The views expressed below are the views of Zen Honeycutt, not the entirety of Moms Across America supporters. Please note our motto is "Empowered Moms, Healthy Kids" and this encompasses all areas of knowledge and health.  We wish for all moms and people the freedom to make choices to have their families be healthy.

Excerpt from the book  “Unstoppable Love” by Zen Honeycutt to be released in 2015

Note: The following account and conversations are conveyed to my best recollection without having listened to the recording. Those who have listened to it and read my blog say my account is "very accurate". Please feel free to listen for yourself and help transcribe it. Email me at [email protected] I speak once at 27:00 minutes on the proxy and three other times for Q&A, at 52:00 minutes, 1:14, and 1:27. Here is the link for the recording. 

Scientific studies can be found at www.momsacrossamerica.com/data

This is from the rally before speaking inside the shareholder meeting.

One of the most important interviews I have ever conducted for understanding the root cause of the health crisis in America was with Dr.Matt Buckley on Jan 12, 2015.

GMOs, genetically modified organisms were put in our food, unlabeled in 1996 and are now in 85% of America's food through corn, soy, sugar, cotton seed oil, canola oil, some squash and Hawaiin Papaya. Genetically modified foods are either genetically engineered to BE a pesticide and when the bug eats the crop, it's stomach explodes. BT GMO corn is registered with the EPA as a pesticide. OR GMOs are genetically engineered to WITHSTAND herbicides, so that the crops can be sprayed and all the weeds will die but our food will not. The problem is that the chemicals do not dry off, wash off or cook off as was once believed. We eat them.

The most widely used herbicide in the word is Roundup which contains glyphosate. Glyphosate is now considered a generic chemical and is used in over 1600 products world wide and hundreds of million of pounds are used in the USA. There was a 73% increase of the use of Roundup in 2013 alone. This is attributed to two things, 1) the crops have developed  resistance and farmers are sparaying more chemicals earlier and more often to reduce the weeds. 2) Agriculture journals are recommending farmers spray Roundup ( glyphosate) as a drying agent at harvest, to speed up the harvesting process. They spray non GMO, non organic crops such as wheat, legumes, peas, beans, tea, sugar and more. Glyphosate is also sprayed pre harvest and many crops such as beries and potatoes absorb glyphosate. You can see the complete list of allowable levels of glyphosate on our food and feed crops at EPA List of Allowed Levels of Glyphosate on 160 Food Crops

For more information on glyphosate, which a a patented antibiotic (weakens immune system), chelator (vitamin and mineral deficiency) and endocrine disruptor (infertility, sterility, micarriages and birth defects), go to our Data page.

Watch the interview here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEKj_UxBq8g

 A written synopisis is below.

Around 19:00 Dr. Buckley explains:

Recent studies showed that glyphosate destroys the beneficial gut bacteria and allows the pathogenic bacteria to thrive. Glyphosate in our food and gut equals and increase of bad bacteria, especially clostridium botulinum infections.
The pathogenic bacteria overgrowth...and die off..releases waste products (what makes you feel sick) and the lipopolysaccarides released by pathogenic bacteria is a known agent to break down intestines. When the lining of intestine is broken down this allows the lippopolysaccarides to enter the  blood stream which alarms the immune system.  The immune system then releases interlucken 1B  a Cytocon. When this occurs on periperphary of body, that signal is transmitted through the vegus nerve from the gut to the brain.

This signals the immune cells of the brain, the microglia, to also secrete their own interleukin 1 B and glutamate in the brain and spinal cord. Glutamate is an excitotoxin and destroys neurons. This type of damage in the brain and immune system is being shown to be a major factor in all neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer's, Autism, anxiety, depression, Parkison's, MS; and if it happens in the spinal cord this appears to be a major factor in ALS. Read more in his blog here.

