Fwd: Stop GE Rice - Send an Email To the EPA Today

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Thu, 28 Aug 2003 02:35:13 -0500

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Stop GE Rice - Send an Email To the EPA Today

 

Hello Frank,

 

Action Alert from Organic Consumers Association and Californians for

GE-Free Agriculture http://www.calgefree.org (SAMPLE EMAIL BELOW)

 

On August 15th a one month public comment period was started on Bayer's

(formerly Aventis) petition to the EPA for final tolerances of their

herbicide Glufosinate (aka as Liberty) for use on Rice and also Cotton.

 

You can read the petition at

http://www.epa.gov/EPA-PEST/2003/August/Day-15/p20897.htm

 

This is the final step in the regulatory process and if their request is

approved, genetically engineered (GE)rice could be planted as soon as

2004. California is the number one producer of rice in the country.

 

BACKGROUND

 

California is now facing the choice between sustainably grown or GE

agriculture as biotech industry and university researchers are poised to

introduce the next generation of GE crop varieties. Over 1,500 field

tests of GE crops have occurred in California since the early 1990s. In

the next few years the industry hopes to commercialize many new crops

including Bayer's Liberty Link herbicide-tolerant rice and Monsanto's

Roundup Ready strawberries, lettuce, rice and pest-resistant wine

grapes. Fortunately, this has not yet occurred and there is still time

for California farmers and consumers to demand a different kind of

agriculture.

 

The Californians for GE-Free Agriculture Coalition is bringing together

farmer-based organizations with consumer and environmental groups to

halt the introduction of economically and ecologically destructive GE

crops. The Coalition consists of California Certified Organic Farmers,

Center for Food Safety, Community Alliance with Family Farmers,

Ecological Farming Association, Four Elements Farm, Genetic Engineering

Action Network, Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, and Organic

Consumers Association.

 

To get involved in the campaign please visit

http://www.calgefree.org/active/ or email

 

*****PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO THE EPA TODAY*****

 

All comments must be received by September 15th.

 

Comments may be sent by e-mail to

 

In The Subject line please put: Docket ID Number OPP-2003-0274.

 

or

 

By mail to: Public Information and Records Integrity Branch (PIRIB)

(7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), Environmental Protection

Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.

 

****************SAMPLE COMMENTS*******************

 

To whom it May Concern,

 

I am writing in reference to Bayer CropScience's August 15th petition to

establish a tolerance for Glufosinate in or on Rice and Cotton. I

believe that by approving the residues requested by Bayer you will be

exposing the public to unnecessary health risks, potentially increasing

use of toxic herbicides on rice and cotton, and endangering the

livelihoods of farmers by shutting off valuable export markets that are

rejecting transgenic crops.

 

I am concerned about the loss of overseas markets for farmers growing

transgenic crops and for farmers whose own ability to market their crops

is threatened by genetic pollution. Many countries throughout the world

are refusing transgenic crops and USDA organic standards strictly

prohibit the use of transgenic seeds. Glufosinate tolerance levels have

not been established by the international food standards commission,

Codex Alimentarius. Events such as StarLink and last year's ProdiGene

incident highlight the inadequacies of our current system in keeping

transgenic crops segregated.

 

In Canada, farmers growing transgenic crops have detected triple

herbicide resistance in weeds and volunteer canola plants as a result of

gene transfer, rendering the herbicides useless. If Bayer's petition is

approved, it will only be a matter of time before Red Rice, which is the

same species as cultivated rice and also one of the most virulent weeds

on rice farms, becomes resistant to Glufosinate. Similar gene transfer

in rice will lead to the need for new, more toxic herbicides.

 

Peer-reviewed scientific studies have shown Glufosinate to be " highly

toxic " to aquatic animals such as clams, oysters, water fleas, fish and

birds at doses as low as 0.5 ppm. As rice is grown in an aquatic

environment, the adoption of Glufosinate tolerant rice will have tragic

impacts for the ecosystems of rice growing areas. The EPA classifies

Glufosinate as " persistent " and it has been found in the edible parts of

spinach, wheat and radishes more than 120 days after being sprayed with

the chemical.

 

The approval of Glufosinate tolerant rice and cotton will send us a step

backward in our efforts toward a more sustainable agriculture. Please

take action to ensure that our current system of agriculture moves

toward one that is less reliant on chemicals, and ensures our farmers a

prosperous livelihood. I strongly urge you to deny Bayer's request for

approval of Glufosinate tolerance and to work with other government

agencies to enact a more rigorous approval and testing process for

transgenic crops.

 

Sincerely,

 

PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO YOUR FRIENDS WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED.

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