ESSAY OF THE WEEK The Plot Thickens

Tweet | Pinterest   Subscribe & Read Past Issues | OCA Homepage | Donate | View on Web ESSAY OF THE WEEK The Plot Thickens “The [Oct. 21, 2015] Senate Agriculture hearing reaffirmed the broad consensus among scientists and regulators that GMOs are safe . . . We were pleased to hear Senator Stabenow’s [D-Mich.] personal commitment to work to develop a bipartisan bill that can pass the Senate by the end of this year…”. - Pamela Bailey, Grocery Manufacturers Association, in an October 21, 2015 press release When the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry held its hearing on H.R. 1599 last week, the session ended just as the hearing in the House ended—with all of the witnesses in the room concurring that GMOs are safe. In fact, not one single member of the U.S. Congress, in several well-publicized hearings in the House and Senate this year, has had the intelligence or the courage to say that GMO-tainted foods and the pesticides that go along with them are toxic or unsafe. Worse yet, the few token spokespersons from public interest groups—Center for Science in the Public Interest, Environmental Working Group and Just Label It—despite portraying themselves as the “loyal opposition” to Monsanto and Big Food, and, have either repeated Monsanto’s lies of “no-scientific evidence of GMO harm” or claimed disingenuously “we don’t know.” Now, it seems the loyal opposition may go along with a scheme, supported by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), to pass a federal law that would substitute QR codes for labels. Read Ronnie’s essay ACTION ALERT Thanks, but No Thanks We first wrote about U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack’s Big Idea for GMO labeling back in February. The idea is this: Allow companies, voluntarily, to use QR barcodes to tell consumers if their products contain GMOs. The scheme would require you to scan the product, then be directed to the company’s website where you’d have to wade through the advertising and search the fine print. Of course, you’d have to have a smart phone. And plenty of time on your hands. We didn’t like the plan then. We don’t like it now. And we’re not keen that Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat, may step up to co-sponsor a bill in Congress that would substitute a voluntary QR code scheme for a mandatory GMO labeling law. It could happen. And it may even have support from so-called public interest groups, like JustLabelIt and the Center for Science in the Public Interest—groups that many consumers still believe are on our side. TAKE ACTION: Demand mandatory labeling of GMOs—not voluntary labels or QR codes! Post on Sen. Stabenow’s Facebook page Post on JustLabelIt’s Facebook page Post on CSPI’s Facebook page And please, even if you’ve already called your Senators, please call them again. Tell them you want them to support mandatory labeling of GMOs, not voluntary labels. And tell them that QR codes are no substitute for labels! Look up your Senators’ phone numbers and call today SUPPORT THE OCA & OCF Dog Pack Journalism The author of a recent blog post on Daily Kos lamented the failure of mainstream media to adequately cover, much less tell the truth, about GMOs. He called it "Dog pack journalism." We all know why. Corporations like Monsanto (which is now advertising in publications like Good Housekeeping and National Geographic) and Kellogg’s, General Mills and others buy advertising in major newspapers. Lots of it. And those advertising dollars not only sway consumers, they sway publishers. Last week’s Senate hearing on the DARK Act (H.R. 1599), an industry-written bill intended to legalize the fraudulent practicing of withholding information that 90 percent of Americans believe they have the right to know, didn’t go in our favor. Any day now, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) is expected to introduce a Senate version of the DARK Act, one that will likely include the words “voluntary” and “QR codes.” We can’t count on the media to help us stop this attack on our rights. Can we count on you? Your donation today will help us mobilize more volunteers to email, call and knock down the doors of their Senators. Thank you! Donate to the Organic Consumers Association (tax-deductible, helps support our work on behalf of organic standards, fair trade and public education) Donate to the Organic Consumers Fund (non-tax-deductible, but necessary for our GMO labeling legislative efforts) FAIR WORLD PROJECT Halloween Horror Show Would you buy chocolate from a company if you knew that company knowingly obtained its chocolate from suppliers that used child labor? Some consumers in California say no. So they’re suing Mars, Nestlé and Hershey for failing to disclose that their suppliers rely on child laborers. It’s once again the season of ghosts, goblins and candy. Lots and lots of candy. Nearly $2 billion worth of it. For most of the world's kids, Halloween is fun. But for the more than 2 million children who work long hours, under hazardous conditions, to make all that money for Big Candy, Halloween—and almost every other day of the year—is a real horror show. The chocolate industry has a long history or exploiting children, and a bad track record when it comes to fixing the problem. That’s not news. What may surprise you is that the problem is getting worse, not better, according to a recent study. How do we end the cycle of child slavery in chocolate production? By boycotting the companies that allow it. And by demanding fair prices for farmers. TAKE ACTION: Tell the International Cocoa Initiative to Address Fair Pricing as Part of Its Strategy to Eliminate Child Labor Find fair trade chocolate Learn more VIDEO OF THE WEEK A ‘Devious Act’ “Any law that prevents GMO labeling simply legalizes fraud.” If you read this newsletter, you probably support mandatory labeling of GMOs. And you probably know why you want GMOs labeled. You probably also have friends who don’t know what a GMO is, much less why more than 90 percent of consumers want GMOs labeled. And 100 percent of Big Food companies don’t. Now would be a good time to reach out to those friends. From the bogus cost argument, to the dangers of glyphosate, to the threat of GMO salmon—in five short minutes, this video covers all the bases. Watch the video and share it! NEW REPORT Something Fishy Speaking of labels . . . . Why would we trust a voluntary GMO (or, as industry is pushing, voluntary non-GMO) labeling scheme when it’s clear that many profit-minded corporations can’t be trusted? Case in point: That salmon you bought that was labeled “wild salmon”? Maybe it was. But maybe it wasn’t, according to a study conducted by the advocacy group Oceana. Oceana collected 82 salmon samples from restaurants and grocery stores and found that 43 percent were mislabeled. DNA testing confirmed that most of the mislabeling (69 percent) consisted of farmed Atlantic salmon being sold as wild-caught product. According to Oceana: Salmon samples were considered to be mislabeled if 1) they were described as being “wild,” “Alaskan” or “Pacific,” but DNA testing revealed them to be farmed Atlantic salmon; or 2) the samples were labeled as a specific type of salmon, like “Chinook,” but testing revealed them to be different species (in most cases lower-value fish). Learn more Read the report SAVE ORGANIC STANDARDS Keeping ‘Organic’ Honest If you want to avoid GMOs and pesticides, your best option (other than growing your own food) is to buy products that bear the green and white USDA Organic seal. But the certification process behind the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP), and the people who manage it, aren’t perfect. Unless consumers keep the program honest, the standards governing organic will deteriorate. With sales of organics hitting a record $39 billion in 2014, companies like Kellogg’s and General Mills are buying up organic brands—and then angling for positions on the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) so they can influence organic standards. And not in a good way, says the Cornucopia Institute. In fact, things are so bad, that the Cornucopia Institute is calling for the removal of NOP Deputy Administrator, Miles McEvoy. Meanwhile, the NOSB is meeting in Stowe, Vt. this week. The board will review more than 100 non-organic materials that currently are allowed in organic, but are nearing their five-year expiration date. Some of those include: the use of ethylene gas to induce flowering in pineapples; non-organic celery powder, high in nitrates, as a preservative in bacon and sausage; and non-organic coloring sources. Stay tuned. Learn more TAKE ACTION: Sign this letter demanding removal of the USDA Organic management LITTLE BYTES Essential Reading for the Week ‘Our Daily Poison:’ a Stark Look at Our Toxic Food Supply GM Crops Now Banned in 38 Countries Worldwide Climate Change a Major Health Threat to Children, Doctors Warn Vitamin C-Rich Foods That Fight the Common Cold 28 Inspiring Urban Agriculture Projects That Will Make You Rethink How Food Can Be Grown The Brown Revolution: Why Healthy Soil Means Healthy People

