provided to Vatic Project by Gypsy Fire, Australia
http://www.safelawns.org/
Mon, Jan 24, 2011
His research literally sends chills down the spines of people on both sides of the fence in the debate concerning genetically modified foods and use of the weed killer known as Roundup. Opponents of GMO food read his studies and openly weep as their worst fears of the pesticide's toxicity are confirmed; the proponents of GMOs and Roundup publicly and predictably call his very ethics into question as they privately fear a loss of revenue.
Through it all, Gilles-Eric Séralini, has remained steadfast for nearly 15 years. The professor of molecular biology at the University of Caen in France, and president of the scientific council for independent research on genetic engineering (CRIIGEN), knows for a fact that plants containing inserted genes for resistance to Roundup have the potential to kill us. He has tried to warn government officials worldwide - largely to no avail. He has witnessed a pattern of deceit since foods were genetically modified to resist Roundup in 1996, a scourge that has only worsened in the years since.
"I was asked to be part of the government commissions which were evaluating GMOs at the French Ministry of Environment and Agriculture in 1997," he said. "I knew the side effects of pesticides on health and I also knew the mode of creation of transgenic (genetically modified) plants that produce or absorb pesticides. From the beginning, I became suspicious of the tests that had been provided by Monsanto and others. And I unveiled the scandal: a consortium of lobbies had taken control of the situation. They were putting a brake on research on the side effects of pesticides on health.
Those corporations want to distribute technological products rapidly and without any control, they want to patent the base of the food trade. This moratorium enabled us to make it clear to agricultural associations, agricultural trade unions, consumer associations, as well as to various ecological and environment friendly groups that there was a public health problem. Then we also very quickly warned ministries."
Despite Seralini's findings - including his blockbuster report in December of 2009 that one component of Roundup kills human cells - the race to genetically modify more and more plants continues almost unabated by reason or law.
The sale of Roundup as a backyard weed killer continues to grow as if Americans still believe the Monsanto's original advertising slogan: "Roundup is as safe as table salt."
Allow yourself the nine minutes it will require to watch this Skype interview with Seralini and form your own opinion of the man and his work: http://www.gmwatch.org/gm-videos/6-must-see-videos/12072-prof-gil-seralini-runs-monsantos-numbers-liverkidney-damage-from-gmos.
Google his name and read the reports. If you do, you'll find that last year, just after his study hit at Christmastime of 2009, Monsanto and others organized a widespread smear campaign to discredit Seralini and his colleagues.
Know this, though: More than a thousand scientists worldwide came to Seralini's defense and protested the defamation campaign - essentially agreeing that his work was accurate.
Ask yourself who you believe about Roundup's safety? The scientists . . . or Monsanto, the manufacturer, and Scotts Miracle-Go, the sales agents.
This post was written by:
Paul Tukey - who has written 600 posts on Safelawns Daily Post and Q&A Blog.
Editor's note: My thanks and appreciation to Percy for providing this article on his blog at http://vaticproject.blogspot.com/2011/02/french-gmo-researcher-vilified-by.html