Global partnership organisation proposes protected status for area of the Atlantic identified as vital for marine biodiversity
Seabirds in the high seas of the North Atlantic
BirdLife International has presented a proposal to create a new Marine Protected Area (MPA) under OSPAR, the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic. If accepted by OSPAR, the MPA will be the first of its kind to be identified using seabird data as the principle data source, and will fill an important gap in the global network of protected areas.
BirdLife International worked in collaboration with marine scientists around the Atlantic, with additional guidance from NABU (Nature & Biodiversity Conservation Union; BirdLife Partner in Germany), to identify the proposed MPA, named Evlanov Seamount and Basin High Seas. If accepted, this site, which falls outside the jurisdiction of any country, will offer protection to one the most important sites for seabirds in the high seas of the North Atlantic.
OSPAR is the mechanism by which 15 governments and the European Union cooperate to protect the marine environment of the North Atlantic. The 15 governments are: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.
The aim of the Evlanov Seamount and Basin High Seas MPA is to protect an area of the North Atlantic that is not only vital for many seabird species, but also for other marine megafauna such as tunas, sharks, whales and sea-turtles, by maintaining the natural richness and resilience of this pelagic ecosystem.
In a reaction, Bruna Campos, EU Marine and Fisheries Policy Officer, said: “This is an important milestone in marine environment protection, we are happy to cooperate with OSPAR to make it a reality in the near future.”
Marguerite Tarzia, European Marine Conservation Officer, noted: “Thanks to extensive research and collaboration with marine scientists working with Atlantic seabirds and other groups across the region we have made this proposal a reality.”
Ana Carneiro, Marine Technical Officer at BirdLife International, noted: “We estimate that more than two million seabirds use the area every year, including some long distance migrants such as the Arctic Tern and the threatened Atlantic Puffin.”
The proposed MPA will now be examined by OSPAR.
Based in Cambridge in the United Kingdom, BirdLife International is a global partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources.
Secretary General of the Pan Africa Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), Mithika Mwenda, is hoping that Donald Trump, the Presidential aspirant on the Republican Party ticket in the United States of America, will lose the election. PACJA is an umbrella network that brings together over 1,000 civil society groups that advocate for climate justice.
Donald Trump
According to Mwenda, Trump would derail the progress made so far in the fight against climate change, given his belief that the phenomenon is just but a Chinese Hoax.
“I believe in God, and I pray every day that this man gets defeated, so that all of us can forget about him and concentrate on the fight against climate change,” Mithika told a delegation of journalists and civil society organisations in Addis Ababa, ahead of the sixth Climate Change and Development Conference (CCDA-VI).
Trump has come under heavy criticisms especially from his opponent, Hillary Clinton, for his remarks on twitter. “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive,” Trump had twitted.
In one of the presidential debates, Trump further said that the issue of climate change is an issue that requires further probing, and that money used to fight the phenomenon should be channeled to other uses.
“There is still much that needs to be investigated in the field of climate change. Perhaps the best use of our limited financial resources should be in dealing with making sure that every person in the world has clean water. Perhaps we should focus on eliminating lingering diseases around the world like malaria,” said the Republican Party nominee.
He continued, “We should focus on efforts to increase food production to keep pace with an ever-growing world population. Perhaps we should be focused on developing energy sources and power production that alleviates the need for dependence on fossil fuels. We must decide on how best to proceed so that we can make lives better, safer and more prosperous.”
Evidence-based studies have shown that climatic conditions have been changing over the years as a result of excess emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are compounds that are able to trap heat in the atmosphere, giving earth warmth that makes life thrive. But when they are over-emitted, they make the earth much warmer than naturally expected, leading to climate change.
The USA is one of the heaviest emitters of these gases, which include carbon dioxide, which is mostly emitted due to industrialisation.
“Science has proven that the climate is changing, and the most affected areas are found in Africa,” said Mithika. “Anyone who denies these scientific evidence based facts does not deserve any position of leadership in this world.” he added.
So far, countries have been negotiating on roadmaps towards the fight against climate change through the United Nations Framework on Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC). Following the 21st round of negotiations in Paris last year, countries including USA came up with an agreement that details what should be done in order to reduce the emissions, adapt to the prevailing conditions and how to finance those activities.
