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| Voice of the Environment's mission is to educate the public regarding the transfer of public trust assets into private, mostly corporate, hands. |
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| Ukiah office: 1330 Boonville Rd Ukiah, CA 95482 707-467-0329 |
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| Marin office: 270 Beach Rd Belvedere, CA 94920 415-435-2007 |
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| For more than a decade, Voice of the Environment has stood up for the people and our communities against the avarice of corporations and the misguided policies of the corporate-dominated state. |
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That's why 30 countries have banned, or propose to ban GMOs, including many European countries. In the U.S., Gerber and Heinz baby foods, Frito-Lay, IAMS Pet Foods, Trader Joe's and even McDonald's and Burger King are now refusing GMO corn, potatoes, and other ingredients. Contrary to industry contention, GMOs have increased pesticide use and produced significantly lower yields than natural varieties. The citizens of Mendocino County placed Measure H on their March, 2004 ballot to ban the growing of GMO plants and animals. Despite being outspent 10-1, the initiative passed with a resounding 58% of the vote. Two other California counties--Marin and Trinity--quickly followed suit. Several others, including Humboldt and Sonoma, have anti-GMO initiatives coming up. Meanwhile, the biotech industry--led by its trade association CropLife America and supported by the American Farm Bureau--is trying to "preempt" counties and cities from taking this matter into their own hands. They want state, and ultimately, federal laws that will force genetic engineering literally down our throats. Voice of the Environment will work hard to support local initiatives banning GMOs. We will also do everything in our power to stop preemption of local laws like Measure H by the biotech industry, corporate agribusiness, and their allies in the California legislature. |
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June 5, 2009 Vatican: Genetically Modified Food "Praiseworthy" In what seemed largely a foregone conclusion, a May 15-19 study week on genetically modified organisms sponsored by the Pontifical Academy for Sciences ended with a strong endorsement of GMOs as “praiseworthy for improving the lives of the poor,” and promising “improved food safety and health benefits, better food security, and enhanced environmental performance in a sustainable manner.” ... more May 20, 2009 Doctors Warn: Avoid Genetically Modified Food On May 19th, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) called on "Physicians to educate their patients, the medical community, and the public to avoid GM (genetically modified) foods when possible and provide educational materials concerning GM foods and health risks." ... more April 19, 2009 ‘Superweed’ explosion threatens Monsanto heartlands The gospel of high-tech genetically modified (GM) crops is not sounding quite so sweet in the land of the converted. ... more April 14, 2009 Corn, Soy Yields Gain Little From Genetic Engineering: Study The use of genetically engineered corn and soybeans in the United States for more than a decade has had little impact on crop yields despite claims that they could ease looming food shortages, a study released on Tuesday concluded. ... more April 5, 2009 There's a New Blogger in Town: Monsanto Monsanto's got a blog! They have decided to set the record straight on all of the bad Monsanto stories that everyone's heard. ... more February 16, 2009 EU Foiled in Bid to Force France, Greece to Allow GM Crop The European Commission was foiled Monday in its bid to force France and Greece to allow genetically modified maize from US biotech giant Monsanto to be grown in their fields. ... more January 22, 2009 Genetically modified (GM) foods - renewed threat to Europe * Part I: The threat * Part II: The science ... more January 19, 2009 Scientist issues genetic food warning The only way consumers can protect their families and avoid potentially harmful so-called Frankenfoods is to buy directly from the grower, says a leading plant scientist. ... more January 15, 2009 Agriculture Nominee Vilsack Splits the Organic Community Agriculture Secretary nominee Tom Vilsack had no problem winning over both Democrat and Republican members of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee during his confirmation hearing today, but he has not done as well with the growers and consumers of organic foods. ... more January 14, 2009 USDA Proposes First-Ever Industrial GE Crop USDA is poised to deregulate the world’s first genetically engineered (GE) industrial crop. ... more December 8, 2008 Bush's Environmental Legacy on GMOs In a few hundred thousand years, after all weather effects of 21st century climate change have disappeared from the earth's surface, after our quietly smoldering nuclear waste has been extinguished, two destructive impacts traceable to George Bush's policies will yet remain. ... more October 5, 2008 Prince Charles targets GM crop giants in fiercest attack yet In a provocative address to an Indian audience, the Prince echoes Gandhi with a stinging attack on 'commerce without morality'. ... more September 4, 2008 Federal court turns down Roundup Ready alfalfa appeal On Tuesday the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld a nationwide injunction on the planting of genetically-engineered Roundup Ready alfalfa until a full environmental impact study is completed. ... more August 28, 2008 The truth about GM Will GM technology feed the world - or destroy farming, and human health, in the name of corporate profit? How can we tell, when the science is up for sale? ... more April 28, 2008 Monsanto Goes After Farmers for Acting Like Farmers As interviews