The Business Insider just reported that a new company Editas Medicine (Sounds like “edit us,” doesn’t it?) just raised $120 million to continue working with a new technology known as CRISPR-Cas9 which enables scientists to tweak defective genes or even swap them out for new ones. They’ve already been repairing defective genes in mice with it.

Considering Bill Gates is largely funding it, however, you can rest assured that if anything good actually comes of this (as in, it’s not just some creepy transhumanist science experiment), it won’t benefit the average people like those who are reading this article right now. It would only go to him and his elite buddies.

Why? Because Bill Gates is a known eugenicist who would just as soon pull the plug on your grandma to pay the salaries of ten teachers.

When the Rolling Stone asked him about breakthrough medical technologies in a March 2014 interview, Gates straight up responded that “innovation can actually be your enemy in health care if you are not careful” because “If you accelerate certain things but aren’t careful about whether you want to make those innovations available to everyone, then you’re intensifying the cost in such a way that you’ll overwhelm all the resources.”

In other words, not everyone can and should have access to beneficial “health care innovations” and we need to be “careful” that not just anyone can access them.

Read more: http://www.activistpost.com/2015/08/eugenicist-bill-gates-funds-gene-tweaking-company.html?utm_source=Activist+Post+Subscribers&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=4dca635029-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_term=0_b0c7fb76bd-4dca635029-386424498

(NaturalNews) EXCLUSIVE: Mainland Chinese dissidents have handed Natural News the following bombshell story. (Two minor updates / corrections are now included in this story, see below.)

The Tianjin explosion was waged as an act of “kinetic retaliation” by the Pentagon in response to China’s currency war Yuan devaluation, according to dissident sources from mainland China. The Chinese government has put in place unprecedented secrecy surrounding the mysterious explosion, and aggressive police state tactics are now being invoked to control the flow of information surrounding this event.

“Last week’s explosions sent massive fireballs into the sky and hurled burning debris across the industrial area at the world’s 10th-largest port, burning out buildings and shattering windows kilometres away,” reports the Daily Mail UK.

The Chinese government’s official explanation for the explosion, which has now killed 114 people, is a complete whitewash. China is going to declare regional martial law in the next 18 days, Natural News has learned, in order to exercise total control over the movement of people and information. The government has banned reporters from entering the area and has begun arresting bloggers who promote what the government calls “conspiracy theories” regarding the cause of the massive explosion.

China has blacked out reporting on Tianjin in exactly the same way the U.S. media blacked out reporting on Dr. William Thompson, the CDC whistleblower who admitted the CDC buried evidence linking vaccines to autism. In both China and the United States, when the government doesn’t want the citizens to know something, it censors the story across the entire state-run media, invoking “information totalitarianism.”

Read more: http://www.naturalnews.com/050816_Tianjin_explosion_space-based_weapons_military_retaliation.html

Is the cell phone or more specifically the modern day “smart phone” the most destructive invention in the history of humankind? I believe it may very well be and here is my argument.

No other invention has permeated human activity like the modern day cell phone. Here is a list of things that you may not have thought of that cell phones are responsible for. When you get to the bottom of this list you may just realize that the cell phone is the electronics invention ‘ace-in-the-hole’ for the globalist and their new world order plans.

1- Cell phones have become the number one distraction to humans in all segments of society

We all see the zombies everywhere. They are crossing the street while staring at their phones. This man here actually gets bitten by a snake while walking down the streets hypnotized by his cell phone. People are driving their cars while texting, riding bikes, working out at the gym, eating at restaurants, and doing almost everything you can think of, all while texting or talking on the phone. It’s a widespread phenomenon that is only getting worse. People everywhere are simply not paying attention to what they are doing leaving them vulnerable for almost any unexpected incident to happen to them.

2- Cell phone use is now a major cause of driving fatalities

This cell phone hypnosis is spreading throughout humanity and is now one of the leading culprits accounting for accidents, injuries and deaths nationwide. A study done on cell phone while driving found that cell phone use in car accidents is largely “under-reported”. Which means we have no idea how bad the problem really is. The question then is, exactly how much is the mainstream media, government and the cell phone companies censoring the truth about cell phone fatalities? Are they covering up this statistic to keep profits rolling in?

