monsanto revealed…again
Posted by Michelle Moquin on February 15th, 2011
Good morning!
The monster Monsanto is up to no good again. Thankfully Dr. Mercola is on it.
The Newest Dangerous Sweetener to Hit Your Food Shelves…
Since 2002 an artificial sweetener called neotame has been approved for use in food and drink products around the world, although so far its use appears to be very limited.
Neotame is a chemical derivative of aspartame, and judging by the chemicals used in its manufacturing, it appears even more toxic than aspartame, although the proponents of neotame claim that increased toxicity is not a concern, because less of it is needed to achieve the desired effect.
Neotame is bad science brought to you by the Monsanto Company.
If Monsano truly had nothing to fear with either of these artificial chemical sweeteners, they would have funded rigorous independent testing for safety. To date they have not, and they won’t, because virtually every independent analysis of aspartame not conducted by Monsanto partners has revealed a long list of disturbing side effects, mostly neurological in nature.
Monsanto also has now sold the NutraSweet Company to someone else, but the approval of neotame came under Monsanto’s ownership, and was most likely a result of Monsanto’s cozy relationship with the FDA. More about that in a minute.
My recommendation for neotame is the same as that for aspartame, which is: it should be avoided if you care about your health.
Why is Neotame Dangerous?
Hopefully by now you are aware of the dangers of aspartame, if you aren’t, please review this previous article.
But as if aspartame wasn’t bad enough, NutraSweet (a Monsanto subsidiary at the time of neotame’s approval) “improved” the aspartame formula, making neotame 7,000-13,000 times sweeter than sugar (sucrose) and 30-60 times sweeter than aspartame.
How did they do this?
In 1998, Monsanto applied for FDA approval for neotame, “based on the aspartame formula” with one critical addition: 3-dimethylbutyl, which just happens to be listed on the EPA’s most hazardous chemical list.
So not only is neotame potentially more devastating to your health than aspartame, it is also approved for use in a wider array of food products, including baked goods, because it is more stable at higher temperatures.
What is 3-Dimethylbutyl?
Neotame is manufactured by combining aspartame with 3,3-dimethylbutyraldehyd, which was added to block enzymes that break the peptide bond between aspartic acid and phenylalanine, thereby reducing the availability of phenylalanine.
This eliminates the need for a warning on labels directed at people who cannot properly metabolize phenylalanine.
However, 3,3-Dimethylbutyraldehyde is categorized as both highly flammable and an irritant, and carries risk statements for handling including irritating to skin, eyes and respiratory system.
In other words, the NutraSweet company assures you that neotame is perfectly safe, while at the same time they manufacture neotame through a chemical reaction between aspartame and a substance that is highly flammable and a skin, eye and respiratory irritant (that must be handled with extreme caution by anyone involved in the manufacturing process).
Does this sound like something you want to put into your body?
Why are These Chemicals Approved for Human Consumption?
Many people actually consider the FDA to be a “subsidiary” of the Monsanto Company. It sounds impossible, but when you look at all the Monsanto executives who have gone through the revolving door between private industry and government oversight, a truly disturbing picture emerges of the foxes guarding the henhouse..
The FDA is packed by pro-business, pro-corporation advocates who often have massive conflicts of interest when it comes to protecting the health of the public.
In fact, the revolving door between private industry and government oversight agencies is so well established these days, it has become business as usual to read about scandal, conflicts of interest and blatant pro-industry bias, even when it flies in the face of science or the law.
A few examples include:
FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, a former dental amalgam company executive, helped subvert a federal judge’s order to label mercury fillings as a hazard to children and pregnant women.
The FDA’s top medical-device regulator, Daniel Schultz, resigned following internal dissent over decisions that his critics said were too friendly to industry.
Janet Woodcock, the director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, was accused of a massive conflict of interest stemming from an ethics complaint filed by Amphastar Pharmaceuticals Inc.
