Monsanto Ordered to Pay $46.5 Million in PCB Lawsuit in Rare Win for Plaintiffs
A St. Louis jury has awarded three plaintiffs a total of $46.5 million in damages in a lawsuit alleging that Monsanto and three other companies were negligent in its handling of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, a highly toxic and carcinogenic group of chemicals.
Yesterday's 10-2 verdict in St. Louis Circuit Court awarded $17.5 million in damages to the three plaintiffs and assessed an additional $29 million in punitive damages against Monsanto, Solutia, Pharmacia and Pfizer, the St. Louis Dispatch reported.
PCBs were used to insulate electronics decades ago. Before switching operations to agriculture, Monsanto was the sole manufacturer of the compound from 1935 until 1977. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned PCBs in 1979, due to its link to birth defects and cancer in laboratory animals. PCBs can also have adverse skin and liver effects in humans. PCBs linger in the environment for many decades.
The lawsuit claims that Monsanto continued to sell the compounds even after it learned about its dangers and falsely told the public they were safe. Indeed, internal documents have surfaced showing that Monsanto knew about the health risks of PCBs long before they were banned. A document, dated Sept. 20, 1955, stated: “We know Aroclors [PCBs] are toxic but the actual limit has not been precisely defined."
The verdict is the first such victory in the city of St. Louis and a seemingly rare win overall. Monsanto has historically prevailed in similar lawsuits filed against the company over deaths and illnesses related to PCBs, as MintPress News noted.
"This is the future," plaintiffs' lawyer Steven Kherkher of Houston told EcoWatch.
"The only reason why this victory is rare is because no one has had the money to fight Monsanto," explaining that his law firm, Williams Kherkher, and other law firms pooled their resources to get the case off the ground.
"It's not going to be rare anymore," he said as his law firm has accumulated about 1,000 plaintiffs surrounding PCBs.
As more cases mount against the company, Kherkher said, “every judge allows us to acquire more and more information from Monsanto and discover their documents. There is a lot more information out there that has yet to be mined."
Monsanto has issued a statement following the verdict, saying they are planning to appeal:
We have deep sympathy for the plaintiffs but we are disappointed by the jury's decision and plan to immediately appeal today's ruling. Previous juries in four straight similar trials rejected similar claims by attorneys that those plaintiffs contracted non-Hodgkin lymphoma as a result of eating food containing PCBs. The evidence simply does not support today's verdict, including the fact that scientists say more than 90 percent of non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases have no known cause.
Kherkher represented three families from Oklahoma, Michigan and Alaska in the personal injury lawsuit saying PCBs caused non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
"The man from Oklahoma died at the age of 58 and had no health problems at all," Kherkher said. "He wasn't a smoker or a drinker and he exercised, but his body was filled with Monsanto's PCBs. He grew up in Michigan and Monsanto polluted the waters of Michigan and he suffered and died."
“A lot people just don't know that Monsanto's PCBs are in the orange juice you drank this morning and the pizza you'll eat tonight. The air that you're breathing has PCBs in it," Kherkher said. “Monsanto has discounted it, saying it's only parts per billion or parts per trillion, but it adds up."
He also disputes Monsanto's claim that most non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases have no known cause, citing a 2013 decision from the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifying PCBs as carcinogenic to humans. The agency found limited evidence from some studies suggesting that exposure is linked to increased risks of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and breast cancer.
Juror Nathan Nevius told the St. Louis Dispatch after the ruling, “All of us could pretty much agree that Monsanto was negligent."
St. Louis jury orders Monsanto to pay $46.5 million in latest PCB lawsuit https://t.co/q2oJDJ9bcO https://t.co/B7iafsDWQY— St. Louis Post-Dispatch (@St. Louis Post-Dispatch)1464219004.0
Another juror, Ashley Enochs said, “I think it goes to show that large companies can put stuff out there that's harmful and they can do it for along time but that justice is going to be served whether it's a year after the products are put out, or in this case, 80 years."
As far as the environmental footprint of PCBs, ThinkProgress explained that the sheer number of lawsuits that have surfaced across the country in the last three decades against Monsanto over the chemical proves how difficult it is to hold a polluter accountable.
Still, a growing number of West Coast cities have slammed lawsuits against the St. Louis-based corporation for cleanup costs of the compound. On May 19, the city of Long Beach in California became the eighth city to sue the biotech giant, joining Portland, Seattle, Spokane, Berkeley, San Diego, San Jose and Oakland. These cases are pending.
According to Courthouse News Service, Long Beach says in its federal lawsuit that Monsanto knew for decades that PCBs are "widely contaminating all natural resources and living organisms" including marine life, plants, animals, birds and humans."
The complaint further states: "PCBs regularly leach, leak, off-gas, and escape their intended applications, causing runoff during naturally occurring storm and rain events, after being released into the environment. The runoff originates from multiple sources and industries and enters Long Beach Waters with stormwater and other runoff."
Long Beach says it has "incurred substantial costs" cleaning up the chemicals and is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for public nuisance and costs of suit.
Long Beach latest city to sue Monsanto over PCB contamination: https://t.co/jYFQ3oe0Vw— Sarah M. Gilman (@Sarah M. Gilman)1463888305.0
In response, Scott Partridge, Monsanto's vice president of global strategy, said that the city's lawsuit was "instigated by trial lawyers who have been aggressively shopping their services to local government officials," Courthouse News Service reported.
"The speculative legal theories being advanced have no basis in the law, and should ultimately be rejected by the courts in California," he continued. "The facts are clear: There's no evidence that Monsanto discharged a single PCB molecule into the waters of Long Beach, as Monsanto never had a PCB manufacturing facility in Long Beach or anywhere else in California. Any PCBs that may exist were introduced by unidentified third parties or by the city itself.
