BILLIONS AGAINST BAYER
New Agrochemicals Are Even More Toxic Than The Old Ones
The Millions Against Monsanto movement made glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer, a household word. Once trial lawyers had enough evidence linking glyphosate with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, they forced Bayer, which merged with Monsanto in 2018, to pay billions of dollars to at least 175,000 Roundup-exposed cancer victims. That prompted Bayer to announce that it would stop selling Roundup, but what it really meant is that it would reformulate, replacing glyphosate with even worse toxins–a pyrrhic victory.
Glyphosate is still the most-used chemical in agriculture–where pesticide applicators and farm workers have little choice over what they’re exposed to. But, glyphosate is being phased out of certain products to meet consumer demand–and reduce Bayer’s liability. Meanwhile, the EPA is working to approve new agrochemicals even more toxic than the old ones.
Bayer’s newly formulated Roundup contains diquat, which is 200 times more toxic than glyphosate. Like glyphosate, diquat kicks off a cascade of chronic health problems by damaging our gut health.
And, foods that had become notorious for containing the most glyphosate are now turning up with dangerous levels of chlormequat. Right now, chlormequat is only used on imports, but the EPA wants to approve it for food grown in the U.S.
The EPA has also given a green light to BASF’s trifludimoxazin, a new herbicide that blocks the production of heme, a necessary component of the red blood cells that oxygenate our tissues. In animal studies, trifludimoxazin causes liver, thyroid, neurological, and reproductive problems, as well as cancer.
This is a reminder that it isn’t enough to avoid Bayer’s glyphosate or its herbicide-tolerant genetically modified organisms (GMOs). It’s really important to go completely organic, both with the food you eat and what you use on your lawn and garden.
Most importantly, we have to keep up the fight. Our opposition to glyphosate made Bayer and Big Food cower–if we keep the pressure on we can push organic forward and demand a safer food system: take action against these toxic chemicals!
TAKE ACTION BY JULY 26: Stop EPA Approval of Trifludimoxazin!
TAKE ACTION: Tell the EPA: Keep Chlormequat Off U.S. Grown Food–and Get It Off Imports!
HEALTH
Hormone System Disruption Caused by Chemicals in Our Food
by Dr. André Leu D.Sc., BA Com., Grad Dip Ed., International Director, Regeneration International:
Testing shows that most foods and, consequently, people worldwide carry a mix of pesticide and chemical residues. Regulatory authorities claim that these levels are safe because they are below maximum residue limits (MRLs) and the acceptable daily intake (ADI), as well as other so-called safe limits. In the previous three articles, I have shown that the methods used to assess the safety of these levels are severely inadequate for this purpose.
The current model of toxicology (the science of poisons) is based on the idea that the smaller the dose, the lesser the effect of the poison. When animal testing shows that a certain dose of poison causes no observed adverse effects (NOAEL), this dose becomes the basis for determining the ADI. The ADI is usually calculated by dividing the permitted amount by a factor of one hundred. Regulatory authorities then contend that any residue levels below the ADI or MRL are too low to pose health risks.
This model assumes that the toxic effect declines in a steady, linear fashion with lower doses until the compound is no longer toxic. It is based on Paracelsus’s maxim, the sixteenth-century physician and father of toxicology, who stated, “All things are poison and nothing is without poison; only the dose makes a thing not a poison.” This has been summarized as, “The dose makes the poison.”
LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL
Denmark Wants You to Copyright Yourself
By Jesus Diaz, Fast Company:
“‘Human beings can be run through the digital copy machine and be misused for all sorts of purposes and I’m not willing to accept that,’ Danish Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt recently told The Guardian after Denmark introduced an amendment to its copyright legislation so people could own their own likeness. ‘In the bill we agree and are sending an unequivocal message that everybody has the right to their own body, their own voice, and their own facial features, which is apparently not how the current law is protecting people against generative AI.’
The Danish culture minister is right. We need to stop this problem decisively. Deepfakes are a serious problem—one that is fundamentally altering our perception of reality. People are getting bullied, coerced into doing things against their will, and even framed for crimes they didn’t commit. Stopping the software will not work. That ship sailed a long time ago. And normal people don’t have the resources to fight in court for a deepfake to be taken down.
