Friday, June 29, 2012

Experts Say Protocols for Identifying Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Inadequate & Other Endrocrine News

Simpler Lifestyle Found to Reduce Exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals
http://www.newswise.com/articles/simpler-lifestyle-found-to-reduce-exposure-to-endocrine-disrupting-chemicals

Exposure to Environmental Chemicals In the Womb Reprograms the Rodent Brain To Disrupt Reproduction
http://www.newswise.com/articles/exposure-to-environmental-chemicals-in-the-womb-reprograms-the-rodent-brain-to-disrupt-reproduction

Experts Say Protocols for Identifying Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Inadequate
http://www.newswise.com/articles/experts-say-protocols-for-identifying-endocrine-disrupting-chemicals-inadequate

Monsanto Sneak Attack, Message from Rio, Obama's Betrayal

 

SUBSCRIBE & Read Past Issues| View ONLINE | OCA Homepage |

Obama Betrays Campaign Promise to Label Genetically Engineered Food

In 2007, Senator Obama, campaigning for the presidency in the Democratic primary, promised to label genetically engineered food.

Now, if you write the Obama for America campaign about GMO labels, you get this response:

"Genetically modified crops hold out the promise of benefits like increased production and reduced reliance on pesticides. At the same time, some Americans want more information to help them choose their food. President Obama understands these concerns and is considering additional steps in this area."

What? How can he flip his position like that? What makes him believe Monsanto's lies? Why isn't he listening to the 9 out of 10 voters who want GMOs labeled? Is there anything we can do to get him back on our side before November?

The first step is to give Barack Obama a piece of our minds! Bill Maher did on his show last week, when he called the President out for breaking his campaign promise on GMO labels and putting Monsanto's Michael Taylor in charge of food safety. Please tell the Obama for America campaign what you think about broken promises.

Watch the Bill Maher Clip and Take Action

Note: Coverage of the Supreme Court's Obamacare ruling coming next week...

 
 
 

Monsanto's Sneak Attack on Organic and Non-GMO Farmers


Monsanto is using its money and influence to push Congress to attach a rider to the 2013 Agriculture Appropriations bill that would effectively end judicial review of approvals of new genetically engineered crops.

If this rider (Sec. 733) isn't removed, organic and non-GMO farmers will lose their access to the court system and they'll have no recourse when the U.S. Department of Agriculture illegally approves new genetically engineered crops that threaten to contaminate their fields and seed supplies.

Monsanto's sneak attack is a response to successful lawsuits brought by the Center for Food Safety on behalf of organic and non-GMO farmers and seed growers that have attempted to block planting of genetically engineered sugar beets and alfalfa while the USDA conducted a court-ordered review of the dangers of contamination.

A vote to remove Monsanto's rider from the Agriculture Appropriations bill was expected this week, but now has been delayed until after Congress returns from their July 4th recess. Let's use this time to spread the word and send tens of thousands of letters to Congress!

Take Action

 
 
 

Support OCA and OCF

Help Us Keep the Pressure On


We're halfway through 2012, and thanks to you, it's been a good year so far. But we still have our work cut out for us, especially when it comes to GMO labeling laws.

There won't be a top-down solution for GMO labeling as long as President Obama continues to allow his appointees, Michael Taylor, in charge of food safety at the FDA, and Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture, to maintain GMOs are safe.

We need your help to pressure state and local governments to stand up to the Monsantos of the world, while we also work on citizen-powered GMO labeling initiatives.

If you haven't pitched in this year, please consider a donation now. If you have, please pass this along to your friends, or share on social media. Thank you!

Donate to the Organic Consumers Association (tax-deductible, helps support our work on behalf of organic standards, fair trade and public education)

Donate to the Organic Consumers Fund (non-tax-deductible, but necessary for our legislative efforts in California and other states)

 
 
 

Essay of the Week

Ronnie's Message from Rio: Unite and Fight for Survival


Most national governments and multinational corporations who gathered in Rio are still pushing feeble reforms that amount to too little, too late. While Big Ag, Big Biotech, Big Pharma, Big Oil, Big Timber, and Big Finance push their united "Green Economy," agenda, a major segment of the global gra ssroots remain fragmented and divided, bogged down in thousands of defensive single-issue battles.