"Monsanto takes seriously its own environmental responsibilities. But in this case, there is no valid claim against Monsanto. If the city wants to deal with these PCBs, it should seek out those who allowed PCBs into the Long Beach water."
Monsanto company could gain further legal protection after Congressional Republicans snuck in the so-called "Monsanto Rider" in the Toxic Substances Control Act reauthorization bill that will give the chemical giant permanent immunity from liability for injuries caused by PCBs, the New York Times reported in February.
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Fish exposed to endocrine-disrupting compounds, like this inland silverside fish, can pass on health problems to future generations. Bill Stagnaro / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 3.0
By Brian Bienkowski
Fish exposed to endocrine-disrupting compounds pass on health problems to future generations, including deformities, reduced survival, and reproductive problems, according to a new study.
<p>The study, published in<a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.0c02892" target="_blank"> <em>Environmental Science and Technology</em></a>, is the first of its kind in a fish that can live in freshwater, brackish water or salt water, and suggests that compounds in pesticides and birth control that pollute waterways are not only harming fish living there now, but their offspring and the subsequent generation as well.</p><p>The results are troublesome as the negative effects seen in fish offspring—including reduced survival and reproduction problems—could lead to population level declines over time.</p><p>"These effects can carry over into indirectly exposed fish and those not exposed at all," Bethany DeCourten, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral consultant at the University of California Davis' Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Cell Biology, told EHN.</p><p>The research offers the latest evidence of the deeply embedded biological problems for humans and animals exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals—which mimic natural hormones—that are pervasive in our environment.</p><p>"These findings suggest that single-generation toxicity testing may not be adequate to determine the effects of these chemicals on long-term population viability," the authors wrote.</p>
Low Levels Lead to Generational Impacts
<p>Researchers exposed inland silverside fish to bifenthrin, levonorgestrel, ethinylestradiol, and trenbolone to levels currently found in waterways.</p><p>"Our concentrations were actually on the low end" of what is found in the wild, DeCourten said, adding that it was low amounts of chemicals in parts per trillion.</p><p>Bifenthrin is a pesticide; levonorgestrel and ethinylestradiol are synthetic hormones used in birth controls; and trenbolone is a synthetic steroid often given to cattle to bulk them up.</p><p>Such endocrine-disruptors have already been linked to a variety of health problems in directly exposed fish including altered growth, reduced survival, lowered egg production, skewed sex ratios, and negative impacts to immune systems. But what remains less clear is how the exposure may impact future generations.</p><p>For their study, DeCourten and colleagues started the exposure when the fish were embryos and continued it for 21 days.</p><p>They then tracked effects on the exposed fish, and the next two generations.</p><p>They found:</p><ul><li>The exposed fish had impacted gene expression and DNA methylation, increased deformities, and decreased egg production;</li><li>The first generation, which was indirectly exposed within their parents, had reduced hatching success, and deformities in developing larvae;</li><li>And the second generation, which had no exposure, had the largest decrease in survival rates, and altered DNA methylation.</li></ul><p>In looking at two subsequent generations, the study roughly corresponds to three years in the wild, DeCourten said. "We saw impacts on survival in the second generation," she said. "This definitely could impact populations as a whole. Right now, we just don't really have an idea of exactly what that could mean for wild populations."</p><p>Senior author of the study Susanne Brander said it's reasonable to think that other fish species would be similarly impacted, especially other estuary and marine fish, as the salt content in water can change the way fish respond to different stressors, including pollution.</p><p>Brander, an assistant professor at Oregon State University, has been working with inland silverside fish for a little more than a decade.</p><p>In addition to her work, the silverside has been used for decades in wastewater effluent testing across the country.<br></p><p>It's a "model organism for estuary and marine and coastal habitats," she told EHN.</p>
Inherited Problems
<p>DeCourten said the altered DNA methylation is one of the plausible ways that future generations would experience health impacts from previous generations' exposure. Hormone-disrupting compounds have been shown to impact DNA methylation, which is an important marker of how an organism will develop.</p><p>"Methyl groups are added to specific sites on the genome, [the exposure] is not changing the genome itself, but rather how the genome is expressed," she said. "And that can be inherited throughout generations."</p><p>In addition, Brander said there are essentially different "tags" that exist on DNA molecules, which tell genes how to turn on and off. She said the exposure to different compounds may be "influencing which methyl tags get taken on or off as you proceed through generations."</p><p>The researchers said the study should prompt future toxics testing to consider impacts on future generations.</p><p>"The results … throw a wrench in the current approach to regulating chemicals, where it's often short-term testing looking at simple things like growth, survival, and maybe gene expression," Brander said.</p><p>"These findings are telling us we really at least need to consider" the next two generations, she added.</p>From Your Site Articles
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New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern Wins Historic Victory Following Science-Based Leadership on COVID and Climate
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New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern declares victory during the Labor Party Election Night Function at Auckland Town Hall on Oct. 17, 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand. Hannah Peters / Getty Images
Jacinda Ardern, the New Zealand Prime Minister who has emerged as a leader on the climate crisis and the coronavirus pandemic, has won a second term in office.
