It’s been nearly nine years since we published the article below and the water surrounding glyphosate use in Canada is still murky. Roundup is currently being used in an official capacity in certain situations by government agencies such as by the Ministry of the Environment to fight the invasive species Phragmites. Let’s review the earlier article:

Top Scientists Warnings

Dear friends across Canada, top scientists warn the most commonly used herbicide in the world probably causes cancer. Monsanto is demanding the World Health Organization retract their ground-breaking report. And experts say the only way to ensure the science is not silenced is if the public demands action, now. The regulatory system is renowned for being secretive and captured by the agro-chemical industry. But we have a unique moment right now — Canada is officially reassessing glyphosate, with similar processes underway in the US, Europe, and Brazil. And the Netherlands, Sri Lanka, and El Salvador are all looking at a ban. [However, it must be noted that as of today’s posting, Canada Health’s Food Safety Inspection statement is that glyphosate formulations ARE safe CP]The threat is clear — this poison is used on our food, our fields, our playgrounds, and our streets. Let’s get it suspended.

Join the urgent call and tell everyone

Monsanto is up in arms. Glyphosate brings in $6+ billion per year. It is the basis of RoundUp, the chemical cornerstone of Monsanto’s Genetically Modified empire. The company says the WHO report ignored studies showing glyphosate is safe. But these scientists are 17 of the world’s top oncology experts, not a bunch of crazies. They comprehensively reviewed independent studies, excluding those done by companies seeking product approval. Regulators rely mainly on tests done by the companies trying to sell the poisons!

Secret Information Makes Reporting Murky

Key results are kept from the public because they contain ‘commercially confidential information’, and 58% of the scientific panels in the EU Food and Safety Agency are linked to the sector. It’s nuts, but that is the system we have. And that’s why it’s going to take all of us to make sure this crucial independent report isn’t ignored. Some countries have already put bans on glyphosate. Now with the EU, the US, Canada, and Brazil all reviewing it, we have an incredible chance to turn the tide worldwide.

Sixty years ago Monsanto’s pesticide DDT was everywhere until the seminal book Silent Spring showed it could cause cancer — a decade later it was banned. If this could cause cancer, let’s not let it be sold for ten more years. Let’s demand emergency precautionary action now.

Join now and spread the word: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/monsanto_dont_silence_science_loc_cn/?bsOTIab&v=57275

We’ve done it before — helped win a moratorium on bee-killing neonicotinoids in the EU and stop a Monsanto mega seed factory in Argentina. Now let’s protect our health and make sure we aren’t being used as lab rats. This could be a breakthrough moment in the fight for the safe, sustainable agriculture our world needs. With hope, Bert, Marigona, Antonia, Oliver, Alice, Emily, Danny, Nataliya, Ricken and the whole Avaaz team.

More information: New study points to link between weedkiller glyphosate and cancer (FT) http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8b79a572-cf14-11e4-893d-00144feab7de.html#axzz3XOmCcv9c

Supplemental

Weed Killer, Long Cleared, is Doubted (New York Times) http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/28/business/energy-environment/decades-after-monsantos-roundup-gets-an-all-clear-a-cancer-agency-raises-concerns.html

The Real Reason to Worry About GMOs (Mother Jones) http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2015/03/bittman-right-its-not-gmos-its-how-theyre-used

When designing the Great Seal of the United States, the Founding Fathers wanted a symbol to convey the strength and independence of the new nation. So they chose the bald eagle.

On the seal — used to authenticate treaties and other official documents — the white-crowned eagle clutches an olive branch (representing peace) in one talon and arrows (representing war) in the other. The eagle faces the olive branch, symbolizing America’s preference for peace.

After the adoption of the seal on June 20, 1782, the bald eagle quickly spread through American culture as a symbol of freedom, patriotism and power , says Preston Cook, a collector of eagle memorabilia and author of American Eagle: A Visual History of Our National Emblem.

The majestic bird, with a wingspan of 1.8 to 2.3 meters (6 feet to 7.5 feet), can spot prey 5 kilometers (3 miles) away, making it a match for a country of natural grandeur and vast, wild landscapes.

The bald eagle has become a decorative motif for everything from furniture and textiles to metalwork. U.S. gold coins have been known as eagles since 1795. Eagle-inspired hood ornaments adorned classic American cars of the 1930s through the 1950s. Philadelphia, which served as the first U.S. capital, has adopted the eagle as its professional football team’s mascot.

Military color guard and Eagles mascot running on football field (© Al Bello/Getty Images)

Swoop, the mascot for the Philadelphia Eagles, leads a military color guard on to the field in honor of Veterans Day before a game against the Dallas Cowboys in Philadelphia. (© Al Bello/Getty Images)

The eagle as a symbol of power

Eagles have symbolized power since ancient times, when Roman legions decorated their battle flags with images of the raptors. The Founding Fathers chose the bald eagle to represent their nation because the bird is indigenous to North America, according to Jack E. Davis, author of The Bald Eagle: The Improbable Journey of America’s Bird. But by the 20th century, bald eagles’ numbers in the wild had declined from habitat loss, illegal hunting and the pesticide DDT.

Conservation measures, including the U.S. government’s 1972 DDT ban, increased bald eagle populations. The species was removed from the endangered species list in 2007 and now lives in every U.S. state except Hawaii and in many areas of Canada as well.

The National Eagle Center , located in Wabasha, Minnesota, showcases bald eagles and highlights their connection to American values of freedom and courage. Visitors can meet live birds and, in the summer, take river cruises to spot bald eagles in their natural habitat.

Cook, the collector, donated some 40,000 eagle-related items to the National Eagle Center, including a drum from the U.S. Civil War painted with a bald eagle.

Civil War drum with eagle art (Courtesy of National Eagle Center)

Eagle art on a Civil War drum (Courtesy of National Eagle Center)

After years of researching the bald eagle’s ties to American culture, Cook was surprised to learn the bird had never been officially recognized as a national symbol.

Members of the U.S. Congress from his home state of Minnesota offered legislation he drafted to make the bald eagle the U.S. national bird. In December 2024, Congress unanimously passed the bill and it was signed into law.

Cook continues working with the National Eagle Center and with curator Alex Lien on bald eagle exhibits. The center is planning a new educational exhibit for the United States’ 250th anniversary in 2026.

Eagles, especially bald eagles, “are in every aspect of American culture throughout the past 250 years,” Lien

For the Silo, Lauren Monsen/ShareAmerica. Featured image via State Dept./S. Gemeny Wilkinson.

The Silo

Tag Archives: DDT

Canada Must Still Reassess Glyphosate Roundup Herbicide Links To Cancer