The good news, in Rio and across the world, is that the global grassroots are finally rising up and saying, "Hell no!" to business as usual. Real change, not the hollow "change you can believe in" of the Obama administration, was in the air in Rio. Climate activists are ready to unite and survive by closing the ranks and taking on the Climate Criminals.

Read More

 
 
 

Farm Bill GMO Labeling Amendment Update


As we reported last week, the Senate voted against an amendment sponsored by Sens. Sanders and Feinstein to affirm states' rights to label GMOs.

Now, we have an alert that allows you respond to your senators' votes. When you enter your address, form letters will appear that indicate how they voted.

Take Action

 
 
 

Debrief from the Sidewalk Session at the BIO International Conference


On Monday morning, June 18, 2012, over 75 food democracy activists from Occupy Monsanto, the Massachusetts Chapter of the Northeast Organic Farming Association, Occupy Boston, Ciclovida, and the LEAH Collective greeted thousands of biotech industry workers as they entered the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. The police were fairly friendly and provided activists with prime sidewalk space in front of the convention center. The Sidewalk Session wound down around lunchtime, but Boston area activists continued to protest the biotech industry for the remainder of the week.

Check out photos and a You Tube video from the sidewalk session. To join a Genetic Crimes Unit for the September 17 Occupy Monsanto week of action, click here.

 
 
 

Video of the Week

Monsanto Exposé: From Agent Orange to Colony Collapse Disorder


Agricultural giant Monsanto is best known for its production of pesticides and genetically modified foods, but it has a controversial history as a chemical company with a slew of toxic cover ups. In addition to its battle against small farmers, the newest buzz about the corporation is the speculation that its GM seeds are linked to the die off of bees. Abby Martin of RT television brings us more on Monsanto's seedy practices and what they are up to now. She interviews Alexis Baden-Mayer, OCA Political Director, on Monsanto's buy-out of Beeologics.

Watch

 
 
 

Little Bytes


Top Stories of the Week

Without Fukishima Scale Disaster National Governments Refuse to Take Action on the Approaching Climate Catastrophe

As Silent Spring's 50th Anniversary Nears, What Would Rachel Carson Be Saying Now?

How the Wall Street Mafia Holds America - and the World - Hostage

Plastics Chemical in Food, Water, Plastic Bags Linked to Obesity in Kids

How the US Government, Banks, Prison-Industrial Complex, Corrupt Officials, Businesses, Law Enforcement, Racists and the CIA Profit From Illegal Drugs

 
 
 

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Chemicals in furniture target of Calif. lawmakers

Chemicals in furniture target of Calif. lawmakers
http://www.sfgate.com/health/article/Chemicals-in-furniture-target-of-Calif-lawmakers-3661414.php#photo-3117387
 
"The foam in furniture sold in California has to meet flammability standards set by state regulators in 1975. The cheapest way for furniture makers do that is by using chemicals, many of which have been linked to cancer, reproductive problems and other health concerns, but are not banned."

Potential changes to green building standards rile chemical, vinyl trade groups

[COMMENT: Gee, poor things! Always about the money!]
 
Potential changes to green building standards rile chemical, vinyl trade groups
 
"Twenty trade groups representing the plastics, vinyl and chemical industries are lobbying to stop the General Services Administration from adopting proposed new standards for green building construction, saying the changes could eliminate the use of hundreds of their products in construction projects."
 
 

Bisphenol A exposure linked to brain tumor diagnosis.

Bisphenol A exposure linked to brain tumor diagnosis.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/2012/05/2012-0605-bpa-brain-cancer-meningioma/

"Exposure to bisphenol A may be a risk factor for a common type of brain tumor called meningioma, reports a study from China. This is the first study to suggest a link between brain cancer and the chemical, which is widely used in consumer products.

Those with the highest urine BPA levels were about 1.6 times more likely to be diagnosed with meningioma compared to those with lower concentrations.

This link was observed even after accounting for other factors associated with meningioma. More research is needed to confirm the findings."

Safe Schools 2012

Safe Schools 2012

Cytoprotective effect of hyaluronic acid and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose against DNA damage induced by thimerosal in Chang conjunctival cells.

Cytoprotective effect of hyaluronic acid and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose against DNA damage induced by thimerosal in Chang conjunctival cells.

