Monsanto, the TPP and Global Food Dominance



As the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations enter their last few days, Ellen Brown exposes their real purpose - corporate control of the world's food, health, environment and financial systems. Of all these, the greatest is food ...


"Control oil and you control nations," said US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in the 1970s. "Control food and you control the people."

And now global food control has nearly been achieved, by reducing seed diversity with GMO (genetically modified) seeds that are distributed by only a few transnational corporations.

This agenda has been implemented at grave cost to our health. And if the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) passes, control over not just our food but our health, our environment and our financial system will be in the hands of transnational corporations.

[See also "Avaaz TPP petition sabotaged?"]

Profits Before Populations

Genetic engineering has made proprietary control possible over the seeds on which the world’s food supply depends. According to an Acres USA interview of plant pathologist Don Huber, Professor Emeritus at Purdue University, two modified traits account for practically all of the genetically modified crops grown in the world today.

One involves insect resistance. The other, more disturbing modification involves insensitivity to glyphosate-based herbicides (plant-killing chemicals). Often known as Roundup after the best-selling Monsanto product of that name, glyphosate poisons everything in its path except plants genetically modified to resist it.

Glyphosate-based herbicides are now the most commonly used herbicides in the world. Glyphosate is an essential partner to the GMOs that are the principal business of the burgeoning biotech industry. Glyphosate is a 'broad-spectrum' herbicide that destroys indiscriminately, not by killing unwanted plants directly but by tying up access to critical nutrients.

Because of the insidious way in which it works, it has been sold as a relatively benign replacement for the devastating earlier dioxin-based herbicides. But a barrage of experimental data has now shown glyphosate - and the GMO foods incorporating it at high levels - to pose serious dangers to health.

Compounding the risk is the toxicity of so-called 'inert' ingredients used to make glyphosate more potent. Researchers have found, for example, that the surfactant POEA can kill human cells, particularly embryonic, placental and umbilical cord cells. But these risks have been conveniently ignored.

The widespread use of GMO foods and glyphosate herbicides helps explain the anomaly that the US spends over twice as much per capita on healthcare as the average developed country, yet it is rated far down the scale of the world’s healthiest populations. The World Health Organization has ranked the US LAST out of 17 developed nations for overall health.

Sixty to seventy percent of the foods in US supermarkets are now genetically modified. By contrast, in at least 26 other countries - including Switzerland, Australia, Austria, China, India, France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Greece, Bulgaria, Poland, Italy, Mexico and Russia - GMOs are totally or partially banned; and significant restrictions on GMOs exist in about sixty other countries.

A ban on GMO and glyphosate use might go far toward improving the health of Americans. But the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a global trade agreement for which the Obama Administration has sought Fast Track status, would block that sort of cause-focused approach to the healthcare crisis.

Roundup’s Insidious Effects

Roundup-resistant crops escape being killed by glyphosate, but they do not avoid absorbing it into their tissues. Herbicide-tolerant crops have substantially higher levels of herbicide residues than other crops. In fact, many countries have had to increase their legally allowable levels - by up to 50 times - in order to accommodate the introduction of GM crops.

In the European Union, residues in food are set to rise 100-150 times if a new proposal by Monsanto is approved. Meanwhile, herbicide-tolerant "super-weeds" have adapted to the chemical, requiring even more toxic doses and new toxic chemicals to kill the plant.

Human enzymes are affected by glyphosate just as plant enzymes are: the chemical blocks the uptake of manganese and other essential minerals. Without those minerals, we cannot properly metabolize our food. That helps explain the rampant epidemic of obesity in the United States. People eat and eat in an attempt to acquire the nutrients that are simply not available in their food.

According to researchers Samsell and Seneff in Biosemiotic Entropy: Disorder, Disease, and Mortality (April 2013):

"Glyphosate's inhibition of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes is an overlooked component of its toxicity to mammals. CYP enzymes play crucial roles in biology ... Negative impact on the body is insidious and manifests slowly over time as inflammation damages cellular systems throughout the body.

"Consequences are most of the diseases and conditions associated with a Western diet, which include gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, autism, infertility, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease."

More than 40 diseases have been linked to glyphosate use, and more keep appearing. In September 2013, the National University of Rio Cuarto, Argentina, published research finding that glyphosate enhances the growth of fungi that produce aflatoxin B1, one of the most carcinogenic of substances.

A doctor from Chaco, Argentina, told Associated Press, "We've gone from a pretty healthy population to one with a high rate of cancer, birth defects and illnesses seldom seen before." Fungi growths have increased significantly in US corn crops.