In the same vein, some Americans have been calling for prosecution of climate deniers who, like Donald Trump, are making people to believe that climate change is a hoax.
“We need politicians to be part of this climate change discourse, and they should be positive thinkers to enable us move forward for the sake of the planet,” said Mithika.
The Africa Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) has urged African countries that are yet to ratify the Paris Agreement to consider revising their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs).
James Murombedzi, Officer-in-Charge, Africa Climate Policy Centre (ACPC)
Speaking at a civil society workshop on the eve of the sixth Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA-VI) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, ACPC Officer in Charge, James Murombedzi, said an analysis of most INDCs has revealed a number of discrepancies which countries must revisit before they submit their instruments of ratification.
“The unprecedented momentum for ratification of the Paris Agreement present an urgent opportunity for African countries to revise their INDCs with a view to addressing the noted discrepancies and strengthening their ambition levels where appropriate,” says Murombedzi.
The Paris Agreement is set to enter into legal force on 4th November, 2016 after the 55% GHG threshold was reached in terms of ratification. Of the 81 Parties that have ratified the agreement so far, 15 are from Africa, representing just about 1% of global emissions.
The call by the ACPC head comes in the realisation that the basis of the Paris Agreement is the INDCs submitted by all parties in the lead up to COP21 as their national contributions to limiting global greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, once a party ratifies the Paris Agreement, its coming into force means that the Agreement and all its provisions – including NDCs – becomes legally binding to that Party.
“The analysis by ACPC determined that most African NDCs are vague in their mitigation and adaptation ambitions,” says ACPC’s Solomon Nkem, adding: “They have failed to provide cost estimates, sources of funding, pledging emission cuts even when they do not have national GHGs emission records/inventories, while others committed cuts that exceed their current level of emissions.”
Nkem was however quick to point out that ACPC sympathises with African countries as most of them “outsourced the preparation of their INDCs.”
In view of the above, ACPC wants to use the CCDA VI as a platform to clarify these issues and help African countries make informed decisions regarding the implications of implementing the Paris Agreement in its current form, hence the theme: “The Paris Agreement on climate change: What next for Africa?”
Implementation of the Agreement has significant implications for Africa as the continent that will be most severely impacted by the adverse impacts of weather variability and climate change. The continent is already experiencing climate-induced impacts, such as frequent and prolonged droughts and floods, as well as environmental degradation that make livelihoods difficult for rural and urban communities. Increasing migration on the continent is both triggered and amplified by climate change.
And this is a point that Mithika Mwenda, Secretary General of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), does not want Africa to lose focus on. “We, in Africa particularly, are concerned with the most important action – adaptation to climate change,” said Mwenda, pointing out that the continent should not lose focus of the most important aspects because “it’s time for Africa to now contextualise the Paris Agreement and what it means for the continent’s development prospects and aspirations.”
Waste management or waste disposal has been a challenge for the Lagos State Government for decades.
Activities of PSPs operators, the ageing equipment they deploy, sharp practices by cart pushers, and the sorry state of the waste dump sites have all colluded to put the waste management and disposal situation in Lagos in a state of desperation
The government has adopted several strategies to manage the whopping 15,000 tonnes of garbage generated daily in the over-crowded city-state that receives immigrants almost on a daily basis from other parts of the country and beyond.
Thorough the responsible agency, the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), government had in the past explored several measures such as the use of private sector players (PSP), which are facing stiff competition from the infamous but somewhat preferred cart pushers.
In a bid to achieve better results, LAWMA has also attempted managing waste through characterisation, improved technology and partnering with other nations.
However, only limited success has been achieved. Indeed, health hazards due to the activities of the PSPs, the ageing equipment they deploy, sharp practices by cart pushers, and the sorry state of the waste dump sites have all colluded to put the situation in a state of desperation.
The need for an urgent action to turn around the conditions cannot be over-emphasised.
In fact, there is the need for an elaborate and standardised regulation of the environment of Lagos State, in line with international best practices, while taking cue from locations such as the United Arab Emirates, Tanzania, Kenya, Namibia, and New York City in the United States.
Lagos and New York City, for instance, are two mega cities that mean the same in terms of entertainment, commerce and global trends. While Lagos has a population of 21 million with an estimated population density of 13,405/sq.km, New York City has a population of 23 million with a population density of 10,833/sq.km.
