Sunday, December 30, 2012
Thursday, December 27, 2012
US used Agent Orange against environment, humanity in Vietnam
“Not only crop
destruction, but US policies of extensive bombing, defoliation, and
relocation of people from the countryside seem clearly to fall within
the definition of crimes against humanity and war crimes,” wrote the
Stanford Biology Group in a report entitled The Destruction of Indochina.
As part of a deliberate campaign of environmental destruction during
its war against Vietnam, the US sprayed the countryside with herbicides
containing carcinogenic chemicals to destroy tropical forest foliage
and agricultural crops. The objectives of this diabolical program, which
perhaps should be called “death by defoliant,” were threefold: first,
to deprive the Vietnamese resistance fighters of the National Liberation
Front (NLF) of hiding places and cover; second, to starve them into
surrender by wiping out their food supply; and third, to drive rural
peasants to urban areas controlled by the US-backed regime in an attempt
to decimate popular support for the NLF.
Code-named Operation Hades and later Ranch Hand, the aerial application of the defoliant known as Agent Orange, which was manufactured by Dow Chemical and Monsanto, extended from August 1961 until August 1970, before being suspended by Deputy US Secretary of Defense David Packard. Some 49 million liters of the lethal herbicide were sprayed over 12 percent of the land area of Vietnam using average application rates 13 times higher than those recommended by the US Department of Agriculture for domestic weed control.
Agent Orange, so called because of the herbicide’s orange striped container, is a mixture of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), and n-butyl-2,3,4-trichlorophenoxyacetate (2,4,5-T), both of which are likely carcinogens according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is affiliated with the World Health Organization (WHO).
READ MORE: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/12/27/280354/vietnam-war-us-against-humanity/
Group seeks aid for Agent Orange victims in Vietnam
http://africa.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2012-12/27/content_16060260.htm
The Vietnam-USA Society plans to mobilise more humanitarian aid and prioritise the improvement of healthcare and education, poverty reduction and dealing with the consequences of Agent Orange and war mines.
The society's meeting in Hanoi yesterday also affirmed the need to enlarge society membership with businesses and increase its English centres.
Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations chairman Vu Xuan Hong said he appreciated the society's contribution to developing relations between the Vietnamese people and the US.
The society had worked hard to boost cooperation with American partners, particularly organisations of American veterans, to help trace the remains of Vietnamese soldiers.
So far, with 300 documents provided by American partners, the Vietnamese authorities had located the remains of about 1,000 dead soldiers.
The society had also mobilised its sources to help deal with social problems in poor and remote areas in Vietnam.
During the past six years, non-governmental partners of the society had offered sponsorship of about $8 million for humanitarian activities in Vietnam.
A notable partner was the Starkey Hearing Foundation, which offered 4,400 hearing devices for thousands of Vietnamese hearing-impaired children at a cost of US$2.2 million.
At the meeting, former deputy minister of foreign affairs Nguyen Tam Chien was elected chairman for the next five years.
The Vietnam-USA Society plans to mobilise more humanitarian aid and prioritise the improvement of healthcare and education, poverty reduction and dealing with the consequences of Agent Orange and war mines.
The society's meeting in Hanoi yesterday also affirmed the need to enlarge society membership with businesses and increase its English centres.
Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations chairman Vu Xuan Hong said he appreciated the society's contribution to developing relations between the Vietnamese people and the US.
The society had worked hard to boost cooperation with American partners, particularly organisations of American veterans, to help trace the remains of Vietnamese soldiers.
So far, with 300 documents provided by American partners, the Vietnamese authorities had located the remains of about 1,000 dead soldiers.
The society had also mobilised its sources to help deal with social problems in poor and remote areas in Vietnam.
During the past six years, non-governmental partners of the society had offered sponsorship of about $8 million for humanitarian activities in Vietnam.
A notable partner was the Starkey Hearing Foundation, which offered 4,400 hearing devices for thousands of Vietnamese hearing-impaired children at a cost of US$2.2 million.
At the meeting, former deputy minister of foreign affairs Nguyen Tam Chien was elected chairman for the next five years.
Monday, December 24, 2012
Rest easy, sleep well my brothers & sisters,
Know the line has held, your job is done.
Rest easy, sleep well.
Others have taken up where you fell, the line has held.
Peace, peace, and farewell...
Rest easy, sleep well.
Others have taken up where you fell, the line has held.
Peace, peace, and farewell...
