http://www.thesleuthjournal.com Alternative News | Real News Without Synthetics Wed, 05 Jul 2017 20:07:04 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/atrazine-disrupts-endocrine-system-causes-hormonal-imbalance/ http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/atrazine-disrupts-endocrine-system-causes-hormonal-imbalance/#respond Wed, 05 Jul 2017 20:07:04 +0000
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/?p=91965
(The Real Agenda News) The existence of toxic chemicals in our environment and especially in our food must be of grave concern to all. However, the fourth article of the Chemical Reality series is going to focus on a toxic substance that affects men in particular. Its name is Atrazine. It is produced by Big Chem, more especifically, Syngenta. ...
The post Atrazine Disrupts Endocrine System and Causes Hormonal Imbalance appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
(The Real Agenda News) The existence of toxic chemicals in our environment and especially in our food must be of grave concern to all. However, the fourth article of the Chemical Reality series is going to focus on a toxic substance that affects men in particular.
Its name is Atrazine. It is produced by Big Chem, more especifically, Syngenta.
If you have never heard about atrazine and how it degrades human health and the environment, it is time to pay attention, because this chemical is as bad as Bisphenol A and Dioxins, the two compounds I wrote about in the two previous articles.
Atrazine is such a poisonous chemical that its producer has paid $105 million to settle one single lawsuit that alleged the toxicity of atrazine endangered the environment by contaminating human water supplies. The money paid by Syngenta was used to treat at 1000 contaminated water systems polluted by atrazine.
Let’s understand what exactly atrazine is and how this chemical is indeed poisoning us all.
Atrazine is a herbicide used to fight the growth of broadleaf weeds in crops. It is used in many if not all crops that are produced in large amounts ( as corn, soy, sugarcane and others) in order to increase yields such It is also used on grass such as home lawns, stadiums and golf courses.
Atrazine’s most significant threat concerns its ability to contaminate ground water as it filters through the soil into subterranean water reserves. But a lot of it also remains on the soil, grass and crops we use as food.
Even after sliding down into the soil, atrazine residue remains on the grass and plants, which are later eaten by gracing animals.
The levels of atrazine in the environment have increased everywhere but in those places that have banned the use of the pesticide/herbicide.
As you may have already guessed, the United States is the country with the heaviest use of atrazine and Europe is the place where the chemical has been widely prohibited due to its toxicity.
Since defending the indefensible is expensive, Syngenta and other chemical companies do not like it when someone discovers that the chemicals they produce are harmful, because that means they would need to pull it out of the market, which in turn causes the companies to lose millions of dollars in profits.
The modus operandi of companies like Syngenta is to persecute whistleblowers to make them shut up. That is the case of Tyrone Hayes, a scientist who spent fifteen years studying atrazine. The result of his research demonstrated that this herbicide is indeed a harmful, toxic chemical.
After working for Syngenta in the study of atrazine, Hayes left his job and decided to work independently and that is when he began to be harassed by Syngenta.
As reported by The New Yorker, “Syngenta representatives were following him to conferences around the world. He worried that the company was orchestrating a campaign to destroy his reputation.”
Hayes’ work prompted 23 American cities to sue Syngenta for hiding atrazine’s threat to ground water reserves.
After the lawsuit was settled by Syngenta, hundreds of memos, notes, and e-mails from the company were made public only to confirm what Hayes had discovered throughout most of his career. “Tyrone’s work gave us the scientific basis for the lawsuit,” said Stephen Tillery, the attorney who took on Syngenta in court.
Why is Atrazine so dangerous?
The reason why Syngenta persecutes people like Hayes, who only want to demonstrate the danger that this chemical poses to humans, animals and plants is atrazine’s pervasiveness.
As the two previous chemicals do, atrazine is an endocrine disruptor, which means it has the capacity to negatively affect the hormonal balance of humans and animals.
Because water is the main source of life on this planet, it is no surprise that atrazine’s toxicity is of such a concern to many people. Let’s remember that the human body is said to be 65% water.
Back in 2006, the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States, said that the risks associated with atrazine residues in water “posed a reasonable certainty of no harm”.
Later in 2007 the EPA said that atrazine did not negatively affect sexual development in amphibians and that it was not necessary to conduct further testing. So why all the noise about atrazine?
Mostly because it is the second most widely used herbicide after Monsanto’s glyphosate and also because despite the EPA’s assurances that this chemicals is safe, multiple studies have found that the opposite is true.
The consequences of atrazine in humans and animals are related to the endocrine system where it causes hormonal imbalance.
Its pervasiveness relies on the fact that atrazine remains on soil for months, which allows it to get to underground water reservoirs. For this reason, atrazine was banned in Europe in 2004.
As in the case of BPA and dioxins, atrazine causes damage on unborn children during pregnancy, disturbs natural and normal sexual development, affects pubertal development and others.
The dangers of atrazine are extended to animals and plants, where similar results have been observed.
Frogs and fish are some of the most harmed species. Frogs often suffer from demasculinization and even low doses of atrazine cause frogs to turn into hermaphrodites.
According to results obtained by Tyrone Hayes, atrazine lowers testosterone to levels that are inferior to those found in female frogs. The only studies that have not found any threat from the use of atrazine, have been those financed by Syngenta and conducted by government agencies.
In his study Demasculinization and Feminization of Male Gonads by Atrazine: Consistent Effects Across Vertebrate Classes, Tyrone Hayes explains that:
“Atrazine demasculinizes male gonads producing testicular lesions associated with reduced germ cell numbers in teleost fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals, and induces partial and/or complete feminization in fish, amphibians, and reptiles.
These effects are strong (statistically significant), consistent across vertebrate classes, and specific Reductions in androgen levels and the induction of estrogen synthesis – demonstrated in fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals – represent plausible and coherent mechanisms that explain these effects. Biological gradients are observed in several of the cited studies, although threshold doses and patterns vary among species.”
How did Hayes come up with this conclusion?
“Plausible, coherent mechanisms are available to explain gonadal demasculinization and feminization. Atrazine exposure significantly reduces synthesis, secretion and circulating levels of androgens across vertebrate classes including fish [38,59], amphibians [26,39], reptiles [40], and mammals [24,60] with lesser effects in birds [61].
Androgen production is critical for germ cell differentiation, development and maturation. Thus, limiting androgen production and availability provides a plausible mechanism to explain the demasculinization of gonads in exposed males.”
A report published on the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, explains that atrazine induces castration in male African clawed frogs. “atrazine is the most commonly detected pesticide contaminant of ground, surface, and drinking water. Atrazine is also a potent endocrine disruptor that is active at low, ecologically relevant concentrations.”
According to PNAS, previous studies show that when exposed to atrazine, males were chemically castrated and completely feminized as adults.
In animal studies, at least 10% of subjects developed functional females organs, mated with males to later produce viable eggs.
Apparently, atrazine causes males to suffer from “depressed testosterone”, demasculinized/feminized laryngeal development, suppressed mating behavior, reduced spermatogenesis, and decreased fertility. But the results of studies done with atrazine are not only limited to amphibians.
The same results seen in them were observed in other vertebrate classes. If atrazine is likely to cause a decline in amphibian population worldwide, due to its ability to disrupt endocrine function, it is expected to have the same result in other forms of life, including humans.
The heavy use of atrazine and other poisonous chemicals in agriculture is one good reason to stop consuming processed industrialized products.
An August 2010 study whose details are published by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, “found that the incidence of prostate inflammation went from 48 percent in the control group to 81 percent in the male offspring who were exposed to a mixture of atrazine and its breakdown products prenatally.”
The study was led by Suzanne Fenton, Ph.D., and Jason Stanko, Ph.D., from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), which is part of the National Institutes of Health.
“We didn’t expect to see these kinds of effects at such low levels,” Fenton said. “We hope that this information will be useful to the EPA as it completes its risk assessment of atrazine,” said Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., director of the NIEHS and National Toxicology Program.
So let’s review. When it comes to atrazine’s negative effects on reproduction, studies have shown that this chemical “reduces the ability to reproduce successfully.
Regarding atrazine’s mutagenicity, studies have found that there is a significant increase in the percentage of chromosomal damage in the blood cells of workers in an atrazine production plant.
On carcinogenicity, in human evaluations, studies found a higher incidence of breast cancer and ovarian cancers and that the risk of breast cancer was higher in places with “medium and high levels of triazine exposure” than it was at low exposures.
According to the Pesticide Action Network of the United Kingdom, the general conclusion on atrazine, is that “it is a pesticide of major concern for a number of reasons including possible negative health effects, effects on aquatic organisms, levels in drinking water and the development of resistance.
Whilst it is becoming less widely used, the effects of its long-term persistence may still cause health and environmental problems in the future.”
As I’ve said in the previous three articles, it is not a bad idea to act in a safe, proactive way. As explained in previous cases, the best way to avoid getting poisoned by atrazine or any other chemical is to eliminate processed foods from our diets.
A second step is to conduct a detoxification of the body. A third step is to change our diets to eat food that we can prove has been cultivated without any kind of chemicals and on a soil that has never been sprayed with pesticides, herbicides or that have been planted with genetically engineered organisms.
Men, you have been warned.
The post Atrazine Disrupts Endocrine System and Causes Hormonal Imbalance appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/atrazine-disrupts-endocrine-system-causes-hormonal-imbalance/feed/ 0 http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/chemical-bioaccumulation-responsible-immunotoxicity/ http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/chemical-bioaccumulation-responsible-immunotoxicity/#respond Tue, 04 Jul 2017 21:58:31 +0000
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/?p=91942
Science is great when scientists use it to manufacture products that make our lives easier. But science can sometimes be the worst culprit when it is misused to hide the dangers that some chemicals pose to human health. In the first article of this series, I demonstrated how easily chemicals get into the food supply ...
The post Chemical Bioaccumulation Responsible for Immunotoxicity appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
Science is great when scientists use it to manufacture products that make our lives easier. But science can sometimes be the worst culprit when it is misused to hide the dangers that some chemicals pose to human health.
In the first article of this series, I demonstrated how easily chemicals get into the food supply and how every time humans, animals and the environment are exposed to them, disease is not only created but also continually fed.
In the second part of the Chemical Reality series I exposed what is perhaps the most dangerous chemical commonly found in products manufactured by the food industry.
Bisphenol A along with other synthetic chemicals are intentionally put in industrialized products by an industry that seems to be worried only about supplying a food market without taking into consideration that the chemicals used in the production of those industrialized products are destroying the environment and consequently our health.
One of those chemicals that circulate in our food supply are Dioxins, which is the second chemical in our list of the most dangerous ingredients. Dioxins are multi-tasker chemicals produced from the burning of chlorine and bromine. Just as BPA does, Dioxins disrupt the delicate hormonal balance in male and female organisms.
Even while exposed to very low levels of dioxins, this chemical endangers the life of an unborn children, damage sperm quality and count, and the bodies of pregnant mothers.
Research has found that dioxins bio-accumulate in organisms including humans, plants and animals, building up to levels that turn it into a dangerous carcinogen. Dioxins are powerful enough to disrupt the immune and reproductive systems.
As in the case of BPA, Dioxins act by interacting with a specific intracellular protein, which in turn causes disruptions on other regulatory proteins in organisms.
The aryl hydrocarbon (AH) receptor, the one that is most likely affected by dioxin toxicity, is involved in the expression of many genes.
Since many industrial by-products are identified as dioxins, it is not known which of those chemical compounds causes the most harm to organisms exposed to them, but it is abundantly clear that they are responsible for immunotoxicity endocrine effects, tumor promotion and toxic responses.
The damage caused on humans
Two of the main negative effects that dioxins have on humans are reproductive and developmental problems. Additionally, dioxins are also responsible for damage to the immune system, hormonal disruption and cancer.
While in unborn children heavy exposure to dioxins can be deadly, in adults the most common consequences are liver damage, alterations in heme metabolism, disruptions in serum lipid levels, thyroid functions, diabetes and immunological effects.
Perhaps the most studied effect of dioxins in the human body is their ability to cause cancer. Even the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has labeled dioxins as “likely human carcinogens”.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified dioxins as carcinogens type 1 because of their ability to accelerate formation of tumors and affect the mechanisms for inhibiting tumor growth.
It is important to highlight that in most of the Western world, both bromine and chlorine, whose industrialization process releases dioxins into the environment, are contained in bottled water which people purchase in supermarkets.
Some of the most powerful chemical companies such as Dow Chemical are heavily involved in the processing of chlorine.
This chemical is mainly used to manufacture plastics, chemical solvents, pesticides and other products that are also used in a number of industrial processes as well as in the production of supposed food items.
Because dioxins are a by-product released from the processing of other chemicals, it is easily found in plants and animals on which humans rely heavily for their nutrition.
That is why most of human exposure to dioxins comes from the intake of animals products like meat and dairy as well as fish, fruit and vegetables.
Even though some governments managed to decrease emissions of dioxins, bio-accumulation of this toxic chemical compound is likely to increase in humans between 20 and 60 years of age.
Among some of the most dangerous examples of dioxins are PCBs and PCDD/F-compounds, which spread around the environment during waste incineration, leakage during transportation, air circulation and of course soils that are contaminated with dioxins such as landfills, which in turn contaminate underground natural water depositories. Despite significant advances in dioxin sequestration, this chemical is still bio-accumulating in the environment and in our bodies.
Neither humans nor animals, not even microbes are able to get rid of dioxins in their organisms fast enough. In fact, dioxins are one of the most persistent toxic compounds in the environment.
As if its persistence and capacity to bio-accumulate were not bad enough, dioxins also possess the capacity to bio-magnify their effects. In other words, the concentration of dioxins can exceed its background persistence in humans, animals and the environment.
The capacity shown by dioxins to be persistent, to bio-accumulate and to bio-magnify its effects affects the whole food chain, from microbes to plankton that are later used as food by insects, animals as well as other flora and fauna that eventually becomes food.
Every time dioxins reach another level of the food chain their toxicity is multiplied, a fact that makes humans the most endangered receptor of dioxins because humans are at the top of the food chain.
A recent study performed by Professor Niels Skakkebaek, of Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark, proves that endocrine disruptors such as dioxins have an even more dangerous effect on human health than first thought.
“For the first time, we have shown a direct link between exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals from industrial products and adverse effects on human sperm function,” says Skakkebaek.
The study also found that the accumulation of several kinds of endocrine disruptors cause what is called a “cocktail effect”, that is, the damage caused by unwanted chemicals in our bodies are exponentially higher than when they act alone.
This Danish study also determined that the concentration levels needed for chemicals to negatively impact sperm health and hormonal balance, for example, are very low, similar to the amounts found within the human body.
As per Professor Skakkebaek’s study, most of the chemicals that threaten human health are ingested or acquired through the use of everyday products such as soap, toothpaste, plastic containers and toys.
“In my opinion, our findings are clearly of concern as some endocrine-disrupting chemicals are possibly more dangerous than previously thought. However, it remains to be seen from forthcoming clinical studies whether our findings may explain reduced couple fertility which is very common in modern societies,”
Professor Skakkebaek told The Independent. According to him, at least one in three substances deemed as “non-toxic” actually have the power to greatly affect the potency of sperm cells, which could explain the high levels of infertility in humans.
According to the Centre of Advanced European Studies and Research in Bonn, Germany, some 30 of every 100 chemicals used in household products, which are considered safe, directly disrupt the “catsper” protein, that is the substance responsible for managing sperm motility, agility and ability to fertilize the female egg.
“In human body fluids, one does not find one of a few particular chemicals, but rather complex chemical cocktails with many different endocrine-disrupting chemicals at very low concentrations. We tried to mimic this situation in our experiments,” said Dr. Timo Strünker.
With some much evidence showing that dioxins are indeed a threat to human fertility and even fully grown human beings, there is not doubt that the best thing to do is avoid products that contain dioxins.
In fact, it is best to avoid processed, industrialized products completely. Because dioxins and other toxic chemicals are in plastic, cans and other types of wrappings that are used by the so-called food industry, the best way to eliminate exposure to dioxins is avoiding the consumption of all processed foods. Unfortunately, most people do exactly the opposite.
Having plenty of evidence about the dangers posed by chemicals in the food doesn’t seem to be enough for most people to stop eating out of cans, drinking from bottles or feeding themselves with heavily processed fast-food.
In fact, it seems like eating oneself to death is fashionable. For those who are into health rather than into fashion, here is a simple reason why it is necessary to eliminate processed foods once and for all: Processed foods are an illusion.
