The Deindustrialist Newsletter : [Issue 5 - Week's of November 6th & 13th, 2023]
Big Pharma's Political Puppet, Bayer's Toxic Trials, and the Chemical Assault on Health: Exposing the Corporate Stranglehold on Our Lives
Hello, fellow Deindustrialists,
Apologies again for the week's delay. Let’s get straight into it.
The new Speaker of the House has appointed Dan Ziegler, a prominent pharma lobbyist who’s represented the likes of Pfizer, Merck, and PhRMA (among many others), to be his policy director.
That’s right, the third in line for the Presidency now has a Big Pharma shill directing national policy.
This is a significant win for Big Pharma and a terrible loss for the American people, who deserve to have this office (and all public offices, for that matter) free of corporate conflict.
The Bayer Saga Continues
Another day and another Bayer payout for their cancer-causing weed killer, Roundup, this time in the form of $1.56 billion, the fourth in a row now. It’s starting to become clear that this is a losing case, and Bayer is taking note, with reports of them making big changes to their business and headcounts to address unacceptable performance.
This is all coming off the heels of more damning reports of adverse health effects of glyphosate, the main ingredient in Bayer’s weedkiller Roundup, on our children.
U.S. researchers found a significant correlation between higher rates of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) deaths in children and living downstream from areas cultivating genetically modified (GM) glyphosate-tolerant soy.
Emerging studies on glyphosate are connecting the herbicide to anxiety and reduced gut bacteria, raising concerns about risks to children, who carry significantly higher glyphosate levels than adults.
Despite all this, Bayer prevails; a federal appeals court overturned California's mandate for cancer warnings on Roundup weed killer, citing First Amendment concerns, and the EU has chosen to extend the usage of the herbicide for ten more years. None of this should be surprising, given Bayer’s multinational influence on legislation, regulation, and global food supply.
Big Chemical’s Crusade Against Humanity
Bayer is obviously not alone in all this logrolling; a report from Food & Water Watch reveals that from 2019 to 2022, the chemical industry spent over $110 million on lobbying to influence legislation related to PFAS ("forever chemicals") contamination in the U.S., despite growing public awareness of PFAS health risks.
The report highlights that eight major PFAS manufacturers, including Dow and DuPont, along with the American Chemistry Council, collectively spent this amount to impact over 130 PFAS-related bills in Congress. These efforts paid off, as only a few of these bills became law, with none effectively addressing the industry's responsibility for cleanup costs.
The industry notably opposed the PFAS Action Act, a bill aimed at designating two major PFAS as hazardous under the Superfund program, with substantial lobbying efforts and campaign contributions to key Senate Committee members, highlighting the industry's efforts to avoid liability for widespread PFAS contamination affecting drinking water, farmland, and public health.
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It’s hard to understate the pervasiveness of chemicals in our society, especially seeing a recent report showing that nearly 300 U.S. military bases have released PFAS chemicals near community drinking water supplies, putting thousands at risk of cancer, birth defects, decreased immunity, high cholesterol, kidney disease and a range of other serious health problems.
This one hits close to my heart (metaphorically and literally), as I spent nearly a decade of my life serving in the military and being a member of these surrounding communities. What’s worse, the military has failed to even acknowledge or inform these communities of the insidious harm they are exposing them to.
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On top of all this, the EPA has detected these ‘forever chemicals’ in water systems serving 46 million Americans. I highly recommend checking out this map they’ve constructed depicting these highly contaminated regions to determine if you or your loved ones find themselves there.
Although unrelated to PFAS, the EPA has also reported alarming levels of 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP), a likely carcinogen, found in Texas water systems. These levels are more than 80 times the allowed limits of California, but no action has been taken.
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But wait, there’s more! Reports are coming out that PFAS can even be found in your zippers!
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Not all news is bad, though, as the EPA recently published a new rule on PFAS called ‘Toxic Substances Control Act Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements for Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances.’
This groundbreaking regulation heralds an era of increased transparency, mandating exhaustive reporting on PFAS use in all products, regardless of quantity. This mandate enables consumers to make informed decisions, steering them away from potential health hazards associated with PFAS.
Although it's a major leap towards enhancing health and safety, expect Big Chemical to circumvent the ruling, namely through the creation of other chemicals to achieve their production goals, regardless of the potential health consequences.