Dr. Buckely recommends an organic Paleolithic diet,which is primarily vegetables,seeds, meat, fish, and small amounts of fruit, while excluding grains, dairy, starchy carbs or sugar, which feed the pathogenic bacteria. He agrees that adding raw organic sauerkraut (good bacteria) will offset the bad bacteria and help heal the gut, provided fungal overgrowth isn't excessive. My family eats 1-2 tablespoons of raw organic sauerkraut every day. Probiotic supplements also restore gut health but I reminded the audience in the video that many probiotic companies buy their probiotics from Dianesco which was bought out by Dupont (Dupont also makes the pesticides/herbicides sprayed on our crops, so they have a perfect profit circle). So make sure to ask before you buy.

By eliminating the toxin/antibiotic glyphosate from the food that goes into the gut (by eating organic) which destroys the good bacteria, adding in fermented vegetables and probiotics (good bacteria) and by starving the bad bacteria of sugar, we can restore our gut bacteria and therefore regain our health.

Doctors and health experts agree that the key to the health and survival of the human race is our gut flora. Without healthy gut flora we are all sure to get sick and likely die much sooner than is necessary. It is also key to our mental wellness...healthy decisions, relationships, and fulfilling on our potential in life and as a country. Moms Across America requests that everyone LOOK TO YOUR FOOD.

Are you eating as organic as possible? Good budgeting can result less expensive, more healthy meals by eating organic at home! (One source of support is a book called " 15 minute Healthy, Organic Meals for Less than $10 a Day")

Are you adding in good bacteria via feremented (cultured) foods with every meal? Raw organic saurkraut, organic yogurt or keifer, organic miso, organic kimchi or keifer water soda are the best sources of probiotics.

Are you diminishing the overgrowth of bad bacteria? Eliminating sugar and carbs upon which bad bacteria thrive restores your gut flora and improves your health.

If everyone takes responsibiliy for their own health and their children's in these ways, we can collectively reduce the impact on our families, communities and nation. We can turn this health crisis around and restore the future of America.

To be a leader for the health of YOUR community host an event with Moms Across America.  Share this information and make a difference for generations to come! Some event ideas are:

1) Host a GMO Movie night or Cultured Food Party and empower your friends and neighbors.

2) Have a table/booth at your local Earth Day Festival in April and reach thousand.

3) Host a Moms Meetup May 2, 2015 and help cause a billion dollar shift to organic.

4) Be a leader for a group to join in 4th of July parades and reach tens of thousands in your town.

See our Events page for more info on all these events.  

Make sure to POST your event on MAA with your address as the host so we can send you free materials if/when we get enough sponsorship support!

Thank you for spreading the word!

Zen Honeycutt

Moms Across America

Six months ago today, June 1, a few days after our meeting with the EPA, I requested per my right as a US citizen, by way of the Freedom of Information Act, to receive copies of all of the documents submitted to the EPA regarding glyphosate. Never in my life did I imagine I would be asking for potentially thousands of pages of scientific studies about a toxic chemical. I loved science when I was in sixth grade, even imagined being one someday. But I did not think I was good at math, all the rote learning without understanding was more condescending than the looks my math teacher gave me, so I dismissed the possibility of being a scientist and headed down a more artistic path as a designer.

I have a creative background, but I could not make up what I am about to share with you.

It is incredible that any scientist or non scientist could look at this information think glyphosate safe.

I received 9 files, ranging from 67-293 pages. Most were the actual studies, two were assessments of other studies. I do not believe I received all of the studies submitted to the EPA, and will be asking for the full set of documents. What I did receive however, in my opinion, is reason enough not to re register glyphosate.

Watch a video version of this blog here and share it with friends. 

The first study I open, is a 96 hour study on oysters..and it concludes that although in 4 days there were no oyster deaths, the majority of the oysters were "closed and not feeding". That is equivalent to a human in a coma! Are you kidding me? This is supposed to prove glyphosate is safe for sea life?
And what happened after 4 days? For how long did the oysters stay "closed and not feeding" and what happened to them then?
I am reading this,  hollering to my husband about oysters and the dear man is putting up with me. He even admits that he is glad I am the kind of person that cares about this because someone has to.

