Chemical industry

  • Erkin Oksak14 June 2017
    0 1,416

    (VIDEO) Monsanto lobbyist claims Roundup is safe to drink

    Former Greenpeace campaigner Patrick Moore has, in recent years, constantly criticized the environmental movement. He’s even purported that there’s no scientific proof that human beings are contributing to climate change by burning fossil fuels.

    Recently he claimed that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup, wasn’t linked to cancer cases in Argentina. It has also become a hot issue in Europe. “You can drink a whole quart of it and it won’t hurt you,” Moore declared on French TV.

    The interviewer then turned the tables by telling Moore that he had glyphosate in the studio. “Would you like to drink it?” he asked. Moore replied that he would be happy to do this before changing his mind and declining the offer. “I know it won’t hurt me,” Moore quickly added. The interviewer reiterated that he had some glyphosate. “I’m not stupid,” Moore said in an irritated tone.

    When the interviewer persisted, Moore replied, “I’m not an idiot. Interview me about golden rice. That’s what I’m talking about.” As Moore walked out of the studio, he could be heard saying, “You’re a complete jerk.”

  • Erkin Oksak14 June 2017
    0 1,132

    E-cigarettes can still cause lung disease

    E-cigarettes may be a healthier option than real cigarettes, but they still contain toxic chemicals that could harm the lungs and immune system, a new study has found.

    The vapour from the e-cigarettes leaves traces of ‘free radical’ toxins that are found in cigarette smoke, and it makes the smoker more susceptible to respiratory infections. [highlight]Although e-cigarettes don’t contain tobacco, they do, nonetheless, have nicotine, and so they are almost as addictive[/highlight]. Admittedly, these findings have been based on tests on laboratory mice, and there isn’t enough data from human studies to make any definitive statements, say researchers from Johns Hopkins University.

    Nonetheless, the researchers fear that e-cigarettes may cause inflammation and protein damage to the lungs, and any bacterial or viral infection could be more serious. In the case of the mice, they were unable to fight off the infection, some lost weight and some died.

    Source: PLOS One, 2015; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0116861

  • Erkin Oksak1 June 2017
    0 3,772

    European Union agrees dental amalgam ban

    European civil society has endorsed this week’s provisional agreement by the three EU institutions (European Parliament, European Commission and the Council of the European Union) to ban dental amalgam fillings for children under 15 and for pregnant and breastfeeding women as of 1 July 2018.

    The text, which must now be approved by both Parliament and Council, also requires each Member State to set a national plan by 1 July 2019 on how it will reduce amalgam use. The Commission will report by mid-2020 on the feasibility of phasing out dental amalgam preferably by 2030 to be accompanied by a legislative proposal, if appropriate. The action is part of a broader package to ratify and implement the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

    Charlie Brown, President of the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry said:
    “The children of Europe have won. The next generation in Europe will be safe from mercury dental fillings.”

    U.K. dentist Graeme Munro-Hall, chair of the Transition and Training task force of the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry, said:
    “Amalgam is a primitive polluting device. It is technically inferior to today’s modern alternatives. Dentistry’s amalgam era is over, a fact embraced enthusiastically by thousands of European dentists and accepted by the others.”

    Highly toxic
    Mercury and its compounds are [highlight]highly toxic to humans, especially to pregnant women and the developing nervous system[/highlight]. Amalgam consists of 50% mercury, which under certain conditions can transform to neurotoxic methylmercury.

    Source: Health & Environment Alliance

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