<p>Ardern's Labour Party secured a historic victory in New Zealand's <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/new-zealand-ardern-renewable-energy-2647595133.html" target="_self">general election Saturday</a>, earning 49 percent of the vote and an estimated 64 out of 120 parliamentary seats, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/17/jacinda-arderns-labour-party-set-for-victory-in-new-zealand-election" target="_blank">The Guardian reported</a>. It is Labour's biggest victory in 50 years, and the first time any party has won a large enough majority to govern alone since 1996, according to <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-54519628" target="_blank">BBC News</a>. Ardern's popularity has been attributed in part to her pro-<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/science" target="_self">science</a> approach to the coronavirus pandemic, according to The Guardian. She acted to close down borders and institute a national lockdown, and the country saw a total of 25 deaths and less than 2,000 cases.</p><p>"Science and clear communication around Covid-19 have won the day against Trumpery and fake news — people have clearly seen how the government looked after us," Labour supporter Christine told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/18/jacinda-ardern-eases-into-second-term-amid-relief-in-new-zealand-at-election-landslide" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> Sunday.</p>
<div id="1bb8d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="870071749bb41f9c7a734ba644150169"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1317477722789236740" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Historic results:
-New Zealand First loses all its representatives
-Worst National result since 2002 (26.85%)
-Firs… https://t.co/zX1tn3xis3</div> — Election Forecast 🇦🇺 🇳🇿 (@Election Forecast 🇦🇺 🇳🇿)<a href="https://twitter.com/ForecastOceania/statuses/1317477722789236740">1602946141.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The election has also been seen as a mandate for Labour's climate policy, according to <a href="https://www.climatechangenews.com/2020/10/19/new-zealanders-vote-climate-ambition-jacinda-ardern-greens/" target="_blank">Climate Home News</a>. During Ardern's first term, Labour governed in coalition with the Greens and the populist New Zealand First party. The government <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/new-zealand-offshore-oil-gas-2559278982.html" target="_self">banned</a> future offshore <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/oil-and-gas" target="_self">oil and gas</a> exploration and passed a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/new-zealand-zero-emissions-2641247378.html" target="_self">historic bill</a> pledging to get the country to zero emissions by 2050.</p><p>However, some of Ardern's climate ambitions during her first term were curtailed by her partnership with New Zealand First, which blocked ideas like a tax on imported <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuel" target="_self">fossil-fuel</a> cars and a subsidy for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/electric-vehicles" target="_self">electric vehicles</a>.</p>
<p>This time around, New Zealand First has lost all of its seats in parliament while the Green Party has increased its share of the votes from six to eight percent. While Labour has secured enough votes to govern alone, Ardern has said she is open to forming a coalition government, according to The Guardian, and Green Party leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson said they hoped to be included in order to move the government in a more progressive direction.</p><p>Before the election, Labour had promised more environmental policies if it won, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/new-zealand-ardern-renewable-energy-2647595133.html" target="_self">including</a> achieving 100 percent <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/" target="_self">renewable energy</a> by 2030 instead of 2035. Labour's main opposition, the National Party, only secured 27 percent of the vote, down from 44 percent, according to Climate Home News. The party had run on reversing the oil and gas drilling ban as well as rolling back protections for freshwater ecosystems, <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/new-zealand/story/jacinda-arderns-nuclear-free-moment-heres-three-things-that-would-make-it-a-reality/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=election&utm_content=supporter-email" target="_blank">according to Greenpeace New Zealand</a>.</p>
<p>"The election result has delivered a strong mandate for the transformational climate action that the Prime Minister promised," Greenpeace New Zealand wrote.</p><p>Nearly 80 percent of New Zealanders are worried about the climate crisis and support a green recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, which has thrown New Zealand into its first recession in 11 years, according to BBC News.</p><p>Recovering from that recession will be a major challenge for Ardern's second term. In addition, she no longer has the excuse of New Zealand First holding her back from more ambitious climate policies.</p><p>"NZ First was often blamed for slow progress on environment policies, and sometimes this was true. With Winston Peters and his party gone, we expect to see immediate moves to tackle agricultural climate pollution, to invest in rail and cycleways, and to protect the oceans from overfishing," Greenpeace New Zealand director Russell Norman told Climate Home News.</p>
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Poor eating habits, lack of exercise, genetics, and a bunch of other things are known to be behind excessive weight gain. But, did you know that how much sleep you get each night can also determine how much weight you gain or lose?
<p>Many weight loss supplements in the market support fat burning. While this can help with weight reduction, it's not the best approach for long-term and sustained weight loss.</p><p>It's a better idea to address the causes of excessive weight gain, including lack of adequate deep sleep. By doing this, you'll be able to lose weight naturally and keep from regaining more afterward.</p><p>In this review, we'll look at Resurge, a supplement that works towards weight loss by improving sleep quality. Read on to find out how this supplement works and why it could be helpful for you if poor sleep is behind your unexplained weight gain.</p><h2>Who Should Use Resurge?</h2>
<a href="https://supplementscoop.com/resurge-eco" target="_blank"><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUzMTUwMy9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMzE2Mzk4N30._X1ysW0bGuNuCesNOH3cGtRbFjejf_MQBXhx5OQo5zA/img.png?width=980" id="3453e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d5f6e418312401d56daf819678554109" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /></a>
