Samstag, 4. März 2006

Genetically Engineered Foods Pose Health Risk

Genetically Engineered Foods Pose Health Risk for Children

By Jeffrey M. Smith,
author of Seeds of Deception

In a study in the early 1990's rats were fed genetically modified (GM) tomatoes. Well actually, the rats refused to eat them. They were force-fed. Several of the rats developed stomach lesions and seven out of forty died within two weeks. Scientists at the FDA who reviewed the study agreed that it did not provide a "demonstration of reasonable certainty of no harm." In fact, agency scientists warned that GM foods in general might create unpredicted allergies, toxins, antibiotic resistant diseases, and nutritional problems. Internal FDA memos made public from a lawsuit reveal that the scientists urged their superiors to require long-term safety testing to catch these hard-to-detect side effects. But FDA political appointees, including a former attorney for Monsanto in charge of policy, ignored the scientists' warnings. The FDA does not require safety studies. Instead, if the makers of the GM foods claim that they are safe, the agency has no further questions. The GM tomato was approved in 1994. Americans eat genetically modified foods everyday. Although the GM tomato has been taken off the market, millions of acres of soy, corn, canola, and cotton have had foreign genes inserted into their DNA. The new genes allow the crops to survive applications of herbicide, create their own pesticide, or both. While there are only a handful of published animal safety studies, those conducted by the biotech industry are often dismissed by critics as superficial and designed to avoid finding problems. Scientists who voice their criticism or discover incriminating evidence have been threatened, stripped of responsibilities, denied funding or tenure, or fired. For example, a UK government-funded study demonstrated that young rats fed a GM potato developed potentially pre-cancerous cell growth, damaged immune systems, partial atrophy of the liver, and inhibited development of their brains, livers and testicles. When the lead scientist went public with his concerns, he was promptly fired from his job after 35 years and silenced with threats of a lawsuit. Other research shows: Rats fed GM corn had problems with blood cell formation. Those fed GM soy had problems with liver cell formation, and the livers of rats fed GM canola were heavier. Pigs fed GM corn on at least 25 Midwest farms developed false pregnancies or sterility. Cows fed GM corn in Germany died mysteriously. And twice the number of chickens died when fed GM corn compared to those fed natural corn. Soon after GM soy was introduced to the UK, soy allergies skyrocketed by 50 percent. This might be due to the fact that the most common allergen in soy, called trypsin inhibitor, is substantially elevated in GM soy. In addition, GM soy contains a protein that was never before part of the human food supply, and might be allergenic. In fact, sections of that protein are identical to those found in shrimp and dust mite allergens, which should have disqualified GM soy from approval, according to World Health Organization recommendations. Moreover, since the sequence of the gene that was inserted into soy has inexplicably rearranged over time, the protein it creates is different than the one intended, and was never subject to any safety studies. It may be allergenic or toxic. Without follow-up tests, we can't be sure if the introduction of GM soy was the cause of the allergies, but we do know that the composition of GM soy is different. Ask the animals. Eyewitness reports from all over North America describe how several types of animals, when given a choice, avoided eating GM food. These included cows, pigs, elk, deer, raccoons, squirrels, rats, and mice. Differences in GM food will likely have a much larger impact on children. They are three to four times more susceptible to allergies. Also, they convert more of the food into body-building material. Altered nutrients or added toxins can result in developmental problems. For this reason, animal nutrition studies are typically conducted on young, developing animals. After the feeding trial, organs are weighed and often studied under magnification. If scientists used mature animals instead of young ones, even severe nutritional problems might not be detected. Monsanto's study on their GM soybeans used mature animals instead of young ones. The UK government also sponsored a study on GM soy—the only human feeding study ever conducted. It showed that the gene inserted into soybeans spontaneously transferred out of food and into the DNA of gut bacteria. This has several serious implications. First, it means that the bacteria inside our intestines, newly equipped with this foreign gene, may create the novel protein inside of us. If it is allergenic or toxic, it may affect us for the long term, even if we give up eating GM soy. The same study verified that the promoter, which scientists attach to the inserted gene to permanently switch it on, also transferred to gut bacteria. Preliminary results also showed that the promoter transferred into rat organs, after they were fed only a single GM meal. Research on this promoter suggests that it might unintentionally switch on other genes in the DNA— permanently. This could create an overproduction of allergens, toxins, carcinogens, or antinutrients. Scientists also theorize that the promoter might switch on dormant viruses embedded in the DNA or generate mutations. Kids are regularly fed GM soy-based infant formula. The digestive capacity of small children is less than adults, suggesting that more GM DNA might survive with more transgenes ending up inside gut bacteria or possibly inside organs. What about corn genetically engineered to create its own pesticide? If the inserted gene were to transfer from the corn that children eat into their gut bacteria, it could theoretically transform their intestinal flora into living pesticide factories. Preliminary evidence shows that thirty-nine Philippinos living next to a pesticideproducing cornfield developed skin, intestinal, and respiratory reactions while the corn was pollinating. Tests of their blood also showed an immune response to the pesticide. Mice fed the pesticide developed an immune response equal to cholera toxin, misshapen and excessive cell growth in their small intestines, and an increased susceptibility to allergens. GM corn and most GM crops are also inserted with antibiotic resistant genes. FDA scientists described this as "A SERIOUS HEALTH HAZAARD." They, and health organizations worldwide, are concerned about the possibility that these might transfer to pathogenic bacteria inside our gut and create new, antibiotic resistant super-diseases. The biotech industry countered these fears by insisting that the DNA was fully destroyed during digestion and therefore no such transfer of genes was possible. The human feeding study described above, published in February 2004, overturned this baseless assumption. Unfortunately, children prone to ear and other infections may be at risk of facing antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria, due to the use of antibiotic resistant genes. The British Medical Association cited this as one reason why they called for a moratorium of GM foods. No one monitors human health impacts of genetically modified foods. If the foods were creating health problems in the US population, it might take years or decades before we identified the cause. One epidemic in the 1980's provides a chilling example. A new disease was created by a brand of the food supplement Ltryptophan, which had been produced through genetic modification and contained tiny traces of contaminants. The disease killed about 100 Americans and caused sickness or disability in about 5-10,000 others. The only reason that doctors were able to identify that an epidemic was occurring, was because the disease had three simultaneous characteristics: it was rare, acute, and fast acting. Even then it was nearly missed entirely. Children are more susceptible to problems with milk Milk and dairy products from cows treated with the genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rbGH) contain an increased amount of the hormone IGF-1, which is one of the highest risk factors associated with breast and prostate cancer. The Council on Scientific Affairs of the American Medical Association called for more studies to determine if ingesting "higher than normal concentrations of [IGF-1] is safe for children, adolescents, and adults." Sam Epstein, M.D., Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition and author of eight books, wrote, "rbGH and its digested products could be absorbed from milk into blood, particularly in infants, and produce hormonal and allergic effects." He described how "cell-stimulating growth factors . . . could induce premature growth and breast stimulation in infants, and possibly promote breast cancer in adults." Dr. Epstein pointed out that the hormones in cows could promote the production of "steroids and adrenaline-type stressor chemicals . . . likely to contaminate milk and may be harmful, particularly to infants and young children." Schools can protect children Our entire population is being fed GM foods daily, without knowing the impact of these foods on our health, our behavior, or our children. Thousands of schools around the world, particularly in Europe, have decided not to let their kids be used as guinea pigs. They have banned GM foods. With the epidemic of obesity and diabetes and with the results in some schools showing that food influences student behavior, parents and schools are waking up to the critical role that diet plays. When making changes in what kids eat, removing genetically modified foods should be a priority. To become more informed of the dangers of GM foods and to learn how to avoid buying and eating GM foods, see http://www.seedsofdeception.com .

