Monsanto's Agent Orange Being Used to Clear Amazon Forest

www.activistpost.com...
For the Full article:
www.treehugger.com...

Brought to you by Monsanto...Again.
Agent Orange is rearing its ugly head again. Now it's being used to kill the Rain Forest for profit.

This killer was of course used in Vietnam and has an estimated death toll of over 400,000 people. Why is it even still around? Well, money of course. Not important that one and one-half acres of rainforest are lost every second and that we are losing 137 plant, animal and insect species every single day due to rainforest deforestation.

I shake my head in wonder and confusion at the greed and stupidity of our species. It is not even a question anymore of the serious and catastrophic effects that the destruction of the rainforests will have on the planet and us.

But as Monsanto has proven time and time again...we're not important.

Officials from Brazil's environmental agency IBAMA were first tipped to the illegal clearing by satellite images of the forest in Amazonia; a helicopter flyover in the region later revealed thousands of trees left ash-colored and defoliated by toxic chemicals. IBAMA says that Agent Orange was likely dispersed by aircraft by a yet unidentified rancher to clear the land for pasture because it is more difficult to detect than traditional operations that require chainsaws and tractors.

According to officials, ranchers in Brazil have begun spraying the highly toxic herbicide over patches of forest as a covert method to illegally clear foliage, more difficult to detect that chainsaws and tractors. In recent weeks, an aerial survey detected some 440 acres of rainforest that had been sprayed with the compound -- poisoning thousands of trees and an untold number of animals, potentially for generations.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/4dbf4890a131.jpg[/atsimg]

Last week, in another part of the Amazon, an investigation conducted by the agency uncovered approximately four tons of the highly toxic herbal pesticides hidden in the forest awaiting dispension. If released, the chemicals could have potentially decimated some 7,500 acres of rainforest, killing all the wildlife that resides there and contaminating groundwater. In this case, the individual responsible was identified and now faces fines nearing $1.3 million.www.ibama.gov.br...

I translated the page here:

New Aripuanã (06/27/2011) - Nearly four tons of chemicals classified as highly toxic herbicides, were found by the inspection team on the road IBAMA AM - 174, 160 km, linking the New Apuí Aripuanã / AM.
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/79382fc8f708.jpg[/atsimg]

According to Cicero Furtado, coordinator of the operation, the situation was raised by the intelligence service of IBAMA which identified that the product would be used as a defoliant to destroy about three thousand acres of forest. "The herbicide was stored in inappropriate location, hidden in the woods and would be sprayed in the forest with the use of aircraft," concluded the engineer.

Three different types of pesticides have been identified: 2,4 - D AMINE 72, U46BR and Garlon 480 in addition to mineral oil, which would be used as a fixative of the herbicide on the leaves. This type of pesticide is used in fields of crops to control weeds, necessitating the issuance of agronomic prescription for the acquisition and application in specific doses, accompanied by an agronomist. If used improperly, can cause serious damage to the environment such as pollution of groundwater, loss of biological diversity in soil, killing animals and insects, among others.

The person responsible has been identified and will suffer the penalties provided for in administrative law of environmental crimes (9605/98), which provides fine of five hundred to two million dollars. For Silvia Ahmed, the chief substitute for supervision of IBAMA in the Amazon, the action is the work that the institute is doing to control illegal logging in the southern state.

According to her, IBAMA will continue with the monitoring and enforcement throughout the year, in order to combat environmental crimes and prevent others from entering the list of cities that most deforestation in Amazonia. IBAMA / AM

This is what we are losing:

This what it has become:


The Disappearing Rainforests
www.rain-tree.com...

# We are losing Earth's greatest biological treasures just as we are beginning to appreciate their true value. Rainforests once covered 14% of the earth's land surface; now they cover a mere 6% and experts estimate that the last remaining rainforests could be consumed in less than 40 years.

# One and one-half acres of rainforest are lost every second with tragic consequences for both developing and industrial countries.

# Rainforests are being destroyed because the value of rainforest land is perceived as only the value of its timber by short-sighted governments, multi-national logging companies, and land owners.

# Nearly half of the world's species of plants, animals and microorganisms will be destroyed or severely threatened over the next quarter century due to rainforest deforestation.

More:
www.rain-tree.com...

Yea i'm for shutting this operation down.

That is deadly stuff.

Great information, great article

I will have to say, bravo. My cousin is an Agent Orange Baby, so I understand the risks and damages of that stuff (Saying it politely). I do not like Monsanto at all.

If you want to get a better image of Monsanto, read the book Omnivore's Dilemma

That's all for now

This is laughable as the chems they are using right here in America on our forests make agent orange look benign.
www.abovetopsecret.com...
Agent orange is a blend of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T. The combo was banned in this country in the late seventies for use on logging land so the 2,4,5-T was removed and about 25-30 new generation killing chems were added. Right here in Oregon folks are pissing 2,4-D and Atrazine.and one called Imazapyr is in the school water.
from my perspective of living with all the stuff they use here for ten yrs is that they are probably lucky they are ONLY using Agent Orange and not the toxic swill the reserve for the folks in timber lands
seed

Either we dont know, or we are so indifferent about what it is what we do and what is happening.
My guess is the second, we are indifferent.