The agency’s list of corruptions and collusions is now a mile long. And each piece of new legislation aimed to improve its function seems to do just the opposite-making the FDA even more dependent upon financial support by Big Pharma.
Why Aspartame and Neotame are NOT a Dieters Best Friend
On of the biggest marketing and PR tactics for man-made chemical sweeteners has been the claim that they help in the battle against obesity. Folks, they don’t. They never have and they never will.
The research and the epidemiologic data suggest the opposite is true, and that artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and neotame tend to lead to weight gain. As I’ve often said, there’s more to weight gain or weight loss than mere calorie intake.
One reason for aspartame and neotame’s potential to cause weight gain is because phenylalanine and aspartic acid – the two amino acids that make up 90 percent of aspartame and are also present in neotame — are known to rapidly stimulate the release of insulin and leptin; two hormones that are intricately involved with satiety and fat storage.
Insulin and leptin are also the primary hormones that regulate your metabolism.
So although you’re not ingesting calories in the form of sugar, aspartame and neotame can still raise your insulin and leptin levels. Elevated insulin and leptin levels, in turn, are two of the driving forces behind obesity, diabetes, and a number of our current chronic disease epidemics.
Over time, if your body is exposed to too much leptin, it will become resistant to it, just as your body can become resistant to insulin, and once that happens, your body can no longer “hear” the hormonal messages instructing your body to stop eating, burn fat, and maintain good sensitivity to sweet tastes in your taste buds.
What happens then?
You remain hungry; you crave sweets, and your body stores more fat.
Leptin-resistance also causes an increase in visceral fat, sending you on a vicious cycle of hunger, fat storage and an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and more.
The Real Reason Artificial Sweetener Use Has Exploded
If you want some answers in scenarios like this it is typically useful to follow the money trail. Aspartame currently has the largest market share of all artificial sweeteners, and the people at NutraSweet would like to keep it that way.
Artificial sweeteners cost a great deal less than real sugar, corn syrup or molasses, so the processed food and beverage industry saves money by using LESS of these man-made chemicals to create MORE sweetness in their products.
Neotame is manufactured from aspartame, and builds on aspartame’s ability to provide more sweetness from less raw material, as it is 30-60 times sweeter than aspartame.
Unfortunately, one byproduct your body creates by breaking down aspartame is formaldehyde, which is extremely toxic to your health even in very small doses. The NutraSweet Company claims the addition of 3,3-Dimethylbutyraldehyde to aspartame makes it more stable at higher temperatures, and reduces the availability of phenylalanine. But nowhere do they discuss the formation of formaldehyde when your body breaks down aspartame, which is the main ingredient of neotame.
In a search of pubmed.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine, which has over 11 million medical citations, neotame returns zero double-blind scientific studies on toxicity in humans or animals.
If neotame was indeed completely safe to ingest, you would think the NutraSweet Company would have published at least one double-blind safety study in the public domain? They haven’t.
You have to ask yourself “why not?”
Have You Experienced a Bad Aspartame or Neotame Reaction? Be Heard!
Did you know that only a fraction of all adverse food reactions are ever reported to the FDA? This is a problem that only you as the consumer can have an impact upon.
In order to truly alert the FDA to a problem with a product they’ve approved, they must be notified – by as many people as possible who believe they have experienced a side effect. This mean you can take action against the manufacturers of these chemicals that continue to put your optimal health at risk, if you feel you have had a bad reaction to their product.
I urge you, if you believe you have experienced side effects from aspartame or neotame, let the FDA know about it!
Please go to the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator page, find the phone number listed for your state, and report your adverse reaction.
There’s no telling just how many reports they might need before considering taking another look at the safety of aspartame or neotame, but the only way to press them is by reporting any and all adverse effects!
And in the meantime, do your health and the health of your family a favor and treat all foods and drinks that contain aspartame or neotame as if they were deleterious to your optimal health. Because, in my opinion, they are.
