Prominent anti-GMO activist and environmentalist sells out

NaturalNews |

 The mainstream media is abuzz with unrelenting fervor and excitement over the recent conversion of former anti-GMO (genetically-modified organism) scientist Mark Lynas, who now openly embraces GMO technology and insists that he was wrong to oppose GMOs all these years. A self-proclaimed founder of the so-called "anti-GMO movement," Lynas now claims that a thorough examination of "science" woke him up to a new reality in which GMOs are no longer an evil product of the money-grubbing biotechnology industry, and are instead the answer to virtually all of mankind's food and environmental problems.

This sudden and almost schizophrenic shift in opinion by Lynas is being embraced with open arms by media groups of all political persuasions, including both the neoconservative magazine National Review and the traditionally "liberal" New York Times (NYT), as well as everything in between. This is hardly surprising, of course, as most of these news sources are directly funded by the likes of both the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, which just so happen to control large segments of the American media machine.

Lynas' conversion hinged on his indoctrination into pro-GMO propaganda

So what exactly persuaded Lynas to make such a dramatic change? In a speech he recently gave at the Oxford Farming Conference in the U.K., Lynas explained that he "discovered science," which undid many years' worth of "false" beliefs he had about the nature of GMOs. One of the first examples Lynas gave as a supposed scientific revelation; however, was his discovery that GMOs do not require the increased use of pesticides, a claim also made by the biotechnology industry, but one that does not actually hold water scientifically or factually by any stretch of the imagination.

As it turns out, GMOs do require more pesticides and herbicides than conventional crops, despite what the GMO industry and its media lackeys portend. A 16-year study on crop chemical use that was published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Sciences Europe back in 2012, for instance, found that the introduction of GMOs into the food supply has led to a drastic increase in the amount of herbicide chemicals used on crops. According to the data, total herbicide use has increased by a whopping 527 million pounds since 1996 when GMOs were first introduced. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com)

Perhaps Lynas simply missed the memo about this important study. But this was not the only major error he made throughout his scientific discovery process. As illustrated by his many other misinformed comments at the meeting, Lynas is apparently also under the false impression that GMOs are financially lucrative for farmers, and that they do not rob farmers of the right to save their seeds. Lynas also now claims that farmers actually want GMOs, and that they have had to be secretly smuggled into India and elsewhere throughout the world to replace natural varieties.

Lynas' conversion brings to light ridiculous fantasy world of pro-GMO crowd

This last claim is particularly egregious, as we reported back in 2011 that hundreds of thousands of Indian farmers were committing suicide because of the importation of GM Bt cotton, and the destruction this Trojan Horse crop caused throughout the country. Again, it is unclear what "scientific evidence" Lynas was exposed to in the process of his conversion, but it does not seem to align with the true nature of GMOs in real life. (http://www.naturalnews.com/030913_Monsanto_suicides.html)

Lynas went on in his speech to divulge plenty of other untruths that he claims are true, but the point here is that the system apparently got to this key figure in the GMO truth movement, and convinced him to completely change his position. Either that or Lynas is now having some serious delusions that have caused him to abandon reality and slink back into the pseudoscientific cesspool that is conventional GMO "science."

Sources for this article include:

http://www.marklynas.org

http://www.naturalnews.com/033925_organic_farming_crop_yields.html

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/038853_GMOs_activism_brainwashed.html#ixzz2JIaVxdLl

 

RYE-sing Above G.M.O.'s

 Huffingtonpost.com|

The use of genetically modified organisms (G.M.O.'s, or GE's) is a hot and volatile topic in the world of sustainable farming. Research has emerged linking heavy pesticide use on genetically engineered crops to human health problems, as well as reduced nutritional value of the crops themselves.

Particularly worrisome is the limited diversity of available seeds and regional crop strains to farmers; the fate of a concentrated ownership of the patented GE seeds amongst a few large companies. Consequently, the genetic make-up of commonplace seeds is changing. For crops that make up the majority of our diets, such as wheat, the impact is especially pervasive.

Nordic Breads, however, is taking a stand -- and leading the revolt with rye. Aligning with the Greenmarket Regional Grain Initiative, which seeks to sustainably revitalize and revamp Northeast grown and milled grain, the local farm grows their rye organically (aka G.M.O.-free) right here in the Finger Lakes region of New York.

