Glyphosate Found in the Majority of Oat-Based Products

Environmental Working Group (EWG) tested 45 products with conventionally grown oats and found glyphosate in 43 of them. They also tested 16 different products using organic oats. The products tested included breakfast cereals like lucky charms and cheerios, granola, and snack bars in addition to whole oats and instant oats. While the organic samples better,tter , five of the samples registered positive for glyphosate. Quaker Old Fashioned Oats, Quaker Simply Granola, Giant Instant Oatmeal, and Quaker Dinosaur Eggs Instant Oatmeal had particularly high levels of glyphosate. A glyphosate risk assessment found that children are likely to have the highest levels of dietary exposure to the chemical, and this study from EWG is a wake-up call. Alexis Temkin, Ph.D., a toxicologist and the author of the study, says,

Parents shouldn’t worry about whether feeding their children healthy oat foods will also expose them to a chemical linked to cancer. The government must take steps to protect our most vulnerable populations…”

Related: How to Avoid GMOs in 2018 – And Everything Else You Should Know About Genetic Engineering

Glyphosate and Health

Roundup has been in all of the news lately, as a California jury recently ruled that the herbicide was the cause of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It makes sense that the legal victory came in the state of California, where glyphosate has been listed as a cause of cancer on their Proposition 65 list since July of 2017. The court case will likely prove instrumental in the continued investigation of how Roundup impacts human health, but this far from the first time the herbicide has been linked to cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as probably carcinogenic, or cancer-causing, in 2015, a categorization Monsanto (and now Bayer) has been vigorously arguing ever since. The herbicide has also been linked to a plethora of other health concerns like Alzheimer’s, birth defects, respiratory illness, Parkinson’s disease, reproductive issues, and several conditions linked gut disruption (obesity, Irritable Bowel Disease, Colitis, and Leaky Gut).

Over the Threshold

In 1985, the Environmental Protection Agency labeled glyphosate as a cancer risk. That categorization was reversed in 1991, and since then the government organization has become one of Monsanto’s most important assets. The EPA has expressed nothing but support for the weed-killer since 1991. The agency disagreed with the IARC’s findings, issuing a rebuttal a year later. Email correspondence between a high-ranking official at the EPA and Monsanto employees detailing the official’s efforts to squash glyphosate investigations emerged in 2017. The EPA’s has also imposed exceptionally lenient safety standards on glyphosate, as the federal agency’s safe levels of exposure to the herbicide are 60 times higher than the state of California’s.

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Collateral Damage

The EPA, especially considering the business-friendly, environmentally ambivalent Trump administration, is not likely to care about the damage glyphosate has and is doing. EWG president Ken Cook says,

We will petition the Environmental Protection Agency to do its job and end uses of glyphosate that resulted in the contamination we report today…But we very much doubt our petition will be acted upon by President Trump’s lawless EPA. So we’re calling on the companies to make these iconic products with clean ingredients.”

It will be difficult. This study shows that even organic products can have glyphosate on them…because it’s everywhere. Taking on the world’s most-used herbicide is a daunting task, and consumer dollars will be a big part of how businesses choose to handle it.

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With 8,000 Lawsuits Pending, Bayer Claims No Buyer’s Remorse Following Monsanto Verdict

Bayer is dealing with the fallout from the 289 million dollar verdict against its new acquisition, Monsanto. Now that a jury has found the world’s most popular herbicide, glyphosate, guilty of causing a California man’s non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the German pharmaceutical company faces increased scrutiny from regulators, shareholders, and the public. The number of lawsuits in the U.S. increased dramatically by the end of July.

Bayer finalized their Monsanto deal on July 7th, and the company has spent much of that time putting out legal and financial fires. Since the verdict, Bayer share prices have dropped over 10 percent. Monsanto’s reported yearly income in 2017 was over 2.2 billion dollars, but the impact of their recent court defeat on the company’s overall income could be huge. It remains to be seen if Bayer will regret the 66 billion dollars they paid for Monsanto.

Related: How to Avoid GMOs in 2018 – And Everything Else You Should Know About Genetic Engineering

The Floodgates Open

Bayer has experienced a significant uptick in complaints brought against them in response to the recent jury decision. In the U.S., the number of lawsuits jumped from 5,200 to over 8,000. Some legal analyst were expecting the number of lawsuits to be higher, but it’s clear that Bayer’s transition will not be a smooth one from a legal standpoint. The news doesn’t seem to bother Bayer CEO Werner Baumann, who outlined the companies’ response to these complaints.

We will vigorously defend this case and all upcoming cases.”

Nothing to See Here, Folks

Baumann’s statement regarding lawsuits is nothing new. Consider the statement obtained from by a Bayer spokesperson after the court decision.