In fact, while New York with its huge population has been able to successfully handle the massive amount of waste generated daily, Lagos, on the other hand, is struggling with storage, collection and disposal of her waste.
New York has about 120 landfills sites while Lagos has only six landfills, with only three of the six functioning. This is grossly inadequate for the Lagos metroplois, considering that she generates approximately the same amount of waste as New York does, even so, a huge percentage of this is solid waste.
Asides struggling with disposal of the enormous amount of waste generated daily, Lagos has not been able to effectively collect her waste. This is exemplified as waste littering roadsides, waste being disposed into drainages, and overflowing public bins, among several others. There is a huge gap in collection and the PSP operators obviously struggle with the huge amount of waste they have to collect.
New York has successfully been able to collect her waste through several methods including government-regulated commercial waste systems in which they have over 250 commercial waste haulers, as well as dispose effectively through recycling methods and landfills. In that part of the world, waste is wealth. In Nigeria, and Lagos to be precise, waste is a curse rather than a blessing – its simply a disaster waiting to happen.
It has been shown that only 60% of the daily waste collected in New York go to the landfills compared to about 95% in Lagos.
Lagos must, as a matter of urgency, start recycling as an alternative to landfilling. It has been seen that the heavy reliance on landfills has brought about environmental pollution and several health hazards to residents around the sites as seen in the Olusosun landfill, which today remains the largest landfill site in the country.
The Olusosun dump site is nothing but as a disaster waiting to happen and the need for a quick action from government is long overdue. The dump site at Isolo also requires an urgent intervention from the authorities.
There is likewise the need to allow for a coordinated and effective private sector participation in the management of the environment, as well as the provision for an organised judicial framework for the administration of environmental laws in Lagos State in other to make this happen.
Similarly, there is the need to explore newer methods of collection to help effectively handle the waste generated. Other collection agencies need to be employed as it is obvious that the PSP operators alone can’t handle the massive amount of waste.
The Akinwunmi Ambode administration should tackle this hydra-headed problem without minding whose ox is gored. The speed and enthusiasm with which the present administration tackled the Light-up Lagos initiative should be deployed to combat this age long problem that has now grown to become a monster.
The recent clean up exrcice embarked upon in highbrow areas of lagos like Victoria Island, Lekki and Ikoyi should be extended to the waste management sector.
Government must, as a matter of urgency, seek help from those who have managed waste in mega cities around the world, while bearing in mind the nation’s – and the state’s – peculiar solid waste generation status.
Scores of spectacular, rare and sometimes baffling unknown species were encountered on this year’s first-ever voyages to new deep ocean areas by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Curiously, a considerable number of them adorned the purple colour.
These include several purple animals such as:
A bizarre purple “mud monster”: the “acorn worm.”
Swimming purple sea cucumber, reminiscent of a flying Mary Poppins, found on NOAA’s Deepwater Exploration of the planet’s deepest known canyons, in the Pacific Ocean near Guam.
A mysterious purple orb, likened by one scientist to a disco ball, that may prove to be new to science.
A rare purple Vampire Squid, (Vampyroteuthis infernalis), a deep-sea creature nicknamed for its deep colour and red eyes (not because it feeds on blood).
Stubby “googly-eyed” purple animal looking like a cross between an octopus and a squid.
It was gathered that, beyond being spectacularly photogenic, such animals help scientists better understand the web of life that sustains all species, including humans.
The Acorn wormThe Sea cucumberThe Purple orbThe Vampire squidThe googly-eyed cross between an octopus and a squid
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has disclosed in a recent study that Nigeria is the world’s 2nd biggest emitter of methane in the wasterwater sector.
In an illustration, the body lists the top five methane emitters in the wastewater sector to include: China, Nigeria, Mexico, India, and the U.S.
In 2030, emissions from municipal wastewater systems are projected to be 609 MtCO2e. Nigeria is second biggest emitter out of the five in the illustration.