Ye J, Zhang H, Wu H, Wang C, Shi X, Xie J, He J, Yang J.
Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2012 Jun 24. [Epub ahead of print]
Source
Department of Ophthalmology, The 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, College of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, yejuan@zju.edu.cn.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
To investigate genotoxicity of the preservative thimerosal (Thi), and the cytoprotective and antioxidant effects of hyaluronic Acid (HA) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) on Chang conjunctival cells.
METHOD:
Cells were divided into three groups. One group was exposed to Thi at various concentrations (0.00001 %∼0.001 %) for 30 min; the other two groups were pretreated with 0.3 % HA or 0.3 % HPMC for 30 min before the Thi exposure. After cell viability was evaluated, alkaline comet assay and detection of the phosphorylated form of the histone variant H2AX (γH2AX) foci were used to determine DNA damage. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was assessed by the fluorescent probe, 2', 7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA).
RESULTS:
A significant change of cell viability was observed after exposure to 0.001 % Thi for 30 min. DNA single- and double-strand breaks were significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner with Thi exposure. In addition, intracellular ROS induced by Thi was dose-dependent, except at 0.001 % less ROS was induced than at 0.0005 %. However, cells pretreated with 0.3 % HA or 0.3 % HPMC showed significantly increased cell survival, decreased DNA damage, and decreased ROS production compared to cells exposed to Thi alone. Pretreatment with 0.3 % HA was found to be even more protective than 0.3 % HPMC.
CONCLUSION:
Thi can induce DNA damage in human conjunctival epithelial cells, probably due to oxidative stress. HA and HPMC are protective agents that have antioxidant properties and can decrease DNA damage induced by Thi. Pretreatment of 0.3 % HA may be more protective of the ocular surface than 0.3 % HPMC.
PMID:  22729468 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Expression profiling and gene ontology analysis in fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) liver following exposure to pulp and paper mill effluents.

Expression profiling and gene ontology analysis in fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) liver following exposure to pulp and paper mill effluents.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22728206.1

Costigan SL, Werner J, Ouellet JD, Hill LG, Law RD.
Aquat Toxicol. 2012 Jun 1;122-123C:44-55. [Epub ahead of print]
Source
Department of Biology, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 5E1, Canada.
Abstract
Many studies link pulp and paper mill effluent (PPME) exposure to adverse effects in fish populations present in the mill receiving environments. These impacts are often characteristic of endocrine disruption and may include impaired reproduction, development and survival. While these physiological endpoints are well-characterized, the molecular mechanisms causing them are not yet understood. To investigate changes in gene transcription induced by exposure to a PPME at several stages of treatment, male and female fathead minnows (FHMs) were exposed for 6days to 25% (v/v) secondary (biologically) treated kraft effluent (TK) or 100% (v/v) combined mill outfall (CMO) from a mill producing both kraft pulp and newsprint. The gene expression changes in the livers of these fish were analyzed using a 22K oligonucleotide microarray. Exposure to TK or CMO resulted in significant changes in the expression levels of 105 and 238 targets in male FHMs and 296 and 133 targets in females, respectively. Targets were then functionally analyzed using gene ontology tools to identify the biological processes in fish hepatocytes that were affected by exposure to PPME after its secondary treatment. Proteolysis was affected in female FHMs exposed to both TK and CMO. In male FHMs, no processes were affected by TK exposure, while sterol, isoprenoid, steroid and cholesterol biosynthesis and electron transport were up-regulated by CMO exposure. The results presented in this study indicate that short-term exposure to PPMEs affects the expression of reproduction-related genes in the livers of both male and female FHMs, and that secondary treatment of PPMEs may not neutralize all of their metabolic effects in fish. Gene ontology analysis of microarray data may enable identification of biological processes altered by toxicant exposure and thus provide an additional tool for monitoring the impact of PPMEs on fish populations.

A New Sensor for the Assessment of Personal Exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds.