************
Readers: Reading labels is more important than ever. And if the FDA is in bed with Monsanto, which evidence shows they are, they aren’t exactly going to be looking out for our best interest. Who is then? Go look in the mirror. You have to take your health in your own hands. No one is going to care more about your health than YOU.
peace, love and good health…
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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February 15th, 2011 at 11:22 am
Michelle: thank you for providing an uncensored forum for us moslem women to speak out in. I fear the coming months will bring many hardships for our sisters in Egypt.
They as we women in other muslim ruled lands have prayed and done what we could for the cause in Egypt. But I fear that this has been just for the relief of the burdens muslim men feel they have been under.
After they have gotten their relief they will look to increase their dominion over muslim women. They will use religion to do it.
Look for Egypt to be ruled by some form of Islamic law. Westerners view this as muslims wanting to be ruled by the will of God’s law. Or by anti Western sects using religion to carry out their hatred against the West.
In actuality it is really about tiny penis men and sexual deviates using religion to gain the sexual right to control the female population and to rape, sell, barter the bodies of female children.
It would be incredible to think that a person would submit to the whims of those who proclaim they are speaking for Allah in order to satisfy the desires of his penis, except it is everywhere in the world of islam.
We as women are forced to become muslims when we are too young to know better. When we are old enough to understand the scam muslim men are perpetrating under the guise of religious teachings, then we are forced to stay in the religion under penalty of death.
As has often been stated on this blog. ANY religion that forces its members to remain under penalty of death is a CULT.
Islam is a CULT. It would not be recognized as religion if the Western world’s men did not need the muslim’s world men’s oil.
Thus muslim world women are being oppressed by Western men equally as they are by muslim men.
Why as women being treated as animals to be bred, bought and sold; used sexually, and killed at will, should we care which set of men win their war of hatred?
We are left to pray for the condition of our muslim sisters in Egypt.
February 15th, 2011 at 11:31 am
How to Reduce Stress in Tough Times
John Ryder, PhD
We’ve been through tough economic times here in America and it’s not over yet.
A study from the American Psychological Association reported that well over half of Americans are still suffering anger, irritation and insomnia as a result of economic pressures and all that is understandable.
We don’t need to feel helpless, however. We can all work to achieve mental fitness by opening our “locks,” which are behaviors or habits that prevent us from finding solutions to problems and keep us from reaching our full potential.
Example: One of my clients coped with his high-stress job by eating too much and drinking heavily after work.
These negative strategies (his locks) eased his stress momentarily but did nothing to increase his overall resilience and, in fact, undermined his mental fitness.
People who handle stress well use a series of skills, or “keys,” to overcome obstacles and unlock their full potential. The main ones…
DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION
Your brain can focus on one issue at a time (the laser mode), or it can expand its attention to everything around you (glow mode).
Both skills are useful. An air-traffic controller, for example, has to keep track of fast-moving and constantly changing situations.
He/she needs to be comfortable with the glow mode. But when you’re dealing with a specific problem, the laser mode is more efficient.
Many of us have a hard time meeting deadlines not because we have too much to do, but because too many things compete for our attention.
We jump around from thought to thought and task to task. We’re mentally scattered, which means we excel at nothing — and stress builds.
What to do…
Decide what has to be done first. The process of prioritizing requires that we rank tasks along two dimensions — what is most important and what is most urgent.
Maybe there’s a project that you have to finish by the end of the day or a meeting later in the week to prepare for.
Establish these as your one or two priorities, nothing more. Then selectively ignore everything else. Keep communication flowing when others are involved, and let them know where they are on the waiting list.
Create reminders. Jot down your immediate goal on an index card. Keep the card somewhere in your field of vision.
If your attention begins to wander, seeing the card will remind you to stay on target. Some people also find it helpful to set an alarm or cell phone to ring every 15 or 30 minutes as a reminder to focus on the goal.