 The next study, a 96 hour study on Mysid shrimp, shows that after 4 days, the "level of  no-morbidity was .51 a.e.mg/L ( 1.71 mg/L MON 2139 mg/L". The level of glyphosate in our corn, husk removed is 3.5 ppm. .51 mg/L and 1.71 mg/L is equal to .51 and 1.71 ppm. And it was the level just above this killed the shrimp after 4 days. 100% of the shrimp died at levels of 3.9ppm.

Granted we are not as small as a shrimp, but the amount of glyphosate must be equivalent and significant in comparison. Consider that 80% of GMOs which make up 90% of our food crops and in 85% of our food are sprayed with glyphosate. In addition, many non-organic crops are also sprayed with glyphosate as a drying agent pre-harvest. Furthermore a burn down application of glyphosate is applied before planting, so the amount of glyphosate we potentially consume from the 160 foods withallowable glyphosate levels is from .2 - 400 ppm. This is very significant.

The average life span of a Mysid shrimp is 365 days. 4 days is 1% of it's life. How is this a study which is scientifically sound for weighing the safety of glyphosate? It's not! it's preposperous!  This test duration is equivalent to a human who lives to 78 years old being exposed to glyphosate for 284 days...less than a year.  The reality is glyphosate has been in our food supply for nearly 20 years....7300 days...already.

White shrimp in comparison to the size of a human fetus (Human fetus is about half the size)

Another 96 hour White shrimp study showed "the no-morbidity after 4 days was 5.2 mg/L ( 17 mg/L of MON 2139)". Higher than that and they died. The levels of glyphosate on dried sugar beet pulp, the main source of sugar in millons of American products, is 25ppm. The average American consumes 156 pounds of sugar per year. How much glyphosate is that? What is it doing to us? A white shrimp is larger than a 6 week old human fetus. What coudl glyphosate be doing to our fetuses? Why has our infertility and miscarriage rate skyrocketed to 30% just like the pigs in Denmark who ate feed sprayed with glyphosate and had their levels of miscarriage jump to 30%?

FISH SHARE 85% of the same DNA as Humans

The 96 hour minnow study showed the level of no-mortality at 2.1 a.e mg to 6.8 mg MON 2139/L. Higher than that and fish died in 4 days.We have 5 ppm allowed on our potatoes and 7 ppm of glyphosate allowed on tea, items that we eat/drink in large quantities. 

The 2 month (dosing period) study of canaries showed mortality at 432mg/L and with birds dying within 2 hours of dosing at 3300 ppm. Our animal feed grains are allowed by the EPA to have levels of 400 ppm and are consistently fed this amount, it is not just a one or two time dose during 4 days of their life.

 The mouse study was a mere 28 days... not even a month...and although they claimed no changes to them mice...this duration is supposed to be valid as a scientific study for the safety of a toxic chemical sprayed on our food to consume? If there they were longer studies done, they  did not send them to me as they are required to by law.

So the next time a GMO scientist tells you they have "hundreds of studies" showing the safety of GMOs and Glyphosate, ask them, how long are those studies for? What were the results? If the animals did not DIE, did they exhibit other symptoms (like not eating) that would lead to their death shortly after the duration of the study?

These studies, even in their small scope and short duration show that glyphosate should not be re registered. It's not sound science to see these as showing safety by any scope of the imagination and in addition this mother, for one, would prefer to be better safe than sorry than to feed my kid a chemical that has most oysters "closed and not feeding" after 4 days. It's hard enough to feed my kids, Thank you very much. I chose organic.

Please tell the EPA what you think they should decide regarding the review of glyphosate NOW. They are reading and assessing these studies now and will make a decision by Christmas. Contact:

Neil Anderson

Chief, Risk Management and Implementation Branch I

Pesticide Re-evaluation Division

US EPA (Mail Code 7508P)

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20460

Phone: 703-308-8187

[email protected]

Zen Honeycutt

P.S. I have been informed that the studies are confidential and I cannot share the actual documents. You can request any kind of information you want through the Freedom of Information Act.