Bayer is confident, based on the strength of the science, the conclusions of regulators around the world and decades of experience, that glyphosate is safe for use and does not cause cancer when used according to the label.”

Now check out this statement from Monsanto in an article about a 2009 study that found Round-up contained an ingredient responsible for cell death.

Roundup has one of the most extensive human health safety and environmental data packages of any pesticide that’s out there…It’s used in public parks, it’s used to protect schools. There’s been a great deal of study on Roundup, and we’re very proud of its performance.”

According to the people that manufacture and make money off of it, Roundup and glyphosate are safe because they’ve always been safe.

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New Coach, Same Game Plan

The verdict for Dewayne Johnson has been a welcome victory for the people who have been yelling about the harmful effects of glyphosate for years. It also comes at a time when the company is more vulnerable than usual. But Bayer has made it clear they have no intention of disrupting the practices that continue to make money.

Are 8,000 lawsuits in the U.S. costly enough for them to reconsider the damage their products do?

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Your Wild Salmon May Actually Be Farmed…Or Trout

Salmon season isn’t coming to a close on a high note, as August saw a massive farmed salmon escape, and the Chinese government decided it is acceptable to sell rainbow trout as salmon. Both incidents point to a breakdown in the quality and health of the salmon available to the consumer. Escaped farmed salmon mean more diseases affecting wild salmon, and China has basically sanctioned mislabeled fish. Eating fish is more fraught with issues than ever before.

Related: How to Avoid GMOs in 2018 – And Everything Else You Should Know About Genetic Engineering

Farmed Salmon Escape

Between 2,000 and 3,000 farmed salmon escaped from their enclosures off the coast of Newfoundland in Eastern Canada when a rope came undone. Cooke Aquacultures didn’t notify local authorities of the breach, which was only noticed when fishermen noticed farmed salmon in their catches. The company has pledged to work the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to recapture the escapees. The lack of transparency has others expressing concerns as to how many breaches have actually occurred. According to Atlantic Salmon Federation coordinator, Steve Sutton on CBC Radio’s The Broadcast,

It raises the question of how many times have other escapes happened where nobody has seen the fish and nobody knows the difference…This is a public resource, public waters. They should be required to report these things to the public as soon as they have the information.”

This isn’t the first time Cooke Aquacultures has experienced a significant breach. The company is responsible for a 2017 spill that resulted in more than 100,000 Atlantic salmon escaping into the Salish Sea near Washington state. It’s hard to know exactly how many salmon have escaped since the inception of open aquaculture pens, though aquaculture firms are required to report any losses. Still, this doesn’t always happen, and Cooke Aquacultures doesn’t seem to have a procedure in place for notifying the authorities quickly and effectively. Will we start seeing stricter enforcement of policies now that GM salmon is on the market?

Trout or Salmon…Who Cares!

In other salmon news, the Chinese government has given the ok for rainbow trout to be labeled and sold as salmon. This makes sense from a biological standpoint, as both fish are part of the salmonid family (this family includes over 200 different species of fish). The similarities don’t extend to other key issues identified by scientists and consumers – salmon is a saltwater fish, and rainbow trout is a freshwater fish. Freshwater fish have a higher likelihood of parasites, especially when served in raw applications like sushi.

This dicate also leaves the door open for more instances of incorrectly labeled fish, a serious issue faced by seafood regulators worldwide. According to the advocacy group Oceana, one in five fish is labeled incorrectly. Often times a cheaper fish is substituted for a more expensive one, although there have been cases of people distributing endangered or protected species for consumption.

Related: Nitrates from Cured Meat Have Been Linked to Mania in New Study

Is It Too Late?

None of this bodes well for the continuing quality of the seafood we consume, especially salmon. Salmon used to be one of the simple fish. Good quality, wild-caught Pacific salmon was a safe, healthy option that came with fewer ethical or environmental concerns than other popular seafood choices.  But it’s no longer simple.

Salmon doesn’t need to actually be salmon. Salmonids can be substituted for one another. We also can’t be sure it’s the species we think we’re getting as thousands of farmed Atlantic salmon escape yearly, crowding out and endangering wild salmon. Salmon escapes are likely to become even more serious issues now that genetically modified salmon is on the shelves.

So here’s a question. Why are we still eating seafood?