The use of words such as “healthy” on a can or a bottle as well as other like low fat, no carbohydrates, fortified, contains omega-3s, etc are all lies, because none of those ingredients, assuming they are actually present in the processed foods, are naturally obtained and added.
Take for example milk with added vitamin D. Most, if not all vitamin D added to milk is created by extracting materials from sheep’s wool. I am sure this fact comes as a shock to many.
In our next part of the series Chemical Reality I will continue shrinking the list of things that humans should ingest in order to remain healthy, with a very alarming trend towards the fact that there is very little in our diet that we should be eating and drinking.
The post Chemical Bioaccumulation Responsible for Immunotoxicity appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/chemical-bioaccumulation-responsible-immunotoxicity/feed/ 0 http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/feminized-fish-contraceptives-males-grow-eggs/ http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/feminized-fish-contraceptives-males-grow-eggs/#comments Mon, 03 Jul 2017 19:16:18 +0000
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/?p=91915
(RT) A leading eco-toxicologist has warned that the quantity of synthetic chemicals entering our watershed is feminizing fish populations to such a degree that several species now boast transgender and intersex fish, with eggs in their testicles. “If you look in terms of what gets into a fish’s liver or gonad, the analysis of the ...
The post Feminized Fish: Human Contraceptives in Water Supply Causing Males to Grow Eggs appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
(RT) A leading eco-toxicologist has warned that the quantity of synthetic chemicals entering our watershed is feminizing fish populations to such a degree that several species now boast transgender and intersex fish, with eggs in their testicles.
“If you look in terms of what gets into a fish’s liver or gonad, the analysis of the chemicals it contains is a bit of a blueprint in terms of what’s flushed down the toilet,” Professor Charles Tyler, of the University of Exeter said, speaking to The Independent.
“We’re starting to establish not just effects on gender, but that they can also affect other physiological processes in the fish as well,” he added.
Tyler will give a keynote speech on the topic of ‘transgender’ or ‘intersex’ fish at the 50th Anniversary Symposium of the Fisheries Society in the British Isles at Exeter University from July 3 to 7.
Tyler participated in the research project, ‘Roach, Sex, and Gender-Bending Chemicals: The Feminization of Wild Fish in English Rivers’ in 2008 in which one fifth of the male fish studied possessed feminized traits including, but not limited to, reduced sperm quality, decreased aggression and competitive behavior, which impeded their success when breeding.
Some male fish had even begun producing eggs.
“It all depends how feminized they become. If they are moderately to severely feminized, they are compromised as individuals and they really struggle to pass on their genes,” Tyler said. “One thing scientists are becoming much, much more conscious of now … is wildlife populations are exposed to a combination of stresses.”
The research identified more than 200 chemicals in river water which had characteristics similar to estrogen and antidepressants.
Endocrine disruptors, the chemicals found in pesticides, detergents, certain foods, the contraceptive pill and cosmetics are the type of chemical responsible for the marked change in sexuality and behavior of fish.
A separate study from 2010 found that more than 80 percent of male bass fish in the Potomac river in Washington DC exhibited female traits, including growing eggs in their testes as a result of rainwater and sewage water containing a mix of endocrine disruptors entering the area’s watershed.
“Other research has shown that many other chemicals that are discharged through sewage treatment works can affect fish, including antidepressant drugs that reduce the natural shyness of some fish species, including the way they react to predators,” Tyler said.
“It’s blindingly obvious when you stick a poison out and it kills something. It’s an incredibly difficult challenge to understand sub-lethal effects and how these things affect behavior.”
“If we get sufficient evidence indicating there’s a high likelihood of a population effect, perhaps we need to be more proactive about restricting … or banning these chemicals.”
The post Feminized Fish: Human Contraceptives in Water Supply Causing Males to Grow Eggs appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/feminized-fish-contraceptives-males-grow-eggs/feed/ 1 http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/air-pollution-destroying-health/ http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/air-pollution-destroying-health/#respond Sun, 02 Jul 2017 23:30:57 +0000
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/?p=57544
You probably already know about some of the dangers that severe air pollution exposure can cause and how places like stoplights at intersections can increase your exposure to harmful air particles up to 29 times more than the open road. While these facts are startling, you probably don’t know about the almost invisible dangers. ...
The post 5 Ways Air Pollution Is Destroying Your Health appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
You probably already know about some of the dangers that severe air pollution exposure can cause and how places like stoplights at intersections can increase your exposure to harmful air particles up to 29 times more than the open road. While these facts are startling, you probably don’t know about the almost invisible dangers. [1] Namely the numerous diseases and cognitive issues now being linked to air pollution. Here we’ll get into five ways you’re letting air pollution destroy your health.
The Hidden Dangers of Air Pollution
Despite the slow turn to more sustainable forms of agriculture and industry, air pollution is still a big problem. Here are just some of the ways air pollution negatively affects your health.
1. Air Pollution is Linked to Suicide
It may seem crazy to think that air pollution could lead to something as serious as suicide, but studies in Taiwan, South Korea, China, and now Utah suggest a link. Not only is suicide the 10th leading cause of death in the US, it is the number 8th cause of death in Utah. [2] Obviously, there are many factors that must be considered when discussing causes of suicide; however, suicide rates increased in Utah during the spring and fall (a time when certain aspects of air pollution can be worse).
2. Air Pollution Slows Cognition in Schoolchildren
We all know that air pollution can exacerbate symptoms of asthma and other respiratory-related illnesses and diseases, but did you also know that it can affect brain development? Dr. Jordi Sunyer did a study to see just how affected schoolchildren are by air pollution (specifically traffic pollution). The study concluded that children who attended schools in polluted areas showed overall slower cognition in comparison to those who attended schools in areas with less traffic pollution. “The associations between slower cognitive development and higher levels of air pollutants remained after the researchers took factors such as parents’ education, commuting time, smoking in the home and green spaces at school into account.” [3]
3. Significant Risks to Frequent Flyers
Those who fly frequently (especially pilots or other airline staff) could potentially be more at risk for certain issues, dubbed “aerotoxic syndrome.” Most planes have a mechanism that compresses air from the engines and uses that as air in the cabin, but sometimes, these mechanisms malfunction and allow oil particles to taint the cabin air. Many airline employees have mentioned this, but one pilot, Richard Westgate, passed away in 2012 after claiming to be a victim of poisonous and toxic cabin fumes. [4]
4. Cremations Release Mercury Into the Air
With land for burials becoming more scarce (and also more expensive), many people turn to cremation as an alternate form of honoring the body of a loved one who has passed on. The unfortunate side effect of cremation is mercury emissions. [5] Honoring a fallen loved one should not come at the price of endangering yourself and others, but there are alternatives such as alkaline hydrolysis or “liquid cremation” that are far healthier for the environment and for you.
5. Air Pollution 
Linked to Autism
Autism and related disorders have been on the rise for some time and research suggests air pollution may be a contributing factor. Several reports noted a link between exposure to toxic metals and other pollutants in children who were more at risk to develop autism. Other studies focused on pregnant women and how closely they lived to freeways and other sources of heavy pollution. All of the studies found similar exposures to a handful of particular pollutants that seemed to increase the risk of autism in newborns. [6]
Air Pollution: No Simple Solution
It’s difficult to remove all air pollution from your life, unfortunately, but you can monitor and limit your exposure. Keep abreast with local news about your city or even check in on a Breathe Cam. [7] Keep plants inside your home to help remove harmful pollutants. [8][9] Consider an air purification device, they can be a great active approach for purifying the air in your home.
How’ve you dealt with air pollution? Leave a comment and share your tips below.
References:
- Baggaley, Kate. Stoplights are hotspots for air pollution. Science News. 2015.
- Pappas, Stephanie. Utah suicides linked to air pollution. Live Science. 2015.
- CBC News. Traffic pollution tied to slower cognition in schoolchildren. CBC News. 2015.
- Campbell, Jaime. Toxic fumes in plane cabin’s pose health risks to frequent flyers, says coroner. Independent.co.uk. 2015.
- Lewis, Barbara. EU should curb mercury emissions from cremations, campaigners say. Reuters. 2015.
- Arnold, Carrie. Air pollution and ASDs: Homing in on an environmental risk factor. EHP. 2015.
- Keane, Jonathan. Keep an eye on your city’s pollution in real time. New Scientist. 2015.
- Barboza, Tony. Cleaner air is linked to stronger lungs in Southern California children. LA Times. 2015.
- Kinzler, Don. NASA Study: Houseplants remove harmful substances from indoors. Duluth News Tribute. 2015.
The post 5 Ways Air Pollution Is Destroying Your Health appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/air-pollution-destroying-health/feed/ 0 http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/where-find-natural-building-materials/ http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/where-find-natural-building-materials/#respond Sun, 02 Jul 2017 18:45:41 +0000
https://www.thesleuthjournal.com/?p=58691
Whether you’re looking into building your dream home or simply want to renovate a specific area of your home or office, using natural building materials is the best way to create an environment that isn’t detrimental to your health. Organic, natural, and eco-friendly building materials from reputable, trusted suppliers is a must for protecting your ...
The post Where To Find Natural Building Materials appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
Whether you’re looking into building your dream home or simply want to renovate a specific area of your home or office, using natural building materials is the best way to create an environment that isn’t detrimental to your health. Organic, natural, and eco-friendly building materials from reputable, trusted suppliers is a must for protecting your health from the endocrine disruptors found in conventional building supplies.
Where to Find Organic Building Materials
Many building materials today contain things like formaldehyde, VOCs, and fire retardants, all of which can disrupt hormone function. While building materials don’t have the same organic certification process as food, it is possible to find paint, adhesives, and other materials made with organic or natural ingredients. Here’s a list of the most common building materials you will need, along with suppliers you can trust.
Organic/Natural Sheetrock
Also referred to as drywall, sheetrock is necessary for making the interior of walls. Finding natural and eco-friendly alternatives is a bit easier in this day and age, and luckily many builders are popping up all over the place offering these options. Here’s a quick list of the best suppliers for natural sheetrock:
EcoRock, made from 85% industrial byproducts, 100% recyclable.
Durra Panel is an eco-friendly sheetrock made from wheat or rice straw fibres, contains no formaldehyde.
JetBoard, made in Texas, recently released in the US.
Organic/Natural Glue
Glue and adhesives are necessary every step of the way when you’re building, yet some can give off toxic fumes. Here’s a list of the top-selling natural adhesives you can use in your projects:
ChemLink is a leading solvent-free and VOC-compliant sealant that can safely be used for constructing a healthy indoor environment.
EcoBond is another popular adhesive earning points from environmentalists and health advisors.
Capco Adhesives are also eco friendly and low in toxic compounds.
Organic/Natural Paints
Whether you’re painting the outside of your house, your living room, or wooden furniture, you should always use lead-free, VOC-free, natural paints as much as possible. Here’s some suppliers you can look into:
Ecos Paints sell no odor, VOC-free paint for interior use.
Auro Natural Eco Paints uses zero petrochemicals, VCOs, and only organic linseed oil in their products.
Green Pant Paints is another interior paint company, selling paints that use plant-based ingredients.
Organic/Natural Grout
Not only is grout used during construction, it’s commonly used in the maintenance of buildings. Here’s some natural grout solutions:
Eco Bath Tup and Tile
Eco Grout
Eco Systems Grout
Organic/Natural Sheetrock Mud
Sheetrock mud is also referred to as ‘drywall joint compound’ and is used to seal joints between sheets of drywall. Here’s some hypo-allergenic choices you can use:
Keim, works best with JetBoard or Dragonboard as a joint compound.
Murco Wall, do not use as a joint compound.
Organic/Natural Thinners
Paint thinners are commonly tainted with chemicals, most notably VOCs. Here’s a list of reliable, healthier alternatives:
Solvent-Free Paint thinner is made from 100% purified linseed oil.
Real Milk Company uses organic citrus solvents as a natural paint thinner.
Eco-Solve is a paint thinner made with soy and is non toxic.
Organic/Natural Caulking
While caulking doesn’t typically present a dire health concern, the PCBs found in conventional caulking materials can be hazardous over time. Here’s a couple of sources of caulking without the endocrine disruptor:
SafeCoat Multi-Purpose Caulk is non toxic and good for the environment.
Eco-Bond has a 10 year mold-free guarantee and is low in VOCs.
Natural/VOC-free Concrete Sealants
Most concrete sealants contain VOCs, which interfere with the immune system. Here are the top VOC-free concrete sealants:
Seal Green provides concrete sealants made with green ingredients.
DurasealZero™¨is made by Enviroseal, and uses natural ingredients that are EPA approved. No VOCs.
Conkrete-Seal by AgraLife is a natural, VOC-free concrete sealant.
Organic / Natural Ceiling Tiles
Formaldehyde a toxic poison that is commonly added to conventional ceiling tiles. Here’s a couple of suppliers for ceiling materials that do not use chemicals:
Armstrong is one of the leaders in providing sustainable ceiling tiles for office buildings.
Sustainable Ceiling Resource Center provides information and products related to healthy ceiling products.
Got a favorite that I missed? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.
The post Where To Find Natural Building Materials appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/where-find-natural-building-materials/feed/ 0 http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/3-5-billion-poisoned-airlines-year/ http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/3-5-billion-poisoned-airlines-year/#comments Fri, 30 Jun 2017 18:45:43 +0000
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/?p=91805
It’s been five months since our first investigative report about the serious health hazards associated with modern air travel: “Asbestos of the Sky” – The Aviation Industry’s Darkest Coverup. I wish the title of the article were hyperbole, but it really is that dark, and the coverup stretches over half a century, being no less devastating to ...
The post 3.5 Billion Unknowingly Poisoned By Airlines Each Year? appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
It’s been five months since our first investigative report about the serious health hazards associated with modern air travel: “Asbestos of the Sky” – The Aviation Industry’s Darkest Coverup.
I wish the title of the article were hyperbole, but it really is that dark, and the coverup stretches over half a century, being no less devastating to public health than other agendas you may already be familiar with such as Big Tobacco’s Smoking-Cancer link and the CDC’s Vaccine-Autism coverup.
The proof is in how many people still know absolutely nothing about the devastating health risks of bleed-air being fed directly into the cabins of planes from their engines.
Thankfully, the tides are beginning to shift. There has been a flurry of global reporting on new research from Stirling University hosted on the WHO’s website that confirms there is a clear pattern of and chronic symptoms ranging from breathing and vision problems, to neurological ones like headaches and dizziness in those exposed to the air blown from engines into aircraft cabins.
The Daily Mail, reporting on the new study recently stated:
‘There is a clear cause-and-effect relationship linking health effects to a design feature that allows the aircraft air supply to become contaminated by engine oils and other fluids in normal flight.
‘This is a clear occupational and public health issue with direct flight-safety consequences.’
The Telegraph’s headline is even more to the point: “New health concerns – and cancer link – over toxic cabin air breathed by 3.5 billion passengers each year”
If you or anyone you know flies, nothing could be more important than for you to know what you are being exposed to, and what can be done about it. I am convinced that consumer pressure on the industry will be the critical factor in reforming the industry, and not top-down political pressure by lawmakers, which will come only much later.
The first positive sign is that Boeing has already developed a non-toxic alternative called the 787 Dreamliner which is the only plane that takes fresh air from outside instead of directly from compressors in the jet engines to supply the cabin. Unfortunately, at this time, it is only rarely used for domestic flights. But consumer education and subsequent demand can quickly correct that problem!
Please share this newsletter with friends, family, loved ones, and health practitioners. Together I know we can make a big difference!
Click here to view the report, “Asbestos of the Sky” – The Aviation Industry’s Darkest Coverup.
© June 30, 2017 GreenMedInfo LLC. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of GreenMedInfo LLC. Want to learn more from GreenMedInfo? Sign up for the newsletter here http://www.greenmedinfo.com/greenmed/newsletter.
The post 3.5 Billion Unknowingly Poisoned By Airlines Each Year? appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/3-5-billion-poisoned-airlines-year/feed/ 1 http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/verge-massive-earthquake-worse/ http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/verge-massive-earthquake-worse/#respond Sat, 24 Jun 2017 22:07:58 +0000
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/?p=91602
A strong uptick in seismic activities in two places in the United States has experts concerned about the possibility of a massive earthquake…or something exponentially worse – the potential eruption of the Yellowstone Supervolcano. The pressure in the San Andreas Fault is increasing. Mac Slavo wrote about the warning signs at the San Andreas fault, ...