STAY ALERT
We all get distracted when life is stressful. We forget to pay attention to what’s going on around us. That’s when we do stupid things, such as forget where we put our car keys or bounce a check because we forgot our account balance.
People who handle stress well almost always are observant. They watch what’s going on around them in order to acquire information and choose the best course of action.
What to do: Practice observing every day. When you put down your car keys at home, for example, notice the whole environment, not just the spot where you put them.
Notice the table you put them on, the lighting in the room and so on. Not only will you find your keys more quickly, you’ll sharpen your ability to acquire new information.
KNOW THE OBJECTIVE YOU
We all have two visions of ourselves. There’s our subjective self-image, which often is colored by self-doubt and insecurity. Then there’s the objective self, which usually is closer to reality.
Many experienced people with impressive résumés fall apart when they lose their jobs and have to find new ones.
They’re paralyzed with self-doubt because all they see is their subjective (inferior) self. It’s the equivalent of stage fright.
Even though they have done the same type of work a thousand times, an inner voice tells them that they’re not good enough.
What to do: Do a reality check. Suppose that you have spent three months looking for work without success.
Before doubting yourself, get objective verification. Show your résumé to different people in the field in which you’re applying. Ask them what they think about your qualifications.
Maybe you’re not qualified for the jobs you’re applying for. More likely, you’ve just had a run of very bad luck. Trust your objective history of accomplishment.
BOOST WILLPOWER
This is one of the most vital skills during difficult times. Someone with strong willpower, for example, will find it relatively easy to cut back on spending. Most people think that willpower just means resisting temptations. It’s much more than that. It’s a set of skills that you can use to achieve specific goals.
Example: Suppose that you’re in debt and know you need to create a budget and stick to it, but you’ve never been very good at that.
Willpower means knowing your weakness… identifying ways to correct it… and then taking the necessary steps to improve it.
These might include taking a personal finance class at a community college or getting a book on that topic from the library.
What to do: Some people naturally have more willpower than others, but everyone can develop more. The trick is to start small.
Maybe your goal is to save 10% of your paycheck each month, but the first step is to reduce your credit card debt by paying off 10% more than the minimum payment each month.
REPLACE NEGATIVE PATTERNS
We’re creatures of habit. Any behavior that’s repeated a few times can become an automatic pattern. These patterns can be positive (such as arriving at work on time) or negative (thinking you’re going to fail).
Negative patterns are particularly hard to manage because they’re often internalized — we don’t always know that we have them.
People often have an inner voice that says things such as, I can’t succeed… I’m not smart enough… It’s not worth my trouble.
Negative self-talk has real-world effects because it guides our behavior and prevents us from coping effectively with difficult situations.
What to do: Pay attention to the thoughts that go through your mind. Are they helpful and affirming? Or do they inspire fear and anxiety?
When your thoughts are negative, create opposite mental patterns. When you think, I’ll never get this project done, consciously come up with a positive alternative and say it aloud if you can or to yourself if the situation warrants.
Be specific. Rather than something general, such as I can do it, say something such as, I’m glad to be completing this project with pride, on time. Say it three times.
This might sound like a gimmick, but our brains like routines. Focusing your mind on positive outcomes — even if it seems artificial at first — causes the automatic part of the brain to build more positive thought patterns that enable us to achieve more.
The key is to constantly monitor yourself. Are you aiming at the center of the target? If not, refocus on the bull’s-eye.
Personal interviewed John Ryder, PhD, psychologist in private practice in New York City.
He has been an assistant professor at Mount Sinai Medical Center and is a psychological consultant to executives, athletes and celebrities.
He is author of Positive Directions: Shifting Polarities to Escape Stress and Increase Happiness (Morgan James).
February 15th, 2011 at 12:15 pm
Wow! I can’t believe there is a place like this where women of islam can speak honestly about this cult.
I fear the men will discover this site and attempt to silence the dialog it could bring to the women of islam. They will claim that they are acting because the site offends Allah. As if Allah can not defend his/herself.
