Mike Barrett
Activist Post
It seems that Monsanto may be having a rough week.
Not only was the company hit by a press release
declaring them the worst company of 2011, but a group of Anonymous hackers claim to have actually completely disrupted the operations of a PR firm which manages Monsanto’s own PR.
The hackers infiltrated the PR firm, known as The Bivings Group, citing “15+years of running marketing campaigns and helping some of the most corrupt corporations on the planet, as well as several governmental agencies, cover up their dirt.”
The hackers claimed to have succeeded in bringing down The Bivings Group on December 5th.
Going by
information released by Anonymous, Bivings Group
shut down all of their servers and liquidated their assets after the infiltration, while former employees moved on to start ‘The Brick Factory’, a new PR firm. The hackers actions are obviously driven by the PR firm’s decision to help run marketing campaigns for corrupt corporations like Monsanto.
One week after the hackers infiltrated their system, The Bivings Group reportedly stated:
Our Cyber Infrastructure has recently been put under attack. We are evaluating the extent of the intrusion, and apologise for any downtime and issues this may cause you. It is not yet determined what the motives behind the attack are, or what, if any data has been compromised. We will continue to keep you up to date, and sicerely apologise for any inconvenience.
Are the hackers in the right to take down a firm which helps corrupt corporations, even though done illegally and mischievously?
Sometimes it is hard to see what is wrong and what is right, though it is quite apparent that Monsanto is a corporation with no regard for human health or the planet. This isn’t the only example of
resistance against corrupt companies like Monsanto, and it certainly won’t be the last.
Regardless of whether or not the attack will be considered to be in the right by some anti-Monsanto activists, one thing is clear: Monsanto’s own crimes against public health and the environment trump any form of cyber attack in terms of wrongdoing.
RELATED ACTIVIST POST ARTICLE:
Poland Joins Ranks of Grassroots Anti-Monsanto Activism
http://www.activistpost.com/2011/12/monsanto-pr-firm-reportedly-ended-by.html
Anthony Gucciardi & Mike Barrett
NaturalSociety
December 6, 2011
Biotech giant Monsanto has been declared the
Worst Company of 2011 by NaturalSociety for threatening both human health and the environment. The leader in
genetically modified seeds and crops, Monsanto is currently responsible for 90 percent of the genetically engineered seed on the United States market. Outside of GM seeds, Monsanto is also the creator of the best-selling herbicide Roundup, which has
spawned over 120 million hectacres of herbicide-resistant superweeds while
damaging much of the soil. Despite hard evidence warning against the amplified usage of genetically modified crops, biopesticides, and herbicides, Monsanto continues to disregard all warning signs.
In a powerful review of 19 studies analyzing the dangers of
GMO crops such as corn and soybeans, researchers revealed some shocking information regarding the safety of these popular food staples. Researchers found that
consumption of GMO corn or soybeans may lead to significant organ disruptions in rats and mice – particularly in the liver and kidneys. This is particularly concerning due to the fact that 93 percent of U.S. soybeans are known to be genetically modified. Ignoring this evidence, Monsanto continues to expand their genetic manipulation.
Monsanto’s Genetic Manipulation of Nature
Outside of genetically modifying crops, Monsanto has also created genetically modified crops containing Bt. Bt is a toxin incorporated in GMO crops that are intended to kill different insects, however Bt usage has subsequently spawned insect populations which are resistant to the biopesticide. After being exposed to Bt, many insect populations actually
mutated to resist the biopesticide. So far at least 8 insect populations have developed resistance, with 2 populations resistant to Bt sprays and at least 6 species resistant to Bt crops as a whole. Farmers are therefore forced to
use even more pesticides to combat the resistant bugs.
What is the answer to this problem, according to Monsanto? To further genetically modify the Bt crop to make it a super-pesticide, killing the resistant insects.
Tests, however, have concluded that further modified Bt toxin crop provided ‘little or no advantage’ in tackling the insects, despite extensive time and funding put into the research. It seems that Monsanto’s solution to everything is to further modify it into oblivion, even in the face of evidence proving this method to be highly inefficient. The
research shows that this will undoubtedly lead to insects that are resistant to the most potent forms of Bt and other modified toxins, resulting in the use of even more excessive amounts of pesticides in order to combat pests.
Superweeds Infesting Over 120 Million Hectacres of Farmland
Thanks to Monsanto’s best-selling herbicide Roundup, farms across the world are experiencing the emergence of herbicide-resistant superweeds. The heavily resistant weeds have an immunity to glyphosate, an herbicide that Roundup contains. These resistant weeds currently cover over 4.5 million hectares in the United States alone, though experts estimate the world-wide land coverage to
have reached at least 120 million hectares by 2010. The appearance of these superweeds is being increasingly documented in Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Europe and South Africa.
Of course, once again, the resistant weeds are so resistant to roundup that they require excessive amounts of herbicides. It is no surprise that the company is refusing to accept responsibility for the escalating cost of combating the weeds,
stating that “Roundup agricultural warranties will not cover the failure to control glyphosate resistant weed populations.”
The World Says No to Monsanto
France, Hungary, and Peru are a few of the countries that have decided to
take a stand against Monsanto. Hungary actually went as far as to
destroy 1000 acres of maize found to have been grown with genetically modified seeds, according to Hungary deputy state secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development Lajos Bognar. Peru has also taken a stand for health freedom, passing a monumental
10 year ban on genetically modified foods. Amazingly, Peru’s Plenary Session of the Congress made the decision despite previous governmental pushes for GM legalization. The known and unknown dangers of GMO crops seem to supersede even executive-level governmental directives.
Anibal Huerta, President of Peru’s Agrarian Commission, said the ban was needed to prevent the ”
danger that can arise from the use of biotechnology.”
France is the latest nation to say no to Monsanto’s GM corn maize, even in light of an overturned ban. It all began when France’s State Council
overturned the ban on Monsanto’s GMO maize stating that it was not sufficiently justified. The organization then attempted to justify its decision by saying that the government did not give enough evidence to justify a ban. Under law, an EU country can only unilaterally ban a genetically modified strain if it can scientifically prove it is a risk to the health of humans, animals, or the integrity of the environment.
Even after the ban was overturned, it surfaced that French legislatures were planning to launch new restrictions regarding the use of Monsanto’s 810 maize on French soil. Even Nicolas Sarkozy, the current president of the French Republic, voiced his opposition to Monsanto’s GMO maize:
“The French government keeps and will keep its opposition against the cultivation of the Monsanto 810 maize on our soil,” Sarkozy said.
Worst Company of 2011
In nominating Monsanto the Worst Company of 2011 we are hoping to raise awareness over the threat that Monsanto poses to human health and the environment. Genetically modified organisms will only continue to
threaten all living creatures if not stopped. It is through spreading the word that real change will come about, and declaring Monsanto the Worst Company of 2011 is a great way to highlight all of their reckless actions.
Explore More:
- Monsanto Worst Company of 2011 Declaration Posted on Reuters, Yahoo, and More
- Monsanto’s Roundup Spawns Superweeds Consuming Over 120 Million Hectares
- Merck vs Monsanto | Fighting for the Worst Company Award
- Flashback: Forbes Magazine Declared Monsanto Company of the Year
- EPA Finds Monsanto’s GMO Corn Ineffective, Creating Resistant Rootworms
http://naturalsociety.com/monsanto-declared-worst-company-of-2011/