The post Are We on the Verge of a Massive Earthquake…or Something Much Worse? (VIDEO) appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
A strong uptick in seismic activities in two places in the United States has experts concerned about the possibility of a massive earthquake…or something exponentially worse – the potential eruption of the Yellowstone Supervolcano.
The pressure in the San Andreas Fault is increasing.
Mac Slavo wrote about the warning signs at the San Andreas fault, 100 miles outside of Los Angeles.
A study published earlier this year concluded that the land on either side of the San Andreas fault has been pushing against the other at a rate of more than 1 inch per year since 1857, and the tensions between the plates are eventually going to give out.
“So, you expect that amount of accumulation of energy will be released in the future in a large-magnitude rupture, somewhere along the San Andreas,” said USGS research geologist and study lead author Kate Scharer.
Seismologist Lucy Jones predicts that a San Andreas earthquake beginning at the Salton Sea could be as strong as an 8.2 if it got all the way to Paso Robles. That powerful of a quake could result in massive loss of life and damages. An 8.2 earthquake would produce far more energy than what was produced by the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima. (source)
To make matters worse, it is possible this would not be an isolated incident. A quake along the San Andreas fault could trigger a quake along the Hayward fault, which goes right through the highly populated San Francisco Bay area.
But as awful as that scenario sounds, we could have even bigger problems.
There have been hundreds of earthquakes in Yellowstone this week.
A swarm of earthquakes in iconic Yellowstone Park has scientists on alert. The US Geological Survey has reported nearly 300 quakes since last Monday. By themselves, this would not be incredibly worrisome.
But anyone who has ever driven through Yellowstone and witnessed the natural thermal activity throughout the park becomes fully aware that they’re driving over a massive pocket of molten lava…a supervolcano. This video explains exactly what lies under Yellowstone National Park.
What would happen in the event of an eruption?
Michael Snyder of the website, The End of the American Dream, paints a chilling picture of what an eruption of the Yellowstone Volcano would look like:
Hundreds of cubic miles of ash, rock and lava would be blasted into the atmosphere, and this would likely plunge much of the northern hemisphere into several days of complete darkness. Virtually everything within 100 miles of Yellowstone would be immediately killed, but a much more cruel fate would befall those that live in major cities outside of the immediate blast zone such as Salt Lake City and Denver.
Hot volcanic ash, rock and dust would rain down on those cities literally for weeks. In the end, it would be extremely difficult for anyone living in those communities to survive. In fact, it has been estimated that 90 percent of all people living within 600 miles of Yellowstone would be killed.
Experts project that such an eruption would dump a layer of volcanic ash that is at least 10 feet deep up to 1,000 miles away, and approximately two-thirds of the United States would suddenly become uninhabitable. The volcanic ash would severely contaminate most of our water supplies, and growing food in the middle of the country would become next to impossible…
The rest of the planet, and this would especially be true for the northern hemisphere, would experience what is known as a “nuclear winter”. An extreme period of “global cooling” would take place, and temperatures around the world would fall by up to 20 degrees. Crops would fail all over the planet, and severe famine would sweep the globe.
In the end, billions could die. (source)
How do you even begin to prepare for an earthquake so massive?
The first thing you need to know is how to withstand the initial disaster. In the event of a massive earthquake, it depends whether you are indoors or outdoors what you should do. Go here to learn how to survive an earthquake.
Assuming you survive the quake, the aftermath can be every bit as dangerous. Your best bet is to get to a safe structure and remain there.
Aftershocks may be just as strong as the original earthquake, and in some cases, even weak aftershocks can cause further infrastructure damage to structures that have been weakened by the earlier seismic activity. So it’s important to note that even if your shelter is originally safe, you’ll need to reassess after subsequent quakes.
Expect that emergency services such as police, fire, and ambulances will be unavailable. You will be on your own with only the supplies that you have available to you. Utilities will almost certainly be interrupted and there is a high risk of fire after a massive earthquake. If the water is still running, there is a high likelihood that it will be tainted. You should have the supplies on hand to hunker down with your family for at least a month.
How do you prep for the eruption of a supervolcano?
This is much more difficult.
When considering the long-term affects of this, having as much food stockpiled as possible is essential. But for the purposes of this article, let’s talk about short-term survival and worry about the nuclear winter part later.
Cliff Montgomery from Secrets of Survival wrote about the eruption of Mount St. Helens back in 1980.
Shaken 10 minutes earlier by an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale, the north face of this tall, symmetrical volcano collapsed, resulting in the largest known landslide in world history. These slabs of earth and ice slammed into nearby Spirit Lake, crossed a ridge 1,300 feet high, and roared 14 miles down the Toutle River.
The avalanche rapidly released pressurized gases that had long been surging inside the mountain. For at least a week its northwestern flank had been bulging out as much as 12 feet a day from the increasing pressure of rising magma.
And then Mount St. Helens – a pristine, previously dormant volcano that had long been a major part of the eastern Washington landscape – mostly ceased to exist.
The explosion was five hundred times more powerful than either of the atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima or Nagasaki.
The tremendous lateral blast turned 250 million cubic yards of mountain into a turbulent, stone-filled wind that swept over ridges, toppled trees and scorched the earth nearby at temperatures well over 600 degrees Fahrenheit, flattening or disintegrating practically everything within a 150 square miles of the volcano’s northern side.
Within minutes the eruption began blasting material straight up into the sky; it would continue for 9 hours. The top 1,317 feet of the peak and most of its northwestern side were no more. In its place would eventually be a gaping, horseshoe-shaped crater 2,460 feet deep, making St. Helens little more than a gargantuan shell.
The final result of this activity was a mushroom-shaped column of volcanic ash that rose thousands of feet skyward and drifted across eastern Washington and beyond, turning day into darkest night as gray ash fell over a major part of the southwest. Melted snow and earth became wet, cement-like slurries of rock and mud scouring all sides of the volcano. Searing flows of white-hot lava oozed from the gaping crater. (source)
(Definitely, check out this article. It continues and shares a story of first-hand survival about a logger who was far too close when the volcano erupted.)
And as horrific as this eruption was, it was tiny in comparison to an eruption of Yellowstone.
It’s entirely possible that a supervolcano would be unsurvivable, particularly for those within 600 miles. If you are in the outer part of that radius, have a plan to get in your car and drive in the opposite direction as fast as you can the moment you hear about the eruption. The wave of ash will take a while to spread to the outer parts of that circumference, and it will all depend on the winds how quickly it gets to you.
If you survive the initial eruption, your next concern will be ash.
Volcanic ash is superfine particles of rock. It’s essential to avoid breathing this into your lungs or getting it into your eyes. Your best bet is a gas mask, and your next best bet is an N100 mask with a particulate respirator. You can also stock a dual cartridge respirator (this one comes with goggles) like the kind that painters use. If all else fails, tying a bandana around your nose and mouth is better than nothing at all. Protect your eyes with snug-fitting safety goggles, or even swim goggles. (We keep swim goggles in our bug-out bags after living in a place prone to wildfires for 3 years.)
When you hunker down, you need to secure your home (or wherever you are) against the ash that will soon coat everything like a blizzard.
- Fill every possible container in your home with water before it gets tainted, including sinks and bathtubs.
- Close all ducts to the outside.
- Tape shut the edges of your windows.
- Place damp towels against the bottom of all exterior doors.
- Turn off central heat and air conditioning.
- If you have a fireplace or woodstove, close your dampers.
When the ash is no longer falling as thickly, you may need to go clear accumulated ash off your roof to keep it from collapsing. Wear your goggles and respirator, as well as full-length pants, long sleeves, and a hat. Remove this clothing at the door when you come back into your house.
While ash is falling, avoid running your vehicles. The sediment will clog up the engine and damage it, and you won’t be able to use your vehicle to evacuate later.
Many people would have to be evacuated outside of America.
Should Yellowstone erupt, it’s entirely likely that a large part of the United States would become uninhabitable. Our government has contracts with some countries in South America for this very reason.
Shepard Ambellas of Intellihub wrote:
The U.S. is currently under contract with at least 4 countries all of which have agreed to house displaced U.S. citizens in the unfortunate event the Yellowstone supervolcano were to erupt. Hundreds of billions of dollars were paid to foreign governments to facilitate the agreement which spans a ten year period from its signing, ending in 2024.
An excerpt from an article I authored in April of 2014 titled: “Report: Brazil, Argentina and Australia sign contracts worth hundreds of billions of dollars to house displaced U.S. populace when Yellowstone supervolcano erupts” reads:
The U.S. plan for relocation was formulated after a recent scientific analysis of the park revealed that Yellowstone’s supervolcano has the potential to violently erupt within the next 10-years as noted by others including the famous astrophysicist Michio Kaku… according to the report, “Brazil, Argentina and Australia” jumped on the bandwagon, accepting the request from Washington. (source)
How badly would your area be affected by an eruption of the Yellowstone Supervolcano?
Nearly the entire continental US would be affected to some degree by an eruption of the Yellowstone Supervolcano. The USGS speculates this is what the ashfall would look like a month after the eruption.
Live Science reports:
The ash would be pretty devastating for the United States, scientists predict. The fallout would include short-term destruction of Midwest agriculture, and rivers and streams would be clogged by gray muck.
People living in the Pacific Northwest might also be choking on Yellowstone’s fallout…
But California and Florida, which grow most of the country’s fruits and vegetables, would see only a dusting of ash…
Yellowstone Volcano’s next supereruption is likely to spew vast quantities of gases such as sulfur dioxide, which forms a sulfur aerosol that absorbs sunlight and reflects some of it back to space. The resulting climate cooling could last up to a decade. The temporary climate shift could alter rainfall patterns, and, along with severe frosts, cause widespread crop losses and famine. (source)
Like many disasters that seem as though they’d be extinction-level events, even this is survivable if you aren’t right in the middle of things when the initial eruption occurs.
But recent seismic activity should be a reminder that Mother Nature can throw a monkey wrench in our plans at any given moment.
We need to be prepared, because I strongly suspect, to paraphrase, “We ain’t seen nothin’, yet.”
The post Are We on the Verge of a Massive Earthquake…or Something Much Worse? (VIDEO) appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/verge-massive-earthquake-worse/feed/ 0 http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/amazon-biodiversity-threatened-hundreds-dams/ http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/amazon-biodiversity-threatened-hundreds-dams/#respond Thu, 22 Jun 2017 19:30:03 +0000
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/?p=91533
(The Real Agenda News) Along the Amazon there are 140 hydraulic dams that are under construction or already operating. There are plans for the construction of another 428. AMAZÔNIA — Although only a portion of them will eventually be constructed, scientists believe that their impact on the Amazonian rivers will be “disastrous.” A global study ...
The post Amazon Biodiversity Threatened by Hundreds of Dams appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
(The Real Agenda News) Along the Amazon there are 140 hydraulic dams that are under construction or already operating. There are plans for the construction of another 428.
AMAZÔNIA — Although only a portion of them will eventually be constructed, scientists believe that their impact on the Amazonian rivers will be “disastrous.”
A global study on the consequences of water dams indicates that they will alter the flow of the river, retaining most of the sediments and river nutrients that will not vivify the Amazonian plain, drowning the life that depends on the river and the ocean where it ultimately ends.
In the Amazon, everything is large. Its main section is about 2,000 kilometers to the mouth of the Atlantic, in an estuary more than 300 kilometers wide.
But there are still another 5,000 kilometers until reaching the opposite end, at its head in the Peruvian Andes.
Some of Amazon’s most important water sources, such as Madeira, Negro or Japura, are among the 10 largest rivers on the planet.
The Amazon basin occupies an area of 6.1 million km2 and the water that flows through the Amazon rivers is equivalent to 20% of the fresh water of Earth’s supply.
Despite such enormity, there is no river that survives 568 dams. That is the main conclusion of a large study involving ecologists and engineers, economists and geologists from a dozen American, German, British and Brazilian universities.
Although each dam is accompanied by its environmental impact study, the regional impact of all existing dams in the Amazon basin had never been studied.
The research, published in Nature, analyzes the cost they will have on the life of the river, from the seasonal floods that give life to the Amazon, to the sediments that will stop dragging nutrients all along the region.
Rivers are not just water. They also carry large amounts of sediment that starts from one side and deposits in the other.
These sediments are the mineral substratum of life in a vast region of more than one million km2, between wetlands and alluvial plains.
In its last stretch, the Amazon transports between 800 and 1.2 million tons of silt, sand and clay and at least half end up in the ocean every year.
With each dam that stands between the river and the sea, a percentage of these sediments will be trapped in the concrete.
“Remember ancient Egypt, which depended on the silt of the river that fertilized the lands of the floodplain,” says University of Texas researcher in Austin (USA) and lead author of the study, Edgardo Latrubesse.
“The Nile is today a river artificially regulated by mega dams. It is a typical case that exemplifies the tremendous impacts produced by infrastructures constructed several decades ago, which produced great social, environmental and economic impacts”, adds this expert in geomorphology of the rivers.
It is not the first time that the situation of modern Egypt is related to the alteration of the course of its great river.
In the case that Latrubesse cites, the Amazonian, the combined impact of the dams could cause more than 60% of the sediments that the river drags to get now stuck along the way.
“In the Yangtze, where the Three Gorges dam was built, the retention now stands at more than 75% and in other rivers like the upper Paraná River in Brazil, the retention is more than 100%.
Values of more than 70-90% are typical in the world. We expect something similar in the Amazon if everything that is supposed to be built is actually built,” he says.
Such interference in the dynamics of the river will have “disastrous consequences,” in the words of Latrubesse.
The sediments not only transport nutrients to the alluvial plain, they are an integral part of the river: “islands and pieces of the alluvial plains are eroded while new areas are generated by sedimentation,” recalls this researcher.
This dynamic helps to maintain a great diversity of environments in the tropics and, for biologists, “this regeneration process is a very important mechanism that contributes to the creation of biodiversity,” he concludes.
The problem will not be less at the mouth. The column of water and sediment that ends in the Atlantic extends for more than 1.3 million km2 of the ocean, half of what occupies the Mediterranean.
In addition to being the base of an extensive coral line on the American coast and the mangroves of the Guayanas and northern Brazil, this enormous Amazon contribution is involved in the regional climate, conditioning the generation and movement of tropical storms in the Caribbean.
The lack of sediments in the coastal zone will also favor marine erosion and salt-water intrusion in aquifers.
The authors of the study have created an index of vulnerability of rivers to the impact of dams. About a maximum of 100, some rivers of the Andean strip, like the Marañón, could reach an index 72.
At its head, 104 dams with more than 1 megawatt (MW) of generating capacity have been built or planned.
Further down, the most vulnerable river is Madeira, one of the 10 largest rivers in the world that alone provides half of the sediments that the Amazon takes to the sea.
With an index of vulnerability higher than 80, the Madeira river hosts about 1,000 species of fish, triple the amount of all the rivers of Europe.
But perhaps the most striking case is that of the Tapajós, the main contributor of the right bank of the Amazon.
Although there are no dams in its main section, it is and will be one of the most affected by the construction of dozens of dams in its affluents, which will create an interconnected system of dams and artificial marshes along 1,000 km.
For Latrubesse, “it would be impossible to construct such dams in developed countries” because of the gigantic environmental impact they have.
The justification for all this was the need to generate energy on which Brazil, Ecuador, Peru or Bolivia could base their development. However, hydroelectric dams do not seem to be the solution.
Oxford University researcher and co-author of the study, Atif Ansar, recalls: “Our previous research has shown that, because of the systematic problem of extra costs and the lengthening of deadlines, the real cost of large dams is too high to recover it”.
Previous studies only included economic impact but did not include environmental impact. Now, he says, “large dams are not only economically unviable but also environmentally damaging.”
The post Amazon Biodiversity Threatened by Hundreds of Dams appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/amazon-biodiversity-threatened-hundreds-dams/feed/ 0 http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/gain-weight-easier-skinny-1980s/ http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/gain-weight-easier-skinny-1980s/#respond Thu, 22 Jun 2017 00:00:40 +0000
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/?p=91518
You can eat less and exercise more—but you’ll still probably gain more weight (about 10 percent more) than someone your age would have gained 20 – 30 years ago, eating and exercising the same amount. So says a new study published in the journal Obesity Research & Clinical Practice. The study found, as reported in ...
