Pesticides are one of top three ‘worst toxic pollution problems’ on planet, say non-profit groups

(NaturalNews) The Blacksmith Institute (BI), an international non-profit environmental health organization devoted to solving pollution problems around the world, in conjunction with Green Cross Switzerland (GCS), a group that helps clean up pollution, recently co-released a comprehensive report entitled The World’s Worst Toxic Pollution Problems . In it, researchers explain how agricultural pesticides represent the number three worst pollution problem on the planet. The report was compiled based on data collected over a three year period from thousands of toxic “hotspots” around the world, all of which were in low- and middle-income countries. The team that compiled the report primarily analyzed how various pollutants affect local people groups rather than the world at large, which means the negative effects of these pollutants are far worse on a global scale. The team also focused on what it calls the “most relevant and urgent” pollutants in terms of toxicity and negative impact. These included heavy metals, radionuclides, poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), fluorides, asbestos, cyanides, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and pesticides. After crunching the numbers, the team found that mercury pollution from gold mining and lead pollution from industrial parks are the top two worst world polluters, affecting 3.5 million and nearly 3 million local people, respectively. But taking the third-place spot was agricultural pesticides, which were found to negatively affect more than 2.2 million local people. The report makes very clear that pesticide pollution was only calculated in terms of “local impact” in poorer ares which, again, is far short of their actual global impact. The World Resources Institute (WRI) has reported that nearly 75 percent of pesticide use occurs in developed countries, and primarily in North America, Western Europe and Japan — but none of these places were included in the BI / GCS assessment (http://www.wri.org/publication/content/8660). If the report had been calculated on a global scale in all areas where pesticides are used, the number of those affected by them in one way or another would likely have calculated in the billions. Not only are farmers who use pesticides and those who live around their farms exposed, but so are those who incur contaminated runoff downstream. Then, there are the millions of people globally that consume pesticide-tainted produce. To learn more, you can access the entire BI / GCS report at: http://www.worstpolluted.org/2011-report.html Sources for this article include: http://www.worstpolluted.org/2011-press-release.html http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=10-worst-toxic-pollution-problems-slide-show

Countless millions of dead fish found floating in Redondo Beach harbor

(NaturalNews) In what is perhaps the most startling and disturbing mass animal die-off yet, countless millions of dead anchovies were found this morning floating in King Harbor Marina in Redondo Beach, Calif., according to reports from The Daily Breeze . Officials say they do not know the cause of the event at this time and that investigations are underway. Be sure to check out the NaturalNews.TV video report of the event, which includes shocking pictures from The Daily Breeze and aerial footage from KTLA News 5 in Los Angeles: http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=7DEC10E51313431FCBFF2199B4786934 Like the many other animal die-off events in recent months, experts have been quick to dismiss the situation and provide otherwise reasonable-sounding hypotheses for why the event occurred. One idea put forth by Sgt. Phil Keenan of the Redondo Beach Police Department suggests that there must have been too many anchovies packed into one area and that the oxygen supply in the water became depleted. But such explanations hardly seem valid in light of the event and the circumstances surrounding it. Reports say that some onlookers noted that the birds were not feeding on the anchovies the morning they were discovered, indicating that perhaps the birds knew something about condition of the dead fish that was not visible with the naked eye. “Yesterday, everything looked absolutely normal,” said Walter Waite, a man who lives on a boat in the harbor, to The Daily Breeze . “This morning when I got up, there were millions and millions of them floating everywhere,” adding that, strangely, none of the birds in the area were feeding on the anchovies. Any number of factors may be responsible for the mass die-off, but one thing is for sure: the “scientific” destruction of our earth has consequences. The spread of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), the widespread use of pesticides, and the pollution of the environment with pharmaceutical drug waste all play a role in altering the world’s delicate ecosystems. When will the madness stop? http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=7DEC10E51313431FCBFF2199B4786934 Sources for this story include: http://www.dailybreeze.com/latestnews/ci_17564875

Aquifers poisoned with drugs, chemicals and pesticides threaten Mexico’s Riviera Maya

