Dear Tweeters,
A seemingly late migrating female Wilson's Warbler was still to be seen
zipping around in the hawthorne out our window in residential Beacon Hill.

The National Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides devoted it's entire
Journal of Pesticide Reform (541- 344-5044) (Box 1393 Eugene OR 97440) to
Roundup (Glyphosate) recently and it included studies that showed serious harm
to various insects including lepidoptera larvae if I recall. Two other
points about roundup:
1) Let's make a big distinction between those who are using Roundup to grow
crops or maintain biodiversity and the second group who are using Roundup
merely for "aesthetic" reasons. The former group may very well be able to
talk themselves through the pearly gates but the outlook may not be so rosy
for the latter group.
2) The second point is that Monsanto is using Roundup as a cash cow to help it
drive it's entire Genetically Modified food program. This program will place
externalized costs on the public and Monsanto is counting on governments
around the world not to tally those costs. As but one example, genetically
modified corn with Bt built into it will soon cause many insects to develop
resistance to Bt, so that Bt's usefulness to other farmers will soon
degenerate. Monsanto is also counting on governments to block labeling so
that consumer choice, normally a cornerstone of capitalist free markets, will
not be allowed to impact it's plans. This whole thing is a huge issue in
Britain and India right now, and many farmers in India committed suicide when
a Monsanto product failed to live up to expectations. The entire Monsanto GM
program, with it's buildings-full of high-paid geneticists, is turbo-charged
by the immense profits from selling Roundup to everyday owners of suburban
Starling Ranches, and it's one of the most lucrative bunco schemes of all
time.

-Ed Newbold, Seattle
(newboldwildlife at netscape.net)


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