Agent Orange was a horrific chemical concoction that never should have been used, and if you want to see some of its effects on children who were exposed in the womb, you can do so here — but I warn you the photos are very graphic and upsetting.

  • Dow AgroSciences (a subsidiary of Dow Chemicals) has developed a new generation of genetically modified (GM) crops — soybeans, corn and cotton — that are engineered to resist an herbicide called 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), which was a major ingredient in Agent Orange
  • Once the 2,4-D resistant seeds are released, it will mean farmers will be spraying massive amounts of the herbicide onto U.S. farmland; health effects linked to 2,4-D include birth defects, blood, liver and kidney toxicity
  • The 2,4-D-resistant crops are being touted as a solution to Monsanto’s Roundup Ready crops, which have triggered the creation of super weeds; however, the new crops will likely only add to the problem of herbicide resistance, while even greater amounts of herbicides are sprayed onto U.S. farmland, exposing millions to their harmful effects.
  • You have until February 27, 2012 to comment on Dow’s application for “non-regulated status” of its 2,4-D-resistant corn. This is a rare opportunity to let your opinion be heard that you do not support products that will increase the use of this toxic chemical once used in Agent Orange.

Dow has applied for non-regulated status of its 2,4-D-resistant corn, and you have until February 27, 2012 to comment on the petition. Please let your opinion be heard that approving more herbicide-tolerant crops is not the solution to ending “super weeds”; the real solution lies in eliminating the genetically modified crops that created them in the first place!