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ORGANIC BYTES #89

Health, Justice and Sustainability News Tidbits with an Edge!

 

9/9/2006

 

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Written and edited by Craig Minowa and Ronnie Cummins

IN THIS ISSUE

 

TOWARDS A " DO-SOMETHING CONGRESS "

GOVERNMENT REPORT OFFERS SOBERING STATISTICS ABOUT THE 2006 FARMER

HOST A GMO TRILOGY HOUSE PARTY OR COMMUNITY SHOWING AND BEAT BACK MONSANTO

ORGANIC FARMERS & OIL PIPELINE REACH A COMPROMISE

BOOK OF THE WEEK: THE GREAT BIRD FLU HOAX

UPDATE ON RICE CONTAMINATION

IDIOTS GUIDE TO THE GE DEBATE

BUSH ADMINISTARTION GOES TO COURT AGAIN

SCHOOLS GO GREEN

 

 

TOWARDS A " DO-SOMETHING CONGRESS "

In last week's issue of PR Watch (http://www.prwatch.org), author Conor Kenny

gave readers some insight into the work ethic of the U.S. Congress in 2006.

Pointing out that President Harry S. Truman infamously derided the 1947-1948

Congress as the " Do-Nothing Congress " for meeting for only 108 days, Kenny

ponders what Truman would have thought of our modern-day Congress, which is

projected to spend only 79 days in session in 2006. " While most Americans

returned from their holiday vacation in the first week of January, the House

took nearly the entire month off, commencing the session on January 31st, " says

Kenny. " In February, the House met for only 47 hours, an average work week for

many Americans. " As the 2006 election season heats up, the Organic Consumers

Fund needs your help to build a new Congress that will work hard to bring issues

of environmental sustainability and human health to the forefront of American

politics. Invite your local candidates to take part in a

survey that will help voters determine where they stand on these important

issues here: http://organicconsumersfund.org/voterguide.cfm

_

 

HOST A GMO TRILOGY HOUSE PARTY OR COMMUNITY SHOWING

AND BEAT BACK MONSANTO

OCA and grassroots activists in California recently defeated a “Monsanto Bill”

aimed at taking away local communities’ rights to ban genetically engineered

crops (http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_1871.cfm). Now the time has

come to go on the offensive. OCA has teamed up with best selling author Jeffrey

Smith to offer a set of DVDs called The GMO Trilogy, a 3-disc set, that includes

the award winning documentary, Unnatural Selection and Hidden Dangers in Kids’

Meals: Genetically Engineered Food. You can order the Trilogy online

(http://www.gmotrilogy.com) or better yet, buy it at your local natural food

store. The GMO Trilogy is a must have tool to educate your friends and family,

beat back Monsanto and the Biotech Bullies.

Learn more: http://organicconsumers.org/houseparty.htm

 

 

 

 

 

GOVERNMENT REPORT OFFERS SOBERING STATISTICS

ABOUT THE 2006 FARMER

Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service issued

updated estimates regarding 2006 farm income. Here are some quick statistics

from the report:

 

Net farm income is forecast to be $54.4 billion in 2006, down from 2005 by

$19.4 billion (a 26% decline).

Government payments are forecast to decline $6.2 billion.

The average family farm will generate 86.7 percent of their income from

off-farm sources in 2006. In other words, less than 14% of income is generated

from the farm, itself.