Glyphosate has also done serious damage to the environment. According to an October 2012 report by the Institute of Science in Society:

"Agribusiness claims that glyphosate and glyphosate-tolerant crops will improve crop yields, increase farmers’ profits and benefit the environment by reducing pesticide use.

Exactly the opposite is the case ... the evidence indicates that glyphosate herbicides and glyphosate-tolerant crops have had wide-ranging detrimental effects, including glyphosate resistant super weeds, virulent plant (and new livestock) pathogens, reduced crop health and yield, harm to off-target species from insects to amphibians and livestock, as well as reduced soil fertility."

Politics Trumps Science

In light of these adverse findings, why have Washington and the European Commission continued to endorse glyphosate as safe? Critics point to lax regulations, heavy influence from corporate lobbyists, and a political agenda that has more to do with power and control than protecting the health of the people.

In the ground-breaking 2007 book Seeds of Destruction: The Hidden Agenda of Genetic Manipulation, William Engdahl states that global food control and depopulation became US strategic policy under Rockefeller protégé Henry Kissinger. Along with oil geopolitics, they were to be the new 'solution' to the threats to US global power and continued US access to cheap raw materials from the developing world.

In line with that agenda, the government has shown extreme partisanship in favor of the biotech agribusiness industry, opting for a system in which the industry 'voluntarily' polices itself. Bio-engineered foods are treated as "natural food additives", not needing any special testing.

Jeffrey M. Smith, Executive Director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, confirms that US Food and Drug Administration policy allows biotech companies to determine if their own foods are safe. Submission of data is completely voluntary. He concludes:

In the critical arena of food safety research, the biotech industry is without accountability, standards, or peer-review. They’ve got bad science down to a science.

Whether or not depopulation is an intentional part of the agenda, widespread use of GMO and glyphosate is having that result. The endocrine-disrupting properties of glyphosate have been linked to infertility, miscarriage, birth defects and arrested sexual development.

In Russian experiments, animals fed GM soy were sterile by the third generation. Vast amounts of farmland soil are also being systematically ruined by the killing of beneficial microorganisms that allow plant roots to uptake soil nutrients.

In Gary Null’s eye-opening documentary Seeds of Death: Unveiling the Lies of GMOs, Dr. Bruce Lipton warns: "We are leading the world into the sixth mass extinction of life on this planet ... Human behavior is undermining the web of life."

The TPP and International Corporate Control

As the devastating conclusions of these and other researchers awaken people globally to the dangers of Roundup and GMO foods, transnational corporations are working feverishly with the Obama administration to fast-track the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement that would strip governments of the power to regulate transnational corporate activities.

Negotiations have been kept secret from Congress but not from corporate advisors, 600 of whom have been consulted and know the details. According to Barbara Chicherio in Nation of Change:

"The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) has the potential to become the biggest regional Free Trade Agreement in history ...

"The chief agricultural negotiator for the US is the former Monsanto lobbyist, Islam Siddique. If ratified the TPP would impose punishing regulations that give multinational corporations unprecedented right to demand taxpayer compensation for policies that corporations deem a barrier to their profits ...

"They are carefully crafting the TPP to insure that citizens of the involved countries have no control over food safety, what they will be eating, where it is grown, the conditions under which food is grown and the use of herbicides and pesticides."

Food safety is only one of many rights and protections liable to fall to this super-weapon of international corporate control. In an April 2013 interview on The Real News Network, Kevin Zeese called the TPP "NAFTA on steroids" and "a global corporate coup." He warned:

"No matter what issue you care about - whether its wages, jobs, protecting the environment ... this issue is going to adversely affect it ... If a country takes a step to try to regulate the financial industry or set up a public bank to represent the public interest, it can be sued".

Return to Nature: Not Too Late


There is a safer, saner, more earth-friendly way to feed nations. While Monsanto and US regulators are forcing GM crops on American families, Russian families are showing what can be done with permaculture methods on simple garden plots.

In 2011, 40% of Russia’s food was grown on dachas (cottage gardens or allotments). Dacha gardens produced over 80% of the country’s fruit and berries, over 66% of the vegetables, almost 80% of the potatoes and nearly 50% of the nation’s milk, much of it consumed raw. According to Vladimir Megre, author of the best-selling Ringing Cedars Series:

"Essentially, what Russian gardeners do is demonstrate that gardeners can feed the world - and you do not need any GMOs, industrial farms, or any other technological gimmicks to guarantee everybody’s got enough food to eat.

Bear in mind that Russia only has 110 days of growing season per year - so in the US, for example, gardeners’ output could be substantially greater. Today, however, the area taken up by lawns in the US is two times greater than that of Russia’s gardens - and it produces nothing but a multi-billion-dollar lawn care industry."