Title 40: Protection of Environment 
PART 180—TOLERANCES AND EXEMPTIONS FOR PESTICIDE CHEMICAL RESIDUES IN FOOD 
Subpart C—Specific Tolerances

§180.364   Glyphosate; tolerances for residues.

(a) General. (1) Tolerances are established for residues of glyphosate, including its metabolites and degradates, in or on the commodities listed below resulting from the application of glyphosate, the isopropylamine salt of glyphosate, the ethanolamine salt of glyphosate, the dimethylamine salt of glyphosate, the ammonium salt of glyphosate, and the potassium salt of glyphosate. Compliance with the following tolerance levels is to be determined by measuring only glyphosate (N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine).

(2) Tolerances are established for residues of glyphosate, including its metabolites and degradates, in or on the commodities listed below resulting from the application of glyphosate, the isopropylamine salt of glyphosate, the ethanolamine salt of glyphosate, the dimethylamine salt of glyphosate, the ammonium salt of glyphosate, and the potassium salt of glyphosate. Compliance with the following tolerance levels is to be determined by measuring only glyphosate (N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine) and its metabolite N-acetyl-glyphosate (N-acetyl-N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine; calculated as the stoichiometric equivalent of glyphosate).

(b) Section 18 emergency exemptions. [Reserved]

(c) Tolerances with regional registrations. [Reserved]

(d) Indirect or inadvertent residues. [Reserved]

[45 FR 64911, Oct. 1, 1980]

Editorial Note: For Federal Register citations affecting §180.364, see the List of CFR Sections Affected, which appears in the Finding Aids section of the printed volume and at www.fdsys.gov.

China has a double standard regarding GMOs. While their officials have a sign proudly declaring the oil in their cafeteria GMO free, the school cafeterias for the children of citizens do not.

The sign in the accompanying photo hangs in the corridor of the Ministry of Education building in Beijing. It begins, “Our Canteen Does Not Use Food Containing GM Ingredients.” It further states, “The issue of whether GM food is harmful to human health is currently without consensus within academia. GM food has only appeared [in China] for a short period making it very difficult at present to appropriately assess it's impact on long-term safety. Further research and longer time is required for verification. To eliminate the concerns of diners, and to assure the safety and health of our staff members, our Ministry of Education Office Canteen temporarily will not use food oil containing GM ingredients and GM food materials. Please enjoy your food without any such concern.”

See link to new article by Nancy Swanson here:

http://www.examiner.com/article/chinese-policy-on-gmos-exhibits-a-double-standard

The officials must be well aware of the potential GMO health implications.  But are they aware of the increased risk to children? Perhaps they don't know how, in the US, which grows many of the GMO crops China imports to process GMO soybean oil, has an EPA allowable level of 40 ppm of glyphosate? Glyphosate is sprayed on GMOs:canola, cotton, corn and soy oil, and as a drying agent on non GMO crops such as rice, wheat, corn, soy, sugar. And .10 one tenth of a part per million has been shown to destroy gut bacteria which is the strong hold of our immune system. Glyphosate has been linked to autism, allergies, auto immune, asthma, diabetes, obesity, ADHD, alzheimers and depression...all health issues which are skyrocketing in America's children? Or do they? Is that why they themselves are avoiding them?

Moms Across America has hundreds of testimonials from Moms whose children are getting better by going GMO/Glyphosate free. We wish the parents of China to know this too. We wish the officials in China would understand the possible jeopardy they put their country in by allowing GMO/glyphosate into their school cafeterias.

Our country serves our children 31 million GMO meals in schools per day. It must be hundreds of millions more in China.

Every food item above most likely contains GMOs and/or glyphosate at levels thousands of time higher than shown to damage animals. Want proof? Ask the FDA to produce tests and results.

