(Photo: Mike Mozart)Dr. Jeff Ritterman discusses the latest research linking glyphosate, the key ingredient in the herbicide Roundup, to an epidemic of chronic kidney disease in many parts of the world.
Also see: Monsanto’s Herbicide Linked to Fatal Kidney Disease Epidemic: Could It Topple the Company?
One of the most popular herbicides used worldwide is Roundup, which is made by Monsanto. Monsanto manufactures and markets both Roundup and genetically modified seeds that are resistant to its herbicidal qualities. Farmers and even gardeners around the globe use Roundup to kill off weeds to increase their crop yield, and they also buy seeds from Monsanto that are resistant to the deleterious effects of the herbicide on plant life.
The key ingredient in Roundup is glyphosate, a compound that was originally used to remove limestone scales from water heaters, boilers and other containers where hot water is stored.
According to Dr. Jeff Ritterman in this “Truthout Interviews,” new research (that’s still in the theoretical phase) suggests that glyphosate is responsible for the epidemic of chronic kidney disease in a number of countries. In Dr. Ritterman’s piece on Truthout, “Monsanto’s Herbicide Linked to Fatal Kidney Disease Epidemic: Could It Topple the Company?” he examines the rise in fatal kidney disease among farmers in Central America, India and Sri Lanka and the political pressure the US government is putting on countries to keep using Roundup as part of trade agreements.
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
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We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
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