I do not apologise for another article on the importance of banning the carcinogenic glyphosate, the active ingredient of weedkiller Roundup.
Since then much water has flowed under the bridge. Monsanto, the makers of Roundup, has sold to the huge European agrichemical company, Bayer, for $63 billion.
Court cases in California have found glyphosate responsible for cancer deaths and awarded millions of dollars against Monsanto. Whitewash exposed a number of Monsanto’s secret collaborations with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA accepted Monsanto’s written reports saying glyphosate was safe, and circulated those reports including to the New Zealand EPA.
It was that information, highly tainted, that allowed our EPA to continue to approve the use of glyphosate products in New Zealand.
Carey Gillam is writing an updated book on glyphosate. She has been deeply concerned that Monsanto has been targeting her, trying to destroy her reputation. Gillam has a long career in journalism behind her, including many years as a correspondent for Reuters International.
Bayer started a cyber defamation campaign against her, creating false accounts on social media, challenging her methods and motivation, and even paying Google to divert search results to blogs created to attack her, rather than the ones that talked about her research.
She was asked why Bayer had bought Monsanto. Surely they knew it faced multiple legal suits.
Monsanto had a lot of value. It has very rich seed and genetically modified products. Monsanto has been a dominant player in the agricultural sector. Bayer wanted a piece of that, but it probably failed to do proper due diligence before the purchase, or thought it could ride it out.
Now Bayer’s share price has plummeted, and there have been calls for its CEO to resign. If glyphosate is banned, the genetically altered seeds tied to glyphosate tolerance become less valuable, which will be a big problem for Bayer.
Carey Gillam’s research goes on. Like Ponsonby News, she will not give up, although she admits to some personal fear as she works alone from her home office in America.
I spoke to our EPA’s Acting Chief Scientist, Dr Clark Ehlers, who explained the procedure for reassessing a chemical where grounds exist that it is hazardous.
Any person can apply to the EPA for a reassessment citing new relevant information about the effects of the chemical.
I pointed out to Dr Ehlers that new court cases in California, which had uncovered deceptive actions by Monsanto, and Monsanto’s subsequent convictions, clearly show that our EPA would be foolish, in fact negligent, in continuing to follow the American EPA’s questionable behaviour.
Much of the evidence presented during those court cases presented new information about Monsanto’s false research and blatant hiding of damning evidence about glyphosate’s carcinogenic characteristics.
Our EPA should beware of New Zealanders suing it while this information is now in the public domain, and we, and our children, continue to be exposed to a known carcinogen.
History shows us how long powerful companies can protect their profits despite damning evidence against their products – DDT, 2,4,5,T, 2,4,D.
Glyphosate must be banned – NOW. (JOHN ELLIOTT)
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