Friday, December 21, 2012
National Birth Defect Registry Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSHloVPXRV8&feature=youtu.be
Betty Mekdeci
Executive Director
Birth Defect Research for Children
http://www.birthdefects.org <http://www.birthdefects.org/>
976 Lake Baldwin Lane, Suite 104
Orlando FL 32814
407-895-0802
new donate <https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=510>
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Take Action Now!
Please ask your member of Congress to oppose including Section 733 in H.R. 5973, the FY 2013 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
If you are concerned about the health of your children and your grandchildren, take heed of an attempt to include Section 733 in H.R. 5973 in any omnibus spending bill, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon) warns.
He describes Section 733 as “a dangerous policy rider
intended to weaken the ability of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) and the judicial branch to protect our nation’s agriculture
sector.
If you are concerned about the health of your children and your grandchildren, take heed of an attempt to include Section 733 in H.R. 5973 in any omnibus spending bill, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon) warns.
He describes Section 733 as “a dangerous policy rider intended to weaken the ability of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the judicial branch to protect our nation’s agriculture sector.
“In recent years,” DeFazio notes, federal courts have ruled that several USDA approvals of genetically engineered (GE) crops have “violated the law and required further study of their economic, health and environmental impacts.” Their judgments came down at odds with the manufacturers of GE seed, and that continued planting “may cause harm to the environment and/or farmers.” They ordered interim planting restrictions on future plantings; however, they did allow continued cultivation of those already planted, pending further USDA analysis.
Section 733 is specifically intended to:
If you are concerned about the health of your children and your grandchildren, take heed of an attempt to include Section 733 in H.R. 5973 in any omnibus spending bill, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon) warns.
He describes Section 733 as “a dangerous policy rider intended to weaken the ability of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the judicial branch to protect our nation’s agriculture sector.
“In recent years,” DeFazio notes, federal courts have ruled that several USDA approvals of genetically engineered (GE) crops have “violated the law and required further study of their economic, health and environmental impacts.” Their judgments came down at odds with the manufacturers of GE seed, and that continued planting “may cause harm to the environment and/or farmers.” They ordered interim planting restrictions on future plantings; however, they did allow continued cultivation of those already planted, pending further USDA analysis.
Section 733 is specifically intended to:
- Prohibit federal courts from imposing reasonable restrictions when a GE crop approval is deemed unlawful and potentially hazardous;
- Eliminate the critical roles of our most important environmental laws;
- Remove federal agency discretion over GE crop approvals; and
- Establish a backdoor approval mechanism for unlawfully approved GE crops
Monday, December 17, 2012
Google Launches VetNet Website - New resource hub for transitioning veterans
Google recently launched "VetNet," an online hub to help American
men and women exiting the military. The site offers veterans three
distinct "tracks" to plot and organize their next life moves – from
"basic training," which aids job hunters; to "career connections," which
links users to corporate mentors and other working veterans; to
"entrepreneur," which offers a roadmap to starting a business.
Google partnered with three leading nonprofits in veteran
employment to create the new website: the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's
Hiring Our Heroes program, the Institute for Veterans and Military
Families, and Hire Heroes USA.
To access VetNet, click here.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Barney Miller - 705 - Agent Orange
Barney Miller - Agent Orange episode
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjPtSatym90
Wojo takes a personal interest in a fellow vet whose
crime spree may be related Agent Orange exposure
during the Vietnam War.
Season 7, Episode 5, December 1980
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjPtSatym90
Wojo takes a personal interest in a fellow vet whose
crime spree may be related Agent Orange exposure
during the Vietnam War.
EPA & Consumer Product Safety Commission Collaborate to Research Health Impacts of Nanomaterials
http://us.mg205.mail.yahoo.com/dc/launch?.partner=sbc&.gx=1&.rand=8g3r2cbiv13ku
WASHINGTON, DC—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) are collaborating in a worldwide research effort to assess any potential impacts of nanomaterials on people’s health and the environment. Nanomaterials appear in many household products ranging from clothing to building materials. For example, one ongoing study evaluates the potential human and environmental effects from exposure to copper nanomaterials, an ingredient in wood treatment products used on wood for building decks and fences.
The emerging field of nanotechnology has led to substantial advances in energy, medicine, electronics, and clean technologies. The field relies on using materials at the nanoscale level, these nanomaterials are made up of very small particles, which are about 100,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. Because of the unique properties of these materials, it is important to conduct research to identify methods that will allow manufacturers and other stakeholders to ensure that products containing these materials do not harm people or the environment.