In the US, only about 0.6 percent of the total agricultural area is devoted to organic farming. This area needs to be vastly expanded if we are to avoid the 'sixth mass extinction'. But first, we need to urge our representatives to stop Fast Track, vote no on the TPP, and pursue a global phase-out of glyphosate-based herbicides and GMO foods.

Our health, our finances and our environment are at stake.

Source: http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/2188967/monsanto_the_tpp_and_global_food_dominance.html

Got Insomnia? Here Are Some Foods to Help You Sleep Better



Almonds

How can a food that gives you energy also help you sleep better? Almonds do contain coenzyme Q10, which helps produce energy inside our cells, but it also contains tryptophan. Try mixing them with some of the other items on this list for best results.

Bananas

Packed with healthy carbohydrates, bananas can help you slow down a little bit. They, too, contain tryptophan, as well as substances that promote the production of melatonin, the hormone that induces sleep. The magnesium found in bananas also aids in muscle relaxation.


Milk

There really is some science behind the recommendation to drink a glass of warm milk before bed. Milk contains tryptophan, but another benefit comes from a surprising source: calcium, which can help lower stress levels.

Yogurt

It’s got all the same benefits as milk, but with protein to boot, so it’s a satisfying snack before bed. Just choose a sugar-free, low-fat variety to avoid weight gain or spikes in blood sugar.

Green tea


Green tea does contain low levels of caffeine, so unless you choose decaf, you may not want to drink it right before bed – save your nightcap for chamomile. But drinking green tea throughout the day can help you feel more calm. It may also help relieve the symptoms of sleep apnea.

Oatmeal

It’s rich in calcium and magnesium, and the perfect partner for some bananas, milk and honey, making oatmeal a great choice for nighttime breakfasts.

Honey

This sweet treat raises your blood sugar just enough to reduce the production of orexin in your brain, a neurotransmitter that helps you stay awake. Drizzle it onto your oatmeal or take it in your tea.

Potatoes

The carbohydrates in potatoes make them another high-glycemic food that can help you sleep more peacefully. Try a small serving of mashed potatoes with milk, topped with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt.

Unbelieveable, A 14 Year Old Burger Found, Still Looks Edible!




The harmful consequences of fast food have been showcased by this hamburger, which is still intact after 14 years. Found accidently by David Whipple in his court’s pocket after two years of purchase, he continued the experiment for 14 years, shocked to see that the burger still seems edible.

David Whipple, a man who bought a hamburger on July 7 1999 and preserved it for a month to show his friends that it would look exactly the same after a month due to preservatives, forgot about it in his coat’s pocket, found it after two years and to his dismay, it looked still the same. He then decided to carry forward this experiment and after 14 years, the burger just refuses to age. Shocking? Isn’t it?


This edible burger of 14 years had been showcased on the popular TV show The Doctors’.



10 Scary Facts About GMOs You Didn't Know About

GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms), are organisms such as bacteria, fish, insects, mammals, plants and yeast whose genetic makeup has been altered through genetic engineering procedures. Merging DNA from different species, creates unconventional animals, bacteria and plants that are not naturally found in customary crossbreeding or even in nature. The scary facts about GMOs are:

1. Commonality of GMOs

In the United States alone, GMOs make up about 70-80% of the foods we consume. Most foods that contain GMOs are processed foods.

2. The Instability of Health

In most developed countries, GMOs have been banned or placed under strict regulations. After the introduction of GMOs, chronic illnesses, food allergies and disorders like reproductive and digestive ones have increased with time. Although thorough research has yet to be conducted directly linking GMOs to these conditions, some doctors are urging patients to avoid high quantities of foods with GMOs due to its unnatural factors.

3. Resistant to Weeds

Seeds that have been subjected to GMOs are resistant to weeds, but weeds growing in the same areas become exposed to GMOs. Over time, the weeds become resistant as well, causing farmers to use stronger chemicals, which affect the safety of the crops that people consume. More chemicals can lead to more health problems derived from the food we eat.

4. Contaminated—Forever

Not all farmers benefit from GMOs. When seeds are induced with GMOs, they “travel” to other farms and even in the wild making it almost impossible to eliminate all GMOs. Organic farmers face the devastation of huge economic losses trying to keep their crops pure when competing. In addition, the health of future generations are placed at risk due to these “traveling seeds.”

5. Suppressed Information for Cash Crops

Farmers and/or independent scientists, who discover issues with GMOs or attempt to expose the issues, have been attacked, threatened, fired or even denied funding. At the end of the day, it comes down to money. Information that may tamper with the fact that GMOs produce more long-lasting cash crops is concealed.

