chemicals are unknown. The rise of health conditions in the USA is a known however, since the introduction of GMOs, food allergies have increased 400%. Currently 1 out 2 American children have a chronic illness such as autoimmune disease, asthma, allergies, autism, diabetes or obesity.
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Roundup Proven to Cause Liver Disease - Recall Must be Enacted
-January 9, 2016 a new study reveals that the weedkiller Roundup causes liver disease in rats after being exposed to doses lower than allowed by the EPA to be present on American food and feed crops. The story was published by Claire Robinson of GMWatch:
Cutting-edge molecular profiling analyses reveal that the popular weedkiller Roundup causes liver damage at doses permitted by regulators.
The weedkiller Roundup causes non-alcoholic fatty liver disease at very low doses permitted by regulators worldwide, a new peer-reviewed study shows. The study is the first ever to show a causative link between consumption of Roundup at a real-world environmentally relevant dose and a serious disease.
The new peer-reviewed study, led by Dr. Michael Antoniou at King's College London, used cutting-edge profiling methods to describe the molecular composition of the livers of female rats fed an extremely low dose of Roundup weedkiller, which is based on the chemical glyphosate, over a 2-year period.
The dose of glyphosate from the Roundup administered was thousands of times below what is permitted by regulators worldwide.
Read the rest of the article here.
The impact of this study could change the face of agriculture. Roundup and glyphosate based herbicides make up 80% of GMO crops in America. Hundreds of millions of pounds of glyphosate based herbicides are sold around the world each year. Many would say that big agriculture has become addicted to chemicals. Perhaps rock bottom is near. Hundreds of weeds have developed a resistance to glyphosate and the quality of soil is being impacted globally. Glyphosate residues have been found in breastmilk, urine, tap water, honey, cereal, snacks, bread, yogurt, milk, eggs, baby food, beer and wine. Since the introduction of GMOs and glyphosate in our food supply, health conditions have skyrocketed and numerous studies have shown a direct connection. This study showing liver disease is one of the strongest.
At Moms Across America, we are very grateful to the scientists who face criticism and adversity in order to conduct such important work. We are sure that the chemical companies, and university scientists funded by the chemical companies will find a way to attack the authors and the validity of the study.
*Update: Two new papers show thyroid disorder connection from glyphosate based herbicides:
- Perinatal exposure to glyphosate based herbicides causes thyroid disorders: click here.
- Are glyphosate based herbicides linked to autism? Paper links harm to thyroid and glyphosate based herbicides: click here.
Hundreds of studies showing harm from glyphosate based herbicides. Countries like France have banned glyphosate and pesticides from public greens and Sri Lanka has banned glyphosate based on scientific evidence of harm.
We at Moms America find it most prudent to advise our supporters to avoid Roundup and glyphosate based herbicides on food (eat organic), in your gardens, and in your communities whenever possible. You may find solutions listed on our website. We have emailed and called the EPA to recall Roundup and ask you to do the same. In communicating with the EPA we ask you to always be respectful. Thank you.
EPA Pesticide Review Board Contacts
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Neil Andersen, Chief, Risk Management and Implementation Branch I, Pesticide Re-evaluation Division- [email protected] 703-308-8187
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Thomas Moriarty, Team Leader [email protected] 703-347-0248
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Khue Nguyen, Chemical Review Manager, [email protected]- 703-305-5035
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New Research Justifies Moratorium of GMOs
We know there is a lot of information to sort through. We hope the below links will help keep you up to date with the latest news on GMOs and toxins.
New GMOs are being developed all the time. A new tomato which kills the caterpillar which eats it is being considered by the FDA.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/new-killer-tomato_us_58656d4ae4b014e7c72ee012>
However, more research shows that GMOs are not what they are claimed to be.
The claim that GMOs are "substantially equivalent" to non GMO crops is simply not true.
See my latest article on a new paper by a team of distinguished scientists which shows that a GMO corn variety showed metabolic disturbances and the presence of chemicals which can be toxic. These finding prove that the moratorium of GMOs is completely justified.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/zenhoneycutt-117
Nor do GMOs work the way they are claimed to work.
GMO crops are becoming resistant to pests at alarming rates.
New research adds to evidence that the effectiveness of popular genetically engineered traits used to protect corn and cotton from insects is failing, putting U.S. corn production potential in jeopardy, and spurring a need for increased insecticide use.
Read Carey Gillam's article on GMO failures.
Hundreds of super weeds have built up a resistance to the most widely used herbicide, glyphosate, and the chemicals which are being used to replace glyphosate based herbicides are causing massive drift damage.
