Roundup Found in People’s Urine

By B. McPherson




Glyphosate, first developed as Roundup, weed killer has been found in the urine of city dwellers according to research done in Germany.GM Watch has translated part of the work published in the journal Ithica in German. The findings are troubling in that levels 5 to 20 times allowable limits were measured.

Glyphosate is a widely used broad leaf plant poison that sprayed onto undesirable plants killing them. The herbicide, originally developed by Monsanto has been widely used since 1974. The seed company has since developed a wide array of “Roundup Ready” crops that will not die when sprayed with the chemical. This eliminates the need for hand weeding.

As with many innovations there are unforeseen consequences. Glyphosate resistant ‘super-weeds’ are becoming an increasing problem. Canadian scientists reported that the first glyphosate resistant weed in Western Canada has been confirmed. Kochia is now a super-weed. This is now added to giant ragweed(2009) and Canada fleabane(2011). A publication released by PurdueUniversity and authored by scientists at the University of Wisconsin and Iowa State have listed rigid ryegrass, marestail, Italian ryegrass, common ragweed, palmer amaranth and waterhemp as glyphosate resistant.

This has prompted many large scale farmers to spray their genetically modified crops multiple times throughout the growing season leading to overspray. While the chemical is not very mobile once sprayed, some has leached into waterways.

The persistence of this chemical at even very low levels may cause long term sub chronic health and reproductive issues. A paper published seven years ago by Environmental Health Perspectives spoke of toxic effects of Roundup and presented evidence that the herbicide tends to accumulate in the body.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Abandoned Oil Pipelines What Lurks Below?

Image
These photos were taken July 2012 in the historic Turner Valley, Alberta B. McPherson Controversy over new oil pipelines is reaching boiling point in many circles. Heated debate is taking place over the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway and Keystone Pipeline proposals. Safety, disruption to landowners  and more are being weighed against the money to be made transporting and selling petroleum products. It got me thinking about the old pipelines. What happens to a pipeline when it is too old to use or not needed? It’s a bit of an Alice in Wonderland scene. The US laws and regulations are different from ours in Canada. The Pipeline and Gas Journal is a source of information about abandoned pipelines in Texas. Apparently a pipeline in Texas may be abandoned by a company, but it still retains ownership and may choose to reactivate the line at a later date. In the meantime, the right of way or easement is no longer maintained, but the through which the pipe extends is not free
Read more

Prince Rupert Says No to Enbridge Pipeline

Image
B. McPherson Prince Rupert city council joined a growing list of BC coastal communities that are saying “No” to the Enbridge proposal to build a twinned pipeline from Edmonton to the coast. The decision of the Prince Rupert city politicians was unanimous. Already the village of Kitimaat, Terrace and the Skeena Queen Charlottes Regional District have voiced their opposition to the project. There are ongoing hearings by a federal court appointed Joint Review Panel which are gathering input from interested parties about the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline which would bring crude petroleum from the oil sands of Alberta to the coast of British Columbia. The proposal would see a twinned pipeline run over the Rocky Mountains and through wilderness to the treacherous west coast. The proposed terminus at Kitimat would require tankers to wend their way through the maze of islands and reefs to load up at the head of Douglas Channel. While the hearings and the finding
Read more

Efficient Rail Transport May Make Pipelines Obsolete

Image
B. McPherson What happens to all the abandoned pipelines? Oil pipelines have huge direct costs to build, but they also have many hidden costs. In spite of dire warnings by environmentalist the world is demanding ever greater supplies of the black gold. For those countries that have it and market it successfully, money comes rolling in. But at what cost? An oil pipeline is a hugely complex thing. Enbridge Corp. has been battling citizens in British Columbia over its proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline and the Keystone Pipeline in the US has been stalled for months. When Big Oil needs to transport oil or bitumen to refineries, it usually gets a smooth ride to approval. Labelling energy security as a national priority, property rights are infringed upon. People in Canada cannot legally stop the installation of a pipeline across their property. The high pressure conduit is often buried only a few feet below the surface leaving crops, buildings and livestock vulnerable to a
Read more