wakingtimes--2020-01-20--Could Worms Be One Solution to the Plastic Problem?

In 2013 , the world produced 299 million tons of plastic , of which polystyrene — one brand name is Styrofoam — is one part .
A report by the Worldwatch Institute showed that this number increased by 3.9 % from the year before .
As demonstrated in this short video , polystyrene currently may account for one-third of the contents of landfills ; worms may be one answer to the problem .
Expanded polystyrene foam ( EPF ) was first discovered in 1839 , becoming popular during World War II in material used to build military aircraft .
Production @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time ; in 1946 Dow Chemical Company began working to make it more flexible .
This resulted in the polystyrene product we now know : It ’ s moisture resistant and light weight because 98 % of it is air .
Unfortunately , polystyrene doesn ’ t decompose .
It does degrade somewhat , but not enough to keep marine life from eating it , filling their stomachs with plastic so they essentially starve to death for lack of nourishment .
The chemicals in polystyrene harm wildlife on land , too , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way into the food chain .
Despite this knowledge , some sing the praises of this plastic , citing an overall life cycle assessment that has a lower footprint than other types of packaging material .
However , despite the accolades , New York Mayor Bill de Blasio did not agree and , in 2015 , he announced a law to ban its use in all five boroughs , “ removing nearly 30,000 tons of … waste from our landfills , streets and waterways.
” The ban was not enforced until July 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largest city to ban the product from use .
Miami Beach , Seattle , San Diego and Washington , D.C. , also have bans in place , while the states of Connecticut , Maine and Maryland are in various stages of legislation to ban use .
In 2017 Metro New York reported that New York City ’ s department of sanitation handled 12,000 tons of garbage every day .
On a nationwide scale , EPA data from 2017 showed that the U.S. generated 268 million tons of waste , of which 13 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t tell you how much of the city ’ s or nation ’ s trash is polystyrene , researchers at Stanford University found that Americans dispose of 2.5 billion plastic foam cups every year .
That represents only a small portion of the plates , takeout containers and building materials in which polystyrene is used .
But to give you give an idea of how serious this issue is , the Los Angeles Times reported in 2017 that , of the 9.1 billion tons of plastics ever produced , 5.4 billion has ended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the environment .
The ban on polystyrene in New York was triggered in part by its physical properties : It is easily carried by the wind and difficult to remove because it is brittle .
It develops an electrostatic charge causing it to cling to other material .
The ban in New York affected 850,000 students served lunches on foam trays .
To give the product other attributes , the foam can be laced with chemicals such as flame retardants and other endocrine disrupting chemicals .
But , exposure to flame retardants during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in children and neurodevelopmental disorders.10 One way this might happen is the influence flame retardants have on thyroid hormones .
Environmental Impact of Mealworms May Be Profound In a detailed 45-page report , Styrofoam critics presented evidence rebutting multiple arguments that polystyrene has a smaller carbon footprint and that society could not continue to function without it .
The researchers concluded : To say this is a serious issue is an understatement — however , there may be hope in a recent study by Stanford researchers who found that little mealworms may hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plastics problem facing the Earth .
In past research , data showed mealworms could eat through the foam and other forms of plastic .
In January 2018 a published study revealed the optimal conditions for consuming plastic happened at 77 Fahrenheit ( 25 Celsius ) with 6 % to 11 % of bran supplementing the polystyrene .
This same study found the second generation of mealworms fed a bran and polystyrene mixture could degrade more plastic , faster .
A new team looked at whether the same species of mealworms could eat polystyrene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safely consumed by livestock .
The researchers sought to determine where the toxic chemicals would be deposited after the mealworms consumed the plastic , hoping for a proof of concept to derive some value from the tons of plastic waste littering the planet .
In this study the worms were fed a steady diet of plastic infused with HBCD , a chemical the EU plans to ban because it is a neurotoxin and an endocrine disruptor .
After eating the plastic , the worms excreted 90 % of the HBCD in 24 hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What ’ s more , the worms appeared as healthy as those fed a normal diet , and the shrimp that ate the experimental worms also appeared to remain healthy .
One of team member commented : “ This is definitely not what we expected to see .
It ’ s amazing that mealworms can eat a chemical additive without it building up in their body over time.
” The mealworms were able to degrade the plastic during digestion .
They also were able to separate the toxic chemical from the plastic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to control .
The researchers note while this may be helpful , it is not nearly as effective as eliminating the use of neurotoxic chemicals .
The mealworms are easy to cultivate and are known as an agricultural pest , as they eat nearly everything in their path .
The scientists pointed out that it was the population of bacteria living in the worms ’ guts that actually degraded the plastic , not the mechanical digestion in the mealworm — so you can see that , even for a little mealworm , their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be one strategy to help reduce plastic pollution , but the danger of toxic chemicals within the plastic remains .
In the mid-1970s , certain household items were required to be treated with flame retardant chemicals , including furniture , carpeting and children ’ s clothing and toys .
Legislators may have believed they were helping preserve public health , but they failed to account for the damage the chemicals would have on children and adults as they leached out of the products into the environment .
The form of flame retardant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since it may be inhaled , swallowed and absorbed through the skin , accumulating in your fatty tissue .
The earlier flame retardants were from a family of polybrominated diphenyl ethers ( PBDEs ) , which were replaced with organophosphate ester flame retardants ( OPFRs ) when the PBDEs were phased out .
Scientists have found OPFRs are often at levels 10 to 100 times higher in water , air and dust than were PBDEs .
Additionally , they were also found in nearly every person who participated in research studies .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at levels high enough to negatively affect healthy brain development in children and fertility in adults .
It was expected OPFRs would be less persistent then PBDEs in the environment .
However , predicting their presence is difficult to measure based on the compounds ’ physical and chemical properties .
You ’ ll find a more in-depth discussion of the dangers related to flame retardant chemicals currently in use at “ Experts Fear Flame Retardants Are Triggering a Health Crisis.
” As mentioned , the researchers in the most recent study pointed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crucial to the process of degrading the polystyrene based on work published in 2015 .
In this study scientists were able to demonstrate the eradication of specific bacterial species in the mealworms ’ gut eliminated the ability to degrade polystyrene .
The researchers were able to stop the ability to depolymerize the plastic by feeding them gentamicin .
By analyzing excrement , they found a bacterial strain , Exiguobacterium sp .
strain YT2 , in the gut of the mealworm was essential to the biodegradation of the material .
Evidence from small mealworms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gut bacteria .
The composition of your gut microbiome may be as distinct as your fingerprint and plays an enormous role in your health and disease prevention .
It influences your immune system and a variety of internal organs , such as your lungs , breasts and liver .
One study by the National Institutes of Health showed the gut microbiome could alter immune cells in the liver and trigger tumor growth .
Your gut microbiome also has a strong influence over the development of intestinal conditions such as celiac disease or food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obesity , depression , chronic fatigue and Parkinson ’ s disease .
One factor may be the bidirectional role the gut plays in sleep .
Research data show a link between insomnia and depression , that may be altered by the composition of the gut microbiome .
Alterations in sleep cycles may increase your risk of health damage .
Although it is impossible to determine the exact diversification of an ideal microbiome , researchers have been able to change the composition in some with Type 2 diabetes to reverse the disease .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may have been related to the state of the gut microbiome before transplantation and the care and feeding of the new bacterial species after transplantation .
An effective means of protecting the health of your gut microbiome is to provide a rich source of probiotics by eating fermented foods .
You can easily and inexpensively make these at home as I demonstrate in this short video .
Fermented foods can be an outstanding source of essential nutrients , such as Vitamin K2 .
They help to boost your immune system and may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As potent detoxifiers , fermented foods draw out toxins and heavy metals from the bloodstream .
Fermented foods also provide a natural variety of microflora , much wider than you can receive in supplement form .
In addition to adding beneficial microflora to the gut , eating prebiotic foods can help them thrive .
Prebiotics are found in fiber rich foods good bacteria prefer .
On the other hand , pathogenic disease-causing microbes thrive on sugar and carbohydrates .
When you focus on a whole , natural foods diet plan you support the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep harmful bacteria in check .

