84.
USDA Funded Project
To Create A GM Corn That Sterilizes People
William Engdahl, March, 2010
One long-standing project of the US Government has been to perfect a genetically-modified variety of corn, the diet staple in Mexico and many other Latin American countries. The corn has been field tested in tests financed by the US Department of Agriculture along with a small California bio-tech company named Epicyte. Announcing his success at a 2001 press conference, the president of Epicyte, Mitch Hein, pointing to his GMO corn plants, announced, “We have a hothouse filled with corn plants that make anti-sperm antibodies.”
The Pregnancy Prevention Plants
Hein explained that they had taken antibodies from women with a rare condition known as immune infertility, isolated the genes that regulated the manufacture of those infertility antibodies, and, using genetic engineering techniques, had inserted the genes into ordinary corn seeds used to produce corn plants.
In this manner, in reality they produced a concealed contraceptive embedded in corn meant for human consumption. “Essentially, the antibodies are attracted to surface receptors on the sperm,” said Hein. “They latch on and make each sperm so heavy it cannot move forward. It just shakes about as if it was doing the lambada.” Hein claimed it was a possible solution to world “over-population.”
The moral and ethical issues of feeding it to humans in Third World poor countries without their knowing it, he left out of his remarks.
Normally, biologists use bacteria to grow human proteins. However, Epicyte decided to use corn because plants have cellular structures that are much more like those of humans, making them easier to manipulate.
The questions raised by “spermicides hidden in GMO corn provided to starving Third World populations through the generosity of the Gates’ foundation, Rockefeller Foundation and Kofi Annan’s AGRA” are many and profound.
1. Isn’t GM technology directed beyond third world countries but at all countries in the world, and first and most heavily in the US?
2. Is there a relationship, since the introduction of GM-crops in the US, of how steeply birthrates in the US have fallen?
U.S. birthrates overall are at an all time low. Continuing a 12-year decline, the U.S. birth rate has dropped to the lowest level since national data have been available …
Bt-corn was introduced in the US in 1996, three years before the dramatic decline began. “Some seven million acres were planted to Bt corn in 1997 with hybrids primarily from Mycogen, Novartis (formerly Ciba), and Northrup King. Mycogen and Novartis both produce pharmaceutical contraceptives.
(Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2001/sep/09/gm.food)
In this manner, in reality they produced a concealed contraceptive embedded in corn meant for human consumption. “Essentially, the antibodies are attracted to surface receptors on the sperm,” said Hein. “They latch on and make each sperm so heavy it cannot move forward. It just shakes about as if it was doing the lambada.” Hein claimed it was a possible solution to world “over-population.”
The moral and ethical issues of feeding it to humans in Third World poor countries without their knowing it, he left out of his remarks.
Normally, biologists use bacteria to grow human proteins. However, Epicyte decided to use corn because plants have cellular structures that are much more like those of humans, making them easier to manipulate.
The questions raised by “spermicides hidden in GMO corn provided to starving Third World populations through the generosity of the Gates’ foundation, Rockefeller Foundation and Kofi Annan’s AGRA” are many and profound.
1. Isn’t GM technology directed beyond third world countries but at all countries in the world, and first and most heavily in the US?
2. Is there a relationship, since the introduction of GM-crops in the US, of how steeply birthrates in the US have fallen?
U.S. birthrates overall are at an all time low. Continuing a 12-year decline, the U.S. birth rate has dropped to the lowest level since national data have been available …
Bt-corn was introduced in the US in 1996, three years before the dramatic decline began. “Some seven million acres were planted to Bt corn in 1997 with hybrids primarily from Mycogen, Novartis (formerly Ciba), and Northrup King. Mycogen and Novartis both produce pharmaceutical contraceptives.
(Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2001/sep/09/gm.food)
The birds and beasts have no such problem. In the morning they are immediately chirping, "Jee, jee, jee, jee." They know that they will have their food. No one is dying, and there is no such thing as overpopulation because everyone is provided for by God's arrangement.
~ Srila Prabhupada (Eeasy Journey To Other Planets 2: Varieties of Planetary Systems)
Research Indicates That GMO Could Be a Cause of Infertility
Hethir Rodriguez C.H., C.M.T.