Reducing emissions of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under the Kigali Amendment can prevent up to 0.5°C of global warming, while continuing to protect the ozone layer. Similarly, HFCs consumption to be reduced in 2019 in developed countries and frozen in 2024 and 2028 in developing countries
President of the 28th Meeting of the Parties to Montreal Protocol in Kigali, Vincent Biruta of Rwanda, brings the gavel down marking the adoption of the Kigali Amendment
Nearly 200 countries struck a landmark deal on Saturday in Kigali, Rwanda to reduce the emissions of powerful greenhouse gases, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), in a move that could prevent up to 0.5 degrees Celsius of global warming by the end of this century.
The amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer endorsed in the Rwandan capital city is believed to be the single largest contribution the world has made towards keeping the global temperature rise “well below” 2 degrees Celsius, a target agreed at the Paris climate conference last year.
“Last year in Paris, we promised to keep the world safe from the worst effects of climate change. Today, we are following through on that promise,” said United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) chief, Erik Solheim.
“This is about much more than the ozone layer and HFCs. It is a clear statement by all world leaders that the green transformation started in Paris is irreversible and unstoppable. It shows the best investments are those in clean, efficient technologies.”
Commonly used in refrigeration and air conditioning as substitutes for ozone-depleting substances, HFCs are currently the world’s fastest growing greenhouse gases, their emissions increasing by up to 10 per cent each year. They are also one of the most powerful, trapping thousands of times more heat in the Earth’s atmosphere than carbon dioxide (CO2).
“The faster we act, the lower the financial costs will be, and the lighter the environmental burden on our children,” said President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame.
“That begins with a clear signal that change is coming and it is coming soon. In due course, new innovations and products will allow us to phase out HFCs even faster, and at lower cost.”
The rapid growth of HFCs in recent years has been driven by a growing demand for cooling, particularly in developing countries with a fast-expanding middle class and hot climates. The Kigali amendment provides for exemptions for countries with high ambient temperatures to phase down HFCs at a slower pace.
“It is not often you get a chance to have a 0.5-degree centigrade reduction by taking one single step together as countries – each doing different things perhaps at different times, but getting the job done,” said US Secretary of State John Kerry.
“If we continue to remember the high stakes for every country on Earth, the global transition to a clean energy economy is going to accelerate.”
Phase down schedule
Following seven years of negotiations, the 197 Montreal Protocol parties reached a compromise, under which developed countries will start to phase down HFCs by 2019. Developing countries will follow with a freeze of HFCs consumption levels in 2024, with some countries freezing consumption in 2028.
By the late 2040s, all countries are expected to consume no more than 15-20 per cent of their respective baselines.
Financing and alternatives to HFCs
Countries also agreed to provide adequate financing for HFCs reduction, the cost of which is estimated at billions of dollars globally. The exact amount of additional funding will be agreed at the next Meeting of the Parties in Montreal, in 2017. Grants for research and development of affordable alternatives to hydrofluorocarbons will be the most immediate priority.
Alternatives to HFCs currently being explored include substances that do not deplete the ozone layer and have a smaller impact on the climate, such as ammonia or carbon dioxide. Super-efficient, cost effective cooling technologies are also being developed, which can help protect the climate both through reducing HFCs emissions and by using less energy.
The Kigali Amendment comes only days after two other climate action milestones: sealing the international deal to curb emissions from aviation and achieving the critical mass of ratifications for the Paris climate accord to enter into force.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat has published the Summary for Policymakers (SPM), an annual go-to publication that summarises policies, technologies and initiatives to boost climate action.
Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). She stresses that the 2016 SPM identifies immediate actions that can promote emission reductions, and enhance climate resilience
The SPM results from meetings throughout 2016 of the technical examination processes on mitigation and adaptation. As a result, and for the first time, the SPM covers both the reduction of emissions and the building of resilience and in its 2016 edition, contains a specific section on adaptation.
In the context of the landmark Paris Climate Change Agreement, which enters into force on 4 November 2016, the SPM comes at an opportune time as nations look to scale up their climate actions in line with the objectives of the agreement.
Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UN Climate Change secretariat, welcomed the summary report. “In light of the temperature goals established by the Paris Agreement, the 2016 SPM identifies immediate actions that can promote emission reductions, enhance climate resilience and further engage non-Party stakeholders, including through low-carbon development and national adaptation plans,” she said.
The 2016 Summary for Policymakers also highlights policies, cooperative initiatives and partnerships that can leverage new levels of local, regional, national and international action around the world.
