Genetically Modified Children: New Film Unveils the ‘Monstrous’ Child Deformities Caused by Agrochemicals in Argentina.

Genetically Modified Children: New Film Unveils the ‘Monstrous’ Child Deformities Caused by Agrochemicals in Argentina. The shocking film "Genetically Modified Children" unveils the horrors of decades of chemical-intensive agricultural practices in Argentina, where the majority of crops are genetically modified (GM) and routinely doused in dangerous agrochemicals, and the chokehold big tobacco companies such as Philip Morris and chemical and seed giants have on poverty-stricken farmers desperate to earn a living. The film, produced by Juliette Igier and Stephanie Lebrun, shows the devastating health effects the region's agricultural sector is having on children,1 an increasing number of whom are being born with monstrous physical deformities. Some of the children's cases are so severe that, without a medical intervention, will result in death before the age of 5. The film begins with the crew traveling from North Argentina in the Province of Misiones to the Brazilian frontier, an agricultural region that was one of the nation's first to begin growing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the mid-'90s. Featured in the film is Ricardo Rivero, regional head of the local electricity company. He learned that the reason families cannot pay their bills is because often they are taking care of a sick or handicapped child, and receive no assistance from the Argentinian government. The film shows them visiting the humble home of a tobacco farmer where they meet Lucas Texeira, a 5-year-old boy with an incurable genetic skin disease. The family believes it was caused by the mother's exposure to Monsanto's Roundup weedkiller early on in her pregnancy. No one told her it was toxic, she says. The genetic mutation that caused her son's condition left him with no pores in his skin, which means he doesn't perspire. The heat from his body stays inside, causing him severe and painful itching that leads to frequent crying spells. Mr. Texeira expresses his sadness over Lucas' condition, as well as his fears that he could have another child in the future with a similar deformity.

Researchers use gut bacteria to turn type A or B blood into universal donors.

Researchers use gut bacteria to turn type A or B blood into universal donors.Bacteria found in the human gut could save countless lives by transforming type A or type B blood into type O. At a meeting of the American Chemical Society , Steve Withers of the University of British Colombia presented new research suggesting enzymes found in gut bacteria could effectively strip antigens from the two most common blood types. If successful, the discovery would essentially make most types of blood accessible to those who need it, regardless of their blood type.

AGRIBUSINESS: How to make homemade weedkiller with vinegar.

AGRIBUSINESS: How to make homemade weedkiller with vinegar. How to make homemade weedkiller with vinegar. The easiest recipe for vinegar weed killer is simply to use vinegar at full strength, without adding anything else. White vinegar is most often used for this purpose, although any vinegar will work. Vinegar is generally a pet-safe weed killer, as well. There are numerous recipes used by gardeners. It depends upon your own experience and opinion which is best to use. Several different recipes are given below, followed by warnings and other information which will be helpful to you. 1)Vinegar alone - Full strength, undiluted 18 percent acidity vinegar can be an effective weed killer. 2)Vinegar and Soap - Mix dishwashing soap at a rate of one ounce per gallon of full strength vinegar. This mixture can double as an insecticide. Be aware of this as you're using it. Also remember that it will kill your good plants as well, so be sure not to get it onto any of your flowers or vegetable plants. Please see the dangers section below for warnings about harmful chemicals in some detergents. 3)Vinegar, Soap, and Salt - One gallon vinegar, one cup of salt, one tablespoon dishwashing liquid. Mix together and apply. Please see the dangers section below for warnings about harmful chemicals in some detergents. 4)Vinegar and Lemon Juice - Many people say that adding lemon juice to vinegar increases its effectiveness as a weed killer. This is because it increases the acidity levels. Adding anywhere from one tablespoon to one cup per gallon is a common recipe. 5)Vinegar and Essential Oil - Mix full strength vinegar with one tablespoon of essential oil of clove or orange. Some gardeners say the oil helps the mixture stick to the plants better to increase effectiveness. Vinegar as weedkiller

Roundup Made With Vinegar (Rather Than Glyphosate) Is Now Available .