A New Sensor for the Assessment of Personal Exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22736952.1

Atmos Environ. 2012 Jul 1;54:679-687. Epub 2012 Feb 7.
Chen C, Campbell KD, Negi I, Iglesias RA, Owens P, Tao N, Tsow F, Forzani E.
Source
Center for Bioelectronics & Biosensors, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University.
Abstract
To improve our understanding of indoor and outdoor personal exposures to common environmental toxicants released into the environment, new technologies that can monitor and quantify the toxicants anytime anywhere are needed. This paper presents a wearable sensor to provide such capabilities. The sensor can communicate with a common smart phone and provides accurate measurement of volatile organic compound concentration at a personal level in real time, providing environmental toxicants data every three minutes. The sensor has high specificity and sensitivity to aromatic, alkyl, and chlorinated hydrocarbons with a resolution as low as 4 parts per billion (ppb), with a detection range of 4 ppb to 1000 ppm (parts per million). The sensor's performance was validated using Gas Chromatography and Selected Ion Flow Tube - Mass Spectrometry reference methods in a variety of environments and activities with overall accuracy higher than 81% (r(2) > 0.9). Field tests examined personal exposure in various scenarios including: indoor and outdoor environments, traffic exposure in different cities which vary from 0 to 50 ppmC (part-per-million carbon from hydrocarbons), and pollutants near the 2010 Deepwater Horizon's oil spill. These field tests not only validated the performance but also demonstrated unprecedented high temporal and spatial toxicant information provided by the new technology.
PMID: 22736952 [PubMed]

Register Now for Post-Exertion Malaise Webinar, July 19

Register Now for Post-Exertion Malaise Webinar, July 19

http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?libid=17071

 

On Thursday, July 19 at 2 pm EST, the CFIDS Association of America will host a webinar on the information that ME/CFS patients ask for most – post exertion relapse.

The webinar - "Top 10 Things You Need to Know about Post-Exertion Relapse" - will feature the Pacific Fatigue Lab's exercise physiologists Staci Stevens, Chris Snell, and Mark Van Ness.

This trio of fatigue analysts has worked for years, helped by CFIDS Association funding, to develop: 1) measures of post-exertion malaise (PEM), as a diagnostic test for chronic fatigue syndrome, and 2) measures of multiple body system functions as part of comprehensive disability evaluations.

Your questions invited. You can help shape their presentation by submitting any questions you have when you register.

REGISTER for the webinar at  https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/468532592 

 

[Cell phones: health risks and prevention].

[Cell phones: health risks and prevention].
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=22670334

[Article in Italian]
Talamanca IF, Giliberti C, Salerno S.
Ann Ig. 2012 Jan-Feb;24(1):3-23.

Source
Facoltà di Scienze, Matematiche, Fisiche e Naturali, Sapienza Università di Roma. irene.figatalamanca@uniroma1.it

Abstract
The paper describes first of all the electromagnetic radiation of cellular phones and presents the physical parameters used to measure and evaluate the absorption of emissions of radio stations and cellular phones. It then presents selected research results of the experimental studies in vivo and in vitro which examine the biological effects of the emissions of cellular phones. The review of the epidemiologic evidence focuses in particular the epidemiologic studies on the use of cell phones and brain tumours, identifying some of the reasons of the conflicting results obtained. Studies dealing with the health risks involved in the increasing use of cellular phones by adolescents and children, more sensitive to this exposure, are also presented showing the need for special caution. The problem of hypersensitivity observed in some individuals is also briefly discussed. Finally the paper presents a summary of the main prevention measures necessary in order to reduce the risks in the framework of the "precautionary principle" including prevention policies and exposure limits in various countries.

PMID: 22670334 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Monday, June 25, 2012

Can Exposure to Toxins Change Your DNA?

Can Exposure to Toxins Change Your DNA?
http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2012/06/can-exposure-toxins-change-your-dna

"Let's face it, we're devoting enormous amounts of time and energy to minimize our exposures to toxins (think BPA, pesticides, and all the rest of the seemingly ubiquitous chemicals). But now an emerging body of research points to the disturbing possibility that such self-protective strategies might sometimes come decades, or even a century, too late.
If your great-grandmother experienced a brief toxic exposure, these studies suggest, you and your children could be at risk for reproductive illnesses and possibly other conditions. The presumed mechanism of this unfortunate inheritance is not a mutation in the DNA itself but rather changes in the biochemical on-off switches that determine whether or not specific genes get activated—a field of study known as epigenetics."