6. No Labels

Without labels, how are people to know which foods have been genetically modified? Despite an increase for the demand of labels, one of the greatest hazards with genetically modified foods is that there is no legal label requirements to indicate which foods have been altered. Some are labeled with a Non-GMO sticker, but the fact is, a lot of the foods people consume do not have labels so many people are unaware of what they are actually consuming.

7. Unknown Genetic Effects

Because research on GMOs has not been thorough or explicit, the effects that GMOs will have on the greater human race is still unknown. However, considering the health risks of ingesting these types of foods on a regular basis, it is safe to say that GMOs, being unnatural, will have a negative long-term impact on the human race as a whole.

8. GMOs—Not an Excuse for Food Security

Yes, more crops are grown, but at what cost? Powerful monopolies like Monsanto, a genetically engineering company that controls about 90% of the genetically modified foods worldwide are given complete control over the foods we eat. They sell GMO seeds too farmers, which are not inexpensive; therefore, many farmers are forced to purchase the seeds leaving them dependent on major companies or face the vulnerability to hunger.

9. An Unpredictable Aftermath

Exposure to anything that has been genetically modified cannot be considered safe or healthy because it is, well, to put it simply, unnatural! Disturbing the environments natural genetic makeup can eventually result in the reproduction of unnatural animals and plants including humans.

10. A Closed Mouth Does Not Get Fed

One way to help reduce the use of GMOs is to get educated and simply not eat foods that contain it. Patience and portioning are tactics that should be practiced to help eliminate the modifications of our food. GMOs produce more crops versus growing them naturally. Yet, if we allow for crops to grow at their natural rate and portion the foods we eat, a demand to have more than what we actually need will decrease leading to more natural methods to produce our food.

The bottom line is that genetically modified foods are just not natural and have not been proven to be safe. In America, there are not even labels to inform consumers that what they are about to eat has been genetically modified in a lab and not from the earth. Now, that’s scary!

Source: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-health/10-scary-facts-about-gmos/

The Best Video For Those Who Grow their Own Food

This is the best motivational video for those of us who grow our own food. Watching this video will first of all discourage you of the current situation of the world and what misery has been created by the few. At the end of this video the people who grow their own food will have their morals skyrocketing and will prove to be the best motivation for those who want to start growing food. 



Purify Air Naturally With These Herbs



This is a collection of some house plants which help clean the air in the room from pollution, bad smell and lower carbon dioxide naturally.

Rosemary


 


Some use this herb for cooking, other use it as a herbal tea. The most important function of this herb is its ability to improve cognitive function and shield the brain from free radicals.And the presence of this plant in the room is enough in the long run. Rosemary still exhales some of its essential oils in the room (you don't need to boil it in a tea infusion to benefit from it).

Basil


 



Basil is one well known herb and spice. Naturally it is spread in Asia and North Africa but can easily be cultivated for all climates and domesticated. Grows about 1-2 feet long with small white blossoms and wide leaves. The fruit is small 4-seed nut that dries and drops by itself at autumn and can be reseeded in the next Spring. The rich aroma and the pleasant peppery taste are only one part of the coin. It can be also used as herbal tea and as all other plants will reduce the Carbon Dioxide in the room. Gather some leaves for the salad and leave enough smaller leaves for it to grow.

Mint





The best herbal tea for winter. The best plant for indoor planting. There are many subspecies which are also called Mint. They include plants suitable with cooking with dry beans, plants suitable for baking meat, others suitable for extracting fragrant oils for perfumery and scent lamps and dozens more.
  • All of them has few things in common:
  • They make the air easier to breathe if you have lung disease.
  • They have very pleasant aroma.
  • They attract one small wasp when blooming. The wasp kills some parasites on other plants or injects eggs inside them.
  • They make excellent herbal tea or tasty cooking spice.
  • They love sun and water but are incredibly easy to grow.

You can cut a branch and leave it in a glass of water for one week. It will grow very potent roots and you can plant it everywhere.

Jasmine



Jasmine opens its flowers between 6 and 8 PM, when the temperature is lower. Having Jasmine aroma when dining is very pleasant. Having jasmine tea is also very good. (Just bruise some petals in a cup and pour boiling water. Cover for 10 minutes with a small dish). In China and India, it is mixed with green tea leaves and tumbled until the green tea absorbs all the fragrance form the Jasmine. In fact - Jasmine tea bags bought from store are actually green or Oolong tea with Jasmine scent.

Source: http://m0rd0r.hubpages.com/hub/8-aromatic-indoor-herbs-which-purify-air