Community | May 16, 2011 | 23 comments

Connecting the Dots: Novel GMO-Based Bug Threatens U.S. Food Supplies

source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alison-rose-levy/connecting-the-dots-novel_b_861897.html

Vierotchka
A newly discovered pathogen, visible only under an electron microscope, is destroying plants and undermining the health of livestock -- thereby posing a deadly risk to the U.S. food supply, a senior plant pathologist warned USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.

In a January 2010 letter to Vilsack, (a former Iowa governor and agribusiness champion, appointed by President Obama) Dr. Don Huber advised caution in introducing additional GMO crops. But just weeks later, the USDA approved expansion of GMO crops to include alfalfa, the most widespread animal feed crop. The unnamed bug already runs rampant in current GMO Roundup Ready baseline food crops (corn and soy), and spreads from there to the animals who feed on them, says Huber, a Professor Emeritus at Purdue University. In addition to his thirty-five years in academic science, Huber is also a retired Colonel, who evaluated natural and manmade biological threats, including germ warfare and disease outbreaks for the military.

The GMO Roundup Ready crops are designed to be used with the Monsanto herbicide, Roundup, a glyphosate that leads to severe micronutrient deficiencies in soil that scientists now say are leading to increased crop failure. Scientists have detected a higher prevalence of the opportunistic pathogen in the depleted glyphosate treated soil. It is also found in higher rates in the livestock that feed off of the Roundup crops. Infertility and spontaneous abortion are on the rise within these cattle and dairy populations, with infertility at 20% and a 45% abortion incidence in certain animals. "It's infectious to cattle, pigs, poultry and horses, and will kill a fertilized egg," says Huber in one of a series of video interviews posted on YouTube. "It can readily reproduce, and it's compatible with other organisms."

In his January 2011 letter, Huber cautioned against expanding GMO into alfalfa, which he characterizes as "the number one forage crop" that nourishes livestock. "Why place it in jeopardy?" Huber asked in the series of videos, predicting that, "In five years you won't have anything but Roundup Ready alfalfa. If we see a new organism which makes it a hazard to animal survival -- what's the urgency?"

Organic farmers have sued Monsanto preemptively to protect themselves from legal action from the GMO producer when the GMO alfalfa contaminates organic seed, which cannot be prevented once GMO alfalfa is planted. Food Democracy Now is circulating a letter asking President Obama and Secretary Vilsack to "halt the sale and planting of Monsanto's recently approved Roundup Ready® GMO alfalfa and sugar beets until independent, peer-reviewed studies can be conducted to determine whether or not these products pose a threat to plant, animal and human health."
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  2. tags:
    Health,  Medicine,  GMOs,  Pathogens,  2 more
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23 comments // Connecting the Dots: Novel GMO-Based Bug Threatens U.S. Food Supplies // Video

  • JanforGore
  • Gravity_Man
    • 0
      Gravity_Man  
    • JanforGore:

      Yeah, but the Bright Side is all the Old [useless] Baby Boomers [pothead Woodstock~druggies too old too work] lingering around like dry bones past their Prime will die first.

      That takes care of the Medicare and Social Security shortfalls !!!

    • 1 year ago
  • freehit
    • +1
      freehit  

    • Saw a documentary on them with Bush senior crowing to Monsanto how he was going to be the deregulating president. They got their patents by claiming that the seed was substantialy different from natural seed stock and claimed that there was hardly ANY difference to avoid testing for hazzards to the environment and life. Talk about having it both ways. Then they went through all the seed banks and slapped patents on them to prevent their usage without paying Monsanto for the priviledge. Pure and simple evil and they're getting away with it because it's "legal".

    • 1 year ago
  • August_K
    • 0
      August_K  
    • freehit:

      I just watched a video about food and it told how Justice Thomas used to work as a lawyer for Monsanto. He also wrote the majority decision that made it illegal for large farms to save untainted seed. Monsanto sued a guy for helping the farmers.

