There are absolutely two kinds of people: those who care and those who dont. Within the category of those who dont care is the lowest subcategory, which preys on, exploits, disinforms and misleads those of us who do care for one purpose: money. This isnt something healthy humans do naturally; it requires a gradual escalation of arrogance, personal greed and grand delusion for those who lead these dubious operations.
The following facts might not constitute ideal bubble bath or beach blanket reading, but they may irreversibly affect the future of our species and our planet within a very short time, if we blindly accept the coming persuasion campaign, orchestrated delays in regulation, and in the meantime the creations themselves.
Once you learn what is going on, if you are satisfied with the proof and resources below, I hope you will share them with as many other people as possible and broadcast it to everyone on your e-list. Yours could be among the first "chain letters" with truly immeasurable payoffs. And in light of battles that will be fought and long-muffled truths that will leak into the mainstream over the next four or five years, such an effort to spread the word now before its too late could earn you a spot among a rare list of true modern day heroes
The American Family Farmer?
A full-page color ad in the July 18th, 2000 New York Times Science section shows a ruggedly handsome "American family farmer." His quote reads "Im raising a better soybean crop that helps me conserve the topsoil, keep my land productive and help this farm support future generations of my family." Apparently, this farmer hasnt sat down with his accountant, and hes not aware of the disaster his "newer, better" soybean crop has turned out to be. In fact, anyone whos familiar with the facts would have to wonder how the "Council for Biotechnology Information" could have found this guy.
He, like so many other farmers and Americans, may not know that according to field and lab tests, these "promising" seeds, with what scientists admit are unpredictable ecological effects, have already:
- Decreased
soybean yields 6-11%, according to a University of Nebraska study;
- Created antibiotic-resistant genes (found in all GE foods) that transfer into the bacteria of the digestive tract, so that animals and humans ingesting GMOs are likely incubating drug-resistant pathogens;
- Yielded herbicide-resistant "superweeds" in Canada;
- Harmed beneficial insects and soil microorganisms;
- Shifted delicate ecological balances so that formerly minor pests like stink bugs on cotton crops are becoming major problems;
- Increased IGF-1 levels in rBGH-derived milk, already suspected to pose added cancer risk;
- Failed to taste better. In 1996 Monsanto/Calgenes Flavr Savr tomatoes were taken off the market after failing their objectives;
- And something called cauliflower mosaic viral promoters (found in almost all GE foods) are likely setting off hazardous biochemical reactions in our bodies, according to some researchers.
As if all that werent enough, on May 18th, Advanta Seeds, a division of biotech giant AstraZeneca, admitted that genetic drift from gene-altered canola fields in Canada had contaminated certified "non-GE see" export shipments to Britain, France, Germany and Sweden..
We Cant Expect Farmers to Care.
Okay, I dont expect farmers to care about that health stuff when theyve got families to feed, but they should know this: According to BioDemocracy News, March 2000, if the USDA, agribusiness and biotech have their druthers:
"
90% of US farmers will either be forced to sell their land or consolidate their operations into giant biotech and chemical intensive factory farms, leaving them the option of becoming tractor drivers or tenant farmers."
Helping farmers
feeding the hungry
crops that require fewer pesticides
more nutritious foods
The as yet baseless promises and claims keep coming in the face of successive failures we dont hear about. Problem is, we dont have the usual five to fifteen years to wait for the truth to leak through to the mainstream. And we dont have time for biotech experiments to finally give us a successful, safe crop two very different things, and a shot in the dark based on the inherent unpredictability of the technology and the lack of testing required by the FDA.
Secrecy and Suppression
In the fall of 1998, any of my stubbornly remaining delusions of free speech in America evaporated when I read an article in The Lancet that revealed the suppression of major media reporting on the use of recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) in dairy cattle. It appeared that Monsanto the same company who had successfully suppressed damning science on their product Nutrasweet and who nearly prevented organic milk producers from being able to state on their labels that their milk was produced without rBGH was behind a successful "arrangement" with the FDA regarding the secrecy and acceptance of their inherently unpredictable experiments with much of the global food supply.
Why is this so important? Why am I so worked up? Because something this wrong has come so close to "sliding past" the American public unscrutinized, and that the sources most Americans deem to be the most reliable have been among the bribed, intimidated and duped. The same "back-door" arrangements and hidden conflicts of interest which enabled these companies to quietly put their mutant, failed experiments into 70% of our supermarket foods without labeling requirements, without long term safety studies and WITHOUT PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE will exercise even more clever strategies over the next five years to reverse growing public concern and enrapture the American public the only population that they can hope to win over with the promise of Genetically Engineered food, fish and trees. And they know that if they push long enough, it will be too late to "go back."
There are major media channels wholl provide the means and unwitting support of this goal. Of course youll hear countless stories on the controversy of "Frankenfoods", but you wont hear the facts. The conclusion will make you feel silly for being skeptical. And dont think that health segments on talk shows are going to allow any true news or scientific fact that would threaten the good will of their food industry sponsors
The Good News
Because of what has happened since I first read that article in the fall of 98, I have moved past the initial anger, fear and sadness to a new sense of optimism, thanks to the grassroots efforts by over fifty tireless organizations who in that same year informed and mobilized an unprecedented 275,603 Americans and defeated and unnerved the USDA who was forced to back off their plans to degrade the definition of organic food standards to include GMO foods and other known health hazards.
The Armchair Activists Guide to Saving Food Standards
InformedBeauty.com encourages you to stay informed and inform others by joining the Organic Consumers Association and other organizations in their campaign to transform America's food and agriculture system.
Organic Consumers Association (OCA)
For more information on GE hazards see the Organic Consumers Association website http://www.purefood.org and its links.
To subscribe to the free electronic newsletter, Organic View, send an email to:
info@organicconsumers.org
with the simple message: subscribe
in the body of the message
To subscribe to the free electronic newsletter, BioDemocracy News, send an email to:
majordomo@mr.net
with the simple message: subscribe pure-food-action
in the body of the message
Or contact:
Ronnie Cummins, Campaign Director
BioDemocracy Campaign/Organic Consumers Association
6114 Hwy 61
Little Marais, Mn. 55614
Tel. 218-226-4164
Fax 218-226-4157
email: alliance@mr.net
http://www.purefood.org
But if you prefer to send your comments directly to the USDA you can go to their web site: http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop.
Coming Soon A look at Time Magazines July 31, 2000 GMO cover story.
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