To access their legendary sourdough starter, though, a trip across the Atlantic is in order. Nordic Breads taps into their Finnish ancestry for the authentic sourdough leavener Juuri, a crucial and treasured ingredient whose preservation and subsequent reuse traces back through dozens of generations. In fact, the wholesome, dense rye bread can be dated all the way back to the Stone Age in Scandinavia -- hence Nordic Bread's ancient Finish folklore adage, "Ruis puts power in the wrists." Boasting 100 percent whole grain and four times the soluble fiber of wheat, the Finnish Ruis bread is rich in taste, health and Scandinavian tradition.
read more by Rachel Levine

GMO labeling proposal headed to ballot in Washington state

NaturalNews |

The fight is not over to get "Frankenfood" labeled, as roughly 350,000 signatures have been successfully delivered to the Secretary of State's office in Washington state petitioning for a ballot measure that would require the labeling of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs). According to The Spokesman-Review, the legislature in the Evergreen State will have the first pass at enacting the bill. And if the legislature rejects it, voters will then have the opportunity to pass the bill themselves with majority support, which would make Washington the first state in the union to recognize the divine right of human beings to know what is contained in the foods we eat.

The bill is known as I-522, or "The People's Right To Know Genetically Engineered Food Act," and it very closely resembles Proposition 37 in California, which failed to pass with voter majority by a very slim margin. Like Prop. 37, I-522 is fairly simple and straightforward: if a food product contains ingredients that were derived using genetic modification, or if a food product itself was produced using genetic modification, then it must be clearly labeled at the retail level for the benefit of consumers.

"Beginning July 1, 2015, any food offered for retail sale in Washington is misbranded if it is, or may have been, entirely or partly produced with genetic engineering and that fact is not disclosed," explains I-522. It goes on to explain which food products are included in this requirement -- raw agricultural commodities, processed foods, and seeds. You can read the complete text of I-522 for yourself here:
http://www.labelitwa.org/read_i_522

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/038628_GMO_labeling_Washington_state_ballot_measure.html#ixzz2HbHiofls

Biotech industry wants organic farmers to pay for GMO contamination of their own crops

NaturalNews |
 A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) committee dominated by representatives from the biotechnology industry, seed companies, and academia has decided to make an official recommendation to the public agency that organic farmers be forced to bear financially responsible for the genetic contamination of their own organic crops by genetically-modified (GM) crops.

The USDA Advisory Committee on Biotechnology & 21st Century Agriculture, also known as AC21, is largely of the persuasion that agricultural coexistence means organic farmers should have to foot the bill when their fields are destroyed by unintentional GMO drift. According to an advisory report recently issued by the committee, this means requiring that organic farmers purchase their own crop insurance to pay for potential damages resulting from transgenic contamination.

"Of particular concern in the report is the recommendation that organic and non-GE conventional farmers pay to self-insure themselves against unwanted GE contamination," said a recent statement issued by the National Organic Coalition (NOC). "This proposal allows USDA and the agricultural biotechnology industry to abdicate responsibility for preventing GE contamination while making the victims of GE pollution pay for damages resulting from transgenic contamination."

Organic and conventional farmers have long had to deal with the threat of transgenic contamination from nearby GM crop fields, the pollen of which occasionally drifts or is carried by bees into organic crop fields. In the past, violated farmers have had to basically suck up their resultant losses, or even face litigation from the company whose seed materials trespassed onto their properties.

Real coexistence between GMOs, organic crops is impossible

The contamination issue has become so problematic in recent years that a number of industry groups have tried to pursue so-called coexistence measures that, in some sort of alternate universe, would allow GMOs, conventional crops, and organic crops to peacefully coexist in harmony with one another. But as anyone with any knowledge of GM crops already knows, it is virtually impossible to contain GMOs and prevent their eventual spread.

With this in mind, AC21 seems fully aware of the fact that GMO spread and contamination is inevitable. Its solution to the problem; however, is not to restrain GMOs in any way, but rather to set them free and leave it to organic farmers to clean up the mess. And this, of course, is the apparent position of the federal government as well, which continues to unleash new and unnecessary GMOs like Monsanto's GM alfalfa into the wild without any concern for the irreversible damage this will cause.

"We urgently need meaningful regulatory change that institutionalizes mandatory GE contamination prevention practices," added the NOC about the inherent failures of the committee proposal. "USDA needs to stop dragging its heels, get serious and focus on making this happen."

Sources for this article include:

http://ca.news.yahoo.com

http://www.naturalnews.com/031401_Non-GMO_Project_GMOs.html

Learn more BY: Ethan A. Huff

GMO company DuPont Pioneer bribing third-grade students with 'seed' money

NaturalNews |

 Biotechnology giant Pioneer Hi-Bred, which is owned by chemical giant DuPont, has made a strategic inroad into public education in Hawaii. According to The Garden Island, this key purveyor of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) has developed a partnership with Eleele Elementary School (EES) in Eleele, Hawaii, where the company has apparently been given free reign to subtly indoctrinate the school's students into GMO dogma while bribing them with so-called "seed" money.

