Via Twitter, Tesla’s Elon Musk has threatened to leave President Donald Trump’s advisory councils if the White House withdraws from the Paris climate accord. Musk said he had spoken with d Trump and top White House officials, letting them know how important it is for them to uphold the agreement. Right now Elon serves on three White House economic advisory councils for manufacturing and jobs, strategic and policy forum, and infrastructure.
Will have no choice but to depart councils in that case
Musk, among other CEOs of major American companies, urged Trump to uphold the agreement. He tweeted Wednesday that he has “done all [he] can to advise directly to [Trump],” through White House officials and advisory councils, to remain in the accord.
Since taking office, Trump has started to roll back Obama administration energy regulations that he and some advisors say hold back American energy companies. While officials like Secretary of State Rex Tillerson support the Paris deal, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt had pushed against it.
The decision, which will be announced this week, would put the US at odds with nearly every other nation on earth. It would reflect a major reversal of the Obama administration’s efforts on climate change. And it could trigger further efforts to erode the landmark climate accord.
Musk reportedly has used his access to Trump to push for a carbon tax, which would incentivize companies to use energy sources that emit less carbon. In January, Musk endorsed Rex Tillerson for secretary of state because Tillerson, the former CEO of ExxonMobil, has supported such a tax. Musk has for years publicly called for a carbon tax, including at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris.
(Dr. Mercola) Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are prescribed extensively throughout the world. In the U.S., nearly 70 million prescriptions are written and 30 billion doses are consumed each year when over-the-counter NSAIDs are included.1
In many cases NSAIDs are prescribed to treat back pain, headaches, menstrual pain and arthritis. While most consider the medication innocuous, the truth is that by conservative estimates over 105,000 people are hospitalized each year from the side effects of NSAIDs and over 16,000 of those die.2
Side effects from long-term use of NSAIDs range from hearing loss to gastrointestinal bleeding. Unfortunately, there is no specific antidote for NSAID poisoning, which may lead to metabolic acidosis, multisystem organ failure and death.3
Research has now discovered side effects from NSAIDs may occur even with short-term use, increasing your risk of a heart attack in the first week to month if you take the medication consistently.4 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recognized the risks associated with NSAIDs since 2004.5
In order to review all studies involving NSAIDs, the FDA also recommended limiting use of over-the-counter NSAIDs. This review order came on the heels of rofecoxib’s (Vioxx) withdrawal from the market due to an increase in cardiovascular risk.6 Shortly after the withdrawal of Vioxx, another NSAID, valdecoxib (Bextra), was pulled from the shelves due to increased risk of heart, stomach and skin problems that outweighed the benefits of using the drug.7
Your heart requires a supply of oxygen and nutrients to enable the muscle to continue to pump. You have two large coronary arteries that branch off your aorta, the right and left coronary arteries. These arteries branch further to feed your heart the oxygen and nutrients it needs.
If one of the larger arteries or branches becomes blocked the portion of the heart that artery feeds is starved of oxygen. If the situation continues for too long that area of heart muscle will die. This is the conventional description of a myocardial infarction (MI), or literally “death of heart muscle.”8
In either case, the signs of a heart attack are not always straightforward. There are several early signs that may not even seem related to your heart. Although chest pain is the most common, you may experience other symptoms and women may have a heart attack without feeling pressure in their chest.9
Even though heart disease is still the No. 1 killer in women in the U.S., women may attribute the symptoms to less serious conditions such as acid reflux, the flu or aging. Even when the symptoms are subtle, the consequences may be deadly. If you or a loved one experience any of these symptoms10,11,12,13 do not wait. Call your local emergency number — 911 in the U.S. — to get help. Activating your emergency system early may reduce the risk of permanent heart damage and death.
Chest pressure described as an elephant sitting on your chest
Fullness or pain in the center of the chest that may come and go
Pain in the arm, back, neck, jaw or stomach
Toothache that comes and goes
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Cold sweat, lightheadedness or nausea
Indigestion or “choking” feeling
Extreme weakness or anxiety
Rapid or irregular heartbeat
Pain that spreads to the arm
Unusual fatigue that may last days
General malaise or a vague uneasy feeling of illness
NSAIDs May Raise Your Risk of Heart Attack in the First Week
The objective of the most recent study was to evaluate the risk of an MI associated with NSAID use in real-world situations using a statistical model (Bayesian) that turns the results of testing into a real probability the event may occur.14
The researchers used studies that pulled information from European and Canadian health care databases, gathering information from eight studies that met the criteria and over 440,000 individuals.15 The researchers evaluated the probability of an MI in the first through seven days that an individual took specific NSAIDs.