© Copyright Jeffrey M. Smith.
Permission is granted to reproduce this article in whole or in part.

http://www.saynotogmos.org/risks-to-children.pdf


Informant: JHW369

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Top GMO Expert on the Alex Jones show

Jeffrey Smith, author of Seeds of Deception

his sites Main: http://www.seedsofdeception.com/Public/Home/index.cfm
2nd site http://www.responsibletechnology.org/GMFree/Home/index.cfm

Listen to the interview http://www.nw0.info/files/Radio/Alex%20Jones%20Radio%20Archive/2008/February/aj_2008-02-29.mp3

Fast forward to 44:00 mins

Top info on GMO foods.


Informant: shane_digital



http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=GMO+foods
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Seeds+of+Deception

WE HELPED RUIN THE PLANET

By Patrick Barkham

The Guardian

Saturday March 4, 2006

They are the gurus of globetrotting, the men who built publishing empires from their adventures and wrote guidebooks encouraging millions to venture further afield than ever before. Now the founders of the Rough Guides and Lonely Planet books, troubled that they have helped spread a casual attitude towards air travel that could trigger devastating climate change, are uniting to urge tourists to fly less.

Mark Ellingham, the founder of Rough Guides, and Tony Wheeler, who created Lonely Planet after taking the hippie trail across Asia, want fellow travellers to "fly less and stay longer" and donate money to carbon offsetting schemes. From next month, warnings will appear in all new editions of their guides about the impact of flying on global warming alongside alternative ways of reaching certain destinations.

But the founders of the UK's two biggest travel publishers are refusing to give up flying and admit they are not paragons of environmental virtue. Asked if he felt guilty about the hundreds of flights he has undertaken, Mr Wheeler -- visiting London on a business trip from Australia -- said: "Absolutely. I'm the worst example of it. I'm not going to stop but every time I jump on a plane I think, 'oh no, I'm doing it again.'"

Read further under: http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1723120,00.html


Informant: NHNE

Bush Punishes Representative Who Opposes Dubai Port Deal

Representative Peter T. King's prominent opposition to a proposal to allow a Dubai company to take over some terminal operations at American ports may have earned him some punishment from the Bush administration: He has been grounded.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/030406X.shtml

Blair: God will judge me on Iraq

http://tinyurl.com/f8s9k
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article349125.ece

Blair: I will answer to God
http://www.itv.com/news/112832.html

Blair criticised over God statement
http://www.itv.com/news/index_1751476.html

Von Gott gerechtfertigte Kriegspolitik?