(NaturalNews) Mexico’s Riviera Maya is an area of spectacular natural beauty along the Yucatan Peninsula and includes the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (also known as the Belize Barrier Reef) which starts near Cancun and continues along the whole length of the Riviera Maya, southward to Guatemala. Tourists and retirees have flocked to the area for snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing, and guided jungle tours. What’s more, the Mexican government has announced plans to establish several medium sized cities of about 200,000 inhabitants in the area over the next two decades. But there’s a major problem. Researchers have discovered that prescription and street drugs, chemicals from shampoo and toothpaste, pesticides, chemical run-off from highways and many other pollutants have infiltrated the giant aquifer under the Riviera Maya. Bottom line: the water in the area is becoming poisoned. Aquifers are the saturated zone beneath the water table and they are huge storehouses of groundwater. Wells can be drilled into aquifers to pump out the water. But water coming from the crucial Riviera Maya aquifer is quickly turning toxic. Chemical waste has polluted an enormous labyrinth of water-filled caves under the area and the contaminated water flows out into the Caribbean Sea. Scientists fear this pollution along with over fishing, coral diseases, and possible climate change, has caused the loss of about half the corals on the reefs off the region’s coast over the past 20 years. In a study just published in the journal Environmental Pollution , a research team including scientists from the Canadian-based Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), Northwestern University, Unidad Merida of Mexico and Canada’s Trent University discovered drugs (illicit, prescription and over-the-counter) and chemicals from personal care products in the groundwater originated at four of the five locations from domestic sewage. In other words, people are flushing chemicals right into the groundwater. The major pollutants identified included cocaine and its major post-digestion “metabolite” chemical (benzoylecgonine), triclosan (an anti-bacterial agent used in toothpaste, cleansers, and hand sanitizers), synthetic musks (used in perfumes and deodorants), acetaminophen and ibuprofen. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) pollution discovered in the groundwater most likely came from runoff from highways, parking lots, airport tarmac, and other solid surfaces. Water samples drawn near a golf course were contaminated with pesticides, too. Currently, drinking water is being treated with reverse osmosis systems in the Riviera Maya. Unfortunately, the study concluded, “…this technology is unlikely to remove all micro-contaminants.” And while the levels of pollution found are not considered a health threat today, the study authors noted: “The data provided in this study raise some concerns about the potential for human exposure from the consumption of contaminated drinking water… As well, prevention and mitigation measures are needed to ensure that expanding development does not damage the marine environment and human health and, in turn, the region’s tourism-based economy.” The researchers’ recommendations for dealing with the critical water contamination issues in the Rivera Maya include having impermeable liners installed beneath golf courses and other areas that are extensively covered with turf to restrict the leaching of contaminants, adequate wastewater treatment infrastructure, a halt to injections of treated sewage into saltwater below the freshwater aquifer, and measures to avoid aquifer contamination from hard surface runoff. For more information: http://www.naturalnews.com/pollution.html

Leaked document: EPA knowingly approved bee-killing pesticide

(NaturalNews) A Colorado beekeeper recently obtained a leaked document revealing that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) knows a popular crop pesticide is killing off honey bees, but has allowed its continued approval anyway. Despite opposition from its own scientists, EPA officials first gave the a-okay to Bayer CropScience’s toxic pesticide clothianidin in 1993 based on the company’s own flawed safety studies. But now it has been revealed that the EPA knew all along about the dangers of clothianidin and decided to just ignore them. By now, most people know that honeybees are dying off at an incredibly disturbing rate. Colony collapse disorder (CCD), a condition where bees stray from the hive and never find their way back, is nixing millions of nature’s pollinators every year. Previous studies have pinpointed various environmental toxins as the primary culprits, including toxic pesticides like clothianidin (http://www.naturalnews.com/028429_colony_collapse_disorder_chemicals.html). And the leaked document, which was written by the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, explains clearly that “[c]lothianidin’s major risk concern is to nontarget insects (honey bees)” and that “[a]cute toxicity studies to honey bees show that clothianidin is highly toxic on both a contact and an oral basis.” The letter was in response to a request from Bayer to have clothianidin approval expanded for use on cotton and mustard in addition to its other approved uses. So if clothianidin poses a significant threat against honey bees, and the EPA has known about this all along, why was it ever approved in the first place? And if Bayer’s original safety studies have been shown to be contradictory to actual science, why has the EPA failed to go after Bayer for falsifying safety data? Apparently those who make the final decisions at the EPA have no actual interest in the truth and would rather cater to corporate interests at the expense of public health. Several European nations have outlawed the use of clothianidin, including Germany, Francy, Italy and Slovenia. U.S. growers of conventional crops, however, continue to use the dangerous chemical thanks to corrupt EPA officials. And when all the honey bees die and there are no pollinators left to grow food, these same EPA officials will be responsible for the mass murder of millions of people. Sources for this story include: http://www.fastcompany.com/1708896/wiki-bee-leaks-epa-document-reveals-agency-knowingly-allowed-use-of-bee-toxic-pesticide

