Guest guest Posted April 22, 2007 Report Share Posted April 22, 2007 ORGANIC BYTES Health, Justice and Sustainability News Tidbits with an Edge! Subscribe: http://www.organicconsumers.org/organicbytes.cfm IN THIS ISSUE * ALERT OF THE WEEK: STUDY SHOWS MILITARY POLLUTION POISONING U.S. FOOD SUPPLY * TIP OF THE WEEK: CONFUSED ABOUT WHICH ECO-LABLES YOU CAN TRUST? * QUOTE OF THE WEEK * GOOD NEWS: PUBLIC PRESSURE ON STARBUCKS USE OF RBGH IS WORKING * HEALTH NEWS OF THE WEEK: FLU SHOTS CONTAIN MERCURY * SHOCKING REPORT OF THE WEEK: UN SAYS LIVESTOCK ADDING TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN A BIG WAY * PRODUCT PLUNDER OF THE WEEK: KRAFT GUACAMOLE * MAD COW NORTH AMERICA * IDIOT'S GUIDE TO THE GE DEBATE * WEB VIDEO OF THE WEEK: SPY CHIPS _ ALERT OF THE WEEK: STUDY SHOWS MILITARY POLLUTION POISONING U.S. FOOD SUPPLY A new analysis of data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control indicates that a toxic chemical in rocket fuel has severely contaminated the nation's food and water supply. Scientists warn that the chemical, known as perchlorate, could cause thyroid deficiency in more than 2.2 million women of childbearing age. This thyroid deficiency could damage the fetus of pregnant women, if left untreated. Perchlorate, the explosive ingredient in solid rocket fuel, has leaked from military bases and defense and aerospace contractors' plants in at least 22 states, contaminating drinking water for millions of Americans. Despite massive complaints, defense contractors such as Kerr-McGee have done little or nothing to clean up the pollution. Perchlorate has also been widely detected in milk, lettuce, produce and other foods. In an alarming study, the CDC found perchlorate in the urine of every person tested. The OCA has mobilized thousands of organic consumers to pressure the EPA and government officials to begin a massive clean up of perchlorate for over a year. Learn more and take action: http://www.organicconsumers.org/perchlorate.htm _ TIP OF THE WEEK: CONFUSED ABOUT WHICH ECO-LABLES YOU CAN TRUST? That weekly trip to the grocery store is getting to be as much of a cranial work-out as a day at the library. Ethically-minded consumers everywhere are spending ever-increasing time trying to grind through aisle after aisle of ingredient and product labeling mumbo jumbo. It seems there are constantly new labels and certification logos showing up on products. But what do they all mean and which ones can you trust? That bottle of " Cruelty Free, Bird Friendly, All Natural, Hypoallergenic " wonder-goo may not be as great as it claims to be. Learn more about the different types of humane and eco-labels here: http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_2322.cfm _________________________________ QUOTE OF THE WEEK " We should not hide the word hunger in our discussions of this problem just because we cannot hide the reality of hunger among our citizens. " Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, speaking about the USDA's annual report on hunger in the U.S. For the first time in the agency's history, the USDA avoided the term " hunger " in its report and used a new euphemism in its place. The phrase " suffering from food insecurity " is how the USDA now refers to the nation's 35 million hungry. Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_3390.cfm _ GOOD NEWS: PUBLIC PRESSURE ON STARBUCKS USE OF RBGH IS WORKING Starbucks has announced its desire to eliminate Bovine Growth Hormone from its coffee shops and will reduce its use of rBGH/rBST dairy products immediately. After years of pressure from the Organic Consumers Association and our allies, the coffee chain recently stated it will be 37% rBGH-free in its company-owned cafes by January. Monsanto's rBGH, injected into dairy cows to force them to give more milk, is a genetically engineered synthetic hormone that is banned in most of the world, due to its health risks. Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_3545.cfm HEALTH NEWS OF THE WEEK: FLU SHOTS CONTAIN MERCURY A survey of over 9,000 Americans found that an overwhelming majority of people had no idea their flu shots contain mercury. " More than 75 percent of Americans feel a mercury-containing flu shot should not be given to a pregnant woman or a child, " said Lisa Handley, a founding parent of PutChildrenFirst.org, the group that organized the survey. Handley's own son, Jamison, had an adverse reaction to a flu shot containing mercury in 2003. " I know firsthand how life-changing a flu shot with mercury can be, since our son began his regression into autism after his flu shot. " In 1999, government agencies called for the removal of Thimerosal, the mercury-based preservative in most vaccines. Then, in 2001, the American Academy of Pediatrics stated that, " mercury in all of its forms is toxic to the fetus and children. " Despite these actions, 90 percent of this season's flu vaccines still contain Thimerosal. Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_3400.cfm SHOCKING REPORT OF THE WEEK: UN SAYS LIVESTOCK ADDING TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN A BIG WAY A new report from the United Nations says that the world's rapidly expanding livestock herds are responsible for 18% of all greenhouse gases. This alarming figure takes into account the clearing of rainforest and vegetation for grazing, the fuel needed to produce fertilizers for animal feed, the fuel needed to produce and transport meat and the gases created by manure and flatulence. Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_3540.cfm PRODUCT PLUNDER OF THE WEEK: KRAFT GUACAMOLE Kraft Foods Inc. is being sued for misleading consumers about a chemical concoction questionably labeled as " guacamole " dip. Although guacamole has been made for hundreds of years out of avocado, Kraft's chemical dip features yummy stuff like hydrogenated oils, starch, food coloring, and other synthetics--with less than 2% of the dip composed of avocado. According to Claire Regan, vice president of Kraft Foods corporate affairs, " We think consumers understand that [the guacamole] isn't made from avocado. " Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_3503.cfm MAD COW NORTH AMERICA Another case of Mad Cow disease has been detected in Canada. The discovery increases the pressure on the USDA to commit to more stringent testing of cattle in the U.S, and to stop feeding slaughterhouse waste, blood, and manure to cattle. A new study out of the UK shows that even miniscule parts of an infected animal can lead to widespread contamination. " Based on this new research, if just one infected cow entered the U.S. feed supply and the brain and spinal cord of that animal were maximally dispersed in feed, it could potentially infect 45,000 other cows, " says Dr. Michael Hansen of the Consumers Union (Consumer Reports). While countries like Japan now test all of their cattle for the fatal disease before they enter the food supply, only about 1 in 90 animals is tested in the U.S. Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/madcow.htm _________________________________ IDIOT'S GUIDE TO THE GE DEBATE As the biotech industry continues to develop new propaganda for convincing the world to stomach it's genetically engineered foods, the debate over the issue seems to be getting as complex as the DNA chains, themselves. You're not alone if you find yourself struggling to explain to your friends why you are leery about genetically engineered foods. Here's a quick and easy-to-understand " Q & A " on GE foods that'll take two minutes to read but will leave you with a lifetime of essential information about this critical issue: http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_1860.cfm _________________________________ WEB VIDEO OF THE WEEK: SPY CHIPS An increasing number of marketers are apparently implanting Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFID) into products to monitor consumer behavior after they leave stores. The tiny chips, hidden unnoticeably in the product or its packaging, can be read though your homes walls, thereby allowing marketers to know exactly when and where you are using a specific product. Marketers claim it's completely legal, while opponents refer to them as " spy chips " . Check out this website to see a short animated video depicting some of RFID's current capabilities: http://www.spychips.com/RFIDclothingstoredemo.html _________________________________ ORGANIC BYTES is a publication of: ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION 6771 South Silver Hill Drive Finland, MN 55603 Phone: (218)- 226-4164 Fax: (218) 353-7652 Subscribe to Organic Bytes: http://www.organicconsumers.org/organicbytes.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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