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Mendocino County Bans GMOs
On March 2 the citizens of Mendocino County California voted to ban the production of genetically engineered plant and animal products within county lines, despite being outspent by biotech and agribusiness interests by more than six to one, or by over a half million dollars. Supporters of the grassroots referendum spearheaded by local businesswoman Els Cooperider were able to convince voters that GMOs not only posed a danger to human health, but also threatened the well established organic and non-GMO farming industry with the prospect of contamination from genetically engineered crops.
Following the lead of the Medocino activists, local initiatives are under way in nearby Humbolt county and as far away as Prince Edward Island, Canada, and the Australian states of Western Australia, Tasmania and Victoria. The Organic Consumers Association (OCA), supporters of the ban, report that they have information from informed sources that the ban will soon be under attack in the California senate and court system. They have mounted a campaign called the Biodemocracy Alliance to defend the Mendocino ban and help create GE-Free zones in agricultural counties thoughout California and the entire U.S.
For more information contact the OCA at http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/mendocino030804.cfm
USDA Extends Comment Period on GMO Regulation.
On Jan. 23 the UDSA issued a notice of its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on, "... the environmental release of certain genetically modified organisms." The public comment period was to end on March 23. At the request of the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) and others, the USDA's Biotechnology Regulatory Services (BRS) agency will extend for three weeks the deadline for public comments on this complex new approach to regulating genetically modified organisms. The extension was requested in order to ensure that the proposed EIS adequately addresses the impacts of genetically modified organisms as "plant pests." Now is your chance to make your views about GMO regulation known to the USDA.
MORE INFORMATION ONLINE:
Federal Register January 23, 2004, p.3271. (See http://www.usda.gov/Newsroom/0033.04.html and http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2004_register&docid=fr23ja04-11).
See http://www.ofrf.org/policy/bio-tech/. "OFRF Request for Extension on APHIS Docket# 03-031-2"
See http://www.ofrf.org/policy/bio-tech/. "R. Rosmann Request for Extension on APHIS Docket# 03-031-2"
"Biological Confinement of Genetically Engineered Organisms," National Research Council, 2004. See http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10880.html.
"Gone to Seed: Transgenic Contaminants in the Traditional Food Supply," Union of Concerned Scientists, 2004. See http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/biotechnology.
Research Closes in on Biological Controls for Colorado Potato Beetle
It turns out that the highly destructive Colorado Potato Beetle (CPB) is quite a finicky eater. Scientists at the USDA's Agricultural Research Service in Beltsville, MD have only recently devised a diet which is not only palatable to the CPB but can be stored for up to nine months thanks to the process of freeze drying. Previous attempts at finding a attractive diet to serve as a vector for biological controls have required extensive preparation and immediate use, making them impractical for researchers and farmers.
The discovery of the freeze dried diet will have important ramifications for CPB researchers in that will allow for the easy testing of a wide range of biological and fungal controls.
More information about the research is in the March issue of Agricultural Research magazine, available online at:
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/mar04/beetle0304.htm
Sudden Oak Death Fungus Found in California Nursery
The Sudden Oak Death fungus (Phytophthora ramorum) had been discovered on camellias at Monrovia Nursery, Azusa, California, a major supplier of many kinds of plants to garden centers across the country. The disease has also been discovered in Specialty Plants, Inc., San Marcos, California.
According to Georgia commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin who has issued a quarantine against all nursery shipments from California, "Sudden Oak Death is an extremely serious disease. It not only affects oaks but other plants as well including azaleas, rhododendrons, maples, beeches and buckeyes. This has the potential to be more devastating than Chestnut Blight, which wiped out virtually all stands of the native American chestnut in the 1930s. The cost to lumber companies, homeowners, gardeners, and cities would be overwhelming and the damage to wildlife and our landscape would be heartbreaking," said Irvin.
The discovery of the disease could have important ramifications throughout the nursery industry.
EVENTS
Symposium
Eating As A Moral Act: Ethics and Power From Agrarianism to Consumerism
The University of New Hampshire, April 25-27, 2004
Explore the provocative connections among eating, ethics and the ability of citizens and communities to shape a sustainable food system through their food choices. This symposium will examine the underlying questions of justice and morality within the food and farming system through panel sessions and featured lectures.
The symposium will include:
- Interdisciplinary panel session spanning topics ranging from "Corporate Imperialism: Eclipsing the Family Farm," to "Eating the Future? Educational Implications," and "The Morality and Reform of Food: Religious and Philosophical Issues"
- Featured lectures by Brother David Andrews, Dana & Laura Jackson, Sidney Mintz, Marion Nestle and Sandy Oliver; (http://www.sustainableunh.unh.edu/fas/sidore_lecture.html)
- Informal networking opportunities;
- Meals featuring locally and organically produced foods.
For more information and to register, visit their website:
http://www.sustainableunh.unh.edu/fas/eating_moral_act.html
Advanced Permaculture Ethics Course
April 23-25, 2004, The Center of Natural Design, Los Osos, CA.
This fundraiser for the LA Permaculture Guild is an opportunity for Permaculture Designers to inquire deeper into the meaning of Ethics, the three Permaculture Ethics, how we can and use them in our design processes ,and how we can live and model them in our lives. Seminar discussion, lecture presentations, as well as experiential facilitated exercises will be co-faciliated by Larry Santoyo and Kat Steele. There is also time allotted for retreat, connecting and community building. This course is open to all with a special intention to build California-wide connections between Permaculture Guilds in Southern, Central and Northern California.
Contact Camille Cimino, LA Permaculture Guild
(213) 480-8002 camicimino@yahoo.com
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