I’ve worked for Greenpeace for eight years and in that time I’ve had the opportunity to observe trends which may not be obvious to the average citizen. For example, many companies with environmental problems will hire a director of environmental affairs. When Greenpeace arrives, out comes the director of environmental affairs, all smiles and handshakes. I always make a point of asking the director of environmental affairs about his or her professional background. After all, if this company is going to pour complex chemical compounds into local waterways, you want someone with a good grounding in macrobiology. More often than not, the director of environmental affairs has a background not in science, but in public relations. Too many corporations see ? and treat ? the environment as a PR problem.
Notable among these corporations is Procter and Gamble, of Cincinnati, Ohio. Pee and Gee not only defends its environmental record, it goes on the offensive. Procter and
Gamble is the sponsor of the Planet Patrol Program, a curriculum supplement distributed to schoolchildren in grades four through six. There are posters, activity sheets, visual aids ??? all portraying Procter and Gamble as an environmentally responsible company.
One thing students will NOT learn from the Planet Patrol Program is that Procter and Gamble is attempting to patent a top?selling weed killer as ? a cancer medication.
It reminds me of an old skit from Saturday Night Live:
“It’s an herbicide.”
“It’s a cancer medication.”
“It’s an herbicide!”
“It’s a cancer medication!”
“No, wait! It’s both!”
The miracle drug in question is glyphosate, marketed under the brand name Roundup by the Monsanto Corporation of St. Louis, Missouri. Its popularity stems from its ability to kill all green plants. Farmers douse fields with Roundup before planting to kill any (and all) unwanted plants. Last year, Monsanto began to introduce genetically?altered plants that can survive doses of Roundup.
According to the London Daily Telegraph, Monsanto and Procter and Gamble are developing a line of cancer drugs containing Roundup. Never mind that exposure to Roundup can cause eye and skin irritation, vomiting, fluid in the lungs and possible genetic damage. Procter and Gamble want to use Roundup on patients with breast cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer and leukemia.
The Daily Telegraph quoted the director of a British cancer research group as saying the small amount of information Procter and Gamble is willing to share seems to contradict itself. He doubts Roundup will be effective in treating cancer.
So what are they up to? As I said before, Procter and Gamble takes the offensive when it comes to environmental problems. They are not content to merely react when a pollution problem presents itself ? they’re going to go out there and turn it into a public health menace.
‘No, Wait! It’s Both!’
I’ve worked for Greenpeace for eight years and in that time I’ve had the opportunity to observe trends which may not be obvious to the average citizen. For example, many companies with environmental problems will hire a director of environmental affairs. When Greenpeace arrives, out comes the director of environmental affairs, all smiles and handshakes. I always make a point of asking the director of environmental affairs about his or her professional background. After all, if this company is going to pour complex chemical compounds into local waterways, you want someone with a good grounding in macrobiology. More often than not, the director of environmental affairs has a background not in science, but in public relations. Too many corporations see ? and treat ? the environment as a PR problem.
Notable among these corporations is Procter and Gamble, of Cincinnati, Ohio. Pee and Gee not only defends its environmental record, it goes on the offensive. Procter and
Gamble is the sponsor of the Planet Patrol Program, a curriculum supplement distributed to schoolchildren in grades four through six. There are posters, activity sheets, visual aids ??? all portraying Procter and Gamble as an environmentally responsible company.
One thing students will NOT learn from the Planet Patrol Program is that Procter and Gamble is attempting to patent a top?selling weed killer as ? a cancer medication.
It reminds me of an old skit from Saturday Night Live:
“It’s an herbicide.”
“It’s a cancer medication.”
“It’s an herbicide!”
“It’s a cancer medication!”
“No, wait! It’s both!”
The miracle drug in question is glyphosate, marketed under the brand name Roundup by the Monsanto Corporation of St. Louis, Missouri. Its popularity stems from its ability to kill all green plants. Farmers douse fields with Roundup before planting to kill any (and all) unwanted plants. Last year, Monsanto began to introduce genetically?altered plants that can survive doses of Roundup.
According to the London Daily Telegraph, Monsanto and Procter and Gamble are developing a line of cancer drugs containing Roundup. Never mind that exposure to Roundup can cause eye and skin irritation, vomiting, fluid in the lungs and possible genetic damage. Procter and Gamble want to use Roundup on patients with breast cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer and leukemia.
The Daily Telegraph quoted the director of a British cancer research group as saying the small amount of information Procter and Gamble is willing to share seems to contradict itself. He doubts Roundup will be effective in treating cancer.
So what are they up to? As I said before, Procter and Gamble takes the offensive when it comes to environmental problems. They are not content to merely react when a pollution problem presents itself ? they’re going to go out there and turn it into a public health menace.