Could Worms Be One Solution to the Plastic Problem?
Dr. Mercola, Guest
Waking Times
In 2013, the world produced 299 million tons of plastic, of which polystyrene — one brand name is Styrofoam — is one part. A report by the Worldwatch Institute showed that this number increased by 3.9% from the year before. As demonstrated in this short video, polystyrene currently may account for one-third of the contents of landfills; worms may be one answer to the problem.
Expanded polystyrene foam (EPF) was first discovered in 1839, becoming popular during World War II in material used to build military aircraft. Production grew at a phenomenal rate during this time; in 1946 Dow Chemical Company began working to make it more flexible. This resulted in the polystyrene product we now know: It’s moisture resistant and light weight because 98% of it is air.
Unfortunately, polystyrene doesn’t decompose. It does degrade somewhat, but not enough to keep marine life from eating it, filling their stomachs with plastic so they essentially starve to death for lack of nourishment. The chemicals in polystyrene harm wildlife on land, too, as they leach out and eventually make their way into the food chain.
Despite this knowledge, some sing the praises of this plastic, citing an overall life cycle assessment that has a lower footprint than other types of packaging material. However, despite the accolades, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio did not agree and, in 2015, he announced a law to ban its use in all five boroughs, “removing nearly 30,000 tons of … waste from our landfills, streets and waterways.”
The ban was not enforced until July 1, 2019, making New York the largest city to ban the product from use. Miami Beach, Seattle, San Diego and Washington, D.C., also have bans in place, while the states of Connecticut, Maine and Maryland are in various stages of legislation to ban use.
Polystyrene Responsible for One-Third of Landfill Content
In 2017 Metro New York reported that New York City’s department of sanitation handled 12,000 tons of garbage every day. On a nationwide scale, EPA data from 2017 showed that the U.S. generated 268 million tons of waste, of which 13% was plastic.
While that doesn’t tell you how much of the city’s or nation’s trash is polystyrene, researchers at Stanford University found that Americans dispose of 2.5 billion plastic foam cups every year.
That represents only a small portion of the plates, takeout containers and building materials in which polystyrene is used. But to give you give an idea of how serious this issue is, the Los Angeles Times reported in 2017 that, of the 9.1 billion tons of plastics ever produced, 5.4 billion has ended up in landfills or somewhere else in the environment.
The ban on polystyrene in New York was triggered in part by its physical properties: It is easily carried by the wind and difficult to remove because it is brittle. It develops an electrostatic charge causing it to cling to other material. The ban in New York affected 850,000 students served lunches on foam trays.
To give the product other attributes, the foam can be laced with chemicals such as flame retardants and other endocrine disrupting chemicals. But, exposure to flame retardants during pregnancy is associated with a lower IQ in children and neurodevelopmental disorders.10 One way this might happen is the influence flame retardants have on thyroid hormones.
Environmental Impact of Mealworms May Be Profound
In a detailed 45-page report, Styrofoam critics presented evidence rebutting multiple arguments that polystyrene has a smaller carbon footprint and that society could not continue to function without it. The researchers concluded:
“Though Styrofoam is relatively inexpensive to produce, the social costs of its production involve the use of hazardous chemicals, fossil fuels, and the emission of greenhouse gases. The lightweight yet durable nature of Styrofoam that makes it good for single-use consumer products also yields it not readily recyclable and leads to its accumulation in landfills and as litter in waterways and highways. Finally, though Styrofoam itself is unreactive, the compounds used in its production have been identified as harmful to human health.”
To say this is a serious issue is an understatement — however, there may be hope in a recent study by Stanford researchers who found that little mealworms may hold part of the answer to the giant plastics problem facing the Earth. In past research, data showed mealworms could eat through the foam and other forms of plastic.
In January 2018 a published study revealed the optimal conditions for consuming plastic happened at 77 Fahrenheit (25 Celsius) with 6% to 11% of bran supplementing the polystyrene. This same study found the second generation of mealworms fed a bran and polystyrene mixture could degrade more plastic, faster.
A new team looked at whether the same species of mealworms could eat polystyrene laced with toxic chemicals and still be safely consumed by livestock. The researchers sought to determine where the toxic chemicals would be deposited after the mealworms consumed the plastic, hoping for a proof of concept to derive some value from the tons of plastic waste littering the planet.
In this study the worms were fed a steady diet of plastic infused with HBCD, a chemical the EU plans to ban because it is a neurotoxin and an endocrine disruptor. After eating the plastic, the worms excreted 90% of the HBCD in 24 hours and the remaining after 48 hours.
What’s more, the worms appeared as healthy as those fed a normal diet, and the shrimp that ate the experimental worms also appeared to remain healthy. One of team member commented: “This is definitely not what we expected to see. It’s amazing that mealworms can eat a chemical additive without it building up in their body over time.”
The mealworms were able to degrade the plastic during digestion. They also were able to separate the toxic chemical from the plastic and concentrate it, possibly making it easier to control. The researchers note while this may be helpful, it is not nearly as effective as eliminating the use of neurotoxic chemicals.
The mealworms are easy to cultivate and are known as an agricultural pest, as they eat nearly everything in their path. The scientists pointed out that it was the population of bacteria living in the worms’ guts that actually degraded the plastic, not the mechanical digestion in the mealworm — so you can see that, even for a little mealworm, their gut bacteria is important.
Flame Retardant Chemicals Remain Hazardous After Eating
The mealworms may be one strategy to help reduce plastic pollution, but the danger of toxic chemicals within the plastic remains. In the mid-1970s, certain household items were required to be treated with flame retardant chemicals, including furniture, carpeting and children’s clothing and toys.
Legislators may have believed they were helping preserve public health, but they failed to account for the damage the chemicals would have on children and adults as they leached out of the products into the environment.
The form of flame retardant currently in use is terribly dangerous, since it may be inhaled, swallowed and absorbed through the skin, accumulating in your fatty tissue. The earlier flame retardants were from a family of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which were replaced with organophosphate ester flame retardants (OPFRs) when the PBDEs were phased out.
Scientists have found OPFRs are often at levels 10 to 100 times higher in water, air and dust than were PBDEs. Additionally, they were also found in nearly every person who participated in research studies. In several, data showed the OPFRs were at levels high enough to negatively affect healthy brain development in children and fertility in adults.
It was expected OPFRs would be less persistent then PBDEs in the environment. However, predicting their presence is difficult to measure based on the compounds’ physical and chemical properties. You’ll find a more in-depth discussion of the dangers related to flame retardant chemicals currently in use at “Experts Fear Flame Retardants Are Triggering a Health Crisis.”
Gut Bacteria Doing the Heavy Lifting
As mentioned, the researchers in the most recent study pointed to the bacteria inhabiting the mealworm gut as crucial to the process of degrading the polystyrene based on work published in 2015. In this study scientists were able to demonstrate the eradication of specific bacterial species in the mealworms’ gut eliminated the ability to degrade polystyrene.
The researchers were able to stop the ability to depolymerize the plastic by feeding them gentamicin. By analyzing excrement, they found a bacterial strain, Exiguobacterium sp. strain YT2, in the gut of the mealworm was essential to the biodegradation of the material.
Importance of the Gut Microbiome
Evidence from small mealworms more than adequately demonstrates the importance of gut bacteria. The composition of your gut microbiome may be as distinct as your fingerprint and plays an enormous role in your health and disease prevention. It influences your immune system and a variety of internal organs, such as your lungs, breasts and liver.
One study by the National Institutes of Health showed the gut microbiome could alter immune cells in the liver and trigger tumor growth. Your gut microbiome also has a strong influence over the development of intestinal conditions such as celiac disease or food allergies.
However, it also influences obesity, depression, chronic fatigue and Parkinson’s disease. One factor may be the bidirectional role the gut plays in sleep. Research data show a link between insomnia and depression, that may be altered by the composition of the gut microbiome. Alterations in sleep cycles may increase your risk of health damage.
Although it is impossible to determine the exact diversification of an ideal microbiome, researchers have been able to change the composition in some with Type 2 diabetes to reverse the disease.
While most experienced a short-term improvement, this may have been related to the state of the gut microbiome before transplantation and the care and feeding of the new bacterial species after transplantation.
Changing Small Habits May Reap Big Rewards
http://youtu.be/05lVOmj1Pqg
An effective means of protecting the health of your gut microbiome is to provide a rich source of probiotics by eating fermented foods. You can easily and inexpensively make these at home as I demonstrate in this short video. Fermented foods can be an outstanding source of essential nutrients, such as Vitamin K2.
They help to boost your immune system and may be some of the best chelators available. As potent detoxifiers, fermented foods draw out toxins and heavy metals from the bloodstream. Fermented foods also provide a natural variety of microflora, much wider than you can receive in supplement form.
In addition to adding beneficial microflora to the gut, eating prebiotic foods can help them thrive. Prebiotics are found in fiber rich foods good bacteria prefer. On the other hand, pathogenic disease-causing microbes thrive on sugar and carbohydrates. When you focus on a whole, natural foods diet plan you support the growth of beneficial gut bacteria and help keep harmful bacteria in check.


wakingtimes--2020-01-21--Madacascar Is Planting 60 Million Trees in Ambitious Drive Inspired by Its President

Madagascar has embarked on its most ambitious tree-planting drive yet , aiming to plant 60 million trees in the coming months .
The island nation celebrates 60 years of independence this year , and the start of the planting campaign on Jan. 19 marked one year since the inauguration of President Andry Rajoelina , who has promised to restore Madagascar ’ s lost forests .
Madagascar , the oldest island in the world and the fourth-largest , spanning 59 million ha ( 146 million acres ) , is home to an astounding range of plant and animal life .
Between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one-fifth of its tree cover , according to Global Forest Watch , driven primarily by the expansion of shifting agriculture , known locally as tavy .
The destruction of Madagascar ’ s forests could sound the death knell for many of its endemic species , found nowhere else on the planet .
Months of planning and a massive nationwide effort to amass seeds and populate nurseries culminated in the highly publicized launch .
It saw participation from NGOs , schools , government ministries , and the army .
Rajoelina , dressed in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season by tucking a seedling into a pocket of earth .
He later lent a hand to children , took selfies with babies , and was even photographed , hoe in hand , hauling dirt .
But experts say the real heavy lifting to reclaim forests will come after the saplings are in the ground .
For the planting season that runs until April , the Rajoelina administration wants 60 million seedlings to be planted across 40,000 ha ( 99,000 acres ) .
Experts interviewed by Mongabay last November said it would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country where almost 80 % of the population does not have access to grid electricity , and felling trees to make charcoal for cooking is a widespread practice .
Reconciling the immediate needs of the country ’ s poor and the long-term goal of stemming and then turning the tide of deforestation will be tough , observers say .
It remains to be seen whether Rajoelina has the will to see it through , given his checkered record on the environment .
Madagascar has hosted tree-planting drives in the past , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this time around is expected to make a difference .
Nirina Rakotonanahary , 30 , a participant at the launch , said it was his first time taking part in a tree-planting drive , which he said was popularized by the president .
Close to 200,000 seedlings were gathered in nurseries for the launch event and transported to the Ankazobe site on trucks .
For the national campaign , an estimated 100 million seeds have been rounded up by regional centers of the environmental ministry and its partners .
The seedlings are being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ associations from government-run nurseries .
The launch made it clear the government is trying to strike a balance between planting native species and agroforestry species , some of which are exotic and invasive .
The 50 species that are available at the nurseries include exotic acacia , eucalyptus , fruit trees and various spice trees .
Rakotonanahary said he planted fruit trees because if the yield was good , they might be able to export the produce .
To extend the drive to remote areas , the government plans to use drones and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 5 tons of seeds in the form of seed balls were dropped from an aircraft over 500 ha of land .
Each ball of soil is packed with 25 seeds .
The success rate measured in terms of how many seeds survive and germinate is about 60 % , according to a government release that cited a pilot project carried out in 2018 .
The ministry of environment also said the practice would save on the cost of plastic bags that hold seedlings before they are transplanted .
The immediate concern is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and in the longer term to ensure that gains are not frittered away .
The president , in his speech , said that meeting concrete targets and following up with action would be central to the campaign .
“ This time , the action will be continuous , and there will be a follow-up .
The state will recruit guards to monitor and protect the young plants , ” Alexandre Georget , Madagascar ’ s environment minister , said at the launch .
In Ankazobe , there is a plan to recruit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the area is at risk from forest fires that could wipe out within days any gains from a planting campaign months in the making .
Involving local communities is indispensable not just in planting trees but in monitoring and safeguarding them , according to Ratsimbazafy of GERP .
“ If the authorities do not have a clear and efficient strategy to fight against deforestation and fires , then Madagascar won ’ t return to forests , ” he said .
That ’ s a view echoed by Alliance Voahary Gasy ( AVG ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In a social media post , AVG expressed support for the large-scale effort but noted that if the government did not take strict action against those breaking environmental rules , including government officials , the campaign would fail to meet its objectives .
While millions of seeds may sprout forth from the red soils of Madagascar in the coming months , a sense of optimism about the greening campaign has yet to take root .
Rakotonanahary , who help plant fruit trees in Ankazobe , also struck a despondent note .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all survive , ” he said of the newly planted trees .
“ The problem is that in Madagascar , we make efforts one day , and then we do not continue.
” Malavika Vyawahare is a staff writer for Mongabay .
Find her on Twitter : @ MalavikaVy .