The post Why It Was Easier to Be Skinny in the 1980s appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
You can eat less and exercise more—but you’ll still probably gain more weight (about 10 percent more) than someone your age would have gained 20 – 30 years ago, eating and exercising the same amount.
So says a new study published in the journal Obesity Research & Clinical Practice. The study found, as reported in The Atlantic, that someone, in 2006, eating the same amount of calories, taking in the same quantities of macronutrients like protein and fat, and exercising the same amount as a person of the same age did in 1988, would have a BMI (Body Mass Index) that was about 2.3 points higher.
The study’s authors posited three possible explanations for their findings:
1. Today we’re exposed to more chemicals—pesticides, flame retardants, the substances in food packaging—that may be messing with our hormones.
2. We’re taking more drugs, especially antidepressants, many of which are linked to weight gain.
3. Our gut bacteria are changing, possibly because we’re eating more meat—and that meat is now being treated with growth-promoting hormones and antibiotics.
It all makes sense. Except the statement by one of the study’s authors, who told The Atlantic that the body weights of Americans today are influenced by “factors beyond their control.”
Noooooo . . . we can control our own exposure to pesticides, antidepressants, and factory farm meat. By going organic. And staying off drugs. What’s more, we must continue to fight the corporate control of our food system that’s led to this mess.
And we better hurry up. Because according to another new study, 107 million children and 603 million adults are now obese.
h/t: Organic Consumers Organization
The post Why It Was Easier to Be Skinny in the 1980s appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/gain-weight-easier-skinny-1980s/feed/ 0 http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/crashing-monsanto-pesticide-party/ http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/crashing-monsanto-pesticide-party/#respond Wed, 21 Jun 2017 15:08:15 +0000
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/?p=91496
By: Scott C. Tips | NHF Slams the Global Pesticide Empire. “A business that makes nothing but business is a poor business.” – Henry Ford They have been running amok for years, unchallenged. The Codex Alimentarius Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) is their playground and they know it. Monsanto, Syngenta, DuPont, Dow, Bayer, and other ...
The post Crashing Monsanto’s Pesticide Party in Beijing appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
By: Scott C. Tips |
NHF Slams the Global Pesticide Empire.
“A business that makes nothing but business is a poor business.” – Henry Ford
They have been running amok for years, unchallenged. The Codex Alimentarius Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) is their playground and they know it. Monsanto, Syngenta, DuPont, Dow, Bayer, and other agrochemical companies – cozily snuggled together at Codex as the disarmingly named, front group CropLife – sent no fewer than 39 representatives to the 49th session of the CCPR meeting held in Beijing, China from April 24-29, 2017, to coerce, charm and bedazzle government regulators. And many of those regulators, especially the Australian and New Zealand ones, have long been seduced into believing that pesticides can be safely applied in near endless amounts and varieties. Or, they simply do not care about the ill-health effects of it all.
The Problem
That is why over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used in the United States each and every year, while approximately 5.6 billion pounds are used worldwide.[1] In many developing countries, programs to control pesticide exposures are limited or non-existent. The agrochemical companies tell us these compounds are safe and are ensuring adequate food production to feed the World, but the facts tell us another story.
On January 24, 2017, the United Nations (UN) published a report in which it stated that although pesticide use has correlated with a rise in food production, it has had catastrophic impacts upon human health and the environment. The report went on to say that “[e]qually, increased food production has not succeeded in eliminating hunger worldwide. Reliance on hazardous pesticides is a short-term solution that undermines the rights to adequate food and health for present and future generations.” In fact, the UN blames pesticides for poisoning 200,000 people each year.[2] I think that figure is wildly conservative.[3]
Glyphosate tops the list of poisons applied every day to plants and soil that in turn destroy humans, animals, and our environment. Some 9.4 million tons of glyphosate have been spread on our fields. It is in our water table, our soil, crops, the food industry, and over 90% of Westerners have it in their bodies and even breastmilk. In fact, 33% of our bread contains glyphosate, the World’s biggest selling weed killer.[4] Despite industry assurances that glyphosate is “safe” and “environmentally friendly,” there is increasing awareness that glyphosate is nothing more than a replay of DDT with its similar pronouncements of “certified safe” and “completely harmless.”[5] In fact, some experts attribute tens of thousands of deaths to glyphosate usage.[6]
Worse, as Sayer Ji, founder of GreenMedInfo and NHF Vice-Chairman, has said, glyphosate is poisoning our soil, destroying our gut biome, and laying the foundation for destroying our ability to produce healthy foods for future generations.[7] Industry and regulators claim that glyphosate is safe for humans and animals because the means by which it kills weeds (the shikimate pathway) is not present in in humans and animals. However, the shikimate pathway is present in bacteria, which dominate human and animal gut biomes. The glyphosate preferentially destroys beneficial gut bacteria, thereby allowing disease and inflammation to take hold.[8]
The Solution
The quick solution to the glyphosate problem is to do exactly what was finally done to the nasty pesticide DDT: Ban it. Glyphosate is a deadly and persistent poison that affects more than just plant and animal and pollinator life, it harms many different aspects of the environment as well. And yet glyphosate is not the only herbicide and pesticide that deserves our immediate attention.
That was apparent at the most recent CCPR meeting in Beijing, where the National Health Federation (NHF) made its appearance as the only consumer group present to counter the heavy industry influence favoring pesticides over people and world trade over health. There, a growing list of approved and soon-to-be-approved pesticides was before the Committee for its consideration, a list that included chlorpyrifos-methyl, buprofezin, teflubenzuron, saflufenacil, fluazifop-p-butyl, flupyrdifurone, and glyphosate.
The Meeting
As I scanned that long list preparatory to speaking out for NHF the very first day of the meeting, I knew from past experience at other Codex meetings that the poison pushers at this meeting would be Monsanto, Dow AgroChemical, Syngenta, Bayer CropScience, BASF, Adama, DuPont Crop Protection, and Nichino (all under the umbrella of CropLife or else sprinkled amongst various country delegations) as well as Australia, New Zealand, and some other industry-captured countries. On the other hand, NHF’s allies would be the European Union (EU) and Norway, with the Codex Secretariat being a very fair referee providing a level playing field for all delegates. In the event, this assessment proved to be exactly true.
On their part, the poison pushers had their own chance to assess NHF’s position during a telephonic meeting held earlier for the U.S. Codex delegation. NHF attended through its Executive Director Katherine Carroll, who was the only one of the many on the conference call to make a strong argument against the pesticides. This led to the comment, made by one of the attendees, that “NHF will probably speak up at the Codex meeting.” Indeed, we did.
Armed with the research provided by talented NHF researcher Arya Vrilya and Katherine Carroll,[9] I then spoke out over the next four days against chlorpyrifos-methyl, buprofezin, teflubenzuron, saflufenacil, fluazifop-p-butyl, flupyrdifurone, glyphosate, and more. Depending upon the pesticide, NHF argued that they were carcinogenic, killed bees and other vital insects as well as aquatic life, and damaged the environment, including the oceans in the case of glyphosate.
The EU delegates Marco Castellina and Veerle Vanheusden were quite good and made “reservations” for the record about the draft Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for numerous pesticides. The Norway delegate tagged along for the ride with the EU, also stating its own reservations. However, know that when a country states a reservation about a particular pesticide, it is not opposing the advancement of that pesticide’s proposed MRLs to final adoption; rather, the country is simply stating that regardless of whether Codex adopts those MRLs or not, the “reserving” country will not be accepting that MRL within its country. At least European consumers will be protected from many of these dangerous pesticides.
I could tell that, compared to some of the other Codex committees, this one was accustomed to a rather sedate, cordial, and non-confrontational pace. CropLife, Australia, and the other members of the pro-poison crowd were obviously not used to having their dirty laundry questioned or even aired in committee. So, when NHF showed up as the only consumer and health-freedom group in attendance and began challenging these pesticides, calling them in the most un-PC language “poisons,” we were as welcome as a mother suddenly opening the door on a teenage slumber party.
On behalf of NHF members and consumers worldwide, I objected strenuously to the many pesticides already mentioned. These solitary objections in a roomful of hundreds of delegates reminded me of the same circumstances I had found myself in at the Food Additives Committee meeting in 2008 and the Contaminants Committee meeting in 2009 when I was the only one to speak against aluminum in food additives and melamine contamination levels in infant formula. A few years later and both committees had come around entirely to the NHF positions and adopted them.
NHF also supported the EU’s and Norway’s efforts to revise the so-called IESTI equations. IESTI stands for the “International Estimate of Short-Term Intake” and these mathematical equations are used to estimate one-day exposures to acutely toxic chemicals in foods.[10] The Europeans feel that the current IESTI equations used to set MRLs are not sufficiently protective enough of certain consumers and might result in short-term dietary exposure exceeding the Acute Reference Doses (ARfDs) even when the pesticide residue levels comply with the MRLs. NHF agrees, especially when one realizes that no one has ever really tested the synergistic and cumulative effects of these poisons nor considered that the safety studies submitted to regulatory agencies may be invalid.[11] Additionally, bio-individuality is never considered; individuals have differing abilities to properly detoxify poisons. In the end, an electronic working group was established to explore changing the IESTI equations but it was quite plain that Australia, Kenya, and the United States, who are quite comfortable with the status quo, would simply play the “study it to death” game as they ran out the clock on any changes.
Mountains of Gold and Silver
Of course, CropLife and its captured regulators in Australia and New Zealand did all that they could during the meeting to advance pesticide MRLs that fail to protect consumers but do protect worldwide sales. The European countries seemed increasingly isolated in their efforts to protect consumers, while most member-country delegates either did not speak at all or only spoke once or twice.
The noble words of Chinese Vice-Minister of Agriculture Xinrong Yu, which had opened the session on the meeting’s first morning, had been all-too quickly forgotten by many delegates. Mr. Yu had commendably said, “We prefer the green hills of Earth rather than mountains of gold and silver.” And for those who might have missed the meaning of such poetry he was even more direct, “This is about consumer health.”
But where were the consumer advocates to stand beside NHF at this meeting and protect consumer health? There was the EU, Norway, and sometimes Chile; but notably absent were Consumers International (CI), the International Consumers Action Organization (IACFO), and the International Baby Formula Action Network (IBFAN), all so prominent at other Codex committees but not here. With glyphosate appearing routinely in the breast milk of nursing mothers around the World, one would think that IBFAN especially would cry out against that travesty here. Sadly and shockingly, there were no consumer organizations present to speak against the continued poisoning of our Planet, of our bodies, and of the bees except the National Health Federation, which has been speaking for health-interested individuals since 1955 and for the last two decades at Codex. Perhaps their budgets, as with NHF’s, does not permit them to attend every Codex meeting.
Vice-Minister Yu spoke no truer words when he mentioned the “mountains of gold and silver,” which, to my mind, accurately describes the goals of that $60-billion mega-corporation named Monsanto and others who would hide the truth about pesticide hazards. Perhaps that is why when the Report of this meeting was being read on the last day, April 29th, CropLife and its minions Australia and New Zealand tried very hard to delete NHF’s comments from the Report.
The Report
The reading and correction of the Report on the final meeting day, Saturday, began routinely enough. Some words were added to the Report, some were stricken. The Codex Secretariat – led by Tom Heilandt, Gracia Brisco and Annamaria Bruno and charged with preparing the draft report – had done its usual thorough job. Then, the attacks began.
First, New Zealand complained that NHF’s comment against chlorpyrifos-methyl should not be included, arguing that NHF had spoken against another substance. But as both the Codex Secretariat and the FAO representative had carefully resolved any doubt during the meeting, New Zealand’s complaint went nowhere.
Next, CropLife wanted NHF’s comment about the ecotoxicity of teflubenzuron stricken because Codex is supposed to be about human health and not ecological health. This provided me with a perfect opportunity to argue to the delegates once again how ecotoxicity leads to ill health and even death in humans and animals. CropLife would have been better off keeping its mouth shut because both the Codex Secretariat and Chairman Xiongwu Qiao rejected CropLife’s stingy demand anyway.
However, emboldened by CropLife’s attempt to strike NHF’s comments about teflubenzuron, Australia launched its own cheap shot against NHF by demanding that all of NHF’s comments be stricken from the Report! In my 18 years of participating in global policy-setting at Codex, this level of desperation by a country threatened by NHF has never occurred. NHF was clearly making headway. Keep in mind that the Australian Codex Office is nothing more than a regional field office of the pesticide industry and you will understand why Australia would do this. In my experience, Australia has never properly represented the health interests of its own citizens.[12]
Always the gentleman, the U.S. delegate David J. Miller refused to jump on the bandwagon and more sensibly proposed some wording changes that would preserve NHF’s comments.[13] But Australia argued on.
It was really the most ridiculous waste of time as Australia and CropLife showed how petty and desperate they were. The Codex Secretariat and the Chairman, however, acted properly and are to be much commended when they flatly refused to tolerate these cheap shots and instead made sure that NHF’s seven reported comments remained in the final record.
Fulvic Acid
As counterpoint to the carnage wreaked by pesticides worldwide, organic fulvic acids are created by soil-based micro-organisms to make minerals and other nutrients assimilable by plants. Importantly, fulvic acid can and will neutralize glyphosate[14] and even the deadly pesticide Paraquat.[15]
Our soils are sick from greed-based, irresponsible agricultural practices, pesticides, chemical fertilizers, erosion, and mineral depletion, all of which stop or reduce adequate microbial activity in the soil, rendering them sick and/or dead and sterile. Sick soils make for sick plants and sick plants make for sick humans and animals. The addition of fulvic acid to our diets and our soils may provide both a stop-gap and medium-term solution to this pesticide plague.
In the Meantime the Planet Dies
The fight rages on. There are victories, such as in the 55 lawsuits filed against Monsanto in Northern California, where the court recently ordered release of Monsanto e-mails and other documents showing probable collusion between the company and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.[16] And there are defeats, such as the recent decisions by the EU and Health Canada to extend approval of the weed killer Roundup® for another 15 years.[17]
One thing is certain, however, the truth about glyphosate and other dangerous pesticides is increasingly coming to light. Its days on the market are numbered, no matter what Monsanto does. The only question is how much longer will people, animals, insects, fish, and our environment continue to be harmed and killed before these pesticides share the fate of DDT and are discarded? Even then we know full well contraband chemicals continue to be used globally. But I also know that NHF will not stop its efforts at Codex to halt the international trade in these poisons nor stop educating others of the dangers of listening to anything but firm science and common sense. After all, we too prefer the green hills of Earth to mountains of gold and silver.
© 2016 Scott C. Tips
[1] Michael C.R. Alavanja, “Pesticides Use and Exposure Extensive Worldwide,” Rev Environ Health, 2009 Oct–Dec; 24(4): 303-309, at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2946087/.
[2] Ryan Rifai, “UN: 200,000 die each year from pesticide poisoning,” Al-Jazeera, March 8, 2017, at http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/03/200000-die-year-pesticide-poisoning-170308140641105.html.
[3] Even the somewhat sexist Women in Europe for a Common Future (WECF) stated almost five years ago that “pesticides and harmful chemicals cause more than 900,000 deaths annually.” See WECF, “Pesticides and harmful chemicals cause more than 900,000 deaths annually,” WECF website, Oct. 10, 2012, at http://www.wecf.eu/english/articles/2012/10/pesticides-africa.php.
[4] David Noakes, “The Glyphosate Killer,” Health Freedom News, Summer 2016, Vol. 34, No. 2, at p. 30.
[5] Dr. Joseph Mercola, “Toxic Combo of Roundup and Fertilizers Blamed for Tens of Thousands of Deaths,” Mercola.com, April 8, 2014, at http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/04/08/roundup-fertilizer.aspx.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Sayer Ji, “Roundup Herbicide Linked to Overgrowth of Deadly Bacteria,” Health Freedom News, Spring 2013, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 12-13.
[8] Dr. Joseph Mercola, “Roundup and Glyphosate Toxicity Have Been Grossly Underestimated,” Mercola.com, July 30, 2013, at http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/07/30/glyphosate-toxicity.aspx.
[9] Also an important member of the National Health Federation delegation at CCPR.
[10] WHO-FAO, “International Estimated Short-Term Intake (IESTI),” June 13, 2013, at http://www.who.int/foodsafety/chem/guidance_for_IESTI_calculation.pdf.