Climate action by countries, companies, investors and cities, regions, territories and states has continued unabated since Paris and the full implementation of the Paris Agreement will ensure that this collective effort will continue to double and redouble until a sustainable future is secured. The SPM makes a key tangible contribution in this context.
“The 2016 Summary for Policymakers highlights the key messages for policymakers emanating from these processes and presents a broad range of policy options and collaborative initiatives with the potential to significantly enhance pre-2020 action on adaptation and mitigation,” High-level Climate Champions Hakima El Haite and Laurence Tubiana added.
The objectives of the 2016 SPM are to:
Highlight for policymakers the key messages and concrete actions to take and ways to further engage all stakeholders in the pre-2020 period;
Showcase more good practices in adaptation and mitigation policies, technologies and actions that could be scaled up and replicated by Parties;
Present cooperative initiatives that can help to support and enhance pre-2020 action by all stakeholders;
Highlight some of the numerous commitments and actions undertaken by stakeholders to promote emission reductions, address climate change risks and enhance climate resilience;
Enable all stakeholders to gradually shift from showcasing good practices and initiatives to incubating, inspiring and catalysing new ideas and ambitious action.
The SPMs are designed as inputs to the regular annual high level events to be held in conjunction with the annual UN climate change conferences. They serve to take stock and further strengthen high-level engagement on the implementation of adaptation and mitigation policy options and actions and for providing an opportunity for showcasing strengthened voluntary efforts, initiatives and coalitions.
The Kaduna State Government of Nigeria has vowed to complete the multi-billion-naira Zaria water project that will supply water to eight local government areas (LGAs) of the state in July 2017. The project will cost a whopping N69 billion.
The Zaria water project in Kaduna State
The state government said the work is now 90% completion, stressing that the gigantic water treatment plant would be completed in December while the entire project would be completed next year to end the decades of suffering by residents over unsafe water.
Commissioner for Water Resources, Suleiman Aliyu Lere, made the disclosure recently during an inspection tour of the water project sites.
He said: “We are expecting the whole project to be completed by July 2017, that is the aspect of the construction of the transmission lines and the distribution, but the construction of the water treatment plant will be completed in December and, by that time, there will be serious improvement in the supply of water even before2017.
“By the time we are completing the project in 2017 we would have spent an estimated sum of N69 billion that includes the construction of the water treatment plant constructed by the state government and the dam constructed by the federal government and others already outlined.
“Water requirements currently for Zaria and environs is about 100 million litres a day and what we have on ground is 60 million litres now. Even though, it is not operating at optimal capacity because of the dilapidated nature of the old water works and the challenges of power, but by the time these new ones come on board we will have a total capacity of 210 million litres a day, which will have the potential of not only supplying to Zaria and Sabon Gari with potable water but additional communities within the six LGAs that surround Zaria and Sabon Gari.”
The commissioner added: “There are other areas that have to do with expansion and the rehabilitation of the old pipes that has already been laid tens of years ago. There is also the construction of the booster stations that will take water to Zaria and other envisaged local government areas that are to benefit from the project. There is also the water treatment plant that, hopefully, will be completed by the end of this year.”
Dr. Henry Kiemeg, Project Manager, Gamji Nigeria Limited, which is handling part of the Zaria water project, complained about some residents who illegally built on the right-of-way, describing the ongoing laying of water pipelines in some areas as a challenge.
Kiemeg, who commended the present administration for its commitment to end water problem in Zaria and environs, said: “The way the Kaduna State Government under Mallam Nasir el-Rufai has supported us, it is on record that, unlike what obtains before now, in the past where government will be pushing you left, right and centre, rather we were given support.
“Real support to deliver and this is unprecedented, this is a great motivation because any contractor that has a smooth way to do your job without any kick back and front, will perform better. We also thank the commissioner who works so hard, diligent and committed.”
Friday, 14 October 2016 at The Hague started with a press conference of the Monsanto Tribunal & People’s Assembly organising committee, including: Vandana Shiva, Corinne Lepage, Emilie Gaillard, Mindy Schneider, Hans Herren, Ronnie Cummins, Andre Leu, Nnimmo Bassey and Renate Künast.