and reams of court documents reveal, Monsanto relies on a shadowy army of private investigators and agents in the American heartland to strike fear into farm country. ... more April 20, 2008 Exposed: the great GM crops myth enetic modification actually cuts the productivity of crops, an authoritative new study shows, undermining repeated claims that a switch to the controversial technology is needed to solve the growing world food crisis. ... more April 9, 2008 Investigation: Monsanto's Harvest of Fear Monsanto already dominates America's food chain with its genetically modified seeds. Now it has targeted milk production. Just as frightening as the corporation's tactics–ruthless legal battles against small farmers–is its decades-long history of toxic contamination. ... more March 21, 2008 ew Rules In Mexico Pave the Way for Transgenic Crops After a three-year-long process, Mexico is about to clear the way for legal cultivation of transgenic crops, in spite of resistance from environmentalists and several small farmer associations. ... more March 20, 2008 Grain Farmer Claims Moral Victory in Seed Battle Against Monsanto Percy Schmeiser’s decade-long legal odyssey has finally come to an end - and he’s got a cheque for $660 to prove it. ... more August 4, 2007 Frankenforests: GE Trees Threaten Ecosystem Collapse In China, over a million poplar trees have been planted since 2002 to combat deforestation. But the move has not been widely applauded by everyone. ... more |
June 8th, 2009 DANGEROUS CORN: German Government Bans Variety of Corn Modified by Monsanto Christopher J. Petherick/American Free Press The head of the German agriculture department has issued new guidelines that effectively ban a type of genetically modified corn, which has been made in a laboratory by scientists at biotech giant Monsanto. The variety of corn, called “MON 810” and sold under its trade name “Yield Guard,” has been altered on a genetic level, making it resistant to the corn borer, a moth larva that consumes the plant and kills it. MON 810 is grown extensively around the world. According to Agbios, an online database on genetically modified crops, more than 32 million acres in the United States has been planted with this type of GM corn. Germany is following in the footsteps of several other EU countries—Austria, Hungary, Greece, France and Luxembourg—which have already banned it in spite of threats of sanctions from globalist groups. Citing a move in Luxembourg in early April to ban the cultivation of MON 810, German Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner announced that the German government was taking steps to prohibit farmers from planting the corn. The two governments based their mandates on European studies that suggest a particular toxin, called Bt, added to the corn on a genetic level may be fatal to “non-target organisms,” such as ladybugs. Ladybugs and other predator bugs eat pests such as moths and beetles. A symptom of modern agriculture, the heavy use of pesticides has resulted in a never-ending cycle, where good and bad insects are indiscriminately killed and the natural cycle is thrown out of balance. Worse still, German officials cited research showing that pollen from corn spreads much farther than previously thought. Since corn is pollinated by wind-borne pollen, the concern is that neighboring non-GM corn could become contaminated by genetic material from the Frankenfoods, which blow for miles in the wind. This is substantiated by many organic growers, who contend that it is becoming more and more difficult to find truly heirloom, organic seeds that have not been tainted by genetically modified crops. “I have come to the conclusion there are just reasons to assume that the genetically modified [corn] MON 810 represents a danger for the environment,” Ms. Aigner, a member of the conservative Bavaria-based Christian Social Union, told reporters. “Therefore, the cultivation of MON 810 is now banned in Germany.” Critics of genetically modified foods have pointed to several studies, which indicate that foods modified in a laboratory at a genetic level can be hazardous to your health. One recent study in Europe has shown that GM corn fed to rats resulted in rampant infertility. Those that did reproduce suffered from low birth weights for offspring. Not surprisingly, the billion-dollar biotech corporation has responded by suing Germany over the ban. In the suit, Monsanto insists that its product, which has been approved by the EU, is “safe to use.” “We are disappointed and frankly, we don’t believe that they have justification to warrant this,” Brad Mitchell, a spokesman for Monsanto, told a U.S. newspaper. “They have cited unconvincing evidence that it is unsafe. . . . But the scientific committee of the European Union approved it.” The EU has responded by saying that Germany is within its rights to ban GM corn, but has issued a threat saying it will block the German government if it uncovers evidence that Germany has banned GM corn because it is pursuing “protectionist trade measures.” Still, even if Monsanto fails to overturn Germany’s ruling, the U.S. based corporation can appeal to the global trade body, the World Trade Organization, which Germany is a member of. This could result in penalties and trade sanctions being imposed on the country. SOURCE |
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Voice of the Environment is a 501 (c-3) not-for-profit Montana-based corporation formed in 1991.
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A genetically modified organism is a man-made, patented, organism created in a laboratory through genetic engineering. It is created when a gene from a totally unrelated species is shot into the genetic material of another species. Scientists worldwide now admit that the rush to sell genetically engineered product has put people's health, property and the environment at risk.