Roundup Made With Vinegar (Rather Than Glyphosate) Is Now Available . Roundup is a pesticide (a weed-killer or herbicide) containing the active ingredient glyphosate. It is a controversial herbicide that is the most heavily used pesticide in the world. And since the introduction of Roundup Ready crops that have been genetically modified to survive repeated Roundup applications, the use is only increasing on farms. Several posts here, here, and here have discussed research and controversies with Roundup, and the numerous health concerns (including that it is a "probable carcinogen"), as well as the residues that are in our food (and allowed to be there). A new product called Roundup, but containing acetic acid instead of glyphosate, is now available at garden centers in Austria. The product is called Roundup AC is being manufactured by Scotts (the name is licensed from Monsanto), and it uses 10% acetic acid in place of glyphosate. To use ordinary vinegar as a weed-killer: Use on a hot sunny dry day. Just spray or pour some on the offending weeds - and whatever the vinegar touches will soon die. Unfortunately the weeds may come back after a week or two (the root systems may not be killed off) - so just reapply vinegar. Or can make the effects of the vinegar stronger by adding one cup salt to a gallon vinegar or a little (a teaspoon or more) dish detergent to the vinegar. Or combine all three ingredients when needing permanent removal of vegetation from an area such as sidewalk cracks or gravel driveways. Roundup Made With Vinegar (Rather Than Glyphosate) Is Now Available .

How to use vinegar as a weed killer.

How to use vinegar as a weed killer.Vinegar is a natural product, usually derived from grain, apples or grapes. It is distilled through a fermentation process. The vinegar you buy is typically labeled at 5% acidity. This means it contains 5% acetic acid, the active ingredient.

 Acetic acid is what makes vinegar a weed killer. Actually, it makes vinegar a plant killer. Acetic acid, from any source, will kill most vegetation because it draws all the moisture out of the leaf.Vinegar can also be used to promote growth of plants in drought regions. It is fast.

 Spraying full strength vinegar on a plant in full sun will often result in a withered, brown plant in only a few hours, for sensitive weeds, or by the next day in tougher plants.  This is because it is non-selective, meaning it might kill everything it touches.


This limits the usefulness of a vinegar weed killer, to the extent that you are able to control over-spray that would get on desirable plants.

How to make money holding grain. #‘Money to be made holding grain’

How to make money holding grain. #‘Money to be made holding grain’ On-farm grain storage can improve harvest efficiency but also aids marketing. There’s money to be made by holding grain,” says Weakley County, Tenn., farmer Jason Yarbro. But that’s not the only reason Jason, his brother James and their two sons built facilities with storage capacity of 915,000 bushels of corn, soybeans and wheat and why they are looking to add more capacity. The main storage facility,designed by GSI, handles 915,000 bushels, says Jason, 50. Jason said these bins perform increasingly important roles on the corn, soybean and wheat farm. For one thing, on-farm storage improves harvest efficiency, allowing combines to continue running while a fleet of trucks haul grain and beans the short distance to the bins. “We also harvest corn at 25 percent moisture and dry it to 16 percent in the bins,” Jason says. “We get better yields by harvesting at higher moisture.” He explains that shelling the corn early decreases late-season field losses. “Our final yield is better because of the ability to harvest early, dry and store it.

How to generate clean energy/electricity from water hyacinth.

How to generate clean energy/electricity from water hyacinth. Biogas is a clean and environment friendly fuel produced through the anaerobic digestion of organic wastes such as: cow-dung, vegetable wastes, municipal solid waste and industrial wastewater . It is increasingly be-coming important in domestic and industry as fuel due to its costs and cleanliness. The main component of the gas is methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, nitrogen and hydrogen sulphide [3]. Water hyacinth can be used as a potential feedstock for biogas production due to its abundance and high carbon-nitrogen ratio. This study aims at evaluating the potential of utilization of water hyacinth for biogas production.