A peach farmer sues for crop damage:
http://www.ecowatch.com/missouri-peach-farm-sues-monsanto-dicamba-drift-2133507960.html
The lawsuits are growing for wrongful death and cancer links to Roundup as well.
Please Let the FDA know that GMOs and toxins are NOT what we consider "healthy"!
The FDA is "redefining healthy" and they are getting ready to let food manufacturers off the hook again!
Link to FDA comments:
http://www.momsacrossamerica.com/fda_means_to_let_food_companies_off_the_hook_again
Let then know that organic food has been proven to be more nutritious:
http://www.latimes.com/science/la-sci-organic-foods-20140715-story.html
GOOD NEWS: The UK now has an organic/biodynamic/permaculture conference that is TWICE as big as the conventional farming conference. Fantastic! We can't wait for that to happen here in the USA!!
And France has BANNED glyphosate in public greens! They will also NOT allow glyphosate use in backyards gardens by 2019!
Link: http://sustainablepulse.com/2016/12/31/france-bans-pesticides-in-public-green-spaces/
We hope you had a great holiday season and if you make any resolutions this year that they include eating healthy organic food, getting out in nature, and spending time laughing with loved ones. Your health is the most important thing, without it, you cannot commit yourself to anything else!
Much Love and Gratitude for you!
Happy New Year!!!!
FDA Means to Let Food Companies Off the Hook AGAIN
We hope you are having a wonderful holiday and get a chance to rest. Unfortunately, the FDA never ceases their shenanigans.
Below is a link to an article on the FDA's current redefining of "healthy" only using nutritional content for parameters. And then not enforcing it.
http://www.faegrebd.com/fda-to-redefine-healthy-claim-for-food-labeling
"While FDA is considering how to redefine the term “healthy” as a nutrient content claim, food manufacturers can continue to use the term “healthy” on foods that meet the current regulatory definition. FDA is also issuing a guidance document stating that FDA does not intend to enforce the regulatory requirements for products that use the term if certain criteria described in the guidance document are met"
This means by only classifying "healthy" under NUTRITIONAL content, they avoid GMO and pesticides, continuing to allow them in "healthy" food.
I
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Even Google knows better: If you search for "Healthy Foods" what shows up are whole foods on the left, not processed food such as Cheerios, on the right which has high residue levels of glyphosate.
Also the FDA's decision to "redefine healthy" successfully delays the outcome of any legal action against food companies,
"The FDA’s action on “healthy” may prove meaningful for food companies in a number of ways. For example, companies currently defending lawsuits challenging “healthy” on labels may consider seeking a stay of litigation pending FDA’s final action"
Outrageous! Their "final action" will takes YEARS. And even then, because the FDA won't enforce it, legally, it will be nearly impossible to hold food companies to account for their claims.
Please ask your supporters and friends to make comments here:
Please tell the FDA to DO THEIR JOB!
In the meantime, while our regulatory agencies stoop to new levels of low, irresponsibility, and corruption we once again assert that the women and moms who make 90% of the household choices are the ones that will turn this around.
The fact is that if we don't buy it, the food companies cannot sell it.
All we need to do is empower women and moms and we can transform the food system and the future of America
Your donation to Moms Across America creates a huge shift to organic!
Thanks for your support!
With Love,
Zen and MAA Team
My comment to the FDA below:
Testing Reveals No Glyphosate Found in Wines from Two CA Organic Vineyards
For Immediate Release
Contact: Blair Fitzgibbon, 202-503-6141, [email protected]
Testing Reveals No Glyphosate Found in Wines from Two CA Organic Vineyards
Today, Moms Across America announced that wines from two California vineyards tested negative for glyphosate. Phil Larocca of LaRocca Vineyards, and Athan and Denise Poulos of Lolonis Family Vineyards & Winery both had separate glyphosate testing done on their own wine samples and reported that the results came back as undetectable. This is welcome news in a landscape of widespread use and contamination of glyphosate based herbicides.
“We are thrilled to celebrate these tests results and the bravery of these vineyard owners who took the risk of testing and finding out inconvenient and frightening information,” said Zen Honeycutt of Moms Across America. “As Maya Angelou says, ‘Once we know better, we do better’, and we acknowledge that these vineyards wanted to know, so that they could do better if needed.”
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Moms to Speak at EPA Hearing on Glyphosate
Media Availability
Contact: Blair Fitzgibbon, 202-503-614
Moms Across America and Virginians for Medical Freedom mothers will attend The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) which will meet December 13-16, 2016. The panel will consider and review a set of scientific issues being evaluated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding EPA's evaluation of the carcinogenic potential of the herbicide glyphosate. Glyphosate is the declared active chemical ingredient in Roundup and 700 other glyphosate based herbicides, the most widely used herbicide in the world.