The answer, like the Danish government has done, is to include personal likeness in copyright law. The proposal establishes legal definitions for unauthorized digital reproductions, specifically targeting ‘very realistic digital representation of a person, including their appearance and voice.’”
NEW RESEARCH
Cheese May Really Be Giving You Nightmares
Angharad Brewer Gillham, Editor, frontiers:
“If you find eating some foods makes you sleep badly, you’re not alone — and there may be a physical cause for your bad dreams. Scientists investigating links between diet, sleep problems, and cultural beliefs about diet and sleep have found that healthier evening eating habits lead to better sleep and better recall of dreams, while the consumption of dairy products is associated with nightmares. This is thought to be because lactose intolerance causes overnight digestive upsets which then affect people’s dreams.
Scientists have found that eating too much dairy could ruin your sleep. Researchers questioned more than 1,000 students about the quality of their sleep, their eating habits, and any perceived link between the two, and found a strong association between nightmares and lactose intolerance — potentially because gas or stomach pain during the night affects people’s dreams.”
Read how nightmare severity is robustly associated with lactose intolerance and other food allergies
CHILDREN’S HEALTH
American Kids Have Become Increasingly Unhealthy Over Nearly Two Decades, New Study Finds
Story by Laura Ungar & Jonel Aleccia, AP:
“The health of U.S. children has deteriorated over the past 17 years, with kids today more likely to have obesity, chronic diseases and mental health problems like depression, a new study says.
Much of what researchers found was already known, but the study paints a comprehensive picture by examining various aspects of children’s physical and mental health at the same time.
‘The surprising part of the study wasn’t any with any single statistic; it was that there’s 170 indicators, eight data sources, all showing the same thing: a generalized decline in kids’ health,’ said Dr. Christopher Forrest, one of the authors of the study published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. ‘Kids are the canaries in the coal mine,’ he said. ‘When kids’ health changes, it’s because they’re at increased vulnerability, and it reflects what’s happening in society at large.’”
SUPPORT OCA & RI
Help Us Get the Evermore Toxic Agrochemicals off the Market
In 1999, we launched the Millions Against Monsanto movement, shedding light on the dangers of glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup weed killer. Thanks to our efforts, those of our allies world wide, and the courage of those affected, Bayer was forced to pay billions to Roundup-exposed cancer victims.
But the fight isn’t over – Bayer’s Roundup products intended for agricultural and professional use still contain glyphosate as their main active ingredient and they have reformulated Roundup for residential consumers, that contains the toxic chemicals Imazapic, Diquatthat which are even more harmful to our harm our health and planet.
At the top of this newsletter we are calling on you to join us in taking action: let’s stop the EPA’s approval of Trifludimoxazin by July 11, keep Chlormequat off US-grown food and imports, demand that Costco go organic and stop selling Roundup, and boycott pesticide-drenched Quaker Oats while urging Congress to ban toxic Roundup.
Your support will help us expose the truth about these toxic chemicals and fight for a healthier food system.
Donate today and help us keep the pressure on!
Make a tax-deductible donation to Organic Consumers Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
Make a tax-deductible donation to Regeneration International, our international sister organization
Have you considered making a grant request from your Donor-Advised Fund?
NEW STUDY
Nighttime Light Exposure Tied to Heart Health Issues
Justin Jackson, Medical Xpress:
“Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute researchers, along with colleagues in the UK and U.S., have linked brighter night-time light exposure to elevated risks of five major cardiovascular diseases. Circadian rhythms govern fluctuations in blood pressure, heart rate, platelet activation, hormone secretion, and glucose metabolism. Long-term disruption of those rhythms in animal and human studies have produced myocardial fibrosis, hypertension, inflammation, and impaired autonomic balance.
In the study, ‘Personal night light exposure predicts incidence of cardiovascular diseases in 88,000 individuals,’ posted on medRxiv, researchers conducted a prospective cohort analysis to assess whether day and night light exposure predicts incidence of cardiovascular diseases and whether relationships vary with genetic susceptibility, sex, and age.