The men will use that pretext to get the outside world to accept their attempt to shut down dialog about this cult.
Please RIST there attempts to scare you into stopping the free dialog about this cult. Women of islam here is your opportunity to express your opinions about your feelings.
If you are pro or con, speak. But be careful that you are not discovered. Even if you write in to be for islam, be very secretive, because the men will say they are disciplining you for even reading such a site in the first place.
Like any cult this one wishes to limit its members access to information that could produce critical thought about the cult’s teachings.
May Allah bless and protect you.
Shulgareh
February 15th, 2011 at 12:42 pm
Lashkar Gah
We women in Iran are on the march for relief from the oppressions of the islamic regime here also. We are being met with painful beatings and arrests by a group of desperate tyrants.
If Mr. Obama had the influence over the military here that he had over Egypt’s this would not be happening. As it is the islamic rule is already in place here.
We women have no assurances that we will fare any better under whatever takes the place of what is present now. But we have no choice but to resist this oppressive situation.
I will say that islam as it is being practice now is a cult. It is so oppressive to women in Iran as to be but a license for sexually arrested men to take their frustrations out on any female they come across.
Any woman in Iran without a male to protect her is defenseless against any attack by any man. No woman in Iran can deny this.
Why a man who claims to believe in a loving God would put female women and children in that position is without logic.
February 15th, 2011 at 12:55 pm
I hope this helps some who are considering becoming a vegetarian. I was because I could not stand the way some farmers treat animals that were destined for our dinner table.
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Factors that Influence Quality and Health Benefits of Meat
So how do you determine the quality of the meat? The following three factors need to be considered:
How it’s raised, i.e. factory farmed or raised organically. Conventional meat is loaded with pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and other chemicals and should be avoided.
Whether or not it’s grass-fed. This is an essential requirement healthy meat.
Whether or not it contains nitrates, preservatives linked to cancer. Processed meats are not a healthful choice for anyone and should be avoided entirely, according to a recent review of more than 7,000 clinical studies examining the connection between diet and cancer.
Next, how you cook the meat will also influence its health benefits because any time you cook meat at high temperatures, dangerous chemicals are created, including:
Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs): These form when food is cooked at high temperatures, and they’re linked to cancer.
In terms of HCA, the worst part of the meat is the blackened section, which is why you should always avoid charring your meat, and never eat blackened sections.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs): When fat drips onto the heat source, causing excess smoke, and the smoke surrounds your food, it can transfer cancer-causing PAHs to the meat.
Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs): When food is cooked at high temperatures (including when it is pasteurized or sterilized), it increases the formation of AGEs in your food.
When you eat the food, it transfers the AGEs into your body. AGEs build up in your body over time leading to oxidative stress, inflammation and an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease.
In other words, even if you are a protein type who thrives on red meat, eating factory farmed, grain-feed beef that’s been charred to a crisp will NOT improve your health.
In order for meat to be its healthiest, it should be organic and grass-fed, and it should be cooked as little as possible.
You can, for example, quickly sear the meat on both sides, leaving the inside quite rare. This gives the illusion that you’re eating cooked meat, while still getting many of the benefits of raw.
Keep in mind that when it comes to parasites or other infections, the health of the animal is of utmost importance, which is yet another reason for avoiding any kind of factory-farmed meats.
Those animals are fed and housed poorly, which makes disease-causing bacteria an issue, whereas organically-raised pastured animals rarely get diseased.
Tips for Finding Safe, Humanely Raised Food Sources
It is relatively easy to find a humane and reliable source for your food — sources that are growing food with the health of the environment and the animals as the driving force.
You can also check out the Agriculture page, which contains a long list of resources to help you find high-quality produce and meats in your area.
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Lisa
February 15th, 2011 at 12:58 pm
Michelle;
If memory serves me right, Monsanto was best known for making linoleum or some similar type of vinyl floor covering back when I was young. Their products were found on the shelves of hardware stores, not grocery stores.
