HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0392.083 2014-2016Murashige, Laura
From: Stephanie Seneff <seneff@csail.mit.edu>
Sent: Saturday, August 01, 2015 4:47 PM
To: Council Testimony; Kanuha, Dru; Wille, Margaret; Eoff, Karen; David, Maile; Ilagan,
Greggor; Poindexter, Valerie; Chung, Aaron; Paleka, Daniel; Onishi, Dennis
Subject: banning glyphosate usage in public spaces: Bill 71
I am thrilled that Margaret Wille is introducing Bill 71 to ban glyphosate usage on county property. This is an important
first step towards eliminating glyphosate usage globally, which is the ultimate goal we need to achieve for the long-term
health of humanity and of the planet. Contrary to Monsanto's claims, glyphosate is causing significant health
deterioration among exposed humans, as evidenced by the recent declaration by WHO of glyphosate as a "probable
carcinogen."
Thank you, Margaret, for taking on this initiative! I urge all of you to support this bill wholeheartedly!
Stephanie
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Ref. Date: 6 fi
Murashige, Laura
From: Stephanie Seneff <seneff@csail.mit.edu>
Sent: Monday, August 03, 2015 10:16 AM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: I support Bill 71 banning glyphosate
I am writing this testimony in support of Bill 71, banning glyphosate usage on county property.
I am a senior research scientist at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and I have published, together with colleagues, 20
research papers over the past few years on the relationship between environmental toxic chemicals and deteriorating
health. I am very concerned about the impact of the pervasive herbicide, glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup,
on human health and on the environment. My research links glyphosate to the epidemic we're seeing today in multiple
chronic diseases, including autism, Alzheimer's disease, Celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, obesity
and various food allergies. I believe that glyphosate is a major contributor to the poor health status in the United States
compared to other industrialized nations, and to our escalating health care costs. Glyphosate has been relabelled as a
"probable carcinogen" by the World Health Organization this past March. Glyphosate usage on corn and soy crops in
America is strongly correlated with multiple cancers, including liver cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, and
pancreatic cancer.
Together with Judy Carman, an expert in Australia on genetically modified crops, I recently gave two talks on the Big
Island detailing some of my research findings. Glyphosate has multiple adverse effects on our biological function,
mediated in part through chelation of minerals, suppression of cytochrome P450 enzymes in the liver, disruption of the
gut microbiome, interference with the synthesis of aromatic amino acids and their derivatives, and interference with
glycine metabolism and signaling. By passing and enforcing Bill 71, the Big Island can play a pivotal role in setting an
example for other counties around the nation to take action towards reducing the risk of glyphosate exposure to the
population. I applaud your efforts to make Hawaii a safer place for children to grow up and thrive, and for the
population in general to experience improved health outcomes.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Seneff
Senior Research Scientist
MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory Cambridge, MA 02139
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