Madacascar Is Planting 60 Million Trees in Ambitious Drive Inspired by Its President
Malavika Vyawahare, Mongabay
Waking Times
Madagascar has embarked on its most ambitious tree-planting drive yet, aiming to plant 60 million trees in the coming months. The island nation celebrates 60 years of independence this year, and the start of the planting campaign on Jan. 19 marked one year since the inauguration of President Andry Rajoelina, who has promised to restore Madagascar’s lost forests.
“The government has the challenge of making Madagascar a green island again. I encourage the people to protect the environment and reforest for the benefit of the future generations,” Rajoelina told the hundreds of people who attended the launch in Ankazobe district, 100 kilometers (60 miles) northwest of the capital, Antananarivo. In a span of a few hours, about 1 million trees and seeds were planted over 500 hectares (1,235 acres), according to the environment ministry — an area one-and-a-half times the size of New York City’s Central Park.
Madagascar, the oldest island in the world and the fourth-largest, spanning 59 million ha (146 million acres), is home to an astounding range of plant and animal life. Between 2001 and 2018, it lost about one-fifth of its tree cover, according to Global Forest Watch, driven primarily by the expansion of shifting agriculture, known locally as tavy. The destruction of Madagascar’s forests could sound the death knell for many of its endemic species, found nowhere else on the planet.
Months of planning and a massive nationwide effort to amass seeds and populate nurseries culminated in the highly publicized launch. It saw participation from NGOs, schools, government ministries, and the army. Rajoelina, dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, launched the planting season by tucking a seedling into a pocket of earth. He later lent a hand to children, took selfies with babies, and was even photographed, hoe in hand, hauling dirt. But experts say the real heavy lifting to reclaim forests will come after the saplings are in the ground.
“Right now, we are at the stage of planting trees, but the big question is: What is next? How to protect those young trees, so we don’t plant them in January and then destroy them in July,” said Jonah Ratsimbazafy, a prominent Malagasy primatologist who heads the Groupe d’Étude et de Recherche sur les Primates (GERP).
For the planting season that runs until April, the Rajoelina administration wants 60 million seedlings to be planted across 40,000 ha (99,000 acres). Experts interviewed by Mongabay last November said it would be a formidable undertaking, especially for a country where almost 80% of the population does not have access to grid electricity, and felling trees to make charcoal for cooking is a widespread practice. Reconciling the immediate needs of the country’s poor and the long-term goal of stemming and then turning the tide of deforestation will be tough, observers say. It remains to be seen whether Rajoelina has the will to see it through, given his checkered record on the environment.
Madagascar has hosted tree-planting drives in the past, but the push from the president’s office this time around is expected to make a difference. Nirina Rakotonanahary, 30, a participant at the launch, said it was his first time taking part in a tree-planting drive, which he said was popularized by the president. Close to 200,000 seedlings were gathered in nurseries for the launch event and transported to the Ankazobe site on trucks. For the national campaign, an estimated 100 million seeds have been rounded up by regional centers of the environmental ministry and its partners. The seedlings are being distributed free of cost to institutions and associations from government-run nurseries.
The launch made it clear the government is trying to strike a balance between planting native species and agroforestry species, some of which are exotic and invasive. The 50 species that are available at the nurseries include exotic acacia, eucalyptus, fruit trees and various spice trees. Rakotonanahary said he planted fruit trees because if the yield was good, they might be able to export the produce.
To secure the trees, especially those viewed as useful by people, will be an uphill task. “We want to encourage people to plant and not consume the fruits of the trees inside the parks or cut them to make charcoal,” said Mamy Rakotoarijaona, director of Madagascar National Parks. Despite being protected areas, national parks in Madagascar have also witnessed significant deforestation; they have now emerged as important sites for the reforestation campaign.
To extend the drive to remote areas, the government plans to use drones and airplanes. During the launch event, about 5 tons of seeds in the form of seed balls were dropped from an aircraft over 500 ha of land. Each ball of soil is packed with 25 seeds. The success rate measured in terms of how many seeds survive and germinate is about 60%, according to a government release that cited a pilot project carried out in 2018. The ministry of environment also said the practice would save on the cost of plastic bags that hold seedlings before they are transplanted.
The immediate concern is to sustain the momentum for tree planting, and in the longer term to ensure that gains are not frittered away. The president, in his speech, said that meeting concrete targets and following up with action would be central to the campaign. “This time, the action will be continuous, and there will be a follow-up. The state will recruit guards to monitor and protect the young plants,” Alexandre Georget, Madagascar’s environment minister, said at the launch.
In Ankazobe, there is a plan to recruit 50 people to monitor the saplings because the area is at risk from forest fires that could wipe out within days any gains from a planting campaign months in the making. Involving local communities is indispensable not just in planting trees but in monitoring and safeguarding them, according to Ratsimbazafy of GERP. “If the authorities do not have a clear and efficient strategy to fight against deforestation and fires, then Madagascar won’t return to forests,” he said.
That’s a view echoed by Alliance Voahary Gasy (AVG), a coalition of Malagasy environmental NGOs. In a social media post, AVG expressed support for the large-scale effort but noted that if the government did not take strict action against those breaking environmental rules, including government officials, the campaign would fail to meet its objectives.
While millions of seeds may sprout forth from the red soils of Madagascar in the coming months, a sense of optimism about the greening campaign has yet to take root. Rakotonanahary, who help plant fruit trees in Ankazobe, also struck a despondent note. “I’m not sure they will all survive,” he said of the newly planted trees. “The problem is that in Madagascar, we make efforts one day, and then we do not continue.”
About the Author
Malavika Vyawahare is a staff writer for Mongabay. Find her on Twitter: @MalavikaVy.