2010 in review: Here’s what happened in the world of natural health and health freedom

(NaturalNews) With 2010 officially over, here’s a look at the trends and top stories of the year in the world of natural health and health freedom. Throughout 2010, we learned about all sorts of interesting chemicals being used in the conventional food supply. We learned that window cleaning chemicals are injected into fast food hamburger meat (http://www.naturalnews.com/027872_ammonia_beef_products.html), and we learned that soy protein is extracted using a highly explosive chemical called hexane (http://www.naturalnews.com/026315_Martek_DHA.html). Water fluoridation surfaced as a big issue of 2010, and NaturalNews published an article describing the criminality of fluoridation (http://www.naturalnews.com/028913_fluoride_chemicals.html). The American Chemistry Council, predictably, insisted that BPA was safe for everyone (http://www.naturalnews.com/027975_American_Chemistry_Council_BPA.html), even as new evidence emerged that BPA was actually quite dangerous and might promote cancer. Food packaging companies scrambled to release BPA-free products, but the chemical is still found throughout canned soups and many other products. In travel news, a Carnival Cruise Lines ship was stranded in November due to an engine fire. Left with no food, bathrooms, water or electricity, the cruise passengers were rescued by the U.S. Navy who brought — get this — Spam and Pop-Tarts! (http://www.naturalnews.com/030354_Carnival_cruises_Pop-Tarts.html) The truth comes out The AIDS / HIV documentary House of Numbers came out in 2010, rocking the AIDS industry with intelligent questions that blew holes in conventional AIDS mythology (http://www.naturalnews.com/027890_AIDS_test_HIV.html). Vitamin D was huge news in 2010 as a steady stream of new evidence emerged, showing how vitamin D can prevent breast cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/028119_vitamin_D_brst_cancer.html) and other degenerative diseases. In 2010, the world came to realize that vitamin D deficiency is now at pandemic proportions (http://www.naturalnews.com/028357_vitamin_D_deficiency.html). We also learned more about the dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup and how it promotes diabetes (http://www.naturalnews.com/028340_diabetes_sodas.html). The news about HFCS got so bad that the corn syrup industry announced it was changing the name of the ingredient to “corn sugar” in an effort to fool consumers. There was some good news on the health freedom front in 2010, as the FDA was defeated in the courts over its attempted censorship of a nutritional supplement (http://www.naturalnews.com/028929_FDA_health_claims.html). On the intellectual property side of things, the US Patent Office actually took steps to invalidate corporate patents on human genes (http://www.naturalnews.com/030256_genes_patent_protection.html). This isn’t a done deal yet, but it’s a hopeful step in the right direction toward ending ridiculous gene patents. In the “weird news” category, we learned about the giant spinning hexagon on the planet Saturn, as photographed by NASA spacecraft (http://www.naturalnews.com/028797_Saturn_hexagon.html). The supply of Rare Earth Elements began to be in trouble in 2010 as we learned that many of the key components in electronics and solar panels are actually derived from filthy mines in China where many of these metals are about to be in critically short supply (http://www.naturalnews.com/028028_rare_earth_elements_mining.html). On the superfood news side, 2010 saw the introduction of the Boku Super Food Bar (http://www.naturalnews.com/030340_Boku_superfood_bar.html), which is the first superfood bar created by the People (using survey results from NaturalNews readers). Keeping tabs on the cattle The TSA took center stage in 2010 for reaching down our pants and making us walk through radiation-emitting microwave body scanners. Esteemed scientists warned that the devices could promote cancer and sperm mutations (http://www.naturalnews.com/030607_naked_body_scanners_radiation.html). In response to the TSA’s outrageous behavior against a now-famous guy who refused to be molested, I released a song called Don’t Touch My Junk which went super-viral across the ‘net (http://www.naturalnews.com/030450_Dont_Touch_My_Junk_song_TSA.html). The psychology of TSA agents was compared to Nazi war criminals (http://www.naturalnews.com/030563_TSA_agents_psychology.html). Sheriffs, meanwhile, announced they wanted a national database of prescription drug users (http://www.naturalnews.com/029736_sheriffs_drug_database.html) so they could track people who buy (and presumably sell) too many medications. Big Sis Janet Napolitano announced that Wal-Mart customers should all spy on each other and report anything “suspicious.” (http://www.naturalnews.com/030648_Wal-Mart_suspicious_activity.html) We launched a suspicious looking Wal-Mart video in response, featuring all the bizarre photos of the “People of Wal-Mart.” (http://www.naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=5A4B5D4B84344D5D9CBD262A53D8B071) Vaccines Autism rates continued to climb in 2010, even as mainstream medical authorities insist it isn’t caused by anything. Especially not vaccines. (http://www.naturalnews.com/028310_autism_neurotoxic_chemicals.html) Speaking of vaccines, in 2010 we learned that vaccines are causing convulsions and seizures in children (http://www.naturalnews.com/028773_vaccines_convulsions.html). One of the first batches made available in the year caused seizures in children (http://www.naturalnews.com/029334_flu_vaccines_seizures.html). At one point in the year, the FDA admitted that vaccines had been contaminated with a pig virus, but announced they were still safe (http://www.naturalnews.com/028832_rotavirus_vaccines_contamination.html). Walgreens announced its flu shot gift card (http://www.naturalnews.com/029511_Walgreens_flu_shot.html) and began running nationwide propaganda campaigns to promote flu shots which, by the way, automatically contained the swine flu vaccine from last year, too. Not too long after Walgreens issues its flu shot gift card, Australia banned flu vaccines in children (for that batch, anyway) after