And here is a chart of the allowable levels of glyphosate permitted on our food crops:

Click here for USA EPA allowable glyphosate levels.

One school nurse said,

"Our school in Arkansas has 170 out of our 600 children in Special Ed and this does not include the children with autism who are in the regular classrooms. 50% of all our students have either asthma or allergies. They are ALL eating these GMO meals and for many of them they are the only food they get because we are in a low income area, and they are always hungry. The food does not have enough nutritional value and they are being devastated, I believe, because it is GMO and chemicals. Our children are being devastated. This has to stop."

 Here is what our Moms are saying.

Mom's testimonials:

• "My son has had severe autism. As a single Mom who makes about 40 K, it's tough but we only eat organic because I found out about GMOs about 2 years ago. When we went organic, after about 2 weeks, my father thought I was giving my son a new drug, because he saw such improvements, but I said "Nope, just went organic." This year he entered high school and not one of his teachers could tell he ever used to have severe autism symptoms. He is with the regular classes and he is doing well." - Cindy, MAA

• "I went GMO free and after about a month, my Fibromyaglia symptoms went away." - Belinda

• "I had an auto immune disease for 8 years. I was on different medications for it and actually had surgery for it. It was a living nightmare. I took GMOs almost completely out of my diet 8 months ago and the symptoms are gone! Some of my family think I'm crazy for posting so many food posts about GMOs but I know first hand how devastating the effects are. Doctors said there is no cure for my disease. I found the cure...stop eating GMOs!!!!"- Morgan M.

• "My son had a rash around his mouth now and then but since getting off GMOs he doesn’t have that problem any more. My daughter’s tummy used to puff out after meals and she’d get a belly ache. She doesn’t get those after meals since we went off GMOs. I used to feel like my skin was crawling but I don’t get that anymore since being off GMOs." - Laurie O., WA. , MAA

•  “My child eats non GMO and organic now and no longer throws up after eating. I believe that the Moms posting about GMOs on Facebook saved my child’s life.” – Jennifer L.

• My 7 year old son was diagnosed with asthma and needed glasses inside of two weeks. I started learning about asthma and natural ways to control it. Then I found out about GMO. I removed my family from GMO foods/drinks. My 7 year old went from needing a nebulizer 3x’s a day to not at all. His asthma disappeared. He also no longer had the stigmatism that required glasses. The eye Dr. said he must have had ‘some sort of inflammation’ that is now gone for whatever reason. The reason was removing GMO from our diets. He was recommended for retention last year. This year, he is at the top of his class. Karen L. ~Moms Across America

We understand China is rejecting SOME GMO crops see link here: http://rt.com/news/china-rejects-us-corn-087/ 

but from mother to parent-official, we ask you to reconsider rejecting all GMO crops. We understand, due to supply, it will need to be a slow process, but PLEASE start with your schools. We do not want to see the children of China end up like the children of America.

1 out of 2 children are projected to have Autism in the next 20 years or sooner. This cannot happen. What will our country be like? What would our society, military, job force and economy be like? Who will take care of aging parents or bear children and continue the success of our countries?

 For the officials who would like more scientific data here is a study on how glyphosate contributed to the over growth of deadly bacteria by destroying the benficial gut bacteria at lavels far below what is allowed in our food crops.

CLICK Here for study on chickens and glyphosate.

We urge all countries to stop allowing GMO oils, food, crops and animal feed in their country, but particularly China, as you import so much GM food to feed soo many. You have the largest influence on the GM industry. Please hear the cries of American mother who, since the introduction of GMOs and glyphosate in our food supply 20 years ago,  are dealing with gut dysbiosis in their children at extraodinarialy high levels, resulting in autism, auto immune disorders, allergies, IBS, Chrohn's disease, and contributing to asthma, depression, bi polar, acts of violence, obesity, diabetes and possibly the rise in childhood cancers.