They found increasing probability an individual may experience an MI in the first seven days for celecoxib (Celebrex), ibuprofen, diclofenac (Voltaren), naproxen (Naprosyn) and rofecoxib (Vioxx). This only adds to mounting evidence linking NSAIDs to cardiovascular symptoms.
The risk of heart attack increased 24 percent with celecoxib (Celebrex), 48 percent with ibuprofen, 50 percent with diclofenac (Voltaren), 53 percent for naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn) and 58 percent for rofecoxib (Vioxx), which was removed from the market due to increased cardiovascular risks.16
The researchers determined there was a higher risk associated with higher doses. Over-the-counter doses are commonly lower than prescription doses of NSAIDs. Mounting evidence of cardiovascular risks with all NSAIDs triggered the FDA to strengthen their warning in 2015.17 The warning was based on the FDA review of the literature since the order in 2004, and included information such as:18
NSAIDs increased the risk of heart attack and stroke, especially at higher doses
NSAIDs can increase the risk of heart attack in individuals with or without a history of heart attack or risk of heart disease
Patients treated in the first year after a heart attack with NSAIDs were more likely to die than those who were not treated with NSAIDs
There is an increased risk of heart failure in those using NSAIDs
Myocardial Risk Differences Between NSAIDs
In this video, Dr. Partha Nandi, creator and host of the medical lifestyle television show, “Ask Dr. Nandi,” describes the results of another study evaluating the use of NSAIDs during an upper respiratory infection. The results were similar to the recent study evaluating MI and NSAIDs in the European and Canadian health care databases.
The researchers noted the recent study was observational, so drawing conclusions as to cause and effect would not be possible from their results.19 Others criticized the study, saying other factors may have been the cause of the increased MIs in the study.20 However, the researchers studied over 60,000 cases of MI before concluding current use of NSAIDs were associated with a significant increased risk of an acute MI.21 Use of NSAIDs exhibited a quick onset of MI risk in the first week that leveled by Day 30.
Celecoxib and diclofenac showed a single wave of increased risk in the first week, while ibuprofen, naproxen and rofecoxib exhibited an additional increased risk during eight to 30 days of consuming the drug. The researchers speculated the differences between NSAIDs may be related to the drugs’ effect on renal function.22
The findings also suggested MI risk associated with rofecoxib was greater than those of other NSAIDs included in the study. This aligns with results from past studies that prompted the removal of rofecoxib from the market.
NSAIDs Carry Further Risks
NSAIDs also increase your risk of other health conditions, some of which may be lethal. For example, researchers have determined women who took NSAIDs in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy had a significantly higher risk of miscarriage.23 The study evaluated the health records of over 50,000 Canadian women and found those who took NSAIDs early in their pregnancy had a 2.4 times higher risk of miscarriage.
The researchers hypothesize NSAIDs’ effect on hormone-like prostaglandins that support pregnancy may be the trigger. NSAID use is also associated with atrial fibrillation in patients who previously had an MI.24 While you may believe you can discount this particular risk factor, it is important to note research demonstrates up to 45 percent of heart attacks are clinically silent or without symptoms.25
Many of these silent heart attacks are discovered during a routine physical examination or electrocardiogram where the physician notes damage to the heart muscle.
NSAID use also increases your risk of upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract bleeding. Upper GI bleeding is more commonly reported, and occurs with all formulations of NSAIDs.26 Up to 15 percent of upper GI bleeding reported in a single county of Denmark may be attributed to NSAID use.
Lower GI bleeding occurs with most NSAID drugs, as does increased mucosal permeability and inflammation of the lower GI tract.27Other findings associated with lower GI bleeding include anemia, occult blood loss, protein loss and malabsorption.