[11] Tyler Durden, “Monsanto Colluded With EPA, Was Unable To Prove Roundup Does Not Cause Cancer, Unsealed Court Docs Reveal,” Zero Hedge, March 15, 2017, at http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-03-14/court-docs-prove-monsanto-collusion-epa-kill-cancer-study-admits-cant-say-roundup-do.
[12] See, e.g., Scott Tips, “The Great Australian Health Mystery,” July 21, 2013, at https://www.thenhf.com/codex/our-work-at-codex/3886-89the-great-australian-health-mystery-why-is-there-a-great-divide-between-the-australian-people-and-their-government-on-health-by-scott-c-tips.
[13] At the U.S. delegation meeting held the night before the regular CCPR meeting started on April 24th, NHF heard one CropLife delegate after another pitch their poisons to Mr. Miller. Indeed, one CropLife man stayed after the meeting to ask for Miller’s help in pushing yet another new poison on the public. I overheard this and after the man left told Mr. Miller that NHF was very much concerned about the fact that he was only hearing one side of the issue, that except for NHF the public was not at the table, and that we expected him to remember that he represents the American public and not Big Ag. I also warned him that Monsanto had already been shown to be in collusion with the EPA and that we expected that would not be the case at this Codex meeting. Mr. Miller politely listened during my monologue and then responded positively. Nonetheless, it was clear from the U.S. interventions at CCPR that he was pushing the pesticide agenda.
[14] Matthew Kilby & Graeme Sait, “Successful Forest Farming, Nutrition is the Key,” Global Land Repair, undated, at http://www.globallandrepair.com.au/information/articles/successful-forest-farming/.
[15] Fisher, AM, Winterle, JS, & Mill, T, (1967) “Primary photochemical processes in photolysis mediated by humic substances,” in Zika RG & Cooper WJ (Editors), Photochemistry of environmental aquatic system, (ACS Symposium Series 327), Washington DC, American Chemical Society, pp. 141-156.
[16] Reynard Loki, “Has Monsanto Orchestrated A Massive Cancer Coverup? Unsealed Court Case Documents Point to a Scandal,” AlterNet, March 16, 2017, at http://www.alternet.org/environment/has-monsanto-orchestrated-massive-cancer-coverup-court-case-documents-point-troubling.
[17] Ciaran Moran, “Controversial weedkiller could be authorised for a further 15 years this week,” Farm Ireland, May 7, 2017, at http://www.independent.ie/business/farming/tillage/controversial-weedkiller-could-be-authorised-for-a-further-15-years-this-week-35648179.html; Health Canada, “Re-evaluation Decision RVD2017-01, Glyphosate,” April 28, 2017, at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pubs/pest/_decisions/rvd2017-01/index-eng.php.
The post Crashing Monsanto’s Pesticide Party in Beijing appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/crashing-monsanto-pesticide-party/feed/ 0 http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/296-earthquakes-yellowstone-supervolcano/ http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/296-earthquakes-yellowstone-supervolcano/#respond Tue, 20 Jun 2017 00:24:49 +0000
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/?p=91557
Is it possible that the Yellowstone supervolcano is gearing up for a major eruption? If you follow my work on a regular basis, then you already know that I spend a lot of time documenting how the crust of our planet is becoming increasingly unstable. Most of this shaking is taking place far away from ...
The post There Have Been 296 Earthquakes In The Vicinity Of The Yellowstone Supervolcano Within The Last 7 Days appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
Is it possible that the Yellowstone supervolcano is gearing up for a major eruption? If you follow my work on a regular basis, then you already know that I spend a lot of time documenting how the crust of our planet is becoming increasingly unstable. Most of this shaking is taking place far away from the continental United States, and so most Americans are not too concerned about it. But we should be concerned about it, because a major seismic event could change all of our lives in a single instant. For instance, a full-blown eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano would have the potential of being an E.L.E. (extinction level event). That is why it is so alarming that there have been 296 earthquakes in the vicinity of the Yellowstone supervolcano within the last 7 days. Scientists are trying to convince us that everything is going to be okay, but there are others that are not so sure.
The biggest earthquake in this swarm occurred last Thursday evening. It was initially measured to be a magnitude 4.5 earthquake, but it was later downgraded to a 4.4. It was the biggest quake in the region since a magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck close to Norris Geyser Basin in March 2014. This magnitude 4.4 earthquake was so powerful that people felt it as far away as Bozeman…
The main quake was centered about 5.8 miles underground.
The quake and aftershocks occurred just over 8 miles northeast from West Yellowstone, according to the U.S. Geological Service.
A witness reported that she felt the building she was in move.
Dozens of people reported that they felt it in and around West Yellowstone, Gardiner, Ennis, and Bozeman.
But by itself that one quake would only be of minor concern. What is troubling many of the experts is that this earthquake has been accompanied by 295 smaller ones.
There is normally a rise in seismic activity before a volcano erupts, and according to theoretical physicist Michio Kaku, a long overdue eruption at Yellowstone could “rip the guts out of the USA”…
Scientists currently believe that there’s a 10% chance that a “supervolcanic Category 7 eruption” could take place this century, as pointed out by theoretical physicist Michio Kaku who appeared on a segment for Fox News.
The grey haired physicist told Shepard Smith that the “danger” we are now facing with the caldera is that it’s long overdue for an eruption which Kaku said could “rip the guts out of the USA.”
Kaku said that a “pocket of lava” located under the park has turned out to be twice as big as scientists originally thought.
I would like to try to describe for you what a full-blown eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano would mean for this country.
Hundreds of cubic miles of ash, rock and lava would be blasted into the atmosphere, and this would likely plunge much of the northern hemisphere into several days of complete darkness. Virtually everything within 100 miles of Yellowstone would be immediately killed, but a much more cruel fate would befall those that live in major cities outside of the immediate blast zone such as Salt Lake City and Denver.
Hot volcanic ash, rock and dust would rain down on those cities literally for weeks. In the end, it would be extremely difficult for anyone living in those communities to survive. In fact, it has been estimated that 90 percent of all people living within 600 miles of Yellowstone would be killed.
Experts project that such an eruption would dump a layer of volcanic ash that is at least 10 feet deep up to 1,000 miles away, and approximately two-thirds of the United States would suddenly become uninhabitable. The volcanic ash would severely contaminate most of our water supplies, and growing food in the middle of the country would become next to impossible.
In other words, it would be the end of our country as we know it today.
The rest of the planet, and this would especially be true for the northern hemisphere, would experience what is known as a “nuclear winter”. An extreme period of “global cooling” would take place, and temperatures around the world would fall by up to 20 degrees. Crops would fail all over the planet, and severe famine would sweep the globe.
In the end, billions could die.
So yes, this is a threat that we should take very seriously.
But today, most Americans think of Yellowstone as little more than a fun tourist attraction. But the truth is that many tourists have discovered just how dangerous Yellowstone can be. Some have been scalded by boiling water from geysers that can get as hot as 250 degrees Fahrenheit, and one man from North Carolina recently had to be flown to a burn center after he mistakenly fell into a hot spring…
A North Carolina man was flown to the University of Utah Burn Center after falling into a hot spring at Yellowstone National Park late Tuesday night.
Gervais Dylan Gatete, 21, was with seven other people in the Lower Geyser Basin north of Old Faithful when he fell, according to a park news release.
The group attempted to transport Gatete, an employee with Xanterra Parks and Resorts, by car for medical treatment. Just before midnight, they flagged down a park ranger near Seven Mile Bridge on the West Entrance Road.
Since Yellowstone is still very active, scientists assure us that it will erupt again one day.
And when that happens, all of our lives will be completely turned upside down in a single moment.
The post There Have Been 296 Earthquakes In The Vicinity Of The Yellowstone Supervolcano Within The Last 7 Days appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/296-earthquakes-yellowstone-supervolcano/feed/ 0 http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/monsanto-mess/ http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/monsanto-mess/#respond Mon, 19 Jun 2017 22:19:06 +0000
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/?p=91412
When the colours turn grey and the lights all fade To black again We’re in over our heads But somehow we make it back again – lyrics from “Beautiful Mess” Next month will mark one year since Congress obliterated Vermont’s GMO labeling law and replaced it with its own faux-labeling measure. The DARK Act was ...
The post Monsanto’s Mess appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
When the colours turn grey and the lights all fade
To black again
We’re in over our heads
But somehow we make it back again – lyrics from “Beautiful Mess”
Next month will mark one year since Congress obliterated Vermont’s GMO labeling law and replaced it with its own faux-labeling measure. The DARK Act was an outright attack on consumer and states’ rights. But then-President Obama refused to veto it.
We lost the right to labels on GMO foods. But we never lost our determination to expose Monsanto’s corrupt manipulation of government agencies, or the truth about just how harmful Roundup herbicide is to humans and the environment.
Fast forward to today. Monsanto is facing down scores of lawsuits by people, or their families, who were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after being exposed to Roundup. Those lawsuits have led to revelations about possible collusion between Monsanto employees and former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials to bury evidence of Roundup’s carcinogenicity.
Meanwhile the EPA, perhaps fearing consumer backlash, has yet to rule on whether to renew the license for glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup), even though we’re now nearly two years past the deadline.
Food companies are being sued, too, when product testing reveals that brands labeled “100% Natural” contain glyphosate residues. And the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced it will resume testing of consumer foods for glyphosate.
Farmers are growing fewer GMO crops. Other countries are banning GMOs and glyphosate.
It’s no wonder Monsanto can’t wait to hand over the keys to Bayer. Things are getting messy. But for consumers and environmentalists, it’s a beautiful mess.
h/t: Organic Consumer’s Association
Read ‘Monsanto’s Mess—Four Signs Consumers Are Winning’
The post Monsanto’s Mess appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/monsanto-mess/feed/ 0 http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/15-tons-depleted-uranium-serbia-suit-nato/ http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/15-tons-depleted-uranium-serbia-suit-nato/#respond Mon, 19 Jun 2017 14:00:34 +0000
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/?p=91377
(RT) An international legal team is preparing a lawsuit against NATO over the alliance’s alleged use of depleted uranium munitions during its bombing of Yugoslavia. These have allegedly caused a rise in cancer-related illnesses across the region over the years. “The NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999 used between 10 and 15 tons of depleted ...
The post ‘Up to 15 Tons of Depleted Uranium Used in 1999 Serbia Bombing’ – Lead Lawyer in Suit Against NATO (VIDEO) appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
“The NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999 used between 10 and 15 tons of depleted uranium, which caused a major environmental disaster,” said Srdjan Aleksic, a Serbian lawyer who leads the legal team, which includes lawyers from the EU, Russia, China and India.
“In Serbia, 33,000 people fall sick because of this every year. That is one child every day,” he claimed.
NATO’s press office says it’s now aware of Serbia’s allegations, but gave no further comment.
When asked as of why Serbia has decided to sue NATO 19 years after the attacks, the lawyer said “considering the horrific consequences for our population… it is never too late to sue someone who has caused an environmental catastrophe, someone [who] bombed Serbia with a quasi-nuclear weapon, i.e. depleted uranium.”
The Serbian lawyer says 19 countries that were part of NATO at the time need to pay compensation for “for the financial and non-financial damages… to all the citizens who died or fell sick as a proven result of the NATO bombing.”
“We expect the members of NATO to provide treatment to our citizens who are suffering from cancer,” Aleksic said, adding that the bloc “must also provide the necessary technology and equipment to remove all traces of the depleted uranium” from Serbia.
“The use of banned weapons” by the US-led military alliance in the Balkans “was a violation of all the international conventions and rules that protect people” from such kind of weapons, the lawyer claimed, adding that NATO also used depleted uranium in Iraq in 1991.
“The alliance has not been put on trial for this act, but the consequences are disastrous,” he said.
In its 2000 report on depleted uranium, NATO confirmed the use of the munitions both in Iraq and in the Balkans.
“In Iraq, about 300 metric tons of DU [depleted uranium] ammunition were fired by American and British troops. Recently, NATO confirmed the use of DU ammunition in Kosovo battlefields, where approximately 10 metric tons of DU were used,” the report says.
The UN International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia has also admitted“there is evidence of use of depleted uranium (DU) projectiles by NATO aircraft during the bombing campaign.” However, the UN tribunal has pointed out that “there is no specific treaty ban on the use of DU projectiles.”
Reporting on the consequences of the use of such munitions for civil population and the environment, a NATO report said that “in the vicinity of the impact point of DU ammunitions, it is not excluded that individuals unaware of the contamination… could have accumulated radiation doses and/or could have incorporated uranium quantities exceeding the internationally recognized limits.”
In May, Balkan Insight reported that around 50 people from the Serbian city of Nis, who have been suffering from cancer and have “seemingly relevant medical documentation” have asked the legal team of 26 lawyers and professors to represent them in the case against NATO.
NATO launched airstrikes in what was then Yugoslavia in March 1999, having interfered in a sectarian conflict between Serbians and Kosovan Albanians. As clashes between the local population turned violent, the US-led military alliance made a decision to respond to what the it said was ethnic cleansing of the Muslim population of Kosovo, without the backing of the UN Security Council.
With no UN mandate, NATO bombing of Serbia lasted for three months, having resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths.
The post ‘Up to 15 Tons of Depleted Uranium Used in 1999 Serbia Bombing’ – Lead Lawyer in Suit Against NATO (VIDEO) appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/15-tons-depleted-uranium-serbia-suit-nato/feed/ 0 http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/sustainability-except-rational-thinking/ http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/sustainability-except-rational-thinking/#respond Sun, 18 Jun 2017 16:13:17 +0000
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/?p=56373
Few words stir up passion and polarization like sustainability. The EPA offers up this description. “The traditional definition of sustainability calls for policies and strategies that meet society’s present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Gee, who could disagree with such touchy and feely sentiments? The answer is always in ...
The post Sustainability In All Things Except Rational Thinking appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
Few words stir up passion and polarization like sustainability. The EPA offers up this description. “The traditional definition of sustainability calls for policies and strategies that meet society’s present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Gee, who could disagree with such touchy and feely sentiments? The answer is always in the details and when you strip away the platitudes, what remains is a coordinated plot to enslave humanity under a burden of a Carbon Tax scheme. The environment has more risk from globalist central planning than from any fossil fuel emissions. Proponents of the global warming religion demonstrate a disdain for rational thinking that challenges their doctrine of a heterodox belief. The sustainability cult ignores any evidence that conflicts with their political agenda.
The accomplished author Robert Bryce cites in Forbes, A New Study Takes The Wind Out Of Wind Energy.
“For years, it’s been an article of faith among advocates of renewables that increased use of wind energy can provide a cost-effective method of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The reality: wind energy’s carbon dioxide-cutting benefits are vastly overstated.
But if wind energy doesn’t significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions, then critics can easily challenge the industry’s hefty subsidies, which include the federal production tax credit of $0.022 for each kilowatt-hour of electricity. That amounts to a subsidy of $6.44 per million BTU of energy produced. For comparison, in 2008, the Energy Information Administration reported that subsidies to the oil and gas sector totaled $1.9 billion per year, or about $0.03 per million BTU of energy produced. In other words, subsidies to the wind sector are more than 200 times as great as those given to the oil and gas sector on the basis of per-unit-of-energy produced.
If those fat subsidies go away, then the U.S. wind sector will be stopped dead in its tracks. And for consumers, that should be welcome news.”
After years of exposing the industrial wind fraud, most card carrying “Green” purists reject all proof that wind factories are useless and unnecessary. This perverse anti-intellectual conduct is systemic in the simplistic and emotional realm where tree huggers reside. Sincere and pragmatic environmentalists recognize that the planet can and will survive all that man can do to disrupt the eco balance. However, sustainability theorists refuse to acknowledge that the true danger is that humanity is under universal assault by the originators of all the carbon-based myths.
By ignoring the primary nature that the Global Warming hysteria, is a political attempt to deceive and control, the indoctrinated and easily influenced are led to slaughter.
The videos Global Warming Carbon Politics and Global Warming and the Carbon Tax Scam clarifies the differences between the radiant rhetoric and the ruthless reality of the planned global taxation tribute. If you believe there is a correlation between paying a carbon tax and the saving of the planet, you are too stupid to understand the ways of the world. For such eco fanatics, the question they need to answer is what stops you from giving up all electric use and revert to Rousseau’s state of nature? Sensible environmentalists recognize that Hobbes’ assumption that human nature is naturally competitive and violent, face reality with maturity and a healthy skepticism.
