[Think] jed 'Zine GMO

[Jack Downhill]

This is a mailing i have sent out to subscribers of my email 'zine. If you
would like to recieve it., email me at jeddd@ well.com.

Dear 'Zine recipients:

I recently recieved this from Center for Food Safety,.
I think this is an important issue and worth passing on. 
   Many of you have seen my previous 'Zine on genetically modified food. I
believe it is important to allow labelling of food produced with
GMO's. Many people feel there should be MANDITORY labeling so consumers
can exercise their choice as consumers to participate in a free
market. The Corporations who produce these products such as Monsanto and
Syngenta are afraid however that people will not purchase these foods if
they know they contain GMOs. 

   Theses foods have been determined to be "substantially equivalent" to
non-genetically modified plants. These determinations however have only
tested for protein and other nutrient content. They have not tested for
health effects on humans or even non-humans consuming them. Certainly,
environmental risks were not considered. The precautionary principle in
this instance would restrict the release of these organisms into the
environment until there is no evidence of harm to consumers or the
environment as a result. It is likely that by the time that there is
sufficient evidence to convince the government and corporations that there
is a danger, and evidence is already is apppearing, it will be too
late. Already the majority of both corn and soy grown in the US is
genetically modified. This legislation would put the responsibility of
determining the safety of GMOs on consumers and scientists AFTER release
rather than waiting until this technology is shown to be safe before
releasing them for unrestricted use.

Greenpeace has a website that has very good information about this
topic: www.truefoodnow.org. 
You can examine and/or download a list of foods organized by GMO content
on this website at www.truefoodnow.org/shopping_list.html.

   "Fast Track" legislation is concerned with allowing the president to
submit trade agreements such as the Free Trade for the Americas Act
(FTAA) for approval by congress with only a yes or no vote and no debate
on details of the agreement. It would allow an agreement to be passed with
almost no examination. There are aspects of the FTAA that some feel are
problematic. Specifically the Chapter 11 provision which allows
corporations to submit grievances to the FTAA's arbitration body if they
believe the laws of a soverign country restricts the sale of their product
based on environmental concerns. It would also allow private services
providers to bring individual country's governments to arbitration if the
countries chose to preferentially provide national services such as
education and health care for their citizens over private providers of
these services. These provisions of the treaty are largely unknown by the
general public and would not be subject to individual debate if submitted
in the Fast Track format. This is another important topic I will be
addressing in an upcoming issue.


STOP THE CONGRESS FAST TRACK FROM REMOVING THE RIGHT TO LABEL GENETICALLY
ENGINEERED FOODS!

The House Ways and Means Committee approved a revived Fast Track
international trade bill (H.R. 3005) Oct. 9 on a near party-line
vote.  H.R.
3005 contains a provision to require that U.S. trade negotiators seek a
ban
on labeling of genetically engineered ingredients and use of the
precautionary principle (p. 14). This would set up consumer labeling as an
"unjustifiable trade restriction" especially regarding genetically
modified
foods threatening many consumer labeling regulations with being overturned
through trade challenges. Under this bill our efforts to label GE foods
will
become illegal barriers to trade!

The floor vote on this version of Fast Track legislation is expected next
week. We cannot allow this sneak attack on our right to know about
genetically engineered foods to go unchallenged.

TAKE ACTION!
CALL YOUR REP. BY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19th!

THE AFL-CIO HAS A FAST TRACK HOTLINE THAT WILL CONNNECT YOU TO YOUR MEMBER
OF CONGRESS FOR FREE.
CALL 1-800-393-1082 and tell your Representative to oppose H.R. 3005 and
its
provision to seek a ban on labeling of genetically engineered foods.

( - Alert prepared by Friends of the Earth, a coalition partner of the
Center for Food Safety)
For more information on genetically engineered foods, see
www.centerforfoodsafety.org
___________________________________________________________
CFS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Washington, DC, with
an
office in San Francisco, CA.  Established in 1997, CFS is a public
interest
membership food safety and environmental organization that utilizes legal
actions, policy initiatives, grassroots organizing, public education and
media outreach to curtail genetic engineering and other industrial
agricultural production methods that harm aquatic and terrestrial
ecosystems.

We need your support as a member! As a member of CFS, your support will
help
us monitor government agencies that are regulating our food supply and
take
legal actions against these agencies to ensure that money and back-room
deals don't win out over what is right for the health of our families,
communities, and the environment. To Learn more about how a membership to
CFS can help our legal, scientific, and grassroots efforts please visit
the
"Join Us" section on our website, http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org. , or
call 1-800-600-6664.

Center for Food Safety is a member of the GE Food Alert. To find out more
about the coalition, visit www.gefoodalert.org.