No long term studies have been show to prove that GMOs and glyphosate, which are in 85% of our processed food, are not responsible for the USA being LAST on the list of the 17 most developed countries for health.

NO studies have been done to prove that GMOs and Glyphosate are not responsible for the devastating decline of our children's health.

We believe GMOs and Glyphosate are compromising an entire generation of our children, because we see the results everyday.

Millions of mothers, 1 out of 50, struggle everyday with children who cannot control their behavior in public or at home, who act violently towards family members, smear feces on the walls, inappropriate sexual tendencies, uncontrollable tics and movements, cannot control their urination even as teenagers. Children who showed no health issues at all and then all of a sudden did not speak, make eye contact or whose performance in school suddenly plummeted. Our children are being compromised by autism. They are suffering from a myriad of health issues. There is a silent epidemic happening in America. 1 out of 2 of our children now have some form of chronic illness in America. We ask, as mothers, for you, parents, officials in China and in countries around the world,  to protect your children of our human race.

Thank you.

Zen Honeycutt and MAAM Team

Nancy Swanson has done extensive research that we Moms with little ones just do not take the time to do. 

We are very grateful for her charts which very clearly depict a correlation between GMOs sprayed with Glyphosate and numerous childhood and adult illnesses which plague or families in America.

The endocrine disrupting properties of glyphosate can lead to neurological disorders (learning disabilities (LD), attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), autism, dementia, Alzheimer's,schizophrenia and bipolar disorder). Those most susceptible are children and the elderly.

To see the full article on neurological disorders  The Examiner click here.

In addition, GMOs and Glyphosate have been linked to birth defects and infant deaths:

For Swanson's article on the examiner:http://www.examiner.com/article/mounting-evidence-that-gmo-crops-can-cause-infertility-and-birth-defects

2013 Argentina:
Dr Medardo Vasquez is a neonatal specialist at the Children's Hospital in Cordoba. "I see
new-born infants, many of who are malformed. I have to tell parents that their children are
dying because of these agricultural methods. In some areas in Argentina the primary cause of
death for children less than one year old are malformations." Fritz Kreiss: News Report
Sunday 17 March 2013
.

I recently looked up just one city in the USA. Sacremento CA.

Out the top five reasons for the death of children 57% of them were conditions (SIDS, congential birth defects, anomalies etc) that we are seeing a correlation to GMOs and Glyphosate.

For the Rosemary Mason "Glyphosate: Destructor of Human Health" paper showing numerous health issue correlations click here.

Childhood deaths is tragic enough. For the living we hope for smooth sailing.

But studies now show that 50%of our children will have Autism in the next 20 years if we continue at the current rate.

High rates of autism could compromise the future success of a child, our families, our society and economy. This is urgent.

Awareness about this correlation and further conclusive studies should be the number one priority of the CDC and AAP today. The FDA and EPA need to do their jobs and protect American health!

Sign our Petition today! Click here

Thank you to the researchers and scientists who are assembling this information. It DOES correlate with what Moms are seeing, which is that when we remove GMOs ( and glyphosate) from their diet and they eat organic food, their health conditions improve.

Zen Honeycutt

"The bottom line, there will be no money left for anything else by 2026 because diabetes will have chewed through the health care dollars. There WILL BE NO HEALTH CARE here in America in 13 years of we do nothing." -Dr Lutzdig at 39:54 of this video by CBC News The Fifth Estate

What does this have to do with GMOs? 

EVERYTHING!

The majority of our sugar sources, beets and corn are GMO, 90-100%. They are directly sprayed with Roundup which contains Glyphosate because they are genetically engineered to withstand Roundup. Sugar cane and stevia, which make up a much smaller percentage of our sweetener sources, but are still used, are directly sprayed with glyphosate as a drying agent during harvest. So ALL our sugar sources except for organic crops, are contaminated with glyphosate, especially GMOs, which are repeatedly sprayed.

According to the Samsel and Seneff paper on Glyphosate and Modern Diseases, glyphosate is directly connected to diabetes.

