10/5/2006
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Written and edited by Craig Minowa and Ronnie Cummins
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IN THIS ISSUE
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 What's scarier: the costume or the chocolate? |
PRODUCT
PLUNDER OF THE WEEK:
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DVD
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TIP
OF THE WEEK: AVOID FACTORY FARMED SALMON A new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences makes a convincing case that salmon farms are killing off wild salmon."Before we knew there were potential problems," said Martin Krkosek, a doctoral student at the University of Alberta who was lead author of the study. "Now it is very clear we have severe problems here." The study found that salmon farms are massive breeding grounds for parasites known as sea lice. The parasites then concentrate in rivers and streams and kill the young salmon who do not have scales to protect themselves. Most salmon farms are located in Canada, where 280 salmon farms produce about 96,000 tons of salmon each year. About 70 percent goes U.S. consumers. The study, which confirms previous findings, is the most comprehensive to date. Responding to this study and similar past study results, Andrew Thomson, Canada's government head of Pacific fisheries, said, "We need to do more research on it." Farmed salmon is also known to have higher levels of PCBs than wild salmon. Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_3015.cfm |
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THIS
WEEK'S ALERT: GOVERNMENT'S BIRD FLU PLAN IS DANGEROULY FLAWED The USDA's Animal Plant Health Inspection Service has posted a draft response plan to deal with an outbreak of avian influenza in the U.S. The draft response plan does not acknowledge the risk posed by factory-farm poultry industry practices in the emergence and spread of highly-pathogenic avian influenza. Also, the plan does not address what will be done to protect free-range, organic and family farmers. Finally, the plan lacks adequate protective measures for farm workers and contract growers. To view our statement outlining the inadequacies of the draft response plan, go here: http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_2806.cfm Help protect free-range, organic and family farms today and send your comment in to APHIS! Email comments to: NAHEMS.Guidelines.Comments@aphis.usda.gov |
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 Photo parody |
SCAM
OF THE WEEK: |
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QUICK
TIDBITS
 Indian protestors burn GE cotton |
INDIA
BANS GE FIELD TESTS: India's supreme court has ordered
a ban on all field trials of genetically engineered plants
until further notice. The decision comes in response to
widespread complaints by farmers and consumer groups,
who pointed out that the safety claims made by the biotech
companies were based on skewed studies the companies paid
for themselves. Indian farmers are adamantly opposed to
introducing any more biotech crops, in the wake of the
widespread cultivation of a genetically engineered cotton
variety patented by Monsanto that has caused widespread
crop failures, driving thousands of Indian cotton farmers
into desperate poverty. Since Monsanto's GE cotton was
introduced, 20,000 bankrupt farmers have committed suicide. |
 Photo Parody |
NEW
YORK CITY BANS TRANS-FATS: New York is set to become the
first city to pass a strict ban on trans-fats in restaurant
food. Hydrogenated oils are known to increase the risk of
heart disease and have no nutritional value. The law will
affect more than 24,000 food establishments and restrict
trans-fats to no more than half a gram per serving. New
Yorkers eat out more frequently than the average American,
and over half of the city's restaurants currently use trans-fats.
Policymakers say the rule will go into affect July of next
year and should not cause economic problems, given that
alternatives to the trans-fats, like other oils or margarine,
are comparably priced. Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_2890.cfm |
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SENATOR
REQUESTS ASPARTAME BAN: A New Mexico State Senator is calling
on the Bush Administration to ban the artificial sweetener
aspartame. Now present in more than 6,000 consumer products,
aspartame has been repeatedly found to have ill health effects
ranging from neurodegenerative diseases to brain tumors
to birth defects. Senator Gerald Ortiz y Pino and members
of the New Mexico Legislative Health and Human Services
Committee filed a letter with the President's office, requesting
he call on the FDA commissioner's office to rescind the
approval of aspartame, which has been the source of more
health effect complaints to the FDA than any other chemical
on the market. Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_2880.cfm |
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BE
AN OCA STATE NEWS SCOUT: We need your help. Become a News
Scout! The OCA, with your help, will be unveiling News and
Action Centers for all 50 states in the next few weeks.
We want to keep your state's news items up to date. Send
us news, events, organizations, and campaigns for your state
Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/state/statecontribute.cfm |
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