The problem with the stereotypes and impressions of the meaning of sustainability is the flawed supposition used by the EPA and most proponents of greening the world. Sustainability calls for policies based upon government action that is inherently unsound. Government by nature is a destructive force. It creates nothing of value. All bureaucracies fail in comparison to a true free market. In the corporatist environment that rules political strategies, the only beneficiaries of sustainable public policy are the transnational monopolies.
Conglomerate organizations make the policy that government adopts and invariably forces people into becoming compliant consumers. The individual as a customer is a facade, especially when it comes to energy usage.
A classic article by William S. Lind, A modern-day Luddite argues that computers deaden our souls, also applies to the environmental sustainable mindset.
“The first Christian principle, and the first principle of Western civilization, is that there is and can be only one reality. If there can be multiple realities, we lose both Jerusalem and Athens. If there can be more than one reality, there can be more than one God; so falls Jerusalem and monotheism. If there can be more than one reality, what is logical in one means nothing in others, where logic itself may not hold; so falls Athens and reason. All things are indeed relative where realities proliferate.
Hell has always hated reality, for in the real world, Christ is King. Old Screwtape’s problem, for millennia, was that philosophy made a poor weapon against reality. Even Hell’s most sophisticated philosophical device, ideology, fell sure prey to reality, seldom lasting more than a couple of generations. His Wormship knew that he needed a more powerful and enduring weapon than philosophy could provide. He needed convincing but false images of the true: virtual realities.”
The virtual reality that the global warming zealots profess violates the cardinal principle of Western tradition by making the twisted creed of sustainability their god. C.S Lewis converted back to Christianity and was influenced by his colleague and friend J. R. R. Tolkien and the writings of G. K. Chesterton. His journey is a chronicle of redemption and instructive wisdom. The cohorts in the sustainability legion dismiss the first principle because their Screwtape preachers bend their Wormwood brethrens into becoming “Green” comrades.
The video of the late George Carlin tells the tale of Saving the Planet, in colorful language. Alan Watts expresses the real substance of ‘Sustainability’ means Fascism and Depopulation in the next video.
For sustainability to have a valid meaning, it must start with affirming human beings first. How can a planet of created individual mortals survive when they willingly abandon their own soul? The elites intend to condemn you and your offsprings to subsistence level survival at best. The fictitious guilt trip they promote is illogical. Rational and prudent business practices to develop and use the abundance of fossil fuel resources are not only sensible but also necessary. Eliminating coal to fuel electric generation is a viewpoint that qualifies for psycho treatment in an asylum.
Did you ever wonder that the technology that allows for placement of satellites into earth’s orbit would be impossible without the use of fuel derived from those nasty carbon based substances? Maybe the irony is missed by the “Save the Planet” crowd because they are too busy watching the Green TV channel or polluting the cell frequencies and internet bandwidth. Their message of sustainable compromise of the present population, in order to reduce future generations from ever being born, is absurd. Without an affordable price for energy, our society cannot support a level of acceptable and sustainable prosperity.
Beware of outlandish promises of technological miracles. Burning wood for heating your home is now becoming an essential alternative. How long will it be before the sustainability lobby distorts the language to condemn wood as a non-renewable resource?
The Luddite philosophy needs to be examined in depth before it is condemned. Since this post industrial age is rapidly becoming a global gulag, the basic survival practices of the past need to become the skill set learned, once again, in order to subsist. The future standard of living is headed for a momentous collapse. The carbon tax is designed to accelerate that downward spiral process.
Fellow Americans, do you still have doubts? View this Carbon Tax summary from down under. Australians get it, why are so many of our neighbors so dense? Just maybe George Carlin had it correct . . .
It is long overdue for citizens to become as independent as possible from corporate controlled energy dominance. A safe and clean environment is important, but that goal cannot be achieved as long as the General Electric’s of the world are drafting energy policy, receiving government subsidies and charging you for the privilege of using their toxic mercury fluorescent light bulbs.
One conclusion is completely clean. The current political system is out of control and does not serve or benefit the interests of our citizens. Industrial wind and corn ethanol are creations of a mindless wishful hoax. Natural gas is more than a temporary alternative. However, the fracking drilling process only maximizes the financial interests of cousin corporatists. The Carbon Tax end game will destroy more people than the most harmful emissions from a coal plant.
Since America is now out of man space exploration, isn’t it time to direct our energies in producing CHEAP energy that is benign to the environment and allows for national independence and regional autonomy based upon local needs and resources? If you want this nation to achieve real sustainability, it is important to abandon the globalist formula of phony environmentalism and damaging renewable schemes. Do you have the courage to apply rational thinking or are you just another causality of their media sniffing glue propaganda?
The post Sustainability In All Things Except Rational Thinking appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/sustainability-except-rational-thinking/feed/ 0 http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/remove-fluoride-us-water-supplies/ http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/remove-fluoride-us-water-supplies/#comments Sun, 18 Jun 2017 15:03:58 +0000
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/?p=91358
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has declared water fluoridation one of the top 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century. But is it really? It would actually be more accurate to say that fluoride is one of the most pernicious toxins in your water supply. To kick off our ...
The post Movement to Remove Fluoride From US Water Supplies Continues (VIDEO) appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has declared water fluoridation one of the top 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century. But is it really?
It would actually be more accurate to say that fluoride is one of the most pernicious toxins in your water supply. To kick off our annual Fluoride Awareness Week, Dr. Bill Osmunson, a dentist in the Seattle area, highlights some of the dangers associated with this practice.
Fluoride — A Dubious Anticaries Solution
Osmunson, who has been a dentist for over 40 years, was a longtime proponent of water fluoridation, as are most dentists. That all changed after he listened to a presentation by Dr. Hardy Limeback, a dentist, Ph.D., researcher and professor emeritus of the University of Toronto Dental School.
“[He’s] very credible,” Osmunson says. “He [gave] a presentation that showed fluoridation did not improve or lower dental caries. It was a real shock to me … I started looking at more of the fluoride [research] because I have a master’s in public health (MPH). As a practicing dentist, fluoride is part of both of my professions.
I felt it was my responsibility to really look into this in more detail. That’s how I started in on the fluoridation. I got involved with the Fluoride Action Network (FAN) and a few other groups in trying to reduce the amount of fluoride that people are ingesting.”
Does Fluoridated Toothpaste Reduce Caries?
According to Osmunson, research shows topical fluoride helps reduce radiation caries (caries resulting from excessive head X-rays for cancer) and rampant dental caries (resulting from excessive sugar and junk food intake combined with a lack of dental hygiene). As noted by Osmunson:
“People use fluoride in their toothpaste because they think it’s going to really have a great benefit. It will some, but not much. The problem is we swallow too much of it, especially infants.”
Still, while it may reduce cavities a bit, topical fluoride will not prevent caries or stop it in its tracks. True prevention requires addressing your diet, because caries develops in response to an abnormality in your oral microbiome. Moreover, since your mouth is part of your gut, it’s also a gut microbiome issue.
Fluoride Is a Toxin
While water fluoridation is purported to decrease your risk of dental cavities, the evidence supporting this practice is flimsy at best, since fluoride needs to be applied topically for this to work. It doesn’t benefit your teeth when ingested and absorbed systemically.
A major downside of drinking fluoridated water is that it displaces iodine from your thyroid, as iodine and fluoride are both halogens. Without iodine, you cannot make active thyroid hormones. Women are already at high risk for hypothyroidism, and drinking fluoridated water will further increase this risk.
Fluoride is also a mitochondrial poison that sabotages your mitochondria’s ability to create cellular energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and an enzymatic reactor, meaning it reacts with enzymes in your body.
When fluoride is added to the water system it also leaches lead out of old pipes, increasing the neurotoxic effects of fluoride. A year and a half ago, the National Toxicology Program, Office of Health Assessment and Translation began evaluating fluoride after FAN nominated it for evaluation.
At present, they’re doing animal studies to fill in some of the gaps. After that, they’ll move on to evaluate studies on humans. So far, they’ve confirmed that animal research suggests neurotoxic effects. This is no surprise, considering 50 studies have linked fluoride with reduced IQ in children.
Americans Are Overexposed to Fluoride
Part of the problem with water fluoridation in particular is the fact that this strategy medicates people without regard for age, weight or medical status. Infants drinking fluoridated water can get a dose100 times higher than maximum recommended limits, even by conservative U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommendations.
The EPA has done both a dose-response analysis and a relative source contribution analysis, and this data shows that at the 90th percentile, a third of children between the ages of 6 months and 4 years are getting significantly more fluoride than what they should.
Bear in mind that the EPA does not even aim to protect 100 percent of the population, only 90 percent. Infants are excluded altogether because they end up getting such a toxic dose. Infants receiving formula made with fluoridated water are getting hundreds of times more fluoride than breastfed babies.
“The latest research we have that was put out by Dr. William Hirzy [a former risk assessment scientist at the EPA] shows a safe dose to protect against a 5 IQ point loss is 0.045 mg F/day and many should only be getting about 0.001 milligrams (mg) per kilogram per day. That’s the same as mother’s milk. We should be reducing the amount of fluoride that we’re getting. [That’s] very important,” Osmunson says.
“Unfortunately, the EPA, when the National Research Council in 2006 said the maximum contaminant level was too high … instead of lowering it … they raised it because they realized that [water] fluoridation would stop [as] there are too many sources of fluoride …
The latest research shows there’s a 5 IQ point drop in the United States with fluoridated water and the fluoride sources that we’re getting. We’re getting far too much and it is harming our brains.”
Status Update on Petition to End Water Fluoridation in the US
Last year, FAN filed a petition with the EPA to stop water fluoridation nationwide. It was denied. One of the reasons given for the denial was that FAN had not done a comprehensive analysis of all the uses of fluoride.
“That’s setting the bar so high it’s impossible to abide by the law or file a complaint by the law … [Fluoride is] used in so many areas, like pesticides, post-harvest fumigants, medications, dental products, water, toothpastes — all these different sources.
To do a comprehensive analysis of all sources is virtually impossible,” Osmunson says. “The EPA has never done it. They’re saying, ‘Well, we’re not going to agree with you because you haven’t done it."”
FAN has now filed a lawsuit and the court will evaluate the information de novo. This means FAN and EPA will stand on equal footing, and the court will not have to give deference to the government, which is typically the case. Osmunson is hopeful the court will see reason.
In the case of water fluoridation, it’s quite clear the EPA has not only failed to protect public health, but is actively sabotaging the health of bottle-fed babies everywhere there’s water fluoridation.
Nearly 6 in 10 Adolescents Have Signs of Fluoride Overexposure
One of the most visible consequences of fluoride overexposure is dental fluorosis, those white specks and mottling of teeth that now affect 58 percent of children and adolescents. Dental fluorosis, while considered a mere cosmetic issue, is a warning sign that more harmful, invisible metabolic effects are taking place. As noted by Osmunson:
“We’re getting too much fluoride. When fluoridation first started, we were assured by public health authorities that only 10, maybe 15 percent, of the public would get dental fluorosis … A few years ago, the federal government came on out with a survey. They found 41 percent of children and adolescents had dental fluorosis. The most recent one that we know of … [shows] 58 percent have some degree [of dental fluorosis].
[W]hat we’re even more concerned about is that 20 percent have moderate dental fluorosis, which is a sign of way too much [fluoride], and 2 percent have severe dental fluorosis in the United States. [Water] fluoridation is contributing to that.
The EPA says, ‘Well, you know, we’re only worried about 90 percentile.’ There are 2 percent that are having severe dental fluorosis. That’s a huge number. That is something we must stop. The best [way] of stopping it is to stop fluoridation of public water.”
Water Fluoridation Is Unregulated
Interestingly, there’s no federal agency in charge of regulating water fluoridation. The EPA merely permits fluoridation. EPA is prohibited by Congress from adding anything to water for the treatment of humans, so they don’t add fluoride to water. They just allow it to be done, and they keep the maximum allowable contaminant levels high enough so that it’s possible to do it.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) really should regulate fluoride, seeing how it’s a drug, yet the agency has continuously deferred regulatory action. The ultimate decision to add fluoride to water is made at the local level by your city’s water district.
“[I]t’s the local people who are supposed to do all the scientific research,” Osmunson says. “Now, think about that for just a second. You have people in the water districts who are — maybe they run a store, maybe they run a business, maybe they’re a lawyer, maybe they’re a scientist …
They don’t typically have a science background, and yet we’re asking them to evaluate the science on something that’s given to everyone without freedom of choice. They’re making this decision for you of whether that drug is safe and effective. In fact, they’re doing the FDA’s job …
But who are they relying on? The CDC, to a large extent. Who does the CDC rely on? The American Dental Association. What is the American Dental Association supposed to do? Protect dentists. Now, dentists make a significant amount of money on fluoride.
When this was brought up to me at first, I was rather defensive, saying, ‘Well, I don’t really make any money on fluoridation. It prevents decay.’ It probably doesn’t prevent decay, No. 1. No. 2, if you add up all the money used on fluoride in the dental office, it’s a significant amount of money.
Your fluoride topical applications are significant. Of course, then, the water fluoridation companies have to get rid of that toxic substance somehow — by putting it into the water. Pollution is the solution. It’s not really the right way to go, but that’s what’s happening …
[Fluoride in water] is taken and given to us without individual consent. No doctor could do that. As a dentist, I can prescribe fluoride for my patients on record, but I can’t do it for everybody. Yet the water districts, who are not legally able to prescribe, do that.”
Fluoride Is an Unapproved Drug
Interestingly, while fluoride supplements in the form of drops, tablets and lozenges have been on the market since the 1950s, they’ve never received approval by the FDA, as the scientific evidence for safety and effectiveness was found lacking. This remarkable situation came to light in 1992, when John Kelly, a New Jersey General Assemblyman, started looking into the fluoride issue after reading a study showing higher rates of bone cancer in fluoridated communities compared to nonfluoridated areas.
Since only 17 percent of New Jersey communities had fluoridated water at the time, dentists frequently prescribed fluoride supplements instead. In light of the study’s findings, Kelly “felt it was prudent to obtain the studies supporting the claims of safety and effectiveness for these prescription fluoride products.”
First, he contacted the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Dental Pediatrics. All initially said they’d provide him with studies, but after checking their records, they confessed they didn’t have any.
He was then directed to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), which promised to have the studies promptly sent out. None came. After six weeks, NIDCR confessed no studies could be found in their files and suggested he contact the FDA, since it had approved the drugs. To quote Kelly:1
“Six months later I was stunned when I was informed by the FDA that they had no such studies and that the products in question, which had been prescribed to millions of infants and children since the 1950s, were not approved by the FDA.”
Kelly petitioned the FDA to remove these unapproved fluoride products in 1993. No action was ever taken. Last year, FAN and the International Academy of Oral Medicine & Toxicology again petitioned the FDA to remove them from the market.2
The petition was filed after the FDA issued a warning letter to Kirkman Laboratories, a fluoride supplement manufacturer, to immediately discontinue marketing of fluoride products as they have never been approved as safe and effective. How is it an unapproved drug, for which warning letters are sent out to manufacturers, is being added to drinking water?
Fluoride Is Very Difficult to Filter Out Once Added
Fluoride is a very small molecule, making it tremendously difficult to filter out once added to your water supply. Any simple countertop carbon filter, like Brita, will not remove it.
If you have a house water carbon filtration system that has a large volume of carbon, then it may reduce the fluoride as fluoride removal is in direct proportion to the amount of fluoride and the time it’s in contact with the media. It’s just not going to get it all. Among the more effective filtering systems for fluoride removal are:
- Reverse osmosis (RO). The drawback is that it will remove many valuable minerals and trace elements as well. RO systems also need frequent cleaning to avoid bacterial growth. So, use a tankless RO system with a compressor
- Water distillation which, like RO, gets everything out, including beneficial minerals. You then need to restructure the water
- Bone char filters and biochar. We’re currently in the process of developing a filter that combines biochar with activated charcoal
Clearly, the simplest, most effective, most cost-effective strategy is to not put it in to begin with.
2017 Fluoride Conference
Since 2010, 220 communities have rejected water fluoridation. If you want to learn more about how you can get involved to prevent or end water fluoridation in your community, join FAN’s fluoride conference in Washington D.C. September 16 and 17, 2017. It’s open to anyone who’s interested. Bookmark FAN’s website, FluorideAlert.org and check back for more information about this conference.