Painkillers Are a Bitter Pill
Use of over-the-counter pain relievers, including ibuprofen, have been associated with hearing loss in men28 and women.29 Prescription strength or long-term use of NSAIDs and aspirin are associated with interstitial nephritis,30 a type of kidney damage that may be permanent, leading to kidney failure.31
NSAID use may also induce other renal function abnormalities, including fluid retention, electrolyte complications and deterioration of renal function.32 It’s also worth remembering that even short-term consistent use of pain control medications may increase your risk of further injury as these drugs help to mask pain, enabling you to continue your activities. Further injury or pain may lead to use of stronger pain medications.
Pain and discomfort are the common triggers for opioid prescriptions, which have risen over 100 percent between 2000 and 2010,33while treatment modalities for injuries have improved. I believe the drastic increase in these numbers play a major role in the global epidemic addiction to opioids.
After just one month on morphine, patients showed demonstrable changes in brain volume.34 The number of deaths from overdoses rose from a little over 10,000 a year in 2002 to nearly 35,000 in 2015.35 Now, some states are fighting back,36 trying to hold manufacturers accountable for the epidemic of addiction that resulted from deceptive marketing.37
Drug-Free Pain Control
Pain control without addressing the underlying physical issue may increase your risk of experiencing side effects from medications you’re taking, or lead you to resort to even stronger medications that have more dangerous side effects. I strongly recommend you exhaust other options before resorting to consistent use of painkillers, even in the short term. The truth is that many drugs used to treat pain may increase your risk of heart attack, change your brain chemistry and possibly your behavior.
Sleep, for example, is one important factor in how you perceive pain. Getting eight hours of quality sleep on a nightly basis may help you cope with the discomfort you experience.38 Your pain experience is affected by several factors, of which sleep may be the most important. Sleep, pain and depression are a strongly interconnected triad where a change in one impacts the other two.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has quietly dropped a plan to start testing food for residues of glyphosate, the world’s most widely used weed killer and the key ingredient in Monsanto Co.’s branded Roundup herbicides.
The agency spent the last year coordinating with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in preparation to start testing samples of corn syrup for glyphosate residues on April 1, according to internal agency documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests. Documents show that at least since January 2016 into January of this year, the glyphosate testing plan was moving forward. But when asked about the plan this week, a USDA spokesman said no glyphosate residue testing would be done at all by USDA this year.
The USDA’s plan called for the collection and testing of 315 samples of corn syrup from around the United States from April through August, according to the documents. Researchers were also supposed to test for the AMPA metabolite, the documents state. AMPA (aminomethylphosphonic acid) is created as glyphosate breaks down. Measuring residues that include those from AMPA is important because AMPA is not a benign byproduct but carries its own set of safety concerns, scientists believe.
On Jan. 11, USDA’s Diana Haynes wrote to colleagues within USDA: “Based on recent conversations with EPA, we will begin testing corn syrup for glyphosate and its AMPA metabolite April 1, 2017 with collection ending August 31, 2017. This program change will need to be announced at the February PDP Conference Call.” Haynes is director of a USDA Agricultural Marketing Service division that annually conducts the Pesticide Data Program (PDP), which tests thousands of foods for hundreds of different pesticide residues.
The USDA spokesman, who did not want to be named, acknowledged there had been a glyphosate test plan but said that had recently changed: “The final decision for this year’s program plan, as a more efficient use of resources, is to sample and test honey which covers over 100 different pesticides.” Glyphosate residue testing requires a different methodology and will not be part of that screening in honey, he said.
The USDA does not routinely test for glyphosate as it does for other pesticides used in food production. But that stance has made the USDA the subject of criticism as controversy over glyphosate safety has mounted in recent years. The discussions of testing this year come as U.S. and European regulators are wrestling with cancer concerns about the chemical, and as Monsanto, which has made billions of dollars from its glyphosate-based herbicides, is being sued by hundreds of people who claim exposures to Roundup caused them or their loved ones to suffer from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Internal Monsanto documents obtained by plaintiffs’ attorneys in those cases indicate that Monsanto may have manipulated research regulators relied on to garner favorable safety assessments, and last week, Congressman Ted Lieu called for a probe by the Department of Justice into Monsanto’s actions.
