Other Threats to our Health
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Though there are so many threats to our health these days, we can't go around worrying about all the things that might happen or all the things COULD kill you or harm somebody you love. But I do believe it's better to know than NOT know. Case in point: During the 2012 SXSW Festival in Austin, a high tech company wired up 14 homeless people, paid them $50/day, and sent them as "mobile Wi-Fi stations." Thinking people were aghast, it made headlines and was shut down. But to my own horror, the comment section of the news stories were filled with people who knew absolutely nothing about what high levels of EMF waves do to the human body. The comments were ruthless (mindless drivel about 'liberals don't want ANYone to have a job' and similarly ignorant comments that showed no awareness whatsoever. That's why this section exists -- to remind me as well as anyone who runs across this section to simply be aware of what's out there that could cost you dearly in terms of your health - and avoid these things at all costs.
The titles are links. Click to go to the story:
Monsanto's Round-up / aka Glyphosate
For several years running, Monsanto has been selected as the "Most Evil Corporation in the World" by online voters. Glyphosate is just one of the reasons why. (Perhaps filing a patent on the pig is another ?) The more you know about Round-up/glyphosate, the better; the articles below are just a small sampling of what's available online for researchers wanting to know the truth about Round-up. (Note: they "sold" their pig patent to Newsham Genetics in 2007.)
This "safe" common product can destroy your DNA.
German study finds that Monsanto's Roundup (herbicide) is now commonly found in city dwellers.
Monsanto's Round-up Poses Threat to our Food Supply
Round-up and Birth Defects: is the public kept in the dark (7/25/13)
The titles are links. Click to go to the story:
Monsanto's Round-up / aka Glyphosate
For several years running, Monsanto has been selected as the "Most Evil Corporation in the World" by online voters. Glyphosate is just one of the reasons why. (Perhaps filing a patent on the pig is another ?) The more you know about Round-up/glyphosate, the better; the articles below are just a small sampling of what's available online for researchers wanting to know the truth about Round-up. (Note: they "sold" their pig patent to Newsham Genetics in 2007.)
This "safe" common product can destroy your DNA.
German study finds that Monsanto's Roundup (herbicide) is now commonly found in city dwellers.
Monsanto's Round-up Poses Threat to our Food Supply
Round-up and Birth Defects: is the public kept in the dark (7/25/13)
Cell phones and towers
Top: normal rat brain Bottom: rat brain after cell phone exposure |
Cell phones and pregnancy (Dr. Joseph Mercola 7/4/12)
I highly recommend the book Currents of Death for comprehensive and well documented coverage of this subject. The photo at left is part of an article published in India: Cell Tower Radiation India follow-up with several links embedded |
The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Despite the fact that ads appear daily appealing to innocent people to vacation in the Gulf and eat as much Gulf seafood as you possibly can, the truth is that BP's negligence has altered the Gulf of Mexico for a very very long time. (how many lifespans does it take for an ecosystem to recover from complete toxic destruction?) Moreover, BP's slick ads on television portraying business owners who are terribly thankful to them for bailing them out, they represent about 1/100th of 1% of the people negatively affected.
The photo at right goes with an article found here all about how Gulf oysters are tainted with heavy metals still visible two years after the spill.
For a full accounting of what's really happening, please see the blog by Attorney Stuart H. Smith who has chronicled the the REAL story that you won't hear on television. Smith's blog entries go back in time to when the fight began to try and make BP accountable - complete with photos, stories, notices of legal actions, and ongoing attempts to make the government keep its promise to hold BP accountable. There's so much on his site that it's impossible to pick any one single post (as of late, he also covers fracking and other toxic environmental issues), it's up to you to read as much as you can stomach. The oyster study is covered in his post of May 2, 2012, and I also highly recommend this one.
And oh, in case it's not crystal clear -- don't eat seafood from the Gulf of Mexico. (Ultimately, of course, Gulf water flows into all waters; perhaps it's just a matter of time before the "water is life" mantra will prove all too prescient.)
