JANUARY 2016 TIP TALKS NEWSLETTER
IN THIS ISSUE
**LIB TALKS: Banning Neonicotinoids – Join us?
“Tru-Green” or “Truly Sick”? What to Think re:
Campbell
Labeling Move? Thoughts About Medical Matters &
“Science”
**GOOD NEWS: Campbell Labels Will Disclose GMOs
**OTHER NEWS: BPA Replacements Aren’t Benign
**ACTIONS: It's Time For Strong Antibiotics Rules From
the FDA,
Tell USDA to Listen to Scientists, Not Suppress
Research
Tell WebMD CEO to Stop Promoting Monsanto.
** RESOURCES: EWG Dietary Guidelines,
CHEJ Resources in Spanish (NOTE: Also see TIP's
own
materials in Spanish at: http://toxicsinfo.org/espanol.htm
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LIB TALKS
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**BANNING NEONICOTINOIDS: Draft legislation has been
generated
for introduction here in Rhode Island this session for
banning or
otherwise regulating the use of neonicotinoid-based
pesticides in
our state. Perhaps some of you might find a legislator
in your neck of
the woods to do likewise? Contact me if interested in
further info
about the bill. (Note: The Audubon Society &
Environment Council
here have made this a priority – perhaps such support is
available
where you live.)
** “TRU-GREEN” OR “TRULY SICK”? Another sad tale came
our way
recently about Chem-Lawn (an accurate brand name).
Naming itself “
Tru-Green” hasn’t changed the facts – it makes both animals
and people
sick. A man in Wisconsin who worked for these chemical-pushers
for
many years is now battling cancer at the age of 43, per a
concerned
relative. Anyone who might know of sources to help him
in this
situation – doctors, lawyers, info-providers – please get in
touch.
(I
came up with a few and passed them along).
**WHAT TO THINK RE: CAMPBELL LABELING MOVE?
I am cautiously pleased at Campbell’s action, though I don’t
fully trust
them on their actual means of carrying out the promise. What
will be
the standards, how enforced, etc. Also, the elephant
in the room is
the BPA/BPS concern – toxic can liners remain a Campbell
problem.
(Note item below) However, even a small step forward
as a recognition
of consumer demand is to be welcomed.
**THOUGHTS ABOUT “SCIENCE” & MEDICAL MATTERS
Today’s TIP TALKS includes some prime examples of the
confusion
& misinformation generated by corporate control of both
private and
governmental research and pronouncements on health-related
matters.
We see weakness in federal agencies (infested by many
corporate
honchos with significant say-so), and a profusion of
“science”
contaminated by corporate money & interests. The
fox is all too often
guarding the henhouse in today’s world. And, clear
“safe” or “not safe”
determinations are very challenging anyway. There are
no “magic
bullets”, and no one person or source has all the
answers. We all
react to various substances in differing ways. Also, we are
exposed to
many, many toxins over many years. This is why
companies like
Monsanto can get away with claiming their products are
“safe” –
not everyone reacts visibly or quickly, and it is hard to
point to only
one product as the “cause” of illness.
This is also true with the American health care system – as
suggested
by the WebMD/Monsanto connection. (Note the dire
warnings about
“side effects” that accompany the drug ads on TV! I do
not give
medical advice, but I do feel moved to give this suggestion
to those
struggling to figure out how to be healthy: Consider
the source
& seek at least to balance your health info by including
independent
research in your decision-making. Be aware of your own
body and
what affects it. And, “common” sense & logic
can also serve you well!