As far as the FDA goes, they are completely worthless. Like the ATF, remember how difficult it was to get them to put a warning label on a pack of cigarettes. Dumb scientists swore they didn’t know they were harmful.
And it is legal for anyone to purchase weapons (as long as they get the proper permit) that out power a SWAT team. Sportsmen need to fire 100 shots per second. Whatever happened to taking aim?
See what money can buy. People, laws, governments, supreme courts, politicians, etc. Integrity is a thing of the past.
We really do not have any government agencies that lookout for consumers anymore, they look out for their bank accounts and themselves.
“Is the FDA a subsidary of Monsanto”? We are on our own as far as keeping poison out the food we eat. I will have to start bringing a magnifying glass along with my shopping list.
Al
February 15th, 2011 at 2:09 pm
Michelle, I am sick and tired of hearing about our struggles(Middle East attempts by the people to over throw their dictators) as an attempt to mimic the democracies of the Western world.
First, I wish to say to you Westerners that tout the merits of your democracies that you poll your OTWS before you start bragging about how wonderful a democracy is.
History shows that no Western democracy led by a white man ever remotely practiced the definition of that word.
Webster’s definition of democracy is”representative government, elective government; self-government, government by the people; republic, commonwealth. ANTONYMS dictatorship.”
White run governments ran a benevolent dictatorship that they called and accepted among themselves as a democracy.
Their governments only practiced democracy among white men. Hence white men were de facto dictators of the OTW citizens and white women in their counties.
Please stand oh great intellectual white men and refute this claim. Please name one country that had or has a OTWS that this is not true in.
Even today it is true to a degree. Especially white americans. Just shut the fuck up! I think that is the American expression that says you have NOTHING to say.
Your news media come to our countries and postulate about us attempting to obtain a democracy as if what you have is remotely reminiscent of the definition of a democracy.
Is it any wonder we would want to drive your hypocritical asses our of our countries.
You white men are so used to your hypocrisy that you have no problem calling one vote my one man that leaves our equal participation by its female population as a democracy.
Of course that would be the case for the white media because in most of their country they see no reason not to see any different when they deprive their OTWS of the same privilege.
We only want the Western media in our country to shame our men into not maiming and killing us. We do not want nor need your pontification about the merits of your democracies.
Chaghcharan
February 15th, 2011 at 2:25 pm
My sister called me today to say her husband of 21 years forgot to even acknowledge Valentine’s Day.
I called him and told him that she was very upset. He said that their financial situation was so mentally taxing to him that he did not feel all that loving yesterday.
I know he doesn’t read this blog, but my sister does so I risk a lot saying what follows.
I think he is one selfish hypocrite. It is easy to mind our considerations when all is right with the world.
Valentine’s Day is a woman’s Day. She looks forward to be being acknowledged as being a contributor of some value on that day.be it to a husband, brother, father or whoever.
It is her day. Men are pampered practiced 24/7. Who cleans for us, washes our clothes, worries about our needs(sometimes even when we don’t), takes our side against all others, and more times than not puts our interests above hers.
And she does this practically 24 hours a day seven days a week.
But this asshole felt that even this one day he had the right to think about his needs alone.
Sis, I say as soon as you get the opportunity dump the self centered creep. It will never get any better. If he dies before he gets rich, you may think he was a wonderful companion.
It would be a lie. You were just lucky not to have to discovered the true inconsiderate asshole in him.
Your loving brother
Victor
February 15th, 2011 at 2:51 pm
As has been pointed out islamic men have absolutely no respect for women, islamic or otherwise. They will use any excuse to rape, torture or kill them.
Case in point: Lara Logan, a CBS correspondent, was brutally raped repeatedly by islamic men. It was us women that went to her rescue.
Islamic men stood by and looked the other way. We had to demand that soldiers come and stop the sick men from using any excuse to rape this defenseless woman.