“Nanotechnology and nanomaterials used in the development of these products improve our everyday lives, but it is important that we understand how humans are exposed to nanomaterials and to assess the risks they may pose to people’s health and the environment,” said Dr. Tina Bahadori, national program director for EPA’s Chemical Safety for Sustainability Research. “This innovative research greatly improves what is known about nanomaterials and will inform the future design of more sustainable, effective nanomaterials.”
“These tiny nanomaterials are widely used in products ranging from clothing to sunscreen, but the need for additional research and knowledge on how they affect consumers is great. The CPSC staff is working diligently to meet the challenges involved in regulating this emerging technology and is pleased to be collaborating with staff at EPA to develop test methods and exposure data to adequately address health and safety concerns” said Dr. Treye Thomas, program manager for the CPSC Nanotechnology program.
EPA's collaborative research with CSPC is part of a larger international effort that focuses on:
• Identifying, characterizing and quantifying the origins of nanomaterials
• Studying biological processes affected by nanomaterials that could influence risk
• Determining how nanomaterials interact with complex systems in the human body and the environment
• Involving industry to develop sustainable manufacturing processes
• Sharing knowledge through innovative online applications that allow for rapid feedback and accelerated research progress
CPSC, in working with other federal agencies, ensures that common public health concerns are met and will use research findings to inform:
• Protocol development to assess the potential release of nanomaterials from consumer products
• Credible rules for consumer product testing to evaluate exposure
• Determination of the potential public health impacts of nanomaterial used in consumer products
This research is a part of the U.S. government’s efforts to assess the potential risks of nanomaterials. These efforts are coordinated by the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). NNI is a collaborative project comprised of 25 agencies, including EPA and CPSC.
More information about EPA’s nanomaterials research: http://www.epa.gov/nanoscience/
More information about CPSC’s nanomaterials research: http://www.nano.gov/node/139
More information about the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative: http://www.nano.gov/
WASHINGTON, DC—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) are collaborating in a worldwide research effort to assess any potential impacts of nanomaterials on people’s health and the environment. Nanomaterials appear in many household products ranging from clothing to building materials. For example, one ongoing study evaluates the potential human and environmental effects from exposure to copper nanomaterials, an ingredient in wood treatment products used on wood for building decks and fences.
The emerging field of nanotechnology has led to substantial advances in energy, medicine, electronics, and clean technologies. The field relies on using materials at the nanoscale level, these nanomaterials are made up of very small particles, which are about 100,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. Because of the unique properties of these materials, it is important to conduct research to identify methods that will allow manufacturers and other stakeholders to ensure that products containing these materials do not harm people or the environment.
“Nanotechnology and nanomaterials used in the development of these products improve our everyday lives, but it is important that we understand how humans are exposed to nanomaterials and to assess the risks they may pose to people’s health and the environment,” said Dr. Tina Bahadori, national program director for EPA’s Chemical Safety for Sustainability Research. “This innovative research greatly improves what is known about nanomaterials and will inform the future design of more sustainable, effective nanomaterials.”
“These tiny nanomaterials are widely used in products ranging from clothing to sunscreen, but the need for additional research and knowledge on how they affect consumers is great. The CPSC staff is working diligently to meet the challenges involved in regulating this emerging technology and is pleased to be collaborating with staff at EPA to develop test methods and exposure data to adequately address health and safety concerns” said Dr. Treye Thomas, program manager for the CPSC Nanotechnology program.
EPA's collaborative research with CSPC is part of a larger international effort that focuses on:
• Identifying, characterizing and quantifying the origins of nanomaterials
• Studying biological processes affected by nanomaterials that could influence risk
• Determining how nanomaterials interact with complex systems in the human body and the environment
• Involving industry to develop sustainable manufacturing processes
• Sharing knowledge through innovative online applications that allow for rapid feedback and accelerated research progress
CPSC, in working with other federal agencies, ensures that common public health concerns are met and will use research findings to inform:
• Protocol development to assess the potential release of nanomaterials from consumer products
• Credible rules for consumer product testing to evaluate exposure
• Determination of the potential public health impacts of nanomaterial used in consumer products
This research is a part of the U.S. government’s efforts to assess the potential risks of nanomaterials. These efforts are coordinated by the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). NNI is a collaborative project comprised of 25 agencies, including EPA and CPSC.
