121 replies to this topic

[alternativista]

Did you catch the NPR segment on 'chicken litter' being fed to cattle as a cheap source of feed?

The litter includes their droppings and spilled food. And their food includes beef products. http://www.npr.org/2...e-meat-industry

[alternativista]

So, the senate is debating the new farm bill now. Here's a site for information on it. The link below goes straight to a post about various amendments you might want to contact your senator in support or opposition.

http://farmbillprime...-working-group/

[alternativista]

Why Are Twinkies Cheaper Than Carrots?

If you want to eat healthfully, you have to fight an uphill battle. Why are government subsidies pushing in the wrong direction?

Government Policy Consistently Favors Big Agribusiness
As I describe in my new book No Happy Cows, agrichemical companies, factory farms and junk food manufacturers are quite happy with things the way they are. Thanks to their lobbying clout, government policies consistently favor the financial interests of these special interests over public health, even though the result is trillions of dollars in additional health care expenses.
Here's an example: In just the last two years, 24 states have considered legislation that would place a tax on soft drinks. These "soda taxes" would discourage consumption of drinks high in sugar, thus reducing obesity and health care costs. And they would also raise money that could be used to subsidize healthier foods. But in every single state, the legislation has been defeated. PepsiCo Inc., the Coca-Cola Company, and the American Beverage Association have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to determine the outcome.
"In the political arena, one side is winning the war on child obesity," a new Reuters report on the food lobby begins. "The side with the fattest wallets.".
Full article: http://www.alternet....er_than_carrots

[alternativista]

The EU blocking France's ban on GMO crops and other corporate-influenced government evil:

http://articles.merc...10_DNL_artNew_2

[alternativista]

So, Monsantos next 'logical' move is to get factory fish farms to buy GM soy feed.

http://articles.merc...17_DNL_artNew_2

And check out this article. Apparently genetic modification of several babies took place early last decade:
http://articles.merc...17_DNL_artNew_1

[alternativista]

Another Mercola article about the evil of Monsanto. Contains a chart showing the overlap between Monsanto people and people in our government. And quite a lot about the effects of lobbyists on our government.

http://articles.merc...31_DNL_artNew_1

And another one about the Bill Gates and his foundation and all the funds they give to genetic engineering and other harmful industries:
http://articles.merc...31_DNL_artNew_2

Edited by alternativista, 31 July 2012 - 08:44 AM.

[alternativista]

Another article on GM, Monsanto and the like. This one cites various evidence on how the GM seeds are not increasing crop yields.
http://articles.merc...28_DNL_artNew_1

GE Crops have Failed to Live Up to Promises

As pointed out by Senator Sanders, GE crops have failed to live up to promises—they do not provide greater yields, and they're certainly not better for the environment. According to Ronnie Cummins with the Organic Consumers Association, use of broad-spectrum herbicides is estimated to triple as herbicide-resistant crops continue to be planted around the globe. As for the promise that GE crops will help feed a starving world by producing higher yields, consider the results published in the following reports:

• A 2006 report issued by the USDA⁶ stated, "Currently available GE crops do not increase the yield potential of a hybrid variety. In fact, yield may even decrease if the varieties used to carry the herbicide-tolerant or insect-resistance genes are not the highest yielding cultivars."
• In the only side-by-side study comparing yields of RoundUp Ready (RR) soy and their non-GE soy⁷, RR soy had a 10 percent lower yield than the non-GE soy.
• A 2007 study⁸ on RR soy confirmed earlier results, concluding that RR soy had a 10 percent lower yield than its non-GE sister lines due to the fact that the RR soya could not adequately absorb manganese from the soil.
• In 2009, a study published by the Union of Concerned Scientists entitled Failure to Yield⁹, concluded that: "GE soybeans have not increased yields, and GE corn has increased yield only marginally on a crop- wide basis. Overall, corn and soybean yields have risen substantially over the last 15 years, but largely not as result of the GE traits. Most of the gains are due to traditional breeding or improvement of other agricultural practices." [Emphasis mine]

Study on the badness of the WGA lectin in wheat. It's usually lectins that they are swapping around when the engineer supposedly pest resistant crops. Because that's why the lectins are in the seeds in the first place, to deter critters from eating them. They are bad for you.

Antinutritive effects of wheat-germ agglutinin and other N-acetylglucosamine-specific lectins.
Source

Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen.