“My biggest concern is freedom of choice. Fluoridation of water adds too much fluoride to many individuals, most of us, all of us. It’s done without freedom of choice … America stands for freedom. We need to have freedom and allow people to not have fluoride.
Some people are being harmed and they don’t want the fluoride. I have one lady whose son has real problems with fluoride. He can’t even take a shower or a bath in fluoridated water because he’s so chemically sensitive. He’s autistic. What do you do for this young man?
For a while, they tried to find out if he was having problems with the fluoridated water. She would take bottled water and heat the bottled water on the stove to give him a bath. He’s about 6 foot tall. He’s 230 pounds. He’s 25 years of age and she’s having to heat water on the stove. Why?
Because we aren’t giving freedom of choice … This is ridiculous. It’s insane. It’s a toxic crime against humanity. We’re getting too much fluoride. It’s probably not beneficial. It’s causing serious problems to the developing brain … We know that it’s lowering IQ. It’s a tremendous expense when you start lowering IQ …
Two hundred million people in the United States are on fluoridated water. At about $1,000 per IQ at 5 IQ points lost, that’s $1 trillion a year negative economic impact on our country. We can’t afford it. We need to stop fluoridation,” Osmunson says.
Fluoride Is a Mitochondrial Poison That Sabotages Health
Once you understand that fluoride is a mitochondrial poison, you’ll realize that not only is it contributing to lowered IQ and thyroid problems, it’s also contributing to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and neurodegenerative disease. We have a tsunami of Alzheimer’s coming, and fluoride is an issue even though there are no studies currently connecting it to Alzheimer’s. Few understand the molecular biology involved and therefore haven’t made that connection yet.
In the future, that will probably come to pass, but we simply do not have the time to wait. The good news is you can do something about this problem. If you are passionate about this, as I am, then please support FAN. During Fluoride Awareness Week, I will match your donations dollar for dollar, so please, get on board and help support this important project, because it’s something that will help all Americans.
The post Movement to Remove Fluoride From US Water Supplies Continues (VIDEO) appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/remove-fluoride-us-water-supplies/feed/ 1 http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/serbia-suing-nato-crimes/ http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/serbia-suing-nato-crimes/#respond Sat, 17 Jun 2017 23:31:38 +0000
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/?p=91432
Lawyers representing the Serbian Royal Academy of Scientists and Artists are preparing to sue each of the then-20 NATO member countries – not through the International Court of Justice (ICJ), in national courts of each offending country. Serbian lawyer Srdjan Aleksic explained, saying “(w)e believe that this is within the competence of national courts. These ...
The post Serbia Suing NATO for 1999 High Crimes appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
Lawyers representing the Serbian Royal Academy of Scientists and Artists are preparing to sue each of the then-20 NATO member countries – not through the International Court of Justice (ICJ), in national courts of each offending country.
Serbian lawyer Srdjan Aleksic explained, saying “(w)e believe that this is within the competence of national courts. These states violated the principles set forth in the seventh chapter of the UN Charter, which prohibits aggression against any state.”
“In addition, NATO has violated chapters 5 and 6 of its own charter, since NATO is a defensive alliance, and not an offensive one.”
“This is about a violation of international law, in particular conventions, which prohibit aggression and the use of force against sovereign states,” adding:
US-led NATO warplanes “dropped from 10 to 15 tons of depleted uranium on the territory of the former Yugoslavia.”
“The increase in the number of cancer patients has caused serious concerns. Malignant tumors are found annually in 33,000 Serbian citizens.”
“Every day this terrible disease is diagnosed at least in one child in our country. Compared with 1999, the number of cancer patients has increased by five times, primarily in the south of Serbia, as well as Kosovo and Metohija.”
The lawsuit also intends addressing the use of illegal cluster bombs, along with enormous environmental damage caused.
The US-led war begun on March 24, 1999 lasted 78 days, ending on June 10, causing enormous human suffering, along with widespread damage to vital infrastructure, the economy, residential neighbors and other non-military related sites.
Cities, villages and other areas were struck throughout the country, lawless aggression against a defenseless nation. Horrendous crimes of war and against humanity were committed, causing an enormous human toll.
Claims about humanitarian intervention were fabricated. Washington claimed another imperial trophy. The former Yugoslavia no longer exists.
An estimated $100 billion in damage was inflicted, environmental contamination extensive.
Large numbers were killed, injured or displaced. Two million people lost their livelihoods -many their homes and communities, most their futures.
Serbia’s sovereign Kosovo territory was lost. It’s now US/NATO occupied territory, home to Camp Bondsteel, one of America’s largest military bases.
Stop NATO’s Rick Rozoff calls the alliance “the first attempt in history to establish an aggressive global military formation” – comprising one-third of world nations as members or partners on five continents.
NATO’s first three wars of aggression occurred in the former Yugoslavia – in 1995, Operation Deliberate Force against the Republika Srpska, in 1999 against Serbia and Kosovo, in 2001 the first of several assaults on Macedonia – all preceding 9/11.
Endless US-led NATO war on humanity followed the mother of all false flags, currently raging.
Operation Desert Storm in 1991, genocidal sanctions that followed, along with raping Yugoslavia was prelude for endless horrors to come.
The post Serbia Suing NATO for 1999 High Crimes appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/serbia-suing-nato-crimes/feed/ 0 http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/why-sustainable-earth-but-not-sustainable-human-health-and-freedom/ http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/why-sustainable-earth-but-not-sustainable-human-health-and-freedom/#comments Tue, 13 Jun 2017 15:00:01 +0000
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/?p=55634
The globalist plans for depopulation and global enslavement could not be any clearer. The oddities and idiosyncrasies behind the Agenda 21 movement cloaked inside the climate movement is often overwhelming to anyone who thinks on their own and values the human experience. One need only to tune into one’s one intuition, and apply basic common ...
The post Why “Sustainable” Earth, But Not Sustainable Human Health And Freedom?? appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
The globalist plans for depopulation and global enslavement could not be any clearer. The oddities and idiosyncrasies behind the Agenda 21 movement cloaked inside the climate movement is often overwhelming to anyone who thinks on their own and values the human experience. One need only to tune into one’s one intuition, and apply basic common sense, knowledge, and reason to figure out how we are being lied to today.
Consider this: Why is the control system so eager to push for “sustainable” earth but nothing else apparently needs to be sustainable? Remember, this is the same “climate change” multi-billion dollar movement that spun off in the name of the now long dead and gone global warming hoax movement pushed by the globalist secret Club of Rome after their creation in April of 1968 while working under the orders of the Committee of 300. For those who still can’t wrap their heads around this reality, you will never get to the core questions that matter. Instead, as I’ve often discovered from conversation and debates with the usual “progressive” climate advocates, their knowledge, passion and beliefs are all based on faith. That’s right, faith in what another “scientist” or government authority has claimed.
I recently challenged a “climate” activist in the streets of Hollywood. The woman seemed happy to tackle the climate issue, hoping to lure me into her all-planet-loving happy vibration and get me to donate to the movement. When I kindly but firmly confronted her as to why she believed what she believed, when I challenged her on the scientific and the conspiratorial sides of the argument she dismissed both arguments with- ‘I know a researcher who agrees with me’ and ‘I just don’t believe that’, respectively. In terms of anything to do with science (CO2, knowledge of Greenhouse gases, the earth, the atmosphere and climate) her only rebuttal was her knowledge obtained by another scientist. When I mentioned IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change) and how all of these “scientists” are government sponsored with a clear-cut agenda, she appeared to have no knowledge of this. When I mentioned Michael Mann and his fake exposed so-called “Hockey Stick” graph which ignored major temperature fluctuations on earth throughout history (Medieval warm period, Little-Ice Age), she responded with a blank look saying “oh that thing”!
I use this story to illustrate the ignorance that drives the “sustainable” movement of climate worship and how this ignorance is so deeply engrained in the minds of the zombies who push it that it now requires no logic, reason or ability to make your argument. Like a religion, the movement seems to be strictly based on blind faith and emotional commitment to that position, like rooting for a favorite team without having to know the entire detailed history of that team.
This recent confrontation reminded me that it’s important to continue to challenge this global enslavement agenda which is disguised as a religion built on faith based assumptions, propaganda, logical fallacies, and disinformation. Let’s step back and ask more important questions that will challenge the paradigm of global control looming in the background of the climate religion and Agenda 21 “sustainable” living.
Knowing that the primary goal is control of all human activity, let us ask questions like- how about the sustainability of human freedom? Doesn’t human consciousness deserve sustainability also? Is it really normal to live in a future world where government monitors what you are doing, how much energy you are consuming and subsequently punishing you for breaking the rules? Isn’t “sustaining” human freedom important? Like, very important? Isn’t the need to sustain true justice, liberty and equality also very important? Isn’t it sickening and hypocritical that the world’s wealthiest 16% are said to consume over 80% of the planets resources? Isn’t it disturbing that those who have concocted this plan for global sustainability are part of the same 16% (more like 0.01%) who are consuming the most resources?
What about “sustaining” human health by removing ALL genetically modified (GMO) foods from the planet? How is Monsanto contributing to sustainability when in the best case scenario their genetically modified food is at least suspected of causing cancer and disease? Wouldn’t it be a move in a positive direction for human sustainability to terminate all GMO foods now? Or does human health sustainability not count? Why are there still toxins all around the planet affecting human health sustainability without a globalist secret society having meetings to stop this??
Hypocrisy
One aspect of those who follow the climate religion that begs explanation is their willingness to ingest all sorts of poisons into their bodies (which ultimately also affects the planet as well when the body decomposes, human waste etc), be it blatantly genetically modified toxic foods, toxic metal laced mandatory vaccines, chemically toxic water and an entire food manufacturing industry that freely sprays food with toxic pesticides. Climate changers pushing the U.N.’s Agenda 21 (without most of them realizing it) feel the earth is special but your body is somehow not. Their position is that your freedom is not important but the planet condition is. It’s like making someone clean their prison cell until its spotless. Yes, you might die in that prison cell, miserable due to your captivity and sick because you are eating poison but who cares, at least the cell is clean and spotless! The retardation, inconsistencies, hypocrisy and disconnect from humanity that the climate movement brings is not different from this logic. Climate changers view the earth with linear single-dimensional logic. They fail to realize the universe and everything in it is one complete form of energy that cannot be separated. The planet, the environment, the universe, human consciousness, freedom and the ability to thrive in a healthy clean pollution free world is all tied into one. You cannot focus on JUST the environment and then watch as humanity suffers from endless illnesses, depopulation, anguish and enslavement at the hand of an overreaching oppressive global government.
And as the hypocrisy of the Agenda 21 movement hiding under the climate religion exerts its hypnotic effect on the masses, YOU, the human being are supposed to play second fiddle to the planet, even as the government literally destroys the planet themselves with their ongoing geoengineering spraying programs. Let’s remember this is the same globalist controlled government who seeks absolute power over humanity, loves propaganda and loves endless wars. This is a movement brought to you by the same controllers who want to depopulate the world down to 500 million and have no problem allowing the epidemic of cancer and other human diseases to explode to record numbers.
As the climate goons continue to push their political goal of controlling all human activity in the name of saving the planet, no one should be fooled by the strategies they are employing to attract others to their agenda. They are able to convince the average politically asleep zombie that if the “Koch brothers” are resisting climate measures then that is proof that the evil corporations are the ones against climate change which presumably represents “truth” (I.E. the global warming “deniers”). This ‘common enemies’ argument is so useful and believable that it works. The strategy is simple: Find a convincing enemy of the movement and pin your movement against them so as to attract others via the common enemy effect. It’s that simple. Yes corporations are known for being greedy and ruthless but here’s the catch, so is government. And more importantly the Koch brothers pale in comparison to a deceptive movement and agenda concocted by some of the most greedy and powerful secret societies on the planet (the Club of Rome and the Counsel of 300).
“Oh I don’t believe that” – This was the response I got from the activist who was selling Agenda 21’s climate religion, when asked if she was aware of the Club of Rome’s publicly outlined long term agenda for controlling all human activity by introducing a climate religion that would supersede all other religions and put the blame for the planet’s condition on the ever consuming individual.
So as we continue to march ever closer to the globalist new world order where every form of human activity will be surveilled, categorized, documented, and fully controlled for fines, fees, imprisonment or worse, let’s document the steps that got us there. Persistent propaganda, blind belief, collectivism, lots of funding, and the mindset of acting for the “greater good”.
Ignorance- the great enemy
In order to get to where we are today it is necessary for ignorance to prevail in a major way. We’ve got just that, today. Ignorance of humanity’s history is at an all-time high. Don’t forget that the history of the Illuminati, the history of the globalist bankers, and the history of controlling governments and dictators is all part of our collective human history. What we are seeing is a generation of zombies who are completely ignorant of the history of their own species. This is the power of dividing people. When the people are divided they become unaware of each other’s history. This is what divide and conquer is all about.
The information war is an at its peak, so if you are awake now is the time to let your light shine. Share this information with others. It’s time to either throw out the whole “sustainable” religion talk from our vocabulary or start incorporating “sustainability” to human freedom, human dignity, and human health as well because it’s all interconnected.
Consider how retarded it is for a species to forsake it’s OWN sustainability (of health, happiness, and freedom) for the sake of sustaining its planet based on “rules” and “science” concocted by the very same voices at the top who are making billions $$ promoting the very religion of sustainability while consuming most of the resources.
The great challenge humanity faces is the quest to overcome the great ignorance we are under and see the bigger picture. Will enough people break through the ignorance and see the greater picture to change the retarded and ominous course we are on? Or will the bigger picture end at where we “save” the planet for the globalist to enjoy it for themselves as they enslave the entire species? Only time will tell.
Related video
Agenda 21 The Depopulation Agenda For a New World Order
The post Why “Sustainable” Earth, But Not Sustainable Human Health And Freedom?? appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/why-sustainable-earth-but-not-sustainable-human-health-and-freedom/feed/ 1 http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/will-claim-green-antarctica/ http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/will-claim-green-antarctica/#respond Sun, 11 Jun 2017 15:00:56 +0000
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/?p=91147
So-called global warming is not all that climate alarmists want you to think it is. The threats of rising oceans and rapidly spreading disease that they alarmed us all with, is nothing else than their vision of the future, but not a realistic one. One example of such unfounded alarmism is the melting of antarctic ...
The post Who will Claim the “Green” Antarctica? appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
(image: Matt Amesbury, University of Exeter/Flickr)
So-called global warming is not all that climate alarmists want you to think it is. The threats of rising oceans and rapidly spreading disease that they alarmed us all with, is nothing else than their vision of the future, but not a realistic one.
One example of such unfounded alarmism is the melting of antarctic ice caps, which is happening not due to man-made warming but geothermal sources that lie beneath Antarctic Glaciers.
Regardless of whether warming is taking place or not, and most valid science says it is not, great opportunities will come about with a warmer planet. A simple and straight forward example is the greening of areas that are now fully covered with ice.
In Antarctica, the temperatures of the last decades are changing the appearance of the surface and creating spaces covered of green in the temperate territories.
Mosses, now visible in high concentrations during the austral summer months, are also the most characteristic, but there are also many lichens, some terrestrial algae, fungi, and the only two flower plants native to the continent: Antarctic grass and the Antarctic carnation.
All these species resist in lethargy the long winter and soon they are able to regrow with force in the territories that in the summer are clear of ice. “In a few years the differences are obvious,” says Juan Kratzmaier, an adventurer, photographer and tour guide with long experience in Antarctica.
A recent study by researchers at the British universities in Exeter and Cambridge, as well as the British Antarctic Survey, has quantified the vegetative growth of mosses in the islands of the Antarctic peninsula, which has accelerated in the last 50 years and has also been multiplied the territory covered by these bryophyte plants during the summer months.
The scientists took five moss samples from three different sites to analyze the changes in their growth over the last 150 years and observed that the growth rate has changed markedly since 1960.
In addition to aesthetic issues, mosses are of paramount importance in the ecosystem because, among other things, they prepare the substrate to be used by higher plants such as Antarctic grass.
Specifically, according to British researchers, mosses that previously grew less than a millimeter per year now makes it more than three millimeters. As a result, there is now between four and five times more mosses in summer than 50 years ago.
The new mosses, scientists add, form a kind of protective upper layer that then favors the conservation of the lower layers. “People rightly think Antarctica is a very cold place, but our work shows that some of its areas are green, with the potential for them to become greener,” one of the authors of the paper wrote in a statement.