Food Safety and Sovereignty
Tyson, one of the largest industrialized meat suppliers and CAFO operations in America (if not the world), has recalled nearly 30,000 pounds of "Fun Nuggets," a chicken product for children, due to potential contamination with small, pliable metal fragments.
If we haven’t been convinced by now to stop feeding our children this industrialized “meat,” then hopefully, this does it.
This recall is not alone; just one day earlier, two more companies, making a total of four, have recalled fruit puree pouches over potential lead contamination from the cinnamon used in them.
The FDA has gone so far as to say parents should not purchase cinnamon applesauce products and that children and others who have consumed the products to be tested for possible lead poisoning, a known neurotoxin.
I’d go even further than that: stop buying foods marketed to kids. Even better: stop buying ultra-processed food in general. The only way to prevent the exposure of these toxins to our children is to never have them consume them in the first place.
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A new report has declared conventionally grown pineapples as ‘chemical bombs’ given the highly prevalent toxic pesticide use and the pineapple’s voluminous capacity to absorb such chemicals.
This report highlights a significant concern coming out of Central America: Costa Rica has one of the highest intensities of pesticide use in the world, averaging over 25 kg applied per hectare of cultivated land. Pesticide use is particularly high in important export crops, e.g., banana, pineapple, melon, and coffee. Many of the pesticides in use are highly hazardous in terms of acute toxicity, chronic health risk, and/or environmental contamination.
Yet, these products arrive in the US, innocuous to the consumer’s eye. If there was any greater reason to buy organic, then this may be it. Although I’m starting to become more skeptical by the day of how chemical-reduced organic foods truly are.
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Continuing along the theme of trying to find the good in all this, an article recently came out stating that Americans may soon get warning labels on ultra-processed foods.
The upcoming 2025 U.S. dietary guidelines may, for the first time, include warnings or limits on ultra-processed foods, acknowledging their links to serious health issues like obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
This is a HUGE move in the right direction for the health of our nation. The unfortunate fact about American nutrition is that many people are unaware of how terrible this food is for them, which is a large reason why I started this publication—to begin changing this narrative. To finally have an actual warning that the everyday consumer can see before purchasing a product like a box of goldfish for their children represents a massive win for kids everywhere. This success, however, hinges on whether parents take heed.
Don’t give your hopes up, though. Expect Big Food to do everything in their might to stop this, as it will be devastating to their bottom line.
Weight Loss Wonders or Pharma Follies?
The new, ‘magical’ weight loss drugs, Ozempic, Wegovy, and now the new entrant, by Eli Lilly, Zepbound, are taking the country and world by storm.
This is not surprising. 70% of American adults are obese, as are nearly 20% of American children. It’s incredibly sad, to be honest. People are desperate for a cure. American Public Health and the Healthcare Industry have utterly failed them. Enter Big Pharma.
Well, it should be no surprise that these drugs come with side effects, as all do, with some still being discovered through post-marketing surveillance. News has just come out that a mom slimming down for her daughter’s wedding using Ozempic has died, her husband finding her unconscious with brown liquid seeping out of her mouth.
Even more troubling, these drugs need to be taken for a LIFETIME. Otherwise, much of the weight loss is reversed is stopped.
So, let’s get this straight. Side effects are mounting, including death, AND you have to take these drugs for a lifetime? Sounds like a terrible way to lose weight and an incredibly lucrative way for Big Pharma to make more money.
And the train’s not stopping. AstraZeneca is now making a big push into the weight-loss market with an obesity pill deal.
Closing Remarks
In wrapping up, we've unpacked some heavy truths this week. The brazen mingling of Big Pharma in our policy corridors, the relentless chemical onslaught in our environment and food, and the daunting challenges posed by corporate interests are sobering realities. But it's not all doom and gloom.
The EPA's bold stance on PFAS and the potential dietary guidelines shift signal a turning tide. These steps, small yet significant, are victories in a larger battle for our health and planet. They're proof that awareness and action can drive change.
So, let's keep our eyes open and our spirits undeterred. Every article read, every informed choice, every voice raised makes a difference. It's in this collective resolve that we find our strength and hope.
Until next time,
Stay Aware. Stay Empowered. Stay Free.
-Greg