Along with the USDA, the Food and Drug Administration also annually tests thousands of food samples for pesticide residues. Both agencies have done so for decades as a means to ensure that traces of weed killers, insecticides, fungicides and other chemicals used in farming do not persist at unsafe levels in food products commonly eaten by American families. If they find residues above the “maximum residue level” (MRL) allowed for that pesticide and that food, the agencies are supposed to inform the EPA, and actions can be taken against the supplier. The EPA is the regulator charged with establishing MRLs, also called “tolerances,” for different types of pesticides in foods, and the agency coordinates with USDA and FDA on the pesticide testing programs.
But despite the fact that glyphosate use has surged in the last 20 years alongside the marketing of glyphosate-tolerant crops, both USDA and FDA have declined to test for glyphosate residues aside from one time in 2011 when the USDA tested 300 soybean samples for glyphosate and AMPA residues. At that time the agency found 271 samples contained glyphosate, but said the levels were under the MRL – low enough not to be worrisome. The Government Accountability Office took both agencies to task in 2014 for the failure to test regularly for glyphosate.
Europe and Canada are well ahead of the United States when it comes to glyphosate testing in food. In fact, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is preparing to release its own findings from recent glyphosate testing. The CFIA also routinely skipped glyphosate in annual pesticide residue screening for years. But it began collecting data in 2015, moving to address concerns about the chemical that were highlighted when the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen in March 2015.
Canadian food activist and researcher Tony Mitra obtained more than 7,000 records from CFIA about its glyphosate testing last year, and claims that results are alarming, showing glyphosate pervasive in many foods. CFIA would not respond to requests for comment about its glyphosate testing.
One of the USDA’s explanation’s for not testing for glyphosate over the years has been cost – the agency has said that it is too expensive and inefficient to look for glyphosate residues in food headed for American dinner tables. And because glyphosate is considered so safe, testing would be a waste of time, the USDA has stated. That argument mimics Monsanto’s own – the company, which patented glyphosate in 1974 and has been a dominant provider of glyphosate ever since, says if the USDA did seek to test for glyphosate residues in food it would be a “misuse of valuable resources.”
FDA TESTS REMAIN IN LIMBO
The FDA began its own limited testing program for glyphosate residues – what it called a “special assignment” – last year. But the effort was fraught with controversy and internal difficulties and the program was suspended last fall. Before the suspension, one agency chemist found alarming levels of glyphosate in many samples of U.S. honey, levels that were technically illegal because there have been no allowable levels established for honey by the EPA. That revelation caused angst in the beekeeping industry and at least one large honey company was sued by consumer organizations over the glyphosate contamination. The same chemist also found glyphosate levels in many samples of oatmeal, including infant oat cereal. The FDA did not publicize those findings, but they were revealed in internal records obtained through a FOIA request.
Officially, the FDA was only looking for glyphosate residues in corn, soy, eggs and milk in last year’s testing assignment, though internal records discussed tests on sugar beets, popcorn, wheat and other foods or grains. Newly obtained FDA documents show the agency is engaged now in a “glyphosate collaboration” designed to validate the testing methodology to be used by multiple FDA laboratories.
“Once the first phase of this collaboration is completed and approved by quality control reviewers, the special assignment can be restarted,” said FDA spokeswoman Megan McSeveney.
CropLife America, an industry organization that represents the interests of Monsanto and other agrichemical companies, keeps a close eye on the government’s pesticide residue testing. Last year the organization sought to diffuse potential legal problems related to glyphosate and other pesticides in honey by asking EPA to set a blanket tolerance that would cover inadvertent contamination of honey by pesticides. Records show regulators have found 26 different pesticides in honey samples in past tests.
CropLife also has complained to USDA that data from its testing program is used by proponents of organic agriculture to promote organics over conventional foods. The group last year sent USDA a series of questions about its testing, and asked USDA: “What can we do to assist you in fighting these scaremongering tactics?”
The USDA’s most recent published report on pesticide residues in food found that for 2015 testing, only 15 percent of the 10,187 samples tested were free from any detectable pesticide residues. That’s a marked difference from 2014, when the USDA found that over 41 percent of samples were “clean” or showed no detectable pesticide residues. But the agency said the important point was that most of the samples, over 99 percent, had residues below the EPA’s established tolerances and are at levels that “do not pose risk to consumers’ health and are safe.”
