Production of Rat Poison Halted d-CON… Will Cease Production in July

 

Kian Schulman, an advocate against using anticoagulant rodenticides (rat poisons), checks the label on a rat trap by a business in Malibu. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

• Maker agrees to stop producing harmful rat poison for consumer market
• Powerful rat poison to be replaced has accidentally harmed children and animals
• 'This is a significant victory for environmental protection,' attorney says of rat poison halt

LA Times  -  Cross Posted at JOMP: After years of battling federal environmental officials, the maker of d-CON has agreed to stop producing for the consumer market certain rat poisons that have accidentally harmed children, wildlife and pets.

The company's rodent-control products will be replaced next year with a new line of baits the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved for use in every state.

Environmental activists hailed the agreement announced Friday.

"This is a significant victory for environmental protection and corporate responsibility," said Jonathan Evans of the Center for Biological Diversity in San Francisco. "While the fight isn't over until all of these hazardous products are off the market, this decision keeps the worst of the worst products from residential consumers."

The poisons will still be available for use in agriculture and by licensed pest-control operators.

The rat poisons that Reckitt Benckiser Group has agreed to discontinue contain "second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides." These are more toxic and persistent than the previous generation of products. The poisons are designed to kill rodents by thinning the blood and preventing clotting.

Scientists say the products have for years wreaked havoc by working their way up the food chain.

The state of California took sweeping action in March, when the Department of Pesticide Regulation signaled plans to halt retail sales of second-generation rat poisons to consumers after July 1. Reckitt Benckiser, the maker of d-CON, lost its bid to stop the ban.

Kian Schulman, secretary of the Malibu Agricultural Society, points out that dumpsters where the lid is not closed attracts rodents. The maker of a powerful, and harmful, rodent pesticide has agreed to stop consumer production. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

The department said the national agreement would not affect the state's action, and it urged stores to continue the process of removing the products from shelves.

Some activists credited California's action with inducing the company to give in.

"California is a huge market," said Greg Loarie, an attorney with Earthjustice, a public interest environmental law firm in San Francisco. With the July 1 deadline looming, he added, "I suspect [Reckitt Benckiser] took a look around and saw the writing on the wall."

Reckitt Benckiser is one of 17 manufacturers of rodent poisons, but it is the only one that had not altered its packaging and ingredients to comply with federal safety standards.

During nearly two decades of research in and around the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, National Park Service scientists have documented widespread exposure in carnivores to common household poisons. Of 140 bobcats, coyotes and mountain lions evaluated, 88% tested positive for one or more anticoagulant compounds. Scores of animals are known to have died from internal bleeding, researchers said.

The poisons also affect protected or endangered species, including golden eagles, northern spotted owls and San Joaquin kit foxes.

Among heavy users of the poisons are growers of illegal marijuana throughout California. Scientists have linked rat poisons to the deaths of Pacific fishers, which are small carnivores, that had eaten rodents poisoned by illegal pot growers.

Under the agreement, Reckitt Benckiser will begin to phase out production of 12 d-CON rat and mouse poison products next month and will stop production by year-end. The company will cease distribution of existing stocks by March 31, 2015. Retailers will be allowed to keep the products on shelves until stocks are depleted.

*These types of poisons have also harmed and killed family pets and children.

Related:

Household rat poison linked to death and disease in wildlife

Was poisoning of scientist's dog a warning from Humboldt pot growers?

Technorati Tags: Rats,Rat Poison,Toxins,Wildlife,Chemicals,Food Chain,California,d-CON,Poisons,Pets,Endangered Species,Rodenticides

Denny's to charge 5% 'Obamacare surcharge' and cut employee hours to deal with cost of legislation

DailyMail.co.uk – Cross-Posted at AskMarion:

President Obama's election victory ensured his Affordable Care Act would remain the centerpiece of his first term in power - but that has left some business owners baulking at the extra cost Obamcare will bring.

Florida based restaurant boss John Metz, who runs approximately 40 Denny's and owns the Hurricane Grill & Wings franchise has decided to offset that by adding a five percent surcharge to customers' bills and will reduce his employees' hours.

With Obamacare due to be fully implemented in January 2014, Metz has justified his move by claiming it is 'the only alternative. I've got to pass on the cost to the customer.'

