Undue Influence: Monsanto Protection Act Just the Tip of the Genetically Engineered Iceberg

[unhappycamper]

http://www.commondreams.org/further/2013/04/10-2



Undue Influence: Monsanto Protection Act Just the Tip of the Genetically Engineered Iceberg
by Abby Zimet
04.10.13 - 5:06 PM

It seems the latest Monsanto-coddling legislation is but a logical next step in a decades-long, well-funded network of government-embedded protections enjoyed by what was from its start a chemical company, says a scathing new report from Food & Water Watch. The group traces Monsanto's toxic history - saccharin, DDT, Agent Orange, seeds genetically engineered to withstand massive, growing amounts of (Monsanto) herbicides and pesticides, artificial growth hormone rBGH - its bloated numbers - 404 facilities in 66 countries, plants grown on over 282 million acres worldwide, including 40% of U.S. farmland, $11.8 billion in net sales, $62,356,730 spent in the last two years on U.S. lobbying efforts - and its strong ties to lawmakers, regulators and researchers, including decades packing the Food and Drug Administration, Environmental Protection Agency and US Department of Agriculture, which has never denied a Monsanto application and which consulted with Monsanto on its so-called organic food standards. The report also suggests actions to stop them. Reading ( http://documents.foodandwaterwatch.org/doc/MonsantoReport.pdf ) it is a good first step.

[Buzz Clik]

1. Brought us PCBs? Brought us Agent Orange? My, my, my.

The truth is the first casualty of war. The war on Monsanto is clearly no exception.

With all the wrong things that Monsanto is doing in their business practice, why is it necessary to make stuff up about their products?

Incredible.

[hootinholler]

2. How is the paper wrong? What specifically is being made up?

If you are going to make those assertions in such a dismissive manner, why should we believe you? The paper the article is about has many footnotes and identifies the sources of their claims.

[Buzz Clik]

3. "From the People Who Brought You PCBs, Dioxin, and Agent Orange"

Not correct.

PCBs were developed decades before Monsanto incorporated them in the stream of products, and the same is true of Agent Orange.

PCBs performed exactly as they were supposed to perform and became a problem only when the end users started disposing them in irresponsible ways. Are we blaming Monsanto for that?

Agent Orange was provided by Monsanto in response to a huge government contract during Vietnam. As a defoliant, it worked exactly as it should. The problems came when the applicators were sloppy (through no fault of their own) or when people on the ground were sprayed. Are we blaming Monsanto for that?

Hate Monsanto for their business practices -- we have endless examples of what vultures they are. But, let's try to be accurate about the science stuff.