they were found to cause vomiting, fevers and seizures , sending numerous children to the hospital (http://www.naturalnews.com/029586_Australia_vaccines.html). Finland soon banned H1N1 vaccines after finding they caused narcolepsy (http://www.naturalnews.com/029596_vaccines_narcolepsy.html). Right after this, I released my Vaccine Zombie song (http://www.naturalnews.com/029607_Vaccine_Zombie_flu_season.html) which actually didn’t do too well, as it was released during the vaccination off season when people weren’t paying that much attention to vaccines yet in North America. In September, we published a story demolishing the quack science behind flu vaccines (http://www.naturalnews.com/029641_vaccines_junk_science.html). The vaccine industry was having a lousy Fall season in 2010, so they tried everything ramp up vaccinations, including opening booths in airports, grocery stores and even offering free vaccine shots at strip clubs! (http://www.naturalnews.com/029962_flu_shot_propaganda.html) The Lancet retracted Dr Wakefield’s famous paper linking vaccines to autism, thereby rewriting medical history in much the same way as the lead character in George Orwell’s 1984 book, where history was always reconstructed to match the political illusions of the current power holders. (http://www.naturalnews.com/028101_The_Lancet_Dr_Wakefield.html) To expose the fraud of the H1N1 swine flu vaccine scheme, I offered a $10,000 reward for proof that the vaccine was safe and effective (http://www.naturalnews.com/027985_H1N1_vaccines_safety.html), but no one took me up on the offer, of course, since such evidence does not exist. (That’s because they never adequately test these vaccines before they start injecting people.) Ultimately, it turned out that vitamin D worked far better at preventing flu infections than vaccines anyway (http://www.naturalnews.com/029760_vitamin_D_influenza.html). There was a lot of money floating around in the vaccine industry, of course, especially as we learned that World Health Organization advisors were on the take, receiving kickbacks from vaccine manufacturers (http://www.naturalnews.com/028936_WHO_vaccines.html). In July, Dr Gary Null published a powerful story exposing the quackery and lies of the vaccine industry (http://www.naturalnews.com/029124_flu_vaccines_quackery.html). Chemotherapy One of the more fascinating bits of news from 2010 was the revelation that pharmacists are getting cancer from handling chemotherapy drugs! (http://www.naturalnews.com/029191_secondhand_chemotherapy_cancer.html) Yet they still sell them to others. Interesting, huh? As part of the chemotherapy push, the LA Times published a story that actually recommended what can only be the most moronic health advice of the year: “Preventive chemotherapy” for those who don’t yet have cancer. (http://www.naturalnews.com/030181_LA_Times_pinkwashing.html) Chemotherapy was the drug of choice for Michael Douglas , of course (http://www.naturalnews.com/029685_Michael_Douglas_throat_cancer.html). He decided to use it to “treat” his cancer, following in the footsteps of Farrah Fawcett who died from chemotherapy last year. Celebrities just can’t seem to get enough of chemo, and sadly we have to keep reporting on their deaths each year. Former lead singer of the band LFO, Rich Cronin, also passed away from chemo this year (http://www.naturalnews.com/029699_chemotherapy_Rich_Cronin.html). Disinfo The Institute of Medicine released new recommendation on vitamin D. It turns out they were designed to keep everybody vitamin D deficient while warning people not to take too much (http://www.naturalnews.com/030598_vitamin_D_Institute_of_Medicine.html). Continuing with nutritional disinfo, a nutrition professor claims he lost weight eating Twinkies (http://www.naturalnews.com/030616_junk_food_diet.html) but the media stories neglected to mention you can lose weight on chemotherapy, too. Sesame Street played a big role in the disinfo efforts of the year, introducing new “superfood” muppets. One of them is a block of cheese, and another is a hamburger bun. (http://www.naturalnews.com/030626_muppets_Sesame_Street.html) On the psychiatric stage, 2010 saw the industry label healthy eating a “mental disorder” that they dubbed orthorexia nervosa (http://www.naturalnews.com/029098_orthorexia_mental_disorder.html). That’s on top of the similarly concocted Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD) which is diagnosed in anyone who questions authority or refuses to get vaccinated. As part of the Big Pharma push, doctors began urging fast food restaurants to hand out statin drugs like ketchup packets (http://www.naturalnews.com/029467_statin_drugs_fast_food.html). We posted a video documenting this news, and it received over a quarter million views: http://www.naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=DE483716CF71BBC79F005FDF473E3511 We also exposed the top health care lies still driving conventional medicine (http://www.naturalnews.com/028623_health_care_America.html), and we revealed the ridiculous pinkwashing fraud with Komen’s promotion of Kentucky Fried Chicken (http://www.naturalnews.com/028631_Komen_for_the_cure_pinkwashing.html). The Food Safety debate was a big deal during the end of 2010 (http://www.naturalnews.com/030461_Senate_Bill_510_Food_Safety.html). The bill ultimately passed. It contains language that asks to FDA to “harmonize” the U.S. food supply with Codex Alimentarius (http://www.naturalnews.com/030863_food_safety_bill_Codex_Alimentarius.html). Is also has the FDA setting up food safety enforcement offices in foreign nations . Big Pharma fraud Dr. Scott Reuben, an esteemed Big Pharma researcher, was caught faking dozens of studies upon which the medical industry relied to push popular prescription drugs (http://www.naturalnews.com/028194_Scott_Reuben_research_fraud.html). To this day, Dr Reuben’s research is still quoted in books and medical journals, even though we now know he simply invented all the clinical trial data. But Dr Reuben wasn’t the end of the pharmaceutical fraud news in 2010. We also learned that virtually all placebo-controlled trials throughout the industry were fraudulent to begin with because there are zero standards for the composition of the