[cgfc-discuss] [Biodemocracy] Organic Bytes #24 - Organic and Food News Tidbits with an Edge

Tue Dec 9 10:48:57 CST 2003

ORGANIC BYTES #24
Organic & Food News Tidbits with an Edge
Issue #24 12/9/2003 
By Organic Consumers Association

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GENETICALLY ENGINEERED PETS
California recently became the only state in the U.S. to ban the sale of
genetically engineered pets. Although new glow-in-the-dark zebrafish
(engineered with genes from jellyfish and sea anemones) have been
released onto the market throughout the rest of the nation, the CA Game
Commission said their decision is based on simple ethics. “I just don't
think it's right to produce a new organism just to be a pet. To me, this
seems like an abuse of the power we have over life, and I'm not prepared
to go there today,” said Sam Schuchat of the CA Game Commission.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/ge_fish.cfm

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SEEKING THE BRAIN’S “BUY BUTTON”
Backed by funding from major corporations, Researchers at Emory
University are undergoing intensive studies of the human brain looking
for what has been coined the “buy button”. This new pursuit of consumer
control, known as neuromarketing, involves Magnetic Resonance Imaging
(MRI) on live subjects to find the specific part of the brain that is
activated when a consumer is successfully wooed by an advertisement into
purchasing a product. Using the data from this research, marketers hope
to be able to create ads that follow the exact neurological pathways
that ultimately activate the “buy button” in consumers. According to a
letter to the Emory University from a coalition of groups opposed to
this research, “If Emory University takes its own mission seriously, it
should challenge this abuse of medical knowledge and technology to
manipulate people for commercial purposes.” 
http://www.organicconsumers.org/corp/neuromarketing.cfm

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"I do not allow myself to be overcome by hopelessness, no matter how
tough the situation. I believe that if you just do your little bit
without thinking of the bigness of what you stand against, if you turn
to the enlargement of your own capacities, just that in itself creates
new potential."
--Vandana Shiva, India Activist and Author

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HARVESTING THE WIND
Farmers across the US are continually discovering innovative methods of
keeping their family farms in business. One such means, harvesting wind,
is becoming increasingly profitable and popular. While taking up very
little space and generating clean and sustainable energy, each wind
turbine quietly cranks out between $2,000 and $4,000 in annual profits
for the farmer. Leroy Ratzlaff, a South Dakota farmer, has now installed
7 wind turbines, to provide stability to his farm’s finances. "It's
almost like renting out my farm and still having it," Ratzlaff said.
"And the cows don't seem to mind a bit." 
http://www.organicconsumers.org/corp/family_farm_wind_power.cfm

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POSITIVE ACTION BRINGS POSITIVE CHANGE
Complaining about the oil, coal and nuclear power industries does little
good, unless you do something about it. Now just about everyone can
support the sourcing of wind power by their local utility company. To
find out opportunities for including wind power and other renewable
energy sources in your monthly electricity bill in your area, go here:
http://www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/consumers.shtml

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CREATING A GE-FREE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
It’s official: Mendocino County California has approved a ballot
initiative that will allow voters to choose whether or not the County
should ban genetically modified crops. Mendocino County's agricultural
income is strongly rooted in organics, and local farmers are concerned
about decreased revenues, due to possible contamination from neighboring
GE crops. The vote will be held March 2, 2004 and would make the county
the first in the U.S. to pass an anti-GMO resolution. Stay tuned to the
OCA for further updates. The OCA is also working with activists in
several other California counties (Humboldt, Marin, Sonoma) who are
interested in joining Mendocino and creating, in effect, a GE-Free
Northern California.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/california_initiative.cfm

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HOW TO REGISTER TO VOTE ONLINE
Can one vote make a difference? Just ask the folks in Florida, where the
margin of victory in the 2000 presidential election was a mere 537
votes. You can register to vote and/or update your registration info,
right now, through the OCA/ “Your Vote Matters” website! Not only will
you be taking the required step to become an active participant in the
coming elections, you will also be helping OCA, as Working Assets Long
Distance is currently offering a small donation to the OCA for every
voter that registers on our site. If you are already registered, please
pass this link on to your family and friends. The time for positive
change is NOW. https://www.workingforchange.com/vote/index.cfm?ms=OCA001

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FAITH AND FAIR TRADE
Responding to the plight of millions of struggling coffee farmers
worldwide, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is working to get U.S.
churches and parishioners into the practice of buying “fair trade”
coffee (a certified product that guarantees farmers a fair price for
their crops). "There's a lot of coffee being moved through faith
communities," says Karen Smith, director of CRS' coffee program. "It's
tying into people's values, and they're making conscious decisions based
on their values." Americans spend $19 billion on coffee each year. With
65 million Catholics in the U.S., CRS is hopeful this new initiative can
have a positive impact on coffee farmers everywhere.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/Starbucks/faith_fair_trade.cfm 

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LIKELY ALLERGENIC GENETICALLY ENGINEERED CORN STILL SPREADING
StarLink Corn, an experimental genetically engineered crop that the USDA
found to be unsuitable for human consumption, hasn’t been grown by
farmers for several years. Yet recent analysis of this year’s harvest
has found that it is still contaminating 1% of the nation’s corn. The
discovery fuels the arguments of GE opponents, who claim that these
experimental crops should not be released on the market until they have
been adequately tested for effects on human health and the environment.
"The StarLink lesson is that contamination is to some extent
irreversible," said Doreen Stabinsky, a Greenpeace scientist. Once a new
genetically engineered plant is released on the market, it is impossible
to keep its pollen from spreading, thereby leading to its existence in
the food supply indefinitely.  According to the European Union, this is
one of the reasons for its decision to resist growing and importing GE
foods.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/ge_corn_starlink.cfm

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BRONNER'S DONATING 10% OF WEB SALES TO OCA
Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps has committed to donating 10% of all web sales
in November and December to the Organic Consumers Association. Bronner's
recently won Co-op America's prestigious 2003 Green Business Award for
leadership in advancing the Green business movement. The 50 year old
natural soap and body care product company was selected from 2,200 Green
businesses for its dedication to the environment, social rights, and the
community. 
Click here to shop: http://www.drbronner.com/main.html

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GREEN GUIDE ANNOUNCES BEST ORGANIC COTTON PRODUCTS
As one of the most chemically intensive crops, conventional cotton is
responsible for $2.6 billion worth of toxic pesticide use every year.
You can help change this unsustainable practice by exercising the power
of your consumer dollar. Here’s a list of what the Green Guide recently
announced are the best organic cotton products on the market:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/clothes/organic_cotton_products.cfm

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TAKE ACTION
If any of the issues above spark your desire to take action, please
visit OCA's Action Center for instant faxes, petitions, volunteering and
donation opportunities. http://www.organicconsumers.org/action.htm

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FOR MANY MORE FOOD ISSUE DAILY HEADLINES: 
http://www.organicconsumers.org/log.html

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