3- Cell phones have destroyed human person-to-person communication

We’ve all likely seen the destruction of the person to person interpersonal relationship at the hands of the cell phone. No longer do people want to meet in person instead they would rather text you. Even speaking on the phone is out of style for many younger adults. The hassle of actually having to speak to you on the phone is too much to ask for thus a text which is exponentially less personal is more convenient for them. For some people texting you allows them to more easily ignore you, put you off till later and worse.

All of this I firmly believe was by design. The globalist wanted an isolated and callous humanity hooked on electronics and depleted of real human interaction and the cell phone gave them the perfect tool to advance this idea.

Read more: http://truthandarttv.com/7-points-that-prove-cell-phone-most-destructive-invention

(NaturalNews) One thing is clear regarding the GMO labeling issue. The vast majority of Americans — more than 90 percent — are in favor of mandatory labeling laws. A recent poll by a physician’s association revealed that more than two-thirds (68 percent) of doctors are also in favor of mandatory GMO food labeling.

The SERMO physician community conducted a poll of its members, asking the question: “Should food manufacturers be required to label products containing GMOs?” Of the 2,097 physicians who responded, 1,422 answered “yes.”

In their report on GMOs, the physician’s association refers to the recent World Health Organization’s findings regarding chemicals such as glyphosate, the herbicide widely used in GM agriculture:

Genetically engineered crop producers took another hit this year when the World Health Organization reported that organophosphate herbicides such as glyphosate are ‘probable carcinogens’, with limited evidence showing an increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in occupational workers, and sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in mammals. The finding comes on the heels of renewed calls to update GMO regulations at the federal level and mandate that all GMO foods be labeled in stores.

The SERMO report also draws a comparison between proposed GMO labeling and the trans fat labeling legislation that was passed when it was proven that trans fats were associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Read more: http://www.naturalnews.com/050814_DARK_Act_GMO_labeling_doctors.html

While any discussion of the “chemtrail” phenomena today is immediately labeled conspiracy theory, a new study provides evidence that a global covert program is underway, made possible through political, commercial, and government interests working in collusion to release extremely toxic material into the atmosphere ostensibly to “combat global warming.”

Admittedly, when the topic of “chemtrails” comes up, I get a bit uneasy. Like connecting vaccines with autism, certain topics have been so loaded with misinformation for so long that writing about them automatically invokes the specter of controversy, and not open discussion, as would be expected if discovering the truth were a priority.

One highly marginalized but vocal sector of the population believes chemtrails are being sprayed on us like Raid on cockroaches by our invisible overlords to facilitate a depopulation agenda. On the other extreme are academics unashamedly publishing papers suggesting we should play God by using various geoengineering techniques with avowedly planet wide impacts to “combat global warming.” Rarely, however, do we see anyone convincingly tying together the first-hand observational data with objective data, to prove that there is something in these persistent contrails other than frozen water vapor.

Thankfully, a groundbreaking study was recently published that did exactly this, bringing us closer to the truth than we have ever been before. The implications are simply profound and I believe may foment greatly expanded awareness and activism on the topic.

Read more: http://www.activistpost.com/2015/08/why-the-chemtrail-conspiracy-is-real.html?utm_source=Activist+Post+Subscribers&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=b9ab9ca6c6-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_term=0_b0c7fb76bd-b9ab9ca6c6-386424498

(NaturalNews) “We may need to seek them out and destroy them where they live,” wrote a Merck & Co. employee who was actively plotting to murder or discredit doctors who had voiced concerns regarding the adverse health effects of an anti-inflammatory drug called Vioxx.

Launched in 1999, Vioxx was extremely popular (with more than 80 million users worldwide), as its makers heralded the drug as being the answer to inflammation, minus the nausea that often follows with anti-inflammatory medication.