Yes! Go Monsanto! Your the best! Never give up!

Originally posted by mustard seed
This is laughable as the chems they are using right here in America on our forests make agent orange look benign.
www.abovetopsecret.com...
Agent orange is a blend of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T. The combo was banned in this country in the late seventies for use on logging land so the 2,4,5-T was removed and about 25-30 new generation killing chems were added. Right here in Oregon folks are pissing 2,4-D and Atrazine.and one called Imazapyr is in the school water.
from my perspective of living with all the stuff they use here for ten yrs is that they are probably lucky they are ONLY using Agent Orange and not the toxic swill the reserve for the folks in timber lands
seed

Indeed, we have a lot worse going on here at home.

But using a chemical that has been used as a weapon in the past is going to far IMO.

Agent Orange is a WMD:
warisacrime.org...

reply to post by mb2591


Dint worry they'll be here till the job is done, taking great strides to bring new innovative products to further the human race in the effort to destroy the only planet we have. it's hard to believe there are people who would sink the ship they're floating in for a better room and a bigger buffet.

Well geez, it's not like they were killing us fast enough in our country! They had to figure something else out!

All kidding aside, we are so screwed as a species and we have nobody to blame but ourselves. It makes me sick that I may outlive the rain-forests.

All the unknown medicinal plants, new animals, ect. gone before we even know about them.

reply to post by Mapkar


But the food iz so gooood !!

We never quit using Agent Orange.

The same formulation has been given a new name and is used to keep trees and shrubs from growing on powerlines, golf courses, military bases....

It's cheaper than hiring people to clear those areas every month.

If we can't keep our own country from using the poison...how the heck are you going to stop someone from using it in the Amazon?

Makes you wonder if this is Monsanto's response to Anon, basically saying "you know what screw you and your little hacker buddies you can attack us on the interwebs but we will destroy the world!"

Originally posted by Pervius
We never quit using Agent Orange.

The same formulation has been given a new name and is used to keep trees and shrubs from growing on powerlines, golf courses, military bases....

It's cheaper than hiring people to clear those areas every month.

If we can't keep our own country from using the poison...how the heck are you going to stop someone from using it in the Amazon?

Agent Orange...Round-Up...all the same IMO.

Only difference is that A.O. has been used as a WMD in the past. But that was direct. R.U. is just slower.

This however is not Monsanto doing the destruction directly. Just their customers using the product.

Thanks

I just recently discovered that 2,4-D was an ingredient in agent orange after I searched for its MSDS. They sell it as an herbicide and the sales clerk was handling the bottle and spinning it around to read the label. The MSDS says it can enter the bloodstream through the skin so you should wear protective clothing, I wonder if the clerk knew what she was dealing with?
I have no doubt future generations will view corporations like Monsanto as being on the same level as asbestos and lead based paint.

Originally posted by chiefsmom
Well geez, it's not like they were killing us fast enough in our country! They had to figure something else out!

All kidding aside, we are so screwed as a species and we have nobody to blame but ourselves. It makes me sick that I may outlive the rain-forests.

All the unknown medicinal plants, new animals, ect. gone before we even know about them.

Species. both known and unknown are disappearing daily from the forests for a profit. Is it the farmer's fault? A small percentage I would say.

But the large percentage are the corporations profiting from it as the end user. And then there is us, the last user/consumer. We buy, use and waste without giving a second thought as to how it got into our hands.

reply to post by jude11

Least we forget the damage already done by this vile chemical.

New article related to the OP:
Those who committed ecocide must pay up

Half a century after the first sprayings, not only are there still millions of victims whose health has been ruined, and not only are the children of a third generation being born with severe health and mental problems, but Vietnam’s economy and development are still suffering the injuries wrought by a decade of ecocide committed against the country.

More than 2.5 million hectares of land have been contaminated by the spraying of 80 million liters of defoliants, mainly Agent Orange, which contains dioxin, the most toxic and longest-lasting poison in the world.

Woodlands, which covered 60 percent of South Vietnam – including 5.8 million hectares of tropical forest and half a million hectares of rainforests – have been extraordinarily damaged by the toxic chemicals. This attack on biodiversity is still serious, especially as many species of flora and fauna endemic to Vietnam are now endangered.

Those who committed ecocide must pay up

Originally posted by EyeHeartBigfoot
reply to post by jude11

 

Least we forget the damage already done by this vile chemical.

New article related to the OP:
Those who committed ecocide must pay up

Half a century after the first sprayings, not only are there still millions of victims whose health has been ruined, and not only are the children of a third generation being born with severe health and mental problems, but Vietnam’s economy and development are still suffering the injuries wrought by a decade of ecocide committed against the country.

This is the part that gets me every time. How can this even be allowed to continue and why isn't Monsanto in court over this?

We all know it's money but where is the line?

Recently, they have started to find American Forces AO dumps in the middle of S. Korea. They just left the un-used AO there and buried it among populated areas.

Disgusting.

Thanks for your input and the update.