Guest guest Posted May 29, 2003 Report Share Posted May 29, 2003 HelloHere is the latest Issue of the Organic Consumers Association's OrganicBytes - Our info packed, bi-weekly newsletter that gives you all the latestorganic food news updates as fun and quick reading little tidbits.ORGANIC BYTES ~~~ Organic news tidbits with an edge!Issue 14: May 31, 2003 By Organic Consumers AssociationIN THIS ISSUE:CANADIAN COW LOSES MINDTWO SENTENCE ARTICLEROBOT FARMERS SOON TO INVADE HEARTLANDWEIRD FOOD STORY OF THE WEEKUS VS EU ON GEQUOTE OF THE WEEKNEWS FOR PRETTY PEOPLETOO PLUMP TO FLYINSTANT PICKLESHOW TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD--------------------------CANADIAN COW LOSES MINDMad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) has surfaced in AlbertaCanada, leading the U.S. to ban all imports of Canadian beef. The risk ofhumans contracting the fatal Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, after eating beeftainted with Mad Cow disease, is so alarming to consumers that news of thediscovery led to an almost immediate drop in stock prices of McDonalds andother burger-focused fast food chains.An epidemic of Mad Cow disease spread through the UK and EU beef industry adecade ago, due to the routine practice (prohibited on organic farms) offeeding slaughterhouse wastes back to animals. Approximately 130 Europeanshave died from BSE-tainted beef thus far, with predictions that thousandsmore will die of the disease over the next 20 years. The notion that the USbeef industry can protect itself from a Mad Cow outbreak by shutting offCanadian beef imports is ludicrous, given that both countries operate undera so-called " ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban " which is laden with loopholesand haphazardly enforced.Learn more--- <http://www.organicconsumers.org/madcow/greger052303.cfm>-----------------------\ ---TWO SENTENCE ARTICLE!New research has shown that classical music helps cows produce more milk.For an article on this topic with more sentences, go here ---<http://www.organicconsumers.org/rbgh/classical_music_milk_production.cfm>---\ -----------------------ROBOT FARMERS TO INVADE HEARTLANDScientists and engineers have developed a new " pesticide robot " that shouldbe available on the market within the year. Utilizing sophisticated smallcameras, the robot quietly moves through farmers' fields and searches forweeds. Upon discovering a weed, the robot spews a precision blast ofmilky-colored herbicide on the invader. The developers of the product say itcould reduce pesticide use by as much as 80%, saving money and theenvironment. Since only the weeds would be sprayed, the actual food cropwould carry very little pesticide residue. Also under development is asimilar robot that would physically uproot weeds, thereby eliminating theneed for herbicides.Read all about it ---<http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/052603_pesticide_robot.cfm>---------\ -----------------WEIRD FOOD NEWS STORY OF THE WEEKOn May 2, dining room workers at the United Nations staged a strike, leavingthe food and drink unattended. According to an early-May issue of Timemagazine, this led to " Baghdad style (looting) chaos, " in which UN staff anddelegates robbed the restaurants bare of food, liquor and silverware,including alcoholic beverages stolen by " some well-known diplomats. " --------------------------US VS EU ON GEDespite the fact that US international relations are at an all time low, theBush Administration recently filed a formal complaint to the World TradeOrganization (WTO) against the European Union (EU). Bush claims the EU's defacto ban against importing genetically engineered foods is illegal. The EUsays it has every legal right to ban the import of foods that they feelhaven't had adequate health and environmental safety testing. According toCaroline Lucas, Member of European Parliament from the UK, " The US istrying, yet again, to impose its unpopular policies on Europe when it hasyet to rebuild the bridges it tore down in the run-up to the war in Iraq.This could be the last straw. " Experts in the European food industry aren¹tconcerned, predicting that even if the GE foods are forced upon Europe bythe US, over 80% of European consumers have said they wouldn¹t buy themanyway.Learn more:<http://www.organicconsumers.org/corp/bushplan052303.cfm>------------------\ --------QUOTE OF THE WEEK " The government consists of a gang of men exactly like you and me. Theyhave, taking one with another, no special talent for the business ofgovernment; they have only a talent for getting and holding office. " H. L. Mencken (1880 - 1956)--------------------------SHORT ATTENTION SPAN STORIES:Too Plump to FlyLast week, the Federal Aviation Administration was forced to reduce itsmaximum occupancy passenger numbers per airplane flight, due to the factthat the average American is ten pounds heavier than they were just tenyears ago when the last standards were made. Experts in weird thoughts, suchas the author of the article you are presently reading, can only think " Wow,that means the US is cranking out 270 million pounds of fresh, new human fatevery year! " Just Cuz It's InterestingA can of Pepsi, like similar sodas, has 41 grams of sugar. This amounts toabout SEVEN TEASPOONS OF SUGAR.Instant PicklesScientists at the Agricultural Research Service have proven that vinegarworks well as a cheap and environmentally friendly pesticide for some typesof weed control. Although organic farmers have known this for years, aformal study is always a nice thing to have around. [source: ARS NewsService]--------------------------WATERING DOWN ORGANIC STANDARDSThe New York Times did a cover story in its health section last week on thegreenwashing practices of the so-called natural body care industry. Thearticle highlighted the fact that many body care companies are advertisingthemselves as " organic " , when in actuality the majority of the product's " organic " ingredient percentage is simply water. One of these companies,Avalon, is under investigation by the California State Organic Program afterthe OCA recently filed a formal complaint, in regards to the company'slabeling practices. The OCA plans a nationwide ad campaign to exposemisleading labels on body care products and to call for strict organicstandards for cosmetics which mirror strict USDA National Organic Programstandards for foods. To support this campaign contact the OCA.<http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/nytimes051903.cfm>----------------\ ----------HOW TO TAKE OVER THE WORLDLast week, hundreds of concerned consumers, activists and experts convenedin St. Louis, Missouri to protest the World Agricultural Forum, aninternational convention hosted by Monsanto to promote the company's visionof a future based on monopoly and monoculture. Opponents of Monsanto'spolicies organized a counter-conference and protest, aptly named " Biodevastation " . Apparently, there were powerful people in Monsanto'shometown who found this sort of discussion unacceptable. More than thirtypeople planning to attend the conference and/or the subsequent protest werearrested on charges such as failure to wear a seatbelt, forgetting to use aturn signal, riding a bicycle without a license, and of course, drugs (abottle of vitamin C).<http://www.organicconsumers.org/corp/051603_monsanto_biodevastation.cfm>----\ -----------------------------FOR MANY MORE FOOD ISSUE DAILY HEADLINES:<http://www.organicconsumers.org/log.html>ORGANIC BYTES is a publication of:ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION 6101 Cliff Estate Road Little Marais, MN 55614Phone: (218) 226-4164, Fax: (218) 353-7652--NOTE TO CO-OP AND NATURAL FOOD STORE SUBSCRIBERS:Organic Bytes is a great tool for keeping you staff and customers up to dateon the latest issues. Feel free to forward this email to your staff andprint for posting on bulletin boards and staff break tables. You are alsowelcome to use this material for your newsletters. There's also a superpretty print-friendly PDF version of this available for free download at<http://www.organicconsumers.org/organicbytes.htm>----------------------------\ -----------------------If you would like to from the OCA News list: please send anemail to <biodemocracy_request with the word in the subject or body------------------_________________________\ ______________________Biodemocracy mailing listBiodemocracy://lists.organicconsumers.org/lis\ tinfo/biodemocracy Gettingwell- / Vitamins, Herbs, Aminos, etc. To , e-mail to: Gettingwell- Or, go to our group site: Gettingwell Free online calendar with sync to Outlook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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