<p>Have you been having trouble sleeping, while at the same time, your weight keeps increasing? Maybe you're eating healthy foods, and you have no idea where the pounds are coming from.</p><p>If this sounds like you, then you should consider trying <a href="https://supplementscoop.com/resurge-eco" target="_blank"><strong>Resurge</strong></a>. Resurge is a supplement that can help your body readjust and get back to a healthy sleep cycle.</p><p>After using the supplement, you'll find that you sleep soundly throughout the night without disturbances. In the morning, you'll feel fresh, energized, and after some time, you'll notice that you're getting leaner.</p><p>Resurge is not like other sleep supplements that need a prescription or contain synthetic chemicals. It's all-natural and has no side effects.</p><p>If you've been unsuccessful in your attempts to lose extra weight despite your best efforts, Resurge could be what you need. Most people make various changes to their lives in order to lose weight, but neglect sleep.</p><p>So, if you have a diet and exercise regimen that doesn't work quite well, it's time to try and boost your sleep. By helping you sleep better, Resurge can also help suppress your appetite and curb cravings for sugary stuff.</p><p>This supplement can be used by men and women who want to enhance their sleep quality and lose weight along the way. It's perfect for you if you want to lose weight without having to make huge lifestyle changes.</p><p><strong><em>Click here to </em><a href="https://supplementscoop.com/resurge-eco" target="_blank"><em>Check out Resurge on the Official Website</em></a></strong><em><strong>.</strong></em></p>
<h2>Resurge Review: Weight Loss Supplement Overview</h2><p>Resurge was made to address one of the most neglected causes of unexplained weight gain. It's a combination of ingredients that help improve your sleep quality, fat burning in your body, and fight hunger curbs.</p><p>It is a supplement that contains various plant extracts and nutrients that possess properties that are beneficial to your health.</p><p>Resurge is an innovative product like no other in the weight loss market. It targets lack of deep sleep, which is a major cause of weight gain.</p><p>This makes it different from other supplements that only concentrate on burning fat in the body. By helping you sleep better, it improves your health in several ways. </p><p>Sleep deprivation is behind many health issues, including excessive weight gain. If you're unable to sleep well at night, you'll likely feel cranky and hungry the next day.</p><p>This causes you to eat more calories, which contributes to weight gain. In addition, you'll also feel tired throughout the day. </p><p>Therefore, you might not be able to do much physical activity to help you use up the calories you've consumed.</p><p>Resurge is formulated to boost your sleep hormones so that you can have a good and restful night's sleep. People who have an adequate sleep feel more energized, motivated, and are less likely to eat excess calories.</p><p>Therefore, Resurge is an excellent product to opt for if your sleeping patterns are messed up, and you end up feeling fatigued, moody, and hungry the next day.</p>
<h3>Pros:</h3><ul><li>Consumer studies have shown that this product is completely safe to use, with no side effects reported.</li><li>It's made with 100% natural, non-GMO ingredients that have been proven to be safe.</li><li>This product targets lack of deep sleep, which is the main cause of unexplained weight loss. By improving your sleep quality, it helps you lose excess fat and maintain a healthy weight.</li><li>It's manufactured at an FDA approved, and GMP certified state of the art facility.</li><li>It doesn't contain stimulants or any banned substances.</li><li>It's easy to use since it only requires you to take the recommended dosage with water before bedtime.</li><li>It helps to boost metabolism, which is a result of improved sleep quality.</li><li>It has anti-aging properties, which also aid in preventing excessive weight gain.</li><li>It comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee to ensure that you don't suffer any loss if you're not satisfied with the product.</li><li>Suitable for use by both adult men and women.</li></ul><h3>Cons:</h3><ul><li>This supplement is only available for sale <a href="https://supplementscoop.com/resurge-eco" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><strong>on the Official Website</strong></a>, so you cannot get it at your local store.</li><li>It's only safe to use for adults above the age of 18.</li><li>You'll have to wait at least 90 days to begin experiencing the optimal benefits of using the supplement. It can be too long for most people.</li></ul><h2>Resurge Ingredients</h2><p>Resurge is made with a blend of ingredients that help improve sleep, mood, and fat burning. They work together to help you lose weight naturally and keep from regaining it.</p><p><em>These are the main ingredients used in Resurge:</em></p>
<h3>Melatonin</h3><p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5405617/" target="_blank">Melatonin</a> is a sleep hormone that's produced in the body. Its function is to maintain a healthy sleep-wake cycle.</p><p>When you age, the amount of melatonin being produced in the body decreases. This makes it harder for you to have a deep and restful sleep.</p><p>It's used as an ingredient in Resurge to supplement it and maintain its roles. With more melatonin, your brain will be able to get signals that it's time to sleep and prevent insomnia.</p><h3>Ashwagandha</h3><p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3252722/" target="_blank">Ashwagandha</a> is an herb that has been widely used for many health purposes in traditional medicine. It helps the body maintain its natural functions when placed under stress.</p><p>It's good at fighting insomnia, and also boosts brain function. This plant extract can also help reduce the levels of bad cholesterol in your body.</p><h3>Hydroxytryptophan</h3><p>In the body, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3415362/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">hydroxytryptophan</a> helps you to fall asleep faster and for longer. It aids in the secretion of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that promotes calmness and also contributes to better sleep.</p><p>By promoting both sleep and boosting serotonin production, this ingredient improves mood and reduces symptoms of stress and anxiety. </p><p>Since these two are common effects of sleep deprivation, solving them is an important part of improving your sleep quality and maintaining your well-being.</p><h3>Arginine</h3><p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6160175/" target="_blank">Arginine</a> is an amino acid that plays a role in muscle growth and development in the body. It also supports fat oxidation, which increases when you have more muscle mass.</p><p>This amino acid suppresses appetite, which helps you avoid overeating, which leads to weight gain. It also helps control blood sugar levels, which might be unstable as a result of excess weight gain. </p><h3>L-Theanine</h3><p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6836118/" target="_blank">L-Theanine</a> is a potent cognitive booster that also promotes relaxation and induces satiety. It supports the production of GABA and serotonin, both of which are brain chemicals that improve mood and make it easier for you to sleep soundly. </p><h3>Lysine</h3><p>Yet another amino acid used in Resurge, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27770943/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Lysine</a> helps boost energy levels in the body. With this ingredient, you'll feel the urge to be more active, which can help with your weight loss.</p><p>Lysine also boosts the formation of collagen in the body. Since collagen is used in the formation of muscles, skin, and bones, supplementation with lysine can help maintain good health as you lose weight.</p><h3><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6889702/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Zinc</a> & Magnesium </h3><p>These two minerals work together to boost the absorption of other ingredients in Resurge, restore neurotransmitters that support sleep, and improve metabolism.</p><p><em><strong>Click here to <a href="https://supplementscoop.com/resurge-eco" target="_blank">See the Full List of Ingredients in Resurge on the Official Website</a>.</strong></em></p>