Abstract

Incorporation of N-acetylglucosamine-specific agglutinins from wheat germ (Triticum aestivum; WGA), thorn apple (Datura stramonium) or nettle (Urtica dioica) rhizomes in the diet at the level of 7 g/kg reduced the apparent digestibility and utilization of dietary proteins and the growth of rats, with WGA being the most damaging. As a result of their binding and endocytosis by the epithelial cells of the small intestine, all three lectins were growth factors for the gut and interfered with its metabolism and function to varying degrees. WGA was particularly effective; it induced extensive polyamine-dependent hyperplastic and hypertrophic growth of the small bowel by increasing its content of proteins, RNA and DNA. Furthermore, an appreciable portion of the endocytosed WGA was transported across the gut wall into the systemic circulation, where it was deposited in the walls of the blood and lymphatic vessels. WGA also induced the hypertrophic growth of the pancreas and caused thymus atrophy.

Although the transfer of the gene of WGA into crop plants has been advocated to increase their insect resistance, as the presence of this lectin in the diet may harm higher animals at the concentrations required to be effective against most pests, its use in plants as natural insecticide is not without health risks for man.

Edited by alternativista, 01 August 2012 - 01:41 PM.

[onefatalgoose]

Any positive news on the GMO front? I know many states have been close to making legislature forcing companies to label GMO food products in stores, but i'm not sure if any have been successful. Maybe we need to be like some of the countries over seas and set our GMO crops on fire

[alternativista]

Fun article about the bizarre origins of 6 companies/brands starting with the ultimate evil--Monsanto:

http://www.cracked.c...campaign=092712

[Bearishly]

It's just a rat study, but fluoride may cause insulin resistance.

[alternativista]

Apparently the FDA is moving closer to approving genetically modified Salmon.

http://articles.merc...30108_DNL_art_1

In addition to the devastating effects should these fish get loose into the wild, there's these changes in the substances in the meat you would be eating:

Two years ago, GMO expert Jeffrey Smith, founder of the Institute for Responsible Technology, called the potential approval of genetically engineered salmon "a move that will go down in history as one of the most asinine and dangerous ever made by our government." According to Smith, evidence⁵ suggests the buffed-up salmon might have higher levels of a potentially cancer promoting hormone, IGF-1, more antibiotics, and more of potentially life-threatening allergen(s).

Also, illustrates one more example on how in these studies they study something completely different from what we/the planet/whatever will be exposed to--the fish studied are not the same (grown in the same conditions) as those that will be raised for food.

Forbes and Slate magazine amongst others have investigated and question integrity of FDA for blocking release of preliminary documents until recently.

Obama's Science Commitment, FDA Face Ethics Scrutiny in Wake of GMO Salmon Fiasco

Questions are emerging about the breakdown of the federal government’s science integrity process in the wake of the Food & Drug Administration’s long-delayed release of its approval of the first genetically modified animal for human consumption.

http://www.forbes.co...-salmon-fiasco/

The case for GM crops, such as it is, is based almost entirely on industry-funded research. This research is never peer-reviewed before it is seen by regulators who determine the safety of a GM crop for release or consumption, and who never evaluate whether a crop achieves its stated benefits. Even well after a crop is released, only a tiny fraction of these dossier studies are ever published — and they cannot be replicated by independent scientists because only those with a special relationship to the developing company have access to research raw materials. There are virtually no proper toxicology or safety studies, and studies that are flagged up as safety studies are often nothing more than short-term studies designed to show nutritional equivalence. Because these studies cannot be repeated or verified, they should be rejected out of hand by the scientific community. Instead, they are accepted as valid.

http://sustainablepu...vironmentalism/

Edited by alternativista, 08 January 2013 - 12:44 PM.

[onefatalgoose]

Honestly, the best defense we have against these people is public awareness. They are able to do all of these things so freely because most of the public isn't even aware that it is happening. And the ones supposedly regulating these practices are going in and out of the companies they are supposed to be regulating. I may be over optimistic here, but i do believe public awareness is growing. Slowly...

[alternativista]

So there's a wikipedia page keeping track of the food borne illness outbreaks.
http://en.wikipedia....e_United_States

Also, you may have heard about Peak Oil, which many believe we've already reached and you better be making plans for things to change. But have you heard of peak phosphorous. A mineral used in artificial fertilizers without which large scale industrial farming is not possible. Some estimate we'll reach it in Peak Phosphorus in 2030. http://en.wikipedia....Peak_phosphorus

[onefatalgoose]

Interesting article from a while back discussing importance of non-GMO labeling.  Basically how organic farms can still find GMO corn in the feed for their livestock

 

http://www.time.com/...1599110,00.html

[alternativista]

So, apparently, during a drought, stunted plants take up excessive levels of nitrogen and other chemicals (like arsenic) in the artificial fertilizers they dump on them.  And they dump a lot on corn. 