In einem Interview machte der britische Regierungschef seine religiöse Nähe zu Bush im Irak-Krieg deutlich.

http://www.telepolis.de/tp/r4/artikel/22/22182/1.html

Make a difference, save baby seals, and more

http://www.omega-news.info/save_baby_seals_and_more.htm

As Patriot Act Fight Continues Americans Reject Expansive Presidential Powers

March 3, 2006

See the faces of surveillance.
http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=buiSSKKZqFicm6Cn8wP6KA..

The ACLU has just announced the results of a new poll that reveals American voters' attitudes on presidential powers and spying. See how your answers compare to those in the national poll. Take our survey.
http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=5LYlx_FhtJNzKOIK-zdL8Q..

Stop the abuse of power. Sign our Demand for the Truth petition here.
http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=CVsuMUgGmu59Apratvkzdw..

Get updates from Capitol Hill and links to related news on our Patriot Act Blog. http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=M5q0bY5HEDwZVGCHBg-avQ..

The Senate voted to reauthorize the Patriot Act this week, failing to include common sense reforms to bring that law in line with the Constitution by restoring checks and balances and ensuring the protection of the fundamental freedoms and privacy of all Americans. The House is expected to adopt a bill next week to amend the Patriot Act reauthorization bill conference report it passed last December.

The ACLU applauds the efforts of those Senators who sought to include much-needed reforms in the Patriot Act reauthorization bill and stood firm in their commitment to protect our freedoms.

All this takes places as Americans across the political spectrum express increasing concern about the reckless policies of President Bush and his Administration. A new poll of over 1000 Americans shows that a majority reject the President's illegal program of warrantless domestic surveillance, and doubt that he acted within the bounds of the law.

The American people reject the White House's assertion that the President has the authority to act outside of the law whenever and however he deems necessary. We've posted results and selected questions from the survey online so you can give your own opinions and see how they compare to our nationwide poll of voters across the political spectrum.

Thanks to your efforts, the Patriot Act reauthorization process has been a debate over fundamental freedoms, not the quick rubber-stamp the White House hoped for last spring, and real momentum for reform is still alive in Congress.

The fight to reform the Patriot Act is far from over, as Congress is planning hearings to investigate the massive increase in National Security Letter (NSL) record requests, an issue the ACLU continues to fight, and win on, in the federal courts. But the fact is, until the Bush Administration chooses the rule of law over its pattern of abuses of power, any new reforms may simply go ignored under this President's extreme views of unlimited executive authority.

Your active involvement will help us continue to make a difference in the fight.

New Documents Provide Further Evidence That Senior Officials Approved Abuse of Prisoners at Guantánamo

Newly acquired documents obtained by the ACLU show that senior Defense Department officials approved aggressive interrogation techniques that FBI agents deemed abusive, ineffective and unlawful.

"We now possess overwhelming evidence that political and military leaders endorsed interrogation methods that violate both domestic and international law," said Jameel Jaffer, an ACLU attorney. "It is entirely unacceptable that no senior official has been held accountable."

Included in the release is a memorandum prepared by FBI personnel on May 30, 2003, which supplies a detailed discussion of tensions between FBI and Defense Department personnel stationed at Guantánamo in late 2002. According to the memo, Defense Department interrogators were encouraged by their superiors to "use aggressive interrogation tactics" that FBI agents believed were "of questionable effectiveness and subject to uncertain interpretation based on law and regulation."

While some of the documents indicate that FBI personnel objected to Defense Department interrogation policies at Guantánamo, others raise serious questions about the FBI's own policies -- and particularly about the agency's response to the torture of prisoners at Abu Ghraib. In one e-mail, dated January 24, 2004, the FBI's on-scene commander in Baghdad discusses whether the FBI should investigate the abuse or whether it should leave the task to military investigators. The e-mail, which was sent to senior FBI officials at FBI headquarters, advises that the FBI should decline to investigate. "We need to maintain good will and relations with those operating the prison," the e-mail states. "Our involvement in the investigation of the alleged abuse might harm our liaison."

To date, more than 90,000 pages of government documents have been released in response to the ACLU's Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. The ACLU has been posting these documents online at http://www.aclu.org/torturefoia

A radical shift away from the American tradition of religious freedom

New Coalition Website Fights Government-Funded Religious Discrimination

The religious liberty of Americans is under attack.

Under the guise of the so-called "faith-based initiative," some members of Congress and the Bush Administration are campaigning to allow taxpayer funds to be used for religious discrimination.

Their proposals seek to grant religious social service providers -- who have long provided admirable and essential services to America's communities -- the right to discriminate, proselytize and play by different rules than other charities while spending tax dollars. If these efforts are successful, social workers, psychologists, counselors, teachers and others seeking to work in tax-funded social service programs could be denied jobs solely because of their faith.

This would be a radical shift away from the American tradition of religious freedom.

The ACLU is a member of the Coalition Against Religious Discrimination, a group of religious, civil rights, labor, education, health and advocacy organizations who believe in defending the First Amendment and the religious liberty of all Americans. With these groups, we are fighting to protect the Constitution.

