Pediatricians Cut Monsanto’s Cord
Proof positive that one woman can change the world: Mamavation and Shiftcon founder Leah Segedie recently helped the American Academy of Pediatrics to cut sponsorship ties with Monsanto, which manufactures the carcinogenic pesticide glyphosate and is facing multiple lawsuits from farm workers as its stock prices plummet.
Workers Sue Monsanto; Stock Tumbles
Timing is everything. On September 29th, the Environmental Protection Agency updated the Agricultural Worker Protection Standard with far more rigorous pesticide protection standards. The following day, lawsuits against pesticide manufacturer Monsanto were filed in California and New York by workers who claim their cancers were caused by exposure to pesticides. Coincidink? I don’t think so.
France Bans Glyphosate aka RoundUp
It’s great to see a country take action on toxic chemicals–even if it’s not our own. After the United Nations called it a “probable human carcinogen,” France banned the sale of glyphosate–aka Roundup–at garden centers nationwide. The most widely sprayed herbicide on the planet, glyphosate is used in tandem with genetically modified “Roundup Ready” crops like corn and soybeans. According to Newsweek, as of 2012 Roundup was also the herbicide of choice for New York City parks. But the tide may be turning in America, too.
Boycott @McDonalds #Toxic Taters
I’m so not loving McDonald’s. Haven’t loved it for a long time–it’s been at least a decade since I drove through the golden arches. But that doesn’t stop the company from trying to sell McDonald’s toxic potatoes to my kids–after pledging to reduce pesticide use.
How to Get Glyphosate Off Your Plate
The most widely used herbicide in the world made headlines recently when the World Health Organization deemed it a “probable carcinogen.” Manufactured by Monsanto and marketed as Round-Up, the use of glyphosate has increased in tandem with genetically modified crops such as soybeans and corn, which can tolerate heavy sprayings of the chemical. The classification came after a WHO meeting of 17 experts representing 11 countries, according to the Wall St. Journal, which also cited a Monsanto spokesperson who said that the chemical is safe. But is it?
1 Simple Trick 2 Completely Eliminate Pesticides
Swedish researchers recently showed a simple and easy way to completely eliminate pesticides from your body, working with a family of five. In a matter of days, the family went from showing high levels of pesticides like 1,2,3-Trichloropropane–better known as TCP and classified as a “likely human carcinogen,” by the EPA–to registering no levels at all. How did they do it? The video tells all.
Saving Bees, @Lowes Nixes Neonic #Pesticides
Lowe’s definitely has good timing. Earlier this month, the chain of home improvement stores announced that it would spend the next four years phasing out products that contain bee-killing neonicotinoids–aka “neonic”–pesticides. The move comes on the heels of a two-year campaign by Friends of the Earth to force the retailer to move away from these toxic pesticides, which kill birds as well as bees and have been linked to colony collapse disorder.
I’m Not the Eco Police
Ever since I started writing as Mommy Greenest, I’ve noticed people avoiding me. Not my close friends, obviously. But the casual friendships—those afternoon coffee invitations that turn into weekend playdates with wine? I’m getting less and less of them. I’ve heard, “Oh, don’t let Rachel see that,” as a plastic water bottle is shoved into a purse, and “She had fries—don’t kill me!” as my daughter is returned home from a playdate. They think I’m the eco police.