wakingtimes--2020-01-21--How To Be A Mentally Sovereign Human

How To Be A Mentally Sovereign Human

We all showed up naked , slimy and clueless in a world of inexplicable sensory input we couldn ’ t make head or tail out of .
We were then taught what ’ s what by people who showed up under the exact same circumstances a blink of an eye earlier .
The amniotic fluid is barely washed from our tiny naked bodies before we find ourselves in a marriage and a day job , staring down at a small pair of eyes looking up to us for guidance .
This is not a good environment for developing mental sovereignty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own cognitive relationship with life .
Stepping into the world as a small person is like stepping completely unarmored onto a battlefield with live ammunition flying in all directions , except instead of bullets , it ’ s narrative .
On one side of the battlefield you ’ ve got your family with rifles and side-arms firing their stories about what ’ s important in life , what the world is like , how people should deal with problems , and what society ought to look like .
On another side you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shotguns spraying buckshot about the beliefs that various power structures want you to have about your experience on this earth .
On another side you ’ ve got the advertisers , armed with machine guns , hammering anything that moves with narratives about inadequacy and problems you never knew you had .
And , raining bombs from above , you ’ ve got the mass media propagandists .
You ’ re not going to make it off of that field without sustaining significant damage .
You never stood a chance , really .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ spend a long time picking slugs , bullets and shrapnel out of your flesh and stitching up the wounds that they caused , and that ’ s assuming you ’ re one of the lucky few who makes it off the field at all .
Most just absorb the beliefs that get blasted into them in the frenzy of living and keep almost all of them .
Becoming a mentally self-sovereign human being means undoing all that damage , and protecting yourself from absorbing more .
It means completely renouncing everything you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s happening on these strange shores you washed up on small , sticky and confused , and setting off to find out for yourself instead .
It means making it to the swamps of Dagobah and looking where the wise old muppet is pointing when he suggests “ You must unlearn what you have learned.
” Being a mentally sovereign human means constructing your own understanding of this weird reality based on your own investigations and your own reasoning , which means constructing it from the ground up .
Even your most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rigorously cross-examined with complete skepticism .
Nothing must be taken on faith .
Most people believe that they are truly free thinkers .
Most people are wrong .
Most people are controlled by unworthy , unquestioned ideas that were put in their heads long ago by other people .
To attain a truly self-sovereign mind , you need to put truth above all else in every waking moment .
You need to constantly dedicate yourself to learning what ’ s true and what ’ s real , and to living in alignment with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wanting true mental sovereignty means wanting to know the truth in all areas of your experience , come what may .
It means wanting to know the truth about what ’ s really happening in your world , and how it contrasts with what you ’ re being told to believe about what ’ s happening in your world by confident-sounding voices on the screens that you see .
It means wanting to know the truth about your family and your relationships and the various unconscious , unquestioned dynamics that are at play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the truth about the various aspects of yourself that you keep hidden and compartmentalized out of sight .
It means wanting to know the truth about reality itself , and how you might have been misperceiving various aspects of your own field of consciousness this entire time .
It means wanting to know the truth , even if very powerful people don ’ t want you to know the truth .
It means wanting to know the truth , even if it hurts .
It means wanting to know the truth , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanting to know the truth , even if it means being wrong .
It means wanting to know the truth , even if it means discovering that you ’ ve been completely wrong about everything your whole life .
It means wanting to know the truth , even if it crumbles every belief you ’ ve ever had about what you are and what the world is .
It means wanting to know the truth , even if it tears your life apart .
It means wanting to know the truth , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have all of it .
Most people are content to sit in various degrees of untruth , accepting unexamined assumptions as true because it is much easier and more comfortable than confronting reality on reality ’ s own terms .
They ’ re happy to let the lies that have been put in their heads by other people rule their experience of this world .
The mentally sovereign human does not do this .
The mentally sovereign human looks at life through lenses constructed out of an uncompromising dedication to unrelenting honesty , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experience .
Mental self-rule is not for everyone .
It is not for cowards .
It is not for the lazy or complacent .
It ’ s not for those who do things only because there ’ s some material or egoic reward in it for them .
These people are destined to have their minds ruled by others .
Mental sovereignty is for those who put truth above all else , and who see truth as its own reward .
Their dedication to learning what ’ s true never ceases .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best way to get around the internet censors and make sure you see the stuff she publishes is to subscribe to the mailing list for her website , which will get you an email notification for everything .
Her articles are entirely reader-supported , so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around , liking her on Facebook , following her antics on Twitter , checking out her podcast , throwing some money into her hat on Patreon or Paypal , or buying her book Woke : A Field Guide for @ @ @

How To Be A Mentally Sovereign Human
Caitlin Johnstone, Guest
Waking Times
We all showed up naked, slimy and clueless in a world of inexplicable sensory input we couldn’t make head or tail out of. We were then taught what’s what by people who showed up under the exact same circumstances a blink of an eye earlier.
The amniotic fluid is barely washed from our tiny naked bodies before we find ourselves in a marriage and a day job, staring down at a small pair of eyes looking up to us for guidance.
This is not a good environment for developing mental sovereignty, the ownership and authorship of your own cognitive relationship with life.
Stepping into the world as a small person is like stepping completely unarmored onto a battlefield with live ammunition flying in all directions, except instead of bullets, it’s narrative.
On one side of the battlefield you’ve got your family with rifles and side-arms firing their stories about what’s important in life, what the world is like, how people should deal with problems, and what society ought to look like.
On another side you’ve got teachers and preachers armed with shotguns spraying buckshot about the beliefs that various power structures want you to have about your experience on this earth.
On another side you’ve got the advertisers, armed with machine guns, hammering anything that moves with narratives about inadequacy and problems you never knew you had.
And, raining bombs from above, you’ve got the mass media propagandists.
You’re not going to make it off of that field without sustaining significant damage. You never stood a chance, really. At best you’re going to spend a long time picking slugs, bullets and shrapnel out of your flesh and stitching up the wounds that they caused, and that’s assuming you’re one of the lucky few who makes it off the field at all. Most just absorb the beliefs that get blasted into them in the frenzy of living and keep almost all of them.
Becoming a mentally self-sovereign human being means undoing all that damage, and protecting yourself from absorbing more. It means completely renouncing everything you’ve been told to believe about what’s happening on these strange shores you washed up on small, sticky and confused, and setting off to find out for yourself instead. It means making it to the swamps of Dagobah and looking where the wise old muppet is pointing when he suggests “You must unlearn what you have learned.”
Being a mentally sovereign human means constructing your own understanding of this weird reality based on your own investigations and your own reasoning, which means constructing it from the ground up. Even your most basic assumptions about reality itself must be rigorously cross-examined with complete skepticism. Nothing must be taken on faith.
Most people believe that they are truly free thinkers. Most people are wrong. Most people are controlled by unworthy, unquestioned ideas that were put in their heads long ago by other people.
To attain a truly self-sovereign mind, you need to put truth above all else in every waking moment. You need to constantly dedicate yourself to learning what’s true and what’s real, and to living in alignment with the truth that has been discovered.
Wanting true mental sovereignty means wanting to know the truth in all areas of your experience, come what may.
It means wanting to know the truth about what’s really happening in your world, and how it contrasts with what you’re being told to believe about what’s happening in your world by confident-sounding voices on the screens that you see.
It means wanting to know the truth about your family and your relationships and the various unconscious, unquestioned dynamics that are at play there.
It means wanting to know the truth about the various aspects of yourself that you keep hidden and compartmentalized out of sight.
It means wanting to know the truth about reality itself, and how you might have been misperceiving various aspects of your own field of consciousness this entire time.
It means wanting to know the truth, even if very powerful people don’t want you to know the truth.
It means wanting to know the truth, even if it hurts.
It means wanting to know the truth, even if it is terrifying.
It means wanting to know the truth, even if it means being wrong.
It means wanting to know the truth, even if it means discovering that you’ve been completely wrong about everything your whole life.
It means wanting to know the truth, even if it crumbles every belief you’ve ever had about what you are and what the world is.
It means wanting to know the truth, even if it tears your life apart.
It means wanting to know the truth, even though you know you’ll never have all of it.
Most people are content to sit in various degrees of untruth, accepting unexamined assumptions as true because it is much easier and more comfortable than confronting reality on reality’s own terms. They’re happy to let the lies that have been put in their heads by other people rule their experience of this world.
The mentally sovereign human does not do this. The mentally sovereign human looks at life through lenses constructed out of an uncompromising dedication to unrelenting honesty, on all levels and facets of human experience.
Mental self-rule is not for everyone. It is not for cowards. It is not for the lazy or complacent. It’s not for those who do things only because there’s some material or egoic reward in it for them. These people are destined to have their minds ruled by others.
Mental sovereignty is for those who put truth above all else, and who see truth as its own reward. Their dedication to learning what’s true never ceases. These people rule their own minds.
About the Author
Caitlin Johnstone – Rogue journalist. Bogan socialist. Anarcho-psychonaut. Guerrilla poet. Utopia prepper.
The best way to get around the internet censors and make sure you see the stuff she publishes is to subscribe to the mailing list for her website, which will get you an email notification for everything. Her articles are entirely reader-supported, so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around, liking her on Facebook, following her antics on Twitter, checking out her podcast, throwing some money into her hat on Patreon or Paypal, or buying her book Woke: A Field Guide for Utopia Preppers.


wakingtimes--2020-01-21--Mandatory Flu Vaccine Coming Your Way?

Mandatory Flu Vaccine Coming Your Way?