Farmworkers plagued by pesticides, red tape


"Laboring in the blackberry fields of central Arkansas, the 18-year-old Mexican immigrant suddenly turned ill. Her nose began to bleed, her skin developed a rash, and she vomited.  The doctor told her it was most likely flu or bacterial infection, but farmworker Tania Banda-Rodriguez suspected pesticides. Under federal law, growers must promptly report the chemicals they spray.  It took the worker, and a Tennessee legal services lawyer helping her, six months to learn precisely what chemical doused those blackberry fields. The company ignored her requests for the information. The Arkansas State Plant Board initially refused to provide records to her lawyer, saying it didn't respond to out-of-state requests. An Arkansas inspector, dispatched after the complaint, didn't initially discern what pesticides were used the day the worker became ill, records show.  When answers finally arrived — the fungicide was Switch 62.5WG, a chemical that can irritate the eyes and skin — Banda-Rodriguez had already left Arkansas to follow the season to Virginia and ultimately returned to Mexico. She never learned whether the pesticide sickened her.  The episode is as telling a snapshot today as it was six years ago for one of America's most grueling and lowest-paying vocations. Pesticides can endanger farmworkers, but thin layers of government protect them and no one knows the full scope of the environmental perils in the fields."

Is Your Couch Trying to Kill You?

Is Your Couch Trying to Kill You?
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-24/is-your-couch-trying-to-kill-you-.html

"Imagine if government officials knew that certain chemicals were hazardous enough to cause health problems as serious as cancer and neurological defects, yet were largely powerless to restrict them. That, in a nutshell, is the state of chemical regulation in the U.S. On paper, the Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to regulate or ban toxic substances. In practice, the agency faces so many hurdles that it hasn't tried to do so since it made an ill-fated run at asbestos in 1991."

U.S. consumers say 'No' to antibiotics

U.S. consumers say 'No' to antibiotics
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Consumer-Corner/2012/06/24/Consumer-Corner-US-consumers-say-No-to-antibiotics/UPI-78791340526960/

"A U.S. consumer group is campaigning to get local supermarkets to sell only meat that has been raised without antibiotics.  The campaign by Consumers Union, the public policy arm of Consumer Reports, coincides with the release of a study that suggests 86 percent of Americans want meat raised without antibiotics, which can be a difficult task due to misleading and unapproved labels, Consumer Reports said last week.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier this year issued guidelines to cut back the use of antibiotics in animals raised for food."

Chemical giants push for global green 'standards' at Rio

Chemical giants push for global green 'standards' at Rio
http://www.euractiv.com/specialreport-rio20/chemical-giants-push-global-gree-news-513471

"Rattled in Europe by the REACH regulation and carbon dioxide emission curbs, international chemical companies are at the Rio Earth Summit determined to push for a global approach to environmental policy – but with a light regulatory touch.  Speaking ahead of the Rio summit, international chemical firms were keen to convey the message that environmental standards are better if they are implemented globally."

Delhi govt wakes up to the menace of chemically enhanced veggies

Delhi govt wakes up to the menace of chemically enhanced veggies
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/delhi-govt-wakes-up-to-the-menace-of-chemically-enhanced-veggies/1/202133.html

"Several studies have established the fact that the level of harmful chemicals in India's edible crops is perilously high because of excessive exposure to pesticides or other growth enhancers. Now, the Delhi government is planning to weed out this health hazard by detecting the specific contaminants in vegetables and fruits with the help of mega scanners right at the entry point."

Convulsion Risk From CSL Flu Vaccine Linked to Components

Convulsion Risk From CSL Flu Vaccine Linked to Components
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-20/convulsion-risk-from-csl-flu-shot-linked-to-viral-components.html

"Convulsions in children immunized with a CSL Ltd. (CSL) flu shot probably were caused by an excessive immune response to viral components in the vaccine, according to preliminary findings of a two-year study."

Should You Put Sunscreen on Infants? Not Usually

Should You Put Sunscreen on Infants? Not Usually
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm309136.htm?source=govdelivery

"You're at the beach, slathered in sunscreen. Your 5-month-old baby is there, too. Should you put sunscreen on her? Not usually, according to Hari Cheryl Sachs, M.D., a pediatrician at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)."

