Tech | June 12, 2011 | 45 comments

Public kept in the dark on Roundup link with birth defects - new report

source: http://www.scribd.com/doc/57277946/RoundupandBirthDefectsv5

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JanforGore
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Public kept in the dark on Roundup link with birth defects
*Industry knew since 1980s, regulators since 1990s*
Earth Open Source
Press release for immediate release, 7 June 2011
Contact: claire.robinson@earthopensource.org

Industry and EU regulators knew as long ago as the 1980s-1990s that Roundup, the world's best selling herbicide, causes birth defects – but they failed to inform the public. This is the conclusion of a new report, "Roundup and birth defects: Is the public being kept in the dark?" co-authored by a group of international scientists and researchers and released today.[1]

The report reveals that industry's own studies (including one commissioned by Monsanto) showed as long ago as the 1980s that Roundup's active ingredient glyphosate causes birth defects in laboratory animals.

The German government has known about these findings since at least the 1990s, when as the "rapporteur" member state for glyphosate, it reviewed industry's studies for the EU approval of the herbicide. The European Commission has known since at least 2002, when it signed off on glyphosate's approval.

But this information was not made public. On the contrary, regulators have consistently misled the public about glyphosate's safety. As recently as last year, the German Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety, BVL, told the Commission there was "no evidence of teratogenicity" (ability to cause birth defects) for glyphosate.

BVL made this comment in its rebuttal[2] of an independent scientific study published last year by Argentine scientists. The study showed that Roundup and glyphosate cause birth defects in frogs and chickens at concentrations much lower than those used in agricultural spraying.[3] The study was prompted by reports of high rates of birth defects and cancers in areas of South America growing genetically modified (GM) Roundup Ready soy, which is engineered to tolerate being sprayed liberally with glyphosate herbicide.

In its rebuttal of the Argentine study, BVL cited as proof of glyphosate's safety the industry studies submitted for the Commission's 2002 approval of glyphosate (the approval that is currently in force).

But the authors of the new report obtained the approval documents and found that contrary to BVL's claim, industry's own studies, conducted in the 1980s and 1990s, showed that glyphosate/Roundup causes birth defects in experimental animals. In some cases, these effects occurred at low doses.

The German authorities and the EU Commission's ECCO expert review panel[4] whitewashed the findings and the Commission approved the herbicide.

Claire Robinson, a co-author of the new report and spokesperson for the sustainability NGO Earth Open Source, which published it, said, "This looks like a thirty-year cover-up by industry and regulators and it has certainly placed the public at risk. Roundup is used not only by farmers but by home gardeners and in school grounds and other public areas, in part because of false marketing claims that it is safe."

Commission delays review of glyphosate

A new, more stringent pesticide regulation comes into force in the EU this June. An objective review of glyphosate under this new regulation would almost certainly result in a ban. This is because under the regulation, independent studies have to be taken into consideration. Many of these studies, summarised in the new report, show that glyphosate and Roundup cause birth defects, cancer, genetic damage, endocrine disruption, and other serious effects, often at very low doses.

Glyphosate was due to be reviewed in 2012. But late last year, the Commission quietly passed a directive delaying the review of glyphosate and 38 other pesticides until 2015.[5]
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45 comments // Public kept in the dark on Roundup link with birth defects - new report

  • EmileZ
  • love_is_my_religion
  • bailey78
  • letsliveinpeace
  • PIANORAMA
  • unclematt
  • Laura_Farley_Mars
  • JanforGore
  • rgrisham
    • +5
      rgrisham  

    • Americans can take a sigh of relief knowing if this ever becomes a court case and makes it to the Supreme Court. Justice Clarence "Never Excuse Myself" Thomas will be listening carefully to the case against his old clients. He'll do the right thing because he did it the first time he ruled in favor of Monsanto on Supreme Court case. He even wrote the lead argument in the case for Monsanto. Yes, You would figure it would be a huge conflict of interest for Justice Thomas to hear a case from his old employer, but in reality that's what he was appointed to do. Round Up is a product of Monsanto of which Justice Thomas was employed.

      No Political Solutions.

    • 12 months ago
  • vkotomski
  • letsliveinpeace
  • samthesixth
  • PoliticalAmazon
  • JanforGore
    • +3
      JanforGore  
    • samthesixth:

      Just can't help yourself can you? It is established that the administrations and USDAs all the way from the first Bush pushed for this and it was wrong on all counts. The main point now is that we need to get this out to the public NOW and work to change our agricultural policy which he has also called for. So if all you are going to do is come on my threads to push Al Gore's name vicariously to change the conversation because you think it "gets to me" think again. That bit is getting very old.