It was later discovered that the New Jersey-based Merck & Co. was knowingly selling a drug that frequently caused heart attacks and strokes in its unsuspecting victims. A study revealed that Vioxx actually doubled the risk of heart attacks and strokes, prompting the company to voluntary withdraw the drug from the market in 2004.

Prior to the drug being pulled from the market, several Merck & Co. staff exchanged emails in which they discussed a “hit list” they drafted of doctors whom they believed needed to be “neutralised” or “discredited” due to their criticism of Vioxx.

Merck & Co. long history of harassing and threatening those who stand in the way of drug profits

The emails surfaced in court after 58-year-old Graeme Peterson claimed the drug caused him to have a heart attack in 2003 after taking the medication for three years to treat his back pain and arthritis.

Merck & Co. and its Australian subsidiary, Merck Sharpe & Dohme, were sued for damages by more than 1,000 Australians (and many others in the US), who claimed that they suffered heart attacks and strokes at the hands of Vioxx.

The court ruled in Peterson’s favor, allotting him just under $300,000 in compensation; however, the ruling was reversed in 2010 by an appeal panel in Federal Court in Melbourne.

The court said it wasn’t proven that Vioxx caused Peterson’s heart attack, despite accusations that the American pharmaceutical company misconstrued Vioxx’s health risks in medical literature, advertisements and statements to doctors by sales representatives.

Read more: http://www.naturalnews.com/050728_Big_Pharma_black_ops_Merck_employee_Brandy_Vaughan.html

Those that run food banks all over America say that demand for their services just continues to explode. It always amazes me that there are still people out there that insist that an “economic collapse” is not happening. From their air-conditioned homes in their cushy suburban neighborhoods they mock the idea that the U.S. economy is crumbling. But if they would just go down and visit the local food banks in their areas, they would see how much people are hurting. According to Feeding America spokesman Ross Fraser, 46 million Americans got food from a food bank at least one time during 2014. Because the demand has become so overwhelming, some food banks are cutting back on the number of days they operate and the amount of food that is given to each family. As you will see below, many impoverished Americans are lining up at food banks as early as 6:30 in the morning just so that they can be sure to get something before the food runs out. And yet there are still many people out there that have the audacity to say that everything is just fine in America. Shame on them for ignoring the pain of millions upon millions of their fellow citizens.

Poverty in America is getting worse, not better. And no amount of spin from Barack Obama or his apologists can change that fact.

This year, it is being projected that food banks in the United States will give away an all-time record 4 billion pounds of food.

Over the past decade, that number has more than doubled.

Read more: http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/46-million-americans-go-to-food-banks-and-long-lines-for-dwindling-food-supplies-begin-at-630-am

(NaturalNews) Everywhere you look these days, people’s heads are buried in their computers, tablets, and smartphones nearly around the clock, including at work. And a new investigation has found that the majority of millennials, or people between the ages of 18 and 34, are insistent upon having these electronic devices in their presence at all times, willing even to quit their jobs if their bosses were to tell them to stop checking Facebook and Instagram during work hours.

CBS Philly’s “On Your Side” recently reported on a survey conducted by MobilIron that found that most millennials, some 60 percent, say they would simply stop working if their employers suddenly started cracking down on social media use while on the job. This phenomenon, writes On Your Side’s Jim Donovan, reflects the fact that this younger generation grew up with such technology, and doesn’t know what it’s like to function without it.

He interviewed one young man by the name of Jonathan Perez, 25, who says he always keeps his smartphone handy, even at work. His work life spills over into his personal life, and vice versa, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. And like many others within his age group, he values having his smartphone with him at all times more than keeping a job to pay the bills.

Commenting on this societal shift in priorities, MobilIron’s Vice President of Strategy, Ojas Rege, told the media that employers need to take this into account with new hires who are increasingly chained to their electronic devices. If they want to maintain the best of the best in terms of employee quality, he says, they’re going to have to figure out how to adapt.