Lawmakers need to hear from members of the clergy and religious leaders, and from social service providers or professionals who believe that government funding of religion and religious discrimination is wrong. If you are a religious leader or service provider, now is the time to make your voice heard.

Visit the new coalition website at http://www.StopReligiousDiscrimination.org to sign an open letter to the president and Congress.

Cunningham Receives Eight-Year Sentence

A judge rejected Randall "Duke" Cunningham's tearful bid for mercy today and sentenced the war hero, "Top Gun" instructor and disgraced former congressman to 8 years, 4 months in federal prison for bribery.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/030406Z.shtml

Please John Conyers: Impeach Bush NOW

by Bob Fertik
http://www.democrats.com/please-john-conyers

On Thursday, Harper's Magazine held a truly outstanding forum on impeaching George Bush with Sam Seder, Rep. John Conyers, John Dean, Liz Holtzman, Lewis Lapham, and Michael Ratner (photo by Kate Anne).

Everyone agreed Bush should be impeached, the important question was when.

During Q&A, I asked John Conyers if he would introduce Articles of Impeachment now. He replied, "My goodness, please look at H.Res. 635, which calls for an investigation that could lead to impeachment. But I cannot call for impeachment now, before we have investigated all the facts."

My time was up, so I could not continue the debate. But if I could, these are the arguments I would make for the immediate introduction of Articles of Impeachment.

First, the Articles of Impeachment have been written. You can find them in Michael Ratner's brand new book. We don't need a committee to struggle for months over the wording; Conyers and his allies can simply "throw the book" at Bush.

Second, when House Republicans impeached President Clinton in 1998, they emphasized ad nauseum that "impeachment" is merely the equivalent of an indictment, the determination that there is sufficient evidence to charge a suspect with a crime. Impeachment, like an indictment, leads to a trial, in which a jury (in this case the Senate) determines whether the evidence is sufficient for conviction. The evidence we have in hand (as presented in Michael Ratner's book, as well as John Conyers' thorough report on the Iraq War lies, The Constitution in Crisis) is far more than is needed for an indictment. There is absolutely no reason for Conyers' proposed Select Committee to do the work of the Senate in weighing the evidence.

Third, Bush's criminal activity is ongoing and must be stopped. Our occupation of Iraq has already cost 2,300 American lives and at least 28,636 Iraqi lives, if not well over 100,000. We are committing war crimes by torturing and murdering prisoners, using chemical weapons and depleted uranium, and pushing Iraq to the brink of civil war. Bush is still wiretapping countless Americans without a warrant, in direct violation of the FISA law. And even though Bush's crimes are flagrant and obscene, the Republican Congress refuses to either investigate them or stop them.

Finally, as the panelists made clear, the American people are truly in a state of despair that George Bush is able to commit these unspeakable crimes without any effort to hold him accountable. By introducing real Articles of Impeachment - even if only a few Members do so - those Members will make a powerful statement that they are determined to challenge that despair and demand accountability. That act of leadership, in and of itself, would galvanize the 52% of Americans (when last measured in January, long before Dubai and the Katrina tapes) who support impeachment. And it would most likely persuade even more Americans that Bush's impeachment was both necessary and urgent. So if 55% or 60% or even 65% of Americans supported impeachment, Republicans in Congress would have a very difficult time standing in the way - especially as they faced a disastrous election in November.

After four distinguished decades in Congress, John Conyers is not a man who acts rashly. But all of us who have watched Bush shred the Constitution know that Conyers has tried to stop him every step of the way by sending urgent letters, filing Freedom of Information requests, and proposing Resolutions of Inquiry. Through those diligent efforts, Conyers has laid the most solid groundwork possible for impeachment.

So please John Conyers, I honestly beg you to introduce Articles of Impeachment now.

Action items:

1. Send this article with a few words of your own to campaign@johnconyers.com

2. Urge your Representative and Senators to support Impeachment: http://capwiz.com/pdamerica/issues/alert/?alertid=8329176

3. C-Span taped this outstanding forum but it does not appear on C-Span's schedule for Saturday, Sunday or Monday. Email viewer@c-span.org and urge them to broadcast it.

4. The New York Times is one block from Town Hall, yet it did not even mention this historic event. Email Executive Editor Bill Keller executive-editor@nytimes.com and Public Editor Byron Calame public@nytimes.com and demand to know why.

5. Link to this article from your favorite blogs and ask the blog owner to join ImpeachPAC's Citizens Impeachment Commission.

6. Register to join in local protests: http://www.democrats.com/user/register

7. Read the whole protest plan: http://www.democrats.com/cd

8. Organize your congressional district: http://pdamerica.org/orgs/cdpp-form.php

9. Support our efforts by contributing to ImpeachPAC.

Thank you for your tireless efforts to save American Democracy!


