News
August 26, 2006
SACRAMENTO - California Republicans and moderate Democrats joined forces this week to approve a bill that would prevent local governments from banning genetically modified crops.
The bill, SB1056, by Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, passed the Assembly with a 46-19 bipartisan majority.
The legislation, backed by the California Farm Bureau Federation and large agribusiness concerns such as Monsanto, comes in response to moves by Marin, Mendocino, Santa Cruz and Trinity counties to ban bioengineered crops.
Opponents of genetically engineered foods say Read more
News
August 17, 2006
SACRAMENTO - Negotiations are heating up over legislation that would prevent local governments from banning genetically modified seeds. One of the most closely watched agriculture bills of the year, the legislation pits large-scale growers against environmentalists and organic farmers.
Senate Bill 1056, by Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, was introduced last year in response to moves by several counties to prohibit biotech farming. The counties with bans - Marin, Mendocino, Santa Cruz and Trinity - would be exempt from the legislation.
The bill passed the Assembly Read more
Senate Bill 1056, by Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, was introduced last year in response to moves by several counties to prohibit biotech farming. The counties with bans - Marin, Mendocino, Santa Cruz and Trinity - would be exempt from the legislation.
The bill passed the Assembly Read more
News
August 15, 2006
HONOLULU (AP) - A federal judge has ruled that U.S. agriculture officials violated environmental laws in permitting four companies to plant genetically modified crops in Hawaii to produce experimental drugs.
The order involves plantings of corn or sugarcane on Kauai, Maui, Molokai and Oahu between 2001 and 2003.
U.S. District Judge Michael Seabright said the Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service flouted both the Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act by not conducting preliminary environmental reviews before issuing Read more
The order involves plantings of corn or sugarcane on Kauai, Maui, Molokai and Oahu between 2001 and 2003.
U.S. District Judge Michael Seabright said the Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service flouted both the Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act by not conducting preliminary environmental reviews before issuing Read more
News
August 2, 2006
SLO GE FREE
SAVE THE PLANET BUY ORGANIC
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Teresa Campbell
August 2, 2006 805-927-0714
teresa@slogefree.org
CITIZEN REPORT SUBMITTED ON THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED CROPS ON SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY
Public Responds to the SLO Health Commission GMO Task Force Report
(San Luis Obispo, Calif.) On August 1st, a group of SLO County citizens submitted a report on the health concerns of GMOs to the SLO County Health Commission. The report Read more
SAVE THE PLANET BUY ORGANIC
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Teresa Campbell
August 2, 2006 805-927-0714
teresa@slogefree.org
CITIZEN REPORT SUBMITTED ON THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED CROPS ON SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY
Public Responds to the SLO Health Commission GMO Task Force Report
(San Luis Obispo, Calif.) On August 1st, a group of SLO County citizens submitted a report on the health concerns of GMOs to the SLO County Health Commission. The report Read more
News
July 29, 2006
(07-29) 04:00 PDT Sacramento -- After a flurry of locally approved measures that ban the farming of genetically engineered crops, California lawmakers are considering a late-session push to prevent more counties from passing prohibitions.
The proposed legislation is a response to recent action taken by Marin, Mendocino, Santa Cruz and Trinity counties, which banned genetically engineered crops through ballot measures or government ordinances.
Other counties have taken action in favor of genetically engineered crops. Kings, Kern, Fresno, San Benito and San Diego counties Read more
The proposed legislation is a response to recent action taken by Marin, Mendocino, Santa Cruz and Trinity counties, which banned genetically engineered crops through ballot measures or government ordinances.
Other counties have taken action in favor of genetically engineered crops. Kings, Kern, Fresno, San Benito and San Diego counties Read more
News
July 19, 2006 Web Note:
This is an excellent resource put together by the folks at (Genetic Engineering Action Network) GEAN. Pasted directly below is the table of contents from the toolkit site. _______________________________________
The Local Organizing Toolkit
The toolkit consists of: an introduction, acknowledgements, table of contents, and eight chapters. At the end of chapters 2, 5, 6, and 8 are sample materials to be downloaded separately.
Read more
This is an excellent resource put together by the folks at (Genetic Engineering Action Network) GEAN. Pasted directly below is the table of contents from the toolkit site. _______________________________________
The Local Organizing Toolkit
The toolkit consists of: an introduction, acknowledgements, table of contents, and eight chapters. At the end of chapters 2, 5, 6, and 8 are sample materials to be downloaded separately.
Read more
News
July 11, 2006
A tiny company, Ventria Bioscience, is continuing to pursue its business hopes in North Carolina by planting pharmaceutical rice genetically engineered with human proteins near Greenville. Additionally, Ventria has shown interest in building a processing facility in the Washington County area. Ventria has been given permits by the US Department of AgricultureÃs Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to plant 335 acres of pharmaceutical rice field trials, four times the acreage of what was allowed to be planted last year.
Ventria officials have suggested their Read more
Ventria officials have suggested their Read more
News
July 9, 2006
Seven short years ago, when The Independent on Sunday began its campaign on GM foods and crops, 60 per cent of the products on our supermarket shelves contained modified ingredients.
Now only two GM products are left on sale: Schwartz's Bacon Flavour Bits Salad Topping, and Betty Crocker Bac-Os - neither exactly household names.
Then, too, widespread cultivation of GM crops throughout Britain was thought to be only a year away. No less than 53 of them were confidently awaiting approval. Now not a single GM plant is growing anywhere in any British field, and no one Read more
Now only two GM products are left on sale: Schwartz's Bacon Flavour Bits Salad Topping, and Betty Crocker Bac-Os - neither exactly household names.
Then, too, widespread cultivation of GM crops throughout Britain was thought to be only a year away. No less than 53 of them were confidently awaiting approval. Now not a single GM plant is growing anywhere in any British field, and no one Read more
News
August 1, 2005
The coexistence of genetically modified (GM) crops and non-GM crops is a myth because the movement of transgenes beyond their intended destinations is a certainty, and this leads to genetic contamination of organic farms and other systems. It is unlikely that transgenes can be retracted once they have escaped, thus the damage to the purity of non-GM seeds is permanent. The dominant GMcrops have the potential to reduce biodiversity further by increasing agricultural intensification. There are also potential risks to biodiversity arising from gene flow and toxicity to nontarget Read more
News
June 20, 2006
Santa Cruz Ã-- On June 20, Santa Cruz County Supervisors voted unanimously to adopt a precautionary moratorium on growing genetically engineered crops in the county. The supervisors' action supports the recommendation of the GE Subcommittee of the Santa Cruz Public Health Commission, which spent more than 10 months researching and analyzing the health, environmental, economic and social risks associated with the growing of GE crops in the county
"You can't have read the report and not think that we're playing with fire in a way that is potentially incredibly harmful," said Read more
"You can't have read the report and not think that we're playing with fire in a way that is potentially incredibly harmful," said Read more