“Any employer that is looking to recruit this next generation of work force is absolutely going to have to understand these trends and respond to them,” Rege says. “Otherwise they are going to lose the best employees of the future.”

Read more: http://www.naturalnews.com/050716_social_media_millennials_jobs.html

Once upon a time, it was popular to say that the U.S. government only had enough wheat stored up to provide everyone in America with half a loaf of bread. But that is not true anymore. Recently, I discovered that the U.S. does not have any strategic grain reserves left at all. Zero. Nada. Zilch. As you will see below, the USDA liquidated the remaining reserves back in 2008. So if a major food crisis hit this country, our government would have nothing to give us. Of course the federal government could always go out and try to buy or seize food to feed the population during a major emergency, but that wouldn’t actually increase the total amount of food that was available. Instead, it would just give the government more power over who gets it.

The U.S. strategic grain reserve was initially created during the days of the Great Depression. Back then, the wisdom of storing up food for hard times was self-evident. Unfortunately, over time interest in this program faded, and at this point there is no strategic grain reserve in the United States at all.

Read more: http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/did-you-know-that-the-u-s-no-longer-has-any-strategic-grain-reserves-at-all

It took Africa just over a decade to conclude that the International Criminal Court (ICC), established in 2002 by the Rome Statute, is simply unfit for purpose. That certainly is the conclusion of the South African government following the African Union summit in Johannesburg in June 2015. The institution many African countries signed up for post 1998, a court that promised to pursue injustice without fear or favour, is not the one they see before them today. They were sold a false bill of goods. The ICC’s claims to international jurisdiction and judicial independence are institutionally flawed and the Court’s reputation has been irretrievably damaged by its racism, blatant double-standards, hypocrisy, corruption and serious judicial irregularities.

While the ICC presents itself as the world’s court this is simply not the case. Its members represent just over one quarter of the world’s population: China, Russia, the United States, India, Pakistan and Indonesia are just some of the many countries that have remained outside of the Court’s jurisdiction.

A court is also only as credible as its independence. Far from being an independent and impartial court, the ICC’s own statute grants special “prosecutorial” rights of referral and deferral to the Security Council – by default its five permanent members (three of which are not even ICC members). Political interference in the legal process was thus made part of the Court’s founding terms of reference. The Court is also inextricably tied to the European Union which provides over 60 percent of its funding. The expression “He who pays the piper calls the tune” could not be more appropriate. The fact that the big five ICC funders are Africa’s former colonial masters also sits uneasily with a continent suspicious of recolonisation by questionable legal diktat. The EU is additionally guilty of blatant political and economic blackmail in tying aid for developing countries to ICC membership.

Read more: http://www.activistpost.com/2015/08/more-questions-about-the-international-criminal-court.html?utm_source=Activist+Post+Subscribers&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=e14462f278-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_term=0_b0c7fb76bd-e14462f278-386424498

Jim: My “tinnitus” sounds exactly like your sound file. (10400mhz) This would explain alot. How can we shield ourselves from being beamed?
My response: First of all, I want to make something clear: It is impossible for even two people to have the same tinnitus unless it is externally caused. Real tinnitus is caused by damage to the inner ear, where there are millions of tiny hairs in the cochlea that pick up the sound. When these get damaged by loud noises or something else, they begin to make noise on the frequency they were supposed to represent, and that is heard as tinnitus. If you have millions of these little hairs it is impossible for the exact same hairs to get damaged in multiple people, which would require exact same genetics and exposure to the exact same sounds at the exact same levels.
If multiple people are saying their tinnitus sounds exactly like what I have posted here, and most people who have written said even the sub modulations are the same, it can only mean that something outside the body, an external source is doing this. Since properly modulated microwave frequencies can be heard when beamed into the head, the obvious external source is electronically caused. This is the only way multiple people could hear the exact same thing.
I have tried blocking this, but have only been able to either mute it slightly or make it worse. Yes, the “tinfoil hat” would work against a few frequencies if you knew the direction the beaming was coming from and sat still 24/7 and set it all up right and made a perfect reflector. But an aluminum reflector won’t block AM, VLF, or even mid band, and if your “tin foil hat” was not made perfectly it could actually, in some positions, end up making the problem worse. And if you were getting beamed by much lower frequencies, it would have zero chance of working at all.
If you were getting beamed by low frequencies, only a faraday cage would work. But that won’t stop high frequencies. And no, the Tesla movie did not show Tesla produce high frequencies, back then “high” was Khz, which by today’s standards would be very low frequency. So there is a problem with trying to protect yourself, I have tried and it is practically impossible. That is why I do not post diagrams for ways to protect yourself, “they” (the people doing the beaming) know more than even I know, and have produced systems that will penetrate absolutely anything. Your best chance would be to sleep underground.