UPCOMING EVENTS TO END THE WAR AND HOLD WARMAKERS ACCOUNTABLE

Sign up for these, find others, and create your own at http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/event

See Also: UFPJ's 3rd Anniversary of the War Calendar of Events http://unitedforpeace.org/calendar.php?caltype=39&lcountry=&state=&search=Search

See Also: PDA Events http://pdamerica.org/events/main-list.php

4th Annual Party for Progressives! Activist San Diego presents: We say NO to War! We Support Peace & Justice for All! Special Guest: CINDY SHEEHAN Sat March 4, 8 -11pm Balboa Park Club Ballroom, San Diego, CA Dancing to award winning dance band LIQUID BLUE To purchase tickets: 619-528-8383 or http://www.ActivistSanDiego.org

Scott Ritter and Gore Vidal in LA U.S. Tour of Duty's Real Intelligence Project, Los Angeles City Beat, and Progressive Talk AM 1150 present an emergency public discussion about Iraq, Iran and America's constitutional crisis with Former UN Weapons Inspector SCOTT RITTER and GORE VIDAL March 4, 4 - 5:30 p.m. Immanuel Presbyterian Church, 3300 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles Doors open 3 p.m. http://www.ustourofduty.org

IRAQI & U.S. WOMEN SAY NO TO WAR! March 5 - 6 Events in NY March 7 - 9 Events in DC Tuesday 7 March 7-9 PM Foundry United Methodist Church Meet the Delegation: Gold Star Mothers Cindy Sheehan and Elaine Johnson Eman Khammas, Nadje Al-Ali, Faiza Al-Araji and Others Medea Benjamin, Ann Wright and Others... Music by In Process, Holly Near and more… 1500 16th Street NW DC (16th & P) Dupont Circle Metro, #30 bus - Suggested donation $10.00

March/Rally to Deliver Women's Peace Plan with 100,000 signatures Wednesday 8 March NOON (sign and forward the petition at http://womensaynotowar.org) start at Iraqi Embassy and finish at the White House NOON meet: 1801 P streets, NW - Dupont Circle Metro

Iraqi Women's Briefing and Q&A for Congress Thursday 9 March 11 AM Sponsored by Out of Iraq Caucus (Room TBD) For more Info about the Iraqi delegation and additional events: http://womensaynotowar.org or call Allison at 202 487 5112 or email dc@codepinkalert.org


FORWARD THIS INFORMATION

--------

http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=impeach
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=impeach

The Anomaly In The Earth’s Wobble Continues

ECB – March 1, 2006, MWM) After nearly 120 days of deeply anomalous motion which began at the beginning of November 2005, the Spin Axis is showing some signs of returning to a normal wobble track, but only very slowly. During January the Earth ceased its wobble motion for a full month and then during February the Earth’s motion began to slowly move its wobble track back to the starting point of the current anomaly.

For the past two weeks this motion has been nearly straight up the X Plot (Greenwich Meridian), dipping Greenland/England slightly to the North. But there is still almost no net motion on the Y axis aside from minor quivers such as are typically caused by atmospheric and tidal conditions.

This gradual return to what the track was during 2005 will not normalize the Earth’s Wobble. The old, normal wobble cycle has “lost” at least 120 days, that’s four months out of a 14 month cycle. Thus it is likely that a major phase shift has occurred in both the 14 month wobble cycle and the primary 7 year cycle in the “Chandler Amplitude”, known here as the Primary Axis Cycle.

This “event” may be even more radical that a truncation of the cycle. It appears as of March 1, 2006 that an entirely new cycle is generating itself around a radically shifted average or mean location for the Spin Axis. This new cycle appears to be shifted about 180 degrees in phase from the old cycle. This appearance, however, may deepen or gradually disappear during the next three months. More likely than not we will have to wait until Summer 2006 to “cap” our description of just what this anomaly is.

For the latest Wobble Tracker graph of Polar Motion as of February 21, 2006, see

http://www.michaelmandeville.com/earthmonitor/polarmotion/plots/wobbletrac_Feb21_06.gif

Read further under: http://www.michaelmandeville.com/earthmonitor/polarmotion/2006_wobble_anomaly.htm


Informant: Janet Krager

Equality has become an unmentionable word in Congress

Equality, or Not

David Bacon reports that equality has become an unmentionable word in Congress. It doesn't come even once in the 300-page omnibus immigration bill introduced last week by Senator Arlen Specter, nor in any of the others Congress is considering. They all deny equality to millions of people. In the testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which Specter chairs, no one even dares to advocate it.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/030306S.shtml

Oppose the National Uniformity in Labeling Act

Earlier this week we asked you to urge your U.S. Representative to oppose a bill (H.R. 4167) that would dramatically weaken labeling laws for products regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including bottled water. After the significant public pressure, Congress announced that voting on this measure would be delayed for another week. So there is still time for you to take action. Read below for more details and take action today!

http://www.stopcorporateabusenow.org/campaign/HR_4167

The U.S. House of Representatives is moving ahead with a bill that would dramatically weaken labeling laws for products regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including bottled water. The legislation has broad, negative implications for consumers across the U.S.

The bottled water industry's major trade association—the International Bottled Water Association—has made legislation similar to HR 4167 a "perennial priority." This is the same industry that has spent tens of millions of dollars over the last decade to mislead consumers into believing that bottled water is better for you than tap water.

Act today to urge your U.S. Representative to stand up for people's health and consumers' rights over the profits of the bottled water industry. The bill comes to the House floor next week.

