Researchers found four in five Americans have been exposed to the “toxic” pesticide chlormequat, which is used in oat-based foods like Cheerios and Quaker Oats Old Fashioned Oats and can cause fertility problems in animals.
Around 80% of Americans have been exposed to the plant pesticide chlormequat, which causes fertility and growth issues in animals, according to a new study published Thursday...
You'll be fine. This is one of the regular studies that doesn't use humans, but rather creatures that evolved similar (but not the same) systems as humans, that the media picks up to regularly scare people.
This is the second time I've seen someone incorrectly refer to chlormequat as a pesticide. It's not a pesticide, it's a chemical that encourages plants to grow thicker stems, which in turn makes harvesting easier.
I don't say this to defend its use. I just feel that it's important to call it what it is.
Would that qualify as a fertilizer, providing something the plant needs for its stems, or some sort of hormone that encourages plant stem growth, or something else?
Chlormequat is a "plant growth regulator." It prevents the plant from creating a hormone that would otherwise cause the plant's stems to elongate and thin. Falls into the "something else" category, imo.
Edit: I think that some plant growth regulators are hormones, but not all. I should note that I'm not an expert, I just like to look chemicals up on Wikipedia (and the linked sources) and noticed that a lot of journalists were getting this wrong.
Interestingly enough, the US does not allow American farmers to use chlormequat on domestic food. That said, the loophole is that US food producers are allowed to import crops grown with it.
And although most US grain is grown domestically, the US gets a shitload of oats from Canada, and Canada still sprays this crap on crops. The UK is also shady with this stuff.
It happens because consumers insist on buying and eating processed shit like this decade after decade. In what world were Cheerios considered a healthy option?
They’re supposed to be a whole grain simple cereal. They’ve also marketed it as such and doctors recommend them for simple diets (or have in the past for me, maybe that’s changed)
In what world were cheerios considered “going to give you fucking reproductive issues”
It’s probably most oat products in North America. The US banned this substance on domestic crops, but Canada still allows it, and Canada is the oat capital of North America.
Moreover, US residents get exposed because importing oats grown this way is still okay. It’s only banned domestically.
The Quakers nearly died out because they disapproved of even sex for procreation.
Tbh it's a real shame they have this weird hang up about the idea because they're otherwise the best kind of Christians.
Takes they've been historically based af about:
Anti-monarchists
Abolitionists
Public education
Prison Reform
Pacifism (personally don't agree but we'd certainly be in a better place if more people did)
Etc etc etc, literally, find an issue about something and they're probably on the right side of it.
I thought it was the Shakers who were fully celibate, not the Quakers. I’m reading through the Quakers’ wiki page now and not seeing anything about views on sex/procreation. Any suggestions where to find more about that?
I’m not trying to challenge you, I’d just like to learn more if I’ve missed something here.
Are you saying that organic oat-based products use more pesticides than conventional oat-based products? Or are you talking about organic products in general? In either case, I'd be interested in learning more if you have any good sources.
Sure, but mice and pigs are not humans, which is the point. They evolved to sometimes have different reactions to the same chemicals that we have reactions to. It could very well be that this pesticide does not pose a risk to humans.
And honestly, we have to have pesticides to feed a hungry world. And herbicides. Especially herbicides, as increasing CO2 in the atmosphere will cause a 'global greening' effect as well as a greenhouse effect, which will result in stronger and hardier weeds. We just can't risk massive crop failures anymore. I don't like it any more than you do, but there really isn't another solution. Especially if you want people to stop eating so much meat.
Surprised it isn't cornflakes but I've still got to ask: what's the venn diagram between people who eat Quaker Oats and people who fuck? It's got to be in the single digits.