Source: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Features/farmincome/2006/August/

 

ORGANIC FARMERS & OIL PIPELINE REACH A COMPROMISE

A ground-breaking legal precedent was established last week between organic

farmers, consumers, and oil pipeline companies. OCA, following a legal

initiative spearheaded by Gardens of Eagan and supported by other organic farms

in Minnesota, alerted our Minnesota network about the state's plan to allow the

construction of an oil pipeline that would have cut across several organic

farms, thereby undermining or destroying the farms' hard-fought organic

certification. Thanks to the Minnesota organic community and the willingness of

the Minnesota Pipeline Company to respect organic farms, a new legal precedent

has been established in the state that essentially provides special protections

to organic farms (given the expensive and difficult process of acquiring organic

certification). According to Ronnie Cummins, National Director of the Organic

Consumers Association, " Part of the reason for taking this legal action was not

only to prevent this pipeline from disrupting several

organic farms in Minnesota but also to set a legal precedent for any other

organic farms in the state, or anywhere in the United States. "

Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_1972.cfm We rely on

your donations to continue our work on these important issues!

 

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

_

 

BOOK OF THE WEEK: THE GREAT BIRD FLU HOAX

A new book by renowned physician and dietary expert Dr. Joseph Mercola seeks to

expose what he calls a " U.S. government hoax " regarding avian flu. The book,

entitled " The Great Bird Flu Hoax: The Truth They Don't Want You to Know About

the Next Big Pandemic " , hits a number of topics important to organic consumers,

including:

 

The real culprit in the spread of bird flu (hint: it's related to factory

farms).

Who is really profiting the most from the bird flu panic.

How you can help protect yourself and your family from the bird flu by simply

and easily modifying your body's natural defense system.

How major meat and other food producers are using the threat of terrorism to

enforce oppressive federal regulations to snuff out their small farm

competition.

The one common risk factor that nearly everyone infected with bird flu has

(you probably don't have it).

New legislation being pushed through by big pharmaceutical companies.

 

Preorder your book here and receive a 35% discount:

http://www.thegreatbirdfluhoax.com/

QUICK TIDBITS

 

 

 

UPDATE ON RICE CONTAMINATION: Last week, Organic Bytes reported on the USDA's

announcement that a variety of genetically engineered (GE) rice unapproved for

human consumption has contaminated the U.S. food supply. Since then, Japan has

banned imports of U.S. rice, while the EU is requiring that all rice imports

from the U.S. be tested for contamination. With the U.S rice industry in

turmoil, the USDA admits it has no idea how extensive the contamination is. Rice

farmers say they don't feel the USDA is adequately monitoring the biotech

industry. " This is real money that farmers are losing, " said Arkansas Rice

Growers Association Executive Director Greg Yielding, who said he has fielded

dozens of calls from frantic rice farmers. " It is a big deal. We do not feel

that USDA and APHIS have adequate funds or staff to do this job. They can't tell

you where anything is even though they get permits for it. "

Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_1865.cfm

IDIOTS 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

BUSH ADMINISTARTION GOES TO COURT AGAIN: Opening briefs were filed before

the U.S. Supreme Court last Thursday in a case challenging the Bush

administration's reluctance to issue regulations to control global warming.

California and 11 other states have joined with environmental groups in a

lawsuit they hope will compel the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to take

action to curb the release of heat-trapping carbon dioxide and other greenhouse

gases entering the atmosphere.

Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_1893.cfm

 

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SCHOOLS GO GREEN

Looking for a little good news about the future of our planet? Schools across

the U.S. are back in session, and a number of colleges are moving away from

business as usual toward sustainability and health. The University of Washington

in Seattle is just one of many examples of how educational institutions can set

an example for how to do things the right way:

 

UW students are exploring how to use cooking oil from campus eateries to fuel

university cars.

The student body agreed to pay up to $10.50 a quarter to buy renewable

electricity -- becoming one of the first in the state to go 100 percent green on

the main campus.

Food compost from the cafeterias fertilizes the flowers instead of going into

the garbage.

Due to pressure from students, campus eateries serve locally grown foods,

organic fruits and vegetables and fair-trade coffee.

Students helped the University build the new Urban Horticulture building in

an ecologically friendly manner. The building features a garden roof,

second-growth Washington wood and recycled concrete.

Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_1797.cfm

 

_

 

 

 

 

We rely on your donations to continue our work on these important issues!

 

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

 

 

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