More information about EPA’s nanomaterials research: http://www.epa.gov/nanoscience/
More information about CPSC’s nanomaterials research: http://www.nano.gov/node/139
More information about the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative: http://www.nano.gov/
Monday, December 10, 2012
Frederick family sues U.S. over scientist's mysterious death
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-scientist-death-lawsuit-20121128,0,3664418.story
The sons of a Cold War scientist who plunged to his death in 1953 several days after unwittingly taking LSD in a CIA mind-control experiment sued the government Wednesday. They claimed the CIA murdered their father, Frank Olson, by pushing him from a 13th-story window of a hotel — not, as the CIA says, that he jumped to his death.
Sons Eric and Nils Olson of Frederick sought unspecified compensatory damages in the lawsuit filed in federal court, but their lawyer, Scott D. Gilbert, said they also want to see a broad range of documents related to Olson's death and other matters that they say the CIA has withheld from them since the death.
Olson was a bioweapons expert at Fort Detrick, the Army's
biological weapons research center in Maryland. Their lawsuit claims
the CIA killed Olson when he developed misgivings after witnessing
extreme interrogations in which they allege the CIA committed murder
using biological agents Olson had developed.
The CIA had a program in the 1950s and 1960s called MK-ULTRA, which involved brainwashing and administering experimental drugs like LSD to unsuspecting individuals. The project was investigated by Congress in the 1970s.
Olson consumed a drink laced with LSD by CIA agents on Nov. 19, 1953, the suit says. Later that month, after being taken to New York City, purportedly for a "psychiatric" consultation, Olson plunged to his death.
At the time — when Eric and Nils Olson were 9 and 5 years old, respectively — the CIA said he died in an accident and did not divulge to his family that Olsen had been given LSD.
READ MORE: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-scientist-death-lawsuit-20121128,0,3664418.story
The sons of a Cold War scientist who plunged to his death in 1953 several days after unwittingly taking LSD in a CIA mind-control experiment sued the government Wednesday. They claimed the CIA murdered their father, Frank Olson, by pushing him from a 13th-story window of a hotel — not, as the CIA says, that he jumped to his death.
Sons Eric and Nils Olson of Frederick sought unspecified compensatory damages in the lawsuit filed in federal court, but their lawyer, Scott D. Gilbert, said they also want to see a broad range of documents related to Olson's death and other matters that they say the CIA has withheld from them since the death.
The CIA had a program in the 1950s and 1960s called MK-ULTRA, which involved brainwashing and administering experimental drugs like LSD to unsuspecting individuals. The project was investigated by Congress in the 1970s.
Olson consumed a drink laced with LSD by CIA agents on Nov. 19, 1953, the suit says. Later that month, after being taken to New York City, purportedly for a "psychiatric" consultation, Olson plunged to his death.
At the time — when Eric and Nils Olson were 9 and 5 years old, respectively — the CIA said he died in an accident and did not divulge to his family that Olsen had been given LSD.
READ MORE: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-scientist-death-lawsuit-20121128,0,3664418.story
Vietnamese still fighting for recognition of Agent Orange impact
HUE, VIETNAM—The walls of the Hope Centre, a small garment factory founded in 1999, are covered in peeling paint. The bedrooms where the workers live are basic: a handful of simple metal bed frames and a few personal possessions. The donated sewing machines are outdated.
“We get very little financial support and it is hard for us to get contracts and compete against other businesses that employ able-bodied workers,” explains Nguyen Thi Hong.
The 54-year-old founder of the centre employs disabled young people. They are, she believes, victims of the Agent Orange dumped on Vietnam’s jungles 40 years ago.
The problem is proving it.
Medical reports have found “compelling evidence” linking a rise in birth defects and miscarriages in Iraqi cities to toxic waste left over from years of fighting. But in this central Vietnamese city the cause-and-effect of modern disabilities and Vietnam War chemicals is not so clear. Or it is not accepted as clear.
Part of the issue is whether the American government and chemical manufacturers owe support and restitution to those suffering from bad health and deformities that appear to be linked to Agent Orange.
READ MORE: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1299264--vietnamese-still-fighting-for-recognition-of-agent-orange-impact
Friday, December 7, 2012
Agent Orange: Alphabetized Ships Listed
http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/shiplist/list.asp
If your vessel is not included in the Mobile Riverine Force, ISF Division 93 or listed designations (see "Find Your Ship"), check the alphabetized list of ships below.
To search for your ship, look under the first letter of the formal ship name. For example, if your ship's name is Dennis J. Buckley, look under the letter "D" for Dennis.
Ships will be regularly added to the list based on information confirmed in official records of ship operations. Currently there are 244 ships on this list.
Ship not on the list and you think it should be?
Questions about your eligibility for disability compensation? Contact your nearest VA benefits office.