Many scientists take issue with using MRLs as a standard associated with safety, arguing they are based on pesticide industry data and rely on flawed analyses. Much more research is needed to understand the impact on human health of chronic dietary exposures to pesticides, many say.
Victory! After four years and an astonishing investment of $6 billion, the LEGO group achieved its goal to power all of its offices, factories, and stores worldwide with 100% renewable energy. The best part? The monumental goal was met 3 years early.
The company’s most recent investment was buying a 25% share in the Burbo Bank Extension wind farm, when went live yesterday. Reportedly, the Liverpool, UK-based wind farm will generate clean power for more than 230,000 British households.
“We work to leave a positive impact on the planet and I am truly excited about the inauguration of the Burbo Bank Extension wind farm. This development means we have now reached the 100% renewable energy milestone three years ahead of target. Together with our partners, we intend to continue investing in renewable energy to help create a better future for the builders of tomorrow.”
To celebrate the achievement, the largest-ever LEGO brick wind turbine – which now holds a Guinness World Records title – was constructed. It is made out of 146,000 LEGO bricks and stands 650 feet tall. Additionally, children around the world have been encouraged to create their own renewable energy solutions.
Because cannabis is safer than alcohol, and because components of the herb have been proven to remedy a number of ailments, this hospital now dispenses cannabis oil to physician-approved patients.
(True Activist by Amanda Froelich) Because marijuana is safer than alcohol and offers medicinal benefits to those who smoke and/or ingest it, Grand Cayman’s CTMH Doctors Hospital and Cayman Pharmacy group now dispense cannabis oil to physician selected patients. CNS Businessreports that the establishment recognizes the medicinal applications of the herb, as studies have proven it benefits not only seizures but cancer, chronic pain, neuropathic pain, arthritis, dementia and other health-related problems. As a result, it is now being dispensed out of a Professional Pharmacy.
The hospital stated:
“These advancements in medicinal cannabis have been proven successful in multiple case studies around the world. These case studies reveal life changing results for patients suffering with many conditions such as chronic pain, neuropathic pain and seizures. As with all medications, care and caution must be exercised to minimise risks and maximise health benefits.”
Dennie Warren Jr. can be credited with ensuring patients in the Cayman Islands can receive cannabis oil as a medicine. Reportedly, he lobbied the government to change the misuse of drugs law and allow for components of cannabis to be used. Now, Warren is running for office in George Town West to call for further legislative changes so marijuana might be cultivated in the area.
Until it is legal to grow and sell marijuana in the Cayman Islands, CTMH Doctors Hospital is importing the medicine through CanniMed Therapeutics Inc., an authorized licensed producer of pharmaceutical grade cannabis oils in Canada, and Caribbean Medical Distributors Ltd CMD.
According to a press release, only a limited supply of oil will be dispensed to a small number physician selected patients. The initial phase will focus on engaging and educating the selection of patients and tracking their progress to help them achieve their desired outcomes and minimize effects.
The hospital also explained that specific cannabis oil product information will be circulated by physicians, and Professional Pharmacy will provide free and confidential patient counseling on prescriptions that are dispensed. Officials stated:
“There will be follow-up phone calls from the pharmacists themselves to closely monitor each patient. The pharmacist will also provide feedback for the physicians and together they will work towards an individually tuned treatment plan. Professional Pharmacy will consider prescriptions for cannabis oil from all licensed prescribers. Patients are encouraged to seek medical advice on this therapy directly from their physicians.”
Over 100 studies now exist proving cannabis oil can cure cancer. Additionally, thousands of anecdotes by individuals who have healed their conditions by either ingesting components of the plant (primarily CBD) or smoking it to reduce anxiety and chronic pain abound. Unfortunately, the alcohol and pharmaceutical industries are lobbying against decriminalizing the plant because its legalization would result in massive profit losses.
If you believe marijuana should be available both recreationally and medically, as the war on drugs is obviously not working, costing taxpayers a substantial amount of money, and ruining the lives of people who desire to rely on nature for their cures, share this article and comment your thoughts below!
