For "Foodie Friday:"
"How safe are GMOs? In 30 other countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production of GMOs, because they are not considered proven safe." More at: http://www.organicitsworthit.org/quick/gmos-101
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Biotech Hides Behind Patent Laws to Quench Independent Safety Studies
"Companies like Monsanto and Syngenta simply will not allow independent researchers access to their patented seeds, citing the legal protection these seeds have under patent laws. In other words, if their genetically altered seeds have something wrong with them that potentially could cause consumer illness, Monsanto and Syngenta would rather not have you find out about it. Why?
You might sue them for putting your health in danger! Or a farmer using their seeds might sue them because their claims of increased crop yields is a myth. In fact, lawsuits like these have already begun appearing in court.
Does this remind you of the public health debate that went on for decades over another multi-billion dollar industry -- cigarettes? For decades the companies producing this cancer-causing product denied they caused any harm, denied nicotine was addictive and even ran advertisements featuring doctors claiming cigarettes were good for your cough.
They produced scientific study after study by their funded research scientists claiming there was no health threat whatsoever from cigarettes. Executives from every major cigarette company even lied to Congress under oath, claiming they had no knowledge cigarettes were addictive, when in fact they did know—they even manipulated the nicotine content of cigarettes to keep you hooked! Is it really necessary to go through the same experience again with GM crops that independent scientists are now linking to frightening and dangerous pathogens?
Isn't it time to demand these crops be tested for long-term safety once and for all? If not now, when? After the population starts showing strange new health problems that no one can seemingly explain, like spontaneous abortions and infertility?" More at: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/05/05/the-dirty-secret-gmo-companies-dont-want-you-to-know.aspx
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Genetically modified foods…….. Are they safe?
"The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) doesn’t think so. The Academy reported that “Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food,” including infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, faulty insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system. The AAEM asked physicians to advise patients to avoid GM foods.
Before the FDA decided to allow GMOs into food without labeling, FDA scientists had repeatedly warned that GM foods can create unpredictable, hard-to-detect side effects, including allergies, toxins, new diseases, and nutritional problems. They urged long-term safety studies, but were ignored.
Since then, findings include:
- Thousands of sheep, buffalo, and goats in India died after grazing on Bt cotton plants
- Mice eating GM corn for the long term had fewer, and smaller, babies
- More than half the babies of mother rats fed GM soy died within three weeks, and were smaller
- Testicle cells of mice and rats on a GM soy change significantly
- By the third generation, most GM soy-fed hamsters lost the ability to have babies
- Rodents fed GM corn and soy showed immune system responses and signs of toxicity
- Cooked GM soy contains as much as 7-times the amount of a known soy allergen
- Soy allergies skyrocketed by 50% in the UK, soon after GM soy was introduced
- The stomach lining of rats fed GM potatoes showed excessive cell growth, a condition that may lead to cancer.
- Studies showed organ lesions, altered liver and pancreas cells, changed enzyme levels, etc.
Unlike safety evaluations for drugs, there are no human clinical trials of GM foods. The only published human feeding experiment revealed that the genetic material inserted into GM soy transfers into bacteria living inside our intestines and continues to function.
This means that long after we stop eating GM foods, we may still have their GM proteins produced continuously inside us."
More at: http://www.responsibletechnology.org/
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How to Read and Understand Food Labels. Ingredients to Avoid
"Processed foods are not required to identify GMO ingredients.(genetically modified organism)
High fructose corn syrup and soy are very likely to be GMO foods. "
"My roommate, who makes a concerted effort to eat well, brought home a pecan pie the other day. I looked at the label and wondered why in the world she bought it. The first ingredient was sugar, the second brown sugar—not cane juice, or even organic sugar—just sugar. So I asked her how something so unhealthy ended up in our fridge. “It’s organic!” she said. I didn’t bother to argue. I just looked closely at the label the next time I opened the fridge. It was made with organic eggs and organic wheat flour, but out of ten or twelve ingredients, those two were the only organic ones. And this supposedly organic pie was made with partially hydrogenated oils!
