Science is fast closing in on Monsanto's controversial weedkiller, "RoundUp."
A chemical found in the world’s most widely used weedkiller can have disrupting effects on sexual development, genes and beneficial gut bacteriaat doses considered safe, according to a wide-ranging pilot study in rats.
Glyphosate is the core ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide and levels found in the human bloodstream have spiked by more than a 1,000% in the last two decades
The substance was recently relicensed for a shortened five-year lease by the EU. But scientists involved in the new glyphosate study say their results show that it poses “a significant public health concern”.
One of the report’s authors, Daniele Mandrioli, at the Ramazzini Institute in Bologna, Italy, said significant and potentially detrimental effects from glyphosate had been detected in the gut bacteria of rat pups born to mothers, who appeared to have been unaffected themselves.
The US firm, which recently merged with Bayer in a deal worth more than $60bn, argues that it is being unfairly targeted by activist scientists with ulterior motives.
Scott Partridge, Monsanto’s VP for global strategy told the Guardian: “The Ramazzini Institute is an activist organisation with an agenda that they have not disclosed as part of their crowdfunding efforts. They wish to support a ban on glyphosate and they have a long history of rendering opinions not supported by regulatory testing agencies.”
Let's see if we can rewrite that last graf to provide balance:
ReplyDelete“Monsanto is a $66 billion company with annual revenues of $15 billion with an agenda to maximize profits. They wish to avoid a ban on glyphosate and have a long history of association with 41 Superfund sites over which they have been successfully sued many times for damaging the health of their employees or nearby residents through pollution and poisoning.”
There, that ought to do.
Cap
"Science is fast closing in on Monsanto's controversial weedkiller, "RoundUp.""
ReplyDeleteIsn't that just saying "science" is closing in on, well, "science"?
"Science' people all wear white hats, they'll tell you GMO is harmless. But "Roundup" is all about GMO. Sometimes Science wears the black hat, too.
"Science" isn't "closing in on Roundup", some sane people are using science to show how Roundup is a bad idea.
Gee, cap, where were you when I needed you?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 10:35 is exactly correct. Monsanto has persuaded farmers to put RoundUp on food.
ReplyDelete