      I can't recall if the video was FoodMatters or FoodInc. Both can be found on the net...in 10 minutes segments....but they can be viewed fully.
      Here's a link to FoodMatters ..........it's absolutely worth watching.
      They are hiding the truth about curing cancer and other diseases from us because there is no money in us being healthy.
      The Food Inc movie is on this link too....just scroll thru the side bar and you'll see it.
      Segment 9 has a separate link below segment 8. They had to move if off Youtube for some reason.

      http://www.youtube.com/user/MyEpiphany101#p/u/19/7Vxq-ptogg8

      Two other ex-Monsanto employees were also appointed by Bush...one to the FDA and one to the EPA.
      Bush was in Monsanto's back pocket..........same with the Koch's.
      They gave $800K, personally and through other groups.... to make sure he got elected.

    • 1 year ago
  • Jennifer_Guinn
    • +2
      Jennifer_Guinn  

    • Great post Vierotchka!! As usual. I love your attention to detail and extensive research. It shows you are smart and motivated to the truth.

    • 1 year ago
  • chew_chew
  • Vierotchka
    • +1
      Vierotchka  
    • chew_chew:

      Al Qaeda never was frightening to me seeing that I know that we are thousands of times more likely to be hit by lightning than to be anywhere near an Al Qaeda terror attack.

    • 1 year ago
  • Vierotchka
    • +5
      Vierotchka  

    • When all the trees have been cut down, when all the animals have been hunted, when all the waters are polluted, when all the air is unsafe to breathe, only then will you discover you cannot eat money. ~ Cree Prophecy

    • 1 year ago
  • sammykatz
  • Gravity_Man
    • 0
      Gravity_Man  
    • Vierotchka:

      I'm beginning to lose weight already! Dieting off skin is slow dieting. Being insulin resistance is added tough. It takes years to reverse lifetime insulin resistance... because the cell mitochondria have forgotten how to convert Fat into usable Energy.

      I don't get real hungry but the energy reduction makes ya feel like you're dying, and brain energy plummets with fat being lost from the brain area. hahaha The body pulls fat from the brain and insides before it ever targets abdominal girth & fat.

      But Hey!, if they kill off the cattle everyone has to go vegetarian eh?

    • 1 year ago
  • sammykatz
    • +3
      sammykatz  

    • Monsanto and DuPont have absolutely no business in buying, altering, or developing seed products that are chemical "ready" and serve only their bottom line. Large corporations won't be content until the earth is sterile, waters all fouled, fishes and animals and birds extinct, and humans gone.

    • 1 year ago
  • Wyley_Wombat
    • +2
      Wyley_Wombat  

    • How many warnings of the dangers of artificial monoculture do we need before we realize that if something goes wrong, we're screwed. There is a balance that exists in nature and upsetting it will only lead to our own destruction.The planet's ecosystem will eventually purge it of parasites. That's us BTW.

    • 1 year ago
  • Jennifer_Guinn
  • August_K
    • +1
      August_K  

    • Árpád Pusztai and Ignacio Chapela have two things in common.
      They are distinguished scientists and their careers are in ruins. Both scientists choose to look at the phenomenon of genetic engineering.

      Both made important discoveries.
      Both of them are suffering the fate of those who criticize the powerful vested interests that now dominate big business and scientific research.
      Statements made by scientists themselves prove that 95% of the research in the area of genetic engineering is paid by the industry. Only 5% of the research is independent. The big danger for freedom of science and our democracy is evident.
      Can the public -- we all -- still trust our scientists?

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADNE1B2Rl5Y&feature=player_embedded

    • 1 year ago
  • August_K
    • +1
      August_K  
    • Image

    • Tell the DOJ it's time to Break Up Monsanto

      Last year the Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Agriculture held a series of 5 workshops investigating anti-competitive practices in the food and agricultural sectors. Nowhere are these abuses more prevalent than in the extreme market share enjoyed by the seed and chemical company Monsanto, which has a virtual stranglehold on seed supplies in crucial sectors that has severely limited farmer’s choice in what traits they can buy. Monsanto’s control of the seed market is so high that 93% of soybeans, some 82% of corn, 93% of cotton and 95% of sugar beets grown in the U.S. contain Monsanto’s patented genes.

      During the 2008 campaign, President Obama promised to deal with the worst monopoly abusers in agriculture. Well now is the time! Please join us in telling Department of Justice that it's time to Break Up to Monsanto today!

