Coming in 2012: Genetically modified front lawns and the mass spraying of neighborhoods and playgrounds with RoundUp

Sunday, July 17, 2011
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Editor of NaturalNews.com

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/033022_Scotts_Miracle-Gro_GMO_seeds.html#ixzz1SSA8JmmO

(NaturalNews) Thanks to a recent admission by the USDA that it does not have the regulatory framework to even regulate GMOs, the world of biotech is set to unleash a tidal wave of genetically modified seeds upon the United States. This is the upshot of Scotts Miracle-Gro challenging the USDA over its GMO grass seeds, to which the USDA threw in the towel and essentially announced it can't technically regulate many GMOs at all.

Welcome to the new world order of GMO self regulation, where the companies that produce the GMO seeds now get to regulate their own behavior! (http://motherjones.com/tom-philpott...)

Scotts Miracle-Gro is now moving full speed ahead on its GMO yard grass product, which could theoretically be introduced into the marketplace as early as 2012. This is a home consumer yard grass seed which, of course, resists glyphosate (RoundUp), and its introduction into the marketplace would almost certainly result in millions of homeowners across America planting these seeds in their yard and then spraying RoundUp across their entire lawn as a "treatment" for eliminating weeds.

RoundUp, in other words, may be coming soon to a neighborhood near you. And it's not just the lawns, either: This combination of Scotts GMO grass and RoundUp chemicals could be used on playgrounds, schoolyards, community centers and parks. Once this goes into production, there will be virtually no place your family can go in America that isn't contaminated with genetically modified grass seeds and toxic glyphosate chemicals.

A whole new wave of superweeds

The upshot of all this is not merely the astonishing lack of regulation now being admitted by the USDA (which always sided with the biotech industry anyway, so what's new?), but the cause-and-effect results we may soon see. We could be looking at a wave of superweeds spreading across America.

These superweeds will be the baddest, toughest and most chemically-resistant weeds our world has ever seen. They develop as mutant derivatives of the mass spraying of RoundUp chemicals across lawns. In much the same way that superbugs develop in the presence of widespread antibiotics abuse, superweeds, develop in the presence of widespread glyphosate abuse (http://www.businessinsider.com/gene...).

And of course once these superweeds take over America's sidewalks, driveways and lawns, there will be cries for newer, stronger chemical products to kill those superweeds, too. And who will come to the rescue? Monsanto, of course... the very same company that produces RoundUp and thereby contributed to the problem in the first place.

Let the boycott of Scott's Miracle Grow begin!

Join NaturalNews in boycotting Scotts products beginning today. We will maintain this boycott until Scotts announces it will no longer pursue GMO seeds. Remember: GMO Kentucky bluegrass will cross-pollinate with other grasses in the wild, leading to widespread GMO contamination of lawns across our nation!

Join us in sending complaints to Scotts about their pursuit of GMOs. Click here to send Scotts an email.

Then call them by phone at 888-270-3714 (during normal business hours). When you call, let them know you are strongly opposed to their pursuit of GMO Kentucky bluegrass and that you will stop buying all Scotts / Miracle-Gro products from here forward unless Scotts announces it will back away from GMOs.

You may also mail them a letter by sending it to:
Scotts Help Center
14111 Scottslawn Rd.
Marysville, OH 43041

Why this matters

Please join us in this protest against Scotts Miracle-Gro. And to once again summarize why this action is important, remember these simple truths:

• Unleashing genetically modified Kentucky bluegrass in America, to be used across neighborhood lawns and playgrounds, will result in the mass genetic contamination of other types of grasses.

• There is absolutely no scientific evidence showing GMO Kentucky bluegrass to be safe for neighborhoods or the environment. The USDA simply refuses to regulate it.

• Scotts Miracle-Gro is extremely irresponsible in pursuing such a product, and the company could be guilty of crimes against nature if it unleashes these products into the wild.

• If this GMO grass is planted on lawns across America, it will spur the widespread use of Roundup herbicide (made by Monsanto), which will devastate the soils and contaminate the streams and rivers downstream. We are talking about potentially dumping tens of millions of gallons of RoundUp into the environment while boosting the profits of Monsanto!

• If Scotts Miracle-Gro pursues this genetically modified lawn seed, it will instantly place itself on the list of the top 10 most evil companies in North America, earning it widespread criticism, condemnation and boycotts from consumers (who, for the most part, have a positive image of Scott's right now). Many gardeners who currently use Scotts Miracle-Gro products will boycott them instead. Gardeners love the natural world, remember. And they do not like to see companies unleashing GMOs across that natural world.