<h2>How Does Resurge Work?</h2><p>Resurge works by improving deep sleep in men and women who are struggling with excessive weight gain. By optimizing the sleep-wake cycles, it helps the body reset and tap into its potential to burn off excess fat.</p><p>With better sleep, bodily functions such as metabolism are boosted. You'll also notice that you heal quickly from ailments, or that you don't get sick as often.</p><p>Antioxidant activity in your body is optimized to prevent oxidative damage that leads to inflammation, another major cause of weight gain. Resurge also contains ingredients that help fight free radicals in the body that make you unhealthier and encourage the storage of fat.</p><p>With Resurge, you'll not need to take part in any fad diets or strenuous exercises in order to see results. Once you take your nightly pill, your body will get to work to get rid of toxins and burn fat that makes you overweight.</p><p>One of the ways that better sleep aids with weight loss directly is that it promotes healthy levels of the ghrelin and leptin hormones in the body. When you're sleep-deprived, there's less leptin production, a hormone that suppresses appetite when you've had enough calories.</p><p>It means that you'll end up eating more than your body needs, which will then be stored as fat. While leptin drops, ghrelin, the hormone that triggers hunger, rises. </p><p>Therefore, the less you sleep, the hungrier you'll feel. When you get enough sleep, the levels of these hormones are maintained at healthy levels.</p><p>To learn more about how Resurge works, <strong><a href="https://supplementscoop.com/resurge-eco" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Click Here</a>.</strong></p>
<h2>Benefits of Using Resurge</h2><p><em>These are some of the benefits of using Resurge:</em></p><h3>Better Sleep</h3><p>Resurge helps you have better sleep. You'll be able to fall asleep faster and sleep for adequate hours each night. </p><p>This gives your body enough time to rest and recuperate from the day's activities. Aside from improving your overall health, it also boosts weight loss and prevents excessive weight gain.</p><p>By improving your sleep quality, Resurge helps diminish symptoms of sleep deprivation such as fatigue, frequent hunger cravings, and decreased energy. When you use this supplement for at least 90 days, you'll be able to sleep well and wake up feeling refreshed daily.</p><h3>Improved Energy</h3><p>You're likely to feel energetic and ready to take on the day after having a good night's sleep. You'll also feel more motivated to take part in physical exercise, which can further improve your health.</p><h3>Less Cravings</h3><p>Sleep-deprived people are more likely to reach for unhealthy and fattening sugary goods during the day. These snacks provide a quick burst of energy, which fades away and leaves you feeling hungrier. If you keep feeding these cravings, you'll gain weight fast.</p><p>Resurge helps you to get enough sleep so that these sugary cravings can decrease. It also contains ingredients such as L-Theanine that promote satiety and keep you from eating more calories than you need.</p><h3>Improved Mental Well-Being</h3><p>The ingredients in Resurge may help increase the production of neurotransmitters in the brain that promote relaxation and reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety. </p>
<h2>Side Effects</h2><p>There have been no reports of side effects by people who have used Resurge so far. This is attributed to the natural formulation used to make Resurge.</p><p>With no artificial chemicals or stimulants used, this supplement poses no risk to users. This product is also manufactured and packed under strict hygienic standards, which prevents any type of contamination.</p><p>However, if you're using any type of prescription medicine, it's best to consult your physician before using Resurge.</p><p>This is because some of the natural compounds used have the potential to interact with certain kinds of medication. A qualified doctor will let you know if you need to take any precautions.</p>
<h2>Who Should Refrain from Resurge?</h2><p>People who are under the age of 18 should not use Resurge. Dietary supplements are not supposed to be used by minors unless advised otherwise by a health professional.</p><p>Pregnant women and lactating mothers should also not use Resurge. They, too, should seek medical advice before using any kind of supplement.</p><p>If your insomnia and weight gain are caused by a medical condition, you should not use Resurge. Instead, consult your physician for the best treatments.</p><p>Healthy adults who are having trouble sleeping and are unable to lose weight can safely use Resurge.</p>
<h2>Dosage & Tips to Start</h2><p>Each bottle of <a href="https://supplementscoop.com/resurge-eco" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><strong>Resurge</strong></a> contains 120 pills, which are a month's supply. You should take four capsules daily with water, an hour before bedtime.</p><p>The huge dosage ensures that you get enough of each ingredient in the formulation. Once you've taken the pills, Resurge will work to improve your body's functions while you sleep and boost your journey towards your goal weight.</p><p>If you want maximum benefits of Resurge, use it for at least 90 days. People who use it for at least 3 months to 6 months are able to notice massive improvements in their sleep quality and weight loss.</p><p>Keep in mind that with Resurge, you'll not be required to make any changes to your lifestyle to get results. Just focus on taking your daily dosage, and you'll be able to lose weight naturally.</p><h2>Where to Buy Resurge and Guarantees?</h2>
<a href="https://supplementscoop.com/resurge-eco" target="_blank"><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUzMTUxOS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNzIyOTg3OX0.lYhnIh39ClGUidJyZnQhRRR5bzM2pNSug4vUni3P3GA/img.png?width=980" id="b773d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="93e47c08ae46eee17fad427c34c36cb5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /></a>