Onward,

Patti Lynn Campaigns Director


Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):
Your Congressperson

Below is the sample letter:

Subject: Please oppose the National Uniformity in Labeling Act (HR 4167)

Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],

I am writing to urge you to oppose HR 4167, the "National Uniformity in Labeling Act."

This legislation has broad, negative implications for people across the US, including:

-reducing access to consumer information on sources of bottled water,

-eliminating existing consumer protection laws on food safety in at least 30 states, and,

-benefiting big corporations at the expense of people's health.

Big corporations like Coke, Pepsi and Nestle are misleading consumers into believing that bottled water is better for you than tap water. But the fact is that bottled water is less regulated that tap water, and studies reveal that bottled water can actually contain harmful bacteria and other contaminants.

Consumers need more information on bottled water, including where it is sourced. Not less! The International Bottled Water Association strongly supports legislation similar to HR 4167. But people across the U.S. are calling on our elected officials to stand up for people's heath and consumer rights over the interests of big water and food corporations.

I will be following the outcome of this vote closely, and look forward to your prompt reply.

Sincerely,

Rachel's News #844

http://tinyurl.com/le6v8

Sibel Edmonds: A Patriot Silenced, Unjustly Fired but Fighting Back to Help Keep America Safe

http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002496.htm
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/LibertyCoalition/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1728&t=Liberty%20Coalition.dwt


Informant: NHNE

Is Carlyle Group at heart of DPW deal?

What does Dubai Ports World have in common with CSX, Treasury Secretary John Snow, and the Bush Family? The Carlyle Group is the answer currently gaining ground on the Internet.

http://informationclearinghouse.info/article12167.htm



Frauds-R-Us
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article3308.htm

Pesticides Found in Most U.S. Rivers

By JOHN HEILPRIN,
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Most of the nation's rivers and streams — and the fish in them — are contaminated with pesticides linked to cancer, birth defects and neurological disorders, but not at levels that can harm humans.

Pesticides were found in almost all U.S. rivers and streams between 1992 and 2001, says a study released Friday by the U.S. Geological Survey, although most drinking water supplies haven't been affected.

"While the use of pesticides has resulted in a wide range of benefits to control weeds, insects and other pests, including increased food production and reduction of insect-borne disease, their use also raises questions about possible effects on the environment, including water quality," said Robert Hirsch, the USGS associate director for water.

Pesticides were seldom found at concentrations likely to affect people, and they were less common in groundwater. But they were found in most fish.

Most frequently detected in agricultural streams were three herbicides used mainly on farms: atrazine, metolachlor and cyanazine. Just last week, the Environmental Protection Agency settled a 2003 lawsuit brought by the Natural Resources Defense Council, forcing the government to assess whether atrazine threatens the survival of endangered Chesapeake Bay sea turtles, endangered Texas salamanders and 16 other aquatic species.

Three other herbicides used commonly in cities — simazine, prometon and tebuthiuron — showed up more often in urban streams.

The USGS looked for 100 pesticides, and found 40 of them had a widespread presence in streams and sediment in both urban and agricultural areas, at concentrations that could affect aquatic life or fish-eating wildlife. The pesticides showed up more than 90 percent of the time in the fish tissue found in agricultural, urban and mixed land-use areas.

In each of the streams the USGS studied, at least one pesticide was detected. In about 19 of every 20 streams with agricultural, urban or mixed land-use watersheds, pesticide compounds were found at nearly all times of the year. The most frequent occurrence was in shallow groundwater beneath agricultural and urban areas, where more than half the wells contained one or more pesticide compounds.

Jay Feldman, executive director of Beyond Pesticides, a national research and advocacy group, said the data surrounding the nation's reliance on about 1 billion pounds of pesticides a year "shows an urgent need to strengthen policies at all levels of government and curtail pesticide use."

The USGS report is based on an analysis of data from 51 major river basins and aquifer systems nationally, and a study of an aquifer system that runs through eight states from South Dakota to Texas, east of the Rocky Mountains.

It found that concentrations of individual pesticides nearly always complied with the EPA's drinking-water standards, though no water samples from streams were taken at drinking-water intakes. The EPA also is responsible for reviewing pesticides, based on pesticide-makers' tests that can cost tens of millions of dollars. It typically takes up to a decade to study each one before it can reach the marketplace, according to industry figures.

But simply detecting the presence of a pesticide does not always mean there is reason for concern, said Jay Vroom, president of CropLife America, which represents pesticide developers and manufacturers. He emphasized that the use of pesticides by farmers, ranchers and others is strictly regulated by federal and state laws.

"Water quality is of paramount importance to us," he said. "And the USGS report correctly recognizes that the large majority of pesticide detections in streams and groundwater were trace amounts, far below scientifically based minimum levels set for protecting human health and the environment."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060304/ap_on_he_me/pesticide_pollution


Informant: Anna Webb

THESE GUIDELINES ARE NO PROTECTION

Bath Chronicle
11:00 - 03 March 2006

So mobile phone operator spokesman, Michael Dolan still, in my opinion, attempts to misinform the public about the inadequacy of the supposed "protective" phone mast radiation (ICNIRP) guidelines (Chronicle, February 23). Independent research regularly proves the dangers to health of this harmful technology.