How?

Glyphosate has been shown to destroy our beneficial gut bacteria. Our gut bacteria is the only place in which essential amino acid Tryptophan is produced in our body. Without Tryptophan we cannot produce seratonin (which regulates blood sugar) and insulin. Without insulin we develop diabetes. See 2:00 on this video interview of Anthony Samsel.

According to the NY Dept of Health:

"In type 1 diabetes, the body no longer makes insulin because the body's own immune system has attacked and destroyed the cells where insulin is made*. The cause of this isn't entirely clear but it may include genetic risk factors and environmental factors. 

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, the body either doesn't make enough insulin or can't use its own insulin as well as it should."

*Do they know about the connection between glyphosate (which attacks the beneficial gut bacteria which makes Tryptophan/Seratonin and Insulin?) My guess would be no....

So 80% of our food contains GMOs, which are sprayed with Roundup repeatedly as they grow, and have high allowable levels of glyphosate. See list here. Also on this list you will see non-GMO food crops which have toxic allowable levels of glyphosate for us to consume, because the soil is sprayed with glyphosate.  There are also non -GMO food crops like wheat, sugar, quinoa, dry peas, and beans  which are sprayed with glyphosate as a drying agent during harvest and you will notice those levels of glyphosate are even higher: quinoa 5ppm, dry peas 8ppm etc.

To put it in perspective .1 ppm was shown to cause organ damage in a European animal study. That's point one. And a  fraction of a part per TRILLION was shown to induce growth of breast cancer cells in a south east study. See study here.  Shocking! So in addition to harm from glyphosate due to gut bacteria damage and impaired ability to produce Tryptophan and insulin, likely leading to diabetes, we are also extremely concerned about organ damage and cancer. 1out of 2 American men and 1 out of 3 women are expected to get cancer now. In 2010  the US spent 195 billion on cancer care and 90 billion on cancer research.  One can see that these costs will only rise with increased use of GMOs and glyphosate.

GMOs have been shown to cause organ damage in animal studies all on their own, without pesticides or herbicides. But we now know that we also have this HUGE problem with glyphosate on our GMOS ans non-GMO food crops. The problem is systemic. The problem is affects all humans.

The solution is clear.

Label existing GMO foods immediately  ( shelf talkers) so people can choose until ingredients are replaced with non-GMO ingredients.

The government bans the use of glyphosate ( Roundup) and puts a moratorium on GMOs.

Stores  and distributors stop selling them.

Farmers stop using them.

People stop buying food that is not organic ( not so easy but we are working on it).

But before any of this will happen we need to share this information. Send it to your media. If you are media and you ignore this, you are part of the problem. And the problem, let's be clear, is the projected collapse of the American economy.

Share this with your doctors. Email your congress.  Stop eating any food that is not organic. We are the only ones that say what goes in our mouth.

We also say where the money goes. If we let our money go to conventional food and Big Ag, which uses 5 billion pounds of pesticides/herbicides, including glyphosate a year, then we are also contributing to our nation's increasing diabetes and the foreseeable bankruptcy of America. We have a choice.

Bankruptcy or Organic? Choose wisely. Choose for the future of our children and our country.

Zen Honeycutt

 San Francisco Chronicle

Pesticides' effect on generations of field-workers

Long-term study looks at how widespread chemicals affect generations of field-workers in Salinas Lea Suzuki, The Chronicle

A portion of this article is being re publisehd with permission of the author

By Stephanie Lee

September 23, 2013

Health problems prevalent

Good health is precarious for many of Monterey County's 422,000 residents. One-third of adults are uninsured; a quarter of children are in poverty. From 2002 to 2012, the percentage of special-education students with learning disabilities fell, but those with autism, intellectual disabilities and speech impairments increased, according to county data. Researchers wanted to understand the health problems that might be getting overlooked.

Then there were the pesticides. About 9 million to 10 million pounds were used annually throughout the county during the late 1990s. The amount has dropped slightly, though the county still ranks sixth in the state for pesticide use.

