I am glad to see more farmers are figuring out that Monsanto is one of the most evil entities on the planet...

~~~

On this particular roundup topic ( we could also talk about their terminator seeds and so much more )
here is one post from a permaculture list:


Folks, I am reposting (with permission) a contemplation of some possible
consequences of Roundup use that originally appeared on the BDNow list
(biodynamic ag). A bit of fresh insight. It was written by farmer and
researcher Hugh Lovel.  Sincerely,  dylan
 
 Harold,
 
If you visit the Monsanto website about roundup you'll find Monsanto
presents it quite differently from Agent Orange (a.k.a. 2,4,5-T).
Roundup (a.k.a. glyphosate) inhibits the synthesis of tyrosine,
phenlyanaline and tryptophan in plants, rendering them unable to grow.
It even gets algae. But it contains neglible dioxins.
 
Monsanto asserts that since animals have alternate pathways for
synthesis of these 3 amino acids (which are the basis of the feel good
chemistry of our brains and central nervous systems) then animals are
not affected. Roundup kept in your barn for a few years gets old and
doesn't do its legendary thing after a while, leading Monsanto to
further assert that it breaks down and becomes non-toxic in the environment.
 
Nevertheless, roundup was found as a widespread contaminant of
groundwater in Denmark leading to its ban in that country. Moreover,
although animals do have an alternate or possibly more than one
alternate pathway of synthesis of these key amino acids Monsanto has not
demonstrated that animals contaminated by roundup manage to maintain
levels of these amino acids comparable to what they would have had were
they uncontaminated.
 
Farmers in such places as rural Alberta where roundup use is heavy and
contaminates ground water wonder why in their small rural high schools
the rates of suicide (presumably resulting from depression) are so much
higher than comparable populations of inner city schools where students
seem to have less attractive prospects in life. Americans in general
might wonder why such a large percentage (over 20%) of their population
takes prozac as a remedy for depression. Is food in these regions
deficient in tyrosine, phenylanaline and tryptophan these days? Is
groundwater contamination depressing the levels of these precursors for
serotonin, dopamine, tryptamine, etc., the "feel good" chemistry of the
brain? Is there a connection between the use and contamination of the
environment with roundup and depression? Or is it all just coincidence?
 
Since Monsanto is so proud of their product that they brag about how it
works on their web page maybe they ought to fund a little more research
into the subject. If they kicked in a penny for every $10 they've made
from roundup, their most profitable chemical ever, that might seem a
fair levy to ask them to put in the pot, but since they have not
conducted this research so far they really must let someone else do the
research. Their favorite trick is to let one of their employees quit and
go to work for the EPA or the FDA to conduct research about the safety
of their products--and once these are certified as safe the scientist
gives up his government job and goes back to work for Monsanto. So maybe
a private research laboratory or a univeristy that gets no funding from
Monsanto would have to be found.
 
If you asked me whether roundup was as safe as Monsanto claims I'd have
to say there's very little chance of it. But wouldn't you say the public
has a right to KNOW?
 
Sincerely,
Hugh Lovel
http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/permaculture/2005-May/021938.html