The presence of green in Antarctica remains a testimonial. “However, if summers get longer and there is more and more land without ice, there is no doubt that mosses and other species can colonize more areas,” says marine biologist Marta Estrada of the Institute of Marine Sciences of Barcelona.
“This year, the ice withdrew very soon on Livingston Island. At the end of November there were free spaces,” says María José Clemente, a researcher at the University of the Balearic Islands, who was in the zone during the last Spanish campaign with the team of Jaume Flexas. “What is most noticeable is the retreat of the glaciers,” insists Kratzmaier.
The decline of perpetual ice, however, is only visible in the Antarctic peninsula and adjacent islands, the fate of most scientists and tourist cruisers.
In contrast to what happens on the continent, which remains isolated from heat, in this large portion of the earth, climate change is well documented, with annual temperatures increasing by 0.5 ° per decade, according to mainstream data.
“The peninsula is not only more northerly and temperatures are less rigorous, but it is constantly receiving a supply of wet winds essential for plants to thrive,” says Antoni Rosell, a professor at the UAB and the Institut de Ciència I Environmental Technologies (ICTA).
Although there are other areas with temperatures above zero in summer, plants will hardly grow there if they do not have water, he adds: “Antarctica is the driest continent and whatever little rain it gets it comes in the form of snow.”
Antarctica was once an ice-free and forest-covered territory, conclude the authors of Exeter and Cambridge. If the trend continues Antarctica will fall back into its previous geological appearance. It will be green and available for visiting, planting and living. This potential reality begs the question: Who will claim the “green” Antarctica?
The post Who will Claim the “Green” Antarctica? appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/will-claim-green-antarctica/feed/ 0 http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/6-facts-pesticides-make-angry/ http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/6-facts-pesticides-make-angry/#respond Wed, 07 Jun 2017 21:29:09 +0000
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/?p=56613
Many Americans recognize pesticides in produce as a problem, but should you really be worried? Well, it definitely pays to be aware, if nothing else. Pesticides are linked to all sorts of health problems, after all. Let me share 6 facts about pesticides that are sure to make you angry. Pesticides Have Completely Ruined Strawberries ...
The post 6 Facts About Pesticides That Will Make You Angry appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
Many Americans recognize pesticides in produce as a problem, but should you really be worried? Well, it definitely pays to be aware, if nothing else. Pesticides are linked to all sorts of health problems, after all. Let me share 6 facts about pesticides that are sure to make you angry.
- Pesticides Have Completely Ruined Strawberries
Toxic pesticides like fumigants are all over our strawberries—even organic ones! These poisons are released into the soil to kill off diseases, weeds, and pests before they become a problem, but now you’re left with a toxic gas in the environment—and on the berries. Fumigants are also linked to cancer. [1] Is that really something you want in your body? And while the USDA is researching alternatives, no projects are looking at strawberries. [2]
- Pesticides Are Destroying Male Fertility
So if strawberries are treated with fumigants, it stands to reason other fruits and vegetables use pesticides as well. When it comes to pesticides, though, there’s no such thing as safe conventional produce, but avocado, sweet corn, and pineapple seem to have the lowest residue levels. [3] But residues could even be harming male fertility. A study suggested men who eat lots of produce could have sperm counts 50% lower than men who consume smaller amounts of vegetables and fruits, and that the men who at the most fruits containing pesticides experienced 32% more abnormally shaped sperm. [4]
3. Pesticides Are Polluting the Water Supply
In the Midwest, where farming can be big business, fertilizer runoff is polluting the water supply. Iowa’s largest water utility is even “threatening to sue three rural counties” under the Federal Clean Water Act because of drinking water contamination. [5] The main concern here is nitrates in the water, which could poison—even kill—infants. Pesticides are such a widespread problem that they’re even making their way into our oceans. Whale meat from Norway was imported to Japan; tests confirmed that it had twice the legal limit of the toxins. [6]
- Pesticides Are Ruining Good Wine
In some places, toxic pesticides have even made drinking to escape your problems impractical. Take some wines in France, for instance. A report found that some “300 French wines from the 2007 and 2008 vintages of the Rhône and the wider Aquitaine region,” 90 percent of those had pesticide contamination. [7]
- Pesticides Lead to Antibiotic Resistance
A recent study suggested glyphosate—the main ingredient in the weed killer Roundup—and two other common herbicides (2,4-D and dicamba) could be connected to antibiotic resistance. [8] After exposure to the toxins, bacteria reacted differently to common antibiotics like ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, and tetracycline. And with glyphosate also recently ruled “possibly carcinogenic to humans” by the World Health Organization (WHO), this latest study is just one more reason to stay away from herbicides. [9]
- Pesticides Linked to Autism
Clearly, glyphosate is bad news, but Monsanto Company—its creator—doesn’t think so: it even wants a retraction of that WHO report! But it’s not just cancer that could be a concern; one study suggested that because of glyphosate toxicity in our food supply, 1 in 2 children will have autism by the year 2025. [10] That’s a radical claim, yes, but also a potentially devastating one that can’t be ignored.
One Final Thought
We can’t even rely on the government to protect us. The EPA just says to not worry about pesticide exposure; the agency has even set “tolerance levels” for the consumer—how reassuring. And, in many cases, the laws about pesticides aren’t even being enforced. In Europe, however, they’re trying to further regulate toxic pesticides, and the U.S. is having a fit. After all, if Europe were to strictly regulate the toxins, the U.S. could stand to lose out on a multi-billion dollar import business. Unfortunately, even when our health is on the line, our government can only see dollar signs.
What do you think about pesticides? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
References:
- Weisenburger, D. Human health effects of agrichemical use. Human Pathology. 24 (6).
- United States Department of Agriculture. National Program 308: Methyl Bromide Alternatives. United States Department of Agriculture.
- Environmental Working Group. EWG’s 2015 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™. Environmental Working Group.
- Chiu, Y. H. et al. Fruit and vegetable intake and their pesticide residues in relation to semen quality among men from a fertility clinic. Human Reproduction.
- Rao, M. A closely watched fight brewing over nitrates in Iowa water. Star Tribune.
- The Japan Times. Norway whale meat dumped in Japan after pesticide finding. The Japan Times.
- Sciolino, E. In France, Pesticides Get in Way of Natural Wines. New York Times.
- Kurenbach, B. et al. Sublethal Exposure to Commercial Formulations of the Herbicides Dicamba, 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid, and Glyphosate Cause Changes in Antibiotic Susceptibility in Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. mBio. 6 (2).
- International Agency for Research on Cancer. IARC Monographs Volume 112: evaluation of five organophosphate insecticides and herbicides. World Health Organization.
- Alliance for Natural Health. Half of All Children Will Be Autistic by 2025, Warns Senior Research Scientist at MIT. Alliance for Natural Health.
The post 6 Facts About Pesticides That Will Make You Angry appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/6-facts-pesticides-make-angry/feed/ 0 http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/warned-imminent-threat-us-nuclear-facilities-earthquakes/ http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/warned-imminent-threat-us-nuclear-facilities-earthquakes/#respond Wed, 07 Jun 2017 19:06:56 +0000
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/?p=91044
By: Stefan Stanford, AllNewsPipeline.com | Trump Administration Notified Of ‘Imminent Threat To US Nuclear Facilities’ From ‘Wave Of Catastrophic Earthquakes About To Start’ According to this May 12, 2017 press release from the International Earthquake and Volcano Prediction Center, President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Energy Rick Perry has been notified of an imminent threat to US nuclear ...
The post Trump Administration Warned: “Imminent Threat To US Nuclear Facilities” From ‘Wave Of Catastrophic Earthquakes About To Start” appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
By: Stefan Stanford, AllNewsPipeline.com |
Trump Administration Notified Of ‘Imminent Threat To US Nuclear Facilities’ From ‘Wave Of Catastrophic Earthquakes About To Start’
According to this May 12, 2017 press release from the International Earthquake and Volcano Prediction Center, President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Energy Rick Perry has been notified of an imminent threat to US nuclear facilities from a wave of catastrophic earthquakes that is about to start.
The IEVPC is a non-profit science research organization made up of scientists and contractors from around the world with a Mission and Objectives as described below:
The Mission of the International Earthquake and Volcano Prediction Center, Inc. (IEVPC) is to develop the best possible means for protection of the people on Earth through early prediction of catastrophic geophysical events (CGE) such as earthquakes, associated tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions.
Reporting within their press release that the determination of the scope and scale of this threat is based on years of seismic and climate research by IEVPC scientists that has culminated in the recent publication of the book titled “Upheaval! Why Catastrophic Earthquakes Will Soon Strike the United States”, we see the IEVPC’s warnings being echoed now in stories from around the internet and the world that ‘the big one’ is near and there is nothing that can be done to stop it.
According to the LA Times story the Drudge Report linked to on Wednesday, fear of earthquakes is a normal part of life in California so people deal with it in different ways – some prepare by retrofitting homes and apartments while for others, that fear prompts denial and a willful ignorance of the dangers which they face the Times reports.
Despite the denial, the dangers people face are very real and the LA Times story is a perfect example of stressing the need for preparation for an event which we pray never comes yet, as scientists and experts warn in this particular case, WILL come one day no matter how much people want to deny it. And as we detail below, there are several very good reasons why scientists believe ‘the big one’ is a matter of ‘when’, not ‘if’, as more and more evidence indicates an ‘upheaval’ in the future.
Seismologist Lucy Jones has spent her career trying to understand public attitudes about earthquakes, with a focus on moving people past paralysis and denial.
Jones said the way experts like her used to talk about earthquakes wasn’t very effective. They tended to focus on the probability of a major earthquake striking in the next 30 years — the length of a typical home mortgage. They also took pains to say what they didn’t know, which she now believes allowed the public to tune out and hope for the best.
Now she is making a dramatically different point. She said that in a keynote speech to international scientists in Japan on May 21, she emphasized that a devastating earthquake will definitely happen, and that there is much the public can do to protect themselves.
Denial may getting a bit harder these days. Over the last several years, a few California cities have taken dramatic steps to require retrofits of thousands of vulnerable buildings. And next year, scientists and the U.S. Geological Survey are expected to unveil the first limited public phase of an earthquake early-warning system that would eventually offer seconds and perhaps more than a minute of warning through smartphones and computers.
In this new story from the Daily Mail they report that according to a new scientific research study, global exposure to natural disasters has doubled since 1975 with 1 out of every 3 of us now at risk of earthquakes, the largest ‘natural disaster hazard’ that people now face. With a massive landslide recently wiping out a large part of the Pacific Coast Highway being the latest ‘Earth changes’ to remind California they’re quite literally sitting ducks, we see much of the state in the ‘highest hazard’ zone as seen in the map above and at this Earthquake hazard ranking website called Temblor.
While California and the San Andreas fault understandably grab much of the attention that’s given to possible devastating earthquakes in the future along the west coast, as we’ve previously reported on ANP, what could be a much more dangerous geophysical hazard to the US lies further north and several hundred miles off of the coast in what is known as the Juan de Fuca Plate.
As we read in this story and hear in the 2nd video below, scientists are interested in Juan de Fuca because the miniature plate is the single greatest geophysical threat to the United States. Researchers believe Juan de Fuca’s subduction beneath North America’s continental plate could yield megaquakes several orders of magnitude more powerful than the San Andreas Fault’s largest tremors.
As we see in the image below, the Juan de Fuca Plate lies between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate and is ever so slowly pushing up on the North American Plate, with the potential to cause quakes MUCH more powerful than the San Andreas Fault according to scientists. From Phys.org:
Several hundred miles off the Pacific Northwest coast, a small tectonic plate called the Juan de Fuca is slowly sliding under the North American continent. This subduction has created a collision zone with the potential to generate huge earthquakes and accompanying tsunamis, which happen when faulted rock abruptly shoves the ocean out of its way.
In fact, this region represents the single greatest geophysical hazard to the continental United States; quakes centered here could register as hundreds of times more damaging than even a big temblor on the San Andreas Fault. Not surprisingly, scientists are interested in understanding as much as they can about the Juan de Fuca Plate.
With the Juan de Fuca Plate helping to create the ‘Cascadia Subduction Zone’, we remind you of the 2016 Cascadia Rising earthquake and tsunami drills that simulated a 9.0 magnitude quake pummeling the region and the resultant tsunami leaving devastation in its path that could be felt all the way to the East coast with possible cascading utility outages while leaving up to or more than 10,000 dead and possibly millions more displaced.
As we also read from Temblor and see in their ‘hazard map’ below, there are numerous faults along the West coast just ready to pop, making the entire West coast region the most hazardous for earthquakes in America by far. As this May 19th story from Temblor reported, the Gulf of California had recently been the home to a series of ‘rapid rupture’ quakes that portend more danger ahead.
Any examination of possibly catastrophic earthquakes in America cannot be complete without looking at the New Madrid fault zone, a region which has been home to some of the most devastating quakes ever recorded in US history and while the 1811 and 1812 quakes covered over a million square miles and were felt as far away as the East coast, the population in that region then was nothing compared to what it is now.
As experts have warned, a New Madrid quake in 2017 could be responsible for ‘black sky days’ all across America with cascading power outages caused by a large quake there, and if history is a guide, it could get much worse.
The 150-mile long New Madrid Seismic Zone in New Madrid, Missouri, is the source of the concern, and is also thought to be overdue for a massive tremor, which would impact seven states – Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi.
It has not seen significant earthquakes for more than 200 years. In the winter of 1811 and 1812 there were three earthquakes of magnitude 7 – as high as 7.7 – and a series of aftershocks across the American Midwest. The results were catastrophic, with the course of the Mississippi being diverted, chasms ripping open, and volcanoes of sand and water bursting through the ground.
The Mid-America Earthquake Center at the University of Illinois released a report in 2009, which suggested the effects of a force seven or stronger quake from the fault line. Amr Elnashai, the study’s lead author, wrote “All hell will break loose.”
The predicted scenario saw close to 715,000 buildings, including 130 hospitals, and 3,500 bridges damaged. Deaths and injuries were estimated at 86,000 with a combined loss of $300billion.
The Central US Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC) is based next to Memphis Airport. James Wilkinson, its director, fears the Mississippi would be released from an engineered prison of levees, causing maximum damage. He told The Atlantic: “The thing that, to me, makes the river scary is how much industry we have along it: there’s power plants, there’s chemical plants, there’s ports.
“And the river might change course altogether. “I mean if we’re at flood stage, it’s kind of the worst-of-the-worst case scenario. “We’ve had earthquakes, we’ve had damage, but nothing like what we’ve seen in other parts of the world. So the clock’s ticking.”
In the 1st video below, Joe from the Daily Sheeple breaks down the recent viral LA Times story for us and shares some practically prepping tips and knowledge that anybody living in an earthquake-prone zone should know. Of course, many aspects of ‘earthquake prepping’ can be used in prepping for other emergencies and disasters as well.
And while we’re not into the ‘earthquake prediction business’, studies have shown time and again that creatures in the ocean and animals living upon the planet can tell in advance such devastation is coming being much more in touch with the ‘cycle’s of nature’ than most people living in ‘concrete and steel’ jungles across America, many with their heads permanently attached to their cell phones.
As the National Geographic has reported, the belief that animals can predict earthquakes has been around for centuries. In 373 B.C., historians recorded that animals, including rats, snakes and weasels, deserted the Greek city of Helice in droves just days before a quake devastated the place. As we reported on ANP back on May 9th, it’s been shown time and again, deep sea creatures often ‘sense’ way ahead of an earthquake that something is about to happen and research has shown that some will often come to the surface before one.
As this Wikipedia entry on ‘electroperception’ reports, electroreception is the biological ability to perceive natural electrical stimuli and it has been proposed that sharks can use their acute electric sense to detect the earth’s magnetic field by detecting the weak electric currents induced by their swimming or by the flow of ocean currents. How many other animals have such abilities? It’s also been reported that dogs can sense earthquakes ahead of time and it’s well known in the medical field, some dogs can sense a seizure in a person before one begins. So up for discussion, since we’re also officially ‘mammals’, shouldn’t we have such ‘abilities’ as well?
This report was originally published by Stefan Stanford at AllNewsPipeline.com
The post Trump Administration Warned: “Imminent Threat To US Nuclear Facilities” From ‘Wave Of Catastrophic Earthquakes About To Start” appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
]]>
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/warned-imminent-threat-us-nuclear-facilities-earthquakes/feed/ 0
No comments:
Post a Comment