Is it possible that the foods you eat are actually affecting your fertility and inhibiting your chances of getting pregnant? The answer is a resounding, “Yes,” according to dozens of research groups worldwide who have been studying the effects of Genetically Modified Organisms found in many of today’s most common foods.
Genetically Modified foods, according to researchers, are becoming a real problem when it comes to fertility, causing an influx in worldwide infertility rates. Since the 1970’s alone, sperm counts among the world’s male population have declined as much as 40-50%, according to some studies. GMO foods may be just one of the reasons, warn those studying the phenomenon.
Despite alerts being published by the world’s most renowned scientists, manufacturers continue to use these products in their products fed to both livestock and humans.
The problem has become so great that the EU has actually banned the use of GMO products throughout Europe. While some of the top food manufacturers like Kellogg, Heinz, Pepsi, Coke and Kraft, have changed their recipes in Europe, no longer using GMO ingredients in their products, those same products sold in the States continue to use these dangerous ingredients.
So, why do genetically modified foods present such a danger for animal and human fertility? According to a report published last spring by the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM), “there is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects.” These findings have caused the AAEM to encourage all physicians to “educate their patients, the medical community and the public top avoid all genetically modified foods.”
Risks Most Associated with GMO Foods
The Austrian Health Ministers reported in 2008, that their own research indicated that fertility rates have suffered dramatically due to GMO exposure, as have the health of the human immune system. Those who regularly ingest GMO foods are more likely to be sick, age faster and have a harder time getting (and staying) pregnant.
Genetically Modified foods, according to researchers, are becoming a real problem when it comes to fertility, causing an influx in worldwide infertility rates. Since the 1970’s alone, sperm counts among the world’s male population have declined as much as 40-50%, according to some studies. GMO foods may be just one of the reasons, warn those studying the phenomenon.
Despite alerts being published by the world’s most renowned scientists, manufacturers continue to use these products in their products fed to both livestock and humans.
The problem has become so great that the EU has actually banned the use of GMO products throughout Europe. While some of the top food manufacturers like Kellogg, Heinz, Pepsi, Coke and Kraft, have changed their recipes in Europe, no longer using GMO ingredients in their products, those same products sold in the States continue to use these dangerous ingredients.
So, why do genetically modified foods present such a danger for animal and human fertility? According to a report published last spring by the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM), “there is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects.” These findings have caused the AAEM to encourage all physicians to “educate their patients, the medical community and the public top avoid all genetically modified foods.”
Risks Most Associated with GMO Foods
The Austrian Health Ministers reported in 2008, that their own research indicated that fertility rates have suffered dramatically due to GMO exposure, as have the health of the human immune system. Those who regularly ingest GMO foods are more likely to be sick, age faster and have a harder time getting (and staying) pregnant.
And whatever produce they get, sometimes they dump tons of it into the ocean to keep the prices high. And I have heard here in Geneva that when there was excess milk production, some of the people wanted to slaughter twenty thousand cows just to reduce the milk production.
This is what is going on in people’s brains. Actually, they have no brains.
~ Srila Prabhupada
In study after study, the effects of fertility were alarming, claim researchers. In one report, the testicles of some animals actually changed colors from a normal pink to an alarming blue after being fed GMO produced feed. In addition, sperm was shown to be altered, resulting in fewer pregnancies overall. DNA too has shown alterations after ingesting even the smallest amount of GMO foods.
But, males are not the only ones being affected by GMOs. Female fertility too is under attack. Female animals being studied showed an alarming increase in an inability to get pregnant as well as a spike in premature births; low birth weight babies and infant moralities after being fed a regular diet of GMO. Rats given GMO feed in Europe were shown to give birth to babies that regularly died within weeks of their birth (sometimes as many as 99%), compared to only a 10% mortality rate for those fed regular feed.
One of the few long-terms studies (there are not many long-term studies done on GMO foods) showed that mice fed GMO corn over a period of 20 weeks had greatly impaired fertility compared to the mice fed non-GMO corn. In addition the offspring of the GMO mice also suffered from lower fertility rates.