 

http://www.reuters.c...E8JFA3Z20120816

[alternativista]

So, did you know FDA regulations prohibit any reference to scientific studies by manufactures of a dietary supplement or by food producers, regarding its health benefits?   In the FDA's view, even providing a link to a study on a website converts a healthy fruit or nut into an unapproved drug. 

 

Mercola says this about it:

 

 

I've received many warning letters from the FDA for saying things that are contrary to their recommendations. I've not been accused of saying things that are untrue, or in some way deceiving or harming people — I've been warned to stop saying things that are true but against the FDA's regulations. The message is, you can only say something they approve of, and whether it's truthful or not is beside the point.

 

However, Congressman Chaffetz and other representatives have introduced H.R. 1364, the Free Speech About Science Act (FSAS)⁵, a bill that would enable supplement companies to cite peer reviewed science.

 

This is from an article about how the  Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), formerly known as American Dietetic Association (ADA), is trying to use the courts to block anyone who expresses views or facts that don't conform to their beliefs. http://articles.merc...mpaign=20130219  Such as many Paleo gurus.

Edited by alternativista, 19 February 2013 - 11:47 AM.

[alternativista]

Indian farmers smash crop yield records without GMOs or chemicals.

http://grist.org/foo...s-without-gmos/

 

Using an intensive technique called  System of Rice [or root] Intensification (SRI). It's applicable to other crops, vegetables, not just grains.  This technique also uses less water in the rice fields.

 

It's techniques like this and water conserving and rainwater harvesting techniques that will feed the world.  Not chemicals and patented seeds.

 

The thing is, techniques like this are more useful to small farmers, and not so much to Big Ag.

 

 

 

Much of [the criticism of the technique] comes from a belief among many scientists and most western governments that the developing world must adopt western-style industrial ag techniques in order to produce enough food. But that view is a fantasy: Even today, as the Guardian article observes, 93 percent of Bihar’s 100 million residents are subsistence farmers.

 

It’s delusional to expect that Bihar and the vast populations of Africa, Indonesia, and China will transform into western-style economies with western-style population distributions. Billions of people across the globe will remain subsistence farmers far into the future; what they require are farming techniques that can improve yields even modestly. Forcing regions that don’t have passable roads (much less electrification) to rely on the grace of multinational organizations to supply seeds, fertilizers, and chemicals seems borderline criminal.

 

SRI appears to offer an acceptable alternative for a variety of crops, including rice, potatoes, wheat, corn, beans, eggplant, onions, carrots, sugar cane, and even tomatoes.

 

Personally, I don't think developing nations should adopt many of western ways.  They should skip all our mistakes. 

 

Here's another article on the same subject with very good commentary on the problem with 'western ways' when it comes to agriculture and the determination to spend fortunes screwing with genes. http://www.occupymon...ntensification/

Edited by alternativista, 25 February 2013 - 04:33 PM.

[onefatalgoose]

Indian farmers smash crop yield records without GMOs or chemicals.

http://grist.org/foo...s-without-gmos/

 

Using an intensive technique called  System of Rice [or root] Intensification (SRI). It's applicable to other crops, vegetables, not just grains.  This technique also uses less water in the rice fields.

 

It's techniques like this and water conserving and rainwater harvesting techniques that will feed the world.  Not chemicals and patented seeds.

 

The thing is, techniques like this are more useful to small farmers, and not so much to Big Ag.

 

 

This is really inspiring to see this.  Feels like the world is slowly moving in the right direction, which is away from Monsanto and GMOs

[alternativista]

CEO of Nestle doesn't believe access to water is a human right.

 

http://tv.greenmedin...tm_medium=email

[onefatalgoose]

^

Hah!  Yeah i read about that recently and...i would say i'm shocked, except...i'm not.  At all. Only a little bit.

 

These people never cease to amaze me with their greediness.  People don't realize how truly corrupt CEOs of large companies are.  They become so self absorbed, and so obsessed with money...they could give a f#ck less about humanity.  It's rare to find one that doesn't operate like this