      Please add your name to the letter to President Obama, Attorney General Holder, Assistant Attorney General Varney and Secretary Vilsack:

      For far too long Monsanto has been able to control important market access for family farmers. Today their power has grown too great, they own more than 90% of the GMO seed genetics in the world and this is having a harmful impact on farmer's right to choose what type of seeds they want to plant and how American consumers want their food produced. Monsanto's excessive market share harms farmers, the environment, innovation and our democracy. It's time to Break Up Monsanto!

      Form to add your voice is here:

      http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/sign/break_up_monsanto/

    • 1 year ago
  • artemis6
    • 0
      artemis6  

    • Good news that Monsanto is getting sued . This organism is trouble for us all . I hope this GM alfalfa and sugar beets are stopped .

    • 1 year ago
  • DavidYates
    • 0
      DavidYates  

    • Well, now we know how they're doing it. Population control is underway. Nuclear war does too much damage. Monsanto wouldn't release this without an antidote stashed somewhere. Now we know what we suspected about the seed banks is and shelters is true. Humanity will probably go on in some form if you want to call them human. All this for the comfort of the few. The Nazis have just changed their name.

    • 1 year ago
  • August_K
  • Jennifer_Guinn
    • 0
      Jennifer_Guinn  
    • DavidYates:

      You have hit the proverbial nail on the head David. They may end up wiping themselves out in the process. How do you contain something like this once it is "out of the box" Pandora GMO may be the end of human life on this planet. I'd like to see what this world would be without us infesting it. Evil way outmultiplies good. If I were God, I'd be ready to call it a day and try again. Adam and Eve, model# whatever He has gotten to so far. Back to the old drawing board. Everything here is really cool except for the dark heart of man.

    • 1 year ago
  • August_K
    • +1
      August_K  

    • This is from just ONE article....... they're not only poisoning us and our farmlands but the rest of the world too.

      "GM Roundup Ready® soy linked to birth defects and environmental damage

      A group of international scientists has released a report detailing health and environmental hazards from the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) Roundup Ready soy and the use of glyphosate (Roundup®) herbicide.

      The report, GM Soy: Sustainable? Responsible? [1] highlights new research [2] by Argentine government scientist, Professor Andrés Carrasco, which found that glyphosate causes malformations in frog and chicken embryos at doses far lower than those used in agricultural spraying.

      “The findings in the lab are compatible with malformations observed in humans exposed to glyphosate during pregnancy,” said Carrasco.

      Carrasco, director of the Laboratory of Molecular Embryology, University of Buenos Aires Medical School and lead researcher of the National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Argentina, is a co-author of the new report. The report is released with interviews with Argentine villagers whose lives have been radically disrupted by the cultivation of GM soy. [3]

      In Argentina and Paraguay, doctors and residents living in GM soy producing areas have reported serious health effects from glyphosate spraying, including high rates of birth defects as well as stillbirths, miscarriages, and cancers. Scientific studies collected in the new report confirm links between exposure to glyphosate and premature births, miscarriages, cancer, and damage to DNA and reproductive organ cells."

      Alzheimers is up 9.000 percent, Diabetes is at epidemic levels, Autism (according to the latest report) now affects as many as 38 out of 100 children and that's only a few of the health concerns that are growing rapidly.

      How much more proof do we need before we say NO MORE to the companies that are knowingly poisoning us for profits.

    • 1 year ago
  • August_K
    • +1
      August_K  

    • "Infertility and spontaneous abortion are on the rise within these cattle and dairy populations, with infertility at 20% and a 45% abortion incidence in certain animals."

      In other articles I've read about glyphosate......the results in the quote above are happening in humans too. Monsanto has to be stopped and the USDA MUST be forced to do it's proper job.......to protect us from the damage the Monsanto's of the world are doing by insisting that independent studies be done..long term studies, not the few months of studies that Monsanto itself does ....and claims those are sufficient.

      We can't put the genie back in the bottle...... the time is now to stop this GMO insanity.

    • 1 year ago
  • KB723
  • Jennifer_Guinn
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