Blessings, Liberty G
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GOOD NEWS
*
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CAMPBELL LABELS WILL DISCLOSE G.M.O. INGREDIENTS
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/08/business/campbell-labels-will-disclose-gmo-ingredients.html?_r=0
New York Times January 8, 2016- Breaking from its
industry rivals,
Campbell Soup will become the first major food company to
begin
disclosing the presence of genetically engineered
ingredients like corn,
soy and sugar beets in its products. The company, the
maker of brands
like Pepperidge Farm, Prego, Plum Organics and V8 in
addition to its
namesake soups, is taking the unusual step -and possibly
risking sales
by alienating consumers averse to genetically modified
organisms -
as big food corporations face increasing pressure to be more
open
about their use of such ingredients. Food companies
have begun
printing labels to comply with a new labeling law in
Vermont, which
has become a battleground over labeling that other states
have been
watching closely. Beginning in July, Vermont will
require disclosure
of genetically engineered ingredients, a measure opposed by
most major food companies, which are seeking to supersede
any
state's legislation with a voluntary federal solution.
Campbell is
also breaking with its peers by calling for federal action
to make
mandatory a uniform labeling system of foods that contain
such
ingredients, commonly known as G.M.O. labeling.
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OTHER NEWS
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BPA ALTERNATIVES AREN'T BENIGN
REPLACEMENTS CAUSE PROBLEMS IN
LAB ANIMALS
Magazine issue: Vol. 188, No. 13,
December 26, 2015, p. 30
www.sciencenews.org/article/year-review-bpa-alternatives-arent-benign
A popular alternative to bisphenol A isn't as benign as
people had
thought, at least not in lab animals. After a growing
body of research
identified hormone-mimicking effects from BPA - a compound
found in
some plastics, dental sealants and cash register receipts -
consumers
began reaching for BPA-free products. But there is now
evidence that
at least one of the chemical substitutes, bisphenol S, can
enter the
body and trigger developmental and physiological
changes. A study
published this year found that BPS can boost heart rates and
lead
to heart-rate variability in rats. Another reported altered
brain
development and behavior in fish (SN:4/4/15, p. 10).
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ACTIONS
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IT'S TIME FOR STRONG ANTIBIOTICS RULES FROM THE FDA
Antibiotic resistance is on the rise and, according to the
FDA's
annual report, so is antibiotics use on livestock and
poultry. This is
unacceptable. We know that the overuse of antibiotics
causes
antibiotic resistance. Yet, even under FDA guidelines,
factory farms
are still allowed to routinely administer antibiotics
to animals that
aren'tsick. Factory farms have become hotbeds of
resistance, and
it's time for the FDA to take serious action. Experts
worldwide warn
that the longer we wait to reign in antibiotics misuse, the
more quickly
we approach the post-antibiotic era, in which our
life-saving medicines
no longer work.
The FDA tried to right this wrong with its Guidance for
Industry #213
in 2013. Two years later, these voluntary actions don't seem
to be
working but are making it clear that as long as producers
are permitted
to use antibiotics for disease prevention in animals that
are not sick,
antibiotics misuse on farms will continue. We need more
substantial
action in order to save antibiotics. Tell the FDA:
it's time to ban the
overuse of antibiotics on factory farms.
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TELL USDA TO LISTEN TO SCIENTISTS,
NOT SUPPRESS THEIR
RESEARCH
Earlier this year, one of the top entomologists at the U.S.
Department
of Agriculture (USDA), Jonathan Lundgren filed a
whistleblower complaint
against the federal agency, citing unprofessional
retaliation following
the publication of a study linking neonicotinoid
insecticides to the
decline of monarch butterflies. Until recently, Dr. Lundgren
worked for
USDA for eleven years with great success, and his cutting
edge
research has drawn national attention and international
recognition.
In April of this year, Dr. Lundgren published a study in The
Science of
Nature that shows that clothianidin, a neonicotinoid seed
treatment,
kills monarch butterfly larvae in the laboratory. On August
3, 2015,
USDA imposed a 14-day suspension against Dr. Lundgren for
submitting the study & for a paperwork error in his
travel authorization
for his invited presentation about his research to a panel
of the
National Academy of Sciences. The suspension was cut
to
14 days from 30 after Dr. Lundgren filed an appeal.