As discussed in my November 5 , 2019 , article , “ Trojan Horse of Measles — More Vaccines With the Mandate , ” while most state legislation targeting vaccination mandates have focused on measles , what tends to get lost in the debate is that these mandatory vaccination laws are likely to be extended to all vaccines , including the influenza vaccine , the human papillomavirus ( HPV ) vaccine and any number of vaccines licensed and recommended by the federal government in the future .
In other words , measles outbreaks and the fear-mongering by exaggerating disease risks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used to create propaganda to eliminate the legal right to make vaccine choices across the board .
As just one example , in “ Trojan Horse of Measles , ” I discuss how a bill has been introduced in New York that requires children to be vaccinated against HPV in order to attend day care and public school .
This , despite the incredible health risks associated with the HPV vaccine and its low benefit-to-risk ratio , not to mention the fact that it has never been proven to lower cancer rates .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the incidence of cervical cancer increased in Sweden after HPV vaccine was recommended for all girls and women aged 9 to 26 years .
Scientific evidence of an increase in the incidence of HPV-related cervical cancer in Sweden between 2006 and 2015 was published in the Indian Journal of Medical Ethics in 2018 .
The study raised questions about whether women are at increased risk for cervical cancer if they are vaccinated after they have been infected with HPV , which is an asymptomatic viral infection that is cleared from the body within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of women and men .
The study was retracted a few weeks after it was published .
The retraction was not due to falsification of data , but because the scientist who wrote the study used a pseudonym and false affiliation due to fear he would be harmed for publishing his findings .
As explained in the retraction statement by the publisher : “ On inquiry , the author informed us that he had used a pseudonym besides a false affiliation .
He later made his identity known to IJME ’ s editor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On verification of his identity , the editor confirmed that ( a ) the author had the necessary qualifications , expertise and research experience on the subject of the article ; and ( b ) the author did face a credible threat of harm , making it necessary not to be named publicly .
Further we reconfirmed the reviewers ’ conclusions : that the article used publicly available data with a simple statistical method ; made a fair attempt to report a possible association of the increased incidence of carcinoma cervix with HPV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and analysis could be scientifically appreciated and critiqued without reference to the author … Following our decision , we received valuable advice from our editorial board and other well-wishers , emphasizing that there should be zero tolerance to the author ’ s deception , irrespective of the content of the paper .
While our assessment of the science of the article may be correct , we have concluded that tolerating the author ’ s deception and retaining the article was an error of judgment .
… We hope that the hypothesis of possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HPV is carefully explored in future studies.
” Chairman and chief legal counsel for Children ’ s Health Defense Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated in “ The Plaintiff ’ s Science Day Presentation on Gardasil , ” that Merck ’ s HPV vaccine Gardasil “ has distinguished itself as the most dangerous vaccine ever invented.
” In his presentation , Kennedy reveals Merck data showing Gardasil increases the overall risk of death by 370 % , risk of autoimmune disease by 2.3 % and risk of a serious medical condition by 50 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health5 found that women who received HPV vaccinations suffered higher rates of infertility .
According to this study , “ if 100 % of females in this study had received the HPV vaccine , data suggest the number of women having ever conceived would have fallen by 2 million.
” After “ skeptic ” critics of scientific evidence that vaccines have significant health risks publicly attacked the study , the paper was withdrawn by the publisher .
A 2014 case report paper described cases of three adolescent girls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HPV vaccinations — a condition that can render them incapable of bearing children in the future .
Conveniently , Merck , maker of Gardasil , is also “ the world market leader in fertility treatments , ” according to the European Pharmaceutical Review .
Media and Public Health Agencies Are Letting Us Down Unfortunately , our media no longer fulfill their public duty .
Rather than presenting both sides of an argument , most mainstream media now act as mouthpieces for pharmaceutical industry propaganda , and this is particularly true where vaccines are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falling short of their duty , the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention included , which for years has lied about accepting funds from corporations making and selling drugs and vaccines .
Several watchdog groups are now petitioning the CDC to cease making false disclaimers about not accepting commercial support , and to retroactively acknowledge conflicts of interest .
Another lawsuit , filed by the Informed Consent Action Network ( ICAN ) in 2018 against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services , revealed the HHS — in violation of federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ required biannual vaccine safety report to Congress since 1988 .
As noted by ICAN founder Del Bigtree : Vaccine Science Is Not Being Reported Honestly A 2018 article in The BMJ highlights the media ’ s influence over vaccine policy and how journalists are misleading the public about vaccine safety and effectiveness .
The article , “ Reporting Flu Vaccine Science , ” written by freelance journalist Rob Wipond , notes : Among the “ muted ” press coverage cited by Wipond is The Washington Post ’ s report on the study , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ downplayed the findings and urged pregnant women to continue getting their annual flu shot .
This isn ’ t surprising considering Sun was one of three journalists hand-selected by the CDC to get exclusive early access to the findings , knowing she could be trusted to report on the study in a way that would minimize influenza vaccine risks so pregnant women would be persuaded to get a flu shot during every pregnancy .
In a reply to Wipond ’ s article , retired pediatrician Allan S. Cunningham seconds many of Wipond ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks of brooding about the Donahue article linking flu shots to miscarriages … it was with a sense of relief that I read Rob Wipond ’ s narrative of media attempts to sweep a serious vaccine safety issue under the rug .
He points out the hypocrisy ( his words were ‘ double standard ’ ) of authorities who dismissed the Donahue paper because it was an ‘ observational study.
’ Year after year they have quoted observational studies to announce , ‘ … 80 % vaccine effectiveness … 60 % effectiveness … @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not mention that these studies make no effort to look for adverse vaccine effects ( e.g .
narcolepsy , seizures , high fever , oculorespiratory syndrome ) .
They do not mention ‘ negative vaccine effectiveness , ’ the increase in risk of illness from influenza and non-influenza viruses associated with ( or caused by ) the vaccines … They do not mention that a vaccine ‘ effective ’ in one season may increase influenza risk in a subsequent season … They do not mention that the observational studies they refer to are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first place because of the ‘ healthy user effect ’ well known to epidemiologists … Wipond does not mention another technique used to dismiss legitimate vaccine safety concerns , having to do with ‘ statistical significance.
’ Recently , a large cohort study found that flu shots given during the first trimester of pregnancy were associated with a 20 % increase in autism spectrum disorder in the offspring .
P for the association was 0.01 , and the authors acknowledged that , if it was causal , would mean four ( 4 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccinated .
However , they incorrectly used a statistical manipulation to adjust the finding into ‘ non-significance ’ … One typical media headline about the study was , ‘ Flu vaccine during pregnancy not linked to autism ’ … This kind of thing goes on all the time with news releases for vaccine research.
” Why You Can not Trust The Washington Post Washington Post reporter Lena Sun has published a number of patently false claims about vaccines , and has attacked me personally for making fully referenced and scientifically provable statements about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adequate vitamin D levels has been shown to be effective in preventing respiratory infections , even more effective than the flu vaccine .
In a November 21 , 2019 , article , journalist Jeremy Hammond details four instances that exemplify how Sun has lied about vaccine safety .
To repeat but one , Sun has stated that : As noted by Hammond , this is “ a brazen lie , ” as published papers and even committees at the Institute of Medicine ( which the CDC considers an authoritative source ) have warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the fact that there not only is inadequate scientific evidence to prove safety of the CDC ’ s birth to age 6 childhood vaccination schedule , but that the synergistic effects of giving multiple vaccines to infants and children has not been adequately studied .
New York , New Jersey and other states have introduced bills to mandate Influenza vaccines for children and adults , while the mainstream media continues to ignore evidence that routine flu vaccination increases risks for influenza infections during pandemic outbreaks .
A study published in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that : The study ’ s authors note that long-term annual vaccination , in turn , “ may render young children who have not previously been infected with an influenza virus more susceptible to infection with a pandemic influenza virus of a novel subtype.
” In simpler terms , while naturally experiencing and recovering from type A influenza can provide immunity against other subtypes of the influenza virus , it appears that vaccination does not do that , making previously vaccinated children more susceptible to pandemic flu strains .
( Pandemic influenza is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that spreads easily among individuals and spreads globally . )
Other studies linking annual flu vaccination with increased risk of illness are listed in my March 2019 article “ Is the Flu Vaccine Really ‘ Working Well ’ This Year ?
” Mainstream media outlets also will not admit that Pharma bias compromises the results of most vaccine studies .
Yet the presence of such bias was clearly highlighted in a 2010 study by the Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews , in which they assessed the effectiveness of flu vaccines in preventing influenza @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a clear warning : According to reporter Sun of The Washington Post , I lie when I say that maintaining adequate vitamin D levels outperforms the flu vaccine , yet published studies have come to this exact conclusion and the results have been published by other mainstream reporters .
For example , in 2017 , BBC News reported the findings of a systematic review published in The BMJ , which concluded that vitamin D supplementation protected against acute respiratory tract infection .
The number needed to treat ( NNT ) was 33 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supplement in order to prevent a single case of infection .
Among those with severe vitamin D deficiency at baseline , the NNT was 4 .
The BBC actually downplays the findings when it says “ flu is far more serious than the common cold , ” because the NNT of 40 that BBC News cites refers to the overall effectiveness of inactivated vaccine against influenza-like illness ( ILI ) , which the World Health Organization defines as “ an acute respiratory infection.
” ( About 80 percent of all lab tested ILI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or B influenza but are caused by other types of viral and bacterial infections . )
In other words , comparing the NNT of 33 for vitamin D with 40 for the flu vaccine is entirely accurate and appropriate as far as ILI or acute respiratory infection is concerned .
According to the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews cited by the BBC , to prevent one case of confirmed influenza , the NNT for inactivated vaccines was 71 .
The Harvard Gazette also published the findings of that BMJ study under the headline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Against Colds and Flu.
” The Link Between Influenza and Vitamin D The association between low vitamin D levels and influenza has been recognized for some time ( although low vitamin D levels may not be the sole factor responsible for the seasonality increases of influenza and ILI ) .
As noted in “ Epidemic Influenza and Vitamin D , ” published in the journal Epidemiology and Infection in 2006 : A 2009 systematic review of randomized controlled trials in which supplemental vitamin D was assessed for its ability to prevent or treat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence supporting the use of vitamin D existed for tuberculosis , influenza and viral upper respiratory tract illnesses .
In 2018 , a randomized , controlled clinical trial published in The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal found that infants receiving high doses of vitamin D who went on to develop influenza had significantly shorter duration of illness compared to those who received a lower dosage .
According to the authors , “ High-dose vitamin D ( 1200 IU ) is suitable for the prevention of seasonal influenza as evidenced by rapid relief from symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease recovery.
” A shortcoming of many ( if not most ) studies looking at vitamin D ’ s effects on preventing ILI and/or influenza is that they focus on dosage rather than blood levels , and we now know that it ’ s achieving a certain blood level that matters , not how much vitamin D it takes to get there .
Most studies also use dosages around 1,000 or 2,000 IU ’ s a day , which are unlikely to raise blood levels of vitamin D to any significant degree .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve Ever Seen The following video from Barbara Loe Fisher is one of the most powerful videos that I have ever seen .
I am hopeful that watching this video will inspire you to take up the cause and join the fight for vaccine freedom and independence .
There is a cultural war and collusion between many industries and federal regulatory agencies that results in a suppression of the truth about vital important health issues .
If this suppression continues we will gradually and progressively erode our private individual rights that our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Please take a few minutes to watch this video .
Protect Your Right to Informed Consent and Defend Vaccine Exemptions With all the uncertainty surrounding the safety and efficacy of vaccines , it ’ s critical to protect your right to make independent health choices and exercise voluntary informed consent to vaccination .
It is urgent that everyone in America stand up and fight to protect and expand vaccine informed consent protections in state public health and employment laws .
The best way to do this is to get personally involved with your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your community .
National vaccine policy recommendations are made at the federal level but vaccine laws are made at the state level .
It is at the state level where your action to protect your vaccine choice rights can have the greatest impact .
It is critical for EVERYONE to get involved now in standing up for the legal right to make voluntary vaccine choices in America because those choices are being threatened by lobbyists representing drug companies , medical trade associations and public health officials , who are trying to persuade legislators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health laws .
Signing up for NVIC ’ s free Advocacy Portal at www.NVICAdvocacy.org gives you immediate , easy access to your own state legislators on your smartphone or computer so you can make your voice heard .
You will be kept up to date on the latest state bills threatening your vaccine choice rights and will get practical , useful information to help you become an effective vaccine choice advocate in your own community .
Also , when national vaccine issues come up , you will have the up-to-date information and call-to-action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So , please , as your first step , sign up for the NVIC Advocacy Portal .
Maine will be the first state to put government vaccine mandates to a popular vote .
To help them succeed and set the precedent for other states to follow , they need your donor support for the “ Yes on 1 ” ballot initiative .
Click below to donate today .
Share Your Story With the Media and People You Know If you or a family member has suffered a serious vaccine reaction , injury or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If we don ’ t share information and experiences with one another , everybody feels alone and afraid to speak up .
Write a letter to the editor if you have a different perspective on a vaccine story that appears in your local newspaper .
Make a call in to a radio talk show that is presenting only one side of the vaccine story .
I must be frank with you : You have to be brave because you might be strongly criticized for daring to talk about the “ other side ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for it and have the courage to not back down .
Only by sharing our perspective and what we know to be true about vaccination will the public conversation about vaccination open up so people are not afraid to talk about it .
We can not allow the drug companies and medical trade associations funded by drug companies or public health officials promoting forced use of a growing list of vaccines to dominate the conversation about vaccination .
The vaccine injured can not be swept under the carpet and treated like nothing more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of national one-size-fits-all mandatory vaccination policies that put way too many people at risk for injury and death .
We shouldn ’ t be treating people like guinea pigs instead of human beings .
Internet Resources Where You Can Learn More I encourage you to visit the website of the nonprofit charity , the National Vaccine Information Center ( NVIC ) , at www.NVIC.org : • Vaccine Requirements and Exemptions by State — Vaccine laws vary from one U.S. state to another .
By knowing the specific policies where you live , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exemptions and better protect your right to make informed vaccine choices .
• NVIC Memorial for Vaccine Victims — View descriptions and photos of children and adults who have suffered vaccine reactions , injuries and deaths .
If you or your child experiences an adverse vaccine event , please consider posting and sharing your story here .
• If You Vaccinate , Ask 8 Questions — Learn how to recognize vaccine reaction symptoms and prevent vaccine injuries .
• Vaccine Freedom Wall — View or post descriptions of harassment and sanctions by doctors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for making independent vaccine choices .
• Vaccine Failure Wall — View or post descriptions about vaccines that have failed to work and protect the vaccinated from disease .
Connect With Your Doctor or Find a New One Who Will Listen and Care If your pediatrician or doctor refuses to provide medical care to you or your child unless you agree to get vaccines you don ’ t want , I strongly encourage you to have the courage to find another doctor .
Harassment , intimidation and refusal of medical care are becoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an effort to stop the change in attitude of many parents about vaccinations after they become truly educated about health and vaccination .
However , there is hope .
At least 15 % of young doctors recently polled admit that they ’ re starting to adopt a more individualized approach to vaccinations in direct response to the vaccine safety concerns of parents .
It is good news that there is a growing number of smart young doctors who prefer to work as partners with parents in making personalized vaccine decisions for children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fewer vaccines on the same day , or continuing to provide medical care for those families who decline use of one or more vaccines .
So , take the time to locate a doctor who treats you with compassion and respect , and who is willing to work with you to do what is right for your child .

