Is GMO Farming Poisoning the World's Drinking Water? Glyphosate Found in Human Urine. Fall of Atlanta. Sunmobile. Princess Diana.

 

For”Summary Saturday”, News, Some New, Some Old.

Pinterest:  REALITY

onsanto's Herbicide Linked To Groundwater Contamination

“In a groundbreaking study published in the journal Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, evidence surfaced that glyphosate, the active ingredient in the Monsanto's patented herbicide Roundup, is flowing freely into the groundwater in areas where it is being applied. The researchers found that 41% of the 140 groundwater samples taken from Catalonia Spain, had levels beyond the limit of quantification - indicating that, despite the manufacturer's claims, glyphosate herbicide does not break down rapidly in the environment, and is accumulating there in concerning quantities.

Why Is Groundwater Contamination An Important Finding?

Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface, that supplies aquifers, wells and springs. If a chemical like glyphosate is mobile enough to get into the groundwater and is intrinsically resistant to being biodegraded (after all, it is being used to kill/degrade living things - not the other way around), significant environmental exposures to humans using the water are inevitable. After all, according to the USGS, 88,000 tons were used in the US in 2007 alone.

Keep in mind that glyphosate is considered by the EPA as a Class III toxic substance, fatal to an adult at 30 grams, and has been linked to over 20 adverse health effects in the peer-reviewed, biomedical literature.

This groundwater contamination study adds to another highly concerning finding from March, 2011, published in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, where researchers found the chemical in 60-100% of all air and rain samples tested, indicating that glyphosate pollution and exposure is now omnipresent in the US. When simply breathing makes you susceptible to glyphosate exposure, we know we are dealing with a problem of unprecedented scale.

In fact, glyphosate's broad spectrum toxicity has been identified to be one potential cause for the disturbing loss of indispensable food-starter bacteria from soils and cultured foods within certain regions of the world, indicating that GMO farming may be depleting the microbial biodiversity of the soil, and ultimately its ability to remain fertile.”    From: http://pinterest.com/llamoureux/reality/ 

"... you could say that what you're doing with glyphosate is you're giving the plant a bad case of AIDS. You've shut down the immune system or the defense system." Professor Ron Huber

More at: http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/gmo-farming-poisoning-worlds-drinking-water 

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Weed Killer Glyphosate Found in Human Urine

“Friends of the Earth Europe (FoE) commissioned a series of urine tests on people in 18 countries across Europe. The results were released on Thursday and FoE is asking, “Why is there weed killer in our bodies?”

On average, 44% of the samples contained glyphosate. The proportion of glyphosate found in the samples varied between countries, with Malta, Germany, the UK and Poland having the most positive tests, and lower levels detected in Macedonia and Switzerland.

The volunteers who were tested and provided samples all live in cities. None of them had handled or used glyphosate products in the run-up to the tests.

Monsanto is the largest producer of glyphosate, and the corporation sells it under the brand name “Roundup.”  More at: http://www.cornucopia.org/2013/06/weed-killer-glyphosate-found-in-human-urine-across-europe/

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On This Day:

Battle of Jonesboro leads to fall of Atlanta, Aug 31, 1864:

“On this day in 1864, at the Battle of Jonesboro, Georgia, General William T. Sherman launches the attack that finally secures Atlanta, Georgia, for the Union, and seals the fate of Confederate General John Bell Hood's army, which is forced to evacuate the area.

Sherman swung his army south of Atlanta to cut the main rail line supplying the Rebel army. Confederate General William Hardee's corps moved to block Sherman at Jonesboro, and attacked the Union troops on August 31, but the Rebels were thrown back with staggering losses. The entrenched Yankees lost just 178 men, while the Confederates lost nearly 2,000.

On September 1, Sherman attacked Hardee. Though the Confederates held, Sherman successfully cut the rail line and effectively trapped the Rebels. Hardee had to abandon his position, and Hood had no choice but to withdraw from Atlanta. The fall of Atlanta was instrumental in securing the reelection of Abraham Lincoln in the fall.”

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William Cobb demonstrates first solar-powered car, Aug 31, 1955:

“On this day in 1955, William G. Cobb of the General Motors Corp. (GM) demonstrates his 15-inch-long "Sunmobile," the world's first solar-powered automobile, at the General Motors Powerama auto show held in Chicago, Illinois.

Today, more than a half-century after Cobb debuted the Sunmobile, a mass-produced solar car has yet to hit the market anywhere in the world. Solar-car competitions are held worldwide, however, in which design teams pit their sun-powered creations (also known as photovoltaic or PV cars) against each other in road races such as the 2008 North American Solar Challenge, a 2,400-mile drive from Dallas, Texas, to Calgary, Alberta, Canada.”

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Lady Diana Spencer:

“On August 31, 1997, the former wife of Prince Charles, was killed with her companion Dodi Fayed in a car accident in Paris. 

She was taken to the Pitie-Salpetiere Hospital, where she suffered cardiac arrest minutes after her arrival. Surgeons failed to revive her, and at 3 a.m. she was pronounced dead. She was 36.”

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Yesterday:

Misty and I went to get Jay, as he wanted me to take him into our town to cash his check, and pay some bills.   He also wanted me to take him all the way to the south end of the next town, but I refused.  We didn’t really have time for that.  I knew what he wanted to do…pay a month’s interest, $41, on his stupid $250 pay-day loan.  If he didn’t pay it, they take the whole amount out of his checking account today.  Maybe he can get by without renewing it this month. The more money he has, the more he spends on beer.

In the afternoon, I became involved in looking for a park model trailer and an All-In-One computer to replace my laptop. I don’t like the laptop keyboards, I’d rather use my own. 

Then, when I went to let Misty out, at first glance, I thought that someone had sprayed water on the back window of my van.  Closer inspection showed that the whole window was broken and crazed, with a big hole in the middle.  Ray was outside weed-eating, so he came over and taped up the whole window.  It took over one new roll of tape.  I know not to leave a vehicle closed up in the TX sun, and that is why I had window vents installed over my front windows so I leave them open a bit, without rain getting in.   But the heat of the direct sun must have been too much.  My new metal carport, if it had already been here, would have saved it. 

Jay, his mother, and neighbor have gone to Coushatta to gamble, so I am babysitting Muffie and Maddie today.