Kaua’i / Hawai’i GMO Free News

Aloha GMO Free Kaua’i Ohana,

Today’s email starts with a new video interview with Gary Hooser, throws in some local GMO Free news, adds a big DIGEST list of GMO & pesticide related news, and finishes it off with a poem !  I know this is a big digest, I have a backlog from all the support 2491 action lately :).  Remember to have everyone (friends , coworkers, etc) send in testimony for bill 2491 to counciltestimony@kauai.gov if they haven’t already, and include name and town where you live.

We have a great video interview with Gary Hooser on “Why 2491?” .  This was done by our friend Leslie Larsen, and as a reminder she is looking to film anyone who has been affected by the GMO fields.  Contact me at blake@pixi.com, or call Mikey at 651-9603 if you wish to tell your story on video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbkobSufGPY

Kaua’i / Hawai’i GMO Free News :
MoveOn.org petition to support bill 2491, please sign!
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/pass-kauai-county-bill?source=mo.mp&id=72967-21527652-f4eb%3Dbx

Andrea Brower “Our simple right to know”,  an excellent editorial in the Garden Island
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/guest/our-simple-right-to-know/article_02a3ecb0-e863-11e2-b15f-001a4bcf887a.html

Hector Valenzuela, UH profesor on biotechnology, interview on NPR
http://cpa.ds.npr.org/khpr/audio/2013/08/BA_Hector_Valenzuela.mp3

Honolulu Civil Beat : GMO Debate
http://m.civilbeat.com/voices/2013/08/06/19638-from-a-private-garden-into-the-ripe-gmo-debate/

Donna would like to compile a list of all the organic foods that are grown by local farmers.  What is grown for the farmers markets and local health food stores. Whether it is year round or seasonal. Including all fruits, veggies, nuts, herbs, eggs, cheese, etc. Her vision is to submit testimony of the diversity of what is available here organically and pesticide free.  If you would like to help her out, please email her at shiningspirit333@yahoo.com.

Latest Big GMO Science Stories :
Superweeds : How Biotech Crops Bolster the Pesticide Industry
http://documents.foodandwaterwatch.org/doc/Superweeds.pdf

Pigs Harmed by Consuming GMO’s in new Study

http://organicbeet.blogspot.com/2013/06/evidence-of-gmo-harm-in-pig-study.html

The Original Research Paper on the Pig Feeding
http://www.organic-systems.org/journal/81/8106.pdf

GMO’s linked to Leukemia
http://foodfreedomgroup.com/2013/07/17/gmos-now-linked-to-leukemia/

Study links Glyphosate to cancer
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/06/14/groundbreaking-study-links-monsantos-glyphosate-to-cancer/#_

GreenPeace welcomes new EFSA guidelines for long-term GMO Food Studies
http://www.greenpeace.org/eu-unit/en/News/2013/Greenpeace-welcomes-EFSA-guidelines-for-long-term-GM-food-studies/

Complete Genes May Pass from Food to Human Blood
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0069805

Agroecology :
Urban Agroecology
http://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/elist/eListRead/urban_agroecology_a_lighthouse_of_sustainability/

GMO and Agro Ecology’s answers to invasive pests
http://blog.ucsusa.org/genetic-technologys-answer-to-a-major-insect-pest-192

Brazil scientists developing lifesaving superfoods through traditional plant breeding methods
http://www.naturalnews.com/041310_plant_breeding_micronutrients_brazil.html#ixzz2blezd0l3

GMO’s in Politics :
Strong support for GMO Labeling in the USA (93% !), from the NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/28/science/strong-support-for-labeling-modified-foods.html?_r=3&

Money pours into GMO labeling initiative in Washington State
http://greenbio.checkbiotech.org/news/money_pours_gmo_labeling_initiative

EU Says Monsanto Plans to Withdraw Applications for GM Crops
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23356054

Monsanto faces opposition in Puerto Rico
http://ww4report.com/node/12414

India Supreme Court committee says no to GMO’s
http://twocircles.net/2013jul23/supreme_court_committee_says_no_gm_crops.html

UK Parliament bans GMO’s from its Restaurants, while telling public they should eat them.
http://www.naturalnews.com/041003_UK_Parliament_GMO_food_hypocrisy.html

FDA to Define “Natural” With Respect to Genetically-Modified Organisms (GMO) Foods
http://www.natlawreview.com/article/federal-district-courts-request-fda-to-define-natural-respect-to-genetically-modifie

GMO research, whats locked and what isn’t
http://grist.org/food/genetically-modified-seed-research-whats-locked-and-what-isnt/

Pesticides:
From the Guardian, Insecticide firms in secret bid to stop ban that could save bees
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/apr/28/europe-insecticides-ban-save-bees?CMP=twt_gu

Bee Apocalypse Now
http://qz.com/107970/scientists-discover-whats-killing-the-bees-and-its-worse-than-you-thought/

Argentina’s Roundup Human Tragedy
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/argentinasRoundupHumanTragedy.php

Syngenta Protects Atrazine from critics
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2013/atrazine

Lawsuit Initiated to Protect Hundreds of Endangered Species From Pesticide Impacts
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2010/pesticides-01-28-2009.html

Other:
New Movie trailer!  “GMO OMG”
http://vimeo.com/71035892

Bill Maher on GMO’s, funny 2.5 minutes!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGTxM6cg5SA

Good article from the Village Voice – “The Monsanto Menace”
http://www.villagevoice.com/2013-07-24/news/the-monsanto-menace/

GMO Rice vandalized in the Phillipines
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23632042

Debunked : 600 studies show GMO’s are safe
https://www.facebook.com/groups/gmo.free/permalink/545515105508220/

Debunked : 24 long term studies show GMO safety
https://www.facebook.com/groups/gmo.free/doc/545514738841590/

Finally, here is a poem from GMO Free Kaua’i supporter Hannah Rees.  Thanks Hannah!

THE SEED’S  LAMENT

What have you done to me?
What have you injected into my DNA?
Why can I no longer nourish ?
Why am I now causing sickness ?
Why can I not reproduce?

I am a seed –
the earth’s ultimate life source,
a treasure chest designed to grow and flourish,
the building block of good health –
the Creator’s gift of renewal.

Greed and desire for power have enabled “scientists”
to make me an impotent, life threatening shell
disguised as healthful food
with devastating side affects!

Europe has rescued me from extinction
and not allowed Genetically Modified seeds to be sold.
I weep for myself and other modified seeds
and the long never ending genetic destruction of our children’s children.

Hannah Rees. 2013

Okay, well that’s one big email !   Hope you find the info useful and I didn’t break your inbox :).  Stay tuned for more organizing in support for bill 2491.  Again if you would like to volunteer to help pass the bill ,
please go to  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1jaNqXEdA2_jrXzf5b6wbaYKjeA8wo16X82QHURY6mow/viewform

Peace,
Blake