Last updated: November 2012
US Navy & Coast Guard Ships in Vietnam: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/shiplist/index.asp#find
GO TO: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/shiplist/list.asp
If your vessel is not included in the Mobile Riverine Force, ISF Division 93 or listed designations (see "Find Your Ship"), check the alphabetized list of ships below.
To search for your ship, look under the first letter of the formal ship name. For example, if your ship's name is Dennis J. Buckley, look under the letter "D" for Dennis.
Ships will be regularly added to the list based on information confirmed in official records of ship operations. Currently there are 244 ships on this list.
Ship not on the list and you think it should be?
Questions about your eligibility for disability compensation? Contact your nearest VA benefits office.
Last updated: November 2012
US Navy & Coast Guard Ships in Vietnam: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/shiplist/index.asp#find
GO TO: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/shiplist/list.asp
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Birth Defects Found in Vietnam Veterans’ Children
We have reached 2417 petition
signers for the Children’s Center, but our goal is 25,000 so we bring
the petition to the attention of the government petitions site.
Thanks,
Betty Mekdeci
Executive Director
Birth Defect Research for Children
976 Lake Baldwin Lane, Suite 104
Orlando FL 32814
407-895-0802 http://www.veteranstoday.com/2012/12/04/birth-defects-found-in-vietnam-veterans-childrens/ There’s mounting scientific evidence that birth defects are associated with dioxin-contaminated herbicide exposure in Vietnam. Over 2.8 million Americans served in Vietnam. Americans, allied troops and Vietnamese are dying today of cancers and non-cancerous heath effects of exposure to dioxin, a toxic byproduct contaminant of Agent Orange and the other rainbow herbicides. There’s growing scientific evidence that the children of Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange and other rainbow herbicides suffer from birth defects, developmental disabilities, cancers and other serious diseases linked to the parents’ toxic exposures.
READ MORE: http://www.veteranstoday.com/2012/12/04/birth-defects-found-in-vietnam-veterans-childrens/
'Were we marines used as guinea pigs on Okinawa?'
Growing evidence suggests that the U.S. military tested biochemical agents on its own forces on the island in the 1960s
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fl20121204zg.html
Newly discovered documents reveal that 50 years
ago this week, the Pentagon dispatched a chemical weapons platoon to
Okinawa under the auspices of its infamous Project 112. Described by the
U.S. Department of Defense as "biological and chemical warfare
vulnerability tests," the highly classified program subjected thousands
of unwitting American service members around the globe to substances
including sarin and VX nerve gases between 1962 and 1974.
According to papers obtained from the U.S. Army
Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, the 267th
Chemical Platoon was activated on Okinawa on Dec. 1, 1962, with "the
mission of operation of Site 2, DOD (Department of Defense) Project
112." Before coming to Okinawa, the 36-member platoon had received
training at Denver's Rocky Mountain Arsenal, one of the key U.S.
chemical and biological weapons (CBW) facilities. Upon its arrival on
the island, the platoon was billeted just north of Okinawa City at
Chibana — the site of a poison gas leak seven years later. Between
December 1962 and August 1965, the 267th platoon received three
classified shipments — codenamed YBA, YBB and YBF — believed to include
sarin and mustard gas.
For decades, the Pentagon denied the
existence of Project 112. Only in 2000 did the department finally admit
to having exposed its own service members to CBW tests, which it claimed
were designed to enable the U.S. to better plan for potential attacks
on its troops. In response to mounting evidence of serious health
problems among a number of veterans subjected to these experiments,
Congress forced the Pentagon in 2003 to create a list of service members
exposed during Project 112. While the Department of Defense
acknowledges it conducted the tests in Hawaii, Panama and aboard ships
in the Pacific Ocean, this is the first time that Okinawa — then under
U.S. jurisdiction — has been implicated in the project.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Monsanto's Aspartate (and Glutamate) Cause Damage
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/06/aspartame-most-dangerous-substance-added-to-food.aspx
Aspartate and glutamate act as neurotransmitters in the brain by facilitating the transmission of information from neuron to neuron. Too much aspartate or glutamate in the brain kills certain neurons by allowing the influx of too much calcium into the cells. This influx triggers excessive amounts of free radicals, which kill the cells. The neural cell damage that can be caused by excessive aspartate and glutamate is why they are referred to as "excitotoxins." They "excite" or stimulate the neural cells to death.