In the U.S., pig farmers in the Midwest reported that more than 1,000 pigs on their farms became sterile after being fed a regular diet of GMO feed over several months.
This has left some food manufacturers scrambling to change their ingredients in Europe, while continuing to use these same dangerous products in U.S. foodstuffs.
To make matters worse, the FDA has yet to require food manufacturers to list the use of GMO foods on their packages, leaving many consumers unaware of what they are really eating. This can make it even harder to make the wisest and healthiest food choices while shopping.
Which Foods are Most Likely GMO?
The highest GMO food grown is soy. In the U.S., approximately 54% of all soybeans cultivated in 2000 were genetically-modified, in 2010, 93% of soybeans are genetically modified. Yet another reason to avoid soy foods.
While soy, corn and potatoes are the most prevalent GMO foods, there are many others that you should be aware about as well, such as:
Salmon
Canola oil
High fructose corn syrup/corn sugar (one of the reasons there is so much GMO corn being grown. The other reason for so much corn is that it is readily fed to livestock)
Dairy (conventional cows are injected with the genetically engineered hormone rBGH/rBST and are frequently fed GMO corn and grains.)
Processed foods (many processed foods have been tested and shown to contain some GMO ingredients.)
But, males are not the only ones being affected by GMOs. Female fertility too is under attack. Female animals being studied showed an alarming increase in an inability to get pregnant as well as a spike in premature births; low birth weight babies and infant moralities after being fed a regular diet of GMO. Rats given GMO feed in Europe were shown to give birth to babies that regularly died within weeks of their birth (sometimes as many as 99%), compared to only a 10% mortality rate for those fed regular feed.
One of the few long-terms studies (there are not many long-term studies done on GMO foods) showed that mice fed GMO corn over a period of 20 weeks had greatly impaired fertility compared to the mice fed non-GMO corn. In addition the offspring of the GMO mice also suffered from lower fertility rates.
In the U.S., pig farmers in the Midwest reported that more than 1,000 pigs on their farms became sterile after being fed a regular diet of GMO feed over several months.
This has left some food manufacturers scrambling to change their ingredients in Europe, while continuing to use these same dangerous products in U.S. foodstuffs.
To make matters worse, the FDA has yet to require food manufacturers to list the use of GMO foods on their packages, leaving many consumers unaware of what they are really eating. This can make it even harder to make the wisest and healthiest food choices while shopping.
Which Foods are Most Likely GMO?
The highest GMO food grown is soy. In the U.S., approximately 54% of all soybeans cultivated in 2000 were genetically-modified, in 2010, 93% of soybeans are genetically modified. Yet another reason to avoid soy foods.
While soy, corn and potatoes are the most prevalent GMO foods, there are many others that you should be aware about as well, such as:
Salmon
Canola oil
High fructose corn syrup/corn sugar (one of the reasons there is so much GMO corn being grown. The other reason for so much corn is that it is readily fed to livestock)
Dairy (conventional cows are injected with the genetically engineered hormone rBGH/rBST and are frequently fed GMO corn and grains.)
Processed foods (many processed foods have been tested and shown to contain some GMO ingredients.)
References:
1. Seeds of Deception by Dr. Jeffrey M. Smith
2. Austrian Health Ministers Report 2008
3. Organic Consumers Organization (website)
4. American Academy of Environmental Medicine
1. Seeds of Deception by Dr. Jeffrey M. Smith
2. Austrian Health Ministers Report 2008
3. Organic Consumers Organization (website)
4. American Academy of Environmental Medicine
The Infertility Timebomb: Are Men Facing Rapid Extinction?
By Tamara Sturtz, Daily Mail, UK, 10 May 2010
One in five men could suffer from fertility problems. And scientists have warned that it’s just going to get worse...
There’s a crisis brewing, but it has nothing to do with the economic deficit or the current political uncertainty. Scientists are warning that rising levels of male infertility have become so perilous that it is a serious ‘public health issue’. And some go even further.
Professor Niels Skakkebaek, of the University of Copenhagen, describes the issue ‘as important as global warming’. Last week, one science writer even suggested, in starkly terrifying terms, that if scientists from Mars were to study the male reproductive system, they would possibly conclude that man was destined for rapid extinction.