• NaturalNews will continue to track and publicize Scotts' actions regarding GMO grass seed, and if the company insists in introducing this product, we will work with people like Jeffrey Smith (www.ResponsibleTechnology.org) to organize massive protests against such irresponsible business practices.

Spread the word. Boycott Scotts Miracle-Gro. This company is on the verge of releasing GMO seeds across out front lawns and neighborhoods -- a move that would soon be followed by the mass-spraying of RoundUp pesticides by all your ignorant neighbors who know nothing of the dangers of GMOs and glyphosate.

Please share this story and help get the word out. Scotts Miracle-Gro must go. Just Say No to GMOs

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/033022_Scotts_Miracle-Gro_GMO_seeds.html#ixzz1SSAHebrR

Wait, Did the USDA Just Deregulate All New Genetically Modified Crops?

By Tom Philpott
Mother Jones, July 8, 2011 
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_23586.cfm

It's a hoary bureaucratic trick, making a controversial announcement on the Friday afternoon before a long weekend, when most people are daydreaming about what beer to buy on the way home from work, or are checking movie times online. But that's precisely what the US Department of Agriculture pulled last Friday.

In an innocuous-sounding press release titled "USDA Responds to Regulation Requests Regarding Kentucky Bluegrass," agency officials announced their decision not to regulate a "Roundup Ready" strain of Kentucky bluegrass-that is, a strain genetically engineered to withstand glyphosate, Monsanto's widely used herbicide, which we know as Roundup. The maker of the novel grass seed, Scotts Miracle Gro, is now free to sell it far and wide. So you'll no doubt be seeing Roundup Ready bluegrass blanketing lawns and golf courses near you-and watching anal neighbors and groundskeepers literally dousing the grass in weed killer without fear of harming a single precious blade.

Which is worrisome enough. But even more worrisome is the way this particular product was approved. According to Doug Gurian-Sherman, senior scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists' Food and Environment Program, the documents released by the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) along with the announcement portend a major change in how the feds will deal with genetically modified crops.

Notably, given the already-lax regulatory regime governing GMOs (genetically modified organisms, click here for a primer), APHIS seems to be ramping down oversight to the point where it is essentially meaningless. The new regime corresponding with the bluegrass announcement would "drastically weaken USDA's regulation," Gurian-Sherman told me. "This is perhaps the most serious change in US regs for [genetically modified] crops for many years."

>>> Read the Full Article 
http://motherjones.com/environment/2011/07/usda-deregulate-roundup-gmo-tom-philpott?page=1

British government squanders millions conducting secret GM potato trials while non-GM variety already performs spectacularly

Friday, July 08, 2011 by: Jonathan Benson, staff writer

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/032933_GM_potatoes_crop_yields.html#ixzz1RWZz0e8f

(NaturalNews) For the past ten years, the British government has been quietly subsidizing research aimed at developing a genetically-modified (GM) potato resistant to blight, the fungal disease responsible for causing the infamous Irish potato famine.

According to Indymedia UK, Sainsbury Laboratory, the group tasked with development, has already spent roughly 1.7 million pounds ($2.7 million) worth of public funds to develop the GM potato, despite the fact that a natural blight-resistant variety has already been successfully bred and in use for the past three years.

Unlike in the US where GM crops are widely cultivated, GM crops have never been commercially grown in the UK. Widespread public opposition to their introduction back in 1997, as well as continued opposition, has kept them largely out of food and off the land. And yet reports explains that the GM potato research being conducted by Sainsbury -- with public funding -- is so secretive that nobody knows for sure whether or not any open-air trials of test GM potatoes have taken place.

Meanwhile, a small Welsh research group three years ago successful bred a natural, non-GM potato variety with natural resistance to blight -- and that potato variety has been in cultivation ever since that time. As opposed to GM crops, this blight-resistant potato -- which is now available in more than six different varieties -- is safe for the environment, safe for human consumption, and it does not require the yearly repurchasing of terminator seeds and expensive chemical pesticides in order to grow.

But the British government continues to pour money into useless endeavors to develop a GM variety, which has prompted Stop GM, a UK group devoted to ending the spread of GMOs, to take action. The group is holding an event on July 23 to speak out against the abuse of public funds by the UK government, and it needs your help to make it a success. Part of this event will include the dropping off of a trailer full of safe, non-GM, blight-resistant potatoes at the Sainsbury research center where the GM potato trials are taking place.

To learn more about how you can help fight GMOs in the UK, visit:
http://www.stopgm.org.uk/take-action.html

Sources for this story include:
 http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/06/480991.html

The 10 Freakiest Things About Frankenfish

http://www.organicconsumers.org/gelink.cfm

Alert

Stop Frankenfish!

