Terminator Gene Alert with link to petition

[Guest guest]

Sorry, everyone. Didn't realize that the link would be missing on my previous post!

EliseACTION ALERT--TERMINATE THE TERMINATORConsumer, farmer, and environmental organizations across the globe aremobilizing to stop the legalization and commercialization of thecontroversial Terminator Gene Technology, whereby seeds are geneticallyengineered to become sterile or commit suicide after one growing season. TheMonsanto corporation and the biotech industry support the TerminatorTechnology, because it will force many of the 1.4 billion farmers around theworld to stop saving their seeds and instead to purchase patented seedvarieties from the Gene Giants. In addition, scientists are concerned thatgenetic pollution from Terminator crops will lead to killing off a widerange of crops and plants, as Terminator pollen and seeds are spread by thewind, insect pollinators, and commercial seed co-mingling andtransportation. After a massive international campaign in 1998,

MonsantoCorporation announced they were shelving plans to commercialize theTerminator, while the United Nations (UN) called for a global ban. But today(2/11/2005), renewed efforts to overturn the worldwide ban were launched ata UN conference in Bangkok.Learn more and sign OCA's petition to the UN to terminate theTerminator Gene: http://organicconsumers.org/un.htmCATHOLIC LEADERS CLARIFY VATICAN'S STANCE ON GENETIC ENGINEERINGCatholic leaders around the world are standing up against the biotechindustry's claim that the Vatican endorses genetically engineered (GE)crops. Biotech proponents have enjoyed a major public relations boost bytrumpeting a portion of a report released by the Vatican last year. In onepart, the report stated that it is the Catholic Church's stance that Godgave humans the right to manipulate and control the natural environment onany level, including genetic

engineering. The biotech industry has failed tomention that the report also states that GE crops should not be spreadunless they are conclusively proven to be safe for human health and theenvironment. The Vatican report elaborates on that point, indicating thatthe Catholic Church does not believe adequate testing of GE crops has beendone, saying, "available scientific data are contradictory or quantitativelyscarce. It may then be appropriate to base evaluations on the precautionaryprinciple." Learn more...SHARING GOD'S PLANETThe Church of England is seriously discussing making major changes inits practices, in order to exercise the type of stewardship towards theearth that they believe is commanded by God in the Bible. The changesinclude serving fair trade coffee, providing organic bread and wine,increasing recycling, using natural fibers in clergy robes, and pressuringthe UK

government to take a stronger stance on global climate change.Archbishops will meet in late February to discuss these changes as well as anew report by the Church of England entitled "Sharing God's Planet," inwhich Christians are urged to take much more active roles in protecting theenvironment, in order to "celebrate and care for God's creation." Learnmore...MAD COW TIDBITSThe British government is investigating a report that cosmetic plasticsurgery injections for fuller cheekbones and plumper lips with infectedcollagen could spread the human form of mad cow disease, calledCreutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Due to increasing demand for suchprocedures, a number of rogue clinics have opened that are not adhering tothe stringent guidelines dictating that collagen "fillers" should be sourcedonly from tissues guaranteed to be free from Mad Cow. UK Tests have alreadyfound illegal and

potentially contaminated collagen in widespread use,derived from dead cows, birds, and human tissue. Learn more...Japanese officials confirmed the human variant of mad cow diseasecaused a man's death. The victim is believed to have become infected withthe disease in 1989 when he was on a short visit to the UK. At the time, theUK was undergoing an massive outbreak of mad cow disease. Japan has testedall of its cattle for the disease since 2001 and banned U.S. and Canadianbeef imports after the disease was discovered in those countries. Learnmore...More cases of Mad Cow are being diagnosed in North America, but beefindustry practices in the U.S. remain unchanged. The fatal disease can beexpected to spread across the continent as the massive feeding ofslaughterhouse waste, blood, and manure to animals continues unabated. OCAhas a new educational DVD on Mad Cow Disease, featuring a lecture by Dr.Michael Greger, OCA's Mad

Cow coordinator, for use for house parties orcommunity showings. To learn more about how to get a copy of the MichaelGreger Mad Cow DVD and a manual for how to organize a showing of this DVD,click hereRBGH MILK IS RBGH MILKThe Center for Global Food Safety, an industry front group funded inpart by the Monsanto Corporation, has launched an aggressive "Milk is Milk"campaign, claiming there is no difference between milk produced by cowsinjected with genetically engineered hormones (Monsanto's recombinant BovineGrowth Hormone), and organic or naturally produced milk. The FDA is aidingthe industry's anti-organic "Milk is Milk" campaign, saying they will crackdown on organic and rBGH-free dairies that label their products as "hormonefree." Monsanto's controversial hormone has been banned in everyindustrialized country in the world, other than the U.S., Brazil and Mexico,due to

scientific evidence indicating that the milk from injected cowscontains more pus, antibiotic residues, and IGF-1, a potent cancer tumorpromoter. The drug also seriously damages the health of the cows. Read ananalysis of the risks of rBGH and a response to the launching of the "Milkis Milk" campaign by Samuel S. Epstein, M.D.(University of Illinois atChicago School of Public Health) and Ronnie Cummins of the OCA. Learnmore...TEENY-TINY NEWS TIDBITSNorth Dakota legislators are proposing a bill that would keepinformation about factory farm feedlots confidential and inaccessible to thepublic. People living near a feedlot currently have the right to informationregarding the facility's pollutants. Proponents of the bill say that it isnecessary to begin to keep that information secret so that it doesn't fallinto the hands of terrorists. Learn more...In Arkansas and Texas, childhood

obesity rates are as high as 38%,leading to the recent passage of new laws that require schools to reportchildren's body fat index to parents along with the student's grades. Learnmore...The second annual State of Science Review has found thatcancer-fighting antioxidant levels are, on average, 30% higher in organicproduce vs. conventionally grown fruits and vegetables. The cause for this,say scientists, is that antioxidant chemicals are created within a plantgrown organically or in the wild when the plant triggers internal defensemechanisms. These beneficial mechanisms are rarely triggered in plants thatare raised with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Learn more...********sponsored message**********Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern TechnologyBuild stairways with your breath, meditate to open doors, and juggleballs with your laughter! The Journey to Wild Divine

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