Mandatory Flu Vaccine Coming Your Way?
Dr. Mercola, Guest
Waking Times
As discussed in my November 5, 2019, article, “Trojan Horse of Measles — More Vaccines With the Mandate,” while most state legislation targeting vaccination mandates have focused on measles, what tends to get lost in the debate is that these mandatory vaccination laws are likely to be extended to all vaccines, including the influenza vaccine, the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and any number of vaccines licensed and recommended by the federal government in the future.
In other words, measles outbreaks and the fear-mongering by exaggerating disease risks and minimizing vaccine risks are being cleverly used to create propaganda to eliminate the legal right to make vaccine choices across the board. As just one example, in “Trojan Horse of Measles,” I discuss how a bill has been introduced in New York that requires children to be vaccinated against HPV in order to attend day care and public school.
This, despite the incredible health risks associated with the HPV vaccine and its low benefit-to-risk ratio, not to mention the fact that it has never been proven to lower cancer rates. On the contrary, emerging data suggest the incidence of cervical cancer increased in Sweden after HPV vaccine was recommended for all girls and women aged 9 to 26 years.
Scientific evidence of an increase in the incidence of HPV-related cervical cancer in Sweden between 2006 and 2015 was published in the Indian Journal of Medical Ethics in 2018. The study raised questions about whether women are at increased risk for cervical cancer if they are vaccinated after they have been infected with HPV, which is an asymptomatic viral infection that is cleared from the body within two years by more than 90 percent of women and men.
The study was retracted a few weeks after it was published. The retraction was not due to falsification of data, but because the scientist who wrote the study used a pseudonym and false affiliation due to fear he would be harmed for publishing his findings. As explained in the retraction statement by the publisher:
“On inquiry, the author informed us that he had used a pseudonym besides a false affiliation. He later made his identity known to IJME’s editor on the promise of strict confidentiality. On verification of his identity, the editor confirmed that (a) the author had the necessary qualifications, expertise and research experience on the subject of the article; and (b) the author did face a credible threat of harm, making it necessary not to be named publicly. Further we reconfirmed the reviewers’ conclusions: that the article used publicly available data with a simple statistical method; made a fair attempt to report a possible association of the increased incidence of carcinoma cervix with HPV vaccination … We felt that the data and analysis could be scientifically appreciated and critiqued without reference to the author … Following our decision, we received valuable advice from our editorial board and other well-wishers, emphasizing that there should be zero tolerance to the author’s deception, irrespective of the content of the paper. While our assessment of the science of the article may be correct, we have concluded that tolerating the author’s deception and retaining the article was an error of judgment. … We hope that the hypothesis of possible harm of vaccinating women previously exposed to HPV is carefully explored in future studies.”
Chairman and chief legal counsel for Children’s Health Defense Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated in “The Plaintiff’s Science Day Presentation on Gardasil,” that Merck’s HPV vaccine Gardasil “has distinguished itself as the most dangerous vaccine ever invented.”
In his presentation, Kennedy reveals Merck data showing Gardasil increases the overall risk of death by 370%, risk of autoimmune disease by 2.3% and risk of a serious medical condition by 50%.
A 2018 study published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health5 found that women who received HPV vaccinations suffered higher rates of infertility. According to this study, “if 100% of females in this study had received the HPV vaccine, data suggest the number of women having ever conceived would have fallen by 2 million.”
After “skeptic” critics of scientific evidence that vaccines have significant health risks publicly attacked the study, the paper was withdrawn by the publisher.
A 2014 case report paper described cases of three adolescent girls who suffered premature ovarian insufficiency after their HPV vaccinations — a condition that can render them incapable of bearing children in the future. Conveniently, Merck, maker of Gardasil, is also “the world market leader in fertility treatments,” according to the European Pharmaceutical Review.
Media and Public Health Agencies Are Letting Us Down
Unfortunately, our media no longer fulfill their public duty. Rather than presenting both sides of an argument, most mainstream media now act as mouthpieces for pharmaceutical industry propaganda, and this is particularly true where vaccines are concerned.
Public health agencies are also falling short of their duty, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention included, which for years has lied about accepting funds from corporations making and selling drugs and vaccines.
Several watchdog groups are now petitioning the CDC to cease making false disclaimers about not accepting commercial support, and to retroactively acknowledge conflicts of interest.
Another lawsuit, filed by the Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN) in 2018 against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, revealed the HHS — in violation of federal law — has not provided a single required biannual vaccine safety report to Congress since 1988. As noted by ICAN founder Del Bigtree:
“It is apparent that HHS doesn’t have a clue as to the actual safety profile of the now 39 doses, and growing, of vaccines given by one year of age, including in utero. In 1986, a one-year old child received 11 doses. HHS spends billions annually promoting vaccines and generates a steady stream of reports promoting vaccines. Yet, when, despite federal law, HHS cannot bother to complete the simple task of preparing a biennial report on vaccine safety, there is little hope HHS is tackling the much harder job of improving vaccine safety.”
Vaccine Science Is Not Being Reported Honestly
A 2018 article in The BMJ highlights the media’s influence over vaccine policy and how journalists are misleading the public about vaccine safety and effectiveness. The article, “Reporting Flu Vaccine Science,” written by freelance journalist Rob Wipond, notes:
“When reporting on medical studies, the popular press has a habit of sensationalizing. So the muted response to a recent research paper reporting increased risk of miscarriage with influenza vaccines was at first sight surprising. The study, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that women who had received an influenza vaccine containing the 2009 pandemic strain pH1N1 and who were also vaccinated in the next flu season had a statistically significant, 7.7-fold higher odds of spontaneous abortion within 28 days of the second vaccination … The concerning odds ratio fostered extensive discussion in the paper. But the news media projected an air of calm, highlighting the observational study’s many limitations.”
Among the “muted” press coverage cited by Wipond is The Washington Post’s report on the study, written by Lena Sun, which significantly downplayed the findings and urged pregnant women to continue getting their annual flu shot.
This isn’t surprising considering Sun was one of three journalists hand-selected by the CDC to get exclusive early access to the findings, knowing she could be trusted to report on the study in a way that would minimize influenza vaccine risks so pregnant women would be persuaded to get a flu shot during every pregnancy.
Hypocrisy and Double Standards
In a reply to Wipond’s article, retired pediatrician Allan S. Cunningham seconds many of Wipond’s concerns, stating:
“After weeks of brooding about the Donahue article linking flu shots to miscarriages … it was with a sense of relief that I read Rob Wipond’s narrative of media attempts to sweep a serious vaccine safety issue under the rug. He points out the hypocrisy (his words were ‘double standard’) of authorities who dismissed the Donahue paper because it was an ‘observational study.’ Year after year they have quoted observational studies to announce, ‘ … 80% vaccine effectiveness … 60% effectiveness … 40% effectiveness …’ They do not mention that these studies make no effort to look for adverse vaccine effects (e.g. narcolepsy, seizures, high fever, oculorespiratory syndrome). They do not mention ‘negative vaccine effectiveness,’ the increase in risk of illness from influenza and non-influenza viruses associated with (or caused by) the vaccines … They do not mention that a vaccine ‘effective’ in one season may increase influenza risk in a subsequent season … They do not mention that the observational studies they refer to are likely to exaggerate vaccine effectiveness in the first place because of the ‘healthy user effect’ well known to epidemiologists … Wipond does not mention another technique used to dismiss legitimate vaccine safety concerns, having to do with ‘statistical significance.’ Recently, a large cohort study found that flu shots given during the first trimester of pregnancy were associated with a 20% increase in autism spectrum disorder in the offspring. P for the association was 0.01, and the authors acknowledged that, if it was causal, would mean four (4) additional autism cases for every 1,000 mothers vaccinated. However, they incorrectly used a statistical manipulation to adjust the finding into ‘non-significance’ … One typical media headline about the study was, ‘Flu vaccine during pregnancy not linked to autism’ … This kind of thing goes on all the time with news releases for vaccine research.”
Why You Cannot Trust The Washington Post
Washington Post reporter Lena Sun has published a number of patently false claims about vaccines, and has attacked me personally for making fully referenced and scientifically provable statements about vaccine risks and the fact that maintaining adequate vitamin D levels has been shown to be effective in preventing respiratory infections, even more effective than the flu vaccine.
In a November 21, 2019, article, journalist Jeremy Hammond details four instances that exemplify how Sun has lied about vaccine safety. To repeat but one, Sun has stated that:
“The effectiveness of the vaccine schedule is tested extensively to ensure that the vaccines in the combination don’t interfere with one another and can be easily handled by the infant and the child’s immune system. No new immunization is added to the schedule until it has been evaluated both alone and when given with the other current immunizations.”
As noted by Hammond, this is “a brazen lie,” as published papers and even committees at the Institute of Medicine (which the CDC considers an authoritative source) have warned about the complete lack of such testing, and the fact that there not only is inadequate scientific evidence to prove safety of the CDC’s birth to age 6 childhood vaccination schedule, but that the synergistic effects of giving multiple vaccines to infants and children has not been adequately studied.
Flu Vaccination Increases Risk of Pandemic Flu
New York, New Jersey and other states have introduced bills to mandate Influenza vaccines for children and adults, while the mainstream media continues to ignore evidence that routine flu vaccination increases risks for influenza infections during pandemic outbreaks. A study published in the Journal of Virology in 2011 pointed out that:
“Infection with seasonal influenza A viruses induces immunity to potentially pandemic influenza A viruses of other subtypes (heterosubtypic immunity).” And that “long-term annual vaccination using inactivated vaccines may hamper the induction of cross-reactive CD8+ T cell responses by natural infections and thus may affect the induction of heterosubtypic immunity.”
The study’s authors note that long-term annual vaccination, in turn, “may render young children who have not previously been infected with an influenza virus more susceptible to infection with a pandemic influenza virus of a novel subtype.”
In simpler terms, while naturally experiencing and recovering from type A influenza can provide immunity against other subtypes of the influenza virus, it appears that vaccination does not do that, making previously vaccinated children more susceptible to pandemic flu strains. (Pandemic influenza is when a new influenza A virus appears that spreads easily among individuals and spreads globally.)
