a bunch of GMO news and spews

[Guest guest]

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"The buzz word in Britain is that we can have 'co-existence' between the

GM (genetically modified) sector and the organic or conventional sector.

What Canada shows, who have been trying to do this for the last seven

years, is that it is absolutely impossible. You have to make a choice,

and the choice frankly is: are we going to go for GM, for which there is

no market and no-one wants to buy, at the expense of organic, which

people do want to buy and for which there is a tremendous market? You

cannot have both."

 

Source: Michael Meecher, UK Environmental Minister, recently fired by

Tony Blair for his views on GM foods and crops.

 

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OBJECTIVE SCIENCE DOES NOT EXIST HERE

Serving as a testament to Monsanto's long-term deceptive practices, the

corporation is being accused of fraudulently ignoring and

misinterpreting research data, regarding their new genetically mutated

soybeans. For example, Monsanto has conveniently failed to mention that

their own studies have shown that GE soybeans have a lesser nutritional

value than conventional soybeans and actually inhibited growth in

laboratory mice. In addition, pesticide residue levels were so

dangerously high in the Monsanto's GE soybeans, the corporation is

requesting that food safety regulations be weakened, so the experimental

beans can legally enter the market.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/72803_ge_soybeans.cfm

 

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RIPOFF OF THE WEEK

The US Patent and Trade Mark Office has given patent rights to a

pharmaceutical company in Virginia (Insmed Corp.) for its "novel

invention of pigeon pea extracts" for treatment of clogged arteries,

diabetes and hypoglycemia. Pigeon pea extract has been used for these

ailments by indigenous tribes in semi-arid regions throughout the world

for hundreds, if not thousands of years. US Patents are recognized

globally by the WTO, so technically, from henceforth, if any indigenous

person uses that particular element of their traditional medicine, they

have to pay Insmed Corporation first.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/Patent/pigeon_pea.cfm

 

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NAKED LUNCH

Just as Kraft was kicking off its annual conference for the Institute of

Food Technologies, their food industry attendees were ambushed by over a

dozen naked activists with anti-GE slogans painted on their bodies.

THONG (Topless Humans Organized for Natural Genetics) hoped to

demonstrate their displeasure with Kraft's continued use of GE

ingredients in its products. In late Oct, 2003, the OCA and a coalition

of other food safety groups will be holding a National Week of Action

pressuring Kraft to go GE-free.

Get involved: http://www.OrganicConsumers.org/campaigns.htm

 

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COMPOST HAPPENS

Proving that smart environmental policies can actually save corporations

money, a large grocery chain in Virginia is now converting food waste to

compost. Ukrop's Super Markets Inc is making a double profit, selling

the compost to customers, while saving $30 for each ton of food waste

that doesn't go to the landfill.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/supermarket/ukrop_compost.cfm

 

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SPEAKING OF FERTILIZER...

The EPA is taking comments regarding the current practice of ridding of

hazardous wastes by hiding them in mainstream fertilizers. No labeling

is required to let consumers know what may be hidden in the fertilizers

destined for their lawns and gardens. Loose labeling laws also allow

fertilizer companies to trick customers by labeling sewage sludge as

100% "organic", which currently only means the fertilizer is

carbon-based. Organic regulations ban the use of sewage sludge and most

conventional fertilizers on organic farms.

To let your concerns be known Email: Fagan.David

 

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GOOD NEWS: CONSUMER REVOLUTION

A late July New York Times article says that concerned consumers are now

supporting a specialized $230 billion/year market in the US. This

includes 68 million Americans (growing by 30% per year) who regularly

buy products based on environmental and social ethics. The market

includes everything from solar panels to organic food to Yoga tapes to

ecotourism. A survey found that 90% of these consumers say they are

willing to pay more for products from companies that share their values

of long-term sustainability for society and the environment.

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

 

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WHACKED GE PLANT OF THE WEEK

There are now dozens of genetically engineered tree test plots in the

U.S. This concerns ecologists, in regards to the possibility of these

experimental plants inadvertently spreading into the wild, thereby

throwing off the balance of species in forests across the nation. In

related news, the US Pentagon has awarded Colorado State researchers a

half million bucks to genetically engineer a tree that would change

colors when exposed to a germ or chemical attack. Taxpayers and

government watchdog groups are befuddled by this expenditure---as if the

thousands of people keeling over in the streets from a chemical attack

wouldn't be indicative enough that there was something wrong.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/080103_frankentrees.cfm

 

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FIRST WORLD DIET PILLAGES PLANET WORSE THAN ICE AGE

The 3 million old Ohrid Lake in the Balkans is home to the last

remaining variety of an ancient trout on the planet. The massive fish,

weighing up to 40 lbs. is facing extinction from fisherman, who are

literally blasting the fish out of the lake with dynamite. Although they

were able to survive the extremes of the Ice Age, the fish are now on

the verge of disappearing from the planet, thanks to wealthy consumers

who pay top dollar to fill their bellies with the mystical Ohrid Trout.

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

 

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FORCE FED

The US continued to crack the whip at WTO talks in Montreal last week.

For the sake of maintaining good international relations, the EU gave in

to abrasive pressure from the Bush administration to allow GE foods to

be sold in European grocery stores---as long as the food comes labeled

as such. US representatives at the talks said that just isn't good

enough, demanding that the EU buy the genetically engineered food and

don't label it. According to EU Agricultural Commissioner, Franz

Fischler, more than 70% of EU consumers don't want genetically

engineered foods at all. So at the very least, these imported foods need

to be labeled. "If we don't make sure of that, then there is simply no

social consensus in Europe for accepting GM products," Fischler said.

The Montreal talks were a warm up to the main WTO meetings to be held in

Cancun in early Sept, 2003. Attend the WTO teach-ins and protests in

Cancun on an escorted delegation with Ronnie Cummins and the OCA:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/wto_cancun.htm

 

 

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PRINCE POO-POOS PUNDITS

Prince Charles announced this week that the UK will remain free of GE

food crops. "Apart from certain highly beneficial and specific medical

applications, do we have the right to experiment with, and

commercialize, the building blocks of life?" Prince Charles said. "We

simply do not know the long-term consequences for human health and the

wider environment, of releasing plants bred in this way." Critics claim

a GE-free UK is a pipe dream, now that the EU is giving in to pressures

to import U.S. grown GMOs.

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

 

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FOR MANY MORE FOOD ISSUE DAILY HEADLINES:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/log.html