Aspartic acid is an amino acid. Taken in its free form (unbound to proteins) it significantly raises the blood plasma level of aspartate and glutamate. The excess aspartate and glutamate in the blood plasma shortly after ingesting aspartame or products with free glutamic acid (glutamate precursor) leads to a high level of those neurotransmitters in certain areas of the brain.
The blood brain barrier (BBB), which normally protects the brain from excess glutamate and aspartate as well as toxins, 1) is not fully developed during childhood, 2) does not fully protect all areas of the brain, 3) is damaged by numerous chronic and acute conditions, and 4) allows seepage of excess glutamate and aspartate into the brain even when intact.
The excess glutamate and aspartate slowly begin to destroy neurons. The large majority (75 percent or more) of neural cells in a particular area of the brain are killed before any clinical symptoms of a chronic illness are noticed. A few of the many chronic illnesses that have been shown to be contributed to by long-term exposure to excitatory amino acid damage include:
READ MORE:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/06/aspartame-most-dangerous-substance-added-to-food.aspx
Aspartate and glutamate act as neurotransmitters in the brain by facilitating the transmission of information from neuron to neuron. Too much aspartate or glutamate in the brain kills certain neurons by allowing the influx of too much calcium into the cells. This influx triggers excessive amounts of free radicals, which kill the cells. The neural cell damage that can be caused by excessive aspartate and glutamate is why they are referred to as "excitotoxins." They "excite" or stimulate the neural cells to death.
Aspartic acid is an amino acid. Taken in its free form (unbound to proteins) it significantly raises the blood plasma level of aspartate and glutamate. The excess aspartate and glutamate in the blood plasma shortly after ingesting aspartame or products with free glutamic acid (glutamate precursor) leads to a high level of those neurotransmitters in certain areas of the brain.
The blood brain barrier (BBB), which normally protects the brain from excess glutamate and aspartate as well as toxins, 1) is not fully developed during childhood, 2) does not fully protect all areas of the brain, 3) is damaged by numerous chronic and acute conditions, and 4) allows seepage of excess glutamate and aspartate into the brain even when intact.
The excess glutamate and aspartate slowly begin to destroy neurons. The large majority (75 percent or more) of neural cells in a particular area of the brain are killed before any clinical symptoms of a chronic illness are noticed. A few of the many chronic illnesses that have been shown to be contributed to by long-term exposure to excitatory amino acid damage include:
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http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/06/aspartame-most-dangerous-substance-added-to-food.aspx
DuPont Sends in Former Cops to Enforce Seed Patents
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-28/dupont-sends-in-former-cops-to-enforce-seed-patents-commodities.html
DuPont Co. (DD), the world’s second- biggest seed company, is sending dozens of former police officers across North America to prevent a practice generations of farmers once took for granted.
The provider of the best-selling genetically modified soybean seed is looking for evidence of farmers illegally saving them from harvests for replanting next season, which is not allowed under sales contracts. The Wilmington, Delaware-based company is inspecting Canadian fields and will begin in the U.S. next year, said Randy Schlatter, a DuPont senior manager.
DuPont is protecting its sales of Roundup Ready soybeans, so called because they tolerate being sprayed by Monsanto Co. (MON)’s Roundup herbicide.
For years enforcement was done by Monsanto, which created Roundup Ready and dominates the $13.3 billion biotech seed industry, though it’s moving on to a new line of seeds now that patents are expiring. That leaves DuPont to play the bad guy, enforcing alternative patents so cheaper “illegal beans” don’t get planted.
READ MORE: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-28/dupont-sends-in-former-cops-to-enforce-seed-patents-commodities.html
DuPont Co. (DD), the world’s second- biggest seed company, is sending dozens of former police officers across North America to prevent a practice generations of farmers once took for granted.
The provider of the best-selling genetically modified soybean seed is looking for evidence of farmers illegally saving them from harvests for replanting next season, which is not allowed under sales contracts. The Wilmington, Delaware-based company is inspecting Canadian fields and will begin in the U.S. next year, said Randy Schlatter, a DuPont senior manager.
DuPont is protecting its sales of Roundup Ready soybeans, so called because they tolerate being sprayed by Monsanto Co. (MON)’s Roundup herbicide.
For years enforcement was done by Monsanto, which created Roundup Ready and dominates the $13.3 billion biotech seed industry, though it’s moving on to a new line of seeds now that patents are expiring. That leaves DuPont to play the bad guy, enforcing alternative patents so cheaper “illegal beans” don’t get planted.
READ MORE: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-28/dupont-sends-in-former-cops-to-enforce-seed-patents-commodities.html