A National Coalition of Unstoppable Moms
Empowered Moms, Healthy Kids
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Date
Governor’s Address
To The Honorable Governor _____
Moms Across America supporters and thousands of people in the state of _____ urge you to sign an executive order to ban the use of all glyphosate based herbicides and toxic, neurotoxic, carcinogenic, endocrine disrupting chemicals in the state of _________ in public spaces and farming. We realize this may seem unrealistic, but the reality is that our state can not afford the economic and health impact of continuing to poison our people.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children are especially vulnerable to the exposure of pesticides and herbicides. These harmful chemicals are being found in our tap water, children’s urine, breast milk, rain, and used in our parks at level thousands of times higher than has been shown to cause harm. Each year hundreds of millions of pounds of these chemicals are used on our food crops, in parks and playgrounds, on streets and sidewalks and around water reservoirs. 1 out of 2 of American children currently have a chronic illness and this includes the children in _________.
Recently, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment listed glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide in the world, on California’s Proposition 65 carcinogen list. This action followed the March 2015 finding by The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), with input from four research panels, that glyphosate “is probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A).” In October of 2017 72% of the Members of European Parliament voted to ban glyphosate herbicides and the EU member states have refused to renew the glyphosate license.
The following are excerpts from several peer-reviewed reports containing compelling evidence to demonstrate that increasing harmful effects are resulting from ever-expanding use of glyphosate (Roundup), including severe damage to human and animal health (i.e. autoimmune disease, Type I Diabetes, infertility/miscarriage etc.); loss of environmental integrity; deteriorating soil quality and contamination of air and water.(1) In 2014, the US Geological Survey found the following (see web link below):
*Glyphosate was detected in 59% of US surface waters (470 sites sampled
*Glyphosate was detected in more than 50% of US soil and sediment samples, and
water samples from ditches and drains, precipitation, and large rivers and streams.
*Data from nine surface-water sites sampled repeatedly indicated that glyphosate
and AMPA detection frequency, median concentrations, and loads are higher
late in the study period (2006-2010) than early (2000-2005).(2)
Sri Lanka and the Six Gulf States -Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman have banned glyphosate. Many others are in the process of doing so. France has banned glyphosate in public parks immediately and will phase out the use of glyphosate herbicides in agriculture and landscaping use over the next 5 years completely. We ask our great state of ____________ to protect our citizens as well.
Recent research published by the European Parliament warns of the very high costs of current levels of exposure to pesticides – especially to children and pregnant women. (3) As our Governor, I am sure you will agree that our children and pregnant women are equally as important as Europeans and we ask you to protect our people as well.
On June 4, 2017, Environmental Health News reported a new analysis of previously confidential information regarding glyphosate, as requested by the European Parliament, and found eight significant increases in tumor incidence in animals exposed to glyphosate not previously reported.(4) In lawsuits against Monsanto, by Baum, Hedlund, Arestei and Goldman it has been revealed that harm from glyphosate has been covered up and EPA staff worked with Monsanto to keep the information from the public.
In November 2016 Food Democracy Now! and The Detox Project announced findings of alarming levels of glyphosate contamination found in popular American foods in a detailed report. (5) The Detox Project enables NGOs such as Food Democracy Now!, the Organic Consumers Association and numerous other groups and companies to test food products for glyphosate and AMPA residues using validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methods at a third-party FDA registered laboratory in San Francisco (CA) – Anresco Laboratories. (6)
Glyphosate has been shown to cause human breast cancer cells to proliferate in vitro when they are exposed to levels of 1 part per trillion (ppt). (7) Lab testing results indicated that low and environmentally relevant concentrations of glyphosate possessed estrogenic activity.
In addition, a January 2017 study by Robin Mesange, Michael Antoniou et al. proved that ultra-low doses of Roundup caused liver damage and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.(8) According to the Liver Foundation, 1 out of 10 Americans currently has liver disease, many of them are children as young as eight years old. (9)
The benefit to the landscaper and farmers do not outweigh the cost to our society. Every child that has his/her potential damaged by health issues from toxic exposure means increased health care costs to our state in terms of lack of productivity, and higher costs to our educational healthcare systems. Health care costs are crippling our nation and could very well cripple our state’s economy. We urge you to reduce health care costs and chronic illness by taking a bold step to protect our children by banning the use of glyphosate herbicides and all toxic, neurotoxic, carcinogenic and endocrine disrupting chemicals in ______. There are safe alternatives that are being used by thousands of farmers that protect farmworkers, our soil and water supply, pregnant mothers, babies and our families.
Thank you for considering this critical information and taking steps to protect the citizens of ___________. We ask to meet with your staff the week of Nov 27-30 to discuss the alternatives.
In keeping with the Precautionary Principle and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, consumer groups Moms Across America, Organic Consumers Association, Institute for Responsible Technology, and Thinking Moms Revolution believes that the time has come for_________ to step up and lead the way, as a shining example to the peoples and governments of our planet, that we firmly stand for our basic human right to food and water free of poison.
Best regards,
Your name ( Please print, sign by hand, and mail)
Moms Across America is a 501c3 nonprofit. 24000 Alicia Parkway #17-236 Mission Viejo, CA 92691
References
(1) PAN- Pesticide Action Network Glyphosate Fact Sheet Special Report https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/yesmaam/pages/680/attachments/original/1467028803/pesticides-factsheet-specialrelease-glyphosate.pdf?1467028803
(2)US Geological Survey, https://toxics.usgs.gov/highlights/2014-04-23-glyphosate_2014.html
(3)“Organic Foods Backed by Landmark Report – Warning Pesticides far more dangerous Than Was Thought,” The Telegraph, Donnelly, Laura, Health Editor, June 2, 2017, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/02/organic-foods-baclked-landmark-report-warning-pesticides-far/
(4)Myers, Pete, Environmental Health News, “Incovenient data Buried as Confidential Business Information.” http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2017/june/Glyphosate-Science-Monsanto
(5)Alarming Levels Of Glyphosate Contamination Found In Popular American foods,” Food Democracy Now! http://www.fooddemocracynow.org/blog/2016/nov/14
(6)http://anresco.com/
(7)“Glyphosate Induces human breast cancer cells growth via estrogen receptors,” Food and Chemical Toxicology 59 (June 2013 ) pp 129-136. El Sevier, Siriporn Thongprakaisang, et al, http://surgicalneurologyint.com/surgicalint-articles/glyphosate-pathways-to-modern-diseases-iii-manganese-neurological-diseases-and-associated-pathologies/
(8)Multiomics reveal non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rats following chronic exposure to an ultra-low dose of Roundup herbicide, https://www.nature.com/articles/srep39328
(9)American Liver Foundation, http://www.liverfoundation.org/education/liverlowdown/ll1013/bigpicture/
Note: this letter was updated. Malta, Argentina, and The Netherlands have not officially banned glyphosate yet, it is in progress.
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