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Posted on 03/28/2026 11:24:50 AM PDT by metmom
"Activist and trial lawyer attacks on herbicides imperil US and global health and nutrition"
President Trump recently signed an Executive Order invoking the Defense Production Act to ensure increased domestic supplies of elemental phosphorus – a critical component of glyphosate-based herbicides that are vital for America’s non-organic crop productivity and thus national security.
The EO has rekindled anti-pesticide activism and public concern about glyphosate, which used to be the primary ingredient in Roundup for home use but was changed following numerous class-action lawsuits. It’s also created internal conflicts within the “Make America Healthy Again” movement because the President and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are asking MAHA to defend a chemical that it had previously battled as carcinogenic.
Glyphosate herbicides are extensively used with corn, soybean and cotton crops – and less so with sugar beets, alfalfa, wheat, oats, barley, canola, and some fruits and vegetables, utilizing “Roundup Ready” crop variants that are immune to the highly efficient herbicide. Up to 90 percent of soybean and corn acreage is treated to manage weeds and increase crop yields remarkably in recent decades.
Right now, there is only one domestic phosphorus producer, and herbicide manufacturers rely heavily on imports. That has become a major national security concern due to the dominance some countries have exerted over many metals, minerals and products. Often, contentious global politics can lead to threatened or actual import restrictions or bans.
Glyphosate has become controversial mostly because of longstanding activist opposition, advertisements seeking “cancer victims” who “may have been exposed” to the chemical, and class-action lawsuits that employ highly questionable (verging on fraudulent) “science” to impugn the chemical and persuade sympathetic but scientifically uninformed juries to deliver billion-dollar “jackpot justice” verdicts.
(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...
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Am I right in remembering that because of the high nitrogen poultry manure needs to “age” for a while to prevent it burning whatever you want to fertilize it with?
I believe that is true for all manure.
Tens of millions died from the DDT ban. Can we watch Silent Spring again?
Chicken, turkey litter=gun powder.
My understanding is that us that manure is very high in nitrogen and has to age - I use goat manure which has less nitrogen. I still let it age, but not as long. For both, I test the temp in the compost pile to make sure it’s hot enough to kill pathogens.
*chicken manure
Very good article. The dose makes the poison.
For some reason, lots of people believe highly regulated strangers and government officials want to kill them over a pittance per person.
I am not sure why people want to believe this.
On the other hand, lots of people do not want to believe high level government officials were willing to lie to the nation to hold onto government power which brought them billions of dollars in bribes.
Human nature is peculiar. Maybe that is what makes it human.
Glysophate is not a fertilizer, it’s an herbicide. A very useful one.
So I don’t get the gist of your comment. It’s a non-sequitor.
Anything that stinks as bad as roundup has got to have toxic crap in it. You can smell that acrid garbage a mile away.
I don’t mind them using it as a herbicide at some stages for weed control. But I’m not a fan of spraying the wheat fields so it all at dies at a certain time for harvest a week or two faster. Not every grass idea is a great idea.
And dill weed Trump out celebrating round up on crops is downright idiotic when you know how much RFK jr brought to the 2024 win with MAHA.
I have done native plant habitat restoration for 35 years with a focus upon small annuals unprecedented in the world.
Herbicides are critical to what I can accomplish.
Anybody know if the good Roundup is still available?
We’ve been doing the same. There are some invasives you just can’t eradicate without and herbicide.
RFKjr is saddened
We found this site to be very useful.
The Woodland Steward
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=the+Woodland+Steward&t=brave&ia=videos&iax=videos
All he posts are videos. He and his wife are botanists and he really knows what he’s talking about. He’s been restoring some acreage of his in Ohio, and uses glyphosate for the job, but advocates for as little as possible when needed.
We’ve been using a Round-Up knock off called Imitator Plus.
