Say No To GMO
| ********Action Alerts For This Campaign******** | ||||
 | Tell USDA We Won’t Stand for “Agent Orange Ready” Seed! Dow AgroScience has created a strain of corn that has been genetically engineered to withstand an herbicide called 2,4-D, a known carcinogen and one of the two ingredients in the infamous Agent Orange. Dow is now seeking to freely use this 2,4-D-resistant corn. GE modification to create resistance means they will be free to use ever-increasing amounts of the herbicide, with no limits whatsoever. Read More>> Get the GMOs out of Organic Baby Food! The National Organics Standards Board (NOSB) recommended that DHA and ARA oils be added to the Certified Organic list. As things stand now, the DHA and ARA oils are produced through genetic engineering, processed with volatile synthetic solvents, and microencapsulated—three things that are expressly banned from USDA Organic! Please contact the National Organics Program immediately and ask them to reject the NOSB’s recommendation on DHA and ARA. GMO and synthetic chemical solvents have no place in organic food, much less baby food, and should be banned immediately, not allowed to remain while the rulemaking process lumbers on. Read More>> Tell Congress We Have a Right to Know What’s In Our Food! Rep. Dennis Kucinich has introduced two bills that would that would mandate labeling and stricter safety protections for GE products. Legislation like Rep. Kucinich’s is desperately needed as GMO infiltrates more and more products—even some that are Certified Organic. Please tell Congress and President Obama that we don’t want genetically engineered products, and we demand to know when GMOs are in our food! Read More>> Tell USDA to Stop Supporting Monsanto on GE Corn! The USDA has released an Environmental Assessment report for corn that Monsanto has genetically engineered to be drought-tolerant. The agency is considering either keeping the corn under regulation, or assigning it nonregulated status (banning it altogether is off the table). The comment period is open until July 11. Read More>> Tell USDA to Stop Supporting Syngenta on GE Cotton! The USDA has released an Environmental Assessment report for cotton, which Syngenta Biotechnology has genetically engineered to be pest-resistant. USDA believes the cotton is “unlikely to pose a plant pest risk.” Tell the USDA that the cotton must not be deregulated—that without strict controls, GE crops will encroach on non-GE crops, contaminating them, including organic crops—which will, of course, render them non-organic. Read More>> Ask APHIS to Shelve Its New Deregulation Program Currently, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) prepares an Environmental Assessment (EA) or an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to show what impact a GE food or organism might have on the environment, to help determine whether it should be regulated or not. But now, under APHIS’ new pilot program, the petitioner will submit the environmental documents and analysis themselves. And instead of APHIS taking the analysis and developing an EA or EIS, an outside contractor will prepare the EIS—but the petitioner will provide the funds for it. This is another outrageous conflict of interest: petitioners will be providing the funds to support their own studies to determine the outcome of their own case. Tell USDA that this new program is unconscionable, and ask them to shelve it immediately. Read More>> Tell Them to Reverse the Decision to Deregulate GE Bio-Fuel Corn, Roundup Ready Alfalfa and Sugarbeets! The USDA has reviewed Monsanto’s brand of Roundup Ready alfalfa and sugarbeets—genetically engineered to withstand the harsh herbicide glyphosphate, a.k.a. Roundup—and decided that genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa did not need to be regulated at all, and that sugarbeets will be “partially deregulated”. We need to blanket Congress with protests, asking senators and representatives and oversight committees to review the deregulation decision. Say No to Frankenfish Tell the FDA’s Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee to bar the sale of AquAdvantage salmon because of both the documented and the unknown health risks associated with genetically modified organisms. To allow genetically modified (GM) salmon, which contains antifreeze genes from the