These are the same arab men who complain about their treatment by Israel. They pretend to be more concerned about the treatment of their women by Israel.
I can tell you that no israelite male has ever treated as bad as an islamic male. They are beasts. Witness their animalistic behavior upon Ms. Logan.
They began tearing at her clothes as soon as they separated her from her male companions. They were oblivious to the presence of arab women. They were going about the usual business of degrading, raping and assaulting a woman who had on male protection.
This is the islamic world condoned and indeed propped up by Western white men.
But soon you will hear the hypocritical shrieks from the white media about their disgust and horror of such an act.
They will not mention that their governments support these governments as long as they are promised access to their oil.
Lara Logan my heart and the hearts of all women, regardless of race, religion or ideology go out to you.
But, take lightly, the condolences, of men, they are the perpetrators of the behavior they pretend to abhor.
Kushka
February 15th, 2011 at 3:28 pm
I have just heard about what happen in Egypt. It is so shameful! Arab men claiming to be so religious raping women as if they were animals.
They wish the world to sympathize with their plight while they behave as beasts.
Typical male expectation and behavior. Men use any excuse to rape women. Those men will expect to be honored for what they did.
May Allah condemn them all to hell.
Mazar-e Shaif
February 15th, 2011 at 4:07 pm
Since we are on the subject of our blessed FDA and Monsanto…
It’s time to tell President Obama not to cave to Monsanto and the biotech industry!
Unbelievable! In the past 3 weeks, the Obama administration has approved 3 GMO crops. First it was Monsanto’s Roundup Ready alfalfa, then Monsanto’s GMO sugar beets and just last Friday, as Egypt celebrated it’s freedom, the Obama U.S. Department of Agriculture gave the go ahead to a GMO variety of industrial corn to be used to produce ethanol.1
That’s right, 3 GMO crops got the Obama Rubber Stamp in the past 3 weeks.
It’s great that the First Lady is planting an organic garden at the White House, however, this should be a time when the Obama administration should be forging ahead to make agriculture more sustainable, encouraging more farmers to convert to organic farming practices, they’ve decided to double down on an unproven and untested technology over the objections of millions of Americans and a growing chorus of food manufacturers, both organic and conventional, who find these lab engineered food products to be worrisome for a variety of reasons.
Already more than 75,000 American citizens and two dozen farm, food and agricultural organizations have signed a letter to President Obama asking him to retract his recent decisions on GMO alfalfa and sugar beets.
Clearly the President and his staff have not gotten the message!
If you haven’t signed, please click on the link below and then forward this to 3 friends you know who care about this critical issue — we need to keep the pressure on!
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/347?akid=298.121728.3wdFwR&t=7
Here’s a brief recap of the Obama administration’s appalling cave to Monsanto and the biotech industry in just the last 3 weeks.
1. Monsanto’s Roundup Ready GMO alfalfa – Jan. 27th, 2011 – Over the objections of hundreds of thousands of American citizens, the White House approved this unnecessary crop – despite the fact that 93% of alfalfa hay grown in the U.S. does not use herbicides and that genetic contamination with conventional, non-GMO and organic alfalfa threatens the livelihoods of tens of thousands of family farmers and the food choices of more than 50 million organic consumers.2
2. Monsanto’s Roundup Ready GMO sugar beets – Feb. 4, 2011 – Defying a court order to complete a proper Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) the USDA announced that it is granting a “partial” approval of Monsanto’s GMO sugar beets, giving farmers and seed dealers the clear signal that final approval is right around the corner. By the time the EIS is expected to be complete, sometime in May, farmers will have already started planting their crop for the next year since the USDA says it gave the green light to avert a “sugar shortage” in the U.S. Sugar beets comprise some 54% of U.S. sugar found in everything from soda, other beverages, candy bars3
3. Syngenta’s Enogen Alpha-Amylase Corn for Ethanol – Feb 11, 2011 – This new GMO amylase corn product contains an enzyme that allegedly allows an increase in ethanol production with a reduction of natural gas and water usage, thus saving ethanol plants money. While caving to the biotech and ethanol industries, the Obama administration basically ignored the concerns of leading food manufacturers who fear that if this new industrial corn cross-pollinates with or is accidentally mixed with corn used to make food products, it could lead to crumbly corn chips, soggy cereal and a host of other food processing disasters.4
Despite being comprised of more than 43 powerful companies such as General Mills, ConAgra Mills, ADM Milling and Quaker Oats, the Obama administration completely dismissed the concerns of the North American Miller’s Association, comprised of some of the largest food manufacturers in U.S. in order to favor the biotech and ethanol corporate agenda, both industries with checkered pasts and products of dubious benefit.