The first thing to remember when it comes to reading labels is to read the whole thing. Ignore labels on the front of the packaging that say natural or organic. Read the actual ingredients. When it comes to processed foods, if it says it’s natural, ignore the claim. It means nothing. If it says it’s organic, it doesn’t have to be 100% organic unless it says it is. Remember processed foods can be labeled organic if only 80% of the ingredients are organic. And organic junk food is still junk food.
There are plenty of people who will argue about how you should limit calories, fats, sodium, and more. Our stance is a little different. We think you should eliminate processed foods altogether. Why? Because they are dead foods, void of natural nutrition. Oh, they may be enriched with artificial vitamins and minerals, but what are you really eating?
Most of our processed foods include high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils (trans fats) and MSG. Avoid them all—always. And learn the multiple names they use for MSG to try and sneak it past you.
Big business has been able to shove their agenda through the FDA—genetically modified foods are not labeled. If you want to avoid GMOs, and we hope you do, don’t eat any processed food unless it is labeled 100% organic." From: http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com/issue-15/reading-food-labels-ingredients-to-avoid.php
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Genetically Modified Foods
"Dr. Oz discusses the subject of GMOs with his guests. The woman on the panel is trying to make people think that GMOs are safe, when they're not. Suppressed research has shown them to be harmful."
"Thanks to Dr. Oz for having this topic on his show and helping to raise awareness about GMOs.
We need to push the government for required labeling of all GMOs. People have a right to know. Please sign any and all petitions you come across for labeling.
For more information about GMOs, visit these websites:
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/
http://www.organicconsumers.org/gelink.cfm
http://www.naturalnews.com/gmos.html
http://search.mercola.com/search/pages/Results.aspx?k=GMOs
Genetically Modified Food, Panacea or Poison
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj1GFjauFyQ&feature=related
The Future of Food
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnD-DiDRIJA&feature=related
Everything You HAVE TO KNOW about Dangerous Genetically Modified Foods: http://vimeo.com/6575475
Here is a summary of crops, foods and food ingredients have been genetically modified as of May, 2010:
Currently Commercialized GM Crops in the U.S.:
(Number in parentheses represents the estimated percentage that is genetically modified.)
Soy(91%), Cotton(71%), Canola(88%), Corn(85%), Sugar Beets(90%), Hawaiian papaya(more than 50%), Alfalfa (at Supreme Court), Zucchini and Yellow Squash(small amount), Tobacco(Quest® brand)
Other Sources of GMOs:
• Dairy products from cows injected with the GM hormone rbGH
• Food additives, enzymes, flavorings, and processing agents, including the sweetener aspartame (NutraSweet®) and rennet used to make hard cheeses
• Meat, eggs, and dairy products from animals that have eaten GM feed
• Honey and bee pollen that may have GM sources of pollen
• Contamination or pollination caused by GM seeds or pollen
Some of the Ingredients That May Be Genetically Modified: Vegetable oil, vegetable fat and margarines (made with soy, corn, cottonseed, and/or canola)
Ingredients derived from soybeans: Soy flour, soy protein, soy isolates, soy isoflavones, soy lecithin, vegetable proteins, textured vegetable protein (TVP), tofu, tamari, tempeh, and soy protein supplements.
Ingredients derived from corn: Corn flour, corn gluten, corn masa, corn starch, corn syrup, cornmeal, and High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS).
Complete List of Invisible Ingredients Some of the Foods That May Contain GM Ingredients:
Infant formula
Salad dressing
Bread
Cereal
Hamburgers and hotdogs
Margarine
Mayonnaise
Crackers
Cookies
Chocolate
Candy
Fried food
Chips
Veggie burgers
Meat substitutes
Ice cream
Frozen yogurt
Tofu
Tamari?and Soy sauce
Soy cheese
Tomato sauce
Protein powder
Baking powder
Any sugar not 100% Cane
Confectioner's glaze
Alcohol
Vanilla (may contain corn syrup)
Peanut butter
Enriched flour
Past
Malt
White vinegar
Non-Food Items That May Contain GM Ingredients:
Cosmetics
Soaps
Detergents
Shampoo
Bubble bath
More at: http://www.responsibletechnology.org/GMFree/GMODangers/GMOsinFood/index.cfm
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The Latest Creation: GM "Breast Milk" From Cows
"Researchers are also trying to produce "human" breast milk using genetically modified cows. Scientists used cloning technology to introduce human genes into dairy cows to produce milk they say has the same properties as human breast milk and could provide an alternative to formula or human breast milk for babies in about 10 years.