(NaturalNews) A publication that claims to be an “independent fact-checking” website published an article full of lies and contradictions when it said that no vaccines recommended for children have contained mercury since 1999.

The article also published lies about contacting Natural News’ Mike Adams for comment regarding his views on mercury in vaccines. In fact, no contact with Adams was ever made.

In February 2015, a time when vaccine propaganda reached its peak following the “Disneyland Measles Outbreak,” PolitiFact Georgia falsely reported that “Adams declined to speak” with them about “his conclusions regarding mercury” and that he instead referred them to studies on NaturalNews.com. In truth, no contact was ever made with Adams, and he certainly did not “decline to speak” about mercury in vaccines.

Natural News is calling for not only a retraction, but an apology for the lies fabricated by PolitiFact. Please see this article’s end for PolitiFact’s contact information.

PolitiFact violates journalistic code of ethics – which basically say – don’t lie!

The lies told by PolitiFact GA are genuinely an outright assault on the American public, especially children. The report falsely claims that the MMR, chickenpox and polio vaccine never contained mercury, although they did (flu shots still do) and it has been admitted by drug makers such as Merck & Co.

We here at Natural News, as well as our readers, know this to be completely false, as Adams tested vaccines, specifically the flu shot, for mercury last year using an Agilent 7700x ICP-MS instrument capable of detecting low parts per billion concentrations of mercury.

He discovered alarmingly high amounts of mercury in an influenza vaccine made by GlaxoSmithKline (lot #9H2GX), with levels reaching a shocking 51 parts per million – that’s 25,000 times higher than the maximum containment level of inorganic mercury in drinking water set by the EPA.

Read more: http://www.naturalnews.com/050705_Politifact_journalistic_fraud_mercury_in_vaccines.html

Too much time in front of the television may contribute to brain damage and a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, a new study suggests.

Northern California Institute for Research and Education experts found that four hours of television or more per day can significantly lower cognitive performance in middle age. The study explored the link between sedentary lifestyle, cognitive performance and the risk of developing dementia, as reported by The Washington Post.

The study tracked individuals for 25 years beginning in young adulthood and found that low cognitive test scores were also common among people who reported low levels of physical activity.

Researchers say the findings shed light on important consequences for children and young adults who spend a lot of time in front of screens. However, the research also suggests that people have a choice in changing their lifestyle in order to lower the risk of cognitive decline later in life.

“This is something you can do something about,” Kristine Yaffe, a professor of psychiatry, neurology and epidemiology at the University of California in San Francisco, told the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Washington, D.C.

Read more: http://washington.cbslocal.com/2015/07/22/study-excess-tv-watching-could-raise-risk-of-alzheimers/

On August 2, Britain’s Sunday Express newspaper headlined “SAS dress as ISIS fighters in undercover war on jihadis,” saying:

“More than 120 members belonging to the elite regiment are currently in the war-torn country” covertly “dressed in black and flying ISIS flags,” engaged in what’s called Operation Shader – attacking Syrian targets on the pretext of combating ISIS.

Maybe covert US special forces and CIA elements are involved the same way. During Obama’s war on Libya, Britain deployed hundreds of Special Forces Support Group (SFSG) paratroopers – drawn from SAS (Special Air Service) and SBS (Special Boat Service) personnel.