ocean pout–an eel-like creature from an entirely different family of marine organisms–to be sold for food to American consumers is nothing short of outrageous. Because scientific studies on the salmon have not been released, no one can review them to see if any of these burdens have been met. How can AquaBounty Technologies possibly prove that this new gene-spliced salmon is completely safe for human consumption over the long term, if there haven’t been carefully constructed double-blind studies of these fish being consumed over many years? Read More>> Demand GMO Labeling Demand that the FDA, if it approves the application for AquAdvantage salmon, ensure that all such fish are clearly labeled as genetically modified at the point of sale. We strongly urge your Agency to deny the approval of this salmon, and feel even more strongly that any genetically modified fish must be clearly labeled as such. Consumers should be allowed to make informed decisions, if you do not label a product as having been genetically modified, you are in effect preventing the public from choosing non-GMO foods. Read More>> Tell Decision-makers: Keep Monsanto Away from Our Produce! You may have heard that the USDA awarded a hefty research grant to AquaBounty, the “Frankenfish” creator. But there is more to the story…. Read More>> Don’t Allow the Biotech Industry and USDA to Override Court Rulings! A rider has been added, to the House Agriculture Appropriations bill that would strip federal courts of the authority to halt the sale and planting of illegal, potentially hazardous GE crops while USDA is performing an environmental impact statement. Read More>> Pledge to Boycott the Food Companies that Fought GMO Labeling! The parent companies of a number of food brands donated large sums of money to fight Prop 37 (the California Right to Know Act, a.k.a. Label GMO). In addition to spending millions to stop GMO labeling in California, these companies also supported disinformation campaigns in which wild charges were made, such as the completely incorrect charge that labeling GMO will greatly increase food prices. Sign this pledge, and tell these secretive parent companies funding the other side that you and your family will not buy from companies that fought to keep GMOs from being labeled! Read More>> Pledge to Boycott the Food Companies that Fought GMO Labeling! The parent companies of a number of food brands donated large sums of money to fight Prop 37 (the California Right to Know Act, a.k.a. Label GMO).In addition to spending millions to stop GMO labeling in California, these companies also supported disinformation campaigns in which wild charges were made, such as the completely incorrect charge that labeling GMO will greatly increase food prices. Sign this pledge, and tell these secretive parent companies funding the other side that you and your family will not buy from companies that fought to keep GMOs from being labeled! Read More>> | |||
| Read More About GMO: | ||||
| “Monsanto Protection Act” Triggers a Firestorm of Protest and Public Outrage | ||||
 | April 9, 2013 We now need to keep the pressure up on USDA not to slip more dangerous products through without review. Read More>> | |||
| The Latest on the GMO Rider | ||||
 | March 26, 2013Where do we go from here? Read More>> | |||
| URGENT Action Alert to Congress—Stop the Monsanto Rider! | ||||
 | March 19, 2013 Last week we sent an emergency email to our subscribers about a terrible biotech rider attached to the big must-pass Appropriations bill that would let GMO crops be planted even when a court has ordered a stop. The Senate rejected this provision in the past—but now they may be accepting it as part of some back-room deal that was struck. Read More>> | |||
| GMO Riders Could Be Back in “Fiscal Cliff” Funding Package | ||||
 | December 4, 2012A must-pass funding bill may include dangerous genetic engineering provisions. Read More>> | |||
| URGENT! Stop the Monsanto Rider in the Senate! | ||||
 | March 13, 2013 At this very moment, a Continuing Resolution (CR) for the big Appropriations funding bill (H.R. 933) is being debated in the Senate. It’s supposed to be about funding the government, but the Senate Appropriations Committee, chaired by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (who has always stood by our side in the past), has included a dangerous GMO rider that has no place in a funding bill. Read More>> | |||