<p>You can buy Resurge <a href="https://supplementscoop.com/resurge-eco" target="_blank"><strong>on the Official Website</strong></a>. It's not available on other online stores or physical locations. Therefore, make sure to buy it from the official site in order to get the genuine product.</p><p>Besides being sure that you're getting the right product by buying from the website, you'll also benefit from huge price discounts. </p><p><em>You can buy one, three, or six bottles, and this is what you'll pay for them:</em></p><ul><li>1 bottle: $49</li><li>3 bottles: $39 per bottle</li><li>6 bottles: $34 per bottle</li></ul><p>The more you buy, the more savings you'll make. It's advisable to buy the 3 or 6 bottles package, which provides you with 90- and 180-days' supply of Resurge, respectively. After using the pills for this long, you'll experience the full benefits of Resurge.</p><p>The manufacturer offers you a 60-day money-back guarantee once you purchase Resurge. This gives you two months to use the supplement and observe whether it works for you.</p><p>If you're not satisfied with the results for any reason, the manufacturer will refund your full purchase price, no questions asked. Contact customer support by email or call them when you want a refund.</p><p>You'll receive instructions on how to return the product bottles. Note that you'll have to return all the bottles, whether they're empty or unused. Once they receive your returned bottles, they'll issue a refund within 48 hours.</p>
<h2>Resurge Reviews: Closing Thoughts</h2><p>Being sleep deprived leaves you feel tired, hungry, moody, and affects your productivity. It also messes up your hormones, which makes you susceptible to excessive weight gain.</p><p>Resurge is the product that can help you overcome lack of sleep and get back to being energetic, healthy, and feeling younger. By improving your sleep quality, it helps balance hormones in your body, preventing weight gain.</p><p>Since it's a 100% natural product whose safety has been proven, we think that it's worth the try. Its unique blend of ingredients will not just help you sleep better but also help with metabolism and immune function.</p><p>The fact that you'll not need to exercise or stick to a certain diet to lose weight while using Resurge makes it even more ideal. And since there's a 60-day money-back guarantee, you're protected from any losses.</p><p><strong><em>Click here to </em><a href="https://supplementscoop.com/resurge-eco" target="_blank"><em>Get the Best Deal on Resurge from the Official Website</em></a></strong><em><strong>.</strong></em></p>
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A woman holds a handful of vitamin C. VO IMAGES / Getty Images
By Laura Beil
Consumers have long turned to vitamins and herbs to try to protect themselves from disease. This pandemic is no different — especially with headlines that scream "This supplement could save you from coronavirus."
<p>It also helps to have celebrity enthusiasts. When President Donald Trump was diagnosed with COVID-19, his pill arsenal included Vitamin D and zinc. And in an Instagram chat with actress Jennifer Garner in September, infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci touted vitamins C and D as ways that might generally boost the immune system. "If you're deficient in vitamin D," he noted, "that does have an impact on your susceptibility to infection. I would not mind recommending, and I do it myself, taking vitamin D supplements."</p><p>But whether over-the-counter supplements can actually prevent, or even treat, COVID-19, is not clear. Since the disease is so new, researchers haven't had much time for the kind of large experiments that provide the best answers. Instead, scientists have mostly relied on fresh takes on old data. Some studies have looked at outcomes of patients who routinely take certain supplements — and found some promising hints. But so far there's little data from the kinds of scientifically rigorous experiments that give doctors confidence when recommending supplements.</p><p>Here's what we know today about three supplements getting plenty of attention around COVID-19.</p>
Vitamin D
<p><strong>What it is: </strong>Called "the sunshine vitamin" because the body makes it naturally in the presence of ultraviolet light, <a href="https://www.sciencenews.org/article/vitamin-d-supplements-lose-luster" target="_blank">Vitamin D is one of the most heavily studied</a> supplements (<em>SN: 1/27/19</em>). <a href="https://health.gov/our-work/food-nutrition/2015-2020-dietary-guidelines/guidelines/appendix-12/" target="_blank">Certain foods</a>, including fish and fortified milk products, are also high in the vitamin.</p><p><strong>Why it might help: </strong>Vitamin D is a hormone building block that helps strengthen the immune system.</p><p><strong>How it works for other infections:</strong> In 2017, the <em>British Medical Journal</em> published a meta-analysis that suggested a daily vitamin D supplement <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/356/bmj.i6583" target="_blank">might help prevent respiratory infections</a>, particularly in people who are deficient in the vitamin.</p><p>But one key word here is <em>deficient. </em>That risk is highest during dark winters at high latitudes and among people with more color in their skin (melanin, a pigment that's higher in darker skin, inhibits the production of vitamin D).</p><p>"If you have enough vitamin D in your body, the evidence doesn't stack up to say that giving you more will make a real difference," says Susan Lanham-New, head of the Nutritional Sciences Department at the University of Surrey in England.</p><p>And taking too much can create new health problems, stressing certain internal organs and leading to a dangerously high calcium buildup in the blood. The recommended daily allowance for adults is 600 to 800 International Units per day, and the upper limit is considered to be 4,000 IUs per day.</p><p><strong>What we know about Vitamin D and COVID-19:</strong> Few studies have looked directly at whether vitamin D makes a difference in COVID.</p><p>In May, in the <em>BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health</em>, Lanham-New and her colleagues published a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7246103/" target="_blank">summary of existing evidence </a>and concluded that there's only enough to recommend vitamin D to help with COVID-19 prevention for people who are deficient. That paper made inferences from how vitamin D works against other respiratory tract infections and immune health.</p><p>More than a dozen studies are now testing vitamin D directly for prevention and treatment, including a large one led by JoAnn Manson, a leading expert on vitamin D. An epidemiologist and preventive medicine physician at Harvard Medical School and Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston. That study will analyze if vitamin D can affect the course of a COVID-19 infection. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1551714420302548" target="_blank">The trial</a> aims to recruit 2,700 people across the United States with newly diagnosed infections, along with their close household contacts.</p><p>The goal is to determine whether newly diagnosed people given high doses of vitamin D — 3,200 IU per day — are less likely than people who get a placebo to experience severe symptoms and need hospitalization. "The biological plausibility for a benefit in COVID is compelling," she says, given the nutrient's theoretical ability to impede the severe inflammatory reaction that can follow coronavirus infection. "However the evidence is not conclusive at this time."</p>
Zinc