Minutes of the 'Stakeholder Dialogue Group' on EMF

EU Commission
Minutes of the 'Stakeholder Dialogue Group' on EMF
http://ec.europa.eu/health/electromagnetic_fields/eu_actions/stakeholder_dialogue_group/index_en.htm

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Dr. Michael Maes' neuro-immune explanation for the remitting/relapsing nature of ME/CFS

Dr. Michael Maes' neuro-immune explanation for the remitting/relapsing nature of ME/CFS
http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?libid=17058

Abstract:
This paper proposes a neuro-immune model for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

Fake meat: is science fiction on the verge of becoming fact?

[Comment:  Frightening! One can see the "good for the environment", "no need to kill" so it's supposedly good for us spin that is sure to come.  Yet, as many things, it's doubtful it woudl be adeuaately tested for it's long term effects on the consumer before release.]
Fake meat: is science fiction on the verge of becoming fact?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/jun/22/fake-meat-scientific-breakthroughs-research

"The race to make fake meat just got interesting. Two scientists on opposite sides of the world both claim to be on the verge of serving up the first lab-grown hamburger – and saving the planet in the process. The new reality is so close, you can almost taste it."

Friday, June 22, 2012

Report: Coal-fired plants cause deaths, asthma attacks

Report: Coal-fired plants cause deaths, asthma attacks
http://www.mcall.com/business/mc-coal-power-plants-enviromental-effects-20120619,0,685314.story

"Coal-fired power plants owned by PPL and seven other energy companies contribute to thousands of deaths, asthma attacks and hospital visits, according to a report issued Tuesday by an environmental group."

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Farm Bill Battles, GMO Labeling Threats and GE Dangers


SUBSCRIBE & Read Past Issues| View ONLINE | OCA Homepage |

Why Genetically Engineered Food is Dangerous: New Report


Eighteen years after Monsanto and the biotech industry began force-feeding untested and unlabeled genetically engineered foods to humans and animals, a definitive study of the hazards of GMOs has been published. OCA urges everyone to read this.

Learn More

 
 
 

This Week's Farm Bill Votes

The Senate Has Voted...


... Against GMO Labels

The vote was 26 in favor of GMO labels, 73 opposed. Click here to find out how your Senators voted. More info on this Senate vote next week!


... For Corporate Welfare for Insurance Companies, Not Food Stamps for Hungry Kids

An amendment by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Democrat of New York, would have cut the amount paid to insurance companies to subsidize their costs in selling crop insurance. Last year, the government paid insurance companies $1.3 billion, and Ms. Gillibrand's amendment would have reduced that amount to offset a $4.5 billion cut to the food stamp program. But the Senate rejected the amendment, 66 to 33.

Find out how your senators voted and let them know what you think.

Take Action


... To Support Rural Development - the "Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act" Will Invest in Jobs, After All!

$150 million in critical funding for rural economic development and new farmer programs was restored through an amendment introduced by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH).

That's $35 million for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, the keystone new farmer program at USDA; $50 million over five years for the Value-Added Producer Grants program that helps farmers transition to new markets and products that return more of the consumer food dollar back to the farmer and the local community; $15 million for the Rural Microentrepeneur Assistance Program to help start new small rural businesses; and $50 million to begin to eliminate the backlog in water and sewer projects in small rural communities.

Find out how your senators voted and let them know what you think.

Take Action


... To Keep Organic Programs - Smart Move, as Organic Grows the Fastest, Creates the Most Jobs!

An amendment by Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) to remove all funding for the National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program went down on a 42-57 vote.

Find out how your senators voted and let them know what you think.

Take Action


Unfortunately, the Senate leadership decided not to consider votes on amendments to...

  • Encourage more USDA-funded research on plant and animal breeding to improve health, nutrition, farm income, and food security.
  • Allow the direct sale of raw milk and raw milk products across state lines.
  • Legalize the production of industrial hemp, a potential new bumper crop for U.S. farmers.
  • Codify an agreement between egg producers and the Humane Society of the United States to increase the size of hen cages over the next 18 years and end the practice of depriving hens of food and water to increase egg production.