    • 12 months ago
  • samthesixth
  • JanforGore
    • 0
      JanforGore  
    • samthesixth:

      In honesty, do you really expect me to believe that excuse? Of course people would expect it, it's been discussed here many times. And actually you could fit my ego through the eye of a needle and I wouldn't even have responded as I did unless you hadn't done the same thing in other threads I've discussed his views in before here. I personally don't give a damn how you wish to talk about the man, I've seen it all. I am simply making an observation based on your own prior postings here that seem to indicate you are upset I support him. Seems like I hit a nerve here too. "Syncophantic praising" doesn't exactly give the impression you ignore what I type here.

    • 12 months ago
  • samthesixth
  • onechance
    • +4
      onechance  
    • samthesixth:

      I think MOST politicians know about this crap. They know about ALL the environmental destruction, but they let it happen via LOBBYING and ELECTION FUNDING. Until our system isn't buy-able, it will be par for the course. U$A

    • 12 months ago
  • onechance
    • 0
      onechance  
    • samthesixth:

      Infighting only distracts form the real issue at hand. Please stop, both of you. Jan, don't humor him, samthesixth, you have a point, but make it on another thread that's relevant please.

    • 12 months ago
  • JanforGore
  • onechance
  • August_K
    • +2
      August_K  

    • "But late last year, the Commission quietly passed a directive delaying the review of glyphosate and 38 other pesticides until 2015."

      Jerks! I guess they'll do anything to delay letting people know how toxic their poisons are.

    • 12 months ago
  • dudefromtherock
  • ejasun
    • -1
      ejasun  
    • Image

    • “The CHEMICAL & NUKE breakdown of the EARTHS ECO system has started, WHAT NEXT?

      When is "GoreGODZILLA" going to show up ? ? ? ”

      Roundup is used not only by farmers but by home gardeners and in school grounds and other public areas, in part because of false marketing claims that it is safe.”
      http://farmwars.info/?p=4275

    • 12 months ago
  • JanforGore
    • +6
      JanforGore  
    • ejasun:

      He is giving us this venue to spread this information. I appreciate that though I honestly have to say I wish it got more exposure. Maybe he can hire me to do an environmental show. And I won't need 10 million a year to do it. ;-) Seriously though, neither you nor I know what else he may be doing or saying on this or other topics. I personally think it's time WE stepped up in holding the feet to the fire of those responsible for this.

    • 12 months ago
  • wolfess
    • +3
      wolfess  

    • So I guess it will be people like myself who will just have to do their job for them.

      Thank you Jan -- not only for these articles, especially this one, but for giving me even more evidence that my children were the result of these chemicals. Whether it is Round Up sprayed all over the world, or agent orange sprayed in Vietnam the bottom line is that these chemical companies are killing us for one more dollar in profit.
      So few guillotines; so many criminals!

    • 12 months ago
  • JanforGore
  • PoliticalAmazon
    • 0
      PoliticalAmazon  
    • wolfess:

      I agree 100%--we do have to step up to the plate (well, those who are not already political activists) and push for change.

      However, the problem with "we doing it ourselves" is that we have given our government leaders all the power, and reinforce it at every election. We have to start making better voting decisions, and refusing to vote for someone who we know is going to sell us to the Soylent Green plant in exchange for corporate backing.

      I'm so heartened by the positive changes I've seen lately, as a result of the people. Wisconsin is the best-I honor what they've done. I was part of the good change in California and it was hard work (AACH! Wish GWB had never said that!). I was lucky I had the flexibility to take enough time off from earning a living to do it. Not all people have that luxury these days--those who have a job, that is.

      I am starting to wonder what the political landscape will look like in the 2012. We have a LOT of unemployed with perhaps some free time to volunteer (if they are not burned out and apathetic at the treatment by our government).

      What will that mean?

      Also, have you noticed that, for it being June 2011, that there is very little campaign action going on? It's like they don't want us to think about it. Remember in 2008? Man, it was rocking and rolling two years before the election!

      Lots of change, I hope it is for the good this time.