<p><strong>What it is: </strong>Zinc, a mineral found in cells all over the body, is found naturally in certain meats, beans and oysters.</p><p><strong>Why it might help: </strong>It plays several supportive roles in the immune system, which is why zinc lozenges are always hot sellers in cold and flu season. Zinc also helps with cell division and growth.</p><p><strong>How it works for other infections: </strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6457799/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Studies of using zinc for colds</a> — which are frequently caused by coronaviruses — suggest that using a supplement right after symptoms start might make them go away quicker. That said, a clinical trial from researchers in Finland and the United Kingdom, published in January in <em>BMJ Open</em> <a href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/1/e031662" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">did not find any value for zinc lozenges</a> for the treatment of colds. Some researchers have theorized that inconsistencies in data for colds may be explained by varying amounts of zinc released in different lozenges.</p><p><strong>What we know about zinc and COVID-19:</strong> The mineral is promising enough that it was added to some early studies of hydroxychloroquine, a drug tested early in the pandemic. (Studies have since shown that <a href="https://www.sciencenews.org/article/covid-19-coronavirus-hydroxychloroquine-no-evidence-treatment" target="_blank">hydroxychloroquine can't prevent or treat COVID-19</a> (<em>SN: 8/2/20</em>).)</p><p>In July, researchers from Aachen University in Germany wrote in <em>Frontiers of Immunology</em> that current evidence "strongly <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2020.01712/full" target="_blank">suggests great benefits of zinc</a> supplementation" based on looking at similar infections including SARS, another disease caused by a coronavirus. For example, studies suggest that giving zinc reduces the risk for death from a pneumonia infection. The researchers cite evidence that zinc might help prevent the virus from entering the body, and help slow the virus's replication when it does.</p><p>Another review — also based on indirect evidence — published August 1 in <em>Advances in Integrative Medicine</em> also concluded that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7395818/" target="_blank">zinc might be helpful in people who are deficient</a>.</p><p>In September, researchers from Hospital Del Marin Barcelona <a href="https://www.univadis.co.uk/viewarticle/eccvid-2020-lower-plasma-zinc-levels-associated-with-increased-risk-of-death-in-covid-19-patients-729760" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported that among 249 patients studied</a>, those who survived COVID had higher zinc levels in their plasma (an average of 63.1 mcg/dl) than those who died (43mcg/dl).</p><p>Overall, though, the jury is still out, says Suma Thomas, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, who in June led a team that <a href="https://www.ccjm.org/content/early/2020/06/08/ccjm.87a.ccc046" target="_blank">reviewed the evidence for popular supplements</a> in the <em>Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine</em>. Given what's already known, zinc could possibly decrease the duration of infection but not the severity of symptoms, she said, particularly among people who are deficient. About a dozen studies are now looking at zinc for COVID treatment, often with other drugs or supplements.</p><p>Thomas and her colleagues are <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04342728?term=zinc&cond=covid-19&cntry=US&draw=2&rank=2" target="_blank">comparing symptom severity and future hospitalization</a> in COVID-19 patients who take zinc with and without high doses of vitamin C with those who receive ordinary care without the supplement. Results are expected soon, she says.</p>
Vitamin C
<p><strong>What it is: </strong>Also called L-ascorbic acid, vitamin C has a long list of roles in the body. It's found naturally in fruits and vegetables, especially citrus, peppers and tomatoes.</p><p><strong>Why it might help:</strong> It's a potent antioxidant that's important for a healthy immune system and preventing inflammation.</p><p><strong>How it works for other infections: </strong>Thomas cautions that the data on vitamin C are often contradictory. One review from Chinese researchers, published in February in the <em>Journal of Medical Virolog</em>y, looked at <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jmv.25707" target="_blank">what is already known about vitamin C</a> and other supplements that might have a role in COVID-19 treatment. Among other encouraging signs, human studies find a lower incidence of pneumonia among people taking vitamin C, "suggesting that vitamin C might prevent the susceptibility to lower respiratory tract infections under certain conditions."</p><p>But for preventing colds, a 2013 Cochrane review of 29 studies <a href="https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD000980.pub4/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">didn't support the idea</a> that vitamin C supplements could help in the general population. However, the authors wrote, given that vitamin C is cheap and safe, "it may be worthwhile for common cold patients to test on an individual basis whether therapeutic vitamin C is beneficial."</p><p><strong>What we know about Vitamin C and COVID-19: </strong>About a dozen studies are under way or planned to examine whether vitamin C added to coronavirus treatment helps with symptoms or survival, including Thomas' study at the Cleveland Clinic.</p><p>In a review published online in July in <em>Nutrition</em>, researchers from KU Leuven in Belgium concluded that the <a href="https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD000980.pub4/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">vitamin may help prevent infection</a> and tamp down the dangerous inflammatory reaction that can cause severe symptoms, based on what is known about how the nutrient works in the body.</p><p>Melissa Badowski, a pharmacist who specializes in viral infections at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy and colleague Sarah Michienzi published an extensive look at all supplements that might be useful in the coronavirus epidemic. There's <a href="https://www.drugsincontext.com/can-vitamins-and-or-supplements-provide-hope-against-coronavirus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">still not enough evidence to know whether they are helpful</a>, the pair concluded in July in <em>Drugs in Context</em>. "It's not really clear if it's going to benefit patients," Badowski says.</p><p>And while supplements are generally safe, she adds that nothing is risk free. The best way to avoid infection, she says, is still to follow the advice of epidemiologists and public health experts: "Wash your hands, wear a mask, stay six feet apart."</p>From Your Site Articles
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Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Sir David Attenborough look at a piece of ice core from the Antarctic during a naming ceremony for the polar research ship the RSS Sir David Attenborough on Sept. 26, 2019 in Birkenhead, England. Asadour Guzelian - WPA Pool / Getty Images
By Elliot Douglas
In early October, Britain's Prince William teamed up with conservationist David Attenborough to launch the Earthshot Prize, a new award for environmentalist innovation. The Earthshot brands itself the "most prestigious global environment prize in history."