Avoiding bright light during habitual sleep times may serve as a practical addition to established cardiovascular prevention strategies, according to the authors, who call for circadian-informed lighting guidance in homes, hospitals, and urban planning.”
ENVIRONMENT
Researchers Make Surprising Discovery About States That Ban Plastic Shopping Bags: ‘May Be Even More Effective’
Matthew Swigonski writes for The Cool Down:
“Over the past decade, many cities and states across the country have passed plastic bag bans and taxes in an effort to curb plastic pollution. While it still may be too early to gather definitive data regarding these measures, a pair of researchers has found surprising results.
As environmental groups and activists put pressure on local governments to pass proactive legislation to address the growing concern of plastic waste, plastic bag bans have become a common occurrence throughout America.
However, according to a new study, there may be an even more effective measure to help slow down the rate at which plastic pollution is produced.
‘Although less common, taxes or fees on plastic bags may be even more effective than bans,’ wrote editor Bianca Lopez. This can be attributed to plastic substitutions, such as paper or reusable bags.”
CULTURAL TRADITIONS
To Stop Overeating: Try This 300-Year-Old Japanese Eating Habit
Mark Hyman MD, drhyman.com:
“Most of us don’t just overeat on holidays. It happens on ordinary Tuesdays too—at restaurants, in front of the TV, or just because something tastes really good.
In fact, when researchers asked a group of men to eat Domino’s pizza until they were ‘comfortably full,’ they still consumed, on average, 1,600 calories. When they ate until they ‘couldn’t eat another bite’? Over 3,100 calories.
Enter hara hachi bu—a Japanese phrase that means ‘eat until you’re 80 percent full.’
It’s a centuries-old practice still common in Japan today, especially in Okinawa, where people have some of the lowest rates of chronic disease and some of the longest lifespans in the world.
But this isn’t just cultural tradition—it’s a practical, doable way to reset your relationship with food. It helps you eat what your body actually needs, not just what your taste buds want at the moment.
And when practiced consistently, it can improve digestion, reduce mindless overeating, and increase satisfaction from every meal.”
FARMING & AGRICULTURE
A Farm Bill for the One-Tenth of the 1%
Scott Faber & Jared Hayes, Environmental Working Group (EWG):
“‘Don’t call it a budget reconciliation bill. Call it a ‘farm bill for the one-tenth of the 1%.’
That’s because the budget reconciliation bill the House passed today will make it easier for the wealthiest farmers to receive farm subsidies.
In particular, the bill increases the limit on farm subsidies for certain commodity crops from $125,000 to $155,000. Less than one-tenth of 1% of farms received more than $125,000 linked to government price guarantees in 2024, according to farm subsidy data provided by the Department of Agriculture. Only one-tenth of 1% received a payment greater than $125,000 in 2023, and only two-tenths of 1% received a payment greater than $125,000 in 2022.
Because farm subsidy payments are tied to production, only the largest and most successful farmers will benefit from the bill increasing the payment limit.”
LITTLE BYTES
Other Essential Reading and Videos for the Week
‘Could Become a Death Spiral’: Scientists Discover What’s Driving Record Die-Offs of U.S. Honeybees
Why Healing Our Soil Is the Real Healthcare Revolution
Microplastics 101: Everything You Need to Know
Farmworkers Heal Climate-Scarred Land With Native Seeds
‘Could Become a Death Spiral’: Scientists Discover What’s Driving Record Die-Offs of U.S. Honeybees
How Processed Foods Hack Your Brain: The Hidden Truth
The #1 Way to Reduce Brain Fog, According to a New Study
River Seine in Paris Reopens for Public Swimming for the First Time in 100 Years
How High Humidity Can Affect Your Health—and When It Gets Dangerous
Rapid Bursts of Aging Are Causing a Total Rethink of How We Grow Old
The Myth of 200 Daily Food Decisions: Study Challenges Widely-Cited Claim
The Secret to Better Sleep Could Be As Simple As Eating More Fruit And Veggies