It is readily available to all (please see Mast Sanity website).
http://www.mastsanity.org/

I challenge Mr Dolan to name one research paper that proves conclusively that there is no long term danger to public health from this dangerous technology.

Unsurprisingly, Mr Dolan liberally quotes the compliant World Health Organisation on this matter.

The WHO's spokesman (and ICNIRP member) Michael Repacholi, heads its radiation department and electro magnetic frequency committee.

He systematically downplays and ignores the numerous scientific findings which prove that this cellular technology is not safe. So why does the WHO's Michael Repacholi refuse to guide governments to take the appropriate safety measures and protect human lives from this worldwide threat to our health?

Perhaps it's something to do with the 150,000 dollars a year he receives from the cellular phone industry.

Hardly surprising, Mr Dolan, that you failed to mention this, or the fact that there is a worldwide petition to remove this dangerous man from his vested interested position.

Omega see under: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/409444403 and
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/877606/


With the ever-increasing ill health and cancer clusters appearing in the vicinity of phone masts it is scandalous that the current outdated guidelines, trumpeted by government and phone operators, do not acknowledge the biological effects of the radiation emissions on the human body. They only researched the thermal (heating) effects. These guidelines as 'protection' are equivalent to a fireguard in front of a defective gas fire that is giving out carbon monoxide - it might stop you getting burned but you might not be alive to care.

Omega see "Cancer Clusters in Vicinity to Cell-Phone Transmitter Stations" under: http://omega.twoday.net/stories/580224/


JOHN ELLIOTT
Bristol

Antarctic ice sheet decline startles scientists

Wow - Anna

Begin forwarded message:

Antarctic ice sheet decline startles scientists
Published on Saturday, March 4, 2006
by The Guardian

By Alok Jha · Losses contradict earlier climate forecast · New calculations based on satellite readings

The Antarctic ice sheet, which contains 90% of the world's ice, has lost significant mass in the past few years. The discovery comes as a surprise to scientists, who thought that the continent would gain ice this century because of increased snowfall in a warming climate.

A research team from the University of Colorado used satellite data to estimate that the ice sheet is losing up to 36 cubic miles of ice every year. By comparison, a city the size of Los Angeles uses one cubic mile of fresh water every year.

"This is the first study to indicate the total mass balance of the Antarctic ice sheet is in significant decline," said Professor Isabella Velicogna of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (Cires).

Most of the ice loss measured by Professor Velicogna - around 35 cubic miles - came from the West Antarctic ice sheet.

According to the British Antarctic Survey, if the West Antarctic ice sheet - which is about eight times smaller in volume than the East Antarctic ice sheet -melted completely, global sea levels would rise by more than six metres (20 ft).

At twice the size of Australia, Antarctica is the Earth's fifth largest continent and contains 70% of its total fresh water resources. An ice sheet covers about 98% of the continent with an average thickness of about 2,000 metres (6,500 ft).

Understanding how the mass of this ice sheet changes over time is important in working out how sea levels around the world change, with obvious impacts on society. In a paper published online today in Science Express, the researchers said that there have been significant improvements in monitoring the ice sheet in the last few years but that there is also confusion: many studies give contrasting estimates of the changes to Antarctica.

For the rest of the article, see the original.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Editorial Notes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Many related articles are in the news today. For example:

BBC Voice of America NY Times LA Times Washington Post FOX (!!!!)

BA Article found at : http://www.energybulletin.net/newswire.php?id=13404

Original article : http://www.guardian.co.uk/antarctic/story/0,,1722581,00.html

Peace - Anna


"What lies before us and what lies behind us are small matters compared to what lies within us. And when we bring what is within out into the world, miracles happen." -- Henry David Thoreau

--------

Antarctica Losing Ice, Contrary to Expectations
http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20060302/sc_space/antarcticalosingicecontrarytoexpectations


Informant: Andy Caffrey

--------

Loss of Antarctic Ice Increases

Two new satellite surveys show that warming air and water are causing Antarctica to lose ice faster than it can be replenished by interior snowfall, and thus are contributing to rising global sea levels. The studies differed significantly in estimates of how much water was being added to the oceans this way, but their authors both said that the work added credence to recent conclusions that global warming caused by humans was likely to lead to higher sea levels than previous studies had predicted.

http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/030306EB.shtml

Residents sees red over Orange

PLANS have been entered for a 12 metre telecommunications mast in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty at Warkworth. Orange Mast Personal Communications has submitted an application with Alnwick District Council for a site off the U3043 road to Warkworth dunes. It is for a pole supporting two antennae and a single transmission dish supported by equipment cabinet. A resident of Amble contacted the Gazette fearing the impact of the mast on the AONB. Sarah Charlton, of Gloster Park, said: "I just wonder how Amble would feel about that. It will not look quite so attractive will it. I thought AONBs were supposed to be protected from that sort of thing." A spokesman for Orange said: "The area of Warkworth currently has very poor Orange mobile phone coverage, we have a responsibility to our customers to try and improve that coverage. "Warkworth is a very difficult area to try and find an area to house a mobile phone mast with the fact that it is in and AONB and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. "Orange has its hands tied on the type of site we can find, we have tried to find a site which is as environmentally friendly as possible and that will cause as little problems as possible within the AONB. "We are sympathetic to people's views on this." A spokeswoman for the district council confirmed that the site is within the AONB and heritage coast. The main issues surrounding its determination are site, scale and design. At 12 metres, the mast is at the lower end of the scale with most being at least 15. The closing date for comments or objections is March 10.