Around 800 Royal Marines and 4,000 US counterparts were on standby to intervene on short notice if ordered.

The latest revelation comes two weeks after learning Prime Minister David Cameron last year approved British warplanes joining US ones in bombing Syria despite parliamentary rejection in August 2013.

At least part of its current covert ground operation is under US command – so-called “smash” units traveling in pickup trucks able to launch mini-UAVs to scan terrain for targets to attack.

Over 250 UK (and perhaps US) specialists are involved to provide communications support, the Sunday Express explained.

British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said “(o)ur actions and surveillance capabilities are freeing up other countries to strike in Syria.”

Read more: http://www.activistpost.com/2015/08/british-sas-special-forces-dressed-up.html?utm_source=Activist+Post+Subscribers&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=cb78b2a948-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_term=0_b0c7fb76bd-cb78b2a948-386424498

Senior U.S. health officials have squelched a Food and Drug Administration proposal that for the first time would have curbed dentists’ use of mercury – one of the planet’s nastiest toxins because it attacks the central nervous system – in treating Americans’ decayed teeth.

The proposal, approved by top FDA officials in late 2011 and kept secret since, would have told dentists they should not use mercury fillings in cavities in pregnant women, nursing moms, children under 6 and people with mercury allergies, kidney diseases or neurological problems.

It also urged dentists to avoid using fillings that contain mercury compounds in any patient, where possible.

The proposal and its secret rejection, after a cost-benefit analysis by officials at the Department of Health and Human Services, have put the Obama administration in the awkward position of concealing for over three years a safety communication potentially affecting millions of Americans.

The FDA has defended the safety of mercury fillings since the agency’s inception in 1930 and especially during an ongoing, 23-year legal battle with consumer groups. Consumer lawyers are pressing the government to ban the compounds, as Denmark, Norway and Sweden have done.

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/article28017817.html#storylink=cpy

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to randomly come down with a touch of schizophrenia?

Probably not. Or if you did, it was probably in a nightmare.

Well now, with the help of a little futuristic technology, companies who just can’t get over themselves long enough to respect your privacy for one second can make your worst nightmares come true.

Check this out:

Read more: http://www.activistpost.com/2015/07/who-needs-billboard-new-ads-of-future.html?utm_source=Activist+Post+Subscribers&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=3876249ee5-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_term=0_b0c7fb76bd-3876249ee5-386424498

(NaturalNews) Prior to about 20 years ago, it was believed that the human brain was incapable of producing new brain cells after reaching maturity. But scientists now widely accept the fact that the human brain can undergo neurogenesis, in which new neurons are born, even into adulthood, and that this process can be helped along through certain dietary and lifestyle changes.

Two specific regions of the brain, the subventricular zone and the hippocampus, both show evidence of neurogenesis post-maturity. The latter region is responsible for learning and memory, and when it’s not functioning as it should, neurodegenerative conditions like depression, anxiety and Parkinson’s can ensue. But you can help reduce your risk while simultaneously promoting adult-stage brain cell formation by following these five steps:

1) Exercise. It might sound cliche, but the single most effective way to promote neurogenesis in your brain is to exercise regularly. Getting your heart pumping and your blood flowing by running, biking, or swimming is a great way to increase levels of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial cell line-derived trophic factor (GDNF), two key growth factors that promote neurogenesis.

The endorphins released through cardiovascular exercise also help minimize levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, while increasing levels of the hormone testosterone, which like BDNF and GDNF helps promote neurogenesis. These exercise-induced hormones and growth factors are especially critical as a person ages, since they act as anti-aging, cognition-boosting nutrients.

Read more: http://www.naturalnews.com/050703_neurogenesis_adult_brain_cells_regeneration.html

The TPPA has done an odd service to the world. It has awakened the people from their technological sleep.
Today Hamiltron New Zealand turned out in mass to protest the TPPA. The crowd carried sign that showed that they were well informed and rallied sufficiently by the speakers to bring a unity of purpose and intent to preserve our future in spite of the Evil Elite plans to control the necessities of life and our very freedom to be sovereign individuals.
We may or may not be able to stop the TPPA but we can come together as one people and meet our greater family for a higher point of view and cooperation. Today’s meeting has proven that fact to all that attended and all that witnessed the event. Let the photos speak for themselves. Well done to the organizers.

