EPA to use poor kids as guinea pigs to test toxic chemicals

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Fri, 12 Nov 2004 10:01:14 -0800

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EPA to use poor kids as guinea pigs to test toxic chemicals

 

Organic Bytes #43

Food and Consumer News Tidbits with an Edge!

11/12/2004

 

 

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EPA WILL USE POOR KIDS AS GUINEA PIGS IN NEW STUDY ON PESTICIDES

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), led by Bush appointees,

plans to launch a new study in which participating low income families

will have their children exposed to toxic pesticides over the course

of two years. For taking part in these studies, each family will

receive $970, a free video camera, a T-shirt, and a framed certificate

of appreciation. In October, the EPA received $2 million to do the

study from the American Chemistry Council, a chemical industry front

group that includes members such as Dow, Exxon, and Monsanto. The

EPA's Linda Sheldon says the study is vital, because so little is

known about how small children's bodies absorb harmful chemicals. As

of press time, none of the EPA's employees are offering to have their

own children take part in this research project. The Organic Consumers

Association is calling on the nation's citizens to demand the EPA

forgo this project before its scheduled launch in early 2005. Sign

petition by clicking here and forward this email to family and

friends... http://www.organicconsumers.org/epa-alert.htm

 

 

 

BIODEMOCRACY SPREADS IN CALIFORNIA

California's Marin County has joined Mendocino and Trinity counties in

banning genetically engineered crops. Despite a barrage of biotech

propaganda across the state, including charges that " outside

agitators " (i.e. the Organic Consumers Association) are meddling in

California farm policy, Marin voters turned out in record numbers on

November 2 and approved the ban by a landslide 69%-31% margin. " Marin

County's ban has inspired organic consumers across the nation and

prepared the ground for future statewide legislation that will stop

Monsanto and the biotech bullies dead in their tracks, " according to

Ryan Zinn, California Campaign Coordinator for the Organic Consumers

Association. Elsewhere in Northern California, the Arcata City Council

is preparing to pass a GE ban, while San Francisco County legislators

will likely soon be voting on a similar measure. Despite the Marin

victory, GE-Free ballot initiatives failed to pass in Humboldt, San

Luis Obispo, and Humboldt counties. Activists in these and a dozen

other California counties, however, have vowed that " the battle has

just begun. " Learn more...

http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge-free.htm

 

 

HOW TO BUY GOVERNMENT APPROVAL OF CARCINOGENIC PESTICIDES

Although banned in Europe, atrazine, a dangerous corn pesticide linked

to cancer and endocrine disruption, continues to be used on millions

of acres of farm land across the U.S. While environmental

organizations have long lobbied the Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA) to ban the toxic chemical, biotech giant Syngenta, the producer

of atrazine, has enlisted former Republican vice-president Bob Dole as

a spokesperson for atrazine. Atrazine has recently gained further bad

press due to studies showing that it causes deformities in frogs. In

addition, Syngenta has recently sunk over a quarter of a million

dollars into lobbying the EPA to keep the pesticide legal. The EPA has

responded by re-registering atrazine as legal and safe. Learn more...

http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodsafety/syngenta110104.cfm

 

 

BOYCOTTING PRODUCTS MADE IN THE USA

Two recent market studies indicate that consumers overseas are

increasingly boycotting products made in the U.S. International sales

of brand name U.S. products from companies like Microsoft, McDonalds,

Nike and Coca-Cola, for example, have steadily dropped over the last

two years. According to the global advertising agency DDB Worldwide,

this reduction is due to an increase in anti-American sentiment. Learn

more...

http://www.organicconsumers.org/corp/overseas110304.cfm

 

 

U.S. JUNK FOOD INDUSTRY TARGETS DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

The World Health Organization (WHO) is being accused of succumbing to

pressure from U.S. junk food companies by burying a report regarding

the obesity epidemic. The report pushes for limitations on advertising

of high sugar, fat and salt content foods, particularly to Third World

nations, who serve as a new and potentially massive market for the

junk food transnationals. Learn more...

http://www.organicconsumers.org/school/who110304.cfm

 

 

 

 

HEFTIER PASSENGERS INCREASE AIRLINES COST

The weight of an average American is increasing at a rate of one pound

per year. A new government study claims that airlines may need to

increase ticket prices to compensate for this added cargo. Over the

last decade, the average passenger put on an additional ten pounds of

weight, causing the airlines to spend an additional $275 million

annually just to pay for the 350 million gallons of fuel needed to

carry this extra weight. Learn more...

http://www.organicconsumers.org/Toxic/overweight.cfm

 

 

SCHOOLS OFFER PRIZES TO HEALTHY EATERS

Schools in Buffalo, NY are launching a new incentive based program to

get kids to eat healthier. Students who choose healthy foods in the

lunch line like fruits and vegetables, over junk food alternatives,

will be awarded prizes at the end of the week. School administrators

are hoping the process will show kids that it can be fun to have a

healthy diet. The program will be launched in the district's 56

schools in January. Learn more...

http://www.organicconsumers.org/school/incentive.cfm

 

 

 

AVALON CONTINUES LABELING LIES

In the last issue of Organic Bytes, we shared the news that a leading

natural body care company, Avalon, had announced that they would be

removing the false " 70% Organic Ingredients " labels from their body

care products, due to their recognition that most of that " organic "

ingredient percentage was actually plain tap water, dutifully

certified as organic by the nation's largest certifier, QAI. The OCA

has been pressuring Avalon to do this very thing since March of 2003.

Unfortunately, in the last couple of weeks, Avalon has launched a new

holiday marketing campaign, which, once again, focuses on their

fraudulent claim of being 70% organic. Avalon claims this marketing

push is an attempt to liquidate their old product line, which will not

be labeled " 70% organic. " In short, until Avalon's new product line

hits the shelves, those little purple labels still spell " 70%

certified organic fraud. "

Learn more...

http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/index.htm

 

 

MONSANTO & BAYER'S FRANKENCROPS CONTAMINATING ORGANIC CANOLA

A thousand organic farmers in Saskatchewan have filed a class action

lawsuit against biotech giants Monsanto and Bayer. The farmers are

seeking compensation for organic canola fields being contaminated by

genetically engineered canola seed. V Monsanto argues that the case

should be dismissed, claiming it's an " inappropriate " use of the

court's time. Learn more...

http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/gecanola102904.cfm

 

 

 

 

COMPOST HAPPENS

San Francisco has established a successful citywide composting system

that's saving homeowners and businesses thousands of dollars in trash

pickup fees while reducing waste input into landfills by as much as

19%. Food wastes from restaurants and homes are placed in green waste

bins which are then collected and shipped out of the city for use as

organic fertilizer in California vineyards. Food scraps make up an

estimated 12% of the nation's waste. Kate Krebs, executive director of

the National Recycling Coalition says that while it has become common

practice to recycle aluminum, glass and paper, recycling of food waste

is " the new frontier. " Learn more...

http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/compost110504.cfm

 

 

 

 

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