Glyphosate leaches through soil...

Interesting study I ran across published in early September 2015 that looked at biochar as a way to "reduce the leaching of glyphosate in agricultural soils".  The first thing that struck me is that the very first sentence stated that glyphosate leaches through soil layers into water supplies.  It has been stated by the manufacturers all along that glyphosate doesn't move in the soil.  They say that it stays where it is sprayed, where it degrades.  Monsanto themselves claim in a referred to reference that "field and laboratory studies show it does not leach appreciably"  Unfortunately, that has been found to be false and this study shows that the problem exists to a level that agriculturalist are actively seeking out ways to mediate the glyphosate.  In this study, they did find that the biochar has potential to help reduce glyphosate leaching in soils. 

Folks, glyphosate in the environment is a real issue.  Farmers know this, researchers know this, and the public knows this, yet agribusiness still denies this.  The problem is that when you have known chemicals showing up in water samples from surface water, underground wells and sea waters, the problem is widespread. Glyphosate does indeed accumulate in the environment.

Another study showing glyphosate effect on bees.

What does glyphosate do to bees? Look here at a new Sept 2015 study.

Basically, at low doses(where it has previously been stated to do no harm), it interferes with the ability of honeybees to navigate.  It impairs their cognitive abilities.  They have a hard time finding food and returning to their hive.

Why is this important? 

First, low doses to affect bees.  It has been a "fundamental fact" within the industry that glyphosate is harmless.  Like the executive stated, you can drink it like you would a glass of water.  It is obviously not as harmless as water.  More evidence that the license for glyphosate should be revoked.  It is not as they stated in their paperwork for approval.  Real consequences are being observed.  Secondly, it impairs bees cognitive abilities.  With the concern in the increase in cognitive diseases (alzheimers, autism, depression,...) finding causes behind these could be life changing for so many people.  Any information that could lead to a cause, could help prevent many from disabling conditions.  These are two very important pieces of information.

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Effects of sublethal doses of glyphosate on honeybee navigation.

J Exp Biol. 2015 Sep;218(Pt 17):2799-805. doi: 10.1242/jeb.117291.

Abstract

Glyphosate (GLY) is a herbicide that is widely used in agriculture for weed control. Although reports about the impact of GLY in snails, crustaceans and amphibians exist, few studies have investigated its sublethal effects in non-target organisms such as the honeybee Apis mellifera, the main pollen vector in commercial crops. Here, we tested whether exposure to three sublethal concentrations of GLY (2.5, 5 and 10 mg l(-1): corresponding to 0.125, 0.250 and 0.500 μg per animal) affects the homeward flight path of honeybees in an open field. We performed an experiment in which forager honeybees were trained to an artificial feeder, and then captured, fed with sugar solution containing traces of GLY and released from a novel site either once or twice. Their homeward trajectories were tracked using harmonic radar technology. We found that honeybees that had been fed with solution containing 10 mg l(-1) GLY spent more time performing homeward flights than control bees or bees treated with lower concentrations. They also performed more indirect homing flights. Moreover, the proportion of direct homeward flights performed after a second release from the same site increased in control bees but not in treated bees. These results suggest that, in honeybees, exposure to levels of GLY commonly found in agricultural settings impairs the cognitive capacities needed to retrieve and integrate spatial information for a successful return to the hive. Therefore, honeybee navigation is affected by ingesting traces of the most widely used herbicide worldwide, with potential long-term negative consequences for colony foraging success.