03 March 2006

All rights reserved © 2006 Johnston Press Digital Publishing.

http://www.northumberlandtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=1117&ArticleID=1373502

Villagers plead: don't put up mast

VILLAGERS pleaded with a landowner this week to give up the idea of allowing a mobile phone mast to be put in his field. Planning permission has already been given for the mast on land off Stonebridge Lane in Blackboys owned by Jamie Formolli. If he decides not to let Orange go ahead with the development, he stands to lose a potential income of £5,000 a year. But villagers argued, at a public meeting in the village hall on Tuesday, that there was more than money at stake. They were worried about a health risk particularly for their children. Headteacher of Blackboys Primary School Gill Webb said if there was even the slightest chance of a health risk then the answer to Orange should be no and the best way to make sure masts were not put up elsewhere in the village was to combine forces against them. Adele Lyons said a growing number of studies showed there was a health risk to people living near masts and asked why Mr Formolli would even consider having one on his land. Villagers won a previous battle to stop a mast being built at Blackboys Nursery and Mrs Lyons said: 'You are a successful property developer, have a restaurant starting up and industrial units, why do you need £5,000?'

Mr Formolli said a risk to health from the masts had not been proven.

Omega this is not true. See under:
http://omega.twoday.net/topics/Wissenschaft+zu+Mobilfunk/
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Cancer+Cluster
http://www.buergerwelle.de/body_science.html


He used a mobile phone regularly for business purposes, Orange was determined to put up a mast in the village because reception was poor there so it would be better to have it on his land where he could control what equipment went up rather than have them elsewhere like on street light poles in the village. Any contract with Orange would contain a clause saying that if a health risk was ever proven then the mast would be removed, he said. Mr Formolli told villagers that in making his decision he would take into account reports on any risk to health, a possible fall in value of houses because a phone mast was in the village and whether having the mast would be worth 'all the aggravation and grief' he was getting for £5,000 a year. He had invited villagers to the meeting, he said, because he didn't want to be the 'faceless' man who put a mast up in the village. He wanted to hear what they had to say before making his decision.

03 March 2006

All rights reserved © 2006 Johnston Press Digital Publishing.

http://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=509&ArticleID=1373460

Deadly 'flying gunships' are back in Iraq: air war sure to escalate

http://www.ufppc.org/content/view/4187/


Informant: jensenmk

From ufpj-news

"Wir wollen leben": vom Widerstand gegen die Atommüll-Transporte

Elbe-Jeetzel-Zeitung
4.3.2006
Lokales aus dem Landkreis Lüchow-Dannenberg

»Castor-Dokumentation» herausgegeben - 92 Seiten vom Widerstand gegen die Atommüll-Transporte

Lüchow. »Wir wollen leben!»: Dieser Ruf der Schülerinnen und Schüler auf den Anti-Castor-Demonstrationen im vergangenen Jahr ist Überschrift geworden für die »Castor-Dokumentation», die am kommenden Montag erscheint. Über viertausend Bilder sind bei den Macherinnen eingegangen, dazu ungezählte Berichte und Erzählungen, die zu einer Übersicht der Ereignisse zusammengestellt sind.

Vieles von dem, was während der Castortage passiert, werde verschwiegen und ausgeblendet und sei so für die breite Öffentlichkeit nicht mehr sichtbar: Das beklagt Elisabeth Krüger von der aaa-Redaktion, die die Dokumentation erstellt hat- In einigen Fällen könne von einer regelrechten Nachrichtensperre durch die Polizei gesprochen werden. »Wir wollen dem etwas entgegensetzen und Bilder und Texte der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich machen, die zeigen, das Menschen sich immer noch und immer wieder auf unterschiedliche Weise, aber mit viel Mut und Energie gegen die Atomtechnologie zur Wehr setzen.»

Nicht nur die spektakulären Aktionen, sondern die ganze Breite und Vielfalt des Widerstands darzustellen und festzuhalten, sei das Ziel der Do- kumentation. Neben Beton, Leichenwagen, Sitzblockaden, Schienenhopping und Gleisbremsschuhen gehe es um viele unscheinbare, aber doch entschiedene Schritte von Protest und Widerstand.

»Im Mittelpunkt stehen die Menschen: Was bewegt sie dazu, sich bei Wind und Wetter dem Atomtransport entgegenzustellen und dabei auch der Polizei nicht aus dem Weg zu gehen? Was erleben sie dabei?» Auch auf diesen Fragen gehe die Dokumentation ein, berichtet Elisabeth Krüger. Auf 92 Seiten entstehe ein beredtes Bild von einer Bewegung, die, auch wenn sie bereits 29 Jahren Geschichte auf dem Buckel hat, ihre Jugendlichkeit stets neu wieder finde.

Die Broschüre ist bei der Bürgerinitiative Umweltschutz, im Buchhhandel und in Naturkostläden zu erhalten.

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