    • 12 months ago
  • jam60jam
    • +2
      jam60jam  

    • as a worker in the out door industry i can tell you this is applied by millons of homeowners and lawn people who just spray whatever whenever and despite weather conditions electric and gas companys use a number of herbicides even in your own backyard most of the time they dont have a license or even need one as long as the owner of the company or supervisor holds one not just roundup but all kinds of herbicides are around us all the time with no regard to our safety but more to our beauty of our yards or to reduce maintenance on right of ways

    • 12 months ago
  • JanforGore
    • +5
      JanforGore  
    • jam60jam:

      Monsanto should be sued for false advertising. Their ads for this (now with a man in the ad holding a huge container of it with a sharp shooter nozzle) make it look like you can spray it anywhere and it is perfectly safe. Their ads even show someone spraying it in cracks on driveways in public areas. It is a disgrace that companies can buy their way into governments and not be held accountable for lying to the public about a potential direct threat to the health of them and their children, and those who may yet be born. How anyone could trust the makers of Agent Orange and PCBS to actually make anything safe boggles my mind!

    • 12 months ago
  • PoliticalAmazon
    • +1
      PoliticalAmazon  
    • jam60jam:

      In Calif., if you don't have a Pesticide Applicator License/Certification, you don't apply pesticides for pay. They are very strict about it.

      From what I've seen, it is the home gardener who scares me the most with the way they handle these very toxic chemicals. I've seen them spraying it right next to their kids and animals, spraying for an hour and then picking up their kid to give them a hug, getting the pesticide residue all over them.

      When I was in college and disease and pests classes, I was ninja about avoiding contaminating my car driving home (put a bedsheet over the driver's seat, put my shoes in a plastic bag before I put them in the trunk, etc.), and when I got home I stripped down to my nudie-cutie-ness before I stepped foot in the door of our home.

      I give landscape workshops now as part of my work, and I scare the living daylights out of them in the D&P module. Our aquifer is overdrawn already and we are risking seawater intrusion. We don't need the aquifer space we have left contaminated with pesticide derivatives.

    • 12 months ago
  • Wyley_Wombat
    • 0
      Wyley_Wombat  
    • JanforGore:

      Good point Jan. I have seen people spraying it on public sidewalks next to storm sewers that have the marking "Empties into Rivers and Streams" on them. One person said, "They show this on TV so it must be safe"

    • 12 months ago
  • jam60jam
    • 0
      jam60jam  
    • PoliticalAmazon:

      dont get me wrong in ohio you have to have a license too i have had both ornamental and herbicide license i was talking about t the guys that just pick lawnmowing or yard care there are so many of these little guys spraying crap there is no way for the state to catch them now to spray volume you need a license but in line clearance a person can spray stumps and only your boss or utility supervisor needs a license

    • 12 months ago
  • JanforGore
  • PIANORAMA
  • ejasun
    • +4
      ejasun  
    • Image

    • As always "JanforGore" your the best at keeping up with the CURRENT informative news! . . . this is my Favorite POLITICAL LINE:

      "but they failed to inform the public. "

      How many answers can be linked to this statement?

      BUT IT SHOULD SAY but they failed to inform the WORLD.

    • 12 months ago
  • JanforGore
    • +2
      JanforGore  
    • ejasun:

      Yes, the world, as it is farmers in India drinking this to take their lives after being lied to about the poverty cycle it would ensnare them in, and as it effects the people of Argentina and other countries that just now are working to ban it. A global shame.

    • 12 months ago
  • JanforGore
  • JanforGore
  • PIANORAMA
  • JanforGore
  • JanforGore
  • JanforGore
  • JanforGore
  • JanforGore
    • +7
      JanforGore  

    • And this does not just affect what is being sprayed. Round Up has been entering the water systems and soil of the world for years. Running off into waterways, effecting soil and other species and is one of many toxic substances causing larger dead zones in the Gulf Of Mexico along with all of the other toxic ingredients (and I suspect androgenous effects on fish, frogs and who knows what else.)

      Imagine all of the illnessses these past years that could not be attributed to this because it was being kept secret by industry and government. Not only that, but any residual RoundUp remaining on GM crops as they head to your supermarkets.

      This is the crux of the corporate greed and government collusion that has poisoned not only our waterways, food and bodies, but the agenices that claim to work to keep us safe! This is the ultimate betrayal. But again, you won't see this on your nightly news. So I guess it will be people like myself who will just have to do their job for them.

    • 12 months ago
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