#10 - According to the FDA, Frankenfish Aren't Animals, They're "Animal Drugs"
#9 - The GMO Part of the GMO Salmon Isn't Being Safety Tested
#8 - Frankenfish DNA Could Change the Bacteria of Your Gut
#7 - If It Swims Like Salmon, FDA Says Frankenfish Is Safe to Eat
#6 - The Frankenfish Company Tests Its Own Product's Safety
#5 - Frankenfish Is More Carcinogenic
#4 - Frankenfish Is Less Nutritious
#3 - Frankenfish Is More Allergenic
#2 - GMOs Can Mess a Fish Up!
And, the freakiest thing about all of this is ...
#1 - The Government Wants More Transgenic Fish and Less Wild Fish

Peru Approves 10 Year Ban on GM Crops

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_23420.cfm
By Thomas Wittman
Eco Farm, June 7, 2011 
PLENARY SESSION OF THE CONGRESS APPROVED MORATORIUM OF TEN YEARS FOR THE
ENTRANCE OF TRANSGENIC
via GENET-news

SOURCE:  Andian, Peru

AUTHOR:  Machine translation of the Spanish text

URL:     http://www.andina.com.pe/Espanol/Noticia.aspx?id=RT87MrHPjyo=

DATE:     07.06.2011

SUMMARY: "The Plenary Session of the Congress, approved the opinion of the law
project that declares a moratorium of ten years that prevents the import of
Genetically Modified Organisms on the national territory for cultivation,
breeding or of any transgenic production."

Lima, jun. 07 (ANDINA). The Plenary Session of the Congress, approved the
opinion of the law project that declares a moratorium of ten years that prevents
the import of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) on the national territory for
cultivation, breeding or of any transgenic production. It was sustained by the
president of the Agrarian Commission, Aníbal Huerta (PAP), who declared that in
the face of the danger that can arise from the use of the biotechnology a
moratorium must be approved to take care of our biodiversity. It received the
endorsement of congressmen Elizabeth Leon (BPCD), Franklin Sanchez (PAP),
Mauritius Mulder (PAP), Oswaldo Luizar (BPCD), Jorge of Castillo (PAP), Oswaldo
de la Cruz (GPF), Luis Wilson (PAP), Yonhy Lescano (AP), Aldo Estrada (UPP),
Hilda Guevara (PAP), Gloria Branches (BPDC) and Maria Sumire (GPN). From
different viewpoints, they agreed in the defense of the national biodiversity
due to our greater climatic diversity, but they differed with regard
to the moratorium. Congressman Alejandro Rebaza (PAP), made some precisions to
the opinion and, like the colleagues Sanchez and Estrada, proposed a technical
commission of prevention and investigation that issues a report in two years.
The legislators Raul Castro (UN) and Juan Carlos Eguren (UN) expressed
themselves against the moratorium, because they considered that already we
consumed transgenic products and that the doors to biotechnology could not be
closed because the transgenic production, that is necessary for covering the
food needs, has 70% more sale than the organic production. The parliamentarian
José Saldaña (AN) remembered that the biologists have asked to file the project
in debate because already exists a law on the matter, whereas legislator Yaneth
Cajahuanca (GPN) suggested to leave the project for the next session. On the
other hand, congressmen Luis Giampietri (PAP) and Édgard Núñez (PAP) said that
it is not possible to close the doors to science and that it
is possible to decided on a prudential moratorium of five years. Finally, the
president of the Commission of Andean Towns, Washington Zeballos (BPCD),
informed on the modifications to the opinion and that the term of the moratorium
would have to be of ten years. The proposal was approved by 56 votes to favor,
zero against and two abstentions and exonerated from second voting by 50 votes
to favor, four against and three abstentions. The approved norm establishes a
moratorium of ten years, determines as competent authority of the subject to the
Ministry of the Environemnt and creates a Technical Commission of Evaluation and
Prevention of Risks of Use of GMOs, that in two years will have to issue a
report on the subject.

The Genetic Engineering Blog is produced by Thomas Wittman and EcoFarm, and supported by a generous donation from the Newman's Own Foundation.

http://transitionnow.wordpress.com/2011/06/05/study-found-toxin-from-gm-crops-is-showing-up-in-human-blood/

Environment Care, Nutrition and Prevention

Study Found Toxin from GM Crops is Showing up in Human Blood

Posted by Transition Now ⋅ June 5, 2011 ⋅ Leave a Comment

Posted By Dr. Mercola | May 31 2011 |

Read the original article here

A new study is causing fresh doubts about the safety of genetically modified crops. The research found Bt toxin, which is present in many GM crops, in human blood.
Bt toxin makes crops toxic to pests, but it has been claimed that the toxin poses no danger to the environment and human health; the argument was that the protein breaks down in the human gut. But the presence of the toxin in human blood shows that this does not happen.
India Today reports:
“Scientists … have detected the insecticidal protein …  circulating in the blood of pregnant as well as non-pregnant women. They have also detected the toxin in fetal blood, implying it could pass on to the next generation.”

