Is Capitalism Killing Us? And a letter from Greenpeace

 New Zealand is part of the "world-wide assault on the environment.". Three out of four of our freshwater  fish "facing extinction in the face."
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The world-wide assault on the environment and its consequences. "It is very difficult to find the truth, because politicians and regulatory authorities are susceptible to bribes and to doing favors for their business friends. In Brazil, lawmakers are actually trying to deregulate pesticide use and to ban the sale of organic food in supermarkets."

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Ecological economists, such as Herman E. Daly, stress that as the external costs of pollution and resource exhaustion are not included in Gross Domestic Product, we do not know whether an increase in GDP is a gain or a loss.

Paul Craig Roberts,Institute for Political Economy, Ottawa, Canada 
[See also the NZ note at the end.] 









External costs are huge and growing larger. Historically, manufacturing and industrial corporations, corporate farming, city sewer systems, and other culprits have passed the costs of their activities onto the environment and third parties. Recently, there has been a spate of reports with many centering on Monsanto’s Roundup, whose principle ingredient, glyphosate, is believed to be a carcinogen.

A public health organization, the Environmental Working Group, recently reported that its tests found glyphosate in all but 2 of 45 children’s breakfast foods including granola, oats and snack bars made by Quaker, Kellogg and General Mills

In Brazil tests have discovered that 83% of mothers’ breast milk contains glyphosate

The Munich Environmental Institute reported that 14 of the most widely selling German beers contain glyphosate. glyphosate

Glyphosate has been found in Mexican farmers’ urine and in Mexican ground water.

Scientific American has reported that even Roundup’s “inert ingredients can kill human cells, particularly embryonic, placental and umbilical cord cells."

A German toxicologist has accused the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment and the European Food Safety Authority of scientific fraud for accepting a Monsanto-led glyphosate Task Force conclusion that glyphosate is not a  carcinogen

Controversy about these findings comes from the fact that industry-funded scientists report no link between glyphosate and cancer, whereas independent scientists do. This is hardly surprising as an industry-funded scientist has no independence and is unlikely to conclude the opposite of what he is hired to conclude.

There is also controversy about what level of contamination is necessary for products adulterated with glyphosate to be classified as dangerous. It does seem to be the case that the concentrations rise with use and time. Sooner or later the concentration becomes sufficient to do the damage.

For this article, the point is that if glyphosate is carcinogenic, the cost of the lost lives and medical expenses are not borne by Monsanto/Bayer. If these costs were not external to Monsanto, that is, if the corporation had to bear these costs, the cost of the product would not be economical to use. Its advantages would be out-weighed by the costs.

It is very difficult to find the truth, because politicians and regulatory authorities are susceptible to bribes and to doing favors for their business friends. In Brazil, lawmakers are actually trying to deregulate pesticide use and to ban the sale of organic food in supermarkets.

In the case of glyphosate, the tide might be turning against Monsanto/Bayer. The California Supreme Court upheld the state’s authority to add the herbicide glyphosate to its Proposition 65 list of carcinogens.

Last week in San Francisco jurors awarded a former school groundkeeper $289 million in damages for cancer caused by Roundup. Little doubt that Monsanto will appeal and the case will be tied up in court until the groundkeeper is dead. But it is a precedent and indicates that jurors are beginning to distrust hired science. There are approximately 1,000 similar cases  pending.

From this week's NZ Listener:

"From sperm counts to obesity, scientists are only beginning to understand the long-term health effects of many chemicals in everyday use.... just take  one, triclosan. 

"This is an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agent used in more than 2,000 consumer products including some soaps, detergents, toothpaste, mouthwashes and toys. In New Zealand, scientists have called for it to be banned as it can affect hormone function, damage the liver and kidneys and is a suspected carcinogen.. 

"So what about New Zealand? 

"It is not that triclosan isn't on our environmental pro-protection authority's radar, it's just that the regulator has bigger problems. The anti-microbial doesn't even make it on to priority list of 300 chemicals of concern it would like to see banned or restricted. Those are mainly herbicides and pesticides in agriculture .... 

"Government has also asked the Environmental Protection Authority to consider adding glyphosate – used in the weedkiller Roundup – to its list of hazardous substances ...

"Opinion remains divided on the safety of glyphosate. However, the chemical has been classified as a probable human carcinogen by the World Health Organisation and there is evidence it is an  endocrine disruptor. There is also the possibility that other additives in Roundup  may be reacting with the active ingredient, glyphosate, to accelerate  carcinogenic effects..."


A letter from Greenpeace

Hi Crosbie,
The plastics industry are on the attack. They're investing $180 billion around the world over the coming years and set to increase plastic production by 40%! The plastics crisis is going to get worse. Much worse. Unless we take action.

Our oceans cannot take this. Most plastic is never recycled. If the industry produces more, that just means that more will end up in the sea - and in the stomachs of whales, turtles, and humans.

But together, we can stop this. Together, we will not just collect the plastic trash that’s polluting our communities and coasts - but hold the companies accountable that create it. Can you sign up today?

SIGN UP HERE

Here’s how it works. Hundreds of us sign up to either host or take part in a brand audit. Starting in October, we get together, pick up trash, then collect the data on where this plastic comes from. We’ll then know who are the top brands producing New Zealand’s rubbish and start holding them to account. We can make sure corporations have nowhere to hide.

Big companies like Coca-Cola, Nestlé and Unilever love to say that individuals are the problem. It’s our rubbish-throwing that’s to blame. But we’re just buying what they’re selling. They’re the ones who produce and profit from single-use plastics. It’s time for them to clean-up their act.

Sign up for a brand audit today and let’s hold these companies accountable.

We won the ban on plastic bags. We then came together last month and produced an action plan for ending plastic pollution in New Zealand. Now, we need to make it a reality. Imagine what this could look like: hundreds of us meeting up across New Zealand, shining a light on who is behind New Zealand’s plastic mess and together, driving change.

Plastic pollution is no match for people power. So let’s get together and push back on those who are responsible.

Kia kaha ,

Andrew and the whole crew at Greenpeace


And a comment 

CG Kick III is feeling scared.

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Inertia. "A property of matter by which it continues in its existing state of ... motion in a straight line, unless that state is changed by an external force."

THREE (count-em, three) years ago Pope Frank (Francis I) called, in Laudato Si' for action on the environment. The mechanism the Pope recommended (in his Chapter 5) was dialogue. Dialogue amongst people at all levels, from homes and parishes through to local state and national governments. Those dialogues would have built understandings and concensuses and plans for action. But I can find little or no evidence that they have occurred.

"... a review by ... scientists analyzed the plans of nearly 6,000 cities, states and regions, and more than 2,000 companies, worldwide and determined they would not be enough to fulfill the commitments made in Paris. Even [Paris'] ambitious benchmarks were predicted to leave the Earth with 3 degrees of warming by 2100, a level that would trigger calamities, including famines and pandemics, scientists have said." https://www.nbcnews.com/…/california-gov-jerry-brown-launch…

We need to start actions ... yesterday. Each day that we delay, the needed actions will of necessity be more drastic. Quit listening to commercials. You know them all by heart. Start listening to each other—in the kinds of dialogues recommended by Pope Frank.