A Florida restaurant owner who runs 40 franchises of the Denny's restaurant chain has threatened to add a five percent surcharge to customers bills in an effort to combat Obamacare

The fast-food business owner is set to hold meetings at his restaurants in December where he will tell employees, 'that because of Obamacare, we are going to be cutting front-of-the-house employees to under 30 hours, effective immediately.'

More...

• Finally giving in: John Boehner says 'Obamacare is the law of the land' and he won't fight it
• Calls to boycott Applebee's after CEO threatens hiring freeze and layoffs over Obamacare

Claiming that he is not anti-insurance Metz has said that he understands the problems this will cause for his employees.

John Metz also owns Hurricane Grill & Wings which has 48 franchises around the country and falls under the umbrella of his firm RREMC Restaurants

'I think it's a terrible thing. It's ridiculous that the maximum hours we can give people is 28 hours a week instead of 40,' said Metz to the Huffington Post.

'It's going to force my employees to go out and get a second job.'

Obamacare requires businesses or franchises with more than 50 workers must offer an approved insurance plan or pay a penalty of $2,000 for each full-time worker over 30 workers.

The program mandates that only employees working more than 30 hours a week are covered under their employers health insurance plan, chains like Olive Garden and Red Lobster are already considering reduced worker hours.

'Obviously, I'd love to cover all our employees under that insurance,' said Metz.

'But to pay $5,000 per employee would cost us $175,000 per restaurant and unfortunately, most of our restaurants don't make $175,000 a year. I can't afford it.'

Obamacare supporters and protesters gather in front of the U.S. Supreme Court to find out the ruling on the Affordable Health Act June 28, 2012 - the Court upheld the controversial legislation

Several other restaurants including Papa John's, Apple Metro and Jimmy John's have announced plans to skirt Obamacare by reducing employees hours to make them part-time.

Indeed, Metz is adding the surcharge because he believes that eventually firms will be fined for not covering staff who complete over 30-hours in a week,

In November, a poll for Kaiser Health Tracking found that 43 percent of the United States had a favorable opinion of Obamcare, while 39-percent had an unfavorable one.

'Instead of indirectly charging customers by raising prices, he is directly charging and making a political statement,' said Paul Fronstin, director of the health research program at the Employee Benefit Research Institute in Washington.

Here to stay: President Barack Obama's landmark health care legislation has been cemented into law by his re-election

'Potentially 43 percent of this person's customers may find the explicit charge a turnoff, and vote with their feet and their money and choose not to eat there.'

Despite this, Metz has admitted he is willing to take the heat should the decision backfire on him.

'We're trying to get more restaurant operators rallied around the concept of adding a 5 percent surcharge to their bill to cover the costs of Obamacare as opposed to raising prices,' he said.

Earlier this week Papa John's CEO John Schnatter told shareholders in a conference call this week that Obamacare would cost the company 11 to 14 cents per pizza, a cost that would be passed on to customers.

Now, How Do We Get Rid Of Obamacare? Nullify It!

Technorati Tags: Denny's,restaurant chains,ObamaCare,ObamaCare costs,elections have consequences,wake-up America,ObamaTax,Affordable Care Act,taxes,nullification,Papa John's

Ask Congress to Help Protect Honey Bees

Save the bees -- we need them for our on survival… If the bees die, so do all our fruits, flowers, veggies and so will we with no food.

Yesterday a legal petition was filed--along with over a million public comments--calling on EPA to suspend registration of Bayer’s controversial bee-toxic pesticide, clothianidin.

As the public debate over causes behind Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) – a syndrome in which bees seemingly abandon their hives – carries on in the media, more and more new science has shown that neonicotinoid pesticides like  clothianidin are indeed a critical piece of the puzzle.

Bees are still sick, and EPA is still stuck. While we may not know the exact cause of CCD, EPA knows enough to act, and has the authority and responsibility to suspend Bayer’s bee-toxic pesticide, clothianidin – yet for over a year the Agency has failed to do so.

Congress has the authority to exercise oversight over federal agencies like the EPA. I just signed a petition from the Center for Food safety asking Congress to step up and help protect bees. Can you sign it too?