Cry1Ab, a specific type of Bt toxin from genetically modified (GM) crops, has for the first time been detected in human and fetal blood samples. It appears the toxin is quite prevalent, as upon testing 69 pregnant and non-pregnant women who were eating a typical Canadian diet (which included foods such as GM soy, corn and potatoes), researchers found Bt toxin in:

• 93 percent of maternal blood samples
• 80 percent of fetal blood samples
• 69 percent of non-pregnant women blood samples

Writing in the journal Reproductive Toxicology, the researchers noted:
“This is the first study to reveal the presence of circulating PAGMF [pesticides associated with genetically modified foods] in women with and without pregnancy, paving the way for a new field in reproductive toxicology including nutrition and utero-placental toxicities.”
This GM insecticide toxin is already showing up in fetal blood, which means it could have an untold impact on future generations.

Bt Toxin is a Built-In Pesticide

Upwards of 85 percent of U.S. corn crops contain a special gene added that allows them to produce an insecticide. This way, when bugs attempt to eat the corn they’re killed right away (specifically their stomach is split open) because the plant contains an invisible, built-in pesticide shield.
The particular gene added to most corn crops is a type of Bt-toxin — produced from Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria. Genetic engineers remove the gene that produces the Bt in bacteria and insert it into the DNA of corn (and cotton) plants.
They claim that Bt-toxin is quickly destroyed in human stomachs — and even if it survived, it won’t cause reactions in humans or mammals …
But studies are now showing that this is not the case, as Bt toxin is readily passing into the human bloodstream and animal studies have already shown that Bt-toxin does cause health effects in animals, including potentially humans. As Jeffrey Smith, executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, wrote:
“Mice fed natural Bt-toxin showed significant immune responses and caused them to become sensitive to other formerly harmless compounds. This suggests that Bt-toxin might make a person allergic to a wide range of substances.
Farm workers and others have also had reactions to natural Bt-toxin, and authorities acknowledge that “People with compromised immune systems or preexisting allergies may be particularly susceptible to the effects of Bt.”
In fact, when natural Bt was sprayed over areas around Vancouver and Washington State to fight gypsy moths, about 500 people reported reactions—mostly allergy or flu-like symptoms. Six people had to go to the emergency room.
… The Bt-toxin produced in the GM plants is probably more dangerous than in its natural spray form. In the plants, the toxin is about 3,000-5,000 times more concentrated than the spray, it doesn’t wash off the plants like the spray does, nd it is designed to be more toxic than the natural version.
In fact, the GM toxin has properties of known allergens and fails all three GM allergy tests recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and others.”

GM Insecticide Poisons Also Showing Up in Waterways

Given that Bt toxin has now been confirmed in the human bloodstream, it should come as no surprise that it has also infiltrated the environment. According to one study, 50 of the 217 streams, ditches and drains near cornfields that researchers tested were found to contain Cry1Ab above six nanograms per liter.
The protein is getting into the waterways via corn stalks, leaves, husks and cobs that blow into the water — a phenomenon that’s incredibly common since farmers often leave such material in fields to help minimize soil erosion.
Eighty-six percent of the streams tested contained various corn material with the potential to transmit Bt-toxin into the water. Further, because the study was conducted six months after crops were harvested, it indicates that the GM protein lingers in the environment. Now that this GM toxin is showing up in waterways, it has the potential to devastate aquatic life and continue to spread, uncontrolled and unrestricted, across the entire United States and world.