| Have You Heard about the Famous Anti-GMO Scientist Who Switched Sides and Is Now Pro? | ||||
 | January 22, 2013 For one thing, he isn’t a scientist at all. Read More>> | |||
| GMO Riders Could Be Back in “Fiscal Cliff” Funding Package | ||||
 | December 4, 2012 A must-pass funding bill may include dangerous genetic engineering provisions. Action Alert! Read More>> | |||
| If GMOs Are So Great, Why Don’t They Want ’Em Advertised? Vote YES on Prop 37! | ||||
 | November 5, 2012 California voters can help make the whole country healthier. Get out the news, and make sure everyone you know votes FOR this vital initiative! Read More>> | |||
| Vote for Your Family’s Health on November 6! | ||||
| October 29, 2012 Californians have a chance to help the whole country. But fear-based propaganda threatens to torpedo it all. Don’t let Monsanto win! Read More>> | |||
| “Big Food” Trying to Control Universities through Rampant Conflicts of Interest | ||||
 | September 25, 2012Science for sale! Researchers with ties to industry are paying big money to ensure that scientific independence is a thing of the past. Read More>> | |||
| Dangerous Pro-GMO Amendments May Be On Their Last Legs—If We Act Now! | ||||
 | September 18, 2012Things are looking up, but it’s important that we keep up the pressure. Read More>> | |||
| Our GMO Boycott is Changing | ||||
 | September 11, 2012 Getting genetically engineered foods properly labeled is an uphill battle, and Big Food is spending huge sums to make sure that doesn’t happen. Here’s what you can do about it. Read More>> | |||
| Boycott Companies Fighting Prop 37! | ||||
| September 11, 2012 Beware the companies below: they are battling your right to know what’s in your food by donating large sums of money to fight Prop 37 (the California Right to Know Act, a.k.a. Label GMO). Read More>> | ||||
| FDA Turns South Floridians into Human Guinea Pigs | ||||
 | September 4, 2012 Untested, bio-engineered mosquitoes will likely be released in the Florida Keys. Read More>> | |||
| USDA Offers the Biotech Industry Blanket Immunity for Contaminating Organic Crops | ||||
 | September 4, 2012 USDA calls it “coexistence,” but it’s just a way for GMO farmers to harm whomever they like—without consequence. Read More>> | |||
| The Great Organic Deceivers | ||||
 | August 21, 2012 Which organic brands really believe in organic—and which are working behind the scenes to betray natural health consumers? Read More>> | |||
| Male Fertility May Be in Trouble: Testosterone and Sperm Counts Plummet | ||||
 | August 21, 2012GMO foods could make it worse. Read More>> | |||
| Pro-GMO Propaganda in California Dismantled by New Cost Study | ||||
 | August 14, 2012Opponents of GMO labeling say it will raise food costs by hundreds of dollars per family when in fact it will likely cause NO cost increase at all! Read More>> | |||
| Agent Orange Soy: Just Another Day at USDA | ||||
 | August 14, 2012The poison can drift up to 100 miles, and may be in your water! Read More>> | |||
| The Legislative Battlefield | ||||
 | August 7, 2012Some quick updates on hot-button issues in Congress and in state legislatures. (Please send a thank-you to some stalwart US senators!) Read More>> | |||
| Will Those Sneaky GMO Amendments Pass Because of an Underhanded Maneuver? | ||||
 | July 31, 2012Not if we stop them! Read More>> | |||
| Move Over, Frankenfish—Now We Have Frankenapples! | ||||
 | July 24, 2012Apples genetically engineered not to turn brown when sliced or bruised. And new, unnatural proteins are being created in the process. Read More>> | |||
| Urgent Action Alert on TWO GMO Amendments! | ||||
 | July 10, 2012There’s still time to stop these potentially catastrophic pro-GMO riders before they become law—IF we act now! Read More>> | |||
| The “Empire Strikes Back” Against California’s GMO Initiative | ||||
 | July 3, 2012Charges are flying. Here are some facts. Read More>> | |||
| How Safe is Our Food? | ||||
 | May 8, 2012 More and more countries are banning imports of American food products for safety reasons. Read More>> | |||
| You Did It! The GMO Labeling Initiative WILL Be on the Ballot in California! | ||||
 | May 1, 2012The California Right to Know 2012 Ballot Initiative collected enough signatures—and now, with your help, you can become part of history. Read More>> | |||
