Scary news.

Greengage · Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2014 8:51 am Post subject: Scary news.

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/roundup-weedkiller-linked-global-epidemic-fatal-kidney-disease

Good guy · Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2014 10:22 am Post subject:

I'd like to hear what other members have to say about this, especially people with a science background sufficient to enable them to verify (or rebut) the claims made.
Personally, my gut instinct has always been to look askance at 'free lunches', especially when they involve claims made by multinationals.

crosseyedsheep · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 9:27 am Post subject:

Monsanto have a seriously questionable reputation, nothing would surprise me about their products.

Keith g · Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 9:26 pm Post subject:

Monsanto

K.

medieval knievel · Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 9:32 am Post subject:

colour me sceptical; how come this disease is not being reported in other areas which have a high usage of the weedkiller?

the report above claims that glyphosate only becomes toxic when mixed with arsenic or cadmium(!) - so the common link here appears to be minerals which are widely known to be toxic anyway.

Rob12 · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 21 Mar 2014 Posts: 5

While I certainly do not have any love for Monsanto, I think it is important to remember that this seems to be a rather isolated story so far. I wonder why we would not have any other information from other places if this were a genuine problem with all of the products.

medieval knievel · Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2014 1:24 pm Post subject:

i'm currently reading 'silent spring'; it's absolutely bananas what they used to do in the states (the book is mainly about insecticide and pesticide use there); spraying suburban areas from the air with DDT and worse to get rid of mildly irritating insects.

Good guy · Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2014 11:48 pm Post subject:

DDT had devastating effects here and in the UK, too. One result was the near disappearance of raptors.

The adding of hundreds of chemicals to our environment means we are all, whether we like it or not, living in a vast, unplanned experiment, with no-one too sure of the likely outcomes.

The deliberate spraying of powerful chemicals onto foodstuffs in order to maximise profit, eg glyphosate on GM wheat, soya, beet, rape etc has to be full of potential hazards. Multinationals, and other big business, will always put the interests of shareholders before those of ordinary citizens. That is why I am very suspicious of them and of their claims as to safety. I'm not some Luddite ranting about GM. I have doubts, though, as to some of the uses to which the science is put.

It would be great if someone with a science background (and some free time!) could follow this report up and attest as to its relevance and value. I don't have the qualifications.