placebo pills, and what they’re made of is almost never reported in clinical trials (http://www.naturalnews.com/030209_placebo_medical_fraud.html). We also got news that a doctor recognized by the AMA, published in medical journals and tapped to teach Continuing Medical Education credits was a total fraud, having fooled the medical system for 20 years (http://www.naturalnews.com/030729_William_Hamman_fraud.html). Johnson and Johnson took center stage throughout 2010 with a seeming never-ending stream of product recalls due to all sorts of chemicals and even metal fragments being found in their medicines. They were also caught in a drug profit kickback scheme and were sued by the Justice Department (http://www.naturalnews.com/027994_Johnson_&_kickbacks.html). Famous people In 2010, we interviewed Jesse Ventura (http://www.naturalnews.com/028546_Jesse_Ventura_conspiracy_theory.html), Daniel Vitalis (http://www.naturalnews.com/028568_Daniel_Vitalis_deer_antler_velvet.html), Suzy Cohen (http://www.naturalnews.com/028614_Suzy_Cohen_diabetes.html), David Wolfe (http://www.naturalnews.com/028839_cactus_fruit_David_Wolfe.html) and many other well-known people. Former President Bill Clinton announced he was following the “Heart Attack Proof” diet based on juicing and plant-based foods (http://www.naturalnews.com/029816_Bill_Clinton_plant-based_diet.html). Saving the planet from modern “science” Of course, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill was a significant story in 2010 (http://www.naturalnews.com/028693_Gulf_of_Mexico_Halliburton.html), and in terms of the pollution of waterways, Big Pharma also emerged in 2010 as a major global polluter (http://www.naturalnews.com/029314_waterways_contamination.html). The GMO stories of 2010 were simply amazing. We learned that the USA was pressuring European countries to stop any GMO labeling of foods (http://www.naturalnews.com/028716_GMOs_food_labels.html), and then later we learned through Wikileaks cables that the United States actually conspired with GMO corporations to push GMOs across Europe while creating a “retaliatory target list” of any who opposed it (http://www.naturalnews.com/030828_GMOs_Wikileaks.html). We also learned that the FDA looked eager to approve GMO salmon (http://www.naturalnews.com/029770_salmon_genetically_engineered.html), but thankfully this decision was slowed by tremendous public outcry. I launched my “Just Say No to GMO” song in October as part of the GMO Awareness Month activities (http://www.naturalnews.com/030044_No_GMO_song.html). The song went super-viral and eventually racked up more than half a million views spanning four languages. Jeffrey Smith from the IRT continues to kick butt exposing the truth about GMOs. In a successful fundraising effort, NaturalNews and its readers raised over $30,000 to help fund the IRT (http://www.naturalnews.com/030407_GMO_Jeffrey_Smith.html). The world food supply took major hits during 2010 as freakish weather events caused droughts, floods and freezes that drastically reduced food supply in key areas (http://www.naturalnews.com/027924_food_supply_weather_patterns.html). Censorship and Big Government 2010 was a big year of censorship. YouTube censored our interview with Jeffrey Smith about GMOs (http://www.naturalnews.com/028718_YouTube_censorship.html) and then later turned the video back on. Alex Jones saw his site removed from the Google News search engine, and YouTube also announced it would drop his entire video channel. The FTC took part in the censorship, too, going after the POM Wonderful company for telling the truth about the health benefits of its pomegranate juice products (http://www.naturalnews.com/029901_pomegranate_juice_health_claims.html). The Department of Homeland Security began seizing websites in 2010 (http://www.naturalnews.com/030542_censorship_internet.html), claiming (illegal) authority over them. Thanks to Wikileaks, the push is now on for government to try to control the internet. The raw milk wars were a big news item in 2010, as the FDA and state authorities took aggressive action to criminalize and arrest raw milk producers (http://www.naturalnews.com/028757_raw_milk_FDA.html). Criminal elements of the law enforcement community conducted an armed raid on a raw food co-op in California (http://www.naturalnews.com/030136_Rawesome_foods_raid.html) called Rawesome Foods. Their crime? They were selling raw milk. Partly to protect our own video freedom from censorship, we launched NaturalNews.TV which has now grown to the largest natural health video site in the world, with over 10,000 members now uploading videos (and growing daily). Soon popular video stars such as AZ Mike (http://naturalnews.tv/Browse.asp?memberid=3891) and Magnus Mulliner (http://naturalnews.tv/Browse.asp?memberid=639) emerged on the site. Evil experiments We saw Bill Gates emerge as a global population control zealot, even funding new technology to destroy sperm (http://www.naturalnews.com/028853_ultrasound_fetus.html) and another project to vaccinate people without their knowledge, using covert technology (http://www.naturalnews.com/028887_vaccines_Bill_Gates.html). Later in the year, Gates was actually caught on video calling for a reduction in world population through the use of vaccines (http://www.naturalnews.com/029911_vaccines_Bill_Gates.html). Meanwhile, the United States was caught red-handed in conducting medical experiments on Guatemalan prisoners (http://www.naturalnews.com/029924_medical_experiments_Guatemala.html). Obama actually had to pick up the phone and apologize for this embarrassing bit of history that shows how governments always use innocents as guinea pigs to test their drugs. What a year, huh? In addition to everything mentioned above, 2010 also saw the release of a huge number of studies supporting the healing use of herbs and natural remedies. Still, 2010 was mostly a year of expanded censorship, attacks on health freedom and expansions of government tyranny. Fortunately for us all, 2011 – 2012 look to be far more positive in terms of people waking up and contributing to global changes in consciousness that will ultimately end this era of censorship and ignorance (see my upcoming article on 2011 predictions for details).