It only takes a few seconds and you can sign here:

http://bit.ly/HoneyBeePetition

The moral and constitutional obligations of our representatives in Washington are to protect our liberty, not coddle the world, precipitating no-win wars, while bringing bankruptcy and economic turmoil to our people. -- Ron Paul

h/t  to Patricia Gillenwater

Radiation Poisoning? "Scientists Fear Entire Ocean Affected"

Symptoms Similar To Radiation Poisoning Killing Seals/Walruses - Russia, Alaska, Canada - Scientists Fear Could Be Infecting Entire Ocean

From link to hisz.rsoe.hu

"The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared a recent rash of seal deaths to be an "unusual mortality event" on Tuesday. More than 60 seals have died and 75 found diseased in Alaska with skin sores and patchy hair loss. The Fish and Wildlife Service has also identified diseased and dead walruses."

"In most cases, necropsies and lab tests have revealed skin lesions, fluid in the lungs, white spots on the liver, and abnormal growths in the brain. Some of the seals and walruses have undersized lymph nodes, possibly a sign of weakened immune systems."

From link to hisz.rsoe.hu

"A mysterious and potentially widespread disease is thought to have contributed to the deaths of dozens of ringed seals along Alaska's Arctic coast. Scores more are sickened, some so ill that skin lesions bleed when touched. The animals are an important subsistence food, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has proposed listing them as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act."

""Right now we're leaning toward it being a virus, and that could weaken their immune system,""

"Reports of nearly 150 other seals with the illness have come in from villages outside Barrow, population 4,200, as well as from Chukotka, Russia, and Tuktoyuktak, a village on the northwestern corner of Canada, Herreman said."

"He's concerned the illness will spread up the food chain, affecting other animals and hunters near Kotzebue Sound."

""I'm scared they might pass it on one way or another and the whole ocean could be affected," Shiedt said. Folks in the Barrow region also are worried. Many of the Slope's Inupiat residents are about to begin hunting for seals, and some are wondering if they are safe to eat, Herreman said."

"The sickest ones don't move much on the beaches and they have blisters or wounds that bleed easily, including around the nose, eyes and especially the rear flippers. Others have lost much of their hair. "They're not deathly skinny. It's not like they're dying from malnutrition."

What are radiation poisoning symptoms?
link to www.buzzfeed.com

Read much more @ www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message1734559/pg1

Source: Before Its News

WILL FRANKEN-MOSQUITOS THREATEN THE FOOD CHAIN?

An experiment meant to curb the rise of Dengue fever is raising many questions after it was announced that 6000 genetically altered mosquitos were released into a Malaysian forrest.

Dengue fever is certainly a scourge. And while infections have recently been on the rise, it is not normally a fatal disease. According to the WHO, most people recover from dengue without any complications. Since mosquitos transmit dengue, it was normal to look for ways to control their population and limit the chances for transmission. In the past, governments have limited their management of the mosquito problem to reducing breeding areas, this is one of the first efforts known to introduce modified mosquitos that will produce fewer offspring into the ecosystem.

So we have fewer mosquitos on the planet, what could possibly go wrong?  After all, the Cayman Islands also did a little experiment with modified mosquitos last year and they reported an 80% reduction in the little blood suckers.  Again, what could possibly be bad about a planet with fewer mosquitos?

Let’s see. . . mosquitos feed on us, but who needs mosquitos to live?   Birds, dragonflies, frogs, bats, and something called the mosquito fish.   Ok, so we might have a few less birds, dragonflies, frogs, bats, and mosquito fish.  Some say it is small price to pay for getting rid of those pesky vampires.  Can’t we live without those a few birds, frogs and fish?

Hmmm, aside from people, what eats frogs, birds and fish?   Snakes, mongoose, many species of cats enjoy frogs and birds.   Once you step back and look at the big picture here, the dominos all line up pretty quickly.  And once they start falling, it may be too late

Am I being an alarmist?  It’s only a few mosquitos. . . and the government said that a month after the “test” they went in with insecticide and killed all of the modified bugs.  Unless I see 6000 tiny body bags, each filled with a genetically modified mosquito, I’m not buying it.

Source:  The Blaze