Hazardous pesticide ingredients can be kept under wraps

A Californian federal judge has ruled that the, “US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is under no obligation to force pesticide makers to disclose supposedly 'inert' ingredients in their products - even where those ingredients are seriously hazardous to health or environment”. This amounts to the public being kept in the dark on the full list of toxic ingredients in pesticides registered by the agency. The ruling was made last week, following a lawsuit filed by the Center for Environmental Health, Beyond Pesticides, and Physicians for Social Responsibility, who had argued that, “EPA is failing in its legal duty to protect consumers from supposedly 'inert' but often harmful pesticide ingredients”. They argue that, “people and communities cannot make informed decisions on pesticide products without full disclosure of all product ingredients”, and they may appeal the ruling.

Smart meters recognised as a “false solution”

Industry players have recently stated, “A transition to an intelligent electricity grid in Europe can take place without smart meters”, it is reported by Take Back Your Power. This comes at the time EU member states are required to push a roll out on smart meters, with the aim of replacing 80% of electricity meters with smart meters by 2020. Smart meters can produce harmful levels of electro-magnetic radiation, leading to electrohypersensitivity. While an increasing number of industry players are recognising the unsuitability of smart meters, rollouts are still in place. For information on how to utilise your right to a safer analog meter, have a look at this useful video.

Could gut bacteria reverse autism?

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have found that the absence of one specific species of gut bacteria causes social deficits in mice. When this bacterial species was added back into the guts of affected mice, “the researchers were able to reverse some of the behavioral deficits, which are reminiscent of symptoms of autism spectrum disorders in humans”. This isn’t the first time gut bacteria have been proposed as a potential treatment method for medical conditions. It has also been suggested that balancing the body’s microbiome could relieve depression. Read more.

High cholesterol does not contribute to heart disease

A new study has found that high cholesterol does not increase the risk of developing heart disease, thus treating patients with statins is “a waste of time”, reports the Telegraph. The review of research involved nearly 70,000 people and found no link between cholesterol and premature death in over 60 year olds from cardiovascular disease. The researchers have called for “a re-evaluation of the guidelines for the prevention of cardiovascular disease - because the benefits from statin treatment have been exaggerated”. Long-term use of statins can pose a serious risk to health, find out how you can reduce your heart attack risk without them with Dr Mark Houston.

Monsanto to pay millions in lawsuit

A St Louis jury in the US have ordered Monsanto, Solutia, Pharmacia and Pfizer to pay $46.5 million in damages in a lawsuit claiming the four companies were negligent in their handling of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). PCBs are a highly toxic and carcinogenic group of chemicals once used to insulate electronics. The US Environmental Protection Agency banned their use in 1979 due to its link to birth defects and cancer in laboratory animals, however the chemicals can linger in the environment for decades. “The lawsuit claims that Monsanto continued to sell the compounds even after it learned about its dangers and falsely told the public they were safe. Indeed, internal documents have surfaced showing that Monsanto knew about the health risks of PCBs long before they were banned”. It begs the question why anyone would feel comfortable with such a company holding such influence over our food chain?

Brazil says no to GM

Brazil have joined the expanding list of countries to refuse Monsanto’s genetically modified (GM) crops. Brazil's chicken farmers are refusing to feed their birds with GM corn, and they are not the only ones. “Brazil’s farmers join a growing, international resistance against cultivating GM seed. Russia recently banned all U.S. corn and soy imports due to possible GM contamination. Nineteen additional countries in the E.U. also banned all GM crops, and dozens more have banned GM crops for import or growth in their country,” reports Waking Times.