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EPA Reversal of Harmful Pesticide Ban Violated Federal Law, Says Appeals Court

The Environmental Protection Agency under the direction of Scott Pruitt removed a 2012 ban of a harmful pesticide, chlorpyrifos, in 2017, a move that a federal appeals court ruled violated federal law. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco has given the government agency 60 days to remove chlorpyrifos from the market. The pesticide is widely used on citrus fruit, apples, corn, wheat, and other crops. It’s been proven harmful to children even in small quantities. The government refused to ban the chemical earlier in March this year, but this split decision ruling demands that the EPA finalize that ban. Appeals Court Judge Jed S. Rakoff wrote in the majority’s opinion,

The panel held that there was no justification for the EPA’s decision in its 2017 order to maintain a tolerance for chlorpyrifos in the face of scientific evidence that its residue on food causes neurodevelopmental damage to children…”

Children at Risk

Chlorpyrifos is one of the leading pesticides listed in cases of pesticide poisonings. In adults, it impairs the nervous system functions and can lead to convulsions, respiratory paralysis, and, in extreme cases, death. Children are especially at risk, as prenatal exposure can lead to health consequences like low birth weight and delayed motor development. Even tiny amounts of the pesticide can lead to neurological conditions in small children from reduced IQ to loss of working memory and attention deficit disorders. It’s been banned from residential use since 2000, and the science supports banning this chemical.

Related: How to Avoid GMOs in 2018 – And Everything Else You Should Know About Genetic Engineering

The pesticide does have an important backer in its corner, though…the manufacturer of the product, Dow Chemical. In spite of the residential ban and the proven toxicity of the chemical, Dow sells roughly 5 million dollars of chlorpyrifos in the U.S. every year. The company maintains that the science identifying their product as a serious health hazard is flawed and inconclusive. This attitude was echoed by Scott Pruitt when he reversed the Obama administration’s ban of chlorpyrifos use for food crops in March 2017.

Harmful Patterns

Through all of the turmoil that is the Trump Administration, the EPA has developed some distressing patterns of behavior. The first of these is their desire to eliminate many environmentally friendly programs or regulations, particularly those from the Obama era. These withdrawals are often to the detriment of public health, like reversing this ban, withdrawing from the Clean Air Act, and allowing dangerous pesticide use to continue with little oversight.

Related: Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones

The agency also has a tendency to consider the needs of businesses before they consider the environment. The EPA has gone on the record in the last year saying that glyphosate is not carcinogenic. A statement hasn’t been released after the landmark judgment against Monsanto this August, but if business continues as usual, glyphosate will remain “not likely” to cause cancer.

And now the EPA is being called out by an Appeals Court for a chemical that at the very least deserves a closer, objective look. It’s sad to say, but even if this pesticide is removed from use, business will find another to replace it. The EPA will approve it, because business comes first.

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Having a Medical Marijuana Card Disqualifies You From Gun Ownership, Says Federal Appeals Court

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last Wednesday that a ban prohibiting individuals with medical marijuana cards from purchasing firearms does not infringe on their second amendment rights. The ruling is a response to a lawsuit filed by a Nevada resident S. Rowan Wilson in 2011 after she was unable to purchase a weapon for self-defense due to a federal ban on the sale of firearms to illegal drug users. Wilson claims she obtained the card as a gesture of support for marijuana legalization. Chaz Rainey her attorney and plans to appeal the decision.

We live in a world where having a medical marijuana card is enough to say you don’t get a gun, but if you’re on the no fly list your constitutional right is still protected…”

The initial lawsuit was filed in Nevada back in 2011, more than a decade after Nevada decriminalized marijuana and legalized medical marijuana.

The 9th Circuit Court and States Law

This ruling calls to attention some major issues with marijuana regulation in the United States. The court that served this verdict has jurisdiction over the western half of the United States, a region that accounts for roughly 20% of the country’s population. It’s also which contains more than half of the states that allow recreational marijuana. In fact, the only district overseen by the 9th court without any marijuana legalization is Idaho.

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Those laws are in conflict with the federal government’s stance on marijuana, though that attitude might be loosening now that it’s clear marijuana is big business. After all, the FDA approved the first marijuana-based medication earlier this year. Does that mean nationwide medical marijuana is coming? Or do certain businesses get the special treatment?

What’s The Call Here

So what takes precedence here? Should a person using marijuana legally as a medication be prohibited from purchasing a firearm? Do we apply those laws to those on prescription medications? The recent opioid crisis suggests that marijuana may actually be the lesser of two evils. Public opinion is overwhelmingly in favor of legalized medical marijuana. What does that look like in America, and when do we get to see it?

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Right now, that looks like a lot of confusion. The likelihood that things will work out for you seems to depend on who you ask and who you are. People of color are unfairly targeted for non-violent drug offenses. Meanwhile, GW Pharmaceuticals has received approval to sell marijuana-based medication while the U.S. Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, continues to promise nationwide crackdowns.

Can we get some consistency?