Speakers and organising committee members of the Monsanto Tribunal & People’s Assembly
They spoke of the necessity of a people’s grassroots movement in the face of governments and international institutions’ inaction in protecting human rights. A full day of presentations and reports from various scientists, activists, and leaders of important organizations such as Navdanya International, IFOAM, GM Watch, and Pesticide Action Network to name a few, who covered topics of ecocide and genocide, adverse effects of pesticides and herbicides on the environment and health, and attacks by big international corporations on farmers and farming as well as science and scientists.
Together, they made a joint declaration to save the planet from the past century of ecocide and genocide.
Crimes Against Nature
Monsanto, along with the other poison making corporations, have to recognise that nature has rights. We cannot continue to allow for violations and looting of our Mother Nature, if we want our planet and all her diverse species to survive.
The conquest of nature driven by rampant and mindless industrialisation has poisoned and polluted our planet. Greed for the control of nature has driven the new colonisers to disregard indigenous traditions and sciences. In the process, nature has been made into an instrument of exploitation. We stand today to celebrate Nature in all her diversity, with all her rights and we call all citizens of the world to rise in pledging to honor the rights of our Earth (http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/08/24/the-universal-declaration-of-the-rights-of-mother-earth/).
Patenting Life and seeds
All beings including plants, animals, and even the tiniest of microorganism are sentient beings. They are self-organised living systems and not inventions. Monsanto’s claim on patents on seeds and life is not only a gross violation of Nature’s rights, but also represents a challenge to Nature’s process of creation and to Life itself. Monsanto claims to be “the creator”, that is “the inventor” of life and seeds. Yet, plants and seeds produce and reproduce themselves without the intervention of a corporation. Monsanto, by claiming to be the Creator of seed, sends out a simple signal to the world – GMO = God Move Over.
Violations of Farmer’s Rights
Across the world, from India to Mexico, the rights of farmers have been violated. In India alone, 300,000 farmers have committed suicide in the past two decades – most of these occurring in the “cotton belt”, the area of India where 95% of the cotton seed lies in Monsanto’s hands. By fraudulent means of manipulation and lies, Monsanto has tricked farmers into buying their seeds. They have illegally extracted royalties and increased the costs of inputs. This has led to hundreds of thousands of farmers being pushed into the debt and suicide cycle.
Contamination, Genetic Pollution and Devastation of Biodiversity
GMOs have contaminated farmers’ fields and destroyed generations of natural evolution of plants all over our planet. From Steve Marsh from Australia to Percy Schemeiser from Canada, farmers are the worstly affected victims of this genetic contamination. Furthermore, GMOs have oppressed farmers by making them pay for the pollution of their fields. Monsanto wants control of our seeds and food systems and is willing to cross any boundaries for its profit. In 1995, Monsanto illegally smuggled Bt cotton seeds into India and contaminated native and hybrid cotton fields in Gujarat. They have used genetic pollution and contamination as a modus operandi to enter countries without any biosafety or scientific assessments. In many countries of the world, Monsanto has reversed thousands of years of natural evolution.
Attack on Democracy and Countries
Monsanto’s drive for profit has unleashed seed imperialism on the world. They have corrupted governments and lobbied to dismantle sovereign laws and Constitutions of all countries. Article 6 of the Argentinean Constitution and Article 3 (J) of India’s Constitution do not allow patents on plants and seeds, but Monsanto has challenged these laws in both countries’ courts in an effort to undermine these democracies. Through lobby groups, Monsanto has applied international pressure to the dismantlement of the safety frameworks that ensure that rights of plants and citizens are protected. Monsanto is still attacking Argentinean laws, seeking to change any laws that come in the way of their corporate profits. “In the case of the lawsuit against Monsanto in Argentina in 2013, we requested to have access to the studies conducted by Monsanto. This legal measure was approved and we could see with our own eyes that their studies are just trash science,” said Fernando Cabaleiro.
Poisoning life
By introducing poisons such as Roundup (glyphosate) and Basta (glufosinate), Monsanto has exposed millions of people to virulent poisons. Today, these people are suffering from neurological diseases like autism and Alzheimer’s, food-related diseases like cancer and diabetes, and are developing countless health complications. The poisons being forcibly unleashed on farms are the major reason for these diseases.
