Plummeting insect numbers threaten collapse of nature

[ijabbott]

(08-31-2019 09:56 AM)Dan Wrote:  

(08-31-2019 07:22 AM)ijabbott Wrote:  This somewhat critical review of Carey's book is worth a read: Hogwash! A review of Whitewash by Carey Gillam.

Hardly. The reviewer, "Biology Fortified", is one of several "industry partners" Monsanto worked with to try to discredit the World Health Organisation before it listed glyphosate as a possible carcinogen, according to this site.

It depends what they mean by "industry partners". It doesn't mean they receive funding from Monsanto, or that the review author is a paid shill.

Quote:"Biology Fortified" is also linked to the "Genetic Literacy Project", which receives money from companies to "shame scientists and highlight information helpful to Monsanto and other chemical producers".

Name an organisation that isn't linked to other organisations in some way or other. Even organisations such as SourceWatch and the Center For Media and Democracy receive money from other organisations with their own agendas.

Quote:Monsanto claims glyphosate is safe to drink. That's what they said about Agent Orange too.

Small amounts of glyphosate in diluted form probably won't do you much harm. It has been extensively tested in animal models. From what I've read, it tastes pretty vile though!

[Dan]

(08-31-2019 01:57 PM)ijabbott Wrote:  Small amounts of glyphosate in diluted form probably won't do you much harm...From what I've read, it tastes pretty vile though!

No thanks just the same. You wouldn't drink it either, regardless of how it tastes.

(08-31-2019 01:57 PM)ijabbott Wrote:  It has been extensively tested in animal models.

The fact you provided no references says a great deal.

[toml_12953]

(09-05-2019 03:14 AM)Dan Wrote:  

(08-31-2019 01:57 PM)ijabbott Wrote:  Small amounts of glyphosate in diluted form probably won't do you much harm...From what I've read, it tastes pretty vile though!

No thanks just the same. You wouldn't drink it either, regardless of how it tastes.

(08-31-2019 01:57 PM)ijabbott Wrote:  It has been extensively tested in animal models.

The fact you provided no references says a great deal.

Here are some studies that seem to show it isn't safe.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/artic...rbicide-p/

https://healthimpactnews.com/2014/mit-re...m-by-2025/

https://www.baumhedlundlaw.com/toxic-tor...cer-study/

[Albert Chan]

(08-31-2019 01:57 PM)ijabbott Wrote:  Small amounts of glyphosate in diluted form probably won't do you much harm.

I agree. Even if a chemical is carcinogenic, it is the dose that matter.

[Dan]

(09-05-2019 11:08 AM)Albert Chan Wrote:  Even if a chemical is carcinogenic, it is the dose that matter.

That's exactly why you should be concerned. According to a 2012 EPA study, Americans could be ingesting more than 5 milligrams of glyphosate each day (see here). And it's not just the active ingredient glyphosate that is of concern, but also the "inert" compounds in the herbicides (see the references posted by Tom L above).

The YouTube video comparing it to "hot tea" and "fried foods" is silly. I can control my intake of these, but I have no control over the amount of herbicide sprayed on the food I buy at my local grocery store, which continues to rise as a result of increased weed resistance and the introduction of genetically modified (specifically glyphosate-resistant) crops:



Not to mention other pesticides such as fungicides and insecticides and their detrimental effects on human health and the wider ecosystem.

The good news is, it doesn't have to be this way! This paper discusses traditional as well as modern methods of managing weeds without herbicides. However the transition to organic farming can pose a significant challenge to farmers and more should be done to support them.

[rncgray]

Robust evidence of declines in insect abundance and biodiversity.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-03241-9

[BruceH]

(02-24-2019 01:33 AM)mfleming Wrote:  Personally, I think our descendants one or two hundred years from now (yes, we'll go on) will wonder about our obsession with Apocalypse the past few generations. Atomic Warfare, Silent Spring, Population Bomb, Acid Rain, Ozone Hole, Global Warming, Climate Change - have I left anything out?

Yep - you missed out the new ice-age. When I was at school in the late '70s the newspapers were telling us that average temperatures were dropping so quickly a new ice-age would result in ice covering most of the UK with only the far south of the country spared. Apparently there was to be 10m high wall of ice starting just north of London, by the year 2000 or so.

Good thing we released all those greenhouse cases to prevent it. :-)