And if it continues, this trend could indicate men are on a path to becoming completely infertile within a few generations.
Reports claim that as many as one in five healthy young men between the ages of 18 and 25 produce abnormal sperm counts.
Only 5 to 15 per cent of their sperm is good enough to be classed as ‘normal’ under World Health Organisation rules - proving that infertility is not just a female problem. Indeed, among those experiencing difficulty with conception, a male fertility problem is considered important in about 40 per cent of couples.
But women trying to get pregnant are facing another astonishing claim: that the core problems of male fertility - while they may be exacerbated by environmental issues - start in the womb.
‘Sperm counts are declining and there is mounting evidence that the problem starts even before birth,’ says Dr Gillian Lockwood, medical director of Midland Fertility Services.
She cites growing evidence that although the process of sperm production - known as spermatogenesis - starts in adolescence, the crucial preparations are made in the few months before and after birth.
Experts talk of a ‘window’ of testicular development that begins in the growing foetus and ends in the first six months of life. Problems in this period mean that the baby boy may never be able to produce babies of his own.
It’s a theory that Karl Tonks, a clinical skills trainer, is particularly interested in. Karl, 47, and his teaching assistant wife Lorraine, 41, consider themselves among the lucky ones: they have two healthy children, despite Karl’s low sperm count. Their twins Ben and Kira, now 12, were born as a result of arduous and expensive IVF.
There’s a crisis brewing, but it has nothing to do with the economic deficit or the current political uncertainty. Scientists are warning that rising levels of male infertility have become so perilous that it is a serious ‘public health issue’. And some go even further.
Professor Niels Skakkebaek, of the University of Copenhagen, describes the issue ‘as important as global warming’. Last week, one science writer even suggested, in starkly terrifying terms, that if scientists from Mars were to study the male reproductive system, they would possibly conclude that man was destined for rapid extinction.
And if it continues, this trend could indicate men are on a path to becoming completely infertile within a few generations.
Reports claim that as many as one in five healthy young men between the ages of 18 and 25 produce abnormal sperm counts.
Only 5 to 15 per cent of their sperm is good enough to be classed as ‘normal’ under World Health Organisation rules - proving that infertility is not just a female problem. Indeed, among those experiencing difficulty with conception, a male fertility problem is considered important in about 40 per cent of couples.
But women trying to get pregnant are facing another astonishing claim: that the core problems of male fertility - while they may be exacerbated by environmental issues - start in the womb.
‘Sperm counts are declining and there is mounting evidence that the problem starts even before birth,’ says Dr Gillian Lockwood, medical director of Midland Fertility Services.
She cites growing evidence that although the process of sperm production - known as spermatogenesis - starts in adolescence, the crucial preparations are made in the few months before and after birth.
Experts talk of a ‘window’ of testicular development that begins in the growing foetus and ends in the first six months of life. Problems in this period mean that the baby boy may never be able to produce babies of his own.
It’s a theory that Karl Tonks, a clinical skills trainer, is particularly interested in. Karl, 47, and his teaching assistant wife Lorraine, 41, consider themselves among the lucky ones: they have two healthy children, despite Karl’s low sperm count. Their twins Ben and Kira, now 12, were born as a result of arduous and expensive IVF.
Srimad-Bhagavatam instructs us solely on this subject from the very beginning to the end. Human life is simply meant for self-realization. The civilization which aims at this utmost perfection never indulges in creating unwanted things, and such a perfect civilization prepares men only to accept the bare necessities of life or to follow the principle of the best use of a bad bargain. Our material bodies and our lives in that connection are bad bargains because the living entity is actually spirit, and spiritual advancement of the living entity is absolutely necessary. Human life is intended for the realization of this important factor, and one should act accordingly, accepting only the bare necessities of life and depending more on God’s gift without diversion of human energy for any other purpose, such as being mad for material enjoyment. The materialistic advancement of civilization is called “the civilization of the demons,” which ultimately ends in wars and scarcity.
- Srila Prabhupada (Srimad Bhagavatam 2.2.3 Purport)