All three mothers are speaking at the public comment portion Thursday morning and available all week for interview.
Read moreUpdates November 2016
To all our Friends who donated to support Standing Rock,
Volunteers sort the donations.
Help Defund DAPL
If hundreds of thousands of people take their money out of the banks that are funding the Dakota Access Pipeline (put it in a local credit union) perhaps they will pull their money out too! The Norwegian Bank has already pulled 120 million dollars out. Now is the time. The Energy TRansfers Partners have a deadline of Jan 1 for oil to be in the pipelines.
http://www.defunddapl.org/
Watch a video from Lakota Law on Standing Rock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMs39DxtStQ
Widespread Glyphosate Contamination Confirmed
After initiating testing for glyphosate in urine, tap water and breast milk three years ago, seeing the low levels in water and the high levels in a few food tests after that, we could ascertain that glyphosate is in pretty much everything we eat. We know that the EPA allows high levels of glyphosate on 158 food and feed crops, and we know that glyphosate based herbicides are used as a drying agent before harvest on many crops such as sugar, wheat, corn, soy, barley, hops, dried peas, beans and legumes. The widespread contamination of glyphosate in our food was confirmed recently by independent testing and the results are alarming. See the article here.
Celebrate HUGE WINs!
The National Organic Standards Board has denied Carageenan from being in organic food!
They have also banned new GMO technology such as Gene Drives/CRISPR from being in organic food!
This is a huge win for our movement and we thank everyone who signed the petitions we circulated, who made comments and especially Cornucopia and the Organic Consumers Association for working so hard on this!
THANK YOU everyone for your donations to support Moms Across America and for being partners with us in creating healthy communities!
With Love and Best Wishes for a Peaceful Holiday!
Zen and MAA Team
Thinking of Going to Standing Rock?
Standing Rock Etiquette
The Dakota Access Pipeline, which if completed, would carry about 500,000 gallons of crude oil per day from North Dakota's Bakken oil field to Illinois. The pipeline will be crossing the Missouri River just above the Standing Rock Reservation, threatening the water supply to over 18 million people who rely on this water for their very survival downstream. Reports say that the oil will not be used to reduce our dependency on foreign oil, but much of it will be exported. It will likely be used for fuel, made into cheap plastic products, or become an ingredient in herbicides which are sprayed on our food. Either way, the result is poisoning our planet and our people.
December 5, 2016, will likely be the largest event in recorded history of native and non-natives standing side by side to protect water. 1000 Veterans arrive Dec 4 and the Army Corps of Engineers has stated that anyone on the Oceti Sakowin main camp Dec 5 will be considered trespassing. Reports of the National Guard coming in on Dec 2, before the Veterans arrive, are also circulating. Concerns of violence on behalf of the Morton County Police and National Guard are high. The Water Protectors will not be swayed. They continue to call for thousands to stand in support with them. If you are so moved to go to Standing Rock, keep in mind that the short term visits have an impact on long-term resources. Be prepared. Please go to www.ocetisakowincamp.org and read their protocols.
The following is my perspective from personal experience. This is by no means all-inclusive. Please go to the orientation upon arrival. The orientation volunteers are doing an extraordinary job.
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This is a peaceful demonstration. Absolutely no weapons are allowed.
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This is not Coachella. The Chiefs are not wearing headdresses. This means: treat all the Elders as if they are Chiefs, because they might be.
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This is a ceremonial prayer camp. Please, leave your ideas about making Molotov cocktails at home or don't come. Get up early and go to the prayer ceremonies. Prayer sets the tone for your actions and your day.
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This is an Indigenous-led camp. This means follow, do not attempt to lead, assert your plans, or impose your schedule upon the community. Go to the 9 am orientation at the Dome, it's imperative.
- This is not Burning Man. This means do not bring your guitars, drums, and hula hoops. No face painting, no drugs or alcohol at all. Don't take pictures unless you ask. The Native Americans are also not there for your entertainment or training on how to start a fire. And this is not a social event, festival or vacation. Come to be of service.
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Bring more than you take. This means bring your own food, only go to the kitchens if you absolutely need to, and the donation center is not an opportunity for you to pick out a new wardrobe. Also, if there are not 40 people around a campfire, there should be no wood burning. Resources are sorely needed for the long haul. Take a look at the supply list on the camp website and bring as much as you can to help out.