Update 4/4/13: This article illustrates very well that lingering poisons from the BP spill have forever altered the quality and safety of seafood in the gulf:
Gulf Seafood Deformities Alarm Scientists
The photo at right goes with an article found here all about how Gulf oysters are tainted with heavy metals still visible two years after the spill.
For a full accounting of what's really happening, please see the blog by Attorney Stuart H. Smith who has chronicled the the REAL story that you won't hear on television. Smith's blog entries go back in time to when the fight began to try and make BP accountable - complete with photos, stories, notices of legal actions, and ongoing attempts to make the government keep its promise to hold BP accountable. There's so much on his site that it's impossible to pick any one single post (as of late, he also covers fracking and other toxic environmental issues), it's up to you to read as much as you can stomach. The oyster study is covered in his post of May 2, 2012, and I also highly recommend this one.
And oh, in case it's not crystal clear -- don't eat seafood from the Gulf of Mexico. (Ultimately, of course, Gulf water flows into all waters; perhaps it's just a matter of time before the "water is life" mantra will prove all too prescient.)
Update 4/4/13: This article illustrates very well that lingering poisons from the BP spill have forever altered the quality and safety of seafood in the gulf:
Gulf Seafood Deformities Alarm Scientists
Fukushima
So much has been written about the Fukushima nuclear disaster in the alternative press... and sometimes, like the story about the radioactive tuna making its way to the U.S., the stories even make it to yahoo news. Most information, however, comes from independents like this online environmental journalist's report on the high levels of radiation found in Los Angeles this spring. (His site is an excellent source of information.)
Suffice it to say, the nuclear industry is not about to let the mainstream media tell us the whole truth about the danger that still exists over a year after the earthquake and tsunami devastated the eastern shores of Japan. How bad is it? Some people with impressive credentials are heralding an end-of-the-world event that could happen at any moment, specifically the moment that the exposed spent fuel rods which are now hanging in mid-air as the result of last year's big earthquake, come tumbling down when the next large quake hits Japan (we all know that dozens of 'small' quakes occur there daily).
But how much of this are we to believe?
Most of us who are paying attention are more than familiar with Dr. Helen Caldicott who has been fighting the nuclear industry lobbyists for almost 40 years while trying to educate the public about the inherent dangers of radiation poisoning. Here's a video of what she had to say at the U of Wisconsin about 'Fukushima, Chernobyl and the nuclear age' on April 19, 2012. (54 minutes long)
Perhaps the best source to follow regularly is Fairewinds.org, the website of Dr.Arnie Gunderson, nuclear engineer turned whistleblower turned commentator and nuclear consultant to all the major news media... who interview him and then rarely run the footage, so he posts a lot on his own site. Gunderson has the most hands-on experience being a nuclear plant operator than any other person in the world willing to talk openly about all aspects of nuclear power. He was (maybe still is?) a believer in nuclear energy - but a seriously jaded believer who pulls no punches when talking about the failure of government and industry to design, construct, monitor and manage nuclear power plants in such a way that puts people over profits.
Gunderson did a radio interview with Caldicott on her radio show "If You Love This Planet" on May 18 2012, one hour long and full of the most honest and reliable up-to-date information. This interview is also available (by date) in Caldicott's radio archives here. Caldicott asks tough questions and Gunderson has answers - I cannot recommend this one highly enough. Listen to it - and you'll know more than you thought possible about Fukushima.
News you Don't want to Read About Fukushima (8/6/13)
from Musicians United editors blog: 7/24/13: Fukushima Threat Grows
7/7/13: More than 2 years after the initial meltdowns Fukushima is still SNAFU
6/25/12: This very important article about Fukushima comes from Dr. Mae-Wan Ho at the Institute for Science in Society. Highly recommended reading.