GM Foods May be Leaving GM Proteins in Your Body

In case it’s not clear, I want to reiterate that this new study in Reproductive Technology has confirmed that if you eat GM foods that contain the insecticidal Bt toxin, it appears likely that it will be transferred to your bloodstream.
As I mentioned earlier, as of right now about 85 percent of the corn grown in the United States is genetically engineered to either produce an insecticide, or to survive the application of herbicide. And about 91-93 percent of all soybeans are genetically engineered to survive massive doses of Roundup herbicide.
What this means is that nearly ALL foods you buy that contain either corn or soy, in any form, will contain GM components unless it’s certified organic by the USDA.
There’s very convincing evidence that eating these genetically modified foods spells nothing but trouble for your health. As Smith discusses in this interview, scientists have discovered a number of health problems related to genetically modified foods in general, however these studies have been repeatedly ignored by both the European Food Safety Authority and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In the only human feeding study ever published on genetically modified foods, seven volunteers ate Roundup-ready soybeans. These are soybeans that have herbicide-resistant genes inserted into them in order to survive being sprayed with otherwise deadly doses of Roundup herbicide.
In three of the seven volunteers, the gene inserted into the soy transferred into the DNA of their intestinal bacteria, and continued to function long after they stopped eating the GM soy.
However, the GM-friendly UK government, who funded the study, chose not to fund any follow up research to see if GM corn — which contains the BT toxin — might also transfer and continue to create insecticide inside your intestines. Now the evidence has come through nonetheless, as the study in Reproductive Technology shows that it does transfer, at least to your bloodstream (and the bloodstream of your baby if you’re pregnant).
This is extremely concerning, as in this interview Smith also mentions an Italian study where they fed BT corn to mice. As a result, the mice expressed a wide variety of immune responses commonly associated with diseases such as:

Rheumatoid arthritis	Inflammatory bowel disease	Osteoporosis
Atherosclerosis	Various types of cancer	Allergies
Lou Gehrig’s disease

I’ve gone on record saying that due to the amount of GM crops now grown in the United States, EVERY processed food you encounter at your local supermarket that does not bear the “USDA Organic” label is filled with GM components. So you’re eating GM foods, and you have been for the last decade, whether you knew it or not. You can thank Congress for this, and the USDA and Monsanto. What ultimate impact these GM foods will have on your health is still unknown, but increased disease, infertility and birth defects appear to be on the top of the list of most likely side effects.

How to Say “No” to GMOs

If you don’t already have a copy of the Non-GMO Shopping Guide, please print one out and refer to it often. It can help you identify and avoid foods with genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Also remember to look for products (including organic products) that feature the Non-GMO Project Verified Seal to be sure that at-risk ingredients have been tested for GMO content.
You can also download the free iPhone application that is available in the iTunes store. You can find it by searching for ShopNoGMO in the applications.
If you’re feeling more ambitious, you can also order the Non-GMO Shopping Tips brochure from the Institute of Responsible Technology in bulk and give it to your family and friends. When possible, buy your fresh produce and meat from local farmers who have committed to using non-GM seeds and avoid non-organic processed foods as much as possible, as again these are virtually 100-percent guaranteed to contain GM ingredients.

Australia shuns GM canola

Australia shuns GM canola in response to consumer demand for non-GMO products

Wednesday, June 01, 2011 by: Jonathan Benson, staff writer

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/032575_GM_canola_Australia.html#ixzz1O4dc0qU0

(NaturalNews) The biotechnology industry and its lackeys in the US government may be getting away with pulling a fast one on the American people, but citizens across Europe and in Australia continue to resist the onslaught of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) in their food supply. A recent report from Gene Ethics Media (GEM) explains that two of Australia's largest grain traders are refusing to deal with any GM canola this year, citing intense and increasing consumer opposition to GM grains.

Europeans import much of their canola from Australia, a country that for years had unilaterally held a non-GMO policy for canola. After all, virtually nobody from the countries to whom Australia exports its grains wants GM canola, and this has naturally created market conditions in which canola growers have voluntarily chosen to stick with non-GM and organic varieties.

"This market is a bonanza for the majority of Australian grain growers who wisely stayed with non-GM canola varieties," said Bob Phelps, Director of GEM. "Ninety-five percent of Western Australia's canola sold to Europe last year and strong demand is expected to continue, but only for non-GM. European shoppers have zero tolerance for GM canola."

Most Australian states currently have a ban on GM canola, with the major exception of Western Australia (WA). Terry Redman, Agriculture Minister of WA, recently lifted the ban on GM canola, despite the fact that nearly all farmers and shoppers oppose the crop. Redman, of course, also tried to dilute organic standards in Australia after it was found out that a GM canola crop field had contaminated an organic crop field, which caused the organic farmer to lose his organic certification status (http://www.naturalnews.com/030851_M...).

Phelps is urging all Australian states to maintain or retain their non-GMO statuses because there is no effective way to prevent non-GMO and organic crops from being contaminated by GMOs -- they simply cannot coexist together. But states like WA will have to make that decision now, and completely block all future GM plantings.

"GM canola segregation has failed everywhere it has been tried. After only one year of commercial GM canola in WA there is still time to become GM-free again," said Phelps. "South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and Northern Territory have retained their GM-free policies and other states should again ban polluting GM canola, for marketing reasons. It's insane to grow a GM crop that no one in their right mind wants to eat."

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/032575_GM_canola_Australia.html#ixzz1O4dsMW28