| Special Investigative Report: Will GMOs Really Feed the World? | ||||
 | April 17, 2012That’s what genetic engineering advocates claim. But science (and a shocking number of developing-world suicides) debunk this myth. Read More>> | |||
| USDA Decides the Current Rush to Rubber-Stamp GMO Foods Is Too Slow! | ||||
 | February 28, 2012And who’s siding with Monsanto? Phony “food safety advocates” masquerading as political progressives. Read More>> | |||
| Breaking News—California May Require Labeling of GE Food Products! | ||||
 | October 4, 2011An exciting new ballot initiative, if California voters approve, could turn the tide against genetically engineered foods in America. Read More>> | |||
| Whose Side Is the USDA Really On? | ||||
 | September 20, 2011It’s supposed to help organic farmers. But it’s more likely to be just another sneaky way to help Monsanto. New Action Alert! Read More>> | |||
| Organic Versus Genetically Engineered Crops: Some Rays of Light | ||||
 | August 30, 2011Recent court decisions may help. Plus, new research shows how dangerous Monsanto’s GMOs really are. Read More>> | |||
| The Wheels Come Off the Bus on Genetically Engineered Crops! | ||||
 | July 26, 2011Despite a lack of independent safety testing, the government has seen fit to declare there will be no oversight of a genetically engineered grass. Is this the beginning of a GE avalanche? Read More>> | |||
| Monsanto Gets a Smackdown, Orexigen Nixes Its Diet Pill—but Frankenfish Labeling Bill Flops in California | ||||
 | June 7, 2011We have updates on three big action items we’ve covered in these pages—two wins, one loss. Read More>> | |||
| Support Your States’ Bills on Genetically Engineered Foods | ||||
 | March 23, 2011With the federal government showing nothing but love for all things genetically engineered, some states have introduced legislation to inform and protect their citizens from GE products. Read More>> | |||
| Now USDA Has Deregulated Genetically Engineered Bio-Fuel Corn! | ||||
 | February 15, 2011This threat to edible corn comes on top of GE alfalfa (a major, major threat to organic agriculture) and GE sugarbeets. Please take action on this vital issue. Read More>> | |||
| USDA Says Yes to Genetically Engineered Sugarbeets—Kiss “Organic” Goodbye! | ||||
 | February 8, 2011The US Department of Agriculture last Friday gave farmers the go-ahead to resume planting Roundup Ready sugarbeets—claiming it’s the only way to avoid a nationwide shortage of sugar! Read More>> | |||
| USDA Completely Deregulates Genetically Engineered Alfalfa—It is Time to Demand Congressional Hearings! (Action Alert) | ||||
 | February 1, 2011Let’s really put the pressure on! Let the USDA and your senators and representative know there’s a steep political price for this decision, which if left unchanged, will have devastating consequences for organic agriculture. Read More>> | |||
| GE Alfalfa’s Devastating Environmental Impact Statement—and USDA Still Wants to Deregulate! | ||||
 | January 11, 2011The USDA is ready to deregulate GE alfalfa, even though the EIS raises grave concerns. There’s still time to stop it—if we act quickly! Read More>> | |||
| Comparing Apples and Oranges? It’s Easy When They’re Both Genetically Engineered | ||||
 | December 14, 2010Will we soon wake up to GMO orange juice? Plus more on apples, sugar beets, court decisions, and Hillary Clinton’s attempt to push GMO on Africa. Read More>> | |||
| Genetically Engineered Foods – New Action Alert! | ||||
 | November 9, 2010The FDA lied by omission about GE salmon, and Monsanto is attempting an end-run around USDA rules for GE beets. The stock market seems to be telling the true story. Read More>> | |||
| A Small Frankenfish Win | ||||
 | September 28, 2010The FDA seems to be on the wrong track—but last week’s hearings proved to be a small win for the anti-GMO side. Read More>> | |||
| Privacy and Federal Scofflaws | ||||
 | September 14, 2010This week we have a duo of news briefs that update previous Pulse of Natural Health stories: your private medical records may be at greater risk than ever—and a new GMO lawsuit against the USDA. Read More>> | |||
| Breaking News: Supreme Court Kicks Critical Genetically Modified Alfalfa Issue Down The Road | ||||
