NOTE: Here's a further initiative to help counter the current pro-GM propaganda onslaught. This one focuses on media sources.
Hope as many as possible can get to work on this and the letters to the supermarket this w/end.
They really need to hear loud and clear that our concerns have not gone away.
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Please forward this email to all your contacts
Dear campaigners:
It would be extremely helpful if you could write some emails to the national papers, radio and TV organisations, about concerns with GM crops that have been raised by Prince Charles.
There have been a large number of articles - some in favour of Prince Charles' point of view, some critical of it. In some cases Prince Charles and other objectors to GM foods have been portrayed as unscientific. It has been widely reported that Environment Minister, Phil Woolas has said it was now down to the opponents of genetically modified food to prove it was unsafe.
Below this email is a list of links to articles, websites, email addresses for letters to editors. Attached is a fact sheet with substantial scientific information and references.
We suggest you mention in your letter/comments that you would like to have natural GM free food produced in a sustainable way. There are a few important points that need to be made:
***There is now a worrying body of published, peer-reviewed scientific evidence from controlled animal studies which demonstrates that GMOs cause a wide range of serious unexpected physiological changes with as yet unknown health impacts. The studies are summarised in a Soil Association report (ref 1). Effects found in animals included stunted growth, smaller organs, gut lesions, cellular changes in the liver, pancreas and testes, toxic effects to the liver and kidney systems and allergic reactions (1)
***The fact that GM does not increase crop yields was recognized in a recent report from the United Nations International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD). Authored by 400 scientists and backed by 60 governments, the report found no conclusive evidence that GM crops increase yields (2).
You could also mention that Prince Charles is correct to be concerned about increased transfer of power to large multi-national companies selling GM seeds because:
***GM seeds are patented, so seed saving for the following year is forbidden. Farmers in the developing world depend on farmer-saved seed and not being able to continue this traditional practice threatens their food security. Many farmers who are alleged to have saved patented GM seeds have been sued. Even farmers experiencing accidental contamination of their crops have been sued.
Environmental problems have been documented as follows:
***GM crops have led to increased use of highly potent broad spectrum herbicides and pesticides despite claims from biotech companies that their crops reduce the use of such chemicals.(3,4) Weeds and pests more resistant to herbicides (4) and pesticides (5) have appeared.
***Rapid expansion of GM soya cultivation in Argentina, has been accompanied by extensive use of mixtures of powerful herbicides to deal with resistant weeds with consequent animal and human health problems, soil erosion and a reduction in the number of family farms.(6)
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MEDIA CONTACT DETAILS
Once you are on a particular news website, if you do a search for 'Prince Charles GM' you will usually see an opportunity to respond online to various articles. In addition please use the email addresses listed below. And don't forget about your local papers.
GUARDIAN
Paul Collier's attack on Prince Charles needs comments.
'Charles's fantasy farming won't feed Africa's poor'
The Guardian, August 22 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/22/gmcrops.agriculture?gusrc=rss&feed=science
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
BBC
An environment minister has asked Prince Charles to prove his anti-GM claim. The BBC is asking for comments from the public on: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7566012.stm
INDEPENDENT
Dominc Lawson's attack on Charles needs more responses.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/dominic-lawson/dominic-lawson-the-prince-is-entitled-to-his-views-ndash-but-not-his-ignorance-897493.html
Support Peter Melchett's criticisms of GM
Don't believe the GM apologists
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/peter-melchett-dont-believe-the-gm-apologists-904005.html
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TIMES
http://ww.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk
Scientistscondemn 'ill-informed, negative' Prince over GM crops warning
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article4526133.ece
The article above claims that Prince Charles blamed climate change on GM which is not the case. Apparently he mentioned climate change in connection with industrialisation in his original interview with the Telegraph.
Prince Charles should keep his GM ideas to himself - Stephen Pollard
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article4525870.ece
Please respond to the statement by Stephen Pollard in the Times (14th August) "There is not a shred of evidence ..... that there is any risk from GM crops."
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TELEGRAPH
Prince Charles accused by scientists of abusing his position over GM food
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/08/13/eacharles213.xml
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DAILY MAIL
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html
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ITV
Sir Trevor McDonald's programme 'Tonight' is asking for suggestions of stories that need investigation This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Evidence of Risk from GM Crops Fact sheet
HEALTH
***There is now a worrying body of published, peer-reviewed scientific evidence from controlled animal studies carried out in many countries and by different parties (government, academic, independent and company studies) that demonstrates that GMOs cause a wide range of serious unexpected physiological changes with as yet unknown health impacts. The studies are summarised in a Soil Association report (ref 1).