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Be of Use. This means: get to work volunteering by 9 am and, if possible, don't stop until dark. Winter in North Dakota is a life or death situation. They need serious help to winterize. Go to the Volunteer and Resource center by the Sacred Fire near the main entrance road for opportunities to help. There is also a white RV being used as a whiteboard for the days projects in the center of the South side of the main camp, by three Tarpees with silver stove pipes.
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Be honest. If you have stuff from your childhood that gets triggered when you are on the front line and you feel like lashing out, be honest and step back. The front lines are not a place to unleash your anger at authority or your Dad.
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Be safe. There have been multiple rapes at camp. Buddy up, bring whistles and walkie-talkies and be aware of your surroundings.
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Be smart. There are infiltrators at camp. Some have staged unsanctioned direct actions and led others to be arrested. Don't join in unless it is well organized and you see leaders you recognize from the morning meetings. Also, go to the legal tent at the top of Media Hill right after orientation. Without those forms filled out you will get lost in the cracks if arrested. Go to the Direct Action Training at 2 pm.
- Come with a clean heart. We are all angry, sad, or hurt. Allow prayer to have you be open. Come with a clean heart and be peaceful. Prayer is powerful.
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Holiday Parties to Unite Moms
Last week Illana from Detroit called me to tell me about her successful GMO OMG movie night evening. She had 7 of her mom friends to her house, MAA flyers about GMOs and organic nibbles on her table. It was a warm, intimate group and she is inspired to continue to have monthly movie nights.
Before everyone left they all vowed to go organic. It can be challenging however, to switch, so they formed an email group and are now encouraging each-other with names of brands, cooking solutions and budgeting ideas.
My heart warmed with joy to here her describe how happy she was with the result. This is a busy mom of two young kids, one which had severe health issues (which got better), and she herself also has Hashimoto’s (down to almost no symptoms by eating organic) and yet she made the time to host a group of women to her home. How inspiring and lovely!
If all of us did this, even once, let’s just say 2000 of the people reading this email had 7 friends over for a movie night...if each of those 7 friends shared about GMOs, the movie, or about pesticides and the importance of eating organic with their 500 friends through social media, we could reach 7,000,000 people in a weekend.
If those 7 million people then bought 100 dollars a week of organic food, that would mean an increase of organic sales of $36,400,000,000 per year. That’s BILLION.
We don’t have to wait for for our government to approve bills that will become laws. We don't have time to wait for our President. We don’t have to wait for EPA policy. We are busy moms.
What we do have is the power to transform the food industry, reverse the health crisis, and create Healthy Communities Today.
All we need is to be generous, have a Movie Night, Organic Potluck, or Holiday Party and we can fight corporate control, corruption in politics, pollution of our soil and waterways, climate change and create healthy communities too. I would say you would also be on Santa’s “Nice List” too!
Simply go to www.momsacrossamerica.org click on EVENT, scroll down and click “Host Your Own”. Create a Holiday party, movie night or potluck. If you do not want to post your home address, post a nearby school or post office and after people RVSP and you check them out, then you can contact them with the updated address. We encourage you to be open to having new people however, and invite your community. It’s so fulfilling to make a difference in someone’s life! Thank you for being generous and creating healthy communities with us!
Love,
Zen, Anne, and MAA Team
Carrageenan No Longer Allowed in Organics
On Thursday, November 17, 2016, the National Organics Standard Board (NOSB) declared that carrageenan would no longer be allowed in food products labeled "USDA Organic". The board voted 10-3 with one abstention after a 3 day meeting in their headquarters in St. Louis.
There may be many of thinking, "Great! But what IS carrageenan?". It seems to be one of those ubiquitous ingredients that shows up in many foods, even those found at your local health food store, making you believe that it was a "health food' and therefore okay to eat.
Carrageenan, also known as Irish Moss, has been derived through red algae since the 1930s. It is used as a thickener and stabilizer, and therefore helps lengthen a products shelf life. It is used in many products, including ice cream, yogurts, non-dairy milks, dressings, tofu, toothpaste and many others.
Some of the side effects of carrageenan include inflammation, which can lead to a host of ailments like intestinal distress, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and many others. Remember, all disease stems from inflammation. Interesting enough, in the medical field it is actually used as a laxative!
Unfortunately, it is not always listed on the label. If the food producer is using carrageenan as a "processing aid" it is not required to be listed. It is also used in beer making to clarify beer, but is not required to be on the label.
So, learn to read your labels and educate yourself on which products might hiding this ingredient if you are concerned or are having issues and think that this might be the culprit. Cornucopia.com has a wonderful page explaining carrageenan in more detail. Check it out here.
Here's to your health.
Anne Temple, MAA