Fukushima’s still radiating, self-perpetuating, immeasurable, and limitless, like a horrible incorrigible Doctor Who monster encounter in deep space.

Fukushima will likely go down in history as the biggest cover-up of the 21st Century. Governments and corporations are not leveling with citizens about the risks and dangers; similarly, truth itself, as an ethical standard, is at risk of going to shambles as the glue that holds together the trust and belief in society’s institutions. Ultimately, this is an example of how societies fail.

Tens of thousands of Fukushima residents remain in temporary housing more than four years after the horrific disaster of March 2011. Some areas on the outskirts of Fukushima have officially reopened to former residents, but many of those former residents are reluctant to return home because of widespread distrust of government claims that it is okay and safe.

Part of this reluctance has to do with radiation’s symptoms. It is insidious because it cannot be detected by human senses. People are not biologically equipped to feel its power, or see, or hear, touch or smell it (Caldicott). Not only that, it slowly accumulates over time in a dastardly fashion that serves to hide its effects until it is too late.

Read More: http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/06/15/whats-really-going-on-at-fukushima/

More than 70% of pollen and honey samples collected from foraging bees in Massachusetts contain at least one neonicotinoid, a class of pesticide that has been implicated in Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), in which adult bees abandon their hives during winter, according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The study was published online July 23, 2015 in the Journal of Environmental Chemistry.

“Data from this study clearly demonstrated the ubiquity of neonicotinoids in pollen and honey samples that bees are exposed to during the seasons when they are actively foraging across Massachusetts. Levels of neonicotinoids that we found in this study fall into ranges that could lead to detrimental health effects in bees, including CCD,” said Chensheng (Alex) Lu, associate professor of environmental exposure biology in the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard Chan School and lead author of the study.

Since 2006, there have been significant losses of honey bee colonies. Scientists, policymakers, farmers, and beekeepers are concerned with this problem because bees are prime pollinators of roughly one-third of all crops worldwide.

Previous studies analyzed either stored pollen collected from hives or pollen samplescollected from bees at a single point in time. In this study, the Harvard Chan School researchers looked at pollen samples collected over time—during spring and summer months when bees forage—from the same set of hives across Massachusetts.

Collecting pollen samples in this way enabled the researchers to determine variations in the levels of eight neonicotinoids and to identify high-risk locations or months for neonicotinoid exposure for bees. To do so, the researchers worked with 62 Massachusetts beekeepers who volunteered to collect monthly samples of pollen and honey from foraging bees, from April through August 2013, using pollen traps on the landings of beehives. The beekeepers then sent the samples to the researchers.

The researchers analyzed 219 pollen and 53 honey samples from 62 hives, from 10 out of 14 counties in Massachusetts. They found neonicotinoids in pollen and honey for each month collected, in each location—suggesting that bees are at risk of neonicotinoid exposure any time they are foraging anywhere in Massachusetts.

The most commonly detected neonicotinoid was imidacloprid, followed by dinotefuran. Particularly high concentrations of neonicotinoids were found in Worcester County in April, in Hampshire County in May, in Suffolk County in July, and in Essex County in June, suggesting that, in these counties, certain months pose significant risks to bees.

The new findings suggest that neonicotinoids are being used throughout Massachusetts. Not only do these pesticides pose a significant risk for the survival ofhoney bees, but they also may pose health risks for people inhaling neonicotinoid-contaminated pollen, Lu said. “The data presented in this study should serve as a basis for public policy that aims to reduce neonicotinoid exposure,” he said.

Read More: http://www.naturalblaze.com/2015/07/pesticides-found-in-most-pollen.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+naturalblaze+%28Natural+Blaze%29