***Effects found in animals included stunted growth, smaller organs, gut lesions, cellular changes in the liver, pancreas and testes, toxic effects to the liver and kidney systems and allergic reactions (1)
Health references:
(1) The Soil Association report which summarises the various studies is available at:
http://www.soilassociation.org/Web/SA/saweb.nsf/cfff6730b881e40e80256a6a002a765c/62b3b08dfb6cdaea80256a9500473789/$FILE/gm_health_effects.pdf
You may need to copy and paste the link if clicking on it doesn't work
GM NOT HELPING TO FEED THE WORLD
(2) The fact that GM does not increase crop yields was recognized in a recent report from the United Nations International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD). Authored by 400 scientists and backed by 60 governments, the report found no conclusive evidence that GM crops increase yields. In fact, the scientists were so unconvinced about the role of GM crops in meeting future food needs that the pro-GM US Government refused to endorse the report, and the biotechnology industry pulled out of the process, despite having provided substantial funding at the outset. (IAASTD report, published 15 April 2008, London)
No increased yields have been recorded for GM herbicide tolerant soybeans, maize and cotton, even by analysts who are highly in favour of the technology Brookes, G & Barfoot, P (2005) GM crops the global economic and environmental impact the first nine years. AgBioForum 8:187-196.
GM seeds are patented, so seed saving for the following year is forbidden. Farmers in the developing world depend on farmer-saved seed and not being able to continue this traditional practice threatens their food security. Many farmers who are alleged to have saved patented GM seeds have been sued. Even farmers experiencing accidental contamination of their crops have been sued.
ENVIRONMENT
GM crops have led to increased use of highly potent broad spectrum herbicides and pesticides despite claims from biotech companies that their crops reduce the use of such chemicals.(3,4) Weeds and pests more resistant to herbicides (4) and pesticides (5) have appeared.
Rapid expansion of GM soya cultivation in Argentina, has been accompanied by extensive use of mixtures of powerful herbicides to deal with resistant weeds with consequent animal and human health problems, soil erosion and a reduction in the number of family farms.(6)
(3) Increased herbicide use
The emergence of herbicide resistance in weeds has threatened the long-term weed control effectiveness of the technology. Owen, MDK, & Zelaya, IA. (2005) Herbicide-resistant crops and weed resistance to herbicides. Pest Management Science 61:301 311.
The planting of 550 million acres of GM maize, soya and cotton in the US since 1996 has increased the amount of pesticide used by about 22.5 million kg, according to a study published in 2003 by the Northwest Science and Environmental Policy Centre. Genetically Engineered Crops Now Increasing Pesticide Use in the United States. Press Release from the Northwest Science and Environmental Policy Centre (US). 25 November 2003. http://www.biotechinfo.net/highlights.html#technical_papers
Reasons for this are that farmers have had to spray progressively more herbicides on GM crops in order to keep up with shifts in weeds towards tougher-to-control species, coupled with the emergence of genetic resistance in certain weed populations. http://www.biotech-info.net/technicalpaper6.html
A survey showed that since the introduction of glyphosate (Roundup) resistant GM crops, numerous new resistant weed species have evolved that would need more potent herbicide mixtures to control. Nandula VK et al. GLYPHOSATE-RESISTANT WEEDS: CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE OUTLOOK. Outlooks on Pest Management August 2005 183-187.
references sourced from : http://www.foeeurope.org/publications/2007/FoEE_biotech_MTR_midlifecrisis_March07.pdf
(5) Increased pesticide use
A survey by the Maharashtra Government, India, in 2003, showed that initial economic benefits, in terms of savings in insecticide use, have shown to dissolve as pests’ tolerance to the insecticide increased and additional insecticide-use was required. Chinese farmers have had the same experience.
Performance of Bt. Cotton Cultivation in Maharashtra. Report of State Department of Agriculture, 2003. http://www.envfor.nic.in/divisions/csurv/btcotton/srmh.htm.
Wang S., Just DR & Pinstrup-Andersen P (2006) Tarnishing Silver bullets: Bt technology adoption, bounded rationality and the outbreak of secondary pest infestations in China. Paper presented at the American Agricultural Economics Association Meeting, Long Beach CA, July 22-26, 2006. http://www.grain.org/research_files/SWang_tarnished.pdf
The biotech industry has also claimed reduction in insecticide usage, up to 15%, for bollworm resistant GM cotton. However, farmers have had to modify their pest management since other pests, previously controlled by broad-spectrum insecticide programmes used on conventional cotton, have become more problematic in GM cotton. Additionally, the bollworm itself is slowly developing resistance to the insecticide, causing additional applications of the pesticide to become necessary. Policy Department Structural and Cohesion Policies of the European Parliament, (2006). Biotechnology in the EU Agriculture: Perspectives and Challenges, IP/B/AGRI/IC/2006_057.
Only one GM crop is grown in the European Union, Monsanto's Bt maize (MON810), which is genetically modified to produce a "built-in" insecticide. France has announced a ban on the maize for health and environmental reasons.
references sourced from : http://www.foeeurope.org/publications/2007/FoEE_biotech_MTR_midlifecrisis_March07.pdf
(6) Evidence of environmental degradation in Argentina
Argentina's bitter harvest, New Scientist, 17 April 2004
see http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=3280
The article says “.... as others, including the UK, seem increasingly prepared to authorise the commercial growing of GM crops, they may be well advised to look to Argentina to see how it can go wrong.”