Minnesota attorney general files lawsuit against 3M for years of environmental pollution

(NaturalNews) Minnesota attorney general Lori Swanson is determined to hold the 3M Company, one of the world’s largest multinational corporations based near St. Paul, responsible for years of environmental pollution that tainted the Mississippi River and contaminated water supplies in the east-metro area of the Twin Cities. Swanson recently filed a lawsuit against 3M requesting that the company pay for residual cleanup costs associated with the pollution it caused. “The company caused damage to the environment,” Swanson is quoted as saying in the Star Tribune . “We are simply asking, let’s make it right.” For many years, 3M was dumping perfluorochemicals, or PFCs, into the environment. PFCs do not decompose, and they gradually build up in the environment over time. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) indicates that the chemicals cause brain, nervous system, and organ damage, as well as reproductive and developmental problems, autoimmune disorders, and cancer (http://www.ewg.org/chemindex/term/496). A spokesman from 3M, however, denies the allegations. He told reporters that PFCs are “not hazardous,” and that any water contaminated by the company’s PFCs is below government safety thresholds. But tell that to the numerous residents in the metro area near the 3M plant whose water wells were ruined by PFCs, or the water drilling project of the nearby city of Lake Elmo, Minn., that ultimately failed due to PFC levels that exceeded state safety thresholds. One resident told the Star Tribune that he and his wife drank PFC-contaminated well water for years without knowing it, which ultimately led to his wife dying of cancer. Though 3M has already paid out several millions of dollars to help remediate certain aspects of the damage caused by its pollution, Swanson does not believe it is enough. If successful, her lawsuit will be one of the first to hold a large corporation responsible for damage it caused to the environment many years prior. Sources for this story include: http://www.startribune.com/local/112695399.html