Producing GM food for babies is alarming, as the process of moving genes around carries unpredictable risks. One study that looked at the insertion of a single gene into a human cell found that up to 5 percent of the genes had significantly changed their level of output. This means that hundreds or thousands of genes could change their levels of protein expression when a single gene is inserted -- and even one change can be dangerous. As The Telegraph reported, already there were signs of trouble with the GM "human" cow milk studies:
… During two experiments by the Chinese researchers, which resulted in 42 transgenic calves being born, just 26 of the animals survived after ten died shortly after birth, most with gastrointestinal disease, and a further six died within six months of birth."
Offspring of cloned animals often suffer health and welfare problems, so this would be a grave concern. Why do we need this milk – what is it giving us that we haven't already got.
Helen Wallace, director of biotechnology monitoring group GeneWatch UK, said: "We have major concerns about this research to genetically modify cows with human genes. There are major welfare issues with genetically modified animals as you get high numbers of still births. There is a question about whether milk from these cows is going to be safe for humans and it is really hard to tell that unless you do large clinical trials like you would a drug, so there will be uncertainty about whether it could be harmful to some people."" More at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/agriculture/geneticmodification/8423536/Genetically-modified-cows-produce-human-milk.html and: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1372836/Scientists-develop-genetically-modified-cow-produces-human-breast-milk.html
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No seeds, no independent research
"Companies that genetically engineer crops have a lock on what we know about their safety and benefits.
Christian Krupke, a Purdue University entomologist who signed the letter, put it more succinctly to a reporter for a scientific journal. "Industry is completely driving the bus," he said.
Beyond patent law, agricultural companies hold a pocketbook advantage in terms of research. For example, they fund much of the agricultural safety research done in the U.S. And when deciding whether to allow a genetically engineered crop onto the market, the Department of Agriculture and other regulatory agencies do not perform their own experiments on the performance and safety of the product; instead, they rely largely on studies submitted by the companies themselves.
The dangers ought to be clear. In 2001, the seed company Pioneer, owned by Dow Chemical, was developing a strain of genetically engineered corn that contained a toxin to help it resist corn rootworm, an insect pest. A group of university scientists, working at Pioneer's request, found that the corn also appeared to kill a species of beneficial ladybug, which indicated that other helpful insects might also be harmed. But, according to a report in the journal Nature Biotechnology, Dow said its own research showed no ladybug problems, and it prohibited the scientists from making the research public. Nor was it submitted to the EPA. In 2003, the EPA approved a version of the corn, known as Herculex." More at: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/feb/13/opinion/la-oe-guriansherman-seeds-20110213
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This Should be Banned, Found in 80% of Supermarket Foods
"Monsanto, enemy of organic farmers and anti-GMO advocates alike, will likely be allowed to conduct its own environmental studies as part of a two-year USDA experiment.
Currently, the USDA is responsible for assessing environmental impacts of new GMO crops, but the agency plans to at least temporarily hand over environmental impact reporting responsibilities to the biotech companies behind GMO crops.
If this isn't the classic example of the fox guarding the henhouse I don't know what is.
Already, GMO crops are causing environmental problems. Monsanto's Roundup Ready soy, corn, and cotton have spawned Roundup-resistant superweeds, which force farmers to douse their crops in even more Roundup Ready pesticides (that's called synergy). And cross-pollination between GMO and non-GMO crops is making it ever more difficult for companies to stay organic." More at: http://www.cfra.org/ruralmonitor/2011/04/27/monsanto-will-soon-be-allowed-police-itself
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GMO Foods cause significant organ disruptions
"GM peas caused lung damage in mice. Offspring of rats fed GM soy showed a five-fold increase in mortality, lower birth weights, and the inability to reproduce
GM potatoes may cause cancer in rats Male mice fed GM soy had damaged young sperm cells
Bacteria in your gut can take up DNA from GM food
The embryo offspring of GM soy-fed mice had altered DNA functioning. GM foods lead to significant organ disruptions in rats and mice, specifically the kidney, liver, heart and spleen
Several US farmers reported sterility or fertility problems among pigs and cows fed on GM corn varieties. Bt corn caused a wide variety of immune responses in mice, commonly associated with diseases such as arthritis, Lou Gehrig's disease, osteoporosis, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Investigators in India have documented fertility problems, abortions, premature births, and other serious health issues, including deaths, among buffaloes fed GM cottonseed products."
