Wednesday 2 April 2008

GMO Action

ACTION ALERT: PLEASE HELP KEEP GM CROPS OUT OF EUROPE

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Dear friends and colleagues,

This is an urgent appeal for a few moments of your time to prevent the European Commission from approving two new GM crops for cultivation in the EU.

Last November, members of the GM-free Ireland Network were among 130,000 Europeans who signed a Greenpeace petition requesting the Commission to support a proposal made by the Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas, to refuse the authorisation of two new Bt maize varieties in the EU. If authorised these would be the first GM crops approved for commercial release in Europe since 1998. (The only GM crop currently allowed in Europe, Monsanto's MON810 maize, is already banned in France, Austria, Hungary, Poland and Switzerland.)

Unfortunately, EU President Barroso caved in to pressure from the US Government and the agri-biotech companies. He refused to host a broad Commission "orientation debate" on GMOs, and has requested Mr Dimas to withdraw his proposal. That is why we need to take action again now.

Given the amazing public response to last November's petition (130,000 signatures in four weeks), the aim of our follow-up action is to put huge public pressure on Barroso (to convince him that he cannot deal with GMO issues behind closed doors), and to support Mr Dimas (by showing that Irish citizens wholeheartedly back his proposal to reject the Bt maize).

This time we invite you to send a picture postcard to Dimas:

You may be tempted to avoid the hassle of all the required steps (buy the postcard, buy the stamp, write a message and post it). But making this small effort will provide Mr Dimas with the opportunity to present Barroso with a mountain of postcards to indicate the support he has from the public. It will aso send a clear signal to Mr Barroso that the Commission's continued anti-democratic disregard for European citizens' objection to GM crops is not acceptable.

Action instructions:

Please send your picture postcard to EU Commissioner Mr. Stavros Dimas at the following address:

Mr Stavros Dimas
Commissioner for the Environment
European Commission
Rue de la Loi 200
1040 Brussels
Belgium


What to write on your card:

Tell Mr. Dimas you support his proposal to not legalise any more GM crops. It could be a postcard you buy or a photo you took of something important in your life such as Ireland's beautiful landscape. Urge and encourage Mr. Dimas to continue standing up to giant corporations determined control the world's food supply through patented GM crops. Express your concerns about their economic impacts on contaminated farmers. If you can't find the words, try drawing it.

Please circulate this email to friends and colleagues:

We need to spread this message as broadly as possible, since only a large number of postcards will have the desired impact on the Commission.

If you are a member of one of the 130 farm groups and other organisations in the GM-free Ireland Network, it would be great if you can distribute pre-addressed postcards to all your members. Even buying some postcards for your family, friends, and office colleagues to sign and send would make a difference.

As Mahatma Gandhi said, you have to be the change you want to see in the world!

Thank you!


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Some good news! France has upheld it's ban on GMO

FRANCE UPHOLDS GMO CROP BAN
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EU GMO FEED BATTLEGROUND


* Opponents of genetically modified crops win victory in France

International Herald Tribune, 19 March 2008.


* French council upholds decision on GMO crop ban

Reuters, 19 March 2008.


* French Farmers Lose Bid To Overturn GMO Corn Ban

AFP, 19 March 2008.

* French state body upholds decision on GM crop ban

Reuters, 19 March 2008.

* EU GMO feed battleground

Truth About Trade and Technology, 19 March 2008.

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OPPONENTS OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS WIN VICTORY IN FRANCE

International Herald Tribune, 19 March 2008. By James Kanter.

PARIS: Opponents of gene-altered crops won a victory in France on Wednesday when the country's top court upheld a ban - for the time being - on a corn variety produced by the U.S. seed company Monsanto.

Growers had argued that the economic harm they faced was serious enough for the month-old ban to be lifted immediately, before the start of the spring planting season. In addition, proponents said allowing plantings could benefit consumers at a time of rising food prices.

The Conseil d'état maintained the ban on the variety, known as MON810, until it could rule on its scientific underpinning. Hearings in that case are expected to be held in the coming months.

In his ruling, Judge Jean-Marie Delarue pointed out that a report, issued in January by a committee of French experts, had called for more studies on the product's safety.

French officials were correct to have paid attention to "new elements brought to light by the committee that could be seen as posing a grave risk to the environment," Delarue wrote.

Continued here>>>>

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Lots more info HERE.


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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great information and wonderful graphics, thanks for sharing!

Bloodha said...

Hey, thanks very much. There's more to come soon.