Eskenazi submitted a proposal to the National Institutes of Health to study low-income pregnant women and environmental effects on their children, and won the funding.

Now she just had to find moms.

Gonzalez moved to Salinas from Michoacán, Mexico, two decades ago, landing a job in the fields. She was among thousands of farmworkers in Monterey County who rise before dawn to gather an estimated three-fourths of the nation's salad greens.

In late 1999, Gonzalez became pregnant with her fourth child, a boy. During a checkup at Natividad Medical Center in Salinas, a volunteer with Eskenazi's study talked her into enrolling.

So began a series of annual or biannual visits to the researchers' trailer outside the hospital. During her pregnancy and delivery, Gonzalez gave them samples of blood, urine, cord blood and breast milk, let them inspect her house and answered dozens of questions about her lifestyle. She was among 601 pregnant women in the initial stages of the study.

Gonzalez's son, Richard Luna, was born in July 2000, one of more than 500 infants in the Chamacos project born between 2000 and 2002.

From the time they were 6 months old, and every one to two years after, researchers analyzed their urine, blood, saliva, teeth and hair. The kids had physical exams and took tests that assessed their motor skills and intelligence.

Much of what the scientists later reported was troubling. They found, for instance, that mothers in the study have higher traces of pesticides in their systems compared with the general U.S. population. Children with high prenatal exposure to pesticides show greater signs of developmental delays than those with low prenatal exposure.

There are limits to what researchers can learn. They can know Richard's blood pressure, IQ scores or pesticide levels. But they don't have enough information to link those factors to his poor eyesight or asthma, or tell his mother whether her time in the fields played a role in those issues. None of their research attributes a health problem to a single direct cause, and they stress that not every potentially harmful factor is equally dangerous in everyone.

"People aren't exposed to one thing," Eskenazi said. "They're exposed to everything around them, including air pollution and alcohol and smoking."

First focus: pesticides

Still, researchers have a lot of educated guesses.

They began their study by examining organophosphate pesticides, a commonly used type known to harm the human nervous system.

One of the researchers' first findings, in 2005, showed the chemicals' presence in the urine of the women in their study group in greater quantity than women of child-bearing age in the general U.S population.

Scientists also noticed that the higher the mother's pesticide levels prior to delivery, the higher the chance their baby would demonstrate abnormal reflexes, such as passive leg movements, after the first three days of life.

The finding preceded many others. At age 5, youths who had been exposed to high levels of pesticides in the womb were more likely than others to score high on tests that determine the likelihood of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.

When the children were 7, researchers noted a 5.5-point drop in overall IQ scores for every 10-fold increase in the mothers' pesticides level during pregnancy.

The findings may resonate beyond the valley and across the nation, other researchers say.

"They're helping us understand the links between early exposures and health outcomes that are significant not only in terms of children's functioning and well-being in their early years, but also ... over the entire life course," said Frederica Perera, director of the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health in New York, which has collaborated with UC Berkeley.

Other scientists have reached similar conclusions about the same exposures. In a 2011 study of New York City children, for example, Mount Sinai School of Medicine found that those with prenatal exposure to pesticides were likely to lag in mental development in their early years.

More than just a study

More studies will follow. Right now, the UC Berkeley team is examining baby teeth for traces of banned fungicides that contain manganese, a chemical element toxic in high doses.

Eskenazi's intent is not to scare residents, but to give them meaningful knowledge. "In my heart, this is more than just a study for me," she said. "This is a population I deeply care about."

The professor plans to keep up the studies as long as there is funding - and Gonzalez and her son plan to keep showing up. Maybe, the mother says, they can help their neighbors understand what is all around them.

"We are all breathing it in," she said.

This article was produced for The California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowships (ReportingonHealth.org), a program of USC Annenberg's School of Journalism. Stephanie M. Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: [email protected] Twitter: @stephaniemlee