RoundUp Ingredient Re-Approved

In a Guardian article from this past June, the author documents the peculiar news that Monsanto has been given an extension on its herbicide, Roundup.  On the eve of a giant recall of the product from all store shelves in the EU, the product was approved for 18 months pending another ruling on whether or not it is safe for every day use.  The key ingredient in Roundup is Glyphosate. It is one of the world's most used herbicides, even though there have been studies that show signs of it being carcinogenic.  Information is conflicting however, as the article points out the World Health Organization has conflicting research on the safety of the herbicide.  Another problem noted with this chemical, is that as resistance to the herbicide grows, the demand and potency of the chemical are found to both be on the rise.

Glyphosate

Two thirds of Europeans are in favor of a ban of the herbicide, and numerous countries in Europe have issued either bans or restrictions on it.  In addition to allowing the 18 month extension on Roundup in Europe, the European Chemical Agency has announced the ban of Tallowamine in and alongside products that already contain Glyphosate. This chemical is used in order to improve the wetability of plant surfaces so glyphosate and other herbicides can more easily adhere to the hydrophobic surfaces. 

Tallowamine

Even though there is major public support for the ban of glyphosate and other similar herbicides in commercial products, there is not enough strong evidence that it is directly linked to illnesses or other health concerns.  The article also points out there may be an underlying factor that has influenced the decision to allow the Roundup to continue to be sold and allowed on the market.  Greenpeace's EU Food Policy Director believe the commission responsible for allowing the product has "lost touch with its citizens" and is "quietly backed by many national governments.  It seems there is yet again another political backing for the allowance of a potentially harmful chemical.  Why disrupt a major companies frontline product when you can easily tip the scales of the government's regulatory commissions to increase profits.  

As of now, the Roundup will be allowed in Europe through the end of 2017, until another hearing on the safety of the chemical takes place.  The EU will either listen to its constituents' requests, or ignore them and continue to allow the use of Monsanto's signature product.

The Greenhouse Effect

In this article, the author discusses the greenhouse effect, and the potential consequences which arise when greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere. This consequence is, of course, global warming. Global warming is perhaps one of the most prevalent issues discussed in modern science. Scientific evidence suggests that global warming is the result of a rise in greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, due to industrial processes and the burning of fossil fuels.                         

The greenhouse effect is the process by which UV rays from the sun enter the Earth’s atmosphere, and are absorbed by the atmosphere, oceans, and the Earth’s surface. Heat is then released in the form of IR radiation, which is passed back into space. The author acknowledges that it is this process of energy in-energy out which makes the earth habitable in the first place.

When humans burn fossil fuels for energy, a variety of different vapors are released into the atmosphere. These are known as greenhouse gases. The examples highlighted by the author include water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane gas. When these gases exist in high densities in the Earth’s atmosphere, the IR radiation becomes absorbed by the greenhouse gases. This radiation is then dispersed in all different directions by the gasses in the atmosphere. This means that a portion of this radiation is being directed back to Earth. This leads to more heat being released, thus warming Earth’s surface. As more greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere, more radiation is directed back towards Earth’s surface.