Learn More

 
 
 

Support OCA and OCF

Invest in a Healthier Future: Help Spread the Truth About Corporate Manipulation of Science


Every day there's a new story about how companies like Monsanto are misleading the public when it comes to food safety. The alarming increase in corporate funding of university research and scientific studies is producing "scientific evidence" aimed at duping consumers into thinking that everything from the genetic engineering of our food, to the poisoning of our soil, is perfectly safe.

The latest example? Two Monsanto-funded studies in scientific journals that discredit the link between glyphosate (the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup herbicide) and cancer – despite extensive non-industry-funded research proving glyphosate's toxicity.

The OCA works hard to expose these dubious "studies" and educate consumers about the real danger of the chemicals used to grow and make food. But we need your help!

Please support our efforts to educate and mobilize consumers to pressure corporations to get the poisons out of our food. Your donation helps keep the OCA strong and allows the OCF to lobby for food safety.

Donate to the Organic Consumers Association (tax-deductible, helps support our work on behalf of organic standards, fair trade and public education)

Donate to the Organic Consumers Fund (non-tax-deductible, but necessary for our legislative efforts in California and other states)

 
 
 

India to Label GMOs


The second largest country in the world, India, will now become the 50th nation in the world to require labels on genetically engineered foods, joining the EU, Japan, China and other nations.

Learn More

 
 
 

New AMA Policy on GMOs Stops Short of Protecting Consumer Health


The American Medical Association says we ought to test genetically engineered foods for safety reasons before letting them out in the market. And yet, the AMA doesn't support mandatory labeling. Which begs the question: If there's sufficient reason to think these foods might be unsafe, shouldn't consumers know which foods contain GMOs and which don't – so that we can avoid them, if we want, until they are proven safe?
 
Read More

 
 
 

OCA at Rio+20


OCA Director Ronnie Cummins and a delegation from OCA's sister organization in Mexico, Via Organica, are attending the Rio+20 Earth Summit in Brazil. Although federal governments such as the USA continue to lag behind on efforts to protect the environment and avert climate catastrophe, hundreds of cities and regions across the world are starting to take decisive action - making the transition to climate-friendly, organic, and equitable practices. The Organic Transitions section of the OCA website provides a wealth of resources on sustainable alternatives to Business as Usual.

Learn More

 
 
 

Buyer Beware: Corporate Front Groups Come Out in Force to Sink GMO Labeling Initiative


No sooner had the Secretary of State in California certified the signatures for the California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act, than the press releases started flying. With biotech industry profits at stake, corporate front groups are springing into action, spinning their storyline about how GMOs are perfectly safe, and labeling "costly and expensive."

A group called the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) issued a release this week claiming that mandatory GMO labeling is "wholly unnecessary, from either an 'environmental' or a health perspective." Not only have extensive assessments found GM crops to be safe, they point out, but such labeling would be costly to both farmers and food manufacturers, and would mostly likely stir up unjustified fear and confusion among the general public."

Who's footing the bill for the ACSH's work? They don't want you to know, so they no longer report the names of their funders. But in 1991, the last year they did report funders, the vast majority were corporations – including Monsanto, ICI Agricultural Products, Inc., ISK Biotech Corporation, and Kraft, Inc. And in 1996, Congressional Quarterly's Public Interest Profiles stated that ACSH received more than 75 percent of its funding from the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

Read More About ACSH Funding Here and Here

Read the ACSH Press Release Here

 
 
 

Little Bytes


Top Stories of the Week

Rio 20: A Defining Choice

40 Years of Environmental Diplomacy - What Do We Have to Show for It?

Rio: Let's Unleash the Power of People Back Home

Health Liberty: Vermonters Save Vaccine Exemption

Whole Foods Rejects Dialogue on GMO Safety

 
 
 

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Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Toronto Hospital is First to Recognize Symptoms from Wireless Radiation

Toronto Hospital is First to Recognize Symptoms from Wireless Radiation
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/06/18/4569762/toronto-hospital-is-first-to-recognize.html
"Women's College Hospital says family doctors must learn to detect the symptoms of exposure to wireless radiation.

The hospital released a statement saying the symptoms include disrupted sleep, headaches, nausea, dizziness, heart palpitations, memory problems, and skin rashes. These symptoms are now labelled Electro-magnetic Hyper-sensitivity, or "EMS"."

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