Suffice it to say, the nuclear industry is not about to let the mainstream media tell us the whole truth about the danger that still exists over a year after the earthquake and tsunami devastated the eastern shores of Japan. How bad is it? Some people with impressive credentials are heralding an end-of-the-world event that could happen at any moment, specifically the moment that the exposed spent fuel rods which are now hanging in mid-air as the result of last year's big earthquake, come tumbling down when the next large quake hits Japan (we all know that dozens of 'small' quakes occur there daily).
But how much of this are we to believe?
Most of us who are paying attention are more than familiar with Dr. Helen Caldicott who has been fighting the nuclear industry lobbyists for almost 40 years while trying to educate the public about the inherent dangers of radiation poisoning. Here's a video of what she had to say at the U of Wisconsin about 'Fukushima, Chernobyl and the nuclear age' on April 19, 2012. (54 minutes long)
Perhaps the best source to follow regularly is Fairewinds.org, the website of Dr.Arnie Gunderson, nuclear engineer turned whistleblower turned commentator and nuclear consultant to all the major news media... who interview him and then rarely run the footage, so he posts a lot on his own site. Gunderson has the most hands-on experience being a nuclear plant operator than any other person in the world willing to talk openly about all aspects of nuclear power. He was (maybe still is?) a believer in nuclear energy - but a seriously jaded believer who pulls no punches when talking about the failure of government and industry to design, construct, monitor and manage nuclear power plants in such a way that puts people over profits.
Gunderson did a radio interview with Caldicott on her radio show "If You Love This Planet" on May 18 2012, one hour long and full of the most honest and reliable up-to-date information. This interview is also available (by date) in Caldicott's radio archives here. Caldicott asks tough questions and Gunderson has answers - I cannot recommend this one highly enough. Listen to it - and you'll know more than you thought possible about Fukushima.
News you Don't want to Read About Fukushima (8/6/13)
from Musicians United editors blog: 7/24/13: Fukushima Threat Grows
7/7/13: More than 2 years after the initial meltdowns Fukushima is still SNAFU
6/25/12: This very important article about Fukushima comes from Dr. Mae-Wan Ho at the Institute for Science in Society. Highly recommended reading.
Fracking
If you haven't heard about fracking you're probably really not paying attention. It's by far the most widespread threat to our drinking water in the United States, and by "threat" I mean quite literally that the practice of fracking is on its way to depriving all of us access to simple drinking water. Ultimately, water flows everywhere, so it's not a stretch to say that because fracking is a ubiquitous practice of oil and gas companies around the entire globe, it is no doubt the most widespread threat to life itself. Because, let's face it, WATER IS LIFE.
Hydraulic fracturing, aka 'fracking,' is the practice of injecting chemicals deep into the earth to fracture the geologic strata that contain natural gas - thus forcing it to the surface and oh, by the way, contaminating the underground aquifer to the point that water is not only undrinkable, it's highly HIGHLY toxic. The oil and gas industry has lobbied heavily to loosen clean water rules for the past 30 years under the supreme guidance of Dick Cheney who made it nearly impossible to even file a grievance against Big Oil when he became vice president (shouldn't it be president of Vice?) under dubya bush.
Of course, the oil and gas industry denies there is any problem with fracking. But tell that to the innocent people who signed on for the big money offered them only to find that their tap water lights on fire, their farm animals died, and their own health is hanging by a thread (sadly, there are plenty of deaths to report as well). Currently, the biggest battle against fracking is going on in New York State where the governor caved to pressure and agreed to allow fracking in five southern counties. Some activists actually considered this a victory since the lobbyists wanted the right to frack the entire state. The five county-area is apparently going to fight back, but theirs is just one battle across an entire world of insanity.