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Trump EPA Announces the Reversal of Obama Fuel Economy Mandate

The Trump administration continues its efforts to roll back Obama programs, announcing plans to eliminate the fuel economy mandate that requires automakers to reach a fleet average of 54.5 mpg by 2025. In light of the announcement, the fuel efficiency standards will be frozen at approximately 37 mpg, the standard for the year 2020. President Obama brokered the previous agreement with nearly all major auto manufacturers (Volkswagen being the notable exception), United Auto Workers (UAW), and the State of California. According to Andrew Wheeler, the acting head of the Environmental Protection Agency,

We are delivering on President Trump’s promise to the American public that his administration would address and fix the current fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards…Our proposal aims to strike the right regulatory balance based on the most recent information and create a 50-state solution that will enable more Americans to afford newer, safer vehicles that pollute less.”

A New Twist on States Rights

It’s interesting that Wheeler cites the need for a 50 state solution. The state of California has played an outsized role in determining nationwide emissions standards. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is responsible for setting California’s emission standards, a power the federal government approved as a part of the Clean Air Act in 1970. Other states are free to follow the California standards, and at least 12 states do.

The proposed rollback takes aim at California’s ability to set its own vehicle emissions standards. This is a stark change from the way the EPA previously handled this situation, with the agency frequently consulting with CARB before implementing rule changes.

California Fighting Back

The decision by the Trump administration to move forward with the rollback of emissions standards is bold, especially since they will have a fight on their hands. California, Washington D.C., and 16 other states filed a lawsuit in back May to prevent the rollback from occurring. The state of California, in particular, has been vocal in opposing many Trump policies and regulations and has sued the administration more than 30 times on a variety of topics. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is from CA and released a statement on the decision, calling the rollback a “dangerous assault on clean air and public health in California and across the nation.”

It’s also important to remember that California is not the only state requiring automakers to adhere to the more stringent vehicle emission standards. Those states account for nearly a third of all car purchases in the nation, giving them a quite a bit of buying power. State governments that realize the impact of greener, more environmentally-friendly initiatives will continue to side with CA. According to a New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection representative, Lawrence Hajna,

We’ve had the California CARB program in place for a while…I’ve not heard that we have any intent on changing it for any reason; our position has always been that it’s important for us to maintain the standard for overall air quality.”

Shortsighted 

Eliminating the higher standards for vehicle emissions is negligent. Why are car sales and prices more important addressing air pollution and climate issues? The EPA believes the rollback can prevent 1,000 highway fatalities a year. Meanwhile, pollution is linked to 9 million deaths a year worldwide, with 6.5 million of those attributed to air pollution. Then again, this administration isn’t known for thinking ahead.

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Super-Bacteria Are Becoming Resistant to Alcohol-based Disinfectants

A new Australian study has discovered that Enterococcus faecium, a bacteria already resistant to several drugs, has also evolved in response to the alcohol solutions used to disinfect in hospital settings. According to the study,

Alcohol-based disinfectants and particularly hand rubs are a key way to control hospital infections worldwide. Such disinfectants restrict transmission of pathogens, such as multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecium. Despite this success, health care infections caused by E. faecium are increasing. We tested alcohol tolerance of 139 hospital isolates of E. faecium obtained between 1997 and 2015 and found that E. faecium isolates after 2010 were 10-fold more tolerant to killing by alcohol than were older isolates.”

Understanding Balance

Sanitation has been hailed as one way to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria, particularly methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile (C.diff). Sanitizers with at least 60 percent alcohol are recommended by both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Both organizations cite alcohol-based disinfectants ability to annihilate bacteria. This leaves the microbiome like a blank slate, and like with any power vacuum, a new bacteria steps in to fill the void. In this case, it’s E. faecium.

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Enterococci bacteria are behind some of the most commonly experienced infections, particularly UTIs, pelvic infections, and endocarditis. Most of the E. faecium strains that cause these infections originate in the gut, which isn’t a surprise. Like another likely cause of infection, candida, E. faecium is found in 90% of human intestines. It isn’t an inherently harmful bacteria. The problem occurs when the gut isn’t able to balance out the microbes, and E. faecium takes over to the detriment of the entire system.

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Looking at It Right Side Up

This is the biggest problem with our understanding of microbes and antibiotics. We talk about how dangerous a bacteria is or how serious infections caused by that fungus are…but odds are good you have been living with those organisms all of your life without issue. What’s changed?

The importance of your gut bacteria and properly balancing them cannot be overstated. By killing all of the bacteria, antibiotics allow the quickest ones to take over more easily. Antibiotics also destroy the hard work of building up your beneficial bacteria. Think of them like a helpful two-year-old. They want to do the right thing and help clean up, but you’re left with an even bigger mess than you started with.

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