It’s genuine glyphosate but much cheaper. I hear glyphosate has been removed from the consumer market though.
we all have to be poisoned so that Big Ag can feed the african savages having 10 kids each that they can’t feed without our handouts of genetically modified and poisoned franken-food.
elemental phosphorus is extremely important for many more reasons than just making glysophate ... for one thing, phosphates are one of the three major components of most manufactured fertilizers, and without such fertilizers the world would starve to death ... period ... so it’s the height of leftist ignorance to conflate phosphorus security with glysophate ...
per the above:
Elemental phosphorus (P) and its compounds, especially phosphates (PO₄³⁻ and related forms), are foundational to modern civilization because they are irreplaceable in biology, agriculture, and numerous industrial processes. Phosphorus has no viable substitute for its core roles, making it a critical mineral for food security, technology, and daily life.
Biological and Biochemical Importance
Phosphorus is one of the essential building blocks of life on Earth.
It forms key parts of:DNA and RNA (the phosphate backbone links the genetic code).
ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the primary molecule that transfers energy within cells for metabolism, muscle contraction, and photosynthesis.
Cell membranes (phospholipids).
Bones and teeth (as calcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite).
Without phosphorus, there would be no cellular energy transfer, no genetic replication, and no complex life as we know it.
Organisms recycle it efficiently in natural ecosystems, but human activities disrupt this cycle.
Agriculture and Food Production: The Primary DriverThe overwhelming importance of phosphates stems from their role in fertilizers.
Plants require phosphorus for:Root development and growth.
Energy transfer during photosynthesis.
Seed and fruit formation.
Overall biomass production.
Modern industrial agriculture relies on synthetic fertilizers containing nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K)—the “NPK” trio.
While the Haber-Bosch process (early 20th century) solved the nitrogen problem by fixing atmospheric N₂ into ammonia, phosphorus must be mined from finite phosphate rock deposits (ancient marine sediments).
About 80–90% of all mined phosphate rock goes into fertilizers and animal feed to boost crop yields.
This has been transformative: phosphorus fertilizers helped enable the massive increases in global food production that supported population growth from ~1.6 billion in 1900 to over 8 billion today.
Without them, crop yields would plummet, especially on depleted or naturally low-P soils, threatening food security for a world projected to need 70% more food by 2050.
Phosphorus is often the limiting nutrient in ecosystems—more so than nitrogen in many cases—making it a “bottleneck” for productivity.
Industrial and Technological Applications
Elemental phosphorus (produced from phosphate rock via high-temperature reduction, often as white or red phosphorus) serves as a versatile precursor for many compounds:
Detergents and cleaners — Sodium tripolyphosphate softens water by binding calcium/magnesium ions (though usage has declined in some regions due to environmental concerns).
Flame retardants — Ammonium polyphosphate and others in plastics, textiles, and coatings.
Food additives — Phosphoric acid in sodas (e.g., colas), baking powders, and preservatives.
Water treatment — To prevent scaling and corrosion.
Matches and pyrotechnics — Red phosphorus on safety match striking surfaces; historically, white phosphorus in early matches.
Metallurgy and chemicals — Steel production, metal extraction, lubricants, and pesticides.
Emerging tech — Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathodes in electric vehicle batteries; phosphoric acid in semiconductor manufacturing and electronics; organophosphorus compounds in catalysts, plasticizers, and anti-wear additives.
White phosphorus (P₄) is a key chemical intermediate for producing derivatives used across these sectors, quietly powering everything from electronics to fire safety.
Geopolitical and Sustainability ContextPhosphate rock is a non-renewable resource with reserves concentrated in a few countries (e.g., Morocco holds the majority, followed by others like China).
Production is also geopolitically sensitive, with price spikes (as seen in recent years) affecting global food costs.
While “peak phosphorus” debates (projected around 2030 in some older models) highlight long-term risks, new discoveries and recycling efforts continue to shift timelines.
However, inefficiency is a major issue: much applied phosphorus is lost to runoff, causing eutrophication (algal blooms and dead zones in waterways), which costs billions annually in environmental damage.
Efforts to improve sustainability include better fertilizer efficiency, phosphorus recovery from wastewater (we literally “flush” a valuable resource), and circular economy approaches.
Yet, with no synthetic alternative like Haber-Bosch for nitrogen, phosphorus management is crucial for long-term civilization stability.
In short, phosphates sustain the agricultural base that feeds billions and supports economies, while elemental phosphorus enables a wide array of chemical and technological innovations.
Its centrality to energy transfer in life and industry makes it one of the most strategically vital elements—often overlooked until supply disruptions occur.
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