[The industry goes to great lengths to fund studies that "prove" they do no harm: read about the UT Austin professor on their payroll here -- added 7/27/12]
Journalist Josh Fox made an 18-minute film addressed directly to Governor Andrew Cuomo ... see it here, and you'll know a good deal about fracking ... (Fox's full length documentary Gasland is probably more thorough, but this will certainly give you enough information to inform and outrage you). Note: The problem is certainly not limited to New York. There's a map at the Gasland site showing the incredible scope of the poisoning:
Hydraulic fracturing, aka 'fracking,' is the practice of injecting chemicals deep into the earth to fracture the geologic strata that contain natural gas - thus forcing it to the surface and oh, by the way, contaminating the underground aquifer to the point that water is not only undrinkable, it's highly HIGHLY toxic. The oil and gas industry has lobbied heavily to loosen clean water rules for the past 30 years under the supreme guidance of Dick Cheney who made it nearly impossible to even file a grievance against Big Oil when he became vice president (shouldn't it be president of Vice?) under dubya bush.
Of course, the oil and gas industry denies there is any problem with fracking. But tell that to the innocent people who signed on for the big money offered them only to find that their tap water lights on fire, their farm animals died, and their own health is hanging by a thread (sadly, there are plenty of deaths to report as well). Currently, the biggest battle against fracking is going on in New York State where the governor caved to pressure and agreed to allow fracking in five southern counties. Some activists actually considered this a victory since the lobbyists wanted the right to frack the entire state. The five county-area is apparently going to fight back, but theirs is just one battle across an entire world of insanity.
[The industry goes to great lengths to fund studies that "prove" they do no harm: read about the UT Austin professor on their payroll here -- added 7/27/12]
Journalist Josh Fox made an 18-minute film addressed directly to Governor Andrew Cuomo ... see it here, and you'll know a good deal about fracking ... (Fox's full length documentary Gasland is probably more thorough, but this will certainly give you enough information to inform and outrage you). Note: The problem is certainly not limited to New York. There's a map at the Gasland site showing the incredible scope of the poisoning:
Pharmaceuticals
Anyone who watches television for even 30 minutes a day is likely to be inundated with ads for pharmaceuticals. It's no secret we are a drugged nation, but sadly most people believe it's necessary and even valuable to have access to so many drugs. Although I am quite certain that pharmaceutical drugs can be very helpful in certain situations, U.S. 'pharm' culture is out of control. One example, perhaps the most important one, is the number of kids who are on ADD and ADHD drugs. The statistics are frightening. Is it possible that some educators and parents simply don't know a curious child when they see one? It's easier to control a group of schoolkids who all conform to one mode of learning, one way of being. Why not try a tutor before a mind-altering drug?
And then there are statins to control cholesterol. Most people don't know that the acceptable levels of cholesterol have been steadily lowered to accommodate the request of the pharmaceutical companies so they can gain more customers. And indeed they have.
All these drugs are taking their toll. Here I will post articles on a variety of pharmaceutical studies that have not made mainstream news.
ADHD Drug Emergencies Quadrupled in Six Years (8/29/13)
Statins Worsen Heart Function (6/22/11)
Anyone who watches television for even 30 minutes a day is likely to be inundated with ads for pharmaceuticals. It's no secret we are a drugged nation, but sadly most people believe it's necessary and even valuable to have access to so many drugs. Although I am quite certain that pharmaceutical drugs can be very helpful in certain situations, U.S. 'pharm' culture is out of control. One example, perhaps the most important one, is the number of kids who are on ADD and ADHD drugs. The statistics are frightening. Is it possible that some educators and parents simply don't know a curious child when they see one? It's easier to control a group of schoolkids who all conform to one mode of learning, one way of being. Why not try a tutor before a mind-altering drug?
And then there are statins to control cholesterol. Most people don't know that the acceptable levels of cholesterol have been steadily lowered to accommodate the request of the pharmaceutical companies so they can gain more customers. And indeed they have.
All these drugs are taking their toll. Here I will post articles on a variety of pharmaceutical studies that have not made mainstream news.
ADHD Drug Emergencies Quadrupled in Six Years (8/29/13)
Statins Worsen Heart Function (6/22/11)