The world-famous wildlife broadcaster and his royal sidekick appear to have played an active role in the prize's inception, and media coverage has focused largely on them as the faces of the campaign.
“Rather than a Moonshot 🌕, we need Earthshots 🌍 for this decade.” Watch Prince William’s @Tedtalks talk in full:… https://t.co/m5NCj6TQzH— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge)1602408749.0
But the pair are only the frontmen of a much larger movement which has been in development for several years. In addition to a panel of experts who will decide on the winners, the prize's formation took advice from the World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace and the Jack Ma Foundation.
With more and more global attention on the climate crisis, celebrity endorsement of environmental causes has become more common. But why do environmental causes recruit famous faces for their campaigns? And what difference can it make?
'Count Me In'
"We need celebrities to reach those people who we cannot reach ourselves," says Sarah Marchildon from the United Nations Climate Change secretariat (UNFCCC) in Bonn, Germany.
Marchildon is a proponent of the use of celebrities to raise awareness of environmental causes. In addition to promoting a selection of climate ambassadors who represent the UN on sustainability issues, Marchildon's team has produced videos with well-known narrators from the entertainment world: among them, Morgan Freeman and Mark Ruffalo.
"We choose celebrities who have a lifestyle where they are already talking about these issues," Marchildon explains.
"Sometimes they reach out to us themselves, as David Attenborough did recently. And then they can promote the videos on their own social channels which reach more people than we do — for example, if they have 20 million followers and we have 750,000."
Environmental groups focused on their own domestic markets are also taking this approach. One Germany-based organization that uses celebrities in campaigns is the German Zero NGO. Set up in 2019, it advocates for a climate-neutral Germany by 2035.
German Zero produced a video in March 2020 introducing the campaign with "66 celebrities" that supported the campaign, among them Deutschland 83 actor Jonas Nay and former professional footballer Andre Schürrle. They solicit support as well as financial contributions from viewers.
"Count me in," they say, pointing toward the camera. "You too?"
"We are incredibly grateful for the VIPs in our videos," says German Zero spokeswoman Eva-Maria McCormack.
Assessing Success Is Complex
But quantifying the effectiveness of celebrity endorsement of campaigns is not a straightforward process.
"In order to measure effectiveness, first of all you need to define what is meant by success," says Alegria Olmedo, a researcher at the Zoology Department at the University of Oxford.
Olmedo is the author of a study looking at a range of campaigns concerning pangolin consumption, fronted by local and Western celebrities, in Vietnam and China. But she says her biggest stumbling block was knowing how to measure a campaign's success.
"You need a clear theory of change," explains Olmedo. "Have the celebrities actually helped in achieving the campaign's goals? And how do you quantify these goals? Maybe it is increased donations or higher engagement with a cause."
A popular campaign in China in recent years saw famous chefs Zhao Danian and Shu Yi pledge to abstain from cooking endangered wildlife. While the pledge achieved widespread recognition, both Olmedo and Marchildon say it's difficult to know whether it made any difference to people's actions.
"In life we see a thousand messages every day, and it is very hard to pinpoint whether one campaign has actually made a difference in people's behavior," she explains.
Awareness Is Not Enough
Many campaigns that feature celebrities focus on raising awareness rather than on concrete action — which, for researcher Olmedo, raises a further problem in identifying effectiveness.
"Reach should never be a success outcome," she says. "Many campaigns say they reached a certain number of people on social media. But there has been a lot of research that shows that simply giving people information does not mean they are actually going to remember it or act upon it."
But anecdotal evidence from campaigns may suggest reach can make an active difference.
"Our VIP video is by far the most watched on our social media channels," McCormack from German Zero says. "People respond to it very directly. A lot of volunteers of all ages heard about us through that video."
However, some marketing studies have shown that celebrity endorsement of a cause or product can distract from the issue itself, as people only remember the person, not the content of what they were saying.
Choosing the Right Celebrity
Celebrity choice is also very important. Campaigns that use famous faces are often aiming to appeal to members of the public who do not necessarily follow green issues.
For certain campaigns with clear target audiences, choosing a climate scientist or well-known environmentalist rather than a celebrity could be more appealing — Attenborough is a classic example. For others, images and videos involving cute animals may be more likely to get a message heard than attaching a famous face.
"We choose celebrities who have a lifestyle where they are already talking about these issues," says Marchildon from the UN. "You need figures with credibility."
McCormack cites the example of Katharine Hayhoe, an environmental scientist who is also an evangelical Christian. In the southern United States, Hayhoe has become a celebrity in her own right, appealing to an audience that might not normally be interested in the messages of climate scientists.
But as soon as you get a celebrity involved, campaigns also put themselves at risk of the whims of that celebrity. Prince William and younger members of the royal family have come under fire in recent years for alleged hypocrisy for their backing of environmental campaigns while simultaneously using private jets to fly around the world.
But Does It Really Work?
While environmental campaigns hope that endorsement from well-known figures can boost a campaign, there is little research to back this up.
"The biggest finding [from my study] was that we were unable to produce any evidence that shows that celebrity endorsement of environmental causes makes any difference," says Olmedo.
This will come as a blow to many campaigns that have invested time and effort into relationships with celebrity ambassadors. But for many, the personal message that many celebrities offer in videos like that produced by German Zero and campaigns like the Earthshot Prize are what counts.
The research may not prove this conclusively — but if the public believes a person they respect deeply personally cares about an important issue, they are perhaps more likely to care too.
"I personally believe in the power this can have," says Marchildon. "And if having a celebrity involved can get a single 16-year-old future leader thinking about environmentalist issues — that is enough."
Reposted with permission from DW.
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