Other studies linking annual flu vaccination with increased risk of illness are listed in my March 2019 article “Is the Flu Vaccine Really ‘Working Well’ This Year?”
Influenza Vaccine Is Vastly Oversold
Mainstream media outlets also will not admit that Pharma bias compromises the results of most vaccine studies. Yet the presence of such bias was clearly highlighted in a 2010 study by the Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews, in which they assessed the effectiveness of flu vaccines in preventing influenza and complications in healthy adults and included a clear warning:
“Influenza vaccines have a modest effect in reducing influenza symptoms and working days lost. There is no evidence that they affect complications, such as pneumonia, or transmission. WARNING: This review includes 15 out of 36 trials funded by industry (four had no funding declaration). An earlier systematic review of 274 influenza vaccine studies published up to 2007 found industry funded studies were published in more prestigious journals and cited more than other studies independently from methodological quality and size. Studies funded from public sources were significantly less likely to report conclusions favorable to the vaccines. The review showed that reliable evidence on influenza vaccines is thin but there is evidence of widespread manipulation of conclusions and spurious notoriety of the studies. The content and conclusions of this review should be interpreted in light of this finding.”
Does Vitamin D Outperform Flu Vaccine?
According to reporter Sun of The Washington Post, I lie when I say that maintaining adequate vitamin D levels outperforms the flu vaccine, yet published studies have come to this exact conclusion and the results have been published by other mainstream reporters.
For example, in 2017, BBC News reported the findings of a systematic review published in The BMJ, which concluded that vitamin D supplementation protected against acute respiratory tract infection.
The number needed to treat (NNT) was 33, meaning 33 people had to take the supplement in order to prevent a single case of infection. Among those with severe vitamin D deficiency at baseline, the NNT was 4.
As reported by BBC News, “That is more effective than flu vaccination, which needs to treat 40 to prevent one case, although flu is far more serious than the common cold.”
The BBC actually downplays the findings when it says “flu is far more serious than the common cold,” because the NNT of 40 that BBC News cites refers to the overall effectiveness of inactivated vaccine against influenza-like illness (ILI), which the World Health Organization defines as “an acute respiratory infection.” (About 80 percent of all lab tested ILI cases do not test positive for A or B influenza but are caused by other types of viral and bacterial infections.)
In other words, comparing the NNT of 33 for vitamin D with 40 for the flu vaccine is entirely accurate and appropriate as far as ILI or acute respiratory infection is concerned.
According to the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews cited by the BBC, to prevent one case of confirmed influenza, the NNT for inactivated vaccines was 71. The Harvard Gazette also published the findings of that BMJ study under the headline, “Study Confirms Vitamin D Protects Against Colds and Flu.”
The Link Between Influenza and Vitamin D
The association between low vitamin D levels and influenza has been recognized for some time (although low vitamin D levels may not be the sole factor responsible for the seasonality increases of influenza and ILI). As noted in “Epidemic Influenza and Vitamin D,” published in the journal Epidemiology and Infection in 2006:
“An interventional study showed that vitamin D reduces the incidence of respiratory infections in children. We conclude that vitamin D, or lack of it, may be Hope-Simpson’s ‘seasonal stimulus.’” Similarly, a 2010 study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that “vitamin D3 supplementation during the winter may reduce the incidence of influenza A” in schoolchildren, especially those “who had not been taking other vitamin D supplements and who started nursery school after age 3.”
A 2009 systematic review of randomized controlled trials in which supplemental vitamin D was assessed for its ability to prevent or treat various infectious diseases found that the strongest evidence supporting the use of vitamin D existed for tuberculosis, influenza and viral upper respiratory tract illnesses.
In 2018, a randomized, controlled clinical trial published in The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal found that infants receiving high doses of vitamin D who went on to develop influenza had significantly shorter duration of illness compared to those who received a lower dosage.
According to the authors, “High-dose vitamin D (1200 IU) is suitable for the prevention of seasonal influenza as evidenced by rapid relief from symptoms, rapid decrease in viral loads and disease recovery.”
A shortcoming of many (if not most) studies looking at vitamin D’s effects on preventing ILI and/or influenza is that they focus on dosage rather than blood levels, and we now know that it’s achieving a certain blood level that matters, not how much vitamin D it takes to get there. Most studies also use dosages around 1,000 or 2,000 IU’s a day, which are unlikely to raise blood levels of vitamin D to any significant degree.
One of the Most Powerful Videos I’ve Ever Seen
The following video from Barbara Loe Fisher is one of the most powerful videos that I have ever seen. I am hopeful that watching this video will inspire you to take up the cause and join the fight for vaccine freedom and independence.
There is a cultural war and collusion between many industries and federal regulatory agencies that results in a suppression of the truth about vital important health issues. If this suppression continues we will gradually and progressively erode our private individual rights that our ancestors fought so hard to achieve. Please take a few minutes to watch this video.
http://youtu.be/xEcYQydhY9E
Protect Your Right to Informed Consent and Defend Vaccine Exemptions
With all the uncertainty surrounding the safety and efficacy of vaccines, it’s critical to protect your right to make independent health choices and exercise voluntary informed consent to vaccination. It is urgent that everyone in America stand up and fight to protect and expand vaccine informed consent protections in state public health and employment laws. The best way to do this is to get personally involved with your state legislators and educate the leaders in your community.
Think Globally, Act Locally
National vaccine policy recommendations are made at the federal level but vaccine laws are made at the state level. It is at the state level where your action to protect your vaccine choice rights can have the greatest impact.
It is critical for EVERYONE to get involved now in standing up for the legal right to make voluntary vaccine choices in America because those choices are being threatened by lobbyists representing drug companies, medical trade associations and public health officials, who are trying to persuade legislators to strip all vaccine exemptions from public health laws.
Signing up for NVIC’s free Advocacy Portal at www.NVICAdvocacy.org gives you immediate, easy access to your own state legislators on your smartphone or computer so you can make your voice heard. You will be kept up to date on the latest state bills threatening your vaccine choice rights and will get practical, useful information to help you become an effective vaccine choice advocate in your own community.
Also, when national vaccine issues come up, you will have the up-to-date information and call-to-action items you need at your fingertips. So, please, as your first step, sign up for the NVIC Advocacy Portal.
Take a Stand Against Big Pharma Today!
Maine will be the first state to put government vaccine mandates to a popular vote. To help them succeed and set the precedent for other states to follow, they need your donor support for the “Yes on 1” ballot initiative. Click below to donate today.
Share Your Story With the Media and People You Know
If you or a family member has suffered a serious vaccine reaction, injury or death, please talk about it. If we don’t share information and experiences with one another, everybody feels alone and afraid to speak up. Write a letter to the editor if you have a different perspective on a vaccine story that appears in your local newspaper. Make a call in to a radio talk show that is presenting only one side of the vaccine story.
I must be frank with you: You have to be brave because you might be strongly criticized for daring to talk about the “other side” of the vaccine story. Be prepared for it and have the courage to not back down. Only by sharing our perspective and what we know to be true about vaccination will the public conversation about vaccination open up so people are not afraid to talk about it.
We cannot allow the drug companies and medical trade associations funded by drug companies or public health officials promoting forced use of a growing list of vaccines to dominate the conversation about vaccination.
The vaccine injured cannot be swept under the carpet and treated like nothing more than “statistically acceptable collateral damage” of national one-size-fits-all mandatory vaccination policies that put way too many people at risk for injury and death. We shouldn’t be treating people like guinea pigs instead of human beings.
Internet Resources Where You Can Learn More
I encourage you to visit the website of the nonprofit charity, the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), at www.NVIC.org:
Vaccine Requirements and Exemptions by State — Vaccine laws vary from one U.S. state to another. By knowing the specific policies where you live, you’ll learn how you can get exemptions and better protect your right to make informed vaccine choices.
— Vaccine laws vary from one U.S. state to another. By knowing the specific policies where you live, you’ll learn how you can get exemptions and better protect your right to make informed vaccine choices. NVIC Memorial for Vaccine Victims — View descriptions and photos of children and adults who have suffered vaccine reactions, injuries and deaths. If you or your child experiences an adverse vaccine event, please consider posting and sharing your story here.
— View descriptions and photos of children and adults who have suffered vaccine reactions, injuries and deaths. If you or your child experiences an adverse vaccine event, please consider posting and sharing your story here. If You Vaccinate, Ask 8 Questions — Learn how to recognize vaccine reaction symptoms and prevent vaccine injuries.
— Learn how to recognize vaccine reaction symptoms and prevent vaccine injuries. Vaccine Freedom Wall — View or post descriptions of harassment and sanctions by doctors, employers and school and health officials for making independent vaccine choices.
— View or post descriptions of harassment and sanctions by doctors, employers and school and health officials for making independent vaccine choices. Vaccine Failure Wall — View or post descriptions about vaccines that have failed to work and protect the vaccinated from disease.
Connect With Your Doctor or Find a New One Who Will Listen and Care
If your pediatrician or doctor refuses to provide medical care to you or your child unless you agree to get vaccines you don’t want, I strongly encourage you to have the courage to find another doctor.
Harassment, intimidation and refusal of medical care are becoming the modus operandi of the medical establishment in an effort to stop the change in attitude of many parents about vaccinations after they become truly educated about health and vaccination. However, there is hope.
At least 15% of young doctors recently polled admit that they’re starting to adopt a more individualized approach to vaccinations in direct response to the vaccine safety concerns of parents.
It is good news that there is a growing number of smart young doctors who prefer to work as partners with parents in making personalized vaccine decisions for children, including delaying vaccinations or giving children fewer vaccines on the same day, or continuing to provide medical care for those families who decline use of one or more vaccines.
So, take the time to locate a doctor who treats you with compassion and respect, and who is willing to work with you to do what is right for your child.