US suing BP for Gulf oil disaster

(NaturalNews) The U.S. government has filed a lawsuit against BP and eight other firms involved in Gulf oil drilling for allegedly violating safety regulations. The massive oil spill that took place earlier this year has been dubbed the most heinous environmental disaster in history, and U.S. officials are saying that BP and the other companies involved be held completely responsible for all costs associated with clean-up and restoration. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder says the companies violated both the Clean Water Act and Oil Pollution Act by failing to follow proper safety procedures and guidelines, and that such violations were directly responsible for the spill which took about three months to finally cap. The U.S. Justice Department also indicated that more defendants could be added to the lawsuit as the investigation continues. BP responded in a statement saying that it would continue to work with the government to remediate the spill damage. Others like Transocean Offshore Deepwater Drilling Inc., a drilling contractor, combated the allegations saying that it played no role in the disaster and that “[t]he responsibility for hydrocarbons discharged from a well lies solely with its owner and operator.” Interestingly, a BBC News report explains that both Halliburton, the firm responsible for cementing the well just 20 hours before it exploded, and Cameron International, the firm that procured the well equipment, are both missing from the government lawsuit (http://www.naturalnews.com/028693_Gulf_of_Mexico_Halliburton.html). So it is unclear whether or not the lawsuit is actually going after the right companies since it is leaving out two very important ones. Over 300 lawsuits have already been filed regarding the spill, many from those in the fishing and tourism industries surrounding the Gulf that were decimated following the after-effects of the spill. Sources for this story include: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12005240

Group warns shoppers to avoid ‘pinkwashed’ products

(NaturalNews) Breast cancer awareness “pink” campaigns are nothing new, with billboards, bracelets, bumper stickers, clothing, and even consumer products plastered in the bright color as a reminder about the deadly disease. But many are growing weary of the never-ending media blitz, including the advocacy group Breast Cancer Action (BCA), because breast cancer awareness has largely become nothing more than a marketing ploy for major companies to sell more products, including many that actually cause cancer. Take Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), for instance. Earlier this year, KFC launched a “Buckets for the Cure” campaign that promised to donate 50 cents from every bucket of fried chicken sold to “end breast cancer forever.” Too bad KFC’s chicken is loaded with cancer-causing chemicals like monosodium glutamate (MSG) and fried in trans-fat oils. http://www.naturalnews.com/028631_Komen_for_the_cure_pinkwashing.html “KFC sells products that are salt- and fat-laden, and injected with hormones, and they are the subject of a lawsuit in California about a potential carcinogen that they use in the processing of their chicken,” explained Samantha King, author of Pink Ribbons Inc. and associate professor at Queen’s University, to CTV.ca. More recently, Mike’s Hard Lemonade and Chambord Vodka both launched pink campaigns to promote their alcohol. Alcohol consumption, of course, is linked to causing cancer. http://www.naturalnews.com/029984_breast_cancer_alcohol.html Back in 2002, both Yoplait and Dannon painted their yogurt products pink, even though the milk used in their production came from cows treated with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH). Despite reassurances from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that rBGH is safe, the artificial hormone chemical actually contributes to causing cancer. And a Canadian gas station chain covers their stations in pink ribbons every year, even though the pollution caused by burned gasoline is linked cancer as well. In 2002, BCA launched the “Think Before You Pink” campaign to urge consumers to consider whether the pink products they purchase are actually contributing to a good cause or not. Thanks in part to the campaign, overwhelming pressure from consumers caused both Dannon and Yoplait to stop using rBGH milk in their yogurts, and BCA hopes the same will happen with other companies that have “pinkwashed” their cancer-causing products. Consumers should also beware of breast cancer awareness programs in general. Breast cancer can already be both prevented and treated through proper nutrition and supplementation with powerful herbs and medicinal foods. To learn more about breast cancer, please visit: http://www.naturalnews.com/breast_cancer.html Sources for this story include: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Health/20101008/pinkwashing-pink-ribbon-101009/