Please take a moment to tell President Obama that you’re outraged over his decision to approve a crop technology that has not lived up to its marketing promises, increasingly harms farmer profitability and has potential negative human health and environmental consequences.
Click on the link to tell President Obama that you’re outraged by these recent decisions and care about how your food is produced and what it’s in it and that it’s time to put the health and safety of farmers and America’s 50 million organic consumers over corporate profits.
Sources:
1. “Vilsack Clears Industrial Biotech Corn”, Des Moines Register, February 11, 2011.
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/343?akid=298.121728.3wdFwR&t=14
2. “U.S. Approves Gene-Altered Alfalfa, Fails to Protect Organic Farms”, Rodale News, January 27, 2011.
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/344?akid=298.121728.3wdFwR&t=16
3. “USDA Approves Genetically Engineered Sugar Beets Without Ample Review”, Rodale News, February 4, 2011
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/345?akid=298.121728.3wdFwR&t=18
4. “How Ethanol Production Could Make for Crumbly Corn Chips”, The Christian Science Monitor, February 15, 2011.
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/346?akid=298.121728.3wdFwR&t=20
February 15th, 2011 at 6:58 pm
Michelle:
I’ve tried that stuff. It is being served here in Memphis. I will avoid it like the plague from now on.
Traci
February 15th, 2011 at 10:53 pm
To the women of the Middle East;
My heart goes out to you and I am horrified at the abuses you are enduring on a daily basis. Same goes for women who suffer abuse at the hands of men wherever you may be.
Greed and lust for power seems to be at the root of mankind’s problems, but to think that ones God condones abusing women is pure insanity.
Women, who bear children, raise them, and in many cases care for the entire family, deserve no less than to be appreciated and treated with love and respect.
I am personally horrified by the abuses that many women suffer, and by the stories of mistreatment I have read about on Michelle’s blog.
I wish all women nothing but the best.
Sincerely,
Al
February 15th, 2011 at 11:12 pm
kushka – thank u for writing what I feel so eloquently
Unfortunately this is the world over- all men feel the need to conquer.
Poor women in every country of every race are dominated. It’s no wonder the aliens laugh
at us humans. We do sh*t where we eat – and on each other. There is no respect for life.
The aliens must be bottom feeders that come here or opportunists.
I am praying for Lara Logan’s being to find peace.
I am praying the planet finds peace. We must grasp a higher consciousness people!
February 16th, 2011 at 8:13 am
Safer Driving in a Blizzard
William Van Tassel, PhD
American Automobile Association
If snowfall is so heavy that you cannot see, pull over to the side of the road as quickly as you safely can. Keep your seat belt on in case you get hit from behind.
Do not attempt to drive through snowdrifts — your car might become stuck or you might hit something hidden underneath the snow. Avoid driving during the first snowstorm of the season.
Many drivers, lulled by months of good weather, fail to drive as conservatively as they should. Helpful: Polarized sunglasses can reduce glare and improve visibility in a blizzard.
Personal interviewed William Van Tassel, PhD, manager of driver-training operations at AAA’s national office, Heathrow, Florida. http://www.aaa.com
February 16th, 2011 at 8:14 am
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