Genetically Modified Maggots may Appear in Fruit Due to GMO Fruit Fly Experiment in Brazil

Wausau News

Wait – wasn’t the point of making genetically modified crops to make them pest resistant? At least that is what biotech companies tell us. Monsanto’s own website says, for example, that “Bt, or Bacillus thuringiensis, is a modern solution to insect control.” So why on earth would Brazil allow for GMO Mediterranean fruit flies (Ceratitis capitata), which have been planned to be unleashed on millions of acres of fruit trees?

While the experiment has yet to be given a release date in Brazil, the GM fruit flies are likely going to lead to GM maggots in fruit that will then be illegally exported to Europe and other countries. What could cause this?

Once released, the genetically altered fruit flies will mate with flies to produce female offspring which will fail to reach full maturity, thereby leaving GM maggots inside fruit. This hair-brained scheme is…

View original post 289 more words

10 Best Air Filtering House Plants, According to NASA

Wausau News

Using space station technology to ensure the safety of your home may be easier than you thought. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration conducted the NASA Clean Air Study to demonstrate the effectiveness of particular plants to purify air. As homes become more insulated and efficient, they also make it easier to trap indoor air pollutants. Chemicals like benzene, formaldehyde, and ammonia can come from household items and pollute your home’s atmosphere without any visual warning. Neglecting the quality of the air you breathe on a daily basis could result in serious consequences. Illness, allergies, asthmaand frequent headaches are just a few of many inconveniences that come from airborne particles floating around your home. Air pollution is also one of the reasons the can affect your digestive system. There’s no need to dish out hundreds of dollars on expensive appliances when you’ve got Mother Nature. According to NASA…

View original post 820 more words

Five reasons why Roundup should be banned forever

(NaturalNews) The science is irrefutable on this simple fact: Roundup weedkiller, manufactured by Monsanto, is a deadly chemical poison that persists on — and in — the food crops consumed by millions of people. And the many consequences of Roundup’s continued use in commercial agriculture are reason enough, at least to any rationally minded individual, to ban the toxic chemical cocktail forever for the sake of the environment and humanity.

These are strong words, but they are fully substantiated. In a recent piece published by Rodale News, the site’s online editor outlines five disturbing facts about Roundup which prove that it belongs in the dustbin of history and not on the forefront of modern food production. Roundup does not biodegrade as claimed; it is not innocuous, and it is killing the land, the animal kingdom and, ultimately, humanity.

Roundup Ready crops absorb glyphosate

Despite industry claims, Roundup does not simply wash off crops after it has been sprayed. A study out of Norway recently found that glyphosate accumulates inside crops at “excessive” levels.

Published in the recent June issue of the journal Food Chemistry, the study revealed that, while Roundup Ready crops are capable of resisting glyphosate in order to survive, they also absorb it and incorporate it into food. This means that people who eat GM soy or products derived from it, including soy lecithin and soy protein, are also eating a chemical solution linked to all sorts of health problems.

Exposure to Roundup doubles risk of lymphoma

The government maintains the same position as Monsanto — that glyphosate is essentially inert and not something to worry about. But a recent review of more than 44 published scientific studies found otherwise, having determined that exposure to glyphosate doubles farmers’ risk of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

“The study authors theorize that glyphosate disrupts the normal functioning of white blood cells, throwing your immune system into a sickened, dysfunctional state,” wrote Leah Zerbe for the blog Maria’s Farm Country Kitchen.

Roundup so heavily used that it’s being found in air, rainwater

It would be one thing if Roundup were isolated just to crop fields. But scientists are finding that the chemical is now spreading to the air, and even raining down along with precipitation. This means that glyphosate is now traveling with the wind patterns and raining down on people’s homes and on city parks where children play.

Roundup is killing butterflies and other pollinators

Even if Roundup really was helping to boost yields and produce more food — as demonstrated here and elsewhere, this is not actually the case — the harm inflicted on butterflies and other pollinators by the GM crop pesticides is simply inexcusable.

Researchers from Iowa State University found that glyphosate use has resulted in an 81 percent reduction in the monarch butterfly population, which relies on milkweed for reproduction and survival. Like bees, monarch butterflies serve as crop pollinators. Without them, many seed- and fruit-bearing plants would be unable to survive.

Roundup doesn’t even work as claimed

Perhaps the biggest reason why Roundup deserves to be banned forever is that the weedkiller does not even work. Overuse of Roundup has led to the emergence of highly resistant “superweeds” that no longer respond to chemical treatments and now plague millions of acres of U.S. crop land.

Because of this, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is gearing up to approve an even more deadly herbicide made from a component of Agent Orange, the Monsanto biowarfare chemical used during the Vietnam War.

Visit GMOs.NaturalNews.com for more information and breaking news on GMOs.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/045599_Roundup_glyphosate_environmental_damage.html#ixzz34vqZAXjJ

Monsanto owns many “heirloom” seeds – son of a..

Seed catalogs for the 2014 growing season are arriving in mailboxes across the Northern Hemisphere with home gardeners everywhere starting to plan which seeds they will sow in their spring gardens.

A positive trend in recent years is the growing number of gardening enthusiasts choosing to plant gardens using organic and/or heirloom seeds.

What most of these home gardeners don’t realize is that corporate behemoth and GMO titan Monsanto has been gobbling up the seed market faster than a caterpillar can munch a tomato plant! With one fell swoop in 2005, Monsanto grabbed approximately 40% of the US vegetable seed market with its acquisition of Seminis.

This means that a home gardener could unknowingly be supporting the development and proliferation of genetically modified crops if the seeds used are from Seminis.  In addition, Monsanto now apparently owns the trademark for many of the names of the heirloom seed varieties themselves!

Planting a sustainable home garden is much more than just choosing certified organic seeds and seedlings because Monsanto has cleverly positioned itself to make money off the home gardening trend.

Does this mean that even if you buy organic or heirloom seeds from a completely independent company some of your purchase might be supporting the bad guys?

Yes, it does.

Surprise!

Home gardeners would do well to bone up on where to purchase their seeds so they aren’t inadvertently doing business with companies that maintain a working relationship with Monsanto-Seminis or were acquired by them.

Buying Organic or Heirloom Seeds Without Supporting Monsanto

Here are the recommended steps for the 2014 growing season for those who want to truly strike a blow for sustainability in every way with their home gardens:

• Avoid buying from the seed companies affiliated with Monsanto. Here’s a list of these seed companies by location (click under “Where to Buy” and select your location for a list of dealers to avoid): http://www.seminis.com/global/us/Pages/default.aspx

 

 

 

• Buy from companies Monsanto HASN’T bought and are not affiliated or do business with Seminis:  The graphic to the right indicates numerous companies that are worthy of your patronage as compiled by the International Seed Saving Institute. Please note that this many not be a complete list.  If your seed company does not appear, just be sure to clarify with the owner about any potential affiliation with Monsanto-Seminis before buying from them.

 

 

 

• Avoid buying heirloom varieties for which Monsanto owns the trademark: http://againstthewall.info/2013/04/09/monsanto-owned-heirloom-seednames-to-watch-out-for

 

 

 

• Ask seed companies if they have taken the Safe Seed Pledge. Here’s a list of companies that have done so: http://www.councilforresponsibegenetics.org/ViewPage.aspx?pageId=261

 

– See more at: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/the-four-steps-required-to-keep-monsanto-out-of-your-garden/#sthash.UzQs4Hjk.dpuf