wakingtimes--2020-01-21--Toxic Chemicals Are Stealing Millions of IQ Points From Kids in the US, New Study Shows

The latest research out of New York University ’ s ( NYU ) Grossman School of Medicine is anything but encouraging .
A total of 162 million IQ points have been lost and 738,000 cases of intellectual disability gained in the United States thanks to exposure to flame retardants alone .
But the study published January 14 in the journal Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology didn ’ t stop there .
Researchers looked at the effects of exposure to toxins like lead , mercury , pesticides , and polybrominated diphenyl ethers ( flame retardants ) among children between 2001 and 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 78 million IQ points among U.S. children , pesticides accounted for a loss of 27 million points , and mercury came in last with a loss of 2.5 million IQ points .
Leo Trasande , a pediatrician and public health researcher at NYU said : Most of the children negatively affected by these toxins were likely exposed in utero via common household objects , potentially setting them up for a lifetime of difficulties before having even been born .
Despite a parent or pregnant mother ’ s best efforts flame retardants , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their way into the body .
Flame retardants are found on a host of furniture items , electronics , and children ’ s clothing .
Pesticides can be found on fresh produce and in food bought at a store or restaurant that was prepared with conventional produce .
Lead can be found in many older homes but is still used today in commercial paint , including that used on children ’ s playground equipment .
The latest research takes the damaging and irreversible effects of these toxins a step further and looks at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem and the results are grim .
The effects of such pervasive childhood brain damage has cost the U.S. economy trillions of dollars .
According to the researchers , one IQ point is worth roughly two percent of a person ’ s lifetime economic productivity .
Trasande explained : If a child ’ s eventual lifetime productive is $ 1 million one lost IQ point would equal $ 20,000 .
That ’ s a lot .
Trasande estimates that when all is said and done , the lost IQ points from 2001 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amounts to a loss of $ 6 trillion in the U.S. economy .
And that ’ s just the hit to economic productivity—it doesn ’ t factor in any extra care or social services children and adults may require from the brain damage caused by exposure to these select toxins .
While the use of some of these toxins were reduced and addressed years ago we ’ re still seeing their effects .
Pesticides remain a constant problem despite the EPA having panned 37 thus far .
Some states have restricted the use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the gravity of this study proves there hasn ’ t been nearly enough action .
If more time , money , and energy continues to be put into how to manufacture and grow things rather than into how those things affect humans we will continue to see negative effects such as this .
And this latest study just goes to show how multi-faceted the problem really is .
The study did however include one silver lining .
The overall loss of IQ appears to be on the decline .

Toxic Chemicals Are Stealing Millions of IQ Points From Kids in the US, New Study Shows
Emma Fiala, The Mind Unleashed
Waking Times
The latest research out of New York University’s (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine is anything but encouraging.
A total of 162 million IQ points have been lost and 738,000 cases of intellectual disability gained in the United States thanks to exposure to flame retardants alone.
But the study published January 14 in the journal Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology didn’t stop there. Researchers looked at the effects of exposure to toxins like lead, mercury, pesticides, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (flame retardants) among children between 2001 and 2016.
Lead exposure resulted in a loss of 78 million IQ points among U.S. children, pesticides accounted for a loss of 27 million points, and mercury came in last with a loss of 2.5 million IQ points.
Leo Trasande, a pediatrician and public health researcher at NYU said:
“Kids’ brain development is exquisitely vulnerable. If you disrupt, even with subtle effects, the way a child’s brain is wired, [it] can have permanent and lifelong consequences.“
Most of the children negatively affected by these toxins were likely exposed in utero via common household objects, potentially setting them up for a lifetime of difficulties before having even been born.
Despite a parent or pregnant mother’s best efforts flame retardants, pesticides, and more can still find their way into the body. Flame retardants are found on a host of furniture items, electronics, and children’s clothing. Pesticides can be found on fresh produce and in food bought at a store or restaurant that was prepared with conventional produce. Lead can be found in many older homes but is still used today in commercial paint, including that used on children’s playground equipment.
The latest research takes the damaging and irreversible effects of these toxins a step further and looks at the economic impact of such a widespread problem and the results are grim. The effects of such pervasive childhood brain damage has cost the U.S. economy trillions of dollars.
According to the researchers, one IQ point is worth roughly two percent of a person’s lifetime economic productivity. Trasande explained:
“If a child comes back from school with one less IQ point, maybe mum or the parent might not notice. But if 100,000 children come back with one less IQ point, the entire economy notices.“
If a child’s eventual lifetime productive is $1 million one lost IQ point would equal $20,000. That’s a lot.
Trasande estimates that when all is said and done, the lost IQ points from 2001 to 2016 due to the toxins mentioned above amounts to a loss of $6 trillion in the U.S. economy. And that’s just the hit to economic productivity—it doesn’t factor in any extra care or social services children and adults may require from the brain damage caused by exposure to these select toxins.
While the use of some of these toxins were reduced and addressed years ago we’re still seeing their effects. Pesticides remain a constant problem despite the EPA having panned 37 thus far. Some states have restricted the use of certain flame retardants on certain applications but the gravity of this study proves there hasn’t been nearly enough action.
If more time, money, and energy continues to be put into how to manufacture and grow things rather than into how those things affect humans we will continue to see negative effects such as this. And this latest study just goes to show how multi-faceted the problem really is.
The study did however include one silver lining. The overall loss of IQ appears to be on the decline.
“NYU Grossman School of Medicine researchers found that IQ loss from the toxic chemicals analyzed in their study dropped from 27 million IQ points in 2001 and 2002 to 9 million IQ points in 2015 and 2016.“
By Emma Fiala | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com