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Study Found Toxin from GM Crops is Showing up in Human Blood
"Cry1Ab, a specific type of Bt toxin from genetically modified (GM) crops, has for the first time been detected in human and fetal blood samples. It appears the toxin is quite prevalent, as upon testing 69 pregnant and non-pregnant women who were eating a typical diet (which included foods such as GM soy, corn and potatoes), researchers found Bt toxin in:
- 93 percent of maternal blood samples
- 80 percent of fetal blood samples
- 69 percent of non-pregnant women blood samples
Writing in the journal Reproductive Toxicology, the researchers noted: "This is the first study to reveal the presence of circulating PAGMF [pesticides associated with genetically modified foods] in women with and without pregnancy, paving the way for a new field in reproductive toxicology including nutrition and utero-placental toxicities." This GM insecticide toxin is already showing up in fetal blood, which means it could have an untold impact on future generations." More at: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/05/31/study-found-toxin-from-gm-crops-is-showing-up-in-human-blood.aspx
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On This Day:
U.S. Military Academy established, Mar 16, 1802:
The United States Military Academy--the first military school in the United States--is founded by Congress for the purpose of educating and training young men in the theory and practice of military science. Located at West Point, New York, the U.S. Military Academy is often simply known as West Point."
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Judge Roy Bean dies, Mar 16, 1903:
"Roy Bean, the self-proclaimed "law west of the Pecos," dies in Langtry, Texas. A saloonkeeper and adventurer, Bean's claim to fame rested on the often humorous and sometimes-bizarre rulings he meted out as a justice of the peace in western Texas during the late 19th century. By then, Bean was in his 50s and had already lived a life full of rough adventures.
For about 16 years, Bean lived a prosperous and relatively legitimate life as a San Antonio businessman. In 1882, he moved to southwest Texas, where he built his famous saloon, the Jersey Lilly, and founded the hamlet of Langtry. Saloon and town alike were named for the famous English actress, Lillie Langtry. Bean had never met Langtry, but he had developed an abiding affection for the beautiful actress after seeing a drawing of her in an illustrated magazine. For the rest of his life, he avidly followed Langtry's career in theatre magazines.
Bean fell ill during a visit to San Antonio. He returned to Langtry, where he died on March 16, 1903. Lillie Langtry, the object of Bean's devoted adoration, visited the village named in her honor only 10 months after Bean died."
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First liquid-fueled rocket, Mar 16, 1926:
"The first man to give hope to dreams of space travel is American Robert H. Goddard, who successfully launches the world's first liquid-fueled rocket at Auburn, Massachusetts, on March 16, 1926. The rocket traveled for 2.5 seconds at a speed of about 60 mph, reaching an altitude of 41 feet and landing 184 feet away. The rocket was 10 feet tall, constructed out of thin pipes, and was fueled by liquid oxygen and gasoline.
The Chinese developed the first military rockets in the early 13th century using gunpowder and probably built firework rockets at an earlier date. Gunpowder-propelled military rockets appeared in Europe sometime in the 13th century, and in the 19th century British engineers made several important advances in early rocket science. In 1903, an obscure Russian inventor named Konstantin E. Tsiolkovsky published a treatise on the theoretical problems of using rocket engines in space, but it was not until Robert Goddard's work in the 1920s that anyone began to build the modern, liquid-fueled type of rocket that by the early 1960s would be launching humans into space."
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Yesterday:
Jay and I walked Misty and Maddie down to the lake. It has risen due to the recent rains, but not where it should be.
We were going to work on the cargo trailer, but a branch had fallen on the guest house roof. Jay got up there, and cut down some overhanging branches, too. While he was up there he also cleaned out the gutters, and we even took down the drain pipe to wash out a clog in it. By the time we had cleaned all the branches and mess up, it was time to quit.
It isn't even Spring yet, but it was another warm day.
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