 | June 22, 2010 A high-profile legal battle over genetically modified crops continues. The US Supreme Court in a 7-1 decision yesterday (June 21) did not accept a lower court’s total nationwide ban on GM alfalfa. But it did agree that the seeds could be dangerous and did not allow Monsanto to proceed with selling them. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) must now complete a study examining whether the seeds will harm the environment before approving them for restricted planting, a process that could go into next year, and which could lead to more litigation. Read More>> | |||
| Genetically Modified Foods: More Reason to Avoid Them; Why They Threaten Organic Agriculture | ||||
 | May 11, 2010 Last week the New York Times wrote about an upcoming report from The President’s Cancer Panel. The paper was “astonish[ed] to learn that [the panel] is poised to join ranks with the organic food movement and declare: [these] chemicals threaten our bodies.” Read More>> | |||
| Just say “No” to GMOs! | ||||
 | March 9, 2010 In recent articles, we’ve touched on the subject of genetically modified organisms (GMOs): their potential to contaminate organic crops, the hugecorncomplete failure to test their safety for your health or the environment, and the failure of labels to alert shoppers to the presence of GMOs in foods they’re considering buying. We now have some updates. Read More>> | |||
| Why Genetically Engineered Crops Threaten Your Health | ||||
| December 22, 2009 If you listen to political talk-radio, you may have been puzzled by recent ads about seeds. Why would anyone be concerned about access to seeds? Because approximately 82 percent of the global seed supply is patented and owned by a handful of big corporations. Just six companies — DuPont, Monsanto, Bayer, Syngenta, BASF and Dow — control about 75 percent of the global agro-chemical market . Read More>> | ||||
| GMO a Big NO on National Wildlife Refuge Land | ||||
| October 30, 2009 Genetically modified organisms, or GMO foods, are on grocery store shelves already. They are present in nearly 80% of processed foods that contain crops such as corn and soy and their byproducts. The long-term effects on human health and the environment from these non-natural products are unknown. A federal survey has revealed that most Americans want these foods labeled in order to make an informed decision about what they and their families eat each day. Read More>> | ||||
| Genetically Altered Animals and Foods—AAHF Looks at the Issues | ||||
| February 17, 2009 On February 6, the FDA made history by approving the first drug made with materials from genetically engineered (GE) goats. One of the most distressing concerns is that the FDA will not require all products from genetically engineered foods and animals to be so labeled. Read More>> | ||||
| Approving Foods from Genetically Engineered Animals, the FDA Promises a New, Open Process | ||||
| January 27, 2009 Foods and drugs from genetically engineered animals are back in the news with the FDA’s announcement of a new, open process for their approval. However, the FDA does not require genetically engineered food to be so labeled, nor has there been any study of the potential environmental impact of genetically engineered animals. Read More>> | ||||
| The Non-GMO Project Product Verification Program is Up and Running | ||||
| January 13, 2009 The governments of the US and Canada stand in sharp contrast to sixty other countries around the world, including the European Union, Russia, and China, by not requiring foods that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to be so labeled. They do so despite good evidence that GMOs could have negative health implications for humans and the environment, and despite the fact that 87% of American consumers want products that contain GMO ingredients to be labeled. Read More>> | ||||
| The FDA Considers Proposals to Sell Genetically Engineered Animals as Food | ||||
| September 30, 2008 In a move that is expected to have a direct impact on your dinner table, the FDA has released proposed guidelines on how to regulate genetically engineered animals. With millions of cases of food-borne illness each year in the U.S., and troubling issues of food labeling and GMO (genetically modified organisms) animals in the food chain, food safety remains a huge concern for the public. Read More>> | ||||