According to the paper, 59 students at EES were recently each given $25 in seed money to open bank accounts at Kaumakani Federal Credit Union as part of a program known as the Children's Savings Project, which is meant to teach kids how to manage their money as well as how to participate in the banking system. But the program's collaboration with Pioneer Hi-Bred opens up a whole new can of worms politically, as the concepts of saving money, growing food with seeds, and biotechnology are all being intermingled with one another for what appear to be ulterior motives.

"Through a grant with DuPont Pioneer, every student who opened a savings account received $25 in seed money," explained Lori Carl, a third-grade teacher at the school, to The Garden Island. "Each month throughout the year, Kaumakani Federal Credit Union will come into their classrooms and because of DuPont Pioneer's generosity, students will be able to add to their deposits."

Corporate generosity, a tax-deductible brainwashing ploy

This is all good and well, except for the fact that part of the program involves making students painfully aware of who is funding the whole thing -- Pioneer Hi-Bred. The students are being told they will one day be able to attend college because of the "generosity" of Pioneer Hi-Bred, for instance, even though the company very likely receives its own "generous" tax deductions for contributing to the program. And in the process, Pioneer Hi-Bred also gains the convenient opportunity to soften the minds of the next generation towards its GMO technologies.

Learn more

Oppose the GMO Riders: Must-pass 'fiscal cliff' bill could end up becoming 'Monsanto Protection Act'

NaturalNews |
Both Congress and the White House are said to be in the process of frantically trying to concoct an appropriations bill to thwart the impending "fiscal cliff," which is expected to arrive at the end of 2012 when the provisions of the Budget Control Act of 2011 come into effect. But corporate agriculture and the biotechnology industry both want a piece of the legislative pie as well, which is why they are pushing to basically turn any proposed fiscal cliff bill into the ill-fated Monsanto Protection Act by attaching so-called "GMO Riders" onto its primary provisions.

The health freedom advocacy group Alliance for Natural Health - USA (ANH-USA) has issued a warning about the developing appropriations bill that Congress is currently working on to solve the fiscal cliff crisis, as it will more than likely contain special provisions for the biotechnology industry to continue thrusting genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) into the food supply with little or no resistance. According to ANH-USA, Monsanto and its cronies already know that any proposed fiscal cliff bill will more than likely pass with flying colors because the "crisis" it addresses is urgent, so the industry is heavily lobbying Congress to add special provisions for GMOs that must be stopped.

In an announcement tied to a corresponding Action Alert, ANH-USA explains that Big Biotech will likely try to tack on the so-called Farmer Assurance Provision to the fiscal cliff bill, which would strip federal courts of their authority to halt the sale or planting of GMO crops that have not undergone an appropriate Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) review. If passed, this provision, which has been nicknamed the Monsanto Protection Act, would allow the Secretary of Agriculture to arbitrarily grant temporary approval permits for the planting of illegal GM crops, including those that have been shown to be toxic and deadly.

Monsanto wants agricultural 'czar' to have full authority over GMO approval process

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Four ways to know if GMOs are making you fatter

NaturalNews |

Besides what we already know about the dangers of consuming genetically modified foods, these "frankenfoods" now appear to play a key role in the current obesity pandemic. Perhaps not so coincidentally, the number of Americans now classified as overweight has doubled in the last 20 years - the same amount of time that GM foods have been on the market, paving the way too for the increased spraying of pesticides and herbicides.

Through food, beverages and drinking water alone, the average American consumes between 10 and 13 different pesticides every single day. And with nine of the 10 most common pesticides being known endocrine disruptors, the origins of this fatter, sicker population may be less of a mystery than conventional spin doctors might like us to think.

A person experiencing weight gain in conjunction with any of the following lifestyle patterns or behaviors can be sure the destructive forces of GMOs are hard at work in their own bodies:

You eat mostly non-organic, processed foods

If you don't know you're not eating organic, GMO-free foods, then you likely consume them often and have been for years. Still, even if you've not yet manifested symptoms related to the many health complications associated with GMO consumption, your body is probably already under their influence. Foreign materials - in this case, genetic foreign materials - cause the immune system to have to work harder than usual to keep you from experiencing the inevitable consequences, which can be as serious as organ damage, diabetes, infertility, cancer and death. Studies so far suggest it's really only a matter of time before something goes terribly awry. Even healthcare giant Kaiser Permanente has encouraged readers of its newsletters to steer clear of non-organic GM foods. The reason, presumably, is that executives there understand that, if enough of its members make this important lifestyle change, it would actually save the company millions in future healthcare costs. Unfortunately, most corn, soy (as in the dairy-alternative milk, tofu, etc. much beloved by vegans), wheat and canola produced these days are genetically modified and it would probably be best to avoid them altogether. You'll know your foods are GMO-free if they bear either a label reading "100% organic" or the "Non-GMO Verified" logo.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/038237_GMOs_making_you_fat_processed_foods.html#ixzz2HEvnEvMN