News 2006

Are There Human Genes in Your Food?

Ask the people around you if they want experimental drugs and industrial chemicals in their food or beer -- without their knowledge or consent. Chances are they'll say no. Then tell them experiments that could make that happen are occurring right here in Washington state.

Farmers Use as Much Pesticide With GM Crops, US Study Finds

A detailed survey of 481 cotton growers in China found that, although they did use fewer pesticides in the first few years of adopting GM plants, after seven years they had to use just as much pesticide as they did with conventional crops.

Babies as Guinea Pigs: Biotech company turns two Peruvian hospitals into laboratories

The biotech company Ventria Biosciences sponsored tests, on babies and children hospitalized at two pediatric institutes in Peru, of two new experimental drugs derived from transgenic rice that was genetically engineered with synthetic human genes to produce artificial human milk proteins.

Union of Concerned Scientists releases disturbing survey of FDA scientists

UCS recently released new data showing that scientists at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are concerned about the agency’s ability to fulfill its mission—protecting public health.

University of Missouri Confirms Glyphosate-Resistant Waterhemp

University of Missouri researchers have confirmed that tall waterhemp is the sixth glyphosate-resistant weed in the U.S. and the ninth such weed in the world.

AB1056: Debate over GMO heats up

[AB1056] would prevent cities and counties from doing things such as prohibiting seed trucks from parking in residential areas, according to a letter the two government groups sent to Assembly members last week. The provisions are "so sweeping that they would restrict the ability of cities and counties to engage in basic local government regulation," the groups said.

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FDA Scientists Pressured to Exclude, Alter Findings; Scientists Fear Retaliation for Voicing Safety Concerns

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) today released survey results that demonstrate pervasive and dangerous political influence of science at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Of the 997 FDA scientists who responded to the survey, nearly one-fifth (18.4 percent) said that they "have been asked, for non-scientific reasons, to inappropriately exclude or alter technical information or their conclusions in a FDA scientific document."

California Wine Institute Position: No GMOs

Wine Institute has reviewed its position on gene technology and affirms as follows: The position of the Wine Institute is that no genetically modified organisms be used in the production of California wine.

Judge: Ag officials violated permit laws for pharmaceutical GMOs

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.

SLO GE Free seeks retraction from Health Commission

SLO GE Free is an all-volunteer organization of concerned local citizens.

Take Action on SB1056 NOW!

 

49,300: Response to Farm Bureau Viewpoint

Why is 49,300 important? It's the number of experimental field tests of GMO crops that the Farm Bureau wants you to ignore.

California Senate Preserves Local Rules on Genetically Engineered Crops

Senate rebuffs biotech industry-sponsored play to pre-emt local democracy. SB1056, a bill that would have pre-empted such local laws, failed to make it out of committee in the California Senate and died with the close of the legislative year.

Beginning of the end for rBST Growth Hormone in Dairy

Shoppers are driving major change in the milk industry. Dairy processors throughout the Northeast are converting their plants to accept only rbST-free milk to meet demand.

GM grapes earn wrath of growers

The University of Stellenbosch's planned planting of 'super-grapes' has top wine exporters seeing red

Report highly critical of the Rockefeller and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundations

Ten Reasons Why the Rockefeller and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations' Alliance for Another Green Revolution Will Not Solve the Problems of Poverty and Hunger in Sub-Saharan Africa

Mexico rejects biotech corn planting

Mexico this week barred Monsanto Co. and other biotechnology companies from planting genetically engineered corn, rekindling fierce debate in that country over the technology.

Glyphosate-resistant weeds more burden to growers’ pocketbooks

There’s no doubt glyphosate-resistant horseweed has set back conservation tillage efforts in Tennessee, says Steckel, who spoke on “The Impact of Glyphosate-Resistant Horseweed and Pigweed on Cotton Weed Management and Costs.”