With independent science both in and outside of the U.S.
pointing to
a growing list of impacts from pesticides & genetically
engineered
crops, ranging from the decline of bees to the
carcinogenicity of the
widely used herbicide glyphosate, it is critical that
federal scientific
agencies tasked with protecting human and environmental
health be
able to inform the public without repercussions from an
industry whose
only interest is in protecting profits. Help stop the
suppression of
science within USDA! Sign your support for reforms now!
http://action.beyondpesticides.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=21956
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TELL WEBMD CEO DAVID SCHLANGER
TO STOP PROMOTING
MONSANTO! -
If you’re one of the nearly 12 million people who visit
WebMD.com
every month, you’re getting a healthy dose of Monsanto
propaganda
along with your “health research.” Monsanto is one of
the many
corporate “sponsors” of WebMD. That means Monsanto pays
WebMD
in order to pepper WebMD’s website with advertisements and
advertorials (ads
disguised as legitimate journalism).
TAKE ACTION: Tell WebMD
CEO Schlanger to stop promoting
Monsanto, the
world’s largest poison pusher! – Go to:
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RESOURCES
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RESOURCES IN SPANISH FROM CHEJ
PUBLICATIONS)
CHEJ is proud to expand its repertoire of scientific and
organizing
publications with the addition of new resources in Spanish
from
Women’s Voices for the Earth, a non-profit
organization that
amplifies women’s voices to eliminate the toxic chemicals
that
harm our health and communities. These Spanish-language
resources focus on issues such as such as chemicals in
feminine care and in household cleaning products. They
apply
scientific equipment and testing methods to shed some light
into
the myriad of potentially harmful cleaning and personal care
products
in the market, and offer suggestions for healthier
alternatives.
You can access these new
resources for free at:
CATEGORY: RESOURCES FOR SPANISH SPEAKERS
Peligros en el Hogar (Household Hazards)»
http://chej.org/assistance/publications/140-peligros-en-el-hogar/
El Uso Exagerado de los Desinfectantes
(The Exaggerated Use of Disinfectants)»
http://chej.org/assistance/publications/141-el-uso-exagerado-de-los-desinfectantes/
Chem Fatale (Toxic Feminine Care Products)»
http://chej.org/assistance/publications/142-chem-fatale/
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ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP (EWG)
DIETARY GUIDELINES
A few weeks ago, the federal government released its Dietary
Guidelines for Americans. Its recommendations
for “healthful
eating” fall seriously short: they fail to steer Americans
toward a
healthier diet that’s also better for the environment. What’s
more,
the 2016 edition of the guidelines, like those before it,
has Big Food’s
fingerprints all over it. EWG believes that
Americansneed clear,
unambiguous nutritional guidelines, not a document that
tip-toes
around the hard truth. That’s why they just released
EWG’s first-ever
Dietary Guidelines, drawn from EWG research & databases
on meat,
pesticides in produce, seafood, food additives &
trans-fats – to give
YOU solid nutritional guidance that looks out for your
health, the
health of your family and the planet. Click here to
check them out:
www.ewg.org/research/ewgs-dietary-guidelines?inlist=Y
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CONTACT US WITH YOUR THOUGHTS,
COMMENTS, QUESTIONS!
AND BY THE WAY – WE’RE SMALL, WE’RE ACTIVE, WE
DON’T BOTHER YOU WITH LOTS OF PITCHES FOR MOOLA –
BUT WE REALLY DO NEED
SOME HELP!
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EASY WAYS
TO SUPPORT OUR WORK:
BENEFIT TIP WHILE SURFING OR SHOPPING THE WEB
at: www.goodsearch.com/?charityid=818190
BENEFIT TIP WHILE SHOPPING ON THE WEB AT:
www.igive.com/welcome/warmwelcome.cfm?c=38382&m=0
OR MOST OF ALL, MAKE A DONATION:
Mail a check to TIP at the
address above.
(We are a tax deductible
organization)
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Liberty Goodwin, Director, Toxics Information Project (TIP)
P.O. Box 40572, Providence, RI 02940
Tel. 401-351-9193, E-Mail: liberty@toxicsinfo.org
Website: www.toxicsinfo.org
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