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Filipino Inventor Turns Landfill Plastic into Fuel!

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Justice Ginsburg’s Warning To A Dysfunctional Nation

The new book about Notorious RBG is a "self-conscious hagiography," but ThinkProgress' legal expert breaks down why it also includes a warning to a broken nation. In a press conference today at noon, the sheriff in charge of 'Officer Slam's' police department said the officer, who flipped and dragged a teenage girl like a rag doll, has been fired -- but the sheriff also blamed the girl and said she needs to be "held responsible." And, these GOP candidates want you to believe they worked their way up from the bottom, when they were actually born into immense privilege. Justice Ginsburg’s Warning To A Dysfunctional Nation Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been a national figure for at least half of her life. As founding director of the ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project, Ginsburg probably did more than any other litigator in the nation’s history to abolish sex discrimination and gender stereotyping. As an appellate judge, she was among the most admired members of the federal bench and frequently fed her law clerks to the Supreme Court. Now, she is one of the nine most powerful judges in the country. ...(read more) Sheriff Says Teenage Girl Who Was Slammed By Cop Started It, ‘Needs To Be Held Responsible’ ‘Officer Slam’ To Be Fired After Video Shows Him Flipping And Dragging Teenage Girl These GOP Candidates Were Born Into Privilege But Want You To Think Otherwise With Wednesday night’s GOP debate in Boulder, Colorado focused on the economy, many of the dozen-plus roster of Republican candidates have recently worked to highlight their personal economic stories. Both former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and hotel mogul Donald Trump have boasted about their business acumen, while others highlight the influence of their hard-working immigrant parents, or how they exhibit personal frugality in their shopping habits. ...(read more) The Clergy Hoping To Shatter The Divide Between Religion And Abortion Rights ThinkProgress | Center for American Progress Action Fund 1333 H ST NW | Washington, DC 20005 Contributions to Center for American Progress Action Fund are not tax deductible Donate | Manage Email Options | Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe

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Marijuana, Tax Measures Vying for California 2016 Ballot

Marijuana, Tax Measures Vying for California 2016 Ballot Posted: 28 Oct 2015 10:53 AM PDT By Doug Porter  As we come down the stretch into the final year before the 2016 general election, there are competing interests backing ballot measures seeking to legalize recreational marijuana use and increase taxes on upper-income earners in California. The downside in this situation is the possibility of enough confused voters rejecting the choices on the ballot on both issues. And you can bank on opponents of legalization and tax increases will do their best to sow doubt and confusion. Divisions in the pro-pot camp led to the defeat of Proposition 19 in 2010, despite not having a competing measure on the ballot and polling showing voters favoring legalized marijuana.  Advocates for tax increases in 2012 were divided between competing propositions, but a unified effort on the part of organized labor gave Proposition 30 the votes needed to win.   [Read more...] shared from San Diego Free Press

Recreational Improvements to Chicano Park Completed Posted: 28 Oct 2015 08:11 AM PDT Ribbon cutting ceremony to be held November 5 By Brent E. Beltrán It took almost three years to complete but Chicano Park finally received the recreational improvements that I wrote were coming back in January of 2014. New improvements to this local treasure and nationally registered historic site include a skate lane, exercise stations, an added handball court, new children’s playgrounds, a drought friendly water fountain, and other editions. On Thursday, November 5 at 3pm there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony featuring local dignitaries such as Councilman David Alvarez, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, Urban Corps of San Diego CEO Robert Chavez, Tommie Camarillo from the Chicano Park Steering Committee as well as many others who were instrumental in making Chicano Park what it is and the improvements possible.   [Read more...]

Reflections on Palestine: Symbols of Homeland Posted: 28 Oct 2015 08:07 AM PDT By Pedro Rios As I traveled throughout the occupied Palestinian territories, it was evident to me that life under Israeli occupation means that Palestinians must live under a constant stage of siege.  Israeli military and police forces use violence to enforce apartheid-style policies to control every aspect of Palestinian life. I heard many stories about how the Israeli government flagrantly violates international human rights conventions and agreements, and witnessed examples of how Palestinians live with unreasonable restrictions that are meant to humiliate and demean an entire people. In spite of this, there were natural resources that have become symbols in Palestinian life that call for a dignified homeland. These symbols - water, olive trees, and cactus plants – all are palpable objects that transcend the callousness of occupation because they represent long-lasting survival, in spite of what appears to be a permanent occupation. Below, I offer my brief reflections on each.  I believe they each merit a more just and thorough contemplation for what they’ve come to mean to Palestinians.   [Read more...]

Day of the Dead: When Indigenous Practices Meet Spiritual Traditions Posted: 28 Oct 2015 08:06 AM PDT By Antonieta Mercado The Day of the Dead celebration is a syncretic mix of Latin American indigenous practices and Catholic spiritual tradition. Families in many Latin American countries and U.S. communities honor the spirit of the dead as the ancestors did by creating altars or ofrendas (offerings), placing favorite foods, photos, special bread (“pan de muerto”) and other items associated with the ones who are gone.   The traditional cempazúchitl or zempoalxóchitl flower (marigold) that is used in altars symbolizes the color of death (yellow) for many indigenous groups, such as the Maya, Zapotec, Mixtec, and Nahua. It is believed that the yellow color of the flower can be seen by the dead, so its petals are placed forming a road directing the souls to the altar. Abundant marigolds are placed in different forms, either as an arch, or in flower vases around the altar.European colonization also brought religious syncretism to this custom, and placed the current celebration on November 1st, to honor the souls of dead children, and on November 2nd to honor the adults who had passed. November 2nd is also All Saints Day in the Catholic Tradition. Pre-Colonial festivities honoring the dead used to last from one to three months, depending on the particular group or region. For example, the Nahua, Totonaca, and Maya, believed that the dead would go to the underworld or Mictlán region to meet Mictlantehcutli, the dual male/female deity of death.   [Read more...]

Hurricane Patricia Gave an Early Halloween Scare Posted: 28 Oct 2015 08:05 AM PDT

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