If you use pharmaceuticals, you are polluting the water

(NaturalNews) Any personal use of pharmaceutical products can lead to dangerous water pollution, even if drugs or cosmetics are applied only to the skin, researchers have found. Researchers have known for several years that after a person ingests a drug, their body may excrete residues of the chemical that remain biologically active. Thus, internal drug use, combined with improper disposal of unused drug stores, has been blamed for residues of everything from antibiotics to painkillers to hormones found in municipal and natural water supplies across the country. Because drugs are specifically designed to produce biological effects at very low concentrations, this pollution is considered a major threat to human and environmental health. Now a study conducted by researchers from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Touro University in Henderson, Nev., and presented at the American Chemical Society annual meeting in San Francisco has shown that the shower and washing machine may be even more potent sources of pharmaceutical pollution than the toilet. “We’ve long assumed that the active ingredients from medications enter the environment as a result of their excretion via urine and feces,” study co-author Ilene Ruhoy said. “However, for the first time, we have identified potential alternative routes for the entry into the environment by way of bathing, showering and laundering.” “These routes may be important for certain APIs found in medications that are applied … to the skin,” she said. “They include creams, lotions, ointments, gels and skin patches.” The researchers reviewed hundreds of studies analyzing the body’s use and metabolism of drugs, and concluded that drugs including acne medicine, antimicrobials, narcotics and steroids are entering the water system by being washed directly from people’s skin in baths and showers. In addition, many medications dissolve in sweat and wash off the body into people’s clothing, only to enter the water system when those clothes are laundered. It is the first study to show a link between bathing or laundering and pharmaceutical pollution. In contrast to ingested drugs, which are broken down by the liver and kidneys and then released in less-potent form, drugs that wash off the human body enter the water completely unmodified. “Topical [active pharmaceuticals] from bathing and showering … are released unmetabolized and intact, in their full-strength form,” Ruhoy said. “Therefore, their potential as a source of pharmaceutical residues in the environment is increased.” Ruhoy advised consumers to do their part to reduce pharmaceutical pollution by always following directions exactly, not applying more of a topical drug thinking that if a little is good, more must be better.” She suggested that doctors always prescribe the minimum effective dose for the shortest possible time. Researchers should work on developing drugs that can be absorbed more quickly and thoroughly, leaving little or no residue behind on the skin. “We need to be more aware of how our use of pharmaceuticals can have unwanted environmental effects,” Ruhoy said. “Identifying the major pathways in which APIs enter the environment is an important step toward the goal of minimizing their environmental impact.” The EPA further encourages consumers to always properly dispose of all medications, carefully reading the information on drug labels and accompanying documentation, and taking advantage of drug take-back or hazardous waste disposal programs where they live. In areas without take-back or household collection programs, state or local waste management authorities should be able to provide guidelines for disposal of pharmaceutical products. Protecting water from household pollution need not end with pharmaceuticals. The EPA advises that consumers use non-toxic household cleaners and other chemicals wherever possible, and limit pesticide and other toxin use. Leftover chemicals should never be disposed of by flushing. Sources for this story include: http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/637163.html; http://www.themedguru.com/20100326/newsfeature/medications-released-while-bathing-pollute-water-say-experts-86133416.html; http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,589976,00.html; http://www.wateronline.com/article.mvc/Bathing-